Season tickets and mini ticket plans for the 2019 West Michigan Whitecaps baseball season are now on sale!
The Whitecaps have several different season ticket packages available, starting as low as $67.50. These include a full-season 70-game plan, half-season, 10-game plans, a 5-game, Tigers Wednesdays plans and flexbooks. Season ticket holders receive special perks ranging from a free luxury suite, discounted hot dog/soda vouchers, discounted preferred parking plans, souvenir shop discounts, a ticket buy-back and exchange program, early entry into the ballpark, guaranteed giveaway items and more (not all perks are included in all ticket packages). For complete season ticket plan information including a list of perks for each plan, please visit www.whitecapsbaseball.com.
Box Office Manager Shaun Pynnonen said the 10-game plans and the Tigers Wednesdays plans are sure to be favorites.
“The Tigers Wednesdays plans are always popular. This year fans can choose from five or ten games. Those that purchase one will receive guaranteed giveaway items as well as hot dog/soda vouchers” Pynnonen said. “10-game plans will also be popular this year. These are for the more casual fans that value the great entertainment. They get a few games a month which works out great when planning summer schedules.”
Fans can purchase season tickets and mini plans online here or by calling the Whitecaps front office at (616) 784-4131. Current season ticket holders have until Friday, December 14 to renew their season ticket locations; after that new season ticket holder seat locations will be selected.
Tickets for groups of 20 or more, including private party areas, will go on sale on Friday, November 16. Individual game tickets will go on sale in early 2019.
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).
Social butterfly Smudgee was initially a Belmont rescue back in February of 2018 (we think she was four years old, born in early 2014) who was taken in by Focus on Ferals (FOF). They did their typical top-notch stray work-up, discovered she was FIV+, and was told she had already been spayed due to a scar on her ventral abdomen. So imagine their surprise when April rolled around and their sweet little calico-tiger girl popped out a litter of kittens!
Unable to house a mom and brand-spanking newborns at their facility, FOF enlisted the help of a dual volunteer who took in the beautiful brood and provided a cozy, comfy foster home for Smudgee and her three offspring until the kittens could be weaned and placed into their adoption program. Mama then went back to FOF and awaited her turn to find a home, but as the months rolled on by and she was overlooked time and time again, FOF enlisted our help; on Aug. 6th, Big Sid’s welcomed this darling, playful little lady as our newest member of a very elite group of kitties.
From the get-go, Smudgee has been extremely outgoing, always seeming to be around no matter where you are or where your gaze falls. She adores attention from the volunteers and is exceptionally tolerant of her surrogate son, Just Jack, who tackles her on a regular basis in hopes of getting her to chase him around. She mingles and mixes well with the older crowd too, and honestly is so laid-back that we feel she would thrive in pretty much any type of family situation—kids, cats and perhaps even a gentle companion of the canine persuasion.
Soon after her arrival, she discovered the joys of what we call our ‘feeding frenzy’ and since then has been a very enthusiastic participant; in fact, we are watching her dainty waistline so that she doesn’t eat so much as to appear pregnant—again! Interestingly enough, before Smudgee came down to our sanctuary, Dr. Jen had to extract all of the teeth behind her canines as her mouth was on fire due to an inflammatory condition known as stomatitis, a condition that is fairly common in FIV+ kitties.
And until Smudgee had partaken in the tempting tray feeding—get this—she was consuming kibble like a boss (even though yummy canned food was offered pre- and post-op at the clinic). Also on a positive note, since she doesn’t have a mean bone in her ever-expanding lil’ body AND she has only a few teeth to claim as her own, the risk of transmission to another household cat is negligible. Plus, will ya look at that ADORABLE FACE?! How anyone can resist that is beyond us.
More about Smudgee:
Medium
Calico
Adult
Female
House-trained
Vaccinations up to date
Spayed
Not declawed
Good in a home with other cats, children
Want to adopt Smudgee? Learn about the adoption process here. Fill out a pre-adoption form here.
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.
It should start with a dark and stormy night as a group of of ghost hunters entered the old creepy house in search of paranormal activity but in truth, outside of a light drizzle, the weather was fairly routine as the Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters joined others at St. Cecilia Music Center for National Ghost Hunting Day earlier this season.
“Our mission statement is directed toward private families although we do investigations like this — plenty of them,” said Wayne Thomas, a member of the Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters. “But we have been to places where the people would not meet us at the house they just purchased because they were not taking their kids back and they were distraught and that’s where our passion for the paranormal comes in.”
The Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters team
The goal for the team is to create a better understanding of the spirits living among us by working with families and individuals dealing with paranormal activity.
“We have a process and we try to stick to that process,” Thomas said. “We have an interview and we have [Pastor Dan Schmidt] there so if there are any sensations in the house. We come back and do the investigation and we do a reveal where we present our evidence and that’s when Dan will ask them do you want a smudge or do you want to learn to live with your ghost.”
From the interview to the smudging, which is a ritual done to help cleanse a dwelling of negative energies, spirits or influences, the process is quite different from what people see on such shows as “Supernatural” or “Ghost Hunters.”
“TV can make it so dramatized, the music, the door slamming and we sit there for hours and hours,” said Grand Rapids Ghost Hunter Tammy Post. And in fact much of the group’s work is not done in the dark because as Thomas puts it, “no one ever sees a ghost in the dark.”
Pastor Dan Schmidt checks out the second floor of the St. Cecilia Music Center.
“We will have gone through a whole night and we won’t know if we have gotten anything at all,” Schmidt said. “We will go back through and watch the video and listen to the recordings and that is the longest part of the process.”
The ultimate goal of the group is to help people better understand the spirits living among us.
“It is easy to see the help you are giving the living – it is not quite as easy to see the help you are giving to the dead,” Thomas said. “When I got into this, I thought ‘Oh yeah, I’m going to help the dead find peace and rest.’
But in truth, Thomas said it is hard to determine if they have helped spirits move on.
“We do start with prayer and we end with prayer as we do consider ourselves a faith-based group,” Thomas said. “I consider all the praying we’ve done helps.”
To reach the Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters, call 616-541-4496 or visit the group’s Facebook page.
If voter registrations are any indicator, all indications are that next week’s Nov. 6 presidential-midterm election turnout could be record-setting in Michigan, in Kent County and in the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming.
There are nearly 7.5 million registered voters in the state of Michigan, about 459,000 in Kent County, about 54,000 in the City of Wyoming and about 36,000 in the City of Kentwood, according to information provided to WKTV. Those totals exceed the registered voter totals for the 2016 presidential election on the county and both city levels, and, according to Fred Woodhams, spokesperson for the Secretary of State’s office, “is a (state) record for a mid-term election.”
How total voter registration numbers will translate to actual voters at the polls, and those submitting absentee ballots, is unclear at this point. But Robert J. Macomber, Chief Deputy County Clerk with the Kent County Clerk and Register of Deeds Office, give some “indicators”.
“It’s always more difficult to predict turnout in a mid-term election, when a Presidential race is not on the ballot,” Macomber said to WKTV. “Kent County tends to turn out in the high 60’s percent range for Presidential elections and in the mid 40’s, when the Governor’s office is at the top of the ticket.
“However, there are indicators that can guide our clerks as they plan to allocate resources for Election Day, such as absentee ballot voting. We’ve seen those requests hit a record high statewide – over 1 million requests – which is about a 63 percent increase over the gubernatorial election in 2014. Whether those figures represent a shift in Election Day voters who now prefer to vote absentee, or that same increase in participation will be mirrored in the precincts on Election Day remains to be seen.”
Macomber pointed out, however, that “either way, our clerks are very well prepared to ensure that our elections are efficient, secure, and transparent.”
For example, the City of Wyoming, in anticipation of possible record numbers at the polls Nov. 6, offered some advice to the public for election day.
Megan Sall, Assistant City Manager for the City of Wyoming, told WKTV that voters can — should — check Michigan Voter Information Center (Michigan.gov/vote) prior to election day to verify registration, polling place, and see a sample ballot.
“Do your research ahead of time as the ballot is quite long with a wide variety of offices and issues,” Sall said in an email. “Exercise patience and expect to wait in line due to the length of the ballot and the high turnout we’re expecting. … (And) we love voter selfies, but you cannot take them with your ballot. Please wait until you leave your polling location.”
City of Kentwood, by the numbers
In the City of Kentwood, city clerk Dan Kasunic said there are 35,868 registered voters in the city this election cycle. That compares to 34,990 in the last mid-term in 2014, and 35,824 (according to the county) in the 2016 presidential election cycle.
Kasunic said, in the last mid-term election, there were 13,366 votes cast out of the 34,990 registered voters, about 38 percent. But this year he “expects 50 percent or better turnout.”
Another indication of Kentwood voter turnout is that there were 2,981 absentee ballots received in 2016 and that there are already 3,120 received as of early this week — and, Kasunic added, there are “more to come for 2018 … (and he expects) over 4,000.”
City of Wyoming, by the numbers
In the City of Wyoming, city clerk Kelli VandenBerg reported that there were 53,961 registered voters as of Oct. 30, with an average of 1,000 new registrations coming each month in September and October (the Aug. 2 total was 51,654 and the Sept. 25 total was 52,800).
Historically, in Wyoming, there were 46,758 registered voters in 2010, a total of 48,300 in 2012, with 48,791 in 2014, and 50,277 in 2016.
Wyoming also reported numbers on absentee ballots sent and returned, with there being an unusually high number sent this non-presidential election cycle: 4,257. There were 5,643 absentee ballots sent and 5,458 returned in 2016’s presidential cycle, but only 2,896 sent and 2,734 received in the last mid-term cycle in 2014. As of early this week, according to the city clerk’s office, there were 3,028 absentee ballots returned (out of the 4,257) with a week remaining for counting.
Kent County, by the numbers
Countywide the breakdown, according to the County Clerk’s office, is that there were 418,386 registered voters in 2010 (the last open gubernatorial election, without an incumbent running) with a turnout of 195,999 or 46.9 percent. In the 2014 gubernatorial election year there were 440,461 registered voters and a turnout of 189,517 or 43 percent.
In the 2016 Presidential election year, there were 453,437 registered voters with a turnout of 313,396 or 69 percent.
“Kent County’s number of registered voters has climbed steadily from 418,386 in 2010, when Michigan had its last (open) gubernatorial election, to 458,666 this year,” Macomber said in summary.
State of Michigan, by the numbers
According to Woodhams at the Secretary of State office, there are 7,471,882 registered voters this year, which is a record for a mid-term election, and that represents about 95 percent of the possible registered voters. As far as how many of those will show at the polls, state numbers are that there were abut 3.2 million voters in 2014, about 3.85 million in 2006 (the current record for a non-presidential election), about 4.9 million in the 2016 presidential election and about 5 million in the 2008 presidential election (the current record).
Aliya Hall is a sophomore at Godwin Heights High School
Editor’s note: Aliya Hall, a sophomore at Godwin Heights High School, is one of two local students who was invited to attend the International Congress of Youth Voices in San Francisco this year. Maeve Wilbourn, a senior at Grand Rapids Public Schools’ City High/Middle School, attended as well. Here, Aliya shares some of the highlights of the experience in her own words. Story coordinated by Bridie Bereza
The International Congress of Youth Voices came to be after the Parkland shooting, when a man named Dave Eggers decided that youth needed an international platform to make their voices heard. This platform was specifically for young writers in writing groups such as The Creative Youth Center in Grand Rapids and 826 National. Here, we could come together and talk about issues like gun control laws, police brutality and bullying. Mr. Eggers and ICYV co-founder Amanda Uhle reached out to the heads of the 826 National and CYC programs and asked them to send two of their best youth writers to the Congress in San Francisco this past August. The head of our local CYC, Mrs. Brianne Carpenter, nominated Maeve Wilbourn of Grand Rapids City High/Middle School and me.
Aliya Hall and Maeve Wilbourn in San Francisco (photo courtesy of the Creative Youth Center)
The first night in San Francisco, we went to The Embarcadero waterfront district and had dinner on a boat with Rep. John Lewis. He talked to us about what he does and why it is important to take a stand even if no one else is standing with you.
I heard a lot of inspiring things but the one thing that stood out to me the most was what Congressman Lewis said during his speech on the boat: “When you see something that is not right, not fair, or not just, we have a moral obligation to say something and not to be silent; you have to speak out, lead the way and get in good trouble – necessary trouble.”
For me this means that when there is a problem in the community, school, or world, I have a right to use my voice and stand up for what I believe, even if I am the only one standing.
In addition to Rep. Lewis, I met many inspiring people: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, author of “We Should All Be Feminists”; Chinaka Hodge, poet and writer of “All Power To The People”; Bob Bland, national co-chair of the Women’s March; and Tabitha St. Bernard-Jacobs, one of the women who spearheaded the Women’s March Organization and the coordinator of Youth EMPOWER!
The Congress was filled with action: We went to City Lights bookstore where some of the youth read their poetry. We went to the San Francisco Library and listened to guest speakers from all over tell about their journeys on becoming who they are today! On the last day we went to the War Memorial and worked on our Youth Manifesto, a declaration of our own political party. Mrs. Brianne, Maeve and I also visited places like Pier 3, Pier 39, Chinatown, and Nourse Theater.
Aliya Hall and Maeve Wilbourn of Grand Rapids check in at the International Congress of Youth Voices, held in San Francisco in August (photo courtesy of the Creative Youth Center)
One of the most memorable things from the Congress was meeting youth from all over the world and having a chance to hear their stories and learn what their lives are like. There was a student delegate by the name of Rohnny Vallarta, who shared her story about what it’s like to be homeless. She and her family lived out of a car for two years. She talked about how discourteously the people treated her family and other people who were homeless.
Rhonny said, “It is messed up that you would walk past someone asking you for food or money, or speed walk past them like they will harm you.”
She then went on to talk about how being homeless affected her and her family and how she is overcoming it. As she spoke her voice would shake and she would get nervous and start to breathe heavily. At one point she broke down crying, and at that same moment a tear fell down my face and the faces of many others who were up on stage with her. My heart just went out to her. I could hear all the pain in her voice and the anger that she had when she talked about the mistreatment of the homeless.
Aliya Hall and civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis of Georgia (photo courtesy of the Creative Youth Center)
I was angry because we as a society take things that seem so simple to us for granted: We complain about the kind of food we eat, the clothes we wear, the places we live and more, instead of being grateful that we have a roof over our heads, shoes on our feet, and food in our mouths, never having to worry about where we are going to get our next meal! At the end of the program I went straight to Rohnny and hugged her tight and said, “Thank you for sharing your story!” She is a high school student who is determined to educate the public in understanding the “why” in why someone is homeless by looking at the factors and issues that lead to homelessness.
I’m using all the lessons I learned at ICYV by bringing them back to Grand Rapids so I can talk to and educate people here about the issues from our world, and bring awareness to problems in our community.
City of Kentwood City Hall will be trying out new hours to better serve the community. (WKTV)
By City of Kentwood
The City of Kentwood will pilot new office hours at city hall for one year in an effort to improve customer service and access to government services.
Beginning Nov. 12, city hall office hours will change from its traditional 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to the following:
Monday: 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday: 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Thursday: 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Friday: 7:30 a.m. to noon
“We continuously evaluate and seize opportunities to improve customer service” said Mayor Stephen Kepley. “Amending our traditional hours seeks to improve access and better meet the needs of our working community.”
The city launched an online community survey in May regarding office hours for city hall. A majority of the respondents were in favor of amended office hours. In particular, results revealed an interest in City Hall opening before 8 a.m. and closing after 5 p.m.
With survey results in mind, the City identified alternate office hours that would meet the public need and provide greater access to in-person services, while also being mindful not to create an undue burden on staff nor require overtime. Many office hour scenarios were vetted before deciding on the new hours for a one-year trial period.
Due to the wide range of departments and tasks located at City Hall, interdepartmental flexibility remains a key component to achieving optimal performance. Department heads will retain their ability to schedule staff as they best see fit to achieve departmental and city objectives.
For more information on the City of Kentwood, visit kentwood.us .
Growing up in Mexico, Mónica Robles pestered her father to give her things he said were “only for boys.” Persistence paid off, and she did learn to ride motorcycles and pilot private planes. Today, Mónica takes that same feisty mindset to every endeavor she takes on, from community leadership to international marketing. Don’t miss this personal story of pluck and charm: from Mexico with love!
Opening Nov. 2nd and running for three weekends through Nov. 18th, Farmers Alley Theatre (221 Farmers Alley, Kalamazoo, MI) is proud to present the West Michigan area premiere of A Doll’s House, Part 2. Called “smart, funny and utterly engrossing” by The New York Times, this whip-smart new play by Lucas Hnath (author of last season’s hit The Christians) is THE play of the moment that delivers explosive laughs while also posing insightful questions about marriage, gender inequality, and human rights.
In the final scene of Henrik Ibsen’s groundbreaking masterwork of 1879, A Doll’s House, Nora Helmer makes the shocking decision to leave her husband and children, and begin a life on her own. This climactic event — when Nora slams the door on everything in her life — instantly propelled world drama into the modern age. In A Doll’s House, Part 2, many years have passed since Nora’s exit. Now, there a knock on that same door. Nora has returned. But why? And what will it mean for those she left behind? A timely work filled with powerful women who struggle against a society that has defined gender roles, A Doll’s House, Part 2 is the rare sequel that stands perfectly well on its own.
Farmers Alley Theatre welcomes back director D. Terry Williams to helm this modern classic. Mr. Williams is known for tackling vibrant new works at Farmers Alley having directed Hnath’s The Christians last season along with his previous credits Disgraced, The Whipping Man, Other Desert Cities and the Wilde Award Winning production of Old Wicked Songs.
Elizabeth Terrel will bring life to the classic character of Nora Helmer. An associate professor of voice and movement in Western Michigan University’s Theatre Department, Ms. Terrel was last seen on our stage as the beautiful, self-obsessed movie star, Masha in our 2015 production of Vanya + Sonia + Masha + Spike.
Chicago actor Paul Stroili plays Nora’s estranged husband, Torvald. A resident artist at the Purple Rose Theatre in Chelsea, Mr. Stroili has an impressive list of credits on stage (God of Carnage, August: Osage County) and screen (“Empire”, “Chicago PD”, “Malcolm in the Middle”). Zoe Vonder Haar returns to Farmers Alley Theatre to play the Helmer’s housekeeper Anne Marie, after lighting up our stage the past two summers in It Shoulda Been You and The Bridges of Madison County. WMU Theatre Major Arizsia Staton portrays Nora’s daughter, Emmy, whom she abandoned all those years ago.
A Doll’s House, Part 2 runs Nov. 2nd through the 18th at 221 Farmers Alley in Downtown Kalamazoo. Tickets are $32 on Fri/Sat/Sun and $27 on Thursdays. Seniors 65 and above receive $2 off per ticket and student tickets are $15. Reservations can be made by calling our Box Office at (269) 343-2727 or visiting the website here.
Friday, Nov. 2nd at 8 pm
Saturday, Nov. 3rd at 2 pm
Saturday, Nov. 3rd at 8 pm
Sunday, Nov. 4th at 2 pm
Thursday, Nov. 8th at7:30 pm
Friday, Nov. 9th at 8 pm
Saturday, Nov. 10th at 8 pm
Sunday, Nov. 11th at2 pm
Thursday, Nov. 15th at 7:30 pm
Friday, Nov. 16th at 8 pm
Saturday, Nov. 17th at 8 pm
Sunday, Nov. 18th at 2 pm
We will be holding post-show talkbacks after performances on Nov. 3rd (2pm show), Nov. 9th and Nov. 16th.
Hungry families and individuals who use community emergency food pantries receive several canned foods, like fruits and vegetables, as well as other non-perishable foods.
While fresh foods are always recommended for meal preparation, studies show canned foods are comparable to cooked, fresh and frozen varieties in providing major vitamins to the American diet.
According to the Canned Food Alliance, using canned foods in your meal planning has an array of benefits:
Canned foods add a variety of food types to your meal planning. Adding canned beans or chickpeas and canned tuna to a fresh garden salad instantly makes the meal more interesting and adds important nutrients, just from opening up a can.
Using canned foods and other forms of food (fresh, frozen, canned and dried) in your cooking can add more flavors to your meals and save on your food budget.
If you are crunched for time to prepare meals like many busy families, especially during the week, using canned foods will help you to get food on the table quickly.
Fresh food, while undoubtedly delicious and nutritious, can spoil if not used a short time after purchase.
Michigan State University Extension recommends that canned vegetables and beans first be rinsed to decrease salt content. Be sure to always read food labels and when possible, choose the low sodium varieties of canned foods.
There are still consumer questions about whether or not canned foods are healthy for you. The Canned Food Alliance says that despite the fact canned foods are getting a “bad rap”, they are actually nutritious, accessible, convenient, affordable and flavorful.
Keep food safety in mind when visiting and choosing canned food at your community food pantries. Never choose canned foods that are past their expiration dates or having any flaw such as dented or bulging.
Families who are on a tight food budget often use community food pantries and want to know how to flavor and spice up canned foods when preparing meals.
Ask your community food pantry if they have recipes for their participants, most community food pantries offer low-cost recipes. For additional recipes, you can also checkout Feeding America’s cookbook for a cause for tasty snacks and entree ideas.
There are several ways you can add pizazz to your meal preparation by using canned foods the following ways:
Canned chili beans, green chilies, mushrooms to casseroles, salads, etc.
Canned vegetables to soups, stews, salads and casseroles
Canned beans to soups, stews, nachos and casseroles
Canned tomatoes and tomato products to one-pot and skillet meals, casseroles, soups and stews
Canned cream soups to casseroles
Canned fruit to fruit salads, fruit parfaits and other desserts
Using canned foods are an economical way of saving money and provide satisfying and favorable homemade meals for your family. Using the above simple tips for preparing meals, entrée, desserts, etc. can be pleasing and provide a sense of well-being to those who are cash strapped.
They called him the “Chairman of the Board of Music.”
Frank Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 20th century as well as one of the best-selling recording artists of all time.
Twenty years before fans screamed themselves hoarse at the sight of The Beatles, bobbysoxers worked themselves into a frenzy at the sight of a skinny, 20-something kid who sang with Tommy Dorsey’s Big Band.
Sinatra, though he didn’t sing rock music, was the music’s first rock star.
Grand Rapids Pops welcomes singer and pianist Tony DeSare back to Grand Rapids for a salute to the music of Frank Sinatra titled Sinatra and Beyond.
DeSare, who starred in the Off-Broadway show, Our Sinatra, will perform songs made famous by “The Sultan of Swoon.” Enjoy such “ring-a-ding-ding” tunes as Come Fly With Me, I’ve Got the World on a String, My Way and many more.
Associate Conductor John Varineau leads the Grand Rapids Symphony’s Fox Motors Pops series concerts at 8pm Friday and Saturday, Nov. 9-10 and at 3pm Sunday, Nov. 11 in DeVos Performance Hall. Guest Artist Sponsor: Holland Home.
Described in the New York Times in 2012 as “two parts young Sinatra to one part Billy Joel,” DeSare channels the best of the Great American Songbook.’
Generally when someone mentions the music of Ol’ Blue Eyes, they think of an older Sinatra, sporting a tuxedo, singing such songs as “New York, New York.” But DeSare, age 42, prefers Sinatra’s music from the 1950s, when he recorded such albums as “In the Wee Small Hours” and “Songs for Only the Lonely” for Capitol Records.
“Frank’s voice was dead-on perfect, and he was such a great interpreter,” DeSare said. “Plus, he was working with those classic Nelson Riddle arrangements.”
Named a Rising Star Male Vocalist by Downbeat magazine in 2009, DeSare has appeared in venues ranging from Carnegie Hall to jazz clubs. He’s headlined in Las Vegas with comedian Don Rickles, and he’s appeared with major symphony orchestras.
DeSare’s first appearance with the Grand Rapids Symphony was for its Wolverine Worldwide Holiday Pops in 2012. Earlier that year, he was in West Michigan to perform Our Sinatra at Mason Street Warehouse in Saugatuck.
Frank Sinatra by Gottlieb, c 1947
Tony DeSare’s first instrument, which he took up at age 8, was violin. Two years later, he began playing on a little Casio keyboard from Radio Shack. That’s what stuck.
“I’m not sure exactly what it is,” he told the South Bend Tribune in August. “I know one of the big things is that it’s the only instrument that lets you be your own orchestra.”
At age 11, he became obsessed with learning George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Mining his parents’ record collection, he soon developed a fondness for such classic pop singers as Sinatra and Nat King Cole.
Music remained a hobby, and he was pre-law at Ithaca College until he attended a Billy Joel concert, and the singer/songwriter shared some advice from the stage for the audience of 20,000.
“What Billy said is that we did not have to become recording stars or follow in his footsteps,” DeSare recalled in an interview with the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal in September 2017. “He basically said, ‘If you feel you can pay your bills by playing music, that alone is reason enough to follow your dream,’”
“I just sat back, thinking to myself, ‘Wow, when you put it that way,’” he added. “I was much too far along for me to switch and begin pursuing a music degree,” he said. “But I dropped my law courses the next Monday and became a business major.”
Tickets
Single tickets for the Fox Motors Pops series start at $18 and are available at the Grand Rapids Symphony box office, weekdays 9am-5pm at 300 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 100, (located across from the Calder Plaza), or by calling 616.454.9451 x 4. (Phone orders will be charged a $2 per ticket service fee, with a $12 maximum).
Tickets are available at the DeVos Place box office, weekdays 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. or on the day of the concert beginning two hours prior to the performance. Tickets also may be purchased online at GRSymphony.org.
Special Offers
Full-time students of any age can purchase tickets for $5 at the door on the day of the concert by enrolling in the GRS Student Tickets program, sponsored by Calvin College. Discounts also are available to members of MySymphony360, the Grand Rapids Symphony’s organization for young professionals ages 21-35.
Students age 7-18 also are able to attend for free when accompanied by an adult. Free for Kids tickets must be purchased in advance at the GRS Ticket office. Up to two free tickets are available with the purchase of a regular-price adult ticket. Go online for more details.
Symphony Scorecard provides up to four free tickets for members of the community receiving financial assistance from the State of Michigan and for members of the U.S. Armed Forces, whether on active or reserve duty or serving in the National Guard. Go online for information to sign up with a Symphony Scorecard Partner Agency.
Since 2015, Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been found in deer in several of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula counties including Clinton, Ingham, Ionia, Kent, and Montcalm, as well as most recently in October 2018 in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula Dickenson county. Deer hunters should be aware of how easily CWD can be transferred to in cervids such as deer, elk or moose.
CWD is a neurological disease that affects cervid animals. It can be transmitted through direct animal to animal contact or contact with saliva, urine, feces, blood, and/or certain carcass parts such as brain tissue and spinal cord of an infected animal.
Hunters need to be aware that the disease can also be spread via infected plants and soil. Prions, which are single proteins that cause the infections, are not easily killed by traditional strategies such as heat. Research from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston has shown prions have been able to bind to the roots and leaves of wheat grass plants when incubated with contaminated material, even in highly diluted amounts. They also found that plants grown in infected soil can transport the deadly prions. Hamsters fed the contaminated plants contracted CWD in the research project.
Although current research has found no direct link from CWD to variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend not consuming venison from infected deer. Michigan State University Extension highly recommends that venison from a positively infected CWD deer not be consumed. When in doubt, do not consume the venison and properly dispose of the entire carcass. This brief background is meant to emphasize that CWD is a serious emerging disease in Michigan and hunters can take steps to prevent the spread of it.
Several pairs of tight-fitting, disposable gloves — these not only can protect hunters from disease but also assist in keeping the deer carcass clean during the dressing process.
Clean, sharp knife to make cuts and split carcass. Use separate knives from your household knives.
Pre-moistened wipes and/or container of clean water to maintain sanitation of knife and saw.
Strings about six to eight inches long to tie off the anus and assist in other dressing procedures.
Large resealable food grade plastic bag to place the heart and/or liver.
Clean, dry towels or paper towels to dry the carcass with after washing.
Rope to tie legs apart or drag deer.
Kill tag attached to a string.
Multiple non-porous disposable trash bags if hunting in the CWD core management zones to dispose of all carcass parts, including guts, and remove them from the environment.
All deer harvested in the Michigan CWD Core Area (Ionia, Kent, Mecosta, Montcalm, and Newaygo counties) and Management Zone (Calhoun, Clinton, Eaton, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Kent, Mecosta, Montcalm, and Newaygo counties), cannot be moved out of those areas unless:
It is deboned meat, quarters or other parts of a cervid that do not have any part of the spinal column or head attached, antlers, antlers attached to a skull cap cleaned of all brain and muscle tissue, hides, upper canine teeth, or a finished taxidermist mount; or
The head is submitted at a designated DNR drop off locations within 24 hours after killing the deer. Drop-off locations include DNR check points, drop boxes and some venison processors.
Carcasses can be moved into the CWD Core Area from a CWD Management Zone county with no restrictions. Hunters may not take a deer from the CWD Core Area into the CWD Management Zone for processing unless the conditions above are met.
While Myasthenia Gravis – or MG as it is commonly referred to – is a rare disease, affecting about 20 in 100,000 people, the medical community has been aware of it since the 1800s.
MG is the breakdown in the normal communication between nerves and muscles. It is difficult to diagnose because its symptoms, drooping eyelids, double vision, slur speech, trouble chewing or swallowing, and weakness in arms or legs, will usually improve with rest.
However, medical advancements have improved over the years, according to Dr. Amit Sachdev from Michigan State University’s Department of Neurology. Sachdev has specialized in MG. Since the 1950s and 1960s, the medical community has learned to treat MG better, working to improve detection, Sachdev said.
To increase awareness and to educate the public, the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of Michigan, which is based in the West Michigan area, recently put together a series of educational videos about MG, which will be airing on WKTV Wednesday, Oct. 31, at 11:30 a.m and again Thursday, Nov. 1, at 5 p.m.
According to Sue Southern, the executive director for the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of Michigan, MG-MI is working to put a face to the disease by talking to those who are living with it in hopes of building a better understanding about the MG.
“While MG is an illness, unlike other neurological diseases, MG is a disease with hope,” Southern said. There is no cure for the disease, however; there are treatments. Part of the Foundation’s goal is to provide resources and information to people along with creating supportive connections between people who have been just diagnosed with those who have been living with MG.
For more information about MG and the Foundation, visit mg-mi.org.
East Kentwood, now 9-1, is traveling to Saline for the second round of the Division 1 state football playoffs with a narrow victory over Brighton last Saturday.
The Falcons were able to put 426 yards on the offensive stat sheet. A big contributor to the total yardage is senior wide receiver Stephan Bracey.
“We didn’t really click in the first half,” said Bracey. “We just thought about the bigger prize and executed the best we could.”
And clicked they did. With a juggled pass from quarterback Kyle Dent, Bracey ran for 81 yards in the second quarter which helped contribute to his 108 receiving yards for the game.
Trailing most of the first half, the Falcons were able to tie the game late in the second quarter, 28-28. That’s when East Kentwood head coach Anthony Kimbrough was able to readjust his game plan.
East Kentwood head coach Anthony Kimbrough. (WKTV)
“They showed us some things we hadn’t seen in the (defensive) secondary,” said Kimbrough of Brighton’s passing attack.
With Brighton trailing 31-28 with 20 seconds left on the clock, a 41-yard field goal from Brighton could have tied the game up and sent it into over time. But after three consecutive timeouts, Brighton missed a field goal that would have extended play.
“I was just praying that he missed,” said Kimbrough. “It was a great battle on both sides. You hate for someone to come out as a loser but were fortunate to move on. … But give Brighton credit. They’re a well-coached football team.”
However, at the end of the game, Kimbrough did have some tough love for his players. Falcon quarterback Dent threw for 188 yards. but with three interceptions, and Bracey was a total of -16 yards rushing.
“We can’t play the way we played today and beat Saline, we just can’t,” said Kimbrough. “We have to have our best. We have to play like the team we’ve been all year.”
MaxPreps, a CBS affiliated website dedicated to high school sports, has East Kentwood football ranked 7th in Michigan with Saline behind at 18th.
Just like Brighton, the Falcons have never faced Saline. With an unfamiliar opponent, anything can happen. But for now, Bracey and his teammates are thankful.
“We’re just truly blessed for what happened,” said Bracey.
East Kentwood will be on the road Saturday facing the Saline Hornets, a team that also went 8-1 in the regular season. Saline beat Kalamazoo Central last weekend.
"I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion."
~ Henry David Thoreau
Where are they coming from?
Where are they all going?
September marks the ninth record-breaking month in a row for 2018 at Gerald R. Ford International Airport, which has seen growth in 62 of the last 69 months. September 2018 was the busiest September ever, and this quarter marks the busiest third quarter ever — beating out September 2017 for that title.
Through September 2018, GFIA has already surpassed its annual totals reached in all years through 2014 with 2,432,413 passengers served in 2018. Folks, that’s a LOT of people. Read all about it here.
There are no second chances
You either get the shot, or you don’t.
Organized by the Brooklyn Museum, “Who Shot Sports” highlights the “aesthetic, cultural and historical significance of the images and artists in the history of sports since the invention of photography in the 19th century. Visitors will see how the evolution of photographic technology enabled its practitioners to capture the human body in motion as it had never been seen before,” according to supplied information. Go here to read more.
Not to add to your stress level, but …
One increasingly common cause for dementia symptoms is stress. And those overwhelmed by caring for others are particularly at risk.
“So-called ‘caregiver dementia’—cognitive and memory issues brought on by the stress of caring for a loved one—is a very real phenomenon,” Dr. Hatfield said.
Fortunately, caregiver dementia is reversible. Symptoms go away when the stress and depression are resolved, which can be particularly reassuring for those immersed in primary caregiving for a loved one with Alzheimer’s. Go here to learn more.
Fun Fact:
Dogs sniff good smells with their left nostril
Dogs normally start sniffing with their right nostril, then keep it there if the smell could signal danger, but they’ll shift to the left side for something pleasant, like food or a mating partner. This also applies to dogs living in Kentwood and Wyoming. You know you always wondered.
As you are passing out candy to the trick-or-treaters, WKTV will be featuring a line-up of locally produced horror and Halloween films, with a special premiere showing from a familiar filmmaker.
Director and Producer Moe McCoy’s “Angel Horror Movie” will air at 10 p.m. It is a film that according toMcCoy, had its own “horror” backstory that the team from his Fireproof Film company managed to overcome.
“This was a film that I originally started shooting in Grand Rapids,” McCoy said. “I had the house lined up and everyone there and then there was a drive-by and I everyone just left, the cast, the crew, everybody.”
Not to be deterred, McCoy took the concept with him, reshooting in Houston, Texas with a Red camera, only to discover that the film was so large only a few places could handle the editing, one of which is WKTV.
“So I came back to my roots,” said McCoy, who got his start in film by volunteering at WKTV. “It has been so much fun being back here in Michigan and at the WKTV studio. I am excited about the premiere.”
WKTV’s Halloween specials start at 7 p.m. with the Rosehill Cemetery Tour followed by a family film, “We Are the Dead,” produced by a group of Grand Valley State University students utilizing WKTV equipment. “We Are the Dead” follows the story of three men as they try to survive the zombie apocalypse. This film will air at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30; 8:30 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31; and 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2.
At 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 31, will be “The Basement,” an indie film produced by another volunteer and local producer Chris Penny of Dogbyte Films. After that is McCoy’s “Angel Horror Film.”
The rest of the line-up includes:
11 p.m. Transitions
11:30 p.m. Return of the Curse
1 a.m. Grand Rapids Paranormal Alliance Ghost Documentary
Cheryl Corpus is the new Gladiola Elementary School principal. SNN gets to know her in this edition of Meet Your Principal.
What and where was your previous job? I was associate director at the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning with The Education Trust-Midwest.
Degrees: I am a National Board Certified Teacher in English as a New Language. I have a bachelor of arts in English and a bachelor of arts in education; a master’s in TESOL/Applied Linguistics; and a master’s in Education Leadership. I’ve attended Central Michigan University, Cornerstone University and University of Colorado.
“Outstanding! You rocked today!” points out new Gladiola Elementary Principal Cheryl Corpus to kindergartners
Other positions you have held in education: I have worked as an adjunct instructor for Aquinas College, an instructional specialist with Godwin Heights Public Schools, a K-8 EL coordinator/assistant principal in Colorado, and a high school and adult education teacher in Flint.
How about jobs outside education? I’ve worked in retail, waitressing, and even worked at Kentucky Fried Chicken when I was young.
What kind of kid were you at the age of students at this new school? In elementary school, I was focused on reading, reading and more reading. I was also into the outdoors and animals. All three things are still true today.
Hobbies/Interests: I like being outdoors, advocating for education and being with my family.
What inspires you, both in your educational role and in your own life? People in general inspire me. You never know their story and I believe in the power of community and that education can create real change. I am driven to close achievement and opportunity gaps for students and to advocate for students and families.
What makes you laugh? A good meme and a good movie analogy to capture situations.
What would people be surprised to learn about you? That I just learned how to play Gaga ball on the playground with students, and plan on being the recess champion by the end of the year.
Tell us about a non-professional book you recommend and why: “Small Great Things” by Jodi Picoult. It challenges us to examine our assumptions/biases and explore the dynamic of race and prejudice.
Finish this sentence: If I could go back to school I would go to 11th grade, because I think it’s such an important year to make decisions about what you want to do after high school. I would sign up for more AP classes and push myself harder.
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
New Principal Cheryl Corpus is getting to know her staff, including (from left) Katherine Henry, Restorative Practices practitioner; Amy Hendrickson, social worker; and Fritz Bowerman, behavioral interventionist
Is your memory failing you? Don’t assume the worst. You may have a reversible condition. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
By Diane Benson, Spectrum Health Beat
Brain fog … Can’t clear the cobwebs … I know I know this … Wait, wait, don’t tell me … Really, it’s on the tip of my tongue.
What did I do yesterday? (Hmmm. Good question).
If this sounds like your state of mind (or lack thereof), you may have dementia.
Hold on. Don’t panic.
Dementia, defined as problems with memory or thinking and changes in personality or behavior, can be reversible.
In fact, more than 50 conditions can cause or mimic the symptoms of dementia.
“Short-term memory loss, like difficulty remembering recent events, is often the most pronounced symptom of both reversible and non-reversible dementias,” said Maegan Hatfield-Eldred, Ph.D., a clinical neuropsychologist with Spectrum Health Medical Group.
Common causes of reversible dementia include depression, vitamin B12 deficiency, drug or alcohol abuse and under-active thyroid.
“We associate the word ‘dementia’ with permanence, something that’s going to get worse or is incurable,” Dr. Hatfield said. “But with these conditions, symptoms subside, or are reversed, when the underlying problem is treated.”
Many medications can also cause dementia-like symptoms.
As we age, the liver and kidneys don’t work as efficiently so drugs tend to accumulate in the body, become toxic and cause problems. Elderly people in poor health and those taking several different medications are especially vulnerable.
Stressed-out caregivers beware
Another increasingly common cause for scary dementia symptoms is stress. And those overwhelmed by caring for others are particularly at risk.
“So-called ‘caregiver dementia’—cognitive and memory issues brought on by the stress of caring for a loved one—is a very real phenomenon,” Dr. Hatfield said.
Fortunately, caregiver dementia is reversible. Symptoms go away when the stress and depression are resolved, which can be particularly reassuring for those immersed in primary caregiving for a loved one with Alzheimer’s.
“These folks start to notice similar symptoms in themselves and think, ‘I have this, too,’” Dr. Hatfield said. “But it’s because they see and experience (the dementia) day in and day out. And that’s extremely stressful. It’s tough managing their own lives and caring for someone else, too.”
What’s typically at work here is the stress hormone, cortisol, she said. Chronic stress can affect the ways in which our brains function in the present, and may seriously alter our brain health in the years to come.
Chronic anxiety and depression also affect brain function and behavior.
“It’s so important to get help, to be proactive in overcoming these feelings and address any issues,” Dr. Hatfield said. “Don’t let things go or build up. Stress reduction is something to take very seriously.”
Younger people are not immune either, she said. Pronounced and dramatic memory issues due to extreme stress can happen to people in their 20s and 30s.
Is it dementia or something else?
Some reversible dementias are easier to diagnose than irreversible dementias because they can be identified by medical tests. Others are more difficult to pin down.
To tell for certain, Dr. Hatfield advises seeing a neuropsychologist for testing. She suggests using age to help determine when, or if, testing is necessary.
“If you’re under age 50, we tend to be less concerned about a non-reversible dementia like Alzheimer’s disease because they’re incredibly uncommon in younger adults,” she said. “Instead, we look at stress, depression or other medical conditions first.”
But if you’re over age 65 and notice memory problems it’s a good idea to get it checked out with a full neuropsychological evaluation.
“Everyone has challenges with memory and thinking at one time or another,” Dr. Hatfield said. “Neuropsychological assessment measures how your brain is functioning compared to others your same age. It’s also very good at differentiating cognitive problems caused by stress or depression from problems caused by a non-reversible dementia.”
If your test scores fall outside the normal range, she said, doctors have key information to help identify a cause.
To make an appointment with a neuropsychologist at the Spectrum Health Memory Disorders Clinic, call 616.267.7104.
By Amy Cochran, Grand Rapids Public Library, Main Branch
Fact merges with fiction in this mesmerizing tale of a Lost Boy of Sudan. Valentino Achak Deng tells us in the preface that this is the “soulful account of his life,” of his flight from his destroyed village in Southern Sudan to years living in various refugee camps and eventual struggle to build a new life in the United States. The first-person voice and many of the events are based on Valentino’s personal experiences as told to Dave Eggers over a period of several years. Rather than helping Valentino pen a memoir, Eggers novelized his story, changing timelines and people slightly and adding dialogue while keeping many major events and feelings untouched.
Eggers presents Valentino’s story as if told silently to people he has encountered both past and present. The long and horrifying trek as a young boy from his shattered village of Murial Bai to the Pinyudo and Kakuma refugee camps is interspersed with Valentino’s more recent difficulty in adapting to life in America. As Valentino grows up, he goes to school while narrowly escaping being recruited as a boy soldier into the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army. He also relates several thrilling romantic experiences that would have been impossible in the stricter social structure of his village, contrasting these with the more sobering reality of living for years in a location designed to be merely a temporary home.
Once Valentino arrives in the United States, he and the other Lost Boys find the transition more difficult than they ever imagined. Minimum wage jobs, high rent, and unfamiliarity with basic elements of modernized life such as thermostats and refrigerators combine to make Valentino’s dream of getting into college seem like an impossible goal.
I found myself constantly wondering which aspects of the story actually happened to Valentino alone, rather than being pulled from the stories of other Lost Boys. Such is the power of Valentino’s story and Egger’s writing talent that, in spite of the fictionalizing aspect, Valentino’s voice still rings perfectly true and authentic. This book is an intense and eye-opening journey into the Sudanese refugee experience through the eyes of a man who keeps his faith in future stability and happiness despite obstacles at every turn.
Ferris State University has received a $1.2 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to establish Project S3OAR, a 4-year program that seeks to recruit, retain and graduate low-income, academically talented students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines.
Starting in fall 2019, FerrisState Universitywill be able to provide up to $10,000 in scholarships for low-income STEM degree students.Thegrant aimsto help boost STEM degrees in order to accommodate local and national demand in science, technology, engineering and math industries. FSU officials are available for interviews on the topic.
Project S3OAR, short for Sustainable, Scalable Scholarships, Opportunities, Achievements and Results (pronounced SOAR-three), is a partnership with Northern Kentucky University (NKU) and builds upon the lessons NKU learned from previous successful STEM grants awarded by the NSF. The total amount awarded to both universities for this collaborative project is $2.3 million.
Starting in fall 2019, both universities will enroll 36 students each year for four years. With the help of the grant, 288 scholars will receive up to $10,000 in scholarship funding toward their degree.
S3OAR Scholars will participate in an orientation, a freshman seminar, a learning community, entrepreneurship education and a variety of co-curricular and enrichment opportunities, in addition to being assigned a mentor.
Dr. Hengli Jiao (photo supplied)
All S3OAR Scholars will also have access to an extensive array of support services available to all STEM students at their university.
Dr. Hengli Jiao, Ph.D., mathematics professor at Ferris, is the principal investigator. Dr. Kristi Haik, Ph.D., dean of Ferris’ College of Arts and Sciences, and Brent Williams, a Ferris State welding engineering technology associate professor, serve as a co-principal investigators. Dr. Haik formerly worked at NKU and was instrumental in developing the original program.
“Ferris State University is thrilled to be awarded this NSF grant alongside our counterparts at Northern Kentucky,” said Dr. Haik. “There is a national need for skilled, technically-trained employees, so we are eager to help this underserved population of students find success in these fields.”
Both Michigan and Kentucky are below the national average of persons ages 25 and over with at least a baccalaureate degree (27.4 percent for Michigan and 22.7 percent for Kentucky; 30.3 percent nationally). Conversely, the regions served by the universities rank in the top 20 for regions with the most professional opportunities for STEM graduates.
This news should be well received by West Michigan employers who are looking for STEM graduates. Both universities have already engaged with employers to provide job shadow experiences for the S3OAR Scholars.
“There are more than 100 employers who regularly work with Ferris and Northern Kentucky students in co-op, internship and shadowing situations,” said Dr. Jiao. “Many employers have already given verbal commitment to provide job shadowing opportunities, but we are always looking for more, so of all the students can benefit from the experience.”
Brent Williams (photo supplied)
Interested employers can contact the Ferris State University College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office for more information.
Project S3OAR Objectives
Increase the STEM enrollment of low-income, academically-talented undergraduates, particularly those from underrepresented groups in STEM, by 10 percent.
Achieve a 90 percent retention rate during the transition from first to second year.
Increase the retention and graduation rates of S3OAR Scholars compared to similar populations in both the STEM disciplines and the university.
Document the program’s sustainability and scalability.
Determine the effectiveness of job shadowing STEM professionals on the first- to second-year retention rate of S3OAR Scholars.
This holiday season, the Holland Area Arts Council is reprising their partnership with Grand Rapids Ballet in two special performances for children ages 4 to 10 and their adult guests on Sunday, Nov. 18th. The gallery will be filled with the enchanting giggles of children as they experience the magic of music, dance, and storytelling. Performances will be held at 1pm and 3:30pm.
The Nutcracker Ballet Tea is a story time brunch in a winter fairy-tale land of ballerinas, nutcrackers and toy soldiers. Members of Grand Rapids Ballet Junior Company will dance vignettes from The Nutcracker as Attila Mosolygo, Junior Company Artistic Director reads The Nutcracker story. The performance includes high tea, delicious snacks and a box of treats for each child to enjoy.
Children live in a world of imagination and play. The line between reality and pretend has not yet been drawn. They involve themselves in performance physically, mentally and emotionally, and so the Arts Council is excited to expose the very young to live performance featuring other young performers.
Photo supplied
Partnership with Grand Rapids Ballet, who provides the dancers in costume, make this event truly special.
Tickets for the Nutcracker Ballet Tea are on sale now. Admission is $35 per ticket. Children 10 and under get in for $15 each.
Tickets to Grand Rapids Ballet’s The Nutcracker Dec. 14-16 and 21-23 at DeVos Performance Hall may be purchased online at grballet.com or by calling 616.454.4771 x10.
Call the Holland Area Arts Council at (616) 396-3278, email helpdesk@hollandarts.org, visit hollandarts.org/nutcracker-ballet-tea.html or stop by 150 East 8th Street to learn more about this and other events and reserve your family’s spots! Advance reservations are required.
The bulls of thePBR (Professional Bull Riders)are headed back to Michigan and ready to buckSaturday, February 2, 2019 at 7:00 PM atVan Andel Arenafor theVelocity Tour Grand Rapids Classic.
As the 11th stop on the Velocity Tour, the Grand Rapids Classic will give fans a front row seat for exhilarating rides, and spectacular wrecks throughout the night as the rising talent in bull riding faces off against the rankest bucking bulls in the business.
In 2018, Michigan fans saw Colten Jesse (Konawa, Oklahoma) win amidst tough competition. Riders like Jesse, from all over the country and as far away as Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand, will be competing head-to-head to win the event buckle as the 2019 season begins.
Each rider will face one bull during Round 1 before the 10 riders with the highest scores advance to the championship round. The overall event winner will be the rider who has earned the most points over two rides.
Tickets for this action-packed event are on sale nowand start at just $17.50! Tickets are available at the Van Andel Arena and DeVos Place® box offices, online atTicketmaster.com, and charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Prices are subject to change. SeeTicketmaster.comfor all pricing and availability.
Winners of each Velocity event will be guaranteed at least one opportunity to compete at a PBR: Unleash the Beast regular-season event where they can attempt to win enough points to join the Top 35 bull riders in the world and earn a spot competing at the sport’s premier level.
The 2019 tour will culminate with the Velocity Tour Finals at South Point Arena in Las Vegas, leading into the PBR’s 2019 World Finals at T-Mobile Arena. The winner of the Velocity Finals, the second- and third-place finishers, the top international performer, and the 2019 Velocity Tour Champion, will each qualify to compete at the PBR World Finals and a chance to be the 2019 PBR World Finals Event Champion.
About the Velocity Tour
The PBR’s Velocity Tour began in 2014 as the premier expansion tour for the PBR. The Velocity Tour, the sport’s fastest-growing tour, brings the excitement and top-levels of cowboy and bovine talent that fans have come to expect from the sport’s leader to cities across the U.S. The tour, which is fully produced and operated by PBR, will visit 33 cities in the 2018 season.
About the PBR (Professional Bull Riders)
The world’s premier bull riding organization began as a dream of 20 bull riders 25 years ago and now operates in five countries. On its elite tour, the organization features the top 35 bull riders in the world and the top bulls in the business. The televised 25th PBR: Unleash The Beast, along with the PBR Real Time Pain Relief Velocity Tour (RVT), the PBR Touring Pro Division (TPD) and the PBR’s international circuits in Australia, Brazil, Canada and Mexico have paid nearly $184 million in earnings to its athletes.
Thirty bull riders have earned more than $1 million, including two-time PBR World Champion J.B. Mauney who is the top-earning athlete in Western sports history with more than $7.2 million in career earnings. PBR is part of the Endeavor (formerly WME | IMG) network. For more information on the PBR, go toPBR.com, or follow on Facebook atFacebook.com/PBR, Instagram atInstagram.com/PBR, and YouTube atYouTube.com/PBR
By Dr. Meghan Condit, Dentist at Heart of the City Health Center
1. Eat healthy snacks: Fruits, vegetables, yogurt and cheese are good choices. Stay away from sweet foods that can stick to teeth, like fruit snacks, raisins and candy.
2. Avoid sweet drinks: Pop, sports drinks (like Gatorade), Kool-Aid, juice and even milk have sugar that can cause cavities! Make sure your child has only 4-6 ounces of juice per day and only during meal times. It is especially important to avoid milk and juice before bed, and your child should never sleep with a bottle or cup!
3. Drink lots of tap water: It has fluoride added to it, which protects teeth from cavities, and washes away all the food your child eats during the day.
4. Brush your child’s teeth: At least 2 times per day as soon as you see a tooth! Children should always be supervised, and an adult should brush until children turn about 8 years old. Use fluoride toothpaste or one that says “cavity protection.” Children 0-2 should use a “grain of rice-size” amount of toothpaste, and children 3-6 should use a “pea-sized” amount of toothpaste.
5. Take your child to a dentist: The first dental visit should be before their first birthday. A dental home will provide information about what to expect as your child grows. A fun and caring dental experience early in your child’s life will help them to feel comfortable and enjoy going to the dentist.
The Muskegon Museum of Art will present the sculptures of Michigan artist Nat Rosales in a one-person show from Oct. 18, 2018 through Jan. 13, 2019.
FantasMenagerie: The Art of Nat Rosales features the fantastical vehicles and creatures Rosales creates from scrap metal, found and manipulated objects, and mechanical parts. Rosales assembles his sculptures using cast bronze and brass animal sculptures, door and drawer knobs, decorative lamp bodies, gears and drives, various housings, and a host of decorative metal, plastic, and ceramic bric-a-brac.
According to MMA Senior Curator Art Martin, “The resulting combinations are a blend of Alice in Wonderland and H.G. Wells, an amalgam of whimsy, fantasy, and mechanics.”
FantasMenagerie features over a dozen of Rosales’ recent works, a menagerie of vehicles, contraptions, and mechanical-animal hybrids. Formed from found objects and scrap, and inspired by Rosales’ life and culture, these fantastical creations invite the viewer along on a journey of magic and exploration.
By Nat Rosales (Photo supplied)
Rosales has been drawn to sculpture since childhood, an ideal expression for his fascination with taking things apart and exploring how the resulting pieces might be reconfigured and assembled. His current body of work began in 2004, with one of his earliest creations, Hog I, appearing in the Muskegon Museum of Art’s annual juried Regional Exhibition in 2005. His Mexican and Catholic heritage combine with a life-long interest in Cubist and Modern sculpture to form the foundation of his artistic expression.
Nat Rosales will make a second appearance at the MMA in a gallery “Crash Course” on Thursday, Nov. 8 from 6-7pm. He will point out features of his works in the show and discuss his techniques at this free public event.
FantasMenagerie is underwritten by the Van Kampen Boyer Molinari Foundation. The Michigan Artist Series Media Sponsor is Blue Lake Public Radio. Additional support is provided by the Michigan Council for Arts and Humanities, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Muskegon Museum of Art is located in downtown Muskegon at 296 W. Webster Ave. Visit www.muskegonartmuseum.org or call 231-720-2570 for more information.
One of the best parts of Halloween is dressing up in costume and one of themost important parts of a costume is the make up.
Recently, make up artist Sadie Rose, who is a student at Forest Eastern High School and dual enrolled at Ferris State University’s Kendall College of Art and Design, stopped by the WKTV Journal to show how easy it is to become a zombie.
Rose got her start in make up when, as a freshman, she signed up to do make up for the high school play.
“I really enjoyed doing the make up on people and that following Halloween I decided to be a zombie, getting into more of the special effects make up,” Rose said.
So click on the video above to find out what you can do with some liquid latex, tissue, a few different color foundations, and a Crayola water color pencil.
There was a whole bunch of kids and candy, and a fair amount of spooky things, as the City of Kentwood invited families and trick-or-treaters to the city’s annual Fall Festival and Trunk or Treat event Saturday, Oct. 20.
The free event was held at the Kentwood Department of Public Works facility, and WKTV was there to record the family friendly activities including hayrides, face painting, a bounce house and games. The festival also featured the community fall-favorite, Trunk or Treat, where various City and community vehicles decorate and fill their trunks with candy. Oh, and Honest Abe (Mayor Stephen Kepley) also made an appearance.
For more information on other City of Kentwood events visit kentwood.us .
The adage ‘beauty is in the eyes of the beholder’ is cliché, but any sports fan or photography admirer will tell you without hesitation that, often, art is in the eye of the camera lense.
There is more than 200 examples of photography approaching, achieving and often simply blowing away any doubt that photographs of sports and athletes are museum worthy in the Grand Rapids Art Museum “art” exhibit, “Who Shot Sports: A Photographic History, 1843 to the Present”, which opened Friday, Oct. 26.
From the uber-iconic 1965 photo of boxer Muhammad Ali standing over beaten foe Sonny Liston by Neil Leifer, to historic photos of the ordinary athlete and the ideal athletic aesthetic from late 1800s, the exhibit shows again and again the exacting art of the sports photographer.
“Who Shot Sports” guest curator discusses aspects of the GRAM exhibit. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“You do not get a second chance,” exhibit curator Gail Buckland said to WKTV at a media tour early on opening day. “You have to anticipate. They work as hard as the athletes sometimes. … They don’t want to just take the easy photo. They want something that will last through time. Hence why they are appropriate for the art museum. … they are that universal image.”
The exhibition, which will be on view at the GRAM through Jan. 13, 2019, is said to be the most comprehensive survey of the art of sports photography ever produced, with more than 200 images.
One of the most impressive aspects of the show is the wide-range of black-and-white photographs — which, void the distraction of color, some consider the purest form of photography — with examples spanning from the 19th to the 21st Century.
Organized by the Brooklyn Museum, “Who Shot Sports” highlights the “aesthetic, cultural and historical significance of the images and artists in the history of sports since the invention of photography in the 19th century. Visitors will see how the evolution of photographic technology enabled its practitioners to capture the human body in motion as it had never been seen before,” according to supplied information.
“Seeing athletic greatness, we both recognize our personal physical limitations and delight in bodies and minds taken to new heights,” Buckland said in supplied information. “To play and to watch is to be in the moment. Still photographers are masters of moments.”
Derek Jeter sliding into Third Base, 2003. By Barton Silverman. (Supplied)
That idea of putting the viewer into a moment of athletic achievement has dozens of examples but none more so than one of baseball great Derek Jeter, who raised in Kalamazoo before eventually becoming a New York Yankee icon, sliding head first into third base.
Buckland discussed the photo in detail, both as a perfectly captured moment and as an example of modern — and historic — athletes knowing they are the stars of a “show.”
“I see that sports photography is a very important part of sports photojournalism and inherent in photojournalism is a connection to real life,” Buckland said to WKTV. But “athletes, unlike someone walking down the street, expect to be seen. This is performance. In ancient times, it was spectacle. And it is still spectacle. (But often) … they don’t know what they look like until they see themselves in a photograph. And that is a theory of photography too. None of us know what we look like. How we look in a photograph is quite different than we think. But … I do not think it is so much what Derek Jeter looks like as much as what it feels like to slide into the base, to be part of the action.”
The exhibition is divided into nine thematic sections exploring different subjects within the field; The Beginning of Sports Photography; The Decisive Moment; Fans and Followers; Portraits; Behind the Scenes; Vantage Point; In and Out of the Ring; For the Love of the Sports; and the Olympics, featuring images from the first modern Olympics in 1896 to the London Olympics in 2012.
The exhibit also includes a variety of related events and programming, including curator talks, GRAM After Dark: Jock Jams, drop-in tours, art-making workshops and lectures. For a complete list of programming, visit artmuseumgr.org/whoshotsports .
After an epic and storied 45 year career that launched an era of rock n roll legends,KISS has announced that they will launch their final tour ever in 2019, appropriately namedEND OF THE ROAD. The initial announcement was made a month ago on NBC’sAmerica’s Got Talentwhich sent the internet into overdrive with fans hoping their city would get one final KISS show.
The band has announced the first set of dates and cities in North America, produced by Live Nation. The tour will stop at SMG-managedVan Andel Arenain Grand Rapids onSaturday, March 9, 2019 at 7:30pm. KISS will be offering VIP experiences and special KISS Army fan presales.
Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, Nov. 2 at 10am. Tickets will be available at the DeVos Place and Van Andel Arena box offices, online atTicketmaster.com, and charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. A purchase limit of eight (8) tickets will apply to every order. SeeTicketmaster.com for all pricing and availability.
KISS Meet & Greet Experiences will be available beginning Tuesday, Oct. 30 at 10am local time throughkissonline.com. KISS Army fan club presales will begin Wednesday, Oct. 31 at 10am local time also through kissonline.com. Citi is the official presale credit card for the End of the Road World Tour. As such, Citi card members will have access to purchase U.S. presale tickets beginning Wednesday, Oct. 31 at 12pm local time until Thursday, November 1 at 10:00 PM local time through Citi’s Private Pass program. For complete presale details visitcitiprivatepass.com.
The venue presale will run on Thursday, Nov., from 10am-10pm. The presale will be offered online atTicketmaster.comonly while supplies last. To receive the presale code, be sure to sign up to the Van Andel Arena e-mail list atVanAndelArena.comby Tuesday, Oct. 30.
Known for their trademark larger-than-life blistering performances, KISS has proven for decades why they are hands down the most iconic live show in rock n roll. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers who have sold more than 100 million albums worldwide have said this tour is devoted to the millions of KISS Army fans.
“All that we have built and all that we have conquered over the past four decades could never have happened without the millions of people worldwide who’ve filled clubs, arenas and stadiums over those years. This will be the ultimate celebration for those who’ve seen us and a last chance for those who haven’t. KISS Army, we’re saying goodbye on our final tour with our biggest show yet and we’ll go out the same way we came in… Unapologetic and Unstoppable,” said KISS.
The groundbreaking of the Daniel and Pamella DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health on Grand Valley State University’s Health Camps in downtown Grand Rapids.
More than 300 people attended a groundbreaking ceremony October 23 for the Daniel and Pamella DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health on Grand Valley State University’s expanding Health Campus in downtown Grand Rapids.
The new center, under construction at 333 Michigan St. on the Medical Mile, will be the third and flagship building on the Health Campus, joining the Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences and Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall.
President Thomas J. Haas thanked donors and elected officials for their “continuing transformative support” of Grand Valley and its students. Haas said the naming of the building for Dan and Pamella DeVos reflects the genuine care and concern they have for the community and its future.
Rendering for Daniel and Pamella DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health
“We will generate a great return on your investment by continuing to provide top talent for our region and our state,” Haas said. “I’m often told by employers across the state that our health sciences graduates are exceptional caregivers.”
The DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health will include 15 classrooms and 14 interactive laboratories, and help accommodate expanding programs in growing fields at both the undergraduate and graduate level.
Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, who earned an MBA from Grand Valley in 2000, said the university is a significant talent pipeline for the state.
“Talent is the new currency of economic development and Grand Valley is playing an important and pivotal role in developing that pipeline,” Calley said. “Education is everything — education is freedom and connection to all the things that are important in life, and right in the middle of it is Grand Valley State University.”
Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, who earned an MBA from Grand Valley in 2000
The new five-story, 160,000-square-foot center will allow Grand Valley to significantly expand and update its simulation center and space available for collaborative work.
Dan DeVos said the groundbreaking ceremony was also a celebration of his late parents, Rich and Helen DeVos, who had an early vision for the Medical Mile and matched the generosity of their son and daughter-in-law as leadership donors for the building.
“I’ve heard my dad and others say, ‘What would West Michigan be like without Grand Valley?’ It is hard to imagine,” DeVos said. “Grand Valley faculty, staff members and students will give the building life and students will use it to change lives.”
Maria Cimitile, GVSU provost, said the new health building will advance health education with the newest technology. “It will double our simulation space, giving us more room for interprofessional collaboration,” Cimitile said.
The Kirkhof College of Nursing will be housed in the center, bringing faculty and students together in collaborative spaces to accommodate interactive learning.
Nursing student Doug Chambers said Grand Valley’s professionalism and caring faculty drew him from the east side of the state. “I learned how important it is to choose a school in close proximity to clinical opportunities and I’ve taken advantage of my rotations in psychiatry, oncology and other areas right here in Grand Rapids,” Chambers said.
Grand Valley is the region’s leading provider of health care professionals with more than 20 health sciences programs.
The State of Michigan is providing $29 million for the $70 million project; the remaining funds will come from private donors and university bonds. Construction is expected to be completed in May 2021.
Grand Rapids Community College is the recipient of a $2.1 million, six-year grant from the U.S. Education Department to boost chances for all students to succeed in college and beyond.
The competitive federal program provides resources to promote college awareness; improve performance in math and writing; increase high school graduation rates; and improve students’ transitions from middle school to high school, and from high school to college – particularly for at-risk, low-income and first-generation students.
GRCC is the only Michigan college to receive the federal grant this year.
The funds will serve a cohort of seventh-graders, following them from middle school to high school and off to college or career training. GEAR UP funds also can provide college scholarships to low-income students.
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
The three million passenger mark is drawing in closer after the Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA) recorded another month of record growth with a September that served 255,888 passengers – marking 15.74-percent growth year-over-year.
September marks the ninth record-breaking month in a row for 2018, and the airport has seen growth in 62 of the last 69 months. September 2018 was the busiest September ever, and this quarter marks the busiest third quarter ever – beating out September 2017 for that title.
Through September 2018, GFIA has already surpassed its annual totals reached in all years through 2014 with 2,432,413 passengers served in 2018.
“Our excitement in record-breaking month after record-breaking month is genuine and we are so appreciative to the community for supporting and utilizing the Ford Airport throughout this amazing year,” said Gerald R. Ford International Airport President & CEO Jim Gill. “We are thankful to have a supportive West Michigan community that is not only flying in and out of the Ford Airport, but seem to be telling their friends near and far what an easy, efficient, and customer-focused airport we have.”
September 2017 saw 218,671 passengers, while September 2018 topped that in serving 255,888 – the first time GFIA has served more than a quarter-million passengers in the month of September.
GFIA has invested in new facilities to accommodate the growing traffic by recently completing Phase One of the Gateway Transformation Project – an upgrade in space, retail, food and beverage, restrooms, finishes, amenities, and customer service offerings. The project’s main feature is the consolidated passenger security checkpoint which centralized and combined security screening to one main checkpoint in the Airport. Construction also included new terrazzo flooring, lighting fixtures, pre and post security business centers, a military welcome center, kids play areas, and much more.
Phase Two of the Gateway Transformation Project is slated to begin in November 2018 with construction taking place at the airline ticket counters, baggage claim area, and ‘front of house’ area.
“As we continue to grow in traffic it is imperative that our facilities keep up with our passenger demand,” said Gill. “Our passengers keep coming back because we listen to their wants and needs, and as they do we will continue to do our part to improve our amenities, technology, customer service and infrastructure. We are excited to see what the future holds, and we hope to add more growth in the years to come.”
The fifth season of Fountain Street Church’s ‘Jazz in the Sanctuary’ concert series will begin on Sunday, Nov. 4, at 3pm. The series pairs the spontaneous wonder of jazz with the acoustic and architectural beauty of the century-old sanctuary in downtown Grand Rapids.
Robin Connell, series host and staple of the West Michigan jazz scene, will welcome trombonists Paul Brewer and Altin Sencalar for over an hour of exciting music and light conversation. Connell received West Michigan Jazz Society’s 2017 “Musician of the Year” award for her widespread collaboration with area jazz artists and her continuing work on the Jazz in the Sanctuary series.
Brewer, a prolific trombonist and singer, is the Director of Instrumental Music at Aquinas College and the Director of Aquinas Jazz Camp. He has performed with more than 50 nationally touring artists, including Mel Torme, Lena Horne, and The Temptations. His latest project, “J & K — Trombone Tribute”, is an homage to legendary jazz trombonists JJ Johnson and Kai Winding.
Altin Sencalar
Sencalar is an internationally recognized trombonist, music educator, and composer who has opened for the O’Jays and Chaka Khan. He has received prizes for competitions such as the American Trombone Workshop, the International Trombone Association, and Downbeat Magazine’s Student Music Awards. He currently serves as a graduate assistant at Michigan State University.
The second and third concerts of this season will take place on Feb. 10, 2019, featuring pianist Xavier Davis, and May 4, 2019, featuring saxophonist Alain Sullivan and bassist Elgin Vines.
Jazz in the Sanctuary is made possible by the Music Committee of Fountain Street Church, Aquinas College Music Department, Blue Lake Public Radio, West Michigan Jazz Society, WGVU Radio, WOOD-TV, and WYCE 88.1fm.
General admission to each Jazz in the Sanctuary concert is $15 online or at the door. College students may show ID for $10 off. Tickets and additional information are available at fountainstreet.org/jazz.
As committed advocates to sustainability in the kitchen, the team at Reserve Wine & Foodis thrilled to announce a special dinner with author Lindsay Jean-Hard, whose new book Cooking With Scraps will be released Oct. 30th, and is the #1 new release in the Budget Cooking section on Amazon.
“We make every effort we can in the kitchen to reduce waste, and through this dinner hope to share ideas and tips on how the home cook can do the same,” says executive chef Luke VerHulst.
The six-course paired dinner begins at 6:30pm on Thursday, Nov. 15th with a book signing and reception; seating is limited and the cost for the dinner is $75 per person (exclusive of tax and gratuity) and signed books will be available for a special price of $15.95 plus tax for purchase.
Call 616.855.9463 to reserve, or go here to purchase tickets.
The kitchen statistics are startling: roughly one-third of the food produced globally for human consumption gets lost or wasted, and Americans waste about a pound of food per person each day, with 40 percent of food in this country going uneaten. Lindsay-Jean Hard’s Cooking With Scraps provides 80 creative, delicious, and inspired recipes to help home cooks make use of their scraps.
By learning the basics behind transforming food waste into treasure, readers can take advantage of ingredients such as aging produce, cheese rinds, stale bread, and other oft-discarded foods to create budget-conscious, sustainable, and highly satisfying meals.
The menu, inspired by recipes in the book and prepared by chef Luke VerHulst follows:
Roasted Prime Rib, dill pickle brine potato salad*, wilted greens, roasted bone marrow demi
Fennel Panna Cotta, preserved lemon rind
Fennel tops and lemon rinds used
Cauliflower mac and cheese
*indicates item made from recipe in book
Lindsay-Jean Hard received her Master’s in Urban Planning from the University of Michigan. Her education and passion for sustainability went on to inform and inspire her work in the garden, home, and community. The seeds of this book were planted in her Food52 column of the same name. Today she works to share her passion for great food and great communities as a marketer at Zingerman’s Bakehouse. She lives, writes, loves, and creates in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
After returning this summer with their first extensive North American tour since 1981, Jeff Lynne’s ELO is set to bring their outstanding live show to even more audiences with a 20-date summer 2019 tour. The trek, produced by Live Nation, will travel to SMG-managed Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids on Tuesday, July 23, 2019 at 8pm.
Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Monday, Oct. 29 at 10am. Tickets will be available at the DeVos Place and Van Andel Arena box offices, online at Ticketmaster.com, and charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. A purchase limit of six (6) tickets will apply to every order. See Ticketmaster.com for all pricing and availability.
Anticipation was at an all-time high surrounding their 10+ date North American tour this summer, with fan and critical acclaim pouring in:
“Jeff Lynne’s ELO revives ‘70s symph-pop greatness… a brilliant catalog returns to U.S. stages and gives the strings-starved people what they want. The ELO catalog speaks for itself… and it was a glorious thing to behold… in a 19-song set that reprised the closest thing to truly Beatle-level pop the 1970s had to offer.” – Variety
“Jeff Lynne’s ELO proves timeless & spectacular… When Lynne came out with the group, the crowd went wild. The show was loaded with virtually every top hit the band recorded. Every musician on stage was fantastic while the arrangements and sound quality almost made the audience forget they were watching a live performance and not listening to their old LP records.” – Glide Magazine
“Jeff Lynne, ELO deliver night of magic memories… the band’s 20-song set proved to be well worth the long wait… Lynne led his band through some 90 minutes of glorious Electric Light Orchestra classics in front of a sold-out crowd. ELO’s music still sounds light years ahead of most of the bands heard on pop music radio today.” – San Jose Mercury News
“Jeff Lynne’s ELO prove that spacy pop rock is still a livin’ thing… one of the most flawless and visually stunning arena shows I’ve seen in a long time. Complete with monstrous lights, lasers and the mandatory ELO spaceship hovering behind the band on video screens, the show was as grand and engrossing as a blockbuster movie — a ’70s blockbuster movie, that is.” – LA Weekly
“Jeff Lynne and the Electric Light Orchestra put on a dazzling display chronicling a war chest of classic rock hits for a sold out crowd.” – Martinez Tribune
“Jeff Lynne’s ELO is practically a religious experience for rock ‘n’ roll disciples.” – Houston Press
“For all the gifted musicians that helped achieve Lynne’s perfectionist vision, ELO was always his creation, a neon-hued Frankenstein’s monster built from bits of early rock-and-roll, symphonic themes, Beatles harmonies, and disco beats. All of those pieces came together flawlessly… played to perfection.” – The Philadelphia Inquirer
Known as one of the most iconic forces in music history, Jeff Lynne’s ELO has spent the last two years with a critically acclaimed and chart-topping album, a sold out run of UK and European shows, as well as an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band has always been known for their epic live shows and with a distinct style that seamlessly and innovatively blends rock, pop and classical, ELO has had more than 20 Top 40 Hits across the U.S. and the U.K., making Lynne’s sweeping productions some of the most recognizable music of the last forty years and helping sell over 50 million records worldwide.
Widely agreed upon as one of the greatest record producers in music history, Lynne was a co-founder and member of The Travelling Wilburys together with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, and Tom Petty, as well as a producer and collaborator with some of the biggest names in music including The Beatles, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Joe Walsh, and most recently, Bryan Adams.
Tri-unity Christian High School’s undefeated and 2nd ranked 8-man football team survived some early and occasional defensive lapses to post a fairy easy, 50-20, win over Webberville at Grandville Middle School, Friday night, Oct. 26, in the Defenders’ opening-round state playoff game.
Tri-unity (10-0) will now move on to the state 8-man Division 1 regional finals, hosting No. 3 ranked Morrice, also now 10-0 after a 57-0 win over Genesee Friday, again at home and at Grandville Middle School, but this time during the day, with a 1 p.m. starting time on Saturday, Nov. 3.
After giving up an early big play touchdown to fall behind 6-0, the Defenders responded in the first quarter with a 15-yard touchdown run from senior quarterback Brayden Ophoff, a 20-yard scoring pass from Ophoff to senior Benson Heath, and a successful 2-point conversion pass from Ophoff to Colby Langeler to hold a 14-6 lead starting the second quarter.
Tri-unity then added two more touchdowns in the second — a 75-yard punt return by Nick Wedeven (a co-op player from Holland Calvary) and a 9-yard run from Benson Heath — combined with a successful 2-point extra point after the first score, to take a commanding 30-6 lead.
On every drive, it seemed, Defender quarterback Ophoff gained key yards, with his legs and his passing arm.
“I just try to do whatever I can to get the first down, get the yards we need to get,” Ophoff, who was 12-of-20 passing on the night, said to WKTV after the game. And he said he and the team was focused on answering every Webberville challenge. “I told them we just have to move on.”
Webbervile’s Spartans. who entered the game with a 4-5 record, tried to get back into the game with another big play in the second quarter, a 48-yard run, to close the game to 30-12. But Tri-unity answered the challenge quickly, on another TD pass from Ophoff to Heath, a 70-yard scoring run also by Heath with a following 2-point conversion, to take an all-but untouchable 44-12 lead into the half.
“We’ve got some explosive guys that can make big plays,” Defender head coach Tim Heath said to WKTV. “Brandon Ophoff had a couple big runs there. Benson Heath, Nick Wedeven … came up with some great ones. We have the firepower.”
The second half was all but anti-climatic as the Spartans ground out much of the 3rd quarter with a 75-yard drive, mostly on the ground, to close the score to 44-20. But the Defenders answered less than 3 minutes later, after a 50-yard run by Ophoff and a short TD pass from Ophoff to Bennett Sinner, to end the 3rd with a 50-20 lead.
Neither team scored in the 4th quarter.
Heath, after telling his team “to be proud of winning a high school playoff game” after the final horn sounded, reminded his players they need to play better to be beat a team like Morrice next week.
“The big plays (by Webberville) were uncharacteristic of us, there were some blown assignments that we don’t normally have,” Heath said. “Hats off to Webberville, they had some athletes that ran the ball hard. But big plays that we don’t normally give up — that I’m not very happy with … always looking to improve. … We have to play better” next week.
But, next week, playing at home will be an advantage.
“We are really happy that we get to play at home,” Ophoff said. “We’ve had to travel the last couple of years” early in the playoffs.
Halloween is a great time for kids. The Michigan State Police want to keep it that way. (Supplied)
By Michigan State Police
Halloween is filled with excitement and spooky tricks, but with Halloween being the deadliest night of the year for pedestrians, the Michigan State Police is reminding parents to make safety a priority.
On average, children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than on any other day of the year, according to Safe Kids Worldwide.
“Part of enjoying Halloween festivities is recognizing possible dangers and taking precautions,” said Community Service Trooper Martin Miller, Rockford Post. “There are potential risks involved with trick-or-treating, but with the proper safety measures everyone can have an enjoyable and safe Halloween.”
Trick-or-treat safety tips include:
Children of any age should be accompanied by an adult.
Cross the street only at corners or crosswalks. Do not cross the street between parked cars.
Carry a flashlight. Wear light-colored or reflective-type clothing so you are more visible.
Accept treats at the door and never go into a stranger’s house. Only visit homes that have the porch light on.
Stay in familiar neighborhoods. Plan your route and share it with your family. Stay in a group.
Stay in populated and well-lit areas.Do not cut through back alleys or fields.
Make sure all costumes are flame retardant.Avoid walking too close to open fires, candles and jack-o-lanterns.
Make sure an adult inspects all candy before eating it.Do not eat candy that is already opened.
