All posts by Joanne

Cat of the week: Dwayne

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Pets/Animals, , ,

By Sharon Wylie, Crash’s Landing

Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet—or few—from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Crash’s Landing. Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary rescue organizations were founded by Jennifer Denyes, DVM (Dr. Jen), who is on staff at Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic (4245 Clyde Park Ave SW).

Frida and Dwayne (our names for them) came to us in a roundabout way in late October/early November of 2018, as both cats actually had an owner but had been abandoned earlier in the summer. As it turns out the landlord in Wyoming told this person that cats were no longer allowed, so instead of returning them to the Humane Society where they originated from quite some time ago (in Frida’s case it had been over 5 years), they were simply let go.


A good friend of Dr. Jen had been looking after them for the past four months and began to investigate a bit further when Frida (born in August of 2009) turned up injured; when she saw that the facial wounds just weren’t healing she took action into her own hands and brought this kitty’s plight to Dr. Jen’s attention. After tiring of seeing her and her younger counterpart (Dwayne was born in the fall of 2016) seeking shelter from the rain and weather that was turning cold and unpredictable, Dr. Jen’s friend contacted the former owner and asked for permission to transfer them to our care; thankfully the woman obliged with much appreciation.


Darling Dwayne fared much better than Frida did, having only fleas and internal parasites to contend with. We were able to obtain his actual adoption and medical records as he had been adopted from the Humane Society of Kent County only a year prior to his rescue. Although we initially reunited the two former housemates, neither one of them seemed to pay much attention to one another, so it was no big deal when Frida had to take up residence at Big Sid’s (she tested FIV-positive). Dwayne acclimated instantly to his new surroundings, unlike his older counterpart; being younger and more easily adaptable definitely worked in his favor. He quickly became a favorite of the volunteers as he is so laid-back, quiet and content.


A total sweetheart by the very definition of the word, Dwayne would do well in a house with kids, but lap time is essential to his future happiness. He would be fine co-habitating with another feline friend, but on the flip side, we feel he would enjoy being the single apple of someone’s eye as well. Regardless of where he ultimately ends up, we know for a fact that dashing little Dwayne is going to make an absolutely fabulous addition to any family that is lucky enough to take him home—this time for good!

More about Dwayne:

  • Medium
  • Domestic Short-haired Tabby (Tiger-striped), White
  • Adult
  • Male
  • House-trained
  • Vaccinations up to date
  • Neutered
  • Not declawed
  • Good in a home with other cats, children

Want to adopt Dwayne? Learn about the adoption process here. Fill out a pre-adoption form here.

Interested in volunteering at one of the cat shelters? Email volunteer@crashslanding.org.

Can’t adopt, but still want to help? Find out how you can sponsor a cat!

Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary have a common mission: To take at-risk stray cats off the streets of the Greater Grand Rapids area, provide them with veterinary care and house them in free-roaming, no-kill facilities until dedicated, loving, permanent homes can be found.

GVSU’s Arts at Noon program scheduled to start up in January

Entertainment, , ,

Arts at Noon brings nationally and internationally known musicians to Grand Valley State University for 14 performances each academic year. All Arts at Noon concerts will take place in the Cook-DeWitt Center located on the Allendale Campus. They will begin at noon and last approximately one hour. Every concert is free and open to the public. For more information about Arts at Noon, visit gvsu.edu/artsatnoon.

The Perugino Quartet will perform Jan. 16 for the GVSU Arts at Noon program. (GVSU)


January 16 – Perugino Quartet


Named after Renaissance artist Pietro Perugino of Grand Rapids’ sister city Perugia, Italy, The Perugino String Quartet has performed across Michigan and at the world-renowned Julliard String Quartet Seminar at the Lincoln Center in New York City. The group is composed of Grand Rapids Symphony members including, violinists Eric Tanner and Christopher Martin, violinist Barbara Corbato and cellist Stacey Bosman Tanner. Together, the quartet performs classics of the string quartet repertoire, as well as a variety of new chamber works. The Perugino String Quartet centers its appearances around Michigan, having performed at many arts-based series and events, such as the Chamber Music Festival of Saugatuck, Art Reach of Mid Michigan and Muskegon’s Feeding the Soul of the City concert series.


Pablo Mahave-Veglia performs on the cello. Mahave-Veglia will be part of the GVSU Faculty Recital on Jan. 23.


January 23 – GVSU Faculty Recital


This Arts at Noon concert will feature performances by two Grand Valley State University music faculty members: Pablo Mahave-Veglia, professor of cello and director of the university’s Early Music Ensemble, and Sookkyung Cho, assistant professor of piano. Mahave-Veglia is a cellist and teacher of broad interests whose repertoire ranges from the early baroque, performed on period instruments, to his ongoing interest in researching, performing and recording the work of contemporary Latin-American composers.Before taking her position as an assistant professor of piano at Grand Valley, Cho served on the piano faculty at New England Conservatory Preparatory School and Continuing Education in Boston. She was also adjunct faculty in theory at Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University and served as a Teaching Fellow in the piano minor and music theory departments at The Juilliard School. Cho has performed throughout North America, Europe, and her native country, Korea, in prestigious venues, including Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, Beaux concerts de la releve in Quebec, Château de Fontainebleau in France and Zijingang Theater at Zhejiang University in China, among others. She received a bachelor’s degree in music and doctorate of musical arts from The Juilliard School, and a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University.

On the shelf: ‘The Hunger Games’ by Suzanne Collins

Books, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, , , ,

By Julie Beukema, Grand Rapids Public Library, Main Branch

 

Are you young at heart?  Although marketed for teens, I argue that any age group will highly appreciate The Hunger Games, an adventurous tale. I can guarantee that most teens in your life have at least heard of it. Thus reading it yourself could provide not only hours of entertainment, but also open a door to great discussion with those teens.

 

The Hunger Games tells the story of a post-apocalyptic United States. The United States government has collapsed for many reasons, including drought and war. Those who survived are now governed by a bureaucracy known as Panem and have been divided up into 12 Districts and a Capitol. Each district is required to provide a Tribute of one boy and one girl who are forced to fight to the death in an annual televised contest known as The Hunger Games.

 

Katniss, a 16-year-old girl from one of the poorest Districts, District 11, offers to be the female tribute in place of her younger, weaker sister. What follows is a tale of compassion and survival guaranteed to grip readers and to provide many points for discussion.

Think genes dictate your life span? Think again

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Health, Senior Living, , , ,

Courtesy Spectrum HealthBeat

By Dennis Thompson, HealthDay

 

Your life partner has a much greater influence on your longevity than the genes you inherited from your family, according to a new analysis of the family trees of more than 400 million people.

 

“While it is a widely held belief that lifes pan heritability ranges from approximately 15 to 30 percent, the findings discussed in this paper demonstrated that the heritability of human longevity is likely well below 10 percent,” said lead researcher Cathy Ball. She is a chief scientific officer for Ancestry, the popular genealogy website.

 

Earlier estimates were skewed because they didn’t account for the strong influence that a person’s spouse or life partner can have on their longevity, Ball and her colleagues said.

 

People tend to select partners who share traits like their own, the researchers explained. If you have a lifestyle that’s going to contribute to a longer life, you’ll likely choose a mate who shares that lifestyle.

 

Dr. Gisele Wolf-Klein is a geriatrician with Northwell Health in Great Neck, N.Y. She said, “Chances are you’re going to try to partner with someone with equal interests in terms of health habits. If you find someone who wants to run a marathon with you rather than be a couch potato, chances are you’ll keep running more marathons.”

 

Wealth could be another nongenetic trait shared by mates, the researchers suggested. If income contributes to lifespan and wealthy people tend to marry other wealthy people, that could also add to their longevity.

 

After correcting for the effects of such mating, Ball’s team concluded that genetics contributes not more than 7 percent to longevity, and possibly even less.

 

“The research findings expose the complex dynamics of longevity,” Ball said. “Although there is a genetic component, this study shows that there is a major impact from many other forces in your life.”

 

For the study, researchers combed through 54 million public family trees generated by Ancestry.com subscribers, which represented 6 billion ancestors.

 

From there, the team refined the records until they wound up with a set of human pedigrees that included more than 400 million people, each connected to another by either birth or marriage.

 

Things got interesting when the researchers started looking at people related only by marriage. They found that siblings-in-law and first-cousins-in-law had similar life spans, even though they aren’t blood relatives and generally don’t live under the same roof.

 

Further analysis showed that factors important to life span tend to be very similar between mates. People are choosing folks who share values that will either shorten or extend longevity, the researchers noted.

 

The findings were published Nov. 6 in the journal Genetics.

 

“I think it’s a very optimistic and positive message for us,” said Wolf-Klein, who was not involved in the research.

 

“It outlines something that’s becoming more and more obvious to all of us—we have a certain control over who we are and what we become,” she added. “Regardless of your genetics, if you adhere to good diet, good exercise, healthy habits, you can overcome some of the dooms of genetics.”

 

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum HealthBeat.

Presentation in Rockford showcases over 100 years of West Michigan’s tourism history

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment,

By Jeremy Witt, West Michigan Tourist Association

Dan Sippel, Executive Director at the West Michigan Tourist Association (WMTA), will introduce M. Christine Byron and her husband Thomas R. Wilson when they present the 100-year history of West Michigan Tourist Association to the Rockford Area Historical Society on Thursday, Feb. 7. The 1pm meeting is at the Rockford Community Cabin on Monroe Street.

The West Michigan Tourist Association was founded in Grand Rapids in 1917. Established as a non-profit organization based on membership, it was the first grass-roots tourist association in the country. At the time, the tourist industry was in its infancy.


Although railroad lines, steamship companies, and various hotels and resorts promoted the region they served, there was no concentrated effort to boost the tourism advantages of the state. With strong leadership and the committed members of WMTA, tourism has grown into one of Michigan’s leading industries. Byron & Wilson will feature some of the noteworthy efforts to advertise and promote our state over the last 100 years.


Christine Byron is retired from the Grand Rapids Public Library and together she and her husband have written five books focusing on the history of West Michigan tourism. They have been collecting postcards and Michigan tourism ephemera for over 30 years. The public is welcome to this event. In the event that Rockford Public Schools close due to bad weather the Rockford Area Historical Society will not meet.

Employment Expertise: Making an impact in West Michigan

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Local Business, , ,

By West Michigan Works!

In 2018 West Michigan Works! (WMW) helped 44,890 job seekers, served 3,193 employers and filled 10,463 jobs. This work isn’t done in isolation; it’s accomplished through partnerships with employers, training providers, educators and community organizations. Each December, WMW looks back over the year and recognizes a few of its key partners:

Flexfab, a manufacturer based in Hastings, MI, received the 2018 Employer of the Year award due to their dedication to developing their current workforce, engaging future manufacturing talent and recruiting diverse employees. Flexfab is committed to providing education and training so their workers can obtain higher paying jobs within the company. They also work with local organizations, like Barry County Veterans associations, to target a diverse job seeker pool. 

Literacy Center of West Michigan (LCWM) is West Michigan Works! 2018 Partner of the Year. They received this award because they successfully use community partnerships to create positive change. LCWM has partnered with the local construction industry, Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) and the Urban League to provide workplace English as a Second Language instruction for participants in the construction training program. They also provide literacy services at one of West Michigan Works! service centers. Providing instruction like this to job seekers helps remove language barriers and can help them obtain further training, education and/or a good job.

The Michigan Works! Impact Awards honor those who have built economic results by actively creating jobs and developing fresh talent in their communities. In West Michigan, Spectrum Health, GRCC and Sterile Processing Technician, Gina Mancha, received the 2018 Impact Award. To address a common need in the health care field, West Michigan Works! partnered with health care employers, GRCC and the US Department of Labor to create the Sterile Processing Technician Registered Apprentice program. Through this program, Gina was able to learn a new skill and start a new career after working for years in automotive manufacturing.

Want to learn more about how the Sterile Processing Technician Registered Apprentice program changed Gina’s life and how the other 2018 award winners are making an impact in West Michigan? Check out West Michigan Works! Annual Report at westmiworks.org/2018-annual-report/.

Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.

‘When she’s happy, I’m happy’

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Health, Local Faces, , , , , ,

 

By Sue Thoms, Spectrum Health Beat

Photos by Taylor Ballek, Spectrum Health Beat

 

Alyssa D’Agostino can endure a lot: a battle against breast cancer, then leukemia, then a relapse of leukemia.

 

But when she realized she would not be home for her daughter Gianna’s ninth birthday—that drove her to tears.

 

“We have to do something.”

 

Katie Celentino heard that message over and over again from staff members at the bone marrow transplant unit at Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital, touched by D’Agostino’s sorrow.

 

And so they did. In 24 hours, they pulled together a purple unicorn party that left Gianna nearly speechless.

 

The little girl burst into the staff room for the party with a big “Oh!” as she whirled around, taking in the birthday banner, a unicorn drawing on the whiteboard, party hats and a table brimming with colorfully wrapped presents. Nurses and nurse technicians greeted her with a lively round of “Happy Birthday!”

 

D’Agostino sat beside her daughter, eyes sparkling above her yellow face mask. She wore her party attire, a green tinted wig and a headband decorated with a silver unicorn horn and peach flowers.

 

“This is so amazing,” she said. “I’m blown away big-time.”

 

Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, D’Agostino underwent surgery and chemotherapy and emerged a survivor.

 

Photo by Taylor Ballek, Spectrum Health Beat

In July 2017, she learned she had acute myeloid leukemia. It went into remission, but resurfaced in April 2018. Again, she was hospitalized as she began chemotherapy treatments.

 

In late August, she went to Butterworth Hospital, with plans to get the disease back into remission so she could undergo a bone marrow transplant.

 

Five straight months in a hospital: That has been her spring, summer and autumn.

 

She hoped she would be home for Gianna’s birthday. She had gifts and planned a surprise celebration with family. When she learned that would not happen, she said, “I was devastated.”

And then, she learned a party was in the works on the fifth floor of Butterworth Hospital.

 

Celentino, the nurse manager, said staff members eagerly joined together to make the day special. Nurses came in on their day off or stayed after their shifts ended. Nurse technician Courtney Fend used her artistic skills to create a birthday banner and unicorn drawing.

 

Sharing Gianna’s big day was deeply rewarding for the staff, Celentino said.

 

“We don’t always get to see these moments,” she said. “These are the things that matter to our patients. This is why they matter to us.”

A gift of happiness

Photo by Taylor Ballek, Spectrum Health Beat

Gianna, a third-grader at Chandler Woods Charter Academy in Belmont, Michigan, came to the party with her grandmother, Alice D’Agostino. She wore her Halloween costume—a purple and black outfit with a purple wig. She dressed as Mal from the Disney movie Descendants.

 

Her mom’s gift made the outfit complete. She gave Gianna a pair of black boots, just like Mal’s.

 

Gianna bubbled with enthusiasm as she opened her gifts: sparkly pencils and coloring books, fluffy unicorn pajamas, card games, glittery nail polish, hair chalk, a jewelry box and a kit for making her own jewelry.

 

She thanked everyone and went around the room giving hugs.

 

Gianna then sat beside her mom and they wrapped their arms around each other.

 

D’Agostino said the celebration exceeded all her expectations. And seeing her daughter’s happiness was a gift in itself.

 

“I just loved seeing her face light up,” she said. “When she’s happy, I’m happy. Doing something special for her just makes me feel good.”

Diabetes and travel: Behind the wheel precautions

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Health, Holidays, How-To's, Senior Living, , ,

By Pamela Daniels, Michigan State University Extension

Courtesy Michigan State University Extension

It’s that time of year for residents of the northern states to drive south in search of warmth and sunshine, leaving the cold and snow behind. For others it’s time to take that long-awaited family road trip, escaping harsh weather for more mild conditions. No matter the distance or length of the road trip, what’s at the top of everyone’s list is arriving there safely. For individuals with diabetes, getting there safely becomes more than just safe driving.

For a person who is insulin-dependent, blood glucose level is paramount to the ability to drive safely. Experiencing a rapid drop in insulin levels (a severe hypoglycemic event) could possibly bring on symptoms of double vision and disorientation. Clearly problems for any driver behind the wheel.

For road trip safety, understand your physical health, chart your blood glucose levels frequently and don’t skip meals. Be prepared. Talk with your doctor about fast-acting glucose products that can be used in the event of an emergency. Your doctor and diabetic nurse educator are the best people to talk to regarding which glucose products are right for you.

Michigan State University Extension recommends these behind the wheel tips for diabetics:

  • Keep a glucose kit in your car at all times, it should be tolerant to warm and cold temperatures.
  • Before driving any distance be aware of your levels; think about how you are feeling, don’t be afraid to ask someone else to drive you if you’re feeling tired or stressed.
  • Carry your cell phone with pre-programmed numbers of 911 and family members in the case of an emergency.
  • Stop often, don’t skip meals, eat the right foods and sugars which will keep you active and alert.

As always, buckle-up, don’t text and drive and enjoy your road trip!

Michigan State University Extension recommends the following professional diabetes resources:

American Diabetes Association: Driving & Diabetes

National Institute of Health: Understanding the risk of diabetes and driving

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

Snapshots: Wyoming, Kentwood weekend news you want to know — end-of-year edition

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Education, Local Business, Local Faces, Our Cities, Tech Trends, , , ,

By WKTV Staff

victoria@wktv.org

Quote of the Day

"It doesn't matter where you came from. All that matters is where you are going.”

                                                     -- Brian Tracy                                          

It’s been an interesting year.
Let’s take a look back.

Grand Rapids Sweet Adelines Chorus rehearses its holiday music.

Managing editor Joanne Bailey-Boorsma has rounded up the most popular stories of 2018 and corralled them into one spot. Go here to see what readers read the most.

Everybody has a profile.
Even Kent County.

Cool, fun graphic

Counties have profiles? You bet! Thanks to the Kent County Administration and their most excellent bilingual survey, the secret is out: Kent County’s median age of 34.9 years old is more than five years younger than Michigan as a whole and 50 percent of the population of about 648,594 is 35-years-old or younger. Go here for the cool details.

Get ahead of the game.

Wouldn’t it be fun to pay your tax bill with Monopoly money?

You know that big tax cut we’ve all been hearing about? The one that has corporations so excited? Well, there’s a tiny bit of relief for single people and families, too. Standard deductions for single taxpayers nearly double from $6,350 for 2017 taxes to $12,000 for 2018 taxes (the ones you file in 2019). It might get confusing, but there’s free tax help here. Take advantage of it.


Fun fact:

April 11, 1954 

According to Cambridge computer scientist William Tunstall-Pedoe and his search engine project, ‘True Knowledge’, that’s the ‘Most Boring Day in History‘. After sifting through and analyzing 300 million facts, ‘True Knowledge’ divined that on April 11, 1954, a general election was held in Belgium, Turkish academic Professor Abdullah Atalar was born, and an Oldham Athletic footballer by the name of Jack Shufflebotham died. That’s it. Nothing else that matters happened.

Hey, kudos, dude.

Public Museum presents new planetarium show ‘Ice Worlds’

Entertainment, ,
“Ice Worlds” is the newest planetarium show at the Chaffee Planetarium.

Discover the balance between ice, water and the existence of life! The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) is proud to present a new planetarium show, Ice Worlds, beginning Jan. 7 in the Chaffee Planetarium. 

Travel to the Arctic and Antarctic regions of our planet as well as the icy bodies beyond Earth. Audiences will examine the ecosystems that live and thrive in the icy regions of our planet and see how their survival is connected with our own. Beyond Earth, we’ll see how the existence of ice shapes the landscape and the natural systems on other planets and moons in our solar system. Narrated by two-time Academy Award nominee for Best Actress, Emily Watson.

“At the Grand Rapids Public Museum, we are continuously working to bring new, exciting and educational offerings to the community, and are excited to kick off 2019 with Ice Worlds,” said Kate Kocienski, VP of Marketing and PR for the GRPM. “Planetarium visitors will explore and compare ice throughout the universe from Earth to other planets and beyond.”

Ice Worlds will begin in the Museum’s Chaffee Planetarium on January 7, with shows daily at 2 p.m.

Tickets to the Chaffee Planetarium are free for Museum members and $4 with general admission to the Museum, $5 for a Planetarium-only ticket for non-members.

Ice Worlds is produced by Evans & Sutherland Digital Theater.

Ford Airport continues to surpass all-time passenger numbers

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, ,
Volunteers welcome veterans and military personality home for the holidays at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport

By Alicia Roberts
Gerald R. Ford International Airport


The Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA) finished the month of November having served an all-time record number of passengers. November 2018 saw an 18-percent growth year-over-year, putting the Ford Airport just shy of 3 million passengers served for 2018. (The airport would hit three million passengers served in December.)

November marks the eleventh record-breaking month in a row, and the airport has seen growth in 64 of the last 71 months. November 2018 was the busiest November ever, and at this point in the year GFIA has surpassed its annual total reached in every other year including 2017’s record setting 2.8 million passengers. 

November 2018 had 272,438 passengers come through the Ford Airport, up from 230,946 in 2017. GFIA is up 16-percent in annual passenger totals. 

“We have already surpassed last year’s record numbers with one of our busiest months still to go,” said GFIA Interim President & CEO Brian Picardat. “We are thankful for the support we receive from the West Michigan community. We continue to work to add more air service by working with  our airline partners to add destinations that West Michigan travelers want to visit. As we continue to grow, we look forward to more big things in 2019.” 

American Airlines began new nonstop service to Miami International Airport (MIA) and Phoenix- Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) earlier this week. Allegiant announced nonstop service to Sarasota-Bradenton (SRQ) in November which will begin in April 2019. 

GFIA monthly passenger statistics are available on our website: http://www.flyford.org/history.php. 

Some of the biggest stories of 2018 for Wyoming and Kentwood

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, , , ,
The top 2018 story was the widening of 56th Street which included a new traffic signal at 56th Street and Ivanrest Avenue. (WKTV)

Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org


Another year is coming to a close. But before the calendar flips to 2019, we thought it would be fun to go down memory lane and take a look at some of the most popular WKTV stories of 2018.

In compiling this list, I took a look at both page views on a story, which indicates the number of people who clicked on the article, and also social media statistics. The result is a mix of both most read and shared articles from the WKTV website.

Leading the pack on both was the Widening project on 56th Street set to start around July 9. It certainly had an impact on the community, since it is a direct route to the RiverTown Crossings mall. The project, which included widening 56th Street to three lanes and adding a traffic signal to the intersection of 56th Street and Ivanrest Avenue, was completed on time and opened before the holiday season even started.

TwoGuys Brewery was another popular story coming out of Wyoming. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

The City of Wyoming snagged quite a few of the top stories as the next was On Tap: Wyoming’s new TwoGuys Brewing plans to be community catalyst. If you love beer, then you will be thrilled to know that there are more breweries scheduled to open in the area. In Kentwood, Brewery Vivant is looking to expand its operations to the city and and a brewery co-op is also set to open soon. Also, in Byron Center, they are working quickly on the Railbird Brewery.

Other top Wyoming stories:

Balancing public use, open-space, Wyoming City Council approves new Gezon Park master plan

Wyoming’s spring carnival set to open this Friday

Wyoming Gives Back in big way

Walkability, healthier lifestyles focus of new development at Metro Health Village

The Kentwood summer concert series were popular stories in 2018 including the one Big Dudee Roo. (Facebook)

The City of Kentwood also had a few top stories such as City of Kentwood to open brush drop-off site as part of community clean-up and of course, everybody is always looking forward to the city’s Fourth of July activities along with the summer concert series. Speaking of activities, people must love their ugly Christmas sweaters, because a couple of other top Kentwood stories were all about the Ugly Sweater 5K, Kentwood holiday season to start with disc golf tournament, Ugly Sweater 5k, and Kentwood’s holiday season (only) started with its Ugly Sweater 5K.

Other top Kentwood stories for 2018 were: 

Kentwood to improve community access, tries new city hall hours starting Nov. 12

Kentwood’s annual Fall Festival’s Trunk or Treat brought the family fun to community 

Crane Wives return home for gig at Kentwood Summer Concert Series 

Big Dudee Too brings ‘raw energy’ to Kentwood summer concerts series July 12

Other local stories

It is apparent that our readers love shopping local since LocalFirst offers online business directory focused on businesses right in the neighborhood was in the top ten. For Kent County, residents were focused on mental health with Responding to funding shortfall, Kent County’s mental health provider begins cuts, service reviews being one of our top stories.

From our contributors

We enjoy working with many individuals and groups who bring us stories on a variety of topics. Alan Headbloom is one of those contributors who tapes his show “Feel Like You Belong.” The show focuses on the “real stories about the real people we call migrants.” These stories cover a gamut of people who have been seasonal workers picking produce to those who have made the United States their home. One story is from Nkechy Ezeh, an award-winning educator who developed the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative, and another is from refugee survivor and mentor Metta Anongdeth.

The story by Dave Thompson on the statute of former astronaut Roger B. Chaffee was among our tops stories for 2018. (NASA)

Filmmaker Daniel Deal has been working with WKTV to produce a documentary about former astronaut Roger B. Chaffee, whose parents lived in the City of Wyoming. The project lead to a statute dedicated to the astronaut earlier this year. Community contributor Dave Thompson wrote the story, Statute of former astronaut Chaffee to be unveiled this Saturday.

Curator for the Jim Crow Museum shows some of the 135 photographs by David Levinthal donated to the museum in 2018 (Ferris State University)

A little known secret is that Ferris State University houses one of the largest collection of racist memorabilia in the world at the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia. In 2018, the museum received an artwork donation valued at more than $2 million with Ferris State University sharing the story with us in Jim Crow Museum of Racists memorabilia receives artwork donation valued at $2 million.

We also partnered with the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of Michigan to help bring awareness to this rare neurological disease.

The Grand Rapids Chorus of the Sweet Adelines was our top 2018 entertainment story.

That’s Entertainment

Entertainment stories are always popular throughout the year. This year, the Grand Rapids Chorus of the Sweet Adelines made the headlines with its regional win last May with people clamoring to see the group at its holiday concert. We’ll be checking back with the Sweet Adleines throughout 2019 as they prepare to head to the international competition in September. The Gerald R. Ford International Airport’s annual holiday music festival was a big hit especially since it featured several local high school groups and residents followed the success of a local group in the story GR’s own Super Future ready for big day at local Breakaway EDM festival.


Readers also enjoyed the ghost stories of the Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters, who are planning to be back in 2019 with a few more tales to tell. 

Everyone loves a good holiday story and the return of the fully-restored Herpolsheimer’s Santa Rocket Express train to the Grand Rapids Public Museum resonated with many people along with the heartwarming story from another community contributor, Santa visits NICU babies.

Jennifer Lewis won the write in vote for the Wyoming Public Schools.

News from our schools

Elections were hard fought battles this year across the country. Locally, everyone waited to learn the results of the Wyoming Public Schools election which were finally released at the end of November: Wyoming Public Schools election results are in: Jirous, Lewis named new board members. Also Godfrey-Lee Public Schools continued community work, Godfrey-Lee Public Schools continues its community Executive Council meetings, also made our list.

Ready for some sports?

Brandon Kimble was named the new head football coach for Godwin Heights.

Out sports coverage kicked off bigger this year with live coverage of games and stories on local teams. Starting it all off was the New Godwin Heights football coach talks football, mentoring. All the area teams worked hard toward playoff goals:

Tri-unity rides arm, legs of senior QB to opening-round playoff win

Wyoming Lee football seniors will try to end high school careers on high note

Kelloggsville in playoff mode as Rockets face critical Friday night game

East Kentwood’s Falcons did make it to the playoffs, falling to Saline in the second round.

Jack, the therapy cat, was a huge hit with residents at Wyoming’s Vista Springs as well as the community at large.

Cat Tales

Managing Editor Victoria Mullen received a call inquiring if we would be interested in meeting Jack the Therapy cat (Jack, the therapy cat, puts a spark in the spirt). The story of Jack and his visits to Wyoming’s Vista Springs captured the hearts of many leading Jack and his owner Lynn Hopkins to win a $25,000 grant from Petco for Crash’s Landing (Therapy cat’s adoption story beats odds, hits jackpot).


In fact many of the Crash’s Landings’ cat features are popular with our social media groups. So we wanted to end 2018 on a happy note with the announcement that two of the top cats featured on the WKTV Journal, Smudgee and Otter, found their “fur”-ever homes.


Beyond a paycheck: What to consider when accepting a job

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Education, How-To's, , , ,

By Kathy Jamieson, Michigan State University Extension

 

When you are offered a job, it can be very exciting and sometimes confusing at the same time. Whether this is your first job, you are considering a new job, or you have been out of work for a while, there are many things to consider when evaluating a job offer. Michigan State University Extension has many resources available to help you in your job search and to make career decisions. Your answers to the following questions may help you make a decision about your next job opportunity.

Candidness

Make sure you understand the job description, what your responsibilities will be and the employer’s expectations. Consider what you will like about the job and dislike about the job.

  • Are you willing, interested and able to perform the day to day tasks?
  • Were you frank about your qualifications for the position?

Compensation

One of the first things people want to know when offered a job is what is the wage or salary. Questions about compensation and benefits should take place after the interview, once an offer has been made. In addition to the money you will be paid, consider asking about employer-provided benefits.

  • Does the company offer a health plan, what are the options, how much are the employee paid deductibles and when does coverage begin?
  • What type of retirement plan is offered and does the employer contribute?
  • Is tuition reimbursement or training provided?
  • Are there employee discounts, travel, phone, car or uniform allowance or overtime opportunities?
  • How much sick leave, vacation time and/or holiday time is provided?

In order to calculate the true compensation of the job offer, a dollar value can be added for each benefit provided. The human resource link on the company webpage often also describes the benefits available to employees.

Company culture

The environment in which you work can play a major impact on how satisfied you will be on the job.

  • Can you describe the company’s culture?
  •  Where will you be working?
  •  Would you feel comfortable working in this environment?
  •  Is the environment too noisy, quiet, fast-paced, competitive, casual, prim and proper, relaxed or energetic?
  • What are the hours you will be working and how flexible are they?
  • Are you required to work nights, weekends, holidays and/or overtime?

Commute

Consider the impact driving time may have.

  • How long is the commute to the job?
  • How much money in gas will it cost to work at the company?
  • Is travel required?
  • How often will you be traveling and to what locations?

Career development

When considering a job offer, think about the big picture. Ask yourself:

  • Does this job fit with my personal interest?
  • Will this job help you get your foot in the door of the field you’re pursuing?
  • Does this company offer opportunities for advancement?
  • Will training be provided?
  • Will this job help you achieve your longer-term career goals?

You may want to keep these questions in mind not only when deciding on a job offer, but also when looking for a job, networking, researching a company and during the interview. More information can lead to a better career decision.

 

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464). Reprinted with permission.

Kent County’s strategic planning process continues with county profile, bilingual survey

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming


One element of the just released Kent County profile. (Kent County/Public Sector Consultants)

By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org

After three community meetings — one in Kentwood in mid-December, an extensive “profile” of the county and a current bilingual survey, the Kent County administration is in the final stages of information collection for its current strategic planning process.

Over the past six months, according to supplied information, county leaders have “engaged in a strategic planning process that will guide its leadership through the next five years to better reflect the changing demographics, economics, and needs of the County.”

One currently ongoing element of community input is a Spanish-language bilingual survey, which will be accepting input until Monday, Jan. 7, 2019. (A link to the survey is here.)

“Community engagement is absolutely integral to the success of Kent County,” Wayman Britt, Kent County Administrator/Controller, said in previously supplied information. “It is important for us to hear the thoughts and ideas from our communities as we renew our strategic plan and effectively plan for the future.”

Partnered with Public Sector Consultants, a Lansing-based research and project management firm, the county conducted “several forward-looking conversations with external stakeholders, elected officials, County administration leaders, and residents on what goals and action items should be included in the County’s next strategic plan.”

Additionally, a county profile was developed and announced this week. (See the graphic profile here.)

Among the highlights of the profile are that the county’s median age of 34.9 years old is more than five years younger than Michigan as a whole and that 50 percent of the population of about 648,594 is 35-years-old or younger. That population is up 7.6 parent from 2010, when the last Federal census was conducted. Other highlights of the profile are that the county as the fastest growing metro economy in the United States, up 21.8 percent over five years, and that county’s violent crimes (reported in 2016) of 367 per 100,000 population was less than both the state and the country as a whole.

Upon completion of the community-engagement process, Public Sector Consultants will develop a strategic plan with the goal being to have the Board of Commissioners review a draft plan in late February 2019 and then to publicly release it in March.

“Solutions and ideas do not just come from government — they come from our residents who live, work, and play in Kent County,” said Britt.

For more information about the Kent County Administration visit accesskent.com .

Popular KDL adult reading program returns in January

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, ,
Time to start checking out books for the KDL Let It Snow adult reading program.

BY WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

The Kent District Library’s “Let It Snow” reading program for adults returns in January.

Adults (18 and older) who participate and read a minimum of six books in different categories between Wednesday, Jan. 2, and Sunday, March 31, will receive a Let It Snow coffee mug. Participants who finish an additional four titles are entered into a drawing to win either an iPad or a one-year Costco membership.

“Let it Snow is a fun and engaging program for adults to participate in during the dreary winter months,” said former Byron Township Youth Library Barb DeYoung. “With the book lists provided, readers can find new authors or select books they normally wouldn’t pick out. Cozying up with a good book is the perfect cure for those winter blahs!”

While the program doesn’t kick off util early January, those interested in participating can check out some of the recommended reads for Let It Snow.

For more on the Let It Snow program, visit kdl.org.

On the shelf: Two novellas

Books, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment,

By Tallulah Stievers

 

Somewhere between a short story and a full novel comfortably sits the novella. This is the short, sharp, and often brilliantly paced story that can be experienced in one or two sittings. Crystalline in structure, these stories sink in with intensity, revealing characters or situations that resonate long after the story is over.  These are two of my favorites.

 

Mr. Summer’s Story by Patrick Suskind, illustrated by Sempe

 

This is the delightfully illustrated story of a boy profoundly affected by a few brief encounters with an enigmatic neighbor. The unnamed narrator tells of his experiences growing up in a small German village after World War II.  While much of the story focuses on the joyful exuberance of youth and the frustrations of growing up, it is through the boy’s observation of the town’s most mysterious character, Mr. Summer, that we are told a much more compelling tale.

 

Bartleby the Scrivener by Herman Melville

 

A comment on capitalism, obsession, and social norms, Bartleby is certainly one of literature’s most perplexing characters. Bartleby is hired as a copyist at a law firm on Wall Street in the 1850s. Through his polite and passive denials when asked anything from inquiries about his personal life to direct orders of the job, always replying with the allusive “I prefer not to,” Bartleby becomes increasingly exasperating to his colleagues. A character not easily forgotten.

Is it normal aging or Type 2 diabetes?

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Health, How-To's, Senior Living,

An older adult’s health care provider can help to determine if they’re experiencing normal aging or if Type 2 diabetes is present. (Courtesy Michigan State University Extension)

By Linda Cronk, Michigan State University Extension

According to the Michigan State University Geriatric Education Center of Michigan, Type 2 diabetes continues to increase in the United States population. For adults over the age of 65, diabetes occurs in approximately 27 percent and pre-diabetes occurs in 50 percent of this population. When caregivers think about the overall goals of care for their loved one, it is important to understand how diabetes affects the quality of life for older adults.

The American Geriatrics Society says that older people with diabetes experience higher rates of mental and physical disability and premature death. They are also more prone to develop other illnesses, like high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. In addition, they also have a greater risk for several conditions associated with the aging process, such as depression, reduced mental function, urinary incontinence, harmful falls, persistent pain and over-medication.

Is it normal aging or is it because of Type 2 diabetes?

In order to figure out how your loved one is affected by Type 2 diabetes, it is important to know how to recognize the difference between normal aging and health problems caused by diabetes. Aging and symptoms of Type 2 diabetes have some similarities: they both can bring on poor eyesight, fatigue, high blood pressure, depression, as well as more frequent urination and higher rates of heart disease and stroke.

Michigan State University Extension says that symptoms can also look similar, but for different reasons. With aging, there may be gait changes because of arthritis and osteoporosis, but gait changes with diabetes may result from neuropathy.

Restlessness and confusion sometimes occurs with normal aging, but with diabetes it results from very high or low blood sugar. Slower reaction time often occurs with normal aging, but for people with diabetes, it can be a result of high or low blood sugar.

These and other symptoms should be signs that our loved one needs to be assessed by your health care provider to determine if they are experiencing normal aging or if Type 2 diabetes is present. Signs of very high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) include increased urination for several days, dehydration, which develops because the person doesn’t drink enough liquids and a change in alertness from generalized fatigue to stupor, coma or seizures. These changes may be mistaken for a stroke or mental illness.

How can your health care provider help?

You will need to work with your older adult’s health care provider to determine plans that are based on the status of your loved one: the high functioning individual, older adults with memory loss and elders at the end of their life. Planning also needs to take into account the living situation of the older adult, how much caregiving and support the older adult needs and how much they actually have.

After a thorough assessment, your health care provider will determine a medicine regime. Insulin will be the quickest way to get a very high blood sugar under control. Then, it will be crucial for you and your loved one to attend diabetes education classes in your community.

The major goal is blood sugar management. Besides medications to resolve high blood sugar, the American Diabetes Association says that it’s also important to help your loved one to improve healthy eating habits and physical activity. Supporting your older loved one to manage their Type 2 diabetes is a real challenge. Reach out to the many community resources available to help you and your family meet the challenge of helping your loved one maintain a high quality life.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

Cat of the week: Karlie

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Local Business, Local Faces, Non-Profits, Pets/Animals, , ,

By Sharon Wylie, Crash’s Landing

Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet—or few—from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Crash’s Landing. Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary rescue organizations were founded by Jennifer Denyes, DVM (Dr. Jen), who is on staff at Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic (4245 Clyde Park Ave SW).


Courageous Karlie’s story is nothing short of amazing—and quite unique in the fact that she came back to us in October of 2018 after having been lost for over 3 years!


Our gorgeous girl (born in January of 2012) initially came to us in early 2015 and had only spent 2 months at Crash’s before a wonderful gal adopted her and another of our kitties. Sadly, only a few months after her arrival into her new home she somehow got outside, and no matter how hard her new mom looked for her for months on end, Karlie was simply nowhere to be found.


Many of our volunteers offered their support in staking out the neighborhood, but as time wore on, our hopes were dashed and the thought of her returning to a home she was just getting comfortable in seemed improbable. To top things off, her owners ended up moving within the year, so even if our buxom beauty had tried to return to the house she darted from, there would have been no familiar faces waiting for her there. It was a heartbreaking situation.

Fast forward to a chilly autumn day when Dr. Jen received a call from the Kent County Animal Shelter stating that a kitty with a microchip registered to us had been brought in; when she was told WHO it was, she could hardly believe it as so much time had passed! Dr. Jen was extremely surprised when she went to retrieve Karlie that she was still pleasantly plump, leading the good doctor to believe that someone had been caring for this kitty—and quite well at that.


Given Karlie’s shy nature, we suspect that she may have been leery of strangers, but a food bowl—now that was an entirely different story! Regardless of where she was for the past three years, she was found just a few short blocks away from her home, which in itself is quite astounding; wherever she hunkered down proved to be a safe hiding spot as signs posted in the neighborhood and door-to-door canvasing were unrewarded efforts. 

Once back in our care, Karlie turned out to be pretty darn healthy, although she needed a fractured tooth pulled and unfortunately turned up positive for FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus), meaning that somewhere along the line she was bitten by an infected cat harboring the virus. Since this sweet girl hasn’t a mean bone in her bodacious body, there is minimal risk of her transmitting it to another cat as she prefers to spend most of her time now posing for photo ops and lounging in laps; she is definitely making up for lost time!

It took Karlie a bit to acclimate and come out of her shell at our sanctuary (who can blame her for that?), but once she began to trust us, she became the biggest snuggle-bug! In fact, she adores her cat-checker so very much she begs to be carried around for hours while Amelie works—or tries to with a 13# cat in her arms. She has found comfort not only in the embrace of her caretakers but also in the company of her fellow felines, so we’d love to find her a fur-ever home with another kitty to cuddle up to.


Karlie is the epitome of a lazy, lovable lap cat but given her history, we need to be sure we place her in an environment that is not too hectic and will allow her to adjust at her own pace. If you have a heart that is open wide and arms that are longing to hold a creature that will treasure you for the rest of her days, Karlie is THE cat for you! And we have it on good authority that Karlie’s wandering days are over—she promises to stay put!

More about Karlie:

  • Extra large
  • Torbie, White
  • Adult
  • Female
  • House-trained
  • Vaccinations up to date
  • FIV+
  • Spayed
  • Declawed
  • Good in a home with other cats

Want to adopt Karlie? Learn about the adoption process here. Fill out a pre-adoption form here.

Interested in volunteering at one of the cat shelters? Email volunteer@crashslanding.org.

Can’t adopt, but still want to help? Find out how you can sponsor a cat!

Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary have a common mission: To take at-risk stray cats off the streets of the Greater Grand Rapids area, provide them with veterinary care and house them in free-roaming, no-kill facilities until dedicated, loving, permanent homes can be found.

School News Network: On fire for choir in Kelloggsville

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, ,

By Bridie Bereza
School News Network


“30…29…28…27…26…”

Susan Berce counted down as a group of 38 eager third-graders at East Kelloggsville Elementary scrambled to pitch their trash after lunch. While other students were heading to recess, this group stayed put and returned to their seats in this music room, where they eat lunch every Tuesday as members of the school’s newly formed choir.

Kimberly Mercado-Rodriguez, front, and Madison Kowtko raise their voices

They got into the rhythm with a little body percussion: Boom snap clap, ba-boom snap clap. Boom snap clap…Then they pulled out their sheet music and Berce accompanied and directed them through “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

“These kids can sing and they love to sing,” said Berce, who teaches kindergarten through third grade music at East and West Kelloggsville elementary schools. She recently began extracurricular choirs at both schools. Participation is voluntary, and choir members need parental permission to join. Each student signed a contract commiting to sing during one lunch and one recess every week.

Jonathan Jimenez sings his heart as choirmates Lyla Salgado and Han Pham concentrate on their parts

A Little Time, a Big Vision

Elementary school choir has long been a vision for Berce, who has spent her career in Kelloggsville. In the six years she has taught music, Berce hasn’t had time in her schedule to direct a choir until this year, when burgeoning enrollment allowed the district to add more staff. When asked what she might do with the little extra time in her day, she said she did not hesitate: she wanted to start a choir. Students didn’t hesitate, either: more than half of the roughly 70 third-graders at East Kelloggsville joined.

So why do it at lunch? Many districts with thriving choirs meet after school, but that wasn’t realistic for Berce if she wanted participants.

“(Parents) work hard, they have jobs that they have to be at — we don’t have that flexibility to keep kids after school,” said Berce. “Lunch seemed the obvious choice.

If the excitement on their faces and the passion in their voices are any indication, that choice is working out well.

“I prefer to sing than go outside and play,” said Kiana Chenh, who says she has been singing since she was 4. While she’s a little shy about solos, she has found her niche in choir: “I like to sing in a big group.”

For more local school news, visit schoolnewnsnetwork.org.

Choir members Brooklinh Tran, Laila White, and Lilyana Cano watch their director and teacher Susan Berce, for queues. 

Concerts Under the Stars return to the Grand Rapids Public Museum

Entertainment, , ,
Concerts Under the Stars returns to the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium in January.

By Christie Bender

Grand Rapids Public Museum


The Grand Rapids Public Museum is excited to announce that Concerts Under the Stars are returning for 2019. Concert-goers will enjoy a fully immersive experience of audio and visuals in the Museum’s Chaffee Planetarium.

Beginning on January 17, join the GRPM for the first performance in the Concerts Under the Stars series, Fiona Dickinson, featuring dark folk music. Concerts Under the Stars will run January through March 2019. Visitors can sit back and experience the wonder of the cosmos with the wonder of music to performances featuring the sounds of folk, rock, electronic and R&B.

“The Museum is excited to bring back Concerts Under the Stars for the third year highlighting local music and audiovisual artists in this very unique venue,” said Kate Kocienski, VP of Marketing and PR for the GRPM. “Live music in the Chaffee Planetarium is a one-of-a-kind experience for concert-goers, and not something that is replicated at other venues.”

Fiona Dickinson is a British songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and music educator currently residing in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Along with her work arranging strings for the ambient noise project, Saltbreaker, Fiona has a lengthy list of collaborations on stage and in the studio. She also has a background in composition for independent film and live score for site-specific performance with dance, video, and analog projection.

Dark folk is a sub-genre of folk music that blends traditional Nordic folk music and ambient music and is considered to be closely related to metal. Fiona will be accompanied by live visuals on the planetarium dome by Meghan Moe Beitiks.

Meghan Moe Beitiks, has designed lights for the California Academy of Sciences, the Asian Art Museum, SF Sketchfest, and Atom-R. She is an artist working with associations and disassociations of culture/nature/structure, analyzing perceptions of ecology through the lenses of site, history, and emotions in order to produce work that interrogates relationships with the non-human. She was a Fulbright Student Fellow in Scenic Design to Latvia and a recipient of the Edes Foundation Prize for Emerging Artists. She received her BA in Theater Arts from the University of California at Santa Cruz and her MFA in Performance Art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor at Grand Valley State University, and has designed media for previous Concerts Under the Stars in 2018.

Concerts Under the Stars will begin at 7:30 p.m., with Museum doors opening at 6:30 p.m. New this year, performers will play two sets, with a short intermission in between. Refreshments, beer and other beverages will be available for purchase.

Tickets are $12 for GRPM members and $15 for non-members if purchased in advance, and $15 for members and $18 for non-members on the day of the concert. Tickets are currently on sale at grpm.org, by calling 616.929.1700 or at the Museum’s front desk.

The 2019 Concerts Under the Stars series will continue on February 7 with psych rock from Frankie and Myrrh, February 28 with ambient R&B from Bronze Wolf, and will conclude on March 21 with the electronic sounds of Pink Sky.

Carole Hunnes-Nielsen Exhibit opening at Pine Rest Leep Art Gallery Jan. 3

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, ,

Stars of Heaven by Carole Hunnes-Nielsen

By Colleen Cullison

Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services

 

A new exhibit titled, “Changing Seasons,” by local artist Carole Hunnes-Nielsen, opens at the Leep Art Gallery on Jan. 3 at the Postma Center on the Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services campus in Grand Rapids.

 

Hunnes-Nielsen graduated from Western Michigan University with a master’s and bachelor’s degrees in art education. Her work in watercolor and watercolor batik has won awards with the Michigan Watercolor Society, Celebration of the Arts, and Festival of the Arts.

 

“The seasons of our lives bring many changes as do the change of seasons in nature. My work embraces a love of life and a love of nature,” says Carole Hunnes-Nielsen. “I am inspired by the change of seasons in our beautiful state of Michigan and the changes in life that we celebrate. I hope to express that love of life and nature in my work through the use of expressive color and experimentation with technique. The influence of Vincent VanGogh’s use of bright color can be seen in my work.”

 

“My work captures a moment in life that has brought me joy. It brings me pleasure to be able to share my work with others. My hope is that through viewing my work, you will feel the same happiness as I did in creating it.”

 

Hunnes-Nielsen spent 30 years teaching high school art. As a retired art teacher, she enjoys sharing her love of art through teaching watercolor batik workshops. She is a member of the American Watercolor Society, Michigan Watercolor Society and the Franciscan Painters. She has had numerous solo exhibitions and has been in many juried shows.

 

Hunnes-Nielsen is a lifelong Michigan resident and currently lives in Rockford.

 

The Pine Rest Leep Art Gallery exhibit will be on display at the Postma Center located at 300 68th Street, SE, Grand Rapids, Mich., from January 3 until April 3, 2019. The Leep Art Gallery is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. and is free and open to the public. For more information, please call 616.222.4530 or go to www.pinerest.org/leep-art-gallery .

Wyoming schools new superintendent, county Friend of the Court on WKTV Journal In Focus

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Crime Prevention, WKTV Journal In Focus, ,

K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org

On the latest episode of WKTV Journal In Focus, visiting our studio is Wyoming Public Schools new Superintendent Craig Hoekstra, talking about his history and the future of his district, including what the district plans following the recent passage of a bond measure. Also on the show is the Kent County Friend of the Court, which works with the Circuit Court in the area of domestic relations but which has duties that are moving beyond simply investigation and enforcement.

Superintendent Hoekstra began his current duties in July of this year, but his history with Wyoming Public Schools runs deep, almost 30 years in fact. First as a student, then as a custodian, teacher, principal and, from 2015, as Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services. But we talk more about his and the district’s future than his past.

The Kent County Friend of the Court is the collection, enforcement and investigative arm of the Circuit Court in the area of domestic relations. We talk Daniel Fojtik, Friend of the Court Director, and Kent County Commissioner Harold Voorhees, on the FOC and its duties, as well as a recent report on the status of a series of Community Engagement Task Force Recommendations.



“WKTV Journal In Focus” airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (see our Weekly On-air Schedule for dates and times). But all interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.

Obesity thief

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Education, Health, How-To's, Senior Living, , , , ,

By Pam Daniels, Michigan State University Extension

Obesity has a way of creeping up on us. Naturally, throughout our lifespan our weight increases, but if you have seen a dramatic increase in you or your child’s weight, especially around the waistline, it may be time to think about what is contributing to the excessive weight gain.

Obesity is a complex problem in our society, there is no easy fix. According to the Center for Disease Control & Prevention, genetics, drugs and disease can all affect weight along with social and cultural factors such as our environment, how we eat, what we eat and when we eat.

The topic of obesity is constantly in the media, and is a component of the nutrition education offered by Michigan State University Extension. The four-part documentary series, Weight of the Nation, which premiered on HBO in 2012 examines how it has been possible that the epidemic has grown almost undisturbed, stealing self-identity and our health by talking to experts ranging from geneticists, to professors to pediatric endocrinologists.

It is easy to recognize obesity and yet feel no connection to the obesity epidemic. This lack of attachment is part of the reason why it flourishes, but if we are honest with ourselves and believe the statistics, we can see that the obesity epidemic lurks very close to home.

When we are overweight, our bodies begin to break down over time, making us more prone to certain chronic diseases. Chronic health risks associated with obesity include:

  • Coronary heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Cancers, such as endometrial, breast and colon cancer
  • High total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides
  • Liver and gallbladder disease
  • Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
  • Degeneration of cartilage and underlying bone within a joint (osteoarthritis)
  • Reproductive health complications such as infertility
  • Mental health conditions

Disease prevention and self-management are ammunition in the battle against obesity. Regularly visiting your doctor is the first point of contact in developing prevention and self-management strategies.

Other strategies include good nutrition, being physically active and controlling your weight. Other weight management resources include Michigan State University Extension’s weight management, chronic disease, and disease prevention management programs, along with the Center for Disease Control, Overeaters Anonymous and the National Institute of Mental Health.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

5 ways to boost your metabolism

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Food, Health, How-To's, Senior Living,

Boost your metabolism by eating a wholesome breakfast each day. This is just one of a few ways to rev up your calorie-burner. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Spectrum Health Beat Staff

 

Unfortunately, it’s true: Our metabolism slows down as we age.

 

On average, we lose 2 to 8 percent of our muscle mass per decade, and that slows our metabolic rate.

 

A recent article in U.S. News & World Report cites the importance of maintaining lean muscle to combat the decline.

 

“Strength training can help decrease this process, but adjusting your diet to eat less is also critical,” said Jill Graybill, a registered dietitian at Spectrum Health.

 

You can speed up your metabolism, but don’t be fooled by claims that popping a few supplements or eating certain foods will get the job done, Graybill cautioned.

 

“There is a lot of misinformation on this subject,” she said. “Most of it is smoke and mirrors.”

 

Genetics can give some people an edge, but the best way to increase your metabolism is to adopt a few good habits, including these:

1. Build resistance

Use resistance exercise to build more lean muscle mass. More muscle burns more calories, even at rest.

2. Eat breakfast

The morning meal has been shown to jump-start the metabolic process.

3. Eat every four hours

This little trick speeds up your metabolism. Skipping meals slows it down.

4. Think protein

Include protein each time you eat. It takes more energy to break down, again, revving up your metabolic rate. Sources include dairy, nuts, seeds, beans, eggs and meat. Plus, protein is slower to digest, so you feel full longer.

5. Eat enough

Yes, even while losing weight. A diet that is too low in calories slows your metabolism to a crawl. Don’t sabotage your efforts by eating too little. Most people should not go lower than 1,200 calories a day or they risk not meeting their nutritional needs. Only go lower if you’re under medical supervision.

 

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

School News Network: Sweet salute: Students create gingerbread home for veterans

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By Brett Atwood
School News Network


Kent Career Tech Center Hospitality students put their skills to the test, designing a sugary, candy-clad gingerbread house as a gift for Grand Rapids Home for Veterans residents. With help from Tech Center architecture students who made blueprints, they created a miniature vets’ home, complete with a frosting-covered roof and fondant residents.

For more stories on area schools, visit the School News Network’s website.

On the shelf: Good books for grand kids by various authors

Books, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, ,

By Laura Nawrot, Grand Rapids Public Library, Main Branch

 

What library would be complete without Kevin Henkes’s wonderful picture book, Chrysanthemum? This book tells the story of a young mouse’s first experience at school and the confusion she feels over having a unique name. The story touches on teasing and self-confidence in a gentle and humorous way. Although targeted at pre-school and kindergarten readers, it appeals to slightly older children as well through the universal experiences of Chrysanthemum. A nice family read with a fun twist at the end.

 

 

Shug by Jenny Han, follows Annemarie “Shug” Wilcox through the perils of seventh grade: new friends, first crushes and a new school. Han appeals to a wide audience through a main character who is not your average girl. Shug is believable—a real person with real problems, normal family issues and less than perfect solutions. While some of the situations seem more likely to happen to a slightly older girl, Jenny Han is right on with the details, and readers will empathize with Shig’s experiences.

 

 

Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar uses humor through the viewpoint of a geeky kid named Scott who approaches high school with a very different perspective than his older brother Bobby. Scott sets out to win a classmate’s heart by joining the school newspaper, running for student council and auditioning for a play. Although Bobby is popular with the girls, Scott becomes invisible. Many of Scott’s difficulties appear as hilarious lists dedicated to helping his unborn sibling make it safely through high school. The situations Scott encounters are realistic, and Lubar has a superb comic sense.

 

 

Bass Ackward and Belly Up by Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain looks at four girls embarking on their first year of college. Written in chapters that feature each of the characters (similar to The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books by Ann Brashares), the story covers four months of their lives as they follow their various dreams. At first, this book appears to be somewhat predictable, but the authors stay true to the characters Harper, Kate, Sophie and Becca in developing the story and keeping it real.

4 Tips for Active Senior Living During Winter

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Courtesy Vista Springs Assisted Living

 

By Vista Springs Assisted Living

 

Regardless of whether you love or hate winter weather, sometimes going outside for some exercise is impossible during the colder months. But even when it’s chilly, staying active is a must for health and happiness. Here are four great tips for active senior living when snow, ice, and freezing temperatures have you stuck inside:

1. Do simple exercises any time, anywhere

Who needs equipment? There are a variety of strength, flexibility, and balance exercises that don’t require anything but a stable floor. Be sure to stretch before working out, and talk to a doctor about which exercises are best for you.

Strength

  • Squats: With your arms straight in front of you for balance, bend your knees slightly and hold for a few breaths.
  • Push-ups: Try keeping your knees on the floor as you press your body up slowly.

Flexibility

  • Seated toe-touch: Don’t worry if you can’t reach your toes right away. Go slow!
  • Arm lifts: From a standing or seated position, lift your arm to shoulder height, then next to your ear, then bring it down to your side with control.

Balance

  • One-legged stand: Use supports, and don’t lift your leg higher than it wants to go.
  • Stair step-ups: No need for speed as you step onto a stair or low stool one foot at a time, then back down. Hold on one leg for a few breaths if possible.

Use walls, sturdy chairs, and handrails for support.

2. Hit the gym

Getting your cardio in is harder and less fun when you can’t head outside for a walk, run, or swim. Gym equipment like treadmills, stationary bikes, and ellipticals, as well as indoor pools, tennis courts, and more are great ways to keep your body moving when the outdoors isn’t an option. In an assisted living community, check out gym spaces and workout rooms; otherwise, check around local gyms to find an affordable option that works with your schedule.

3. Check out a fitness class

New fitness classes are springing up everywhere! Check out community boards, websites, and local gyms for senior-friendly courses. Try different variations of yoga, tai chi, low-impact barre, or dance classes like ballroom or Zumba. These fitness trends are exciting and get you motivated to exercise. The best part is that there’s a class for everyone!

4. Get active with gaming

Gaming isn’t just for couch potatoes any more. There are lots of fun games designed to get people interested in exercising. Take a look at Wii Fitness for the Nintendo Wii, which has a variety of mini-games, including yoga and strength training, stretches, and some silly exercises. You won’t even believe you’re working out!

 

A more recent development in gaming technology is virtual reality headsets. With these types of systems, you control the games with your body. These games get you moving, and they’re also great with family and friends. Try something new, and who knows? You might love it.

 

When exercising, always remember to not push yourself too far. Healthy, active senior living is about taking care of your mind and body all the time. Staying fit, limber, and strong contributes to overall wellness, so even when the weather outside is frightful, keep yourself moving!

 

Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.

Is Your Baby Social?

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Photo courtesy of Cherry Health

By Michelle Fitzgerald, LMSW, Maternal Infant Health Program Social Worker, Cherry Street Health Center

Parents and caregivers focus a great deal on a child’s health. Children go to regular doctor’s appointments, Women Infants and Children (WIC) teaches about healthy nutrition, and extra care is taken when there are sniffles and sneezes. Sometimes social-emotional health is overlooked, but adequate social-emotional development will help a child to live a healthy and happy life.

 

You might be wondering what social-emotional means; it’s about how your child interacts with the world around him/her, and how he/she manages and controls emotions. Good social-emotional development leads to success with friends as well as adjusting well to changes and challenges. Children with good social-emotional skills can focus more effectively in school, have fewer behavior problems and bounce back from difficult encounters. In short, these skills are very important!

 

How can you help your child develop these crucial skills?

  • Physical touch: This starts at birth with skin to skin contact and continues throughout childhood with hugs and positive physical touch.
  • Communication: Talk to your child at their level and listen to them– reading is also a great activity.
  • Realistic expectations: Familiarize yourself with developmental steps for your child’s age. You can sign up for free developmental questionnaires for your child from birth to age 5 here.
  • Be a good role model: Your child learns from you; show them how to handle frustration, how to listen and how to share.
  • Positive discipline: Set your child up for success. For example, don’t yell at your baby for putting something dangerous in their mouth; you know your baby will put everything in their mouth, so keep the dangerous items out of reach! Set good boundaries for your child and be consistent in enforcing those boundaries.

This is a very short list of activities to get you started! Find more information on social-emotional health below:

Reprinted with permission from Cherry Health

School News Network: Students deliver gifts to peers, fulfilling holiday wishes

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, ,
Sneaky elves, from left, junior Abigail Kubiak, junior Ashley Pippin and senior Ivy Ly surprised students with presents

By Erin Albanese
School News Network


Aliyah Rivera unwrapped a large present handed to her by her friend, senior Lauren Gonzalez. Inside was a large painting kit with lots of tools for creating masterpieces.

Social worker Nicholle Smith hugs senior Avalon Dexter after receiving bus passes to give to students who have transportation needs

The kit was Aliyah’s wish come true through Winter Wishes, hosted by the Student Council. The Wyoming High School senior, while expressing thanks and excitement, said she hopes to major in art education in college. “It’s going to help me with my portfolio.

“I feel so honored and really happy to be one of the people that makes someone else happy,” said Lauren, Student Council vice president. “People get really joyful when they open a gift.”

Student Council members played elves on the mid-December afternoon, stopping by classrooms to fulfill gift requests submitted by their peers. They usually adopt a district family for Christmas, but this year decided to spread the love among the student body. Winter Wishes is modeled after an idea created by Jostens Renaissance to build climate and culture.

Junior Jabari Pennington opens his gift

“It’s more personal because we get to see the impact it has on them and know we are giving it to our students, said adviser Anna Servo. “Some might not have money to buy Christmas gifts, and some might have friends that just need a pick-me-up.”

Students spent $1,500 in council funds to grant 40 of 70 wishes, which ranged from candy and fuzzy socks to several Class of 2019 senior sweatshirts.

Several students and teachers made wishes to give to others.

Social worker Nicolle Smith’s request was filled for fifteen 10-ride city bus passes to help students with transportation needs.

A cart full of granted wishes

Special education teacher Cathy Kammega received a bowling ball to give to a Special Olympics Michigan athlete. Junior Marshaun Morris received a $15 Target gift card to buy his mother a Christmas present.

Junior Callie Seymour wished for flowers to deliver to her sister, Courtney Seymour, a fourth-grader at West Elementary School. “I knew it would surprise her. She is always looking up to me and I thought it would make her happy.”

Council members were so touched by Callie’s request that they presented Callie with her own flower and a $10 iTunes gift card.

For more on area schools, visit the School News Network’s website.

School News Network: Home for the Holidays in Kelloggsville

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming,
Nayeliz Sierra, a fourth-grader at Kelloggsville Southeast Elementary, bounded out the door of her home to greet her teachers

By Bridie Bereza
School News Network


Last week, Kelloggsville students got quite the thrill when teachers from the district came to their homes bearing gift bags.

Nayeliz Sierra, a fourth-grader at Kelloggsville Southeast Elementary, lives at the first stop on the route west of Division Avenue. She bounded out of the front door and into the arms of several teachers, one right after the other, before receiving her bag. Her ear-to-ear smile never faded.

Fourth-grader Nayeliz Sierra beams after receiving her goodie bag

“I think it’s important to make these connections with the families, coming to them instead of them always coming to us,” said Amy Stratton, a third grade teacher at West Kelloggsville Elementary.

Paula Dykstra, community coordinator for Kelloggsville Public Schools, couldn’t agree more. She organized the holiday home visits.

“One reason I really wanted to do this was for our staff to see where and how our students live,” said Dykstra, adding that students throughout the district have a wide range of living circumstances, from a single mother of five living in a two double-bed hotel room to students who live in large homes. “I also did this so the students can see the staff from their schools outside the walls of school. Any way we can include our families is important to Kelloggsville.”

A student, excited to see visitors from his school

By the numbers

Dykstra got the home visit idea from the Kent School Services Network coordinator at Godwin Heights Public Schools, who organized something similar with high school students last year. Dykstra tweaked the idea for Kelloggsville. She said she was blown away by the number of families that wanted to participate in this, its inaugural year.

The staff visited 183 homes, giving bags to 390 students in grades kindergarten through 12. Each bag contained a notebook, Kelloggsville pencil and window cling, a glue stick, crayons or colored pencils, scissors, hot chocolate, mini marshmallows, a candy cane, fruit snacks, and a book. Many items were donated by community partners including Meijer, Target, Owen-Ames-Kimball, ABDick, Culver’s and Flooring America.

Nayeliz Sierra hugs one of her teachers

Home visitors included a school board member, six administrators, 23 school staff, Dykstra’s husband and two bus drivers. Two buses visited homes in the district and three vans ventured farther afield to Schools of Choice students’ homes, going as far north as Plainfield Avenue.

Smiles all around

“Several families wanted staff to come inside and visit, but we were on such a time crunch. We would like to change that for next year,” said Dykstra.

One student told her teacher that her family cleaned the entire house in anticipation of the visit.

Each bag contained a variety of items

“When we pulled up on the bus, little faces would be peering out the front window, waiting for us,” she said.

“After seeing the excited, smiling faces on the children last night, we will most definitely be doing this next year. Even the older high school students were happy to see us.”

Dykstra rode on the bus that visited homes on the east side of Division Avenue.

“When we finished, everyone clapped and said they had a wonderful time.”

For more articles on area schools, visit the School News Network’s website.

School News Network: Whipping up a love for cooking

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Seventh-graders Jasmine Nash and Rebecca Ling mix up their salad

By Erin Albanese
School News Network

There was a lot of chopping, dicing and tossing going on at Valleywood Middle School, where students learn culinary basics — and get to taste the results.

Seventh-grader Arianna Cruz holds up her finished salad

Cooking club, an extracurricular activity that’s been offered to sixth-through-eighth graders for more than a decade, brings students together for an hour and 15 minutes to learn to cook, from food prep to finished dish. “I’m a big believer in making things from scratch,” said instructor Cheryl Meyer, a volunteer who loves to cook for her family. “I really want to empower kids so they can make things from scratch, so they can go to the grocery store, look at a recipe and know they can make anything.”


On a recent afternoon, about a dozen students prepared cabbage ramen noodle salad, each challenged with adding their own flair such as apples to add tang, or carrots and broccoli to create a medley of veggies.


There’s a different recipe each session with fried chicken, gravy and biscuits being among the most popular. Students get to take their dishes home. “I do want the kids to know food is a blessing for their friends and families,” Meyer said.


Eighth-grader Mari’azia Broyles wants to be a baker someday and is thinking about launching a cooking vlog. “I’ve learned how to use knives and things the right way, and what not to do. I like cooking!”


Seventh-grader Zachary Kwekel has a personal goal for the class. “One day I hope to make breakfast for my mom.”

For more local school news, visit schoolnewsnetwork.org.


  • Eighth-grader Mari’azia Broyles hopes to be a baker someday

  • Eighth-grader Sophia Daiziel, left, and Keoni Johnson finish up their salad
  • Cooking instruction Cheryl Meyers shows seventh-grader Kelly Nguyen how to cut a pepper
  • Students learn the basics of food prep and cooking from scratch
  • Seventh-grader Zachary Kwekel and Kari Ann Hall plan to add flair to their salad


School News Network: Current events, social justice focus of film fest winner

3-bottom, City of Wyoming,
https://youtu.be/q_ImunMptxU

By Erin Albanese
School News Network


When considering events that have shaped her generation, senior Quiana Wade thought of the killing of Trayvon Martin in 2012, and of U.S. Supreme Court decision to legalize same-sex marriage in 2015.

She included images and messages about both events in her first-place-winning video for the student Mosaic Film Experience Mobile 2018 competition. She was recently awarded $1,000 for the piece. She was also a Top 10 finisher in the contest last year.

Mosaic Film Experience is a film festival for commercial and jury selected works focusing on under-told stories. It was founded in Grand Rapids in 2012.

The criteria this year was to tell a story including the message, “It’s different now,” and to incorporate art.

“The first thing that came to my mind was things that happened in society,” said Quiana, an advance video production student at Wyoming High School.

Mosaic Film Experience Mobile high school winners and finalists also include:

  • 2nd place – Mariah Barrera, City High School
  • 3rd place – Alyssa Dodd, Careerline Tech Center

Finalists:

  • Irene Kuperus, Careerline Tech Center
  • Yailine Palomo, Wyoming High School
  • Willy Vernom, Kelloggsville High School
  • Kyla Kerridge and Halle White, Rockford High School
  • Kalil Adams and Jayden Burgen, East Kentwood High School
  • Morgan Westrate and Lara Johansen, Byron Center High School
  • Sergio Sepulveda, Innovation Central High School
Wyoming High School senior Quiana Wade is the first-place winner in the Mosaic Film Experience Mobile 2018 competition


Quiana’s video starts with the narrative: “Being younger than now, I didn’t have to be aware of the things that happen around me, but it’s all different now.” It continues, including images and illustrations representing Trayvon Martin, the Black Lives Matter movement, the LGBTQ community and diversity.

She used an iPad to create the video, recording her siblings, friends and her own drawings.

As an African American, she said she’s personally been affected by racial prejudice. She also has friends in the LGBTQ community who she supports.

Quiana said she believes film is a great way to share perspectives and get people thinking. “Perspective is a big thing when it comes to understanding what people go through,” she said.

Quiana plans to major in film production in college, possibly at the Art Institute of Atlanta, in Georgia.

For more local school news, visit schoolnewsnetwork.org.

Goats “pine” for leftover Christmas trees

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, How-To's, Local Faces, Pets/Animals, ,

By Jenny Ferels, Lewis Farms & Petting Zoo

Christmas is over, the presents unwrapped, leftovers are eaten, friends and family have gone home, and now there’s that pesky tree to deal with. So many real Christmas trees end up on the curb headed for the landfill, but we have a better solution! Recycle your Christmas tree at Lewis Farms & Petting Zoo as a delicious treat for our herd of goats.

“We’ve been asking for tree donations after Christmas for a number of years now,” says owner Cindy Lewis, “The goats can devour a tree in a matter of minutes, they get very excited!”


Pine needles are a natural worm control for goats and are full of vitamin C so they make a nice healthy snack in addition to their regular diet of hay and grain. The goats are accustomed to seeing people every day from May to October when we are open. After the farm closes for the season they can get a little bored and lonely. Having an abundance of trees on hand helps to break up the boredom and gives the goats something to look forward to!

If your family would like to spread a little extra Christmas cheer and donate your tree to the goats, we know they would certainly appreciate it. We will be accepting trees through the end of January here at the farm, 4180 W M-20 New Era, MI 49446. The drop off location is in the main parking lot marked with the sign “Thank you for the tree-mendous treat!” Please, no flocked trees, and make sure that all decorations are removed. Tinsel loses its luster when half-digested in a pile of goat droppings!

Wyoming Christmas Greetings

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WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

At the Wyomig Gives Back event held on Dec. 7, several city officials and community members stopped by the WKTV booth to record a personal Christmas Greeting. The greetings have been airing on WKTV. Here is the complete line up:

Mayor Jack Poll


City Manager Curtis Holt


Brian Bennett
Deputy Director of Wyoming’s Fire Services


Marcy Schaller’s Daughter
Wyoming Department of Public Safety


Krashawn Martin
Special Events and Marketing Planner, City of  Wyoming


Emily VandeGriend and family
Employee, City of Wyoming


Jim Ward
Wyoming Tree Commission


Bob O’Callaghan
President/CEO, Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce


Wyoming High School Jazz Band


Godwin Heights High School Choir


Lillian VanderVeen


Jesus


Lizzy and Natalie


Yelie


Malcom


Dolly


LaMar


Aaliyah


Tyrian


Serida


Shawn and Friends


Dinorah


Katherine and Family


Franchely


Esther and Family


Abraham Family


Michelle and Family


Eva Aguirre Cooper
Community Affairs, WOOD-TV8