After almost two years of fundraising, planning and obtaining the proper permits, renovations on The Bridge are underway!
The Bridge of Arbor Circle is a safe shelter program for youth who are facing homelessness or considering running away. Serving an average of 250 youth a year and operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, The Bridge is a facility that is constantly in use and constantly in need of maintenance.
Construction begun in August 2017 will provide much-needed upgrades to the facility, improve the functionality of the existing space, and make The Bridge an even more welcoming space for the youth served each year.
Existing bathroom facilities are getting reconstructed to go from two, single-user bathrooms to 3.5 single-user bathrooms. This will double current capacity and streamline bathroom/shower scheduling, especially on busy school days.
The dining room is getting upgraded flooring, lighting, ceiling and furniture to support the family-style approach to meals at The Bridge.
In the program space, furniture is being updated and technology is being built in to support youth in their educational pursuits. A new staff office is being constructed to promote safety and privacy for individual meetings with youth.
In the middle of a crisis, the Bridge provides shelter, counseling, case management, group support, youth activities and connections to other needed services. The Bridge assists youth with meeting their basic needs, setting goals, building new life skills, and establishing connections with peers and mentors who can support them.
Ford Airport Officials & Ford Foundation Officials Celebrate the President Gerald R. Ford Tribute Room Ribbon-Cutting
Two organizations bearing President Gerald R. Ford’s name came together to celebrate a ribbon-cutting and dedication for a tribute room at the airport in the late president’s honor.
Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA) and Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation
officials joined President Gerald R. Ford’s son, Steve Ford, Joan Secchia representing the
Secchia Family Foundation, and Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation Airport Tribute
Room Chairman Fred Keller, for the official opening of the President Gerald R. Ford Tribute
Room.
“Dad would be extremely proud to know that the foundation and the airport that bear his
name came together to honor him with this tribute room,” said Steve Ford. “He loved growing up in Grand Rapids, and it is humbling to know that he will always have a place to
be remembered. This tribute room at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport is a terrific
place for generations that knew my father to spend time reflecting on the past, but also for
future generations to learn about what he meant to our country and to West Michigan.”
The airport worked with the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation to incorporate an
exhibit space dedicated to the 38th President, which is located pre-security as a part of the
newly renovated Gateway Transformation Project. The exhibit includes photos, an aircraft
carrier model, displays, and rotating historical pieces.
“Jerry would not have wanted this much attention on him, but I know he would be proud of this tribute room, and honored that so many came to celebrate his legacy,” said Secchia. “It was important for those of us that knew him well to give him full recognition in a space that bears his name. We appreciate this partnership with the airport authority, and we look
forward to opening this space for all visitors to enjoy.”
“When I approached Peter about having this room at the airport, it was a natural fit and he
and many others that knew President Ford personally jumped on board to make this
tribute room a reality,” said GFIA Board Chairman Roger Morgan. “Our Airport Board
appreciates those that helped raise the funds for this space, and we are anxious to show
this off to the millions of visitors that pass through our airport each year.”
The Tribute Room is open 24 hours a day to visitors and airport patrons.
One of the wonders of poetry is the potential for the intricacies of ordinary life to be described in extraordinary ways.
Patricia Clark, Writing Department chair, said this is exactly what audiences can expect to hear during this year’s Fall Arts Celebration poetry night at Grand Valley State University with acclaimed authors Jane Hirshfield and Dan Gerber.
“An Evening of Poetry and Conversation with Jane Hirshfield and Dan Gerber” will take place Thursday, Oct. 26, at 7:30 p.m., on the 2nd floor of the Eberhard Center, located on the Pew Grand Rapids Campus. The reading will be followed by a reception and book signing.
Jane Hirshfield (Photo by Curt Richter)
“Jane’s vision is informed by her extensive knowledge of international poetry, so her poems take on an incandescence with the ability to layer steady affirmation with, at times, an underlying humor, and compassion for the sorrows, losses and inconsistencies of life,” said Clark.
Hirshfield has penned many collections of poetry and prose, including The Beauty, Come Thief, The Lives of the Heart, The October Palace and Given Sugar, Given Salt. Her book, After, was shortlisted for England’s T.S. Eliot Prize and named a “best book of 2006” by the Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle and London Financial Times.
In 2012, Hirshfield was elected a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets, and in fall 2004, she was awarded the 70th Academy Fellowship for distinguished poetic achievement by the academy, which is an honor formerly held by Robert Frost, Ezra Pound, William Carlos Williams and Elizabeth Bishop.
Gerber, a native of Fremont, is the author of a dozen books of poetry, fiction and essays. His most recent books of poems include Particles: New & Selected Poemsand Sailing through Cassiopeia. His work has received ForeWord Magazine’s Gold Medal Award, a Mark Twain Award for distinguished contribution to Midwest literature, a Michigan Author Award and a Michigan Notable Book Award. He is also the co-founder of the literary magazine Sumac.
Clark said Gerber’s poems provide a clear vision of the natural world and the “inner life.”
“Dan studies what’s at hand: an old dog, a fox he glimpses on a walk, a starry night, or a cabin in the woods,” she said. “Often, he, like Jane, begins a poem with something near at hand and then uses that object to find a deeper significance, perhaps about the past, family or life.”
For more information about Fall Arts Celebration, visit gvsu.edu/fallarts.
Mel Trotter Ministries partnering with Celebration! Cinema, will host red carpet event to raise awareness, support for rescue mission
Based on the New York Times bestselling book, Paramount Pictures and Pure Flix Entertainment will release the blockbuster film Same Kind of Different as Me in theatres nationwide on October 20, 2017. In addition, Mel Trotter Ministries (MTM) is hosting a Grand Rapids exclusive, pre-release red carpet charity event at Celebration! Cinema on October 18, 2017, in order to raise awareness and support for the rescue mission.
Same Kind of Different as Me (PG-13) is the true story of international art dealer Ron Hall (Greg Kinnear), who befriends a dangerous homeless man (Djimon Hounsou) in hopes of saving his struggling marriage to Debbie (Renée Zellweger), a woman whose dreams will lead all three of them on the most remarkable journey of their lives. Jon Voight plays Hall’s father, with whom he reconciles thanks to the revelations of his new life.
With much of the story taking place at a rescue mission, MTM has joined rescue missions across the country by hosting the pre-release red carpet event. These events were created to help organizations break down the misconceptions of homelessness and increase support. The ultimate goal of these events, as inspired by the powerful messages found in the film, is to inspire people in Grand Rapids to build relationships with people who are not like them.
Event: Same Kind of Different as Me: Grand Rapids Movie Premiere
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).
Sparky is a lovely cat, ready and eager for his forever home
When you take a gander at this gorgeous gray-and-white guy’s photo, you would have no idea that upon arrival back in October of 2015, his cheek and jaw were a swollen, infected mess. A victim of a nasty cat bite—a common occurrence in intact males— this 4-year-old (born in the spring of 2013) was suffering from a huge pocket of pus teeming with bacteria that caused a terribly high fever (105.7 degrees).
If it weren’t for the kindhearted Wyoming woman who cared for him for over six months noticing that something was awry, Uncle Fester (as he was named then) would have become even more ill than he was, risking widespread infection and devastating tissue damage. As luck would have it, Dr. Jen was able to surgically drain and flush the abscess and treat with heavy-duty antibiotics and pain medication; within a few hours his body temperature had normalized and Fester was no longer festering but eagerly filling his face with yummy canned food.
Further exam showed a previous injury that caused avulsion of his right thumb and a mild flea infestation, but both of those paled in comparison to that erupting volcano of goo and gore!
After a few days of rinsing, rest and relaxation, our beautiful boy was ready to make his way down to Crash’s, where he settled in nicely, totally digging his new surroundings and being doted on hand and foot. It didn’t take him long to win over the volunteers and roomies alike, and within a few short weeks of his arrival, he was out and about, meeting everyone who came to visit our shelter and charming them with his quiet sophistication and sultry good looks. He proved to be a very busy boy that involves himself in any activity happening around him—he loves being in the middle of the action!
Given his bubbly, outgoing nature, he wasn’t with us for a lengthy time period, and soon resided in a family home where he had tons of fun with the kids and adults alike. However, in late June of of 2017, Sparky (as he was renamed) ended up back with us due to unfortunate circumstances beyond his control; although his humans were so very sad to have to return him to us, rest assured he readjusted to life in our free-roaming facility, getting reacquainted with old friends—and making many new ones!
Sparky is an all-around good guy—adventurous and energetic yet gentle and sweet , all rolled up into one stunning perfect companion style package; we have no doubts that we will be able to send him into a home of his own again soon—and hopefully this time forever!
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.
Godwin Heights Public Schools Superintendent Bill Fetterhoff, center, listens as Michelle Krynicki director of instruction, and Title III, speaks to the State Board of Education. (Photos courtesy of School News Network.)
Superintendents from five Kent County school districts got the chance on Tuesday to tout their school improvement initiatives, when State Superintendent Brian Whiston and the eight-member State Board of Education visited Kent ISD.
Presenting superintendents were Michael Shibler of Rockford Public Schools; Gerald Hopkins of Kenowa Hills Public Schools; Thomas Reeder of Wyoming Public Schools; William Fetterhoff of Godwin Heights Public Schools; and Kevin Polston of Godfrey-Lee Public Schools.
Each presentation included what those districts are doing around one or more of the goals of the State Department of Education’s “Top 10 in 10” initiative to make Michigan a premier education state in 10 years.
Luke Wilcox, this year’s Michigan Teacher of the Year, also took part as a representative of Kentwood Public Schools.
Kent ISD was the first stop in the state BOE’s new plan to visit two intermediate school districts each year. The board will visit Wayne RESA in February.
Here is a brief summary of the superintendents’ presentations.
Luke Wilcox, Michigan Teacher of the Year, of Kentwood Public Schools, with State Board member Lupe Ramos-Montigny of Grand Rapids.
Rockford Public Schools: Action Model for Success
Since 1989, Rockford has involved the community, businesses, staff and students to help shape the district’s direction and priorities, resulting in three-year strategic plans. The district is currently finalizing its Rams X report for the next three years.
Key to that level of community engagement is accountability, said Superintendent Michael Shibler.
“This is, quite frankly, the reason we are an outstanding school system,” Shibler told board members. “And it fits your plan, the fact that you need to have stakeholder input to accomplish your goals.”
He shared that if an employer tells him an employee who is a Rockford graduate doesn’t have a skill he or she should have gotten in high school, “I’ll bring that student back free of charge to get those skills.”
Wyoming Public Schools Superintndent Tom Reeder tells the board of his district’s efforts to improve reading proficiency.
Wyoming Public Schools: Reading Now Network, Early Literacy and Literacy Coaching
The three components are key to district efforts to improve reading proficiency for all students. Highlighted for the board was the importance and purpose of early literacy work and literacy coaches throughout the buildings.
The district increased its reading scores through its participation in the Reading Now Network, a collaborative effort involving 100 districts to boost reading proficiency to 80 percent in 13 counties. Wyoming’s partnership with RNN also led to a $10,000 grant from the Herman Miller company, to help get more books into classrooms and create a more consistent book-leveling system.
“We all need to own that our students need to be reading much better than they are,” Superintendent Tom Reeder said.
Godwin Heights Public Schools: Fostering Shared Responsibility in School Improvement
After establishing a clear purpose and message about sharing the work of improvement, administrators and instructional coaches lead teams in highly focused learning. That begins with thoroughly understanding a district instructional goal and visiting classrooms to see it in action. Debriefing sessions within groups lead to possible steps for new improvements toward the goal.
Participants walk away with better understanding, new ways to explore meeting the goal, and a renewed sense of shared responsibility for all students to be career and college ready, said Superintendent Bill Fetterhoff.
Fetterhoff said the strategy has three elements: learning labs, where teachers observe, interact with and learn from one another; and administrators are exempt; learning walks, where administrators and instructional specialists create a consistent “lens” to support teaching staff; and school improvement, where participation is a blend of the other groups.
“So we see it in three different ways, but all the ways are there to enhance student achievement — to make our principals, our teachers, our coaches better,” Fetterhoff said. “It’s all about the learning communities and how the different cycles overlap. The greatest part about it is the feedback, and that’s been that they have confidence that we are doing this for the right reasons.”
Godfrey-Lee Public Schools Superintendent Kevin Polston and Assistant Superintendent Carol Lautenbach speak to the State Board of Education, as Michigan Teacher of the Year Lucas Wilcox, right, looks on.
Godfrey-Lee Public Schools: A Broader Definition of Student Success
The district’s design thinking process led to a redesign of its model of student success that addresses the needs of the whole child instead of simply providing content. This includes responding to research that indicates students need the 6Cs — communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, confidence and content mastery – for success in the 21st century.
Educating the whole child also means fulfilling needs to ensure students are healthy and ready to learn, through programs like Kent School Services Network.
“First, we determine our values, and then we develop goals around those values,” Superintendent Kevin Polston told board members. “When we think about our traditional way of doing school, we’ve maxed out just about all the ways of tweaking how we’ve done that. We need to look at education through a different lens if we are going to significantly transform what we’re doing.”
Kenowa Hills Public Schools: Competency-based Learning
This paradigm-shifting approach to learning is part of a growing national trend in helping all students reach college and career readiness. In this approach, students move ahead individually as soon as they learn the material, and not together as an entire class. This allows some to move more quickly, while others get the support they need, enabling all to master the content.
The district began this shift in 2012 with K-8 mathematics, and has now implemented it districtwide. Administrators say they consistently see students who are more engaged, learning at deeper levels, and taking more ownership of their learning.
“It’s the reality of what all schools face: students who are not engaged, are not meeting the rigors and demands of school and they don’t know why,” Superintendent Gerald Hopkins said. “We don’t have all the answers, but we want to continue to learn and to keep looking for them.”
State Board members seemed to appreciate being able to meet superintendents on their own turf.
“This is the first time we’ve taken our meeting on the road,” said Eileen Lappin Weiser. “You folks are setting a horribly high standard.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
A sure sign of fall, in addition to those changing colors and chilly mornings, is the beginning of the musical seasons at the St. Cecilia Music Center — a season each of chamber music masters, acoustic singer/songwriter folkies, and jazz lions young and older.
Judy Collins (Supplied)
First up on the 2017-18 calendar is the center’s Acoustic Café Series and a visit from acoustic guitar legend Leo Kottke on Thursday, Oct. 26 — with a Café visit by the incomparable Judy Collins already set for early next year and more of the series to be announced.
The opening acts of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center series, and the Jazz Series for the 2017-18 season begins in November.
David Finckel, left, will be one of the featured performers at the St. Cecilia Music Center concert. (Supplied)
First up next month is a chamber music program on Nov. 2, Essential String Trios, with CMS co-artistic director and cellist David Finckel performing with violinist Arnaud Sussman and violist Paul Neubauer. The program will include the works of Beethoven and Mozart, but also a less well known modern work by Krzysztof Penderecki — Trio for Violin, Viola and Cello (composed in 1990-91).
The Jazz Series — titled the “Encore Series” as all performers will be making their return visit to St. Cecilia — begins Nov. 16 with Grammy-winning bassist Christian McBride and his trio, and continues Nov. 30 with pianist Brad Mehldau and his trio.
McBride’s visit may well be “the concert” of the St. Cecilia season, for any of the series; okay, maybe just behind Collins. But back to the opener, and Kottke.
“To see Leo Kottke perform is one of the most memorable music experiences of my life,” Cathy Holbrook, St. Cecilia executive director said in supplied material. “He is truly one of the best folk performers we have seen at St. Cecilia Music Center. His sold-out performance with us in April 2016 was so good that we wanted to bring him back for an encore.
“In addition to Leo Kottke, we are excited to bring the renowned and beloved singer Judy Collins to the intimate Royce Auditorium stage,” Holbrook added.
Kottke has gained Grammy nominations, a Doctorate in Music Performance by the Peck School of Music at the University of Wisconsin, and — in typical Kottke humor, a Certificate of Significant Achievement in Not Playing the Trombone from the University of Texas at Brownsville with Texas Southmost College (according to supplied material!).
More than 25 years after the release of his debut recording, in 1968, Kottke collaborated with jam band Phish bassist Mike Gordon for an album titled “Sixty Six Steps”, and he continues to reinvent himself while always being true to his guitar.
The Acoustic Café Series is a now-5-years-old partnership between St. Cecilia and the syndicated Ann Arbor based radio show Acoustic Café and its host Rob Reinhart.
The Acoustic Café radio show is syndicated to more 100 commercial and non-commercial stations throughout the country and airs locally in Grand Rapids on WYCE on Friday mornings. The Acoustic Café series at SCMC presents the opportunity for a live taping with the artists and Reinhart while they are visiting St. Cecilia.
St. Cecilia Music Center is located at 24 Ransom Ave. NE, Grand Rapids. For tickets and more information on all the series’ concerts, call 616-459-2224 or visit scmc-online.org.
Breathtakingly beautiful photos of Alaska, and of a lone black wolf that made his home below the Mendenhall Glacier for almost a decade–John Hyde tracked and recorded the activities of Romeo, a very unusual wolf. Orphaned, but able to live in the wild (the author’s scat analysis showed a diet of mostly deer, lemming and beaver), he was very fond of dogs–as in “playing with dogs”.
An Alaskan Wolf is a very large, powerful creature, with jaws twice the strength of a German Shepherd, yet Romeo became accepted by the townspeople as a winter visitor each year, enamored of their dogs. His canine dominant status is clearly apparent in shots of his romping with the town’s pets, and yet he’s acting as silly as a puppy, getting them to chase him. He towers over the Labs and Boxers he’s shown scamperingwith, and you almost feel like yelling to the unseendog owners “no, no–this won’t end well!”,but of course Hyde wouldn’t have produced “Romeo” if there wasn’t an exceptional story to tell.
Kim Elton, Dir. Of Alaska Affairs, U.S.D.I., says of the book, “If wolves can’t inspire awe, what wild creature can?”, and Farley Mowat adds, “I envy John Hyde as I have never envied another human being.”
Over 80 amazing photos will tempt you to book that cruise to Alaska.
Nice commentary too, with echoes of Aldo Leopold, and other naturalists, who continue to share their vision of the necessity of wilderness for all of us.
The cast of “A Kurt Weill Cabaret” with Michael DeVries.
The legacy of composer Kurt Weill can still be heard today by audiences in concert halls and theaters, and Grand Valley State University students will honor that legacy when GVSU Opera Theatre performs a selection of Weill’s greatest hits.
“A Kurt Weill Cabaret” will focus on the music of Weill (1900-1950), and the many lyricists who collaborated with him during his life and career.
Performances will take place Oct. 20 and 21 at 7:30 p.m., and Oct. 22 at 2 p.m. at the Betty Van Andel Opera Center, 1320 Fulton St. SE, Grand Rapids. To purchase tickets, call 616-451-2741. Tickets are $14 for adults, $12 for seniors and Grand Valley faculty, staff and alumni, and $6 for students.
“Because his music is being performed in both a popular and classical context, no composer in the 20th century had a more wide-ranging influence than Kurt Weill,” said Dale Schriemer, Opera Theatre stage director. “Indie artists, rock musicians, metropolitan opera stars and jazz greats have all adopted his music because of its broad appeal.”
Drawing on classical and popular styles, Schriemer said Weill’s works have been performed by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Michael Bublé, Judy Garland, David Bowie, and The Doors. His most famous works include three operas (“Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny,” “The Threepenny Opera,” “Street Scene”), three musicals (“One Touch of Venus,” “Knickerbocker Holiday,” “Marie Galante”), and a plethora of individual songs and concert pieces.
Fleeing Nazi Germany in 1933, Weill, a Jewish composer, traveled to France and subsequently the U.S. while writing in a variety of musical styles that reflected whatever culture he found himself in.
During performances of “A Kurt Weill Cabaret,” each of the 14 students in the ensemble will be featured in both solos and small group numbers. Schriemer said the 70-minute performance will be a blend of funny, satirical and poignant songs, as well as songs of beauty and power.
“This show will differ from traditional music theater productions and opera because while it may take an entire evening to tell a single story, cabaret performers tell many different stories with each song because each song is in its own universe,” said Schriemer.
The students received expert guidance during rehearsals in September from guest artist Michael DeVries, who has appeared in major productions on Broadway, such as “Wicked,” “Hello, Dolly,” “Secret Garden,” “Grand Hotel” and “Cats.” He has also appeared as a series regular on TV shows such as “Law and Order,” “Sex and the City” and “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.”
“Quite often, young performers are distracted by achieving technical expertise in the midst of storytelling,” explained Schriemer. “Michael brought them back to the basic questions performers must ask themselves: ‘Who am I speaking to?’ ‘What do I want?’ and ‘Why is this story important?’ The intensity of this experience is a brilliant way for our students to become more skilled artists because it develops confidence and pride of accomplishment.”
For more information about “A Kurt Weill Cabaret,” contact Schriemer at schriemd@gvsu.edu.
One of the most famous eagle cams is owned and operated by Florida-based Dick Pritchett Real Estate.
The eagles are back!! Every year, eagles across the country return to their nests to prepare and raise their eaglets. As many of us wonder how any eagles survived the strong hurricanes, eagles, especially those in hardest-hit hurricane areas where their nest trees fell, have already started the rebuilding process — without a Lowe’s or Home Depot to run to for supplies. They must find everything they need in nature and have genius ways of using the smallest items to build or rebuild their nests. Even the skeleton of their dinner becomes part of their nest wall or floor. As the eagles build, fight to survive everyday and protect their young, their journey is filled with drama, life, death, and the most tender, uplifting of moments. So, eagle-watching is a huge past-time for millions of humans.
Two favorite eagles of many are Harriet and M-15, who reside in Fort Myers, Florida. As of this weekend, their site has had 112,628,281 views, with the count rapidly rising as they begin the new hatching season. A few years ago, an eagle nest was found on the Dick Pritchett Real Estate property in Fort Myers, Florida. During the off-season, the Pritchett family generously hung cameras with night vision so the public could share the drama and beauty they see daily, without disturbing the eagles. You can get their amazing, inspiring details and history at http://www.dickpritchettrealestate.com. On December 31, 2016, their eaglet “pipped” — started its hatching process. While one egg did not survive, viewers watched in awe as eaglet “E9” broke through the shell, was fed by mom and dad, endured challenge after challenge, until it fell out of the tree, found its way back, continued demonstrating one unique skill after another until it “fledged” (left the nest) not to be recognized again.
Eagles across the country are returning home to nest.
This year has already started with more drama than imaginable. Hurricane Irma destroyed many of the established eagle nests and preferred trees. That means there is already a life-or-death struggle for a new place to build and raise their families. It also means that eagles like Harriet and M-15 need to quickly rebuild their seriously damaged nests before their babies arrive while also aggressively protecting the nest they have used for years. Within the past 24 hours, Harriet and M-15 have had several “visiting eagles” check out their site — which they will protect at all costs to themselves. Even an owl “bumped” Harriet during the night. The battles between owls and eagles are epic and memorable! But for this calm morning, the eagles have put that behind, have eaten their breakfast of fresh fish and by 7 a.m. were seen carrying stick after stick to rebuild their nest that was damaged by the hurricane. They are totally focused on each other and getting ready for raising their next brood.
There are many eagles and many eagle live cams. The one in Washington D.C. gained heavy publicity last year when a brave man climbed into the nest of a deadly eagle to rescue an eaglet that had become stuck in the branches. Amazingly, the protective mother allowed him to do that. The cams in Decorah, Iowa showed extreme drama after drama. The eagles in Alaska are amazing to watch as they arrive in mind-blowing flocks around salmon-processing facilities. One in Michigan showed eagles covered in snow as they protected their eggs. And, it always amazes that a pesky owl attacks at night or knocks sleeping birds off their perches. The Pritchett site remains a fan favorite for many reasons. It has live cameras with night vision capturing many views, friendly chat rooms dedicated only to eagles, classroom internet classes, provides detailed histories, explains language used (like what a pip is, when fledging happens….) and some of the most friendly moderators who explain everything happening and why.
Whichever site you chose, watching the eagles also teaches us a lot about life, death, teamwork and ourselves. Be forewarned, eagle watching becomes addictive!
Wyoming-Kentwood Community Media’s VOICES: a community history projectpowered by WKTV is taking reservations for its appearance at Wyoming Public Library (3350 Michael Ave SW, Wyoming, MI) Monday-Thursday, Oct. 23-Oct. 26, from 10am-8pm*.
VOICEScollects, preserves, and shares the stories of West Michigan people from all backgrounds and beliefs, with a focus on Wyoming, Kentwood and the greater Grand Rapids area. It’s a free public service, offering a comfortable video recording studio with a relaxed atmosphere.
High-tech video and audio equipment records the stories of our neighbors, friends and family — any story from anyone — that make up the fabric of our lives and our community. Participants tell their stories of hardships and successes, of what shaped them and their families into the kind of people they are today. Our lives, experiences, joys, sorrows, triumphs and tragedies are what make us all human.
Interviews usually take place between two people who know and care about each other. They can be friends, family or mere acquaintances. At the end of each 40-minute recording session, participants receive a complimentary DVD of their interview. Each recording is also archived with the Library of Congress.
VOICES sign at the Wyoming Public Library
Interviews can be “life reviews,” conducted with people at the end of their careers. Or they can focus on a specific period or a specific event in people’s lives, as with war veterans or survivors of an earthquake, flood or hurricane.
The project launched at ArtPrize Nine, welcoming scores of visitors to tour our renovated 1958 Airstream® mobile studio and learn more about the oral history project.
Paul Haan, of the Health Homes Coalition of West Michigan, on the set of WKTV Journal: In Focus/ (WKTV)
WKTV Staff
news@wktv.org
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal: In Focus, WKTV’s public affairs show, program host Ken Norris talks with Paul Haan of Healthy Homes Coalition of West Michigan, a group which works to identify and address environmental health hazards in homes with young children, including lead poisoning.
“We were founded 11 years ago this summer and really grew out of a community response to the number of kids who were exposed to lead poisoning here in Kent County,” Haan said. “Our mission at that point was to end lead poisoning in Kent County — we are well on our way, we have more work to do, but that is what we were after. … the Health Homes Coalition grew out of that effort.”
Also on the new program is a discussion with Ethan Anderson, a local financial advisor with a common sense approach to retirement planning. The discussion focuses on retirement planning for the today’s young working families, and it just begins with why company pensions are almost a thing of the past.
The episode will air twice this week on WKTV channels but all interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal: In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVVideos.
“WKTV Journal: In Focus” will air on Tuesdays and Thursdays, at 6:30 p.m., on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel.
Missdalia Rios-Segundo talks to members of Lee Youth Trained to Serve about an upcoming volunteer trip to Feeding America of West Michigan. (Photos courtesy of School News Network)
It’s an extraordinary claim: During her 10 years working with middle school students, Missdalia Rios-Segundo says, not one has ever treated her with disrespect.
But when you meet her, it makes sense.
“They are good kids,” Rios-Segundo said, as if it’s that simple. And, really, it is. Rios, who has worked as a English-language learner paraprofessional at Lee Middle/High School for a decade, is simply kind.
“I’ve never had a situation where I’ve seen a student closed off to her,” said seventh-grade science teacher Janene Parney. “Children kind of sense the character of individuals. She is always so kind and patient and they recognize it and respect her for it.
“I’ve never heard a bad word about her from the students or the teachers, not even a muttering behind her back.”
Instead, students gravitate to Rios-Segundo, Parney said. “It’s nothing but a rally around an individual, completely because of her character.
“She a glue in this school.”
Rios-Segundo works with newcomers to the U.S. in sixth through eighth grades who come from Spanish-speaking countries and other areas of the world. In general-education classes, she helps them comprehend and keep up.
She recently helped sixth-grader Giovanni Chitic with a book in the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series. “She helps me become a better reader,” Giovanni said.
ELL paraprofessional Missdalia Rios-Segundo works with Giovanni Chitic
Rios-Segundo takes notes and completes assignments right along with her students, ensuring that when they ask a question she can help. “I definitely love my job and what I do every day with the kids. I love the interaction,” she said. “If I can make them smile a little, that is good.”
Teacher Emily Colletti said Rios-Segundo uses her special touch to make students feel at ease.
“She provides them with different strategies to be successful. They are very comfortable with her,” Colletti said. “She’s one of the kindest, most compassionate people I’ve ever worked with and she’s always looking for ways to help.”
Shining Bright in the Community
Outside class, Rios-Segundo leads middle schoolers in Lee Youth Trained to Serve, which includes 15 sixth- through eighth-graders who meet regularly for service projects. LYTS recently collected about $135 for DeVos Children’s Hospital by hosting Gridiron Giving at a recent football game, collecting donations in jars and selling doughnuts.
The group is now planning to volunteer at Feeding America West Michigan before beginning their next project, Operation Christmas Child, for which they pack shoeboxes with toys, hygiene items and school supplies for children in other countries. Last year, they collected 150 shoeboxes for the annual project.
Rios-Segundo said she wants middle schoolers to see how they can brighten people’s day.
“I like to help out the community,” she said. “I find so many good people out there and they are helping. I have been in situations when I have gotten help myself. I want the kids to see they can help someone else. We live in a community that’s not the wealthiest, but even if they don’t have a lot we can still give back to somebody.”
Seventh-grader Nuria Pablo said she appreciates the opportunity. “I wanted to join because we are helping kids in need,” she said.
Added seventh-grader Zusette Quinonez, “What I’m looking forward to do is help others and (Rios-Segundo) inspires me because she likes to help others.”
Missdalia Rios-Segundo is known as a pillar at Lee Middle/High School
Once a Newcomer Herself
Rios-Segundo immigrated to the United States at age 9 with her parents and three siblings 30 years ago. They came from Durango, Mexico, for work and education. She lived in California for one year and Illinois for 12 before moving to Michigan 17 years ago, settling in the Godfrey-Lee community with her husband.
Mom to Abel, a Lee High School junior, and Anahi, a Godfrey Elementary School third-grader, she knows what it’s like for students to begin school in a new country. “It was very difficult,” she said.
Now she brings her experiences to students and families, many who use her as a liaison. “I think that is why I love my job — I know where they are coming from.”
The Godfrey-Lee community is family-oriented and that makes it special, she said. “I think it’s the closeness you can get to the families and community. It’s small enough to know everyone. If your children are out with someone you know they are in good company.”
Lee Middle/High School Assistant Principal Rendal Todd said Rios-Segundo is a “pillar in the building.”
“Missdalia always has a positive outlook and comes in every day willing to help the students where they need to have support,” Todd said. “She is very integrated into the community and always willing to help.
“She’s a great natured person to talk to and be around and cares a lot about our children,” he added. “She goes above and beyond without ever being asked.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
The high school football season has gone past way too quickly, and we are already to the final week of the regular season week, but once again WKTV’s featured coverage will have a great matchup as South Christian travels to East Grand Rapids.
South Christian and Grand Rapids Christian each are just a game behind EGR, which is trying to complete a perfect season. With a win though South will get a share of what could be “tri-champions in the OK Gold.”
Elsewhere in the area, Kelloggsville, with their big win over Belding last week, assured themselves of at least a share of the OK Silver championship. The team can clinch the sole championship with a final week victory against Hopkins, which will come into the game with a 4-4 overall record.
With the Godwin Heights victory last week over NorthPointe Christian, the team guaranteed themselves of being a part of the MHSAA playoffs by getting to the 6-win mark.
East Kentwood needs to get a final week victory at home against Caledonia to make it into the playoffs after their defeat last week at Rockford. The Falcons record is 5-3 but they have yet to defeat a team with a winning record so they might not make it as an “at-large” team with only the five wins.
The playoff matchups for all eight divisions will be announced Sunday evening, after the final Friday of games.
Planned WKTV featured coverage this month includes:
Friday, Oct. 20, football — South Christian at East Grand Rapids
Friday, Oct. 27, football – Playoffs TBD (after games of Oct. 20)
Currently, WKTV sports events will be broadcast the night of the game on Comcast Channel 25, usually at 11 p.m., and repeated on Saturday at 11 a.m. on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 in Wyoming & Kentwood.
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week, any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and features on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/
Local high school sports events this week are as follows:
Monday, Oct. 16
Boys/girls Cross Country
South Christian @ East Grand Rapids
Boys Soccer
Everett @ Wyoming – MHSAA Districts
Wyoming Lee vs TBD – MHSAA Districts
Godwin Heights vs TBD @ Christian – MHSAA Districts
TBD @ East Kentwood – MHSAA Districts
Tuesday, Oct. 17
Girls Volleyball
South Christian @ East Grand Rapids
Wayland @ Wyoming – Dig Pink
Wellsprings Prep @ Zion Christian
East Kentwood @ Grandville
Holland Calvary @ Tri-Unity Christian
Boys/girls Cross Country
Wyoming @ East Grand Rapids
Wyoming Lee @ Calvin Christian
Godwin @ Calvin Christian
Kelloggsville @ Calvin Christian
Boys Soccer
Zion Christian @ Calvin Christian – MHSAA Districts
Wednesday, Oct. 18
Boys Soccer
Godwin Heights vs TBD @ Christian – MHSAA Districts
East Kentwood vs TBD @ FH Central – MHSAA Districts
Thursday, Oct. 19
Girls Swimming
South Christian @ Wayland
East Kentwood @ Rockford
Girls Volleyball
Middleville T-K @ South Christian
Wyoming Lee @ NorthPointe Christian
Union @ Kelloggsville
Zion Christian @ West Michigan Aviation
Calvin Christian @ Godwin Heights
East Kentwood @ West Ottawa
Holland Black River @ Tri-Unity Christian
Boys/girls Cross Country
East Kentwood @ Rockford
Friday, Oct. 20
Boys Football
South Christian @ East Grand Rapids – WKTV Featured Game
Forest Hills Eastern @ Wyoming – Community Night
Godwin Heights @ Wyoming Lee
Hopkins @ Kelloggsville
Caledonia @ East Kentwood
Belding @ Potter’s House/Calvin Christian
Boys Water Polo
East Kentwood vs TBD @ West Ottawa – MHSAA Districts
Saturday, Oct. 21
Boys/girls Cross Country
South Christian @ Kalamazoo Christian
Kelloggsville @ Gobles
Girls Volleyball
Wyoming @ Hesperia
Wyoming Lee @ Belding
Godwin Heights @ Belding
Kelloggsville @ Belding
Zion Christian – Alliance League Tournament @ Davenport
Tri-Unity Christian – Alliance League Tournament @ Davenport
Boys Soccer
Godwin vs TBD @ Christian – MHSAA Districts
East Kentwood vs TBD @ FH Central – MHSAA Districts
Boys Water Polo
East Kentwood vs TBD @ West Ottawa – MHSAA Districts
Kentwood Public School’s fifth graduating class came together recently to celebrate their 50th anniversary. The year: 1967, when Aretha Franklin was singing for respect, the first Boeing 737 rolled out, and Paris township became the City of Kentwood.
Steve Barnes with classmate Russ Bullis Russ’s wife Betsy.
“They incorporated all the schools that were connected and became part of Kentwood Public Schools which eventually lead into the City of Kentwood,” said Clare Harrington.
The old classmates were eager to recount stories from their time at Kentwood schools. These memories backtrack to a time before Kentwood was even a city.
“The high school was actually in the Townline building at the same time we were in the middle school before the actual high school was built on 44th Street,” Russ Bullis said.
The Class of 1967 had its 50th Class Reunion at the 84th Street Pub &Grille.
Later, the students would move from the Townline Elementary School to the new high school, today’s Crestwood Middle School located on 44th Street near Walma Avenue. Crestwood, which opened in 1960, housed students in grades 7th – 12th grade. The first Kentwood Public Schools graduating class was in 1963. East Kentwood High School, located on Kalamazoo Avenue, was built in 1969 and even through the Class of 1967 had graduated by the time the high school was built, many of the students could recall special events that took place at East Kentwood High School.
“I remember when the football field went in and the track, and they named it after Patterson,” said Steve Barnes, whose mother is credited in naming the City of Kentwood and whose father, Clifford, was on the Kentwood Public Schools Board of Education. Clifford Barnes served as the first board president. “And that was something big because we didn’t even have that.”
“We were a country school, bottom line,” Harrington said. “It was because of the country setting that we had there for Kentwood High School, they used to call us ‘silo high.'”
But nobody would call Kentwood Schools “silo high” now. The population of this city is 50,000 and growing. And much of that growth can be credited to former Kentwood students who chose to stay and build their lives in their home city.
“I’m just glad that I was a part of it because it’s kinda unique to see it happen,” Harrington said. “Now look at Kentwood today, it’s one of the industrial giants that we have around the whole Grand Rapids area.”
Russ Bullis looks over some of the Class of 1967 memorabilia.
Many have probably seen the animated ad with the house running away from its owner. The ad is for the state run program Step Forward Michigan, a federally funded program designed to help homeowners facing foreclosure. A program, Kent County Treasurer Kenneth Parrish strongly supports.
“I’m a big supporter of the Step Forward Michigan program,” Parrish said during a recent news conference that brought together county treasurers for Kent, Ottawa and Kalamazoo counties along with representatives from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. THE MSHDA oversees the Step Forward Michigan program in collaboration with the Michigan Homeowner Assistance nonprofit Housing Corporation.
“Since 2010, the program has helped nearly 1,700 Kent County residents with over $15 million in loans making us the fourth largest user of the program,” Parrish said, adding that of that about $13.9 million was used to cover mortgage payments, $1.2 million for unpaid property taxes and another $15,000 for condominium payments.
From the Step Forward Michigan video.
Federal funded with $500 million, almost 35,000 Michigan homeowners have qualified for around $308 million in loans since the program started seven years ago. There is about $40 million left to help eligible households but the clock is ticking as the deadline to apply is 2020.
“The Step Forward Program offers great opportunities for families to stabilize their situation and to save their homes,” Parrish said. “We take no pleasure on foreclosing on homes here in Kent County. If you have fallen behind in your property tax, mortgage or condominium payments, I urge you to check out the Step Forward Michigan Program and see if you can get a load that will ultimately help you keep your home.”
Those who have been hit with a hardship – medical event, job loss or underemployment, death, divorce, one-time critical out-of-pocket expense – can get up to a $30,000 interest-free loan to get caught up on property tax, mortgage or condo payments. If the homeowner stays in the home for five years, the loan is forgiven and they do not have to pay back the loan, according to MSHDA Executive Director Earl Poleski.
Kent County Treasurer Kenneth Parrish talks about the Step Forward Michigan program at a recent news conference.
To qualify for assistance, a homeowner must be a Michigan resident, have an ownership interest in the property and be able to sign a new mortgage lien on property, occupy property as his or her primary resident, have enough income to cover the mortgage, condo association fees, and/or property tax payments going forward, and have cash reserves no greater than $10,000.
Any homeowner convicted in the past 10 years on a financial-related felony, including larceny, theft, fraud, forgery, money laundering and/or tax evasion, is not eligible for the program.
A homeowner can receive a loan only once from the program. The average loan amount has been $7,383. Loan payments go directly to the county treasurers office, mortgage lender or condominium association, not to the homeowner
According to state officials, the process to find out if a home owner is eligible is easier than filling out a full mortgage application. Those interested can go to StepForwardMichigan.org and fill out the questions to see if they are eligible or call 866-946-7432.
Kent County residents can also reach out to the Inner City Christian Federation or ICCF at 616-336-9333 or the Home Repair Services of Kent County at 616-241-2601.
Special Operations Soldiers and Airmen join best selling author Doug Stanton at the America’s Response Monument, following the rededication ceremony at Liberty Park in New York City in September 2016. Stanton, author of The Horse Soldiers, attended the rededication ceremony along with more than 500 attendees. The statue sits in over watch of the 9/11 Memorial. Pictured from left to right are Chief Warrant Officer 2 Brad Fowers, Master Sgt. Keith Gamble, Maj. Mark Nutsch, Air Force Lt. Col. Allison Black and Stanton. (U.S. Army photo by Cheryle Rivas, USASOC Public Affairs.) (Photo Credit: Ms. Cheryle Rivas (USASOC))
The author of “Horse Stories” Doug Stanton will be attending Schuler Books & Music’s 35th anniversary celebration Monday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m.
The Traverse City resident recently released his third book “The Odyssey of Echo Company: The 1968 Set offensive and the Epic Battle to Survive the Vietnam War” and has the title implies, is about a small platoon of American soldiers fighting for survival in Vietnam after the Tet Offensive in 1968.
Stanton’s first two books follow a similar theme of soldier life and both have become New York Times bestsellers. The first book, “In Harm’s Way” is about the survivors of the U.S.S. Indianapolis during World War II, and “Horse Soldiers,” about a band of Special Forces soldiers in Afghanistan who rode horseback in the war against the Taliban after 9/11. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer film based on “Horses Soldiers,” starring Chris Hemsworth and Michael Shannon, is scheduled for release in January.
Meanwhile, “The Odyssey of Echo Company” has been receiving a lot of praise since its release in September. Tom Brokaw said of the book that it “is a book for all Americans to read for the enduring lessons of what happens when we commit our precious young to the ravages of combat,” while Lee Child says that Doug Stanton is “a meticulous reporter, a fluent, propulsive storyteller, and this account of tragedy and triumph is an instant go-to text for those who want to know what their fathers and brothers—and America—were doing fifty years ago.”
Stanton’s writing has appeared in “The New York Times,” “The New York Book Review,” “Time,” “The Washington Post,” “Men’s Journal,” “The Day Beast, “Newsweek,” “Esquire,” and “Outside,” where he has been a contributing editor. Stanton also is a founder of the National Writers Series, a year-round book festival.
For more information about Stanton’s visit or other activities at Schuler Books & Music, visit schulerbooks.com.
Funny things are everywhere: Rachel Turner, Samantha Miheve, Aaron Siebelink and Jared Martin are in Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s “Seussical the Musical.”
“A person’s a person, no matter how small.” – Horton Hears a Who.
You can easily say that Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, was definitely a man before his time. The words he penned in the late 1960s (“Horton Hears a Who” was published in 1970) have become almost a mantra for today as we celebrate the uniqueness every person offers.
“People come in all shapes and sizes,” said Jared Martin, a 10th grader at East Kentwood High School. “People are unique and we should celebrate that from the smallest of the small to the tallest of the tall.”
Starting Oct. 20, Martin, as Cat in the Hat, along with 29 other castmates celebrate the woods of wisdom of Dr. Seuss in the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s family production of “Seussical the Musical” at the theater’s downtown location of 30 N. Division Ave.
Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one: The four local residents in Grand Rapids Civic Theatre goof around backstage after rehearsal.
“It’s bright and happy and I think that is something that we all need right now,” said Wyoming resident Rachel Turner, who plays a Bird Girl in the production. “It’s light, it’s crazy, and there is fun in everything you do. It’s a happy production with an elegant, good message.”
In Dr. Seuss’s writing he covered so many different topics, bullying, drug abuse, child abandonment, Martin said. Many of which are covered in the musical which blends several of Dr. Seuss’s most famous stories together. The elephant Horton (from “Horton Hears a Who”) discovers a speck of dust that contains Whoville. He meets Jo Jo, a Who child sent to military school for thinking too many “thinks.” Horton faces a double challenge: not only must he protect Jo Jo and the Who’s from a world of naysayers and dangers, but he must guard an abandoned egg, left in his care by the irresponsible Mayzie La Bird. All of which is narrated by the Cat in the Hat.
“I love the opening song ‘All the Things You can Think’,” said Wyoming resident Samantha Miheve, a 10th grader at Grand Rapids City High School who plays a Who. “It’s the first thing you see and it is so lively and fun and really sets the stage.” With Wyoming resident Aaron Siebelink, an 11th grader who is homeschooled and plays a Wickersham Brother, adding “It’s like getting hit in the face with a happy brick.”
But that is Dr. Seuss. The topics are serious, but the way he presents them are fun and light, Turner said, adding that it is what has made him such a classic but still relevant today.
Seussing it up: Rachel Turner, Aaron Siebelink, Samantha Miheve, all from Wyoming, and Jared Martin, from Kentwood.
“It’s going be the most fun you ever had,” Siebelink said. “It’s weird. It’s wild. It’s Dr. Seuss.”
The Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s family production is a shorter version of “Seussical the Musical,” only 70 minutes with no intermission. There are nine shows from Oct. 20 – 29. Tickets are $16 – $10. For more information, calll 616-222-6650 or visit www.GRCT.org. There is a low sensory performance available for children with low sensory needs and their families. Call Chelsea at the Civic Theatre, 616-222-6650, ext. 0.
Nau Kim, Balloon Pop, digital image (photo supplied)
By Matthew Makowski, Grand Valley State University
This exhibition continues the collaboration between Grand Valley State University and Seoul National University of Science and Technology (SeoulTech) that was started in 2008. It features 40 photographs of artwork by SeoulTech art students, while a similar number of photographs by GVSU art and design students were sent to South Korea for a partner exhibition.
Exhibition Dates: September 29-December 8
Location: Red Wall Gallery, Lake Ontario Hall (first floor), Allendale Campus
By Tim Gleisner, Grand Rapids Public Library, Main
Every so often, I feel compelled to suggest a book solely not only for the skill of the author’s writing ability, but for its social importance as well. The book, A Stronger Kinship by Anna-Lisa Cox is just such a one.
A true story set in the town of Covert,Michigan during the latter half of the nineteenth century, A Stronger Kinship tells the tale of the town’s unique population. Covert is a small town of roughly 1,000 people in Van Buren County just outside of South Haven — a typical rural community in Southwest Michigan. People settled the area because the land was plentiful and could provide an income. Agriculture, in various forms, has sustained this community from the very beginning — first lumber then fruit farming. Families went to church, school, formed businesses; all in all a community within the norm of American life.
The quality that set this town apart was that the population of Covert was integrated at a time when America was not.
Building on the lives of runaway slaves, freed blacks, and abolitionist New Englanders the reader encounters a group of people who felt that one was equal regardless of color. This attitude was nurtured while the Midwest was experiencing racism in various forms. Families lived on farms side-by-side, as well as within the town. You learn of the first elected African-American official, of the town’s business leaders who came from both sides of the color line, and from families that were integrated and accepted by the populace as a whole.
What is remarkable is that to this day this community has stayed true to the original conviction of the pioneer generation. It conveys the sense that intentional community is not always impossible, and that ones morals can be lived out in ordinary life.
Anna-Lisa Cox is the recipient of numerous awards for her research. She is an active historian, writer, and lecturer on the history of race relations in the nineteenth-century Midwest.
Whether you’re employed and looking for a new job, thinking about a new career or applying for unemployment insurance, use these tips to make the most of your visit to a Michigan Works! service center. (See a list of all ten locations here.)
Bring your resume
After checking in, one of our Career Navigators will ask you to create or update your MiTalentConnect profile on mitalent.org. Employers post jobs and search for candidates on this website, so a detailed profile is essential. Your profile mirrors your resume. Bring your resume to quickly complete your profile.
Employers can see when your profile was last updated. Make sure you update it once a month to let employers know you’re serious about your job search and are actively looking for jobs.
Ask questions
Tap our staff for their knowledge. They receive lots of job search related training and are ready for your toughest questions. If you need more help (resume revisions, interview prep), ask if you are eligible to meet with a Career Coach. They provide one-on-one help.
Go to the workshops
Our workshop instructors keep workshop content fresh and relevant. These free 60-to-90-minute classes cover lots of job search topics — from basic to advanced. If you have questions afterward, they are happy to answer them and to connect you with other resources. See workshop calendars here.
Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.
Flashback: In celebration of Kentwood’s 50 anniversary, here’s a photo from a 1980s Halloween event.
Calling all ghouls, monsters, superheroes, princesses and other trick-or-treaters: You are invited to attend the City of Kentwood’s annual Trunk or Treat on Saturday, Oct. 21.
Trunk or Treat will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at Kentwood Department of Public Works, 5068 Breton Road SE, Kentwood. The City, which is celebrating 50 years in 2017, is inviting families from West Michigan to join in the event.
Children are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes and bring their own candy-collection bag. More than 20 businesses and City departments will be handing out candy and other treats throughout the morning. In addition to the trunks, there will be games, face painting, a bounce house and hay rides.
Some more flashback fun in honor of Kentwood’s 50th anniversary.
“Trunk or Treat gets bigger every year, which is really reflective of the growth in our community,” said Laura Barbrick, marketing and events coordinator of Kentwood’s Parks and Recreation Department. “It was created to provide families a safe and fun opportunity to trick or treat.
“Local businesses and organizations are invited to attend and decorate their vehicles with Halloween themes. It’s a great time for families to connect with local organizations and businesses in a fun, high-energy day.”
The event is free for those participating in trick or treating. There is no cost for those organizations wishing to reserve a parking space, however they must supply their own candy. For more information or to register a vehicle, please contact Laura Barbrick at barbrickl@ci.kentwood.mi.us or 616-656-5272.
Families in West Michigan can celebrate the start of the Fall season at Blandford Nature Center’s annual Harvest Festival 2017 on Saturday, October 14th, 2017, from 10am to 4pm, 1715 Hillburn Ave NW in Grand Rapids. The festival will feature fall favorites for all ages to enjoy, and hundreds of visitors are expected to attend.
“Fall is a beautiful time of year to visit Blandford and with the Harvest Festival, we are encouraging families to get outdoors and enjoy what this gorgeous season has to offer,” said Renee Baker, Community Programs Manager.
Some of the activities offered include: candle dipping, scarecrow making, horse-drawn wagon rides and much more. Guests can also tour the historical buildings on site and see what life was like for the early pioneers in the log cabin, blacksmith shop and one-room schoolhouse.
As always, guests can interact with animals in the wildlife center and at the farm, explore the trails, and find out how a Blandford membership is a great opportunity for year-round family fun in nature.
“We are always looking for more fun ways to improve the event. New this year, our concessions stand includes a pig roast and hard cider for adult participants,” Baker said.
The event is open to the public with admission fees of $5 for members and $8 for non-members. Children 2 years and younger will be admitted for free. For registration and more event details, go here.
Blandford Nature Center’s mission is toengage and empower our community through enriching experiences in nature. This is accomplished through: an active outdoor environmental lab, a team of passionate, knowledgeable people and a strong link from past to future promoting sustainability. Blandford offers a wide variety of educational and community programs to support this mission. For more information, please visit www.blandfordnaturecenter.org. Blandford Nature Center is a registered, charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Let’s talk about a glaring example of the disconnect between the workforce and the pipeline of students who will soon enter it.
Last spring, Kent ISD, in partnership with local school districts, area manufacturing representatives, and Grand Rapids Community College, started advertising Launch U. That’s an early middle-college program that puts students directly into training for jobs in manufacturing with local businesses, allowing them to earn a free associate degree and credentials in the field.
AutoCam training director Steve Heethuis talks to Byron Center students about the plant’s operations
One snafu in planning was that partner companies didn’t want to promise to hold off hiring until students completed the program. Take a moment to consider that: The company representatives wanted to be able to hire the students, potentially before they completed the program.
Now consider this: Not enough students enrolled in two of the Launch U programs, precision machining and industrial maintenance, for those programs to start as scheduled in late August.
“We couldn’t get 24 students to sign up,” said Bill Smith, assistant superintendent of instructional services for Kent ISD. The plan is to reintroduce the programs next fall.
Smith said he believes many students aren’t getting the message that there are quicker and more affordable routes than a four-year degree into industries where they can thrive and make high wages. “The system that markets to the kids is still leaning toward ‘every kid of value should go to a four-year institution,'” Smith said.
“Until we change that mindset we are going to have these types of jobs sitting open. This is free education, a free associate’s, free workplace-recognized credentials in fields where you are going to get a job and that job is going to pay $80 K.”
AutoCam machinist Richard Tobias shows a part to students including, from left, sophomores Carter hickson and Spencer Julien.
Jobs are Unfilled
Smith was recently part of a group that met with Gov. Rick Snyder and U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta to talk about the gap between skilled workers and in-demand jobs, known as the “talent gap.” According to Snyder, 120,000 available jobs in Michigan are unfilled. Many are in the areas of manufacturing, engineering, information technology and hybrids of these fields.
“There is a need to have stackable credentials, and that need is greater than a college degree,” Smith said. “These jobs don’t go unfilled because people are unavailable; it’s because the talent isn’t aligned to get the job. We have to import workers when we really shouldn’t have to.”
Some companies have long vacancy lists of jobs, he added: “It’s almost impossible to fathom that we have that many jobs open and we can’t connect the unemployed to those jobs.”
With careers rapidly changing and college costs skyrocketing, it’s time for students to become exposed to the fact that there are post-secondary education and training options besides a four-year degree, he said.
Still, about 70 percent of all jobs require some kind of post-secondary education: technical certification, an apprenticeship, an associate or four-year degree.
“Kids have to be graduating from high school and they have to be going on to get some kind of post-secondary training, but it’s a wide range,” said Kevin Stotts, president of Talent 2025. Representing 115 area CEOs in manufacturing, healthcare, information technology, construction, engineering and business services, Talent 2025 works to align talent with workplace needs.
But ingraining that message into K-12 schools requires a shift, Stotts said.
Byron Center students watch a robot at work
“There was such an emphasis on ‘go to college.’ That was your ticket. (But) that could mean getting a degree in a field where there was no demand for that education and training.”
The “college” message was very strong during the economic downturn a few years ago and, though job losses occurred across many industries, manufacturing got a really bad rap, he said. Young people stopped considering it as an option, but the industry has since rebounded and revolutionized.
“We have more than recovered the jobs lost in the manufacturing industry since the Great Recession,” Stotts said. “The jobs that are back are better paying, require technical knowledge and skill, they are utilizing technology and they are in cleaner environments.”
Shrinking the Gap
With the gap becoming more evident, schools and businesses are working together to prepare students for the future West Michigan workforce.
Sixty Byron Center High School students recently toured four area manufacturers to get an up-close, hands-on look at operations that put them in touch with employers in the region’s biggest industry.
Junior Harrison Kosak said he wants to work in engineering or robotics, and that it helps to see what’s out there while still in high school.
“It helps me get more in-depth with what I want to do,” Harrison said as he toured AutoCam. “I can look at these different occupations and see what I might be interested in.”
Byron Center High School teacher Lary Shoemaker, who teaches drafting, CAM/CNC classes and pre-engineering, has 10 students taking his classes — more than 10 percent of the high school’s enrollment — proving that gearing up students for high-demand jobs is possible.
“In West Michigan, the school districts recognize that 25 percent of our jobs are in the manufacturing sector,” Shoemaker said. “We have companies right in Byron Center that are direct placement for students that enter this career path. We have great companies in Grand Rapids that support a manufacturing environment at the high school level.”
AutoCam is one example. Steve Heethuis, training director for the Kentwood firm, talked to the visiting students about career-pathway opportunities right at the company: apprenticeships and the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, which gives employees the opportunity to receive an associate degree for free. Many go on to get engineering degrees. AutoCam also offers internships, scholarships and is a partner in the Launch U Program.
“We are interested in them getting curious about manufacturing,” Heethuis said. “If they have an opportunity to come work for us or any other manufacturer, we feel like it’s a success because we recognize that manufacturing is absolutely vital to our long-term economic regional success. We feel like it’s our leadership position to introduce students to manufacturing.”
Two years ago, Byron Center hosted a college and career day, which included several area manufacturers who presented educational opportunities and apprentice programs.
“Anytime you can have students really talk directly to the people that are potential employers, it’s good real world experience,” Shoemaker said. “It’s almost like a pre-interview.”
Shoemaker, who worked 22 years in manufacturing before starting his teaching career, said schools need to play a role in shifting the paradigm when it comes to how skilled-trades jobs are viewed. It’s possible to receive training and degrees, paid for by companies and allowing students to finish without debt and with direct access to jobs. He’d also like more teachers to come from manufacturing backgrounds.
A Tight Market, Rising Wages
With regional unemployment below 4 percent, the job market is tight, Stotts said.
“That’s a marked change from seven years ago,” he stressed. “The unemployment rate is significantly less than even just a year ago. Employers are trying to find any available talent, so the scarcity of talent to fill open jobs is being seen across every industry and at every occupation level. … It’s tight across the board, across all industries.”
As a result, wages are projected to rise by more than 20 percent in several industries over the next 10 years.
Employers are coming together with education and workforce partners to consider education and training requirements, and how they line up with talent-development programs, Stotts said.
Working together, businesses and schools can begin exposing students to careers as early as middle school.
“The more we can expose students to the variety of industries and jobs and career pathways,” Stotts said, “the more informed those kids and their families will be about what it’s like to work in a field like manufacturing, and where they can go to get education and training.”
As he toured the manufacturing area of AutoCam Precision Components, Byron Center High School junior Devin Merchant said he’s glad to have the opportunity to get out in the field.
“I’m interested in computer hardware engineering,” Devin said. “I think exposing myself to as many opportunities as possible will be beneficial to me in the future.
“There are so many opportunities out there that I didn’t even realize there were.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
Each week, WKTV features an adoptable furry friend (or few) from various shelters in the Grand Rapids area. This week, we focus on Humane Society of West Michigan, located at 3077 Wilson Dr. NW in Grand Rapids.
Humane Society of West Michigan’s mission is to rescue hurt, abused and abandoned animals and find them new, forever homes. The 501(c)3 non-profit organization helps over 8,000 animals annually and is 100% donor-funded by caring individuals and businesses in the community. Additional programs help reduce pet overpopulation, provide assistance to low-income pet owners, behaviorally assess animals and reunite lost pets with their owners.
Ms. Grumble takes pride in her beauty mark and expects her adopter(s) to feel the same. That’s not too much to ask.
Ms. Grumble — Female Domestic Short Hair
I am a sweet and sassy 8-year-old cat looking for my forever home! I need to be the only cat in the house and would do best in a home with no children. I have a social personality and seek out attention from people, but on my own terms! I prefer not to be held. I would do well in a relaxed home where I had my own space when I needed it and affection from my people when I needed that too. Please come meet me at Humane Society of West Michigan!
More about Ms. Grumble:
Animal ID: 35837287
Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age: 8 years
Gender: Female
Size: Small
Color: Black/White
Spayed
Declawed
The Humane Society of West Michigan automatically microchips all adoptable animals using 24PetWatch microchips, which include FREE registration into the 24PetWatch pet recovery service. For more information visit www.24petwatch.com or call 1-866-597-2424. This pet is also provided with 30 days of FREE ShelterCare Pet Health Insurance with a valid email address. For more information visit www.sheltercare.com or call 1-866-375-7387 (PETS).
Humane Society of West Michigan is open Tues-Fri 12-7, Sat & Sun 11-4.
Grand Rapids Treetop Adventure Park will be hosting Halloween-themed events this October designed to be fun for the whole family, and a great time as the leaves are changing.
Treetop Adventure Park is a high ropes and zipline obstacle course set in one of the many beautiful forests of Grand Rapids. The park is located right next to the Celebration North IMAX Theater off East Beltline and Knapp road in Northeast Grand Rapids.
An Adventure Park is a combination of suspended obstacles above the forest floor like bridges, cargo nets, swinging logs, rings, skateboards and ziplines. The courses range in difficulty from the easiest to most difficult, similar to ski resorts, with green, blue, and black runs, so there is something for every fitness and comfort level.
The park will feature Terror at Treetops every Friday and Saturday where the trees are lit up with LED lights, black lights, and halloween decorations. There will be a 20 percent off to anyone who comes dressed in their Halloween costumes. Experience the Haunted Forest during this time, recommended for children ages 12 and up. Sunday mornings, there will be cider and donuts on a first come, first serve basis.Also during the day, every day there will be trick-or-treating around the park with candy-filled pumpkins hidden around the park.
Student Scholarship Winners Amanda Barnett, Rachel Baas, Edward Johnson Jr., Ashlie Herrmann, Jarrod Bemjamin, Kristina Kercher, and Jesse Aronoff.
Experience Grand Rapids hosted a presentation and lunch celebration this week to announce the Restaurant Week Grand Rapids (RWGR) 2017 donation to the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education (SICE) Student Scholarship Fund at GRCC.
In 2017, there were more than 70 participating restaurants that donated $1 for every Restaurant Week meal sold. Since 2010, Restaurant Week participating restaurants and sponsors have contributed more than $126,906 to the scholarship fund. This year, a check totaling $16,200 was presented to the GRCC Foundation, growing the RWGR donation to $143,106.
Accepting the check on behalf of the Grand Rapids Community College Foundation were GRCC President Bill Pink and GRCC Foundation Executive Director Kathy Mullins. Dr. Pink also presented scholarships to seven students. Each scholarship winner received $1,000 to help support his/her continuing studies in GRCC’s SICE program. This is the seventh year that students have been awarded scholarship money from the fund established by Restaurant Week GR.
SICE Students who received 2017 RWGR scholarship awards include:
Amanda Barnett receives her scholarship check.
Amanda Barnett:Amanda was an English teacher before pursuing a culinary career. Six years ago, she started an after-school cooking program for her students because many of them didn’t have anything to eat in the evening. She loved the experience and last year, she finally made the leap to leave her full-time job and attend school. She says this scholarship will help her focus on her studies rather than how to pay for them. Amanda is now working at Brewery Vivant and her dream is to run an after-school cooking program and bake shop for youth.
Rachel Baas:Rachel works in the bakeshop of six.one.six at the JW Marriott. She has fond memories of baking with her grandmother as a child, and making no-bake cookies with her dad, but it wasn’t until her senior year of high school that she decided to pursue a culinary career. She plans to go on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Ferris State University after she graduates from the Secchia Institute and she’s grateful for scholarships like this that have helped her steer clear of student loans. She would love to open, manage and potentially run the foodservice portion of a bed-and-breakfast one day.
Edward Johnson Jr.:Edward has wanted a culinary career since 2nd grade, when he began renting out cookbooks and begging his mom to help him make recipes. He currently works at CityFlatsHotel and dreams of traveling the world to learn different cooking styles. In the meantime, he says, the Restaurant Week scholarship will help him graduate more quickly.
Ashlie Herrmann:Ashlie is working at Grove while she continues her schooling at the Secchia Institute. She says she may not have been able to go to school and accomplish her career goals without the generosity of others, including this scholarship. Her dream is to own a catering company with her mom and her best friend.
Jarrod Benjamin:Jarrod has wanted to work in the culinary field since he was five years old and his ultimate goal is to become a personal chef. He currently works at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse while attending the Secchia institute. He says the school has afforded him many great opportunities and he’s grateful for scholarships like this as he’d be unable to attend the school without them.
Kristina Kercher:Kristina works at The Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck and also at Flo’s Sports Bar in Belmont while she continues her education. She knew she wanted to work in the culinary field when she realized that you can make it if you work hard enough – something she learned from Chef James Powell, who she says didn’t give up on her as she worked to get better. She appreciates this scholarship as a sign that people believe in her enough to help her reach her goals. Her dream is to become a chef with the creative freedom to make the foods she wants and get paid for it.
Jesse Aronoff:Jesse says this scholarship is meaningful to him not just because it will help him further his education, but also because this year’s Restaurant Week was “crazy.” Jesse didn’t have any ambition for a culinary career until he got his first job in the field at age 16. He currently works at Licari’s Sicilian Pizza Kitchen and he can’t narrow down his dreams for the future – he wants to do everything.
Restaurant Week GR took place from Aug. 9 – 20. More than 70 restaurants participated in the event this year. This was the eighth year for Restaurant Week GR which began in Greater Grand Rapids in 2010. Scholarships have been awarded each year since 2011.
Nathan attends a conversion camp from the film “The Sunday Sessions.” (Courtesy photo)
CFI Michigan and the Grand Rapids Pride Center are hosting a screening and panel discussion of the documentary film “The Sunday Sessions” on Wednesday, Oct. 11, in recognition of National Coming Out Day. The event will be held at 7 p.m. at the Women’s City Club, 254 E. Fulton St.
“The Sunday Sessions” is an intimate portrait of one man’s struggle to reconcile his religious conviction and sexuality. The observational documentary chronicles the turbulent journey of a devout gay man as he attends conversion therapy in hopes of changing his sexual orientation.
“The Humanist Magazine” proclaims “The Sunday Sessions” “succeeds in offering the viewer an intensely harrowing inside look at one of the cruelest forms of homophobia…”
Following the screening there will be a panel discussion focusing on the issues surrounding conversion therapy. Panelists include Larry DeShane Jr., Center Administrator at the Grand Rapids Pride Center, Matthew Clark, Clinical Psychologist at the Clark Institute and the Gay Christian Therapy Center, and Jennifer Beahan, Program Director at Center for Inquiry Michigan.
This event is part of a larger national campaign where select organizations from over 20 cities across the United States have also scheduled screenings of the documentary, in recognition of National Coming Out Day, in order to generate awareness, foster dialogue, and encourage action within each community.
Chris Doyle, a psychotherapist from Virginia who practices conversion therapy, meets with his client Nathan Gniewek. (Courtesy photo)
Controversy Over Conversion Therapy
Conversion therapy is the controversial, non-scientifically based process which aims to convert an individual’s sexual orientation from homosexual to heterosexual. Although it has been discredited by all major American medical, psychiatric, psychological and professional counseling organizations, it is currently legal in all 50 states for consenting adults; and as of July of 2017, less than 10 US states have banned the therapy from being practiced on minors.
There has been a recent groundswell of support to reconsider the legality of this “therapy.” Many state and local legislatures, as well as the federal government, are considering legislation to ban the therapy from being applied to minors. Additionally, in the past few years, several LGBTQ advocacy groups have been filing consumer fraud claims against therapists that offer conversion therapy services.
About the Film
“The Sunday Sessions” is an unflinching look at the underbelly of the controversial practice of conversion therapy. This is the first time a film crew was allowed ongoing and unencumbered access to shoot these secretive and controversial therapy sessions. The resulting film is a psychological drama that offers the audience a detailed glimpse into the surreptitious world of private sessions, weekend camps, and family therapy sessions.
For more information about “The Sunday Sessions,” including the film trailer and downloadable press kit, please visit thesundaysessionsmovie.com.
The music of Bach, Handel and Vivaldi are well known, but many more composers flourished in the 17th and early 18th century.
England was in turmoil for decades in the middle of the 17th century. King Charles I was deposed and beheaded, and Oliver Cromwell took power as Lord Protector until his death ended the military dictatorship and ushered in the restoration of the monarchy under King Charles II.
The “merry monarch,” one of the most popular ever to rule England, loved a good time. He favored French music, but he also encouraged the development of English composers who flourished under his patronage.
British violinist and conductor Garry Clarke joins the Grand Rapids Symphony to open the its Crowe Horwath Great Eras series at 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 20, with “Charlie’s Angels: The Baroque Concert” in St. Cecilia Music Center in Grand Rapids.
The program also will be repeated at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21 at the Jack H. Miller Center at Hope College in Holland.
Highlights from those concerts, featuring music of Henry Purcell, Jean-Baptiste Lully and others, will be performed at 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 20 for the Porter Hills Coffee Classics, a one-hour version of the Great Eras concert, held without intermission. Doors open at 9 a.m. for coffee and donuts.
For more information about this performance or other Grand Rapids Symphony performances, visit www.grsymphony.org.
When artist Robert Oliver brutally attacks a painting at the National Gallery of Art, psychiatrist Andrew Marlow, an artist himself, is called in to get to the bottom of Oliver’s motives.Oliver refuses to speak, however, except to offer a cryptic explanation: “I did it for her.”
Marlow’s assignment has him traveling the world in search of “her.”Is the mystery woman Oliver’s ex-wife? The art student with whom he falls in love?
Oliver maintains his silence, communicating only by painting a beautiful, dark-haired woman whom no one seems to recognize.Breaking his own rules, Marlow digs deeper than he ever has in the life of a patient and finds himself at the center of a story that goes far beyond the mind of a disturbed artistic genius.
TheSwan Thieves is a beautifully written story about art, obsession and the mind of a genius.
The author of the Jedi Academy books and the Star Wars: Darth Vader and Kids Academy series will be visiting Schuler Books & Music Wednesday, Oct. 18.
Jeffrey Brown, a Grand Rapids native and New York Times bestselling author, will be at the store, located at 2660 28th St. SE, at 7 p.m.. He will be discussing his newest book, “Lucy & Andy Neanderthal: The Stone cold Age!,” the second in the series about two Neanderthal siblings.
Brown become well-known for his 2012’s “Darth Vader and Son” and its follow-up, “Vader’s Little Princess,” both of which reimagine the Sith Lord as a put-upon dad.
In 2016, Brown introduced brother and sister cave kids, Lucy and Andy Neanderthal, living 40,000 years ago, which has received praise from critics and authors. Lincoln Peirce, author the “Big Nate” series, said “Lucy and Andy are Stone Age rock stars! I loved this book,” while Kirkus Reviews called it “a fast, funny read.”
For more information about Brown’s visit to Schuler Books & Music or other activities at the store, visit schulerbooks.com.
The West Michigan economy is going strong and the trend should continue, according to a Grand Valley State University expert.
Brian G. Long, director of Supply Management Research in the Seidman College of Business, surveyed local business leaders and his findings below are based on data collected during the last two weeks of September.
The survey’s index of business improvement (new orders) came in at +21, above last month’s +19. The production index eased to +17 from +20. The index of purchases slowed to +14 from +24, and the employment index remained positive at +17, up from +21.
Long said for auto sales, the September report reversed the negative pattern of the past six months.
“Most auto parts suppliers have been concerned throughout the summer about the slower auto sales, so the September bounce in sales seems to have forestalled any immediate fear of an automotive recession lurking around the corner,” said Long. “The major office furniture firms still appear to be topping out at the present level, but the smaller firms are having a little more success.”
Business optimism is strong in West Michigan and the economy for the rest of the world continues to improve, Long said.
“Canada and Mexico, our two largest trading partners, turned in strong reports for September,” he said. “Whereas most of the major economies were improving over the summer, growth in September slowed in China, Japan and the UK.”
The Institute for Supply Management survey is a monthly survey of business conditions that includes 45 purchasing managers in the greater Grand Rapids area and 25 in Kalamazoo. The respondents are from the region’s major industrial manufacturers, distributors and industrial service organizations. It is patterned after a nationwide survey conducted by the Institute for Supply Management. Each month, the respondents are asked to rate eight factors as “same,” “up” or “down.”
For over 28 years, Dr. Brian Long has edited a survey of local purchasing managers for both the Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids areas, which has proved to be a major indicator of current and future business conditions. This survey appears in many local newspapers and national business publications, including the Grand Rapids Press, MiBiz, and the Grand Rapids Business Journal. The survey is also a component of the Federal Reserve’s bimonthly survey of business conditions.
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal: In Focus, WKTV’s public affairs show, program host Ken Norris talks with Ethan Anderson, a local financial advisor with a common sense approach to retirement planning. Their discussion focuses on retirement planning for the today’s young working families, and it just begins with why company pensions are almost a thing of the past (and ends with a surprising outlook on the future of Social Security).
(WKTV)
“The key word to focus on, when you are talking about that transition (away from pensions), corporations no longer want to be responsible for the income you receive in retirement,” Anderson said. “We have seen the transitions more toward defined contribution plans, where essentially you are looking at things like 401ks, or in the nonprofit world 403b and 457 plans. But the overall theme, amongst all those plans, and most corporate plans today, is that money is being put in with your name on it that you are essentially responsible for investing.”
Also on the new program is a discussion with Paul Haan of Healthy Homes Coalition of West Michigan, a group which works to identify and address environmental health hazards in homes with young children, including lead poisoning.
Ethan Anderson talks with WKTV Journal: In Focus host Ken Norris. (WKTV)
The new episode will air twice a week on WKTV channels starting this week and running through Oct. 24. Along with all episodes of WKTV Journal: In Focus, the interviews are also available on YouTube at WKTVVideos.
Anderson is a financial advisor with Rehmann, and has spent the last two decades building financial plans and managing investment portfolios for high net worth individuals and charitable organizations. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and a life-long Grand Rapids resident.
“WKTV Journal: In Focus” will started airing on Tuesday, Sept. 26, and will air on Tuesdays and Thursdays, at 6:30 p.m., on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel.
About 6,000 children, parents, and grandparents attended the Wyoming Pumpkin Path last year.
It’s time to get the kids together and pull out your favorite costume because Pumpkin Path is right around the corner!
The City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department is excited to once again host the 14th annual Pumpkin Path – a free event for kids and families on Saturday, Oct. 14 at Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St. SW. The event will be held from 4-6 p.m. Local businesses, clubs and organizations will host spaces along the path and will hand out candy, coupons and other goodies.
“Pumpkin Path was created to be a fun, safe, family-friendly event for the fall, providing an alternative to traditional Halloween events,” said Rebecca Rynbrandt, director of community services for the City of Wyoming. “Pumpkin Path gives families the perfect opportunity to interact with neighborhood businesses while enjoying the outdoors, Lamar Park and the beauty of the fall season.”
Not only should children expect to receive treats, they should also look forward to a DJ and dancing, jumping in the bounce house and games. Participants are welcome to come in costume or in regular clothes.
At last year’s Pumpkin Path event, 65 local businesses and organizations and more than 6,000 children, parents, grandparents and friends attended.
More than 1,200 runners and walkers laced up their sneakers for a behind-the- scenes 5K on one of the runways at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA).
The Runway 5K is the first of its kind on airport grounds in over a decade. The last Runway 5K was for the Airport’s 40th Anniversary in 2003. The race began near the cargo facilities, continuing under a runway tunnel, looping around by the airport fire station, and wrapped around on Runway 8L/26R – GFIA’s general aviation runway. The Airport’s two other commercial aviation runways were operational, giving participants a chance to soak in an up-close-and-personal sight.
“This was a tremendous opportunity for runners, walkers, and families who wanted to experience a fun event on one of our runways that is normally only being used for aircraft,” said GFIA President & CEO Jim Gill. “It was exciting to see West Michigan come out and experience our facility like never before, plus support a wonderful charity at the same time.”
GFIA selected Make-A-Wish Michigan as its charity of choice to donate the race proceeds.
“We’re delighted that the Gerald R. Ford International Airport is hosting an event to benefit Make- A-Wish Michigan.” said Karen Davis, president & CEO of Make-A-Wish Michigan. “It’s through the generous support of our Michigan community, like our friends at GFIA, that we are able to grant life-changing wishes to Michigan children and bring hope, strength and joy at a time when they need it most.”
“Make-A-Wish Michigan does tremendous work in our community, and we are thrilled to be able to donate proceeds from our Runway 5K to this organization,” said Gill. “We see Make-A-Wish kids in our airport on a regular basis, and although we wish that was less frequent; we are happy to help grant more wishes in West Michigan through this donation.”
