By Elizabeth Lowe
Staff writer

Hadley Twp. – Belinda Katulski doesn’t take her her titles lightly.
She believes she was crowned 2005 Oakland County Homemaker of the Year on July 25 for two reasons: to share how faith in God continues to change her into the mom she wants to be, and to help other parents prevent arsenic poisoning, a condition affecting her young son.
Fellow parents and children involved in Oakland County 4-H programs know Belinda’s story, and encouraged her to compete for the homemaker title.
‘Six years ago I never thought I’d be in this position,? she said.
Belinda, who ran away from her Florida home at the age of 13, was going through a divorce until one pivotal moment when faith became reality, she says. Belinda credits God for saving her marriage and for her parenting style.
After a hot morning spent in the garden, Belinda laughs as her children engage in a ‘water war?, but it’s more than raising and preserving the family’s food that she talked about in the homemaker competition.
‘I told them I wanted to give tools to my children to learn to be responsible and productive and honest, and I think I get most of that from the good old Bible,? she said.
‘I don’t want people to get the impression that the homemaker has a Betty Crocker house, that everything’s just perfect. It’s not.?
Belinda and her husband Frank are parents to Robbie Katulski, 23; Savannah Katulski, 10; and Tristin Katulski, 4.
When Tristin was born by Caesarean-section, there was a knot in the umbilical cord. Later, ‘bizarre? behavior prompted doctors to prescribe seizure medication. Belinda continued to investigate.
Her son would seemed dazed sometimes when she spoke to him, then recover and ask, ‘Where did you go, Mom?? Minor stimulation, such as being greeted in the grocery store, would cause him to ‘go crazy,? she said. In November 2004, he was diagnosed with frontal brain damage.
A friend from Ortonville’s Small Planet food co-op suggested Tristin be tested for the presence of metals.
His blood content was 85 percent arsenic, says Belinda, whose well tested at 97 ppb, nearly 10 times the legal limited for public water supplies when new legislation goes into effect in January 2006.
Doctors questioned whether Tristin was in contact with treated wood. Since the Katulskis were already using bottled water for most drinking, they were advised by their physician to discontinue bathing in the well water, although the Environmental Protection Agency’s arsenic warnings focus on drinking–not skin absorption–of arsenic-contaminated water.
They have also refrained from ingesting meat they’ve raised, since the animals were unknowingly watered from the arsenic-contaminated well.
Thanks to help from Atlas Community Baptist Church, where the Katulskis attend, the family was able to have a new water system installed. They’re hoping measures to purge Tristin’s system of the arsenic are successful. He’ll be tested again later this month.
As a real estate agent, Belinda doesn’t want moms and dads to panic about arsenic in wells, which can’t consistently be predicted by location. As a parent, she’s happy with the opportunity to share what she’s learned about arsenic via her homemaker title.
Belinda plans to speak to kids and parents through opportunities she’s earned with her title. She’ll be talking to women at the Genesee County Jail, and may get to address those at a local children’s center.
On Aug. 10, Belinda competed against other county fair homemakers of the year, earning fourth place at the state level. Next year, she’ll be a judge, crowning the 2006 Oakland County Homemaker of the Year.
For now, she’s enjoying the opportunity to stand side-by-side at 4-H events with Savannah, who was named the fair’s duchess of rabbits and poultry.
Thinking back over the events of her life, Belinda is all smiles. To be chosen from among 10 top-notch homemakers is an honor she can hardly believe.
‘I’m here because of the glory of God,? she says, ‘to help kids with rough lives like mine.
‘I just know that’s why I was given this crown.?
To learn more about upcoming arsenic standards, go see ‘Schools grapple with arsenic levels in drinking water?, The Citizen, May 2005 at http://www.thecitizenonline.com.