A probably sold-out crowd at a previous Meijer Gardens Summer Concert series concert. (Supplied Meijer Gardens/Tony Norkus)
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
St. Paul & The Broken Bones. (Supplied Meijer Gardens/David McClister)
The first concerts of the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park summer concert series hit the stage this week, and most years aftermarket tickets are all that is available for the majority of the shows — and late comers pay the price: this week’s St. Paul and the Broken Bones show, original ticket price of $35, is sold out but available on StubHub for $102.35.
But this season, at last count, 16 of the 28 remaining concerts were not sold out. But, admittedly, many have only a few tickets remaining, with some of them having been returned for sale by the band.
Some of this month’s concerts with tickets available from Meijer Gardens include this week’s Diana Krall show, on Wednesday, June 7, as well as Brian Setzer’s Rockabilly Riot! on June 18, Boz Scaggs on June 21, Daughtry on June 25 and Trombone Shorty on June 29.
Elvis Costello (Supplied Meijer Gardens)
For my money, the most surprising shows with original price tickets still available include Elvis Costello & The Attractions on July 17 — come on, Elvis will be in the building! — as well as the unique pairing and unique music of Andrew Bird and Esperanza Spaulding on July 24, and the always-great summer night with Lyle Lovett (with his large band) on Aug. 2.
Alas, possibly the show of the Meijer Gardens season, the July 27 visit by The Shins (aka James Mercer) and their inventive, modern alt-pop sounds, is sold out, with originally-priced $57 tickets now priced on StubHub at $111. At that price, you may as well head over to Chicago for the Sunday, Aug. 6, Lollapalooza day of concerts and catch The Shins with a ton of other great bands — StubHub tickets are currently $126.
The Meijer Gardens Summer Concert season will come to an end on Sept. 1 with the season-closing concert by English reggae and pop band UB40.
Michigander (Supplied Meijer Gardens/Adam Podboy)
Starting in July, Meijer Gardens’ amphitheater will also host its Tuesday Evening Concert Series, with general admission to the Gardens getting people in for some great local and regional musical acts. Starting Tuesday, July 4, with Green On Blue and The Red Sea Pedestrians, the diverse two-month program features live bands with music ranging from jazz to indie rock to folk, all starting at 7 p.m. Two of the more interesting musical explorations will be the mid August visits of Kalamazoo’s Michigander on Aug. 8 and Slim Gypsy Baggage on Aug. 15.
For complete information on the concert series tickets and admission prices, visit meijergardens.org .
Josh Wilde of the Detroit Circus. Photo by Donna Macaufey.
A sure sign of summer is Wyoming’s Concerts in the Park which kicks off Tuesday, June 6, with a high-fly affair as the Detroit Circus takes the stage at Wyoming’s Lamar Park.
Set for 7 p.m. every Tuesday from June 6 to Aug. 1, the annual Concerts in the Park has become a popular summer tradition in Wyoming. The event, which is organized by the Wyoming Community Enrichment Commission, provides free family-friendly programming with a host of local and regional talent.
Providing family-friendly shows is an important aspect to the Detroit Circus, said Micha Adams, founder and owner of both the Detroit Flyhouse Circus and the Detroit Circus. Started about 10 years ago, the performers include gymnasts, aerialists, and those with a theater background. The 20 members have sought out opportunities to learn from others including Cirque du Soleil. Many now teach at the Detroit Flyhouse Circus while also performing for the Detroit Circus.
The company has performed throughout Michigan and travelled outside the state as well. Detroit Circus is the house entertainment at Cobo Arena and have performed at the MGM Casino in Greektown. Area residents might remember them from ArtPrize, where the troupe recently performed.
Eric Baker of the Detroit Circus. Photo by splitsugar.com.
“We always say ‘bring a chair so you can use the edge of your seat,’” Adams said during a recent interview with the WKTV Journal.
On Tuesday, the Detroit Circus’s Josh Wilde and Eric Baker will be amazing the Concerts in the Park audience with aerobatic feats along with illusion, magic, juggling and object manipulation. The show is very interactive, according to Adams and is non-stop allowing people to come and go.
The rest of the Concerts in the Park series line up includes country band Shelagh Brown Band June 13; Tejano Sounds Band June 20;the WY-Fi program celebrating the country’s birthday featuring two pop rock bands, the Sweet J Band and Brena Band June 27; southern rock Michatucky July 11; sixties music band the 6 Pack July 18;the Beatles tribute band July 25 and the National Night Out Celebration with country group Union Guns Aug. 1.
Lamar Park is located at 2561 Porter St. SW. For more on the Concerts In the Park, visit the Wyoming Community Enrichment Commission’s website, www.wyomingcec.org or visit the commission’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/WyomingCEC.
The Curb Appeal Contest is a home beautification contest organized by Habitat Kent in collaboration with the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association in the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood. Participants receive a gift card to Lowe’s at the start of the competition and then compete against their neighbors to improve the exterior of their home. At the end of the contest, prizes are awarded for homes that show the greatest improvement. Organizers plan to engage 160 participants in the contest this year.
The contest kicks off a summer of resident-driven activities and events in the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood supported by a $70,000 grant from Lowe’s to Habitat for Humanity of Kent County. The funding is part of $1.75 million in grants Lowe’s awarded 22 Habitat affiliates across the country to support more than 84 Neighborhood Revitalization projects.
“In the Roosevelt Park neighborhood, the Lowe’s grant will help residents make improvements to their homes, their blocks, and continue bringing their vision for the neighborhood to life,” said BriAnne McKee, executive director of Habitat Kent.
In addition to the Curb Appeal Contest, Lowe’s grant funds will support resident-led neighborhood beautification projects, including first steps and short-term goals for implementing the newly created area specific plan, “Viva la Avenida.” These projects could include creating and hanging new light post banners, creating custom artwork for bus shelters, and painting mini-murals on utility boxes along Grandville Ave.
The Lowe’s funds will also help launch the first annual neighborhood awards in partnership with the Grandville Avenue Business Association and support a neighborhood ArtPrize venue in partnership with the Grandville Avenue Arts and Humanities.
“Lowe’s shares Habitat’s vision that having a safe, stable home helps bring strength, security and pride to families and ultimately communities,” said James Frison, Lowe’s community relations director.
Through Habitat’s Neighborhood Revitalization approach, Habitat affiliates offer an expanded array of housing services and partner with local residents, housing leaders, community groups and businesses to transform neighborhoods and enhance the quality of life in communities.
A national partner since 2003, Lowe’s has committed more than $63 million to Habitat for Humanity and helped more than 6,500 families improve their living conditions. Each year, Lowe’s provides grants and volunteer assistance to affiliates, supports National Women Build Week and conducts how-to clinics at stores to teach volunteers construction skills.
The Magic Room: A Story About the Love We Wish for our Daughters is a story of eight different brides and how they came to be looking for their dresses at Becker’s Bridal, a shop in Fowler, Michigan, that has been open since 1934.
I enjoyed reading about how Grandma Eva added a few wedding dresses to her in-laws’ general store and over the years slowly transformed the store into a bridal shop. As Eva passed the business to her son and daughter-in-law, and they passed it on to their daughter and granddaughter, every generation of owner has had to keep up with changing trends and buying patterns of brides and their families. They have also struggled with the price of pouring their hearts and time into keeping the family business alive and prosperous.
Zaslow intersperses the story of the shop with tales of brides whose journeys to marriage are not easy. There is the young woman who is in a debilitating car accident a week after getting engaged. There is the woman who lost her mother several years before and leans on her grandmother for comfort. And the woman who lost her first beloved husband to a heart attack and has now found a new man to share her life with, much to the dismay of her four daughters.
And the magic room? An old bank vault that current owner Shelley Becker-Mueller has turned into a softly-lit viewing paradise for finding the perfect dress.
This is an inspiring and interesting read with local flavor, since several of the brides are from Grand Rapids. The details Zaslow relates about specific relationships between mothers and daughters and fathers and family are truly heartwarming. And there is extra poignancy in the fact that the author, who talks about his own daughters and his hopes for them throughout the book, was lost in a tragic car accident just this past winter.
Alexandra Gillett, attorney with Justice for our Neighbors, and Ana Raquel Devereaux, an attorney with Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, explain people’s rights regardless of immigration status
Kent School Services Network coordinator Erika VanDyke wasn’t sure what the turnout would be for a recent “Know Your Rights” event for immigrants at Wyoming’s West Elementary School. Staff had purposely not asked people to register, and they advertised it as a basic community-resource event because they knew families could easily be scared away.
“In the current political climate there’s a lot of fear,” VanDyke said, adding that she’s heard from parents and community members who aren’t sure right now what their protections include. “There’s a lot of fear from our families. As a KSSN school, we want to be a place where families can come with questions and get answers.”
About 15 people attended the districtwide event, aimed at providing members of the Hispanic community with knowledge about responding to immigration officials and preparing for encounters.
Immigration arrests are up 38 percent in the first three months of the Trump administration. Wyoming Public Schools’ Hispanic student population is about 40 percent.
Larry Figuero said he attended as a community member
Supporting the Community
Presenters defined immigrant rights at traffic stops, and what to do if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials come to the house, workplace or stop someone in public. They stressed creating an emergency response plan, keeping all documents in an easily accessible place, speaking to an immigration lawyer to assess individual immigration status, and having a plan to protect one’s family.
They also explained how to grant power of attorney and how to tell whether a search warrant is real. They emphasized not signing anything without speaking with an attorney if arrested.
VanDyke said she’s had families call her to ask whether they should go to immigration check-ins.
“They have called and said ‘I don’t know if I should go or not,'” she said. “It’s not my job to tell them what to do, but it’s my job to say ‘Here are the resources, here are people you can talk to so you can make that decision.’
“We want to make sure families have information, because that’s part of being a community school,” she added. “For me it’s critical that particularly with this population, that they have access to this knowledge.”
Participants asked questions on topics ranging from driving legally in the U.S. to situations involving U.S.-born children in undocumented families.
Rolff said schools are supposed to be protected spaces where ICE can’t enter, like churches. Still, much is uncertain.
“Even though families trust us, there’s fear,” she said. “The schools are here to help them. Our No. 1 priority is the kids, which means the parents as well. … If parents have any questions, they can come to the school. If we don’t have the answers, we will do our best to find the answers for them.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
Peters Announces $11.4 Million in Support for Michigan AmeriCorps Programs
By Allison Green
U.S. Senator Gary Peters announced that Michigan has received $11.4 million in AmeriCorps funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency for volunteering and service programs.
“Citizen service is an indispensable resource for nonprofits, communities and the individuals they serve, and essential to solving problems that face Michigan and the United States,” said Senator Peters.
The investment includes 14 grants totaling $4.6 million, which will support 671 AmeriCorps members.
Below is a partial listing of 2017 AmeriCorps competitive grants in Michigan:
American Red Cross of Grand Rapids: Together We Prepare
AmeriCorps Urban Safety Program
Michigan Campaign To End Homelessness AmeriCorps Program
Michigan Financial Opportunity Corp
Power of We Consortium AmeriCorps Project
MARESA AmeriCorps
B-H-K Child Development Board
AdviseMI
CNCS will also provide Michigan with up to $3.1 million in education scholarships for the AmeriCorps members funded by these grants to help pay for college, vocational training, or pay back student loans.
This year’s AmeriCorps grant cycle was highly competitive. The 2017 competition prioritized investments in economic opportunity, education, governor and mayor initiatives, veterans and military families, disaster services, and initiatives to build safer communities.
Peters, Colleagues Raise Concerns over President Trump’s Cuts to Rural Development
President Trump’s drastic budget cuts, coupled with plans to eliminate the USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development, would hurt small towns and rural communities
U.S. Senator Gary Peters joined 28 other Senate Democrats in sending a letter to President Trump expressing strong concerns over recent actions that would have negative impacts on families in rural America.
In the letter, the Senators objected to the proposed cuts, and urged President Trump to maintain the position of Under Secretary for Rural Development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Last week, President Trump issued a budget proposal calling for drastic cuts that would undermine the important rural development mission at the USDA. These damaging cuts come on the heels of recently announced plans to eliminate the USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development, an important advocate for small towns and rural communities across the country.
The letter was also signed by Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and others.
ICYMI: Senator Stabenow Questions OMB Director Mulvaney on Trump’s Budget Cuts to the Great Lakes (VIDEO)
By Ian Wilhite
During a recent hearing in the Senate Budget Committee on the President’s 2018 Budget, U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) questioned OMB Director Mick Mulvaney about zeroing out funding for the Great Lakes in Fiscal Year 2018.
Wyoming’s Master Arts Theatre is partnering with its neighbor to the south, Byron Center’s Van Singel Fine Arts Center, to co-produce Roald Dahl’s music comedy “Willy Wonka” for the winter holiday.
The production will include four performances Nov. 30 – Dec. 2. Auditions have been scheduled for 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 24, and 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Monday, June 26, at Van Singel Fine Arts Center, which is part of the Byron Center High School at 8500 Burlingame Ave. SW or the corner of Burlingame Avenue and 84th Street.
“We are pleased to be partnering with the Van Singel Fine Arts Center in providing opportunities to feature local artists and actors in this wonderful venue, and look forward to collaboration with an organization that shares our dedication to serving the Byron Center and South Grand Rapids community with wholesome family entertainment and high standards of artistic excellence,” said Master Arts Theatre Artistic Director Pricilla McDonald.
Plans are underway to give subscribers from both non-profit organizations the ability to purchase advance seating and add the show as part of season packages. The two groups believe that this new alliance will be the beginning of many future community theater productions presented at the Van Singel. In fact, Van Singel Managing Director Sara Bower said she is thrilled to be creating this new partnership.
“We are so excited to partner with Master Arts for ‘Willy Wonka’,” Bower said. “Engaging the community is paramount to both of our organizations, and with a collaboration like this, there is so much opportunity to change lives through the arts – especially through a musical that everyone knows and loves.”
Based on the Gene Wilder film, this classic family musical follows world re-known and mysterious candy man, Willy Wonka, who hosts five young Golden Ticket contest winners at his magical candy empire. While on their tour of the surreal confectionary factory, the young winners and their families journey through the delicious art of candy making, where four of the children plunge into mischievous escapades. However, little do the five children and their families know that their dreamlike adventure is really a test of character and Willy Wonka is actually seeking an heir to his massive chocolate kingdom.
Bower said they are looking forward to “a multi-generation cast, having a lot of fun, working to put on a fantastic show; that that’s our goal for this production and for any potential future collaborations. We want families and neighbors to create memories from these experiences…whether it’s through performance, volunteering n the theatre, or coming to see the show.”
Tickets for “Willy Wonka” are $22 for reserved seating in sections II and III. Reserved seating in all other sections of the theatre are $19 for adults, $17 for students and senior citizens and $8.50 for children 10 and under. The Van Singel Fine Arts Center box office is open weekdays, noon to 5 p.m.
For more information abut auditions or the show, call Master Arts Theatre at 616-455-1001 or visit the company’s website at masterarts.org or call the Van Single Fine Arts Center at 616-878-6800 or visit vsfac.com.
It is estimated that by 2020, 25% of the workforce will be made of workers 55 and older. But is this demographic qualified for the jobs that employers need to fill?
While employers give older workers high marks on characteristics such as judgement, commitment to quality, attendance and punctuality, they can lack the skills necessary for today’s jobs.
The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) was designed to help low-income, unemployed, older adults gain work experience. Participants are placed in community service positions, receive on-the-job training and earn a pay check. This gives them the skills and experience needed to enter the workforce.
Program FAQs
Experiences are provided at a variety of non-profit and public facilities
Participants work an average of 20 hours per week
Participants are paid minimum wage for their service
Individuals must be over 55, unemployed and meet income requirements to qualify
To learn more and find out if you are eligible to participate in SCSEP, contact the local AARP Foundation office at 616-649-0310.
Everyone should have access to jobs and other basic needs like food, shelter and healthcare. ACSET Community Action Agency (CAA) is dedicated to helping Kent County residents of all ages meet basic needs. If you or someone you know is having trouble making ends meet, contact ACSET CAA at 616-336-4000.
Your Community in Action! is provided by ASCET Community Action Agency. To learn more about how they help meet emergency needs and assist with areas of self-sufficiency, visit www.communityactionkent.org.
St. Cecilia Music Center’s summer piano camp will be starting in June. (Supplied)
St. Cecilia Music Center
St. Cecilia Music Center will continue is offerings of music training for children this summer with their Stella Royce Piano Camp for students ages 7-15. In addition, it will offer a fun and relaxed adult camp opportunity called Grand Band Camp for older school aged students (age 12 and older) and adults.
The Grand Band Camp will be held Monday though Thursday, June 12-15, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. On Thursday, June 15, a final concert will be performed outdoor at the Gerald R. Ford Museum at approximately 11:30 a.m.
St. Cecilia welcomes musicians from around the community to participate in this casual and fun music experience where site reading can be practiced and a variety of music will be played, including great band favorites. Tuition per person is $45 and the registration deadline is June 8.
St. Cecilia also presents the 10th annual Stella Royce Piano Camp, July 10-14, 2017 from 8:40 a.m. to 3 p.m., offering an engaging and educational experience for young pianists 7-15 years of age. Optional free YMCA playtime is also offered Monday through Thursday from 3-5 p.m. after camp concludes.
Every year during the piano camp, students work with a new-featured composer and perform ensemble pieces written by that composer. This year, nationally renowned composer and master class teacher Mary Leaf from FJH Music Company will join the students to help prepare them for performing. Other talented faculty will also be involved in teaching and supervising all activities of the students throughout the week.
Daily music activities include individual and ensemble lessons, theory and ear training, music composition and music history, supervised practice time and master classes with composer Mary Leaf. In addition, special events are held each day, including solo and ensemble master classes, composition workshops, and time with the featured composer.
The final day of camp, Friday, July 14, a celebratory recital will take place where each student will perform music composed by Leaf, within an ensemble group. An ice cream social will take place after Friday’s recital. Each student will also perform solo, other music compositions, during a recital on Thursday afternoon. Tuition is $375. The registration deadline is June 15.
To register for the Grand Band Camp or the Stella Royce Piano Camp visit SCMC-online.org. For more information call education director Martha Bundra at 616-459-2224 ext. 206.
Active Commute Week returns June 12 – 15 to the Greater Grand Rapids area as many get ready to ride their bikes or take the bus to participate.
The goal of Active Commute Week is to raise awareness about the health, economic and environmental benefits of active travel. The week is a chance for individual participants and teams to earn points for using active transportation, including bicycling, walking, riding The Rapid, carpooling, running, longboarding or inline skating.
Participants fill out a form and are notified through The Rapids when their account is ready. Teams and individuals can track their active transportation online during the week for a chance to win prizes.
Several organizations have signed up to participate such as Metro Health – University of Michigan Health, which will be hosting one of the Bike to Work Day Pit Stops on Fray, June 16. Metro Health will be hosting at the Fred Meijer M-6 trail near Metro Way off of Byron Center Avenue. This is an entrance to Metro Health. For a complete list of Bike to Work Day Pit Stops, click here.
Also Grand Valley State University has joined as a sponsor and will host bike ride with President Thomas J. Haas on Monday, June 12. The ride will be from the center of the Allendale Campus to the Sustainable Agriculture Project on Luce Street.
Participants will meet at the Bill Seidman statue near Mary Idema Pew Library at 4 p.m. Helmets are required, and the Grand Valley Police Department will provide an escort. Refreshments will be served at the SAP and bicyclists can join a guided ride back to campus at 5:30 p.m.
Join the Active Commute Week Committee and the Greater Grand Rapids Bicycle Coalition for The Handlebar Happy Hour Friday, June 16, at Long Road Distillers, 537 Leonard St. NW. The event takes places from 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. The winners of the Active Commute Week Challenge will be announced and prizes awarded. Awards and a raffle will take place at approximately 6:30 p.m. This event is open to everyone.
More information and a list of the week’s events are online at www.acwgr.org. Join social media during the week using #acwgr.
The City of Wyoming’s annual efforts to mitigate Gypsy Moth infestation in the city will continue this month, with aerial spraying of selected areas scheduled to start Monday, June 5.
Households in the affected areas should have received letters notifying of the city’s mitigation efforts.
A female Gypsy Moth.
“The City of Wyoming is once again taking measures to protect our neighborhoods against Gypsy Moths, and the aerial spray is targeted for June 5-7,” Megan Sall, Assistant City Manager, said in an email to WKTV Journal. “If weather cooperates, you may hear/see our contractor’s helicopter overhead as early as 6 a.m. on the 5th. Under ideal conditions, the entire application will take 4-5 hours to complete. The contractor will start in the southern portion of the City and work his way north.”
According to the city, the insecticide being used is derived from a naturally occurring bacteria and is known only to affect Gypsy Moth caterpillars. It does not affect honeybees or other non-leaf eating insects, birds, fish or mammals. The insecticide is applied at a quart per acre in a very fine mist that targets the trees. The carrier liquid is water and drying usually takes place within a few minutes.
Despite the fast-drying nature of the mist, the city spokesperson said, residents are encouraged to exercise common sense and stay inside while the spray is occurring in their neighborhoods.
A map of the affected areas and more information can be found on the city’s website, as well as available on the city’s Facebook page.
With Lake Michigan only being about an hour away, it is easy during a hot summer day to pack up the family and head to the beach to enjoy the sand and waves.
Those waves also contribute to Lake Michigan being the deadliest of the Great Lakes. In fact, Grand Haven has one of the highest current related incidents, 109 from 2002 to the present according to the National Weather Service. Of those incidents, eight have resulted in deaths.
The major cause of those incidents have been rip currents. To help increase awareness about riptides the National Weather Service has designated the first week in June as National Rip Current Awareness Week. In honor of that, WKTV will air “Respect the Power,” on Channel 25 June 5 at 9:30 a.m.; June 6 at 6:30 p.m.; June 7 at 11:30 a.m. and June 9 at 7:30 p.m.
The video was produced by the Great Lakes Beach & Pier Safety Task Force and was created in memory of Andrew Burton Fox and Daniel Reiss, both who were swept off the Grand Haven pier and drowned in Lake Michigan.
According to Grand Haven officials, rip currents and powerful breaking waves are common in the area of the pier. But education, including recognizing what a riptide looks like and what to do if you are caught in one, can increase the chances of a happy outcome.
From the “Respect the Power” website, it states that the Great Lakes are better understood as inland seas rather than lakes. Storms not he lakes can easily generate waves up to 30 feet in the most sever storms. However, even smaller waves can be dangerous.
When waves break, water is pushed up the slope of the shore. Gravity pulls this water back toward the lake. When the water converges in a narrow, river-like current moving away from the shore, it forms what is know as a rip current. Rip currents can be 50 feet to 50 yards or more wide. They can flow to a point just past the breaking waves or hundreds of yards offshore. You can sometimes identify a rip current by its foamy and choppy surface. The water in a rip current may be dirty from the sand being turned up by the current. The water may be colder than the surrounding water. Waves usually do not break as readily in a rip current as in adjacent water.
According to both the “Respect the Power” and the National Weather Service websites, if caught in a rip current, try to relax. A rip current is not an “undertow” and will not pull you under. Do not try to swim against the current as this is very difficult, even for an experience swimmer. If you can, swim parallel to the shore until you are out of the current, then swim directly toward shore. If you are tired, tread water and float and call and wave for assistance. The current will carry you to the end or head of the current, where once rested you can swim back to shore.
Some other water safety tips:
1. Learn to swim.
2. Check with a lifeguard or with the park’s current conditions board before entering water.
3. Never swim alone.
4. Never dive headfirst into unknown waters or shallow breaking waves.
5. Piers are navigational structures and not designed as walkways, proceed at your own risk.
6. Do not jump or dive off pier structures.
7. Avoid piers when waves begin to spill over the pier surface.
8. To avoid rip currents, avoid swimming in areas that are discolored with sand and has a choppy or foamy surface.
9. If caught in a rip current, swim parallel to shore (about 30-50 yards) to get out of the rip current before swimming to shore.
10. Protect yourself from the sun. Use sun screen.
A Kelloggsville High School student has been named a finalist in the 2017 Meijer Great Choices Film Festival.
Kolton Toothman is among the 60 finalists. He submitted a film for the K-6 Celebrating Diversity category. He is in the running for awards totaling $21,150. Awards are scheduled to be presented on Saturday, June 3, at 10 a.m. at the Van Singel Fine Arts Center, located at the corner of Burlingame Avenue and 84th Street. The Van Singel Fine Arts Center is part of the Byron Center High School.
Students from throughout the state submitted nearly 400 thirty-second public service announcement videos promoting positive choices in the areas of Character Education, Healthy Living, and Celebrating Diversity. There are two different audiences that the young filmmakers targeted in their PSAs: kindergarten through sixth grade or seventh through twelfth grades. The Meijer Great Choices competition was designed for Michigan student filmmakers to exhibit their creative talent in audio/visual communications and to share their messages with K-12 schools throughout Michigan.
Audio/Visual/Advertising students and professors from Compass College of Cinematic Arts, Ferris State University, Cornerstone University, Grand Valley State University, Northwood University and Western Michigan University were the preliminary judges and choose the finalists based on specific criteria. High school students throughout Michigan have been notified that they are finalists and are invited to participate in the June 3rd awards presentation activities. There are eighteen first, second, and third place winners who will be announced at the awards presentation who will receive prizes of $1,500, $1,000, or $500 in the form of a gift card to Meijer or Apple. The 42 runners up (fourth through tenth place) will each receive a gift card for $75. All of the finalists in attendance will receive an award and gift at the awards presentation.
All 60 of the top PSAs will be shown at the Awards Reception at the Van Singel Fine Arts Center. In September, the winning PSAs in each category will be reproduced on DVDs and distributed to schools across the state as tools for their Character Education, Health Education and Diversity programs.
With summer comes a slew of festivals in West Michigan, each entirely unique and memorable. We’re talking about festivals centered around food, beer, nature, culture, and more throughout the next few months. With festivals nearly every week throughout the Summer, there’s always something right around the corner for you to experience with these West Michigan festivals.
June Festivals in West Michigan
Mecosta County hosts the Barryton Lilac Festival Craft and Vendor Show from June 2nd to 4th. The Lilac Festival is a chance for families to come out and do something fun at a family-friendly event. The festival kicks off with a talent show, pony rides, and a petting zoo, and is in full swing on Saturday with a car show, free-throw shoot out, as well as the vendor and craft show. The festival wraps up on Sunday with a community potluck in the park.
Rockford has two festivals in June that need to be on your schedule. The Rockford Reading Festival is on Saturday, June 3rd. Numerous authors will have booths selling and talking about their books. This is a fun way to scratch your summer reading addiction. From June 9th to 11th, is the 49th Annual Start of Summer Celebration. Food, arts and crafts, free kids activities, carnival rides, beer tents, and more make this a fun event for the whole family to attend. Family fun is always at the center of Rockford’s summer festival lineup.
June is popular in Muskegon with the Antique Tractor and Engine Show from June 8th to 10th, and the White Lake Arts & Crafts Festival on June 17th to 18th.
The National Cereal Fest in Battle Creek is June 9th and 10th, celebrating the birthplace of cereal. The festival kicks off with the Grand Cereal Parade, and continues on the next day with the World’s Longest Breakfast Table.
Celebrate Mackinac Island’s treasured blooms at the Lilac Festival. Running from June 9th to 18th, discover over 100 species of the sweetest smelling lilacs. Festival events abound, including a Dog & Pony Parade, Taste of Mackinac, hayrides, family fun playground, walking tours, artist expos, planting seminars, live music, and more.
Feast of the Strawberry Moonis June 10th and 11th, in Grand Haven. The event includes reenactments, a kids’ day, live entertainment, and more as they explore the middle-ground world that evolved between Europeans and the Native Americans in the Great Lakes Region during the pre-1800 fur trade era.
Grand Haven hosts some of West Michigan’s fan-favorite festivals every summer. The Spring Lake Heritage Festival is June 12th to 17th, and has family fun like no other. The following week is the Grand Haven Art Festival on June 24th and 25th. The event seeks to provide the community and visitors with a unique opportunity to purchase one-of-a-kind art, directly from the artists.
River Country is hosting a variety of events all month long. The 61st Annual Three Rivers Water Fest is in downtown Three Rivers on June 15th to 17th, featuring arts and crafts, food vendors, midway, classic car show, live music, parade, fireworks and more. Also in June are the Michigan Hydroplane Boat Races from June 16th to 18th, with small boats made from thin wood strips going 100 miles per hour. June concludes with Sturgis Fest on June 17th to 25th.
Visit Ionia on Saturday June 17th, as Main Street is transformed into the Yellow Brick Road before your very eyes for the annual Wizard of Oz Festival! As a tribute to the Wizard of Oz, they have planned a full day of fun for everyone. From arts and crafts to vintage treasures, vendors will be offering their finest wares. The movie that started it all will be shown at the historic Ionia Theatre, with tickets priced as they were 78 years ago at just 25 cents per person.
Coldwater’s Strawberry Festival is Saturday, June 17th with everything themed like the little red fruit. The festival parade starts at 11am, with more than 150 exciting entries of floats, musical entertainment, motorcades, marching bands, clowns, and acrobats that will keep you entertained for two hours.
Harborfest is South Haven’s annual celebration of the area’s unique maritime history. For 25 years, Harborfest has kicked off summer on Father’s Day weekend, June 16th to 18th, with free live music, food and craft fairs, Dragon boat races, kids activities, beer garden and more! Harborfest is sponsored entirely by local businesses and volunteers of South Haven.
As part of Harborfest, the Michigan Maritime Museum presents the 36th Antique & Classic Boat Show on Saturday, June 17th. This event celebrates all kinds of antique and classic small craft from powerboats to paddle boats. Woodworkers and collectors alike will show their boats, demonstrations on boat building techniques will be featured, and toy boat building will be available for kids. The aim is to help perpetuate the building, restoration, and use of classic boats and small craft to give participants and the public an entertaining and informative learning experience.
For 42 years, the St. Ignace Car Show has been a Michigan summer staple for people who love automobiles. This year, the Car Show weekend is June 22nd to 24th, with hundreds of custom, antique, and celebrity automobiles on display in the streets of this quaint Upper Peninsula community. This event is great for families, and conveniently located near beaches, parks, hiking trails, and Mackinac Island ferries.
The Bay Harbor Vintage Car and Boat Festival in Petoskey brings you an amazing show on June 22nd and 24th with a fantastic collection of classic cars and wooden boats! This event brings thousands of people from across the Midwest with their families to see this elegant gathering of vintage cars and motor boats.
St. Ignace Car Show, photo courtesy Pure Michigan
Grab your walking shoes and mark your calendar for the upcoming Marquette Trails Festival from June 23rd to 25th. Spend some time in the great outdoors at this fun event!
For history buffs, the Civil War Muster in Ludington is June 23rd and 24th at Historic White Pine Village. Become one with history while being surrounded by civil war re-enactors.
The 14th Annual Blues Festival will be held in Marshall on Saturday, June 24th. The event is headlined by the Luther Badman Keith Blues Band, along with guest bands performing all day. Bring a lawn chair, sit right downtown on Michigan Avenue, and enjoy the blues.
Located on Walloon Lake, Hotel Walloon is hosting their Walloon Water Sports Festival on Saturday, June 24th. See water ski shows by the Grand City Show Skiers at 11am and 1:30pm. With summer comes exciting times on the water at Hotel Walloon.
June in Battle Creek means it’s time for the Battle Creek Field of Flight Air Show & Balloon Festival from June 29th to July 4th. Balloon launches or fly-ins take place every night (weather dependent) and air shows take place at noon.
Cadillac Freedom Festival in Cadillac is a fantastic, family-friendly festival from June 30th to July 2nd. Enjoy a Kids Carnival, Freedom 5k, disc golf tournament, and more over this three-day event up north.
July Festivals in West Michigan
When it comes to summer festivals, Traverse City packs the schedule with something happening nearly every week. One of the biggest festivals in the area is the National Cherry Festival, which runs from July 1st to 8th. Cherry Festival celebrates every year with over 150 family activities including air shows, fireworks, parades, games, races, midway rides, nightly outdoor concerts, and plenty of chances to taste delicious cherry products.
If you consider yourself an art enthusiast, the 49th Annual West Shore Art Fair in Ludington is July 1st and 2nd, featuring over 100 jury selected fine artists competing with a variety of media including clay, fiber, glass, painting, photography, and more.
There are events galore in Marquette, so clear some time to attend at least one of these fine festivals! The International Food Festival is from July 2nd to 5th, Hiawatha Music Festival from July 21st to 23rd, and Blueberry Festival on July 28th.
Shanty Creek’s Freedom Festival is July 3rd. Activities include games and activities for kids, bounce house, water slide, live music, lawn games and disc golf, swimming pool, face painting, and more. Admission is free with a nominal fee for some activities.
Charlevoix Venetian Festival
Celebrate Independence Day in the Charlevoix area at the Boyne City 4th of July Festival on July 3rd and Beaver Island’s celebration on July 4th. July also brings the tunes with the Charlevoix Venetian Festival from July 15th and 22nd, and the Beaver Island Music Festival from July 20th and 22nd.
The Lakeshore Art Festival features a unique blend of arts, crafts, music, food, and fun in beautiful downtown Muskegon on July 7th and 8th. With nearly 300 fine art and specialty craft exhibitors, children’s activities, specialty food items, street performers and multiple interactive art stations this event is an artful experience for all to enjoy!
Car enthusiasts, rev up your engines for the Scottville Summerfest when it rolls into Ludington on July 7th and 8th. There’s a Friday night car cruise and Saturday is headlined by the Annual Classic Car Show.
Ionia Free Fair in Ionia is July 13th to 22nd with camping, a parade, live entertainment, and more across ten days. The whole festival is very affordable and, best of all, very fun!
Mount Pleasant has festivals throughout July, making it easy to find something for you and your family. On July 15th, car collectors from across the state come together for the Downtown Mount Pleasant Car Show. NativeFest, from July 24th to 29th, features an American Indian Dance, music and comedy shows, car bingo, and more. With festivals and events throughout the month, you’re bound to find something that you’ll love in Mount Pleasant.
Beaver Island Music Festival promotes the variety and tradition of all music and art, and the Beaver Island Boat Company will help you get there. Being located off the grid in the middle of Lake Michigan’s largest island, it’s easily known as one of the most unique music festivals in northern Michigan. Load up your camping gear, ride the boat over during the festival week from July 20th to 22nd, and listen to musicians fill the air with their laid-back tunes on your way to rock out in the woods with a great group of friends.
Celebrate Polish culture at the Coldwater’s Polish Festival on July 20th to 22nd, before ending the Coldwater’s summer festival season the following month with the County Fair from August 6th to 12th.
For your inner artists, there’s also the 49th Annual Cadillac Arts Festival on July 21st and 22nd, held in the Cadillac City Park. The Park Pavilion hosts live entertainment and the art exhibits will be present throughout the weekend.
Idlewild Festival, held in Idlewild on July 22nd, commemorates and celebrates the history of well known African-American entertainers and professionals who owned property and performed at the Historic Resort prior to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Known as the “Black Eden,” this location was one of the few resorts in the United States where African Americans could vacation and purchase property.
New to Battle Creek this year is the Caribbean Fest on Saturday, July 22nd. Come out for a night of authentic island food, craft vendors, and reggae music. It’s a great way to spend a hot July, summer night. Rounding out the summer festival season in Battle Creek is Leilapalooza at the Leila Arboretum on Saturday, July 29th. See 60 bands perform on multiple stages at this family event.
Traverse City Film Festival is July 25th to 30th. The event was founded by Oscar-winning filmmaker Michael Moore as a charitable, educational, nonprofit organization committed to showing “Just Great Movies” and helping to save one of America’s few indigenous art forms: the cinema. The festival brings films and filmmakers from around the world to northern Michigan every year.
Petoskey is hosting the 18th Annual Bay Harbor Fine Arts & Fine Craft Festival. Held on the waterfront North and South Terraces on July 28th and 29th, this year’s festival includes expanded art categories, meaning there’s more to see or possibly add to your collection.
Rounding out the Grand Haven summer is the Coast Guard Festival. Running from July 28th to August 6th, this nationally recognized festival honors and respects the men and women of the United States Coast Guard and provides family activities along the way. Grand Haven prides itself on throwing festivals for the entire family, and this summer is no exception.
Rendezvous in the Sault in Sault Ste. Marie is a two-day festival on July 29th and 30th, where you’ll be able to live through history. The Michigan Surveyor’s Reenactment Group fills the days with food, music, dancing, cannon firing, drum and fife corps, puppet shows, storytelling, crafts, and games. Step back in time and experience life in the 1600s with this fun and educational event! Rendezvous at the Sault moves right into the 5th Annual Sault Summer Arts Festival on August 1st. This juried exhibition and sale of fine arts and crafts is a free event with a wide array of arts and crafts on display including paintings, photographs, prints, and more. Enjoy these events in this historic Michigan city!
August Festivals in West Michigan
Kalamazoo Ribfest is not only one of Townsquare Media’s signature events, but also Kalamazoo’s largest annual downtown festival when it takes over from August 3rd to 5th. Featuring rib vendors from across the country as well as local favorites, come with an empty stomach! The “Best Ribs in Kalamazoo” tent will kick off Thursday night where attendees can sample from all the local rib vendors to determine the winner who receives rights to a vendor booth space at next year’s event. National entertainment and local bands will take the stage as well.
The 44th Annual Island Art Fairin Grand Ledge is August 5th, and is designed to promote Ledge Craft Lane. Vendors at the Island Art Fair come from all over the state for one of the best one-day shows in Michigan. As it was for the first Island Art Fair and continues to be, all artists’ and artisans’ work is approved by a jury. Those interested in participating need to complete an application and provide pictures of their art or craft as well as a picture showing them create their work.
Petoskey rounds out their summer festival season with two big events. In nearby Boyne Falls is the Boyne Falls Polish Festival on August 3rd to 6th. Polish food and Polish music are just the beginning with a carnival, horse and tractor pulls, an oldies night, parades, and more throughout the four days. On the evening of August 10th, Petoskey will be filled with unique cars and trucks during the annual Harbor Springs Car Festival. What makes this event different from other car shows is that it is open to all types of vehicles, giving attendees a wide variety of vehicles to check out.
The National Blueberry Festival is a four-day long event from August 10th to 13th, that takes place in the heart of downtown South Haven. The Blueberry Festival is one of South Haven’s biggest annual events. It encompasses the friendly feel of South Haven, while providing fun and entertainment for the whole family!
The 27th Annual Del Shannon Car Show in Coopersville is one of the largest linear car shows in West Michigan when it comes to town on August 11th and 12th. It draws up to 400 cars for the cruise and draws thousands of people from all over to participate and enjoy.
The Sparta Celtic Festival is a free, family-friendly event focused on the expression of Celtic heritage. Located in Roger’s Park in Sparta on August 12th and 13th, the festival offers music, food, and merchants with a Celtic focus.
See some of the area’s best animals compete at the Berrien County Youth Fair on August 14th to 19th. With this year’s theme of “Fairadise,” there’s plenty of additional concerts, carnival rides, food, and family fun that’s sure to be worth your free time.
The Michigan Fiber Festival in Allegan is August 16th to 20th. The mission of the festival is to promote the interests of individuals and businesses related to natural fiber, to advance and continue high quality standards of business practice in the natural fiber area, and to further the development and knowledge within the fiber community. With the festival, enjoy workshops, activities, and a market, with something for everybody!
The 53rd Annual Danish Festival is August 17th to 20th, in Greenville. The event features live entertainment, parades, hot air balloons, and other summer staples while celebrating the Danish heritage.
The Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce invites you to attend the 15th Annual Festival on the Bay on August 18th and 19th at the Petoskey waterfront. Every year, visitors enjoy great music inside the Entertainment Tent and a fun Children’s Area all weekend. Other activities include Chalk the Walk, A Silent Disco, Wine on the Water, The Big Art Show, a petting zoo, and so much more!
The Bellaire Chamber of Commerce is pleased to present the 30th Annual Rubber Ducky Festival in Downtown Bellaire on August 19th. Highlighting the Rubber Ducky Festival is a quarter-mile race when 2000 yellow ducks are dumped into the Intermediate River. Visitors can buy a $5 race ticket that corresponds to the number on a Rubber Duck. Ducks finishing the Top 27 win a cash prize! Come down for the ducks and maybe you’ll leave with some extra cash.
Walk The Beat in Grand Haven is Saturday, August 19th, and is a music festival like no other! The event hosts dozens of artists from all over the state in local business and venues, where participants can literally “walk the beat” from show to show and enter a series of giveaways along the way. It’s the perfect way to expose emerging musicians, as well as support local business in a big end-of-the-summer party!
GRandJazzFest in Grand Rapids is West Michigan’s only free, weekend-long jazz festival! This year’s festival is August 19th and 20th, at Rosa Parks Circle, a central location in the heart of downtown. The festival brings to the stage notable jazz performers as well as up-and-coming artists for diverse audiences.
Bring the family to The City of Hastings’ Summerfest from August 25th to 27th. The annual event features an arts and crafts sale on the lawn of the historical and picturesque Barry County Court House, food, live music and entertainment, sporting events, Grand Parade, car show, and more. Don’t miss this celebration of summer!
Creative teens can learn professional filmmaking and acting techniques and make a movie in a week during Compass College of Cinematic Arts’ summer Film and Acting Camps. These fast-paced, hands-on camps give high school students a glimpse into the real world of multimedia production and on-camera acting.
Both camps run June 19-23, and registration is open to teens ages 13-18. In Film Camp, students work with industry professionals and state-of-the art film equipment to write, direct, and edit their own short film. Meanwhile, students in the Acting Camp are cast in these films, and spend the week refining their on-camera acting techniques. At the end of the week, students walk the red carpet and their films premiere for friends and family in the theater at Compass College.
“Film camp was a great first look at the industry,” said John LeFan, former film camper and 2013 Compass College alumnus. “It’s a great starter program to get your feet wet. I was immediately hooked.”
The camps are designed for students with little to no film and acting experience. The instructors at Compass College make the process fun and as similar to a real-life production set as possible.
“Learning how to act on camera and having a role in a real short film was the most fun I’ve ever had at a camp,” said 2016 camper Rian Turner. “I enjoyed it so much that I’m coming back again this summer!”
The film campers go behind-the-scenes of the movie-making process to learn screenwriting, cinematography, lighting, camera, audio engineering, editing and much more—all while working with the actors in the acting camp! The acting students walk through the same process a real celebrity would use to learn their role for a new movie. They practice improvisation, master different acting techniques, audition for roles, rehearse their script, and discuss costume design. Then it all comes together in front of the camera.
“It’s a great opportunity for the campers to learn the filmmaking process in a creative and fun way,” said Joshua Courtade, Film Camp instructor and award-winning screenwriter, “The film students get to collaborate with the acting students and the results are some very fun short films.”
Over the years, campers have had the opportunity to Skype with Hollywood actors and producers like Beau Wirick, Mark Clayman, and Ralph Winter who have worked on the sets of shows like NCIS, The Office, and Arrested Development, and produced feature films such as, Pursuit of Happyness, X-Men, and X-Men Origins.
Space in the camps is limited so early registration is recommended. For more information, call Compass College at 616-988-1000, or visit online at www.compass.edu.
Just in time for the 80-degree weather, the City of Wyoming announced this morning that its splash pads will open today.
The splash pads are located at Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St SW; Oriole Park, 1380 42nd St. SW; and Southlawn Park, 4125 Jefferson SW. They are open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Labor Day.
The City of Wyoming’s splash pads are one of the many reasons that WOOD TV’s Maranada has kicked off her Park Parties at Wyoming’s Lamar Park for the past several years. According to Maranda, the park also offers excellent parking, wide open space with the park’s splash pad providing a place to help children and families cool off on hot summer days.
Maranda comes to Lamar Park on June 22. She will bring the Park Party to Kentwood July 13 at the East Kentwood High School, 6230 Kalamazoo Ave. SE. The Wyoming and Kentwood events are the only Park Parties scheduled this year for the Greater Grand Rapids area with the rest being in Muskegon, Kalamazoo, and Holland.
Once again, in working with USDA, Michigan Dept. of Ed and local school districts, free lunch will be served to anyone 18 and under starting at 11:30 a.m., while supplies last at all Park Party events. Maranda’s Park Parties have been recognized by the USDA as one of the nation’s largest summer feeding programs.
Park Parties run from noon – 2 p.m. at the dates listed above. Every Park Party also includes free activities, games, entertainment and, prizes.
For more on the Maranda Park Parties, click here. For more about the splash pads and other City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation activities and events, visit wyoming.gov and click the “Living in Wyoming” tab.
Several local girls high school soccer teams will be in action this week.
By Mike Moll
WKTV Sports
The month of June may not have many scheduled events but each of them will be very important as they are all part of their respective MHSAA State tournament leading to the crowning of both individual state championships along with team state championships. The final school sports seasons draw to a close the weekend of June 16-17 when the girls soccer, boys baseball, and girls softball have the final competitions.
All the best to the student-athletes that have graduated and we look forward to seeing the underclassmen returning starting in August as the new year starts up and the fall sports seasons start it all over again.
While July will be an “empty” month as far as the high school sports schedule is concerned, the WKTV truck and crews will be covering various events over the course of the summer, so keep checking the broadcast schedule for more sporting events coming to you.
WKTV sports events will be broadcast on Live Wire Comcast Channel 24 throughout the Grand Rapids Metro Area and repeated later in the week 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, and any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, see now.wktv.org/sports/
The complete list of local high school sports events this week is as follows:
Thursday, June 1
Girls soccer
East Kentwood @ FH Central – MHSAA Div. 1 State Districts
West Michigan Aviation vs West Catholic @ Catholic Central – MHSAA Div. 3 State Districts
Godwin Heights @ Catholic Central – MHSAA Div. 3 State Districts
Covenant Christian vs Potter’s House @ NorthPointe Christian – MHSAA Div.4 State Regionals
Calvin Christian vs Tri-Unity Christian @ NorthPointe Christian – MHSAA Div. 4 State Regionals
The official start of summer – Festival of the Arts – kicks off in just a couple of weeks –June 2, 3, 4 – and there is already a buzz about some of the programs and partnerships for this year’s event.
“Festival embraces the tradition and sense of community ownership while at the same time recognizing the need for change and improvement, as long as the core values of the event are retained,” said Lisa Radeck, 2017 co-chair. “Each year, new activities and performers are added, new volunteers are sought, and we strive to empower new and alternative forms of artistic expression. As the community grows, we grow, together. The tradition continues by diversity and inclusion.”
One of the biggest changes is the revamping of the children’s activities and performances to create “Kids’ World” at Rosa Parks Circle stage during all three days of Festival.
Family favorite kids’ activities such as Mad Hatter will be joined with new activities from a host of local organizations. Some of the activities are: Sack Suppers with Kids Food Basket, design-a-diaper with Great Start Collaborative – First Steps, Camp Curious with the Grand Rapids Public Museum, animal visits with John Ball Zoo, hands-on health and proper nutrition projects with Ferris State University School of Pharmacy, and a dance and motion project with Grandville Avenue Arts. Sunday will be International Day with the Grand Rapids Sister Cities organization and Bethany Christian Services, providing a day of international arts and entertainment emphasizing “Kids from around the World.”
Friday stage performances at Rosa Parks Circle stage include the Gemini Brothers, Dilly Songs with Kevin Kammeraad, and Miranda of “The Miranda Show.” (Note this is not a park party event.) Saturday features Jim the Spoon Man, John Ball Zoo, Dilly Songs, and the Grandville Avenue Arts and Humanities.
There are numerous other activities beyond Kids’ World and the stage performances. Everyone gets a chance to join in on hands-on participation fun with Adult Paint-In and Swingin’ Art, and returning for the first time since the late ’80s, Festival is bringing back block printing to the Printmaking Booth! Block printing will be on paper with blocks made by participants in past printmaking workshops or by using block letters to print your own name or favorite saying, and visitors can also participate in screen printing by bringing their own material or purchasing a plain white t-shirt in youth and adult sizes for sale at the booth.
The other popular Festival stages, Calder, City, and Outer Fringe will be open and hosting a wide variety of performances by artists from eight West Michigan counties represented at Festival. New this year is the Kendall Stage, located on Pearl Street between the Ferris State University’s Kendall College of Art and Design’s main building and the Kendall Galleries located in the Woodbridge N. Ferris Building.
“The Festival 2017 Regional Arts Committee is thrilled to be working with Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University,” said Regional Arts Co-Chair Fred Bivins. “Everyone there has been a pleasure to work with, and we feel like we’re coming home to the Fed Galleries in the former Federal Building, now the Woodbridge N. Ferris Building, as the show was there for many years when the building housed the Grand Rapids Art Museum and for several more when the City of Grand Rapids allowed us its use for the show.”
While the main Festival activities are always the first full weekend in June, the Festival Regional Arts Exhibition starts the celebration a few days earlier with its opening reception on May 31 from 5 – 8 p.m. The exhibition will be up from June 1 to July 15.
Each year, Festival invites a local artist or group of artists to carry the tradition forward in the design of a poster. The 2017 “Make it a Family Tradition” theme is reflected by the four artists who created this year’s poster. Their names are familiar to many in the region: author and illustrator Ryan Hipp; puppeteer, artist, and “Tomato Collection” author Kevin Kammeraad, Kammeraad’s son and artist Carlos, and retired Rockford High School art teacher Ken Vidro. They have made Festival of the Arts their own “family tradition” with the multi-generational poster collaboration. The artists are also longtime participants at Festival, for the last ten years their artwork has been featured in the Art Sales Tent, which is partly the reason the 2017 co-chairs Radeck and Merrie Pieri-Clark selected them to design this year’s colorful poster.
Visitors to Festival 2017 are encouraged to visit the Art Sales Tent where they will find favorites new and old, as several area artists and artisans will be on hand selling unique items and are happy to share information about their work.
Last but certainly not least, Festival continues the tradition of including the culinary arts in its mix, where year after year visitors experience flavors from around the world along the streets of downtown Grand Rapids. More than twenty-five food booths operated by non-profits will be offering a variety of items from the popular souvlaki sandwich to popcorn and much more. “We are excited to welcome a couple of new food offerings which includes tamales!” said Pieri-Clark.
Opening ceremonies will follow tradition, with the celebration kickoff at noon on Friday, June 2. New this year is a second ceremony on opening day for those coming later in the evening. The second ceremony will take place at 7:00 p.m. Friday.
For all the latest information about Festival of the Arts, including performance schedules, activities, and food booths, visit www.festivalgr.org or check out the organization’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/festivalGR.
The Real to Reel program at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts show the Academy Award-nominated documentary “I Am Not Your Negro” on Thursday, June 8, at 7 p.m.
Tickets are general admission, priced at the door at $7 for non-members.
“I Am Not Your Negro” is based on novelist and activist James Baldwin’s last book, “Remember This House”. The unfinished novel was to be a revolutionary, personal account of the lives and successive assassinations of three of Baldwin’s close friends – Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King, Jr. In this incendiary documentary, filmmaker Raoul Peck envisions the book Baldwin never finished.
The film examines race in America, using Baldwin’s original words and rich archival material, questioning black representation in Hollywood and beyond. “I Am Not Your Negro” is a journey into black history that connects the past of the Civil Rights movement to the present of #BlackLivesMatter. Peck and Baldwin challenge the very definition of what America stands for.
The New York Times says “whatever you think about the past and future of what used to be called ‘race relations’ this movie will make you think again, and may even change your mind.”
The Saugatuck Center for the Arts is located at 400 Culver St., Saugatuck. For more information visit sc4a.org or call 269-857-2399.
Legend has it that if you build a fairy home and leave it in your garden, you just might attract a fairy into your domain.
If you have neither the time nor the talent to build your own Fairy home, see the spectacular work of others at the Grand Rapids Symphony’s “Blandford Enchanted” at Blandford Nature Center in Grand Rapids.
Some 35 fairy houses created by West Michigan artists will be on display indoors Friday, June 2 through Sunday, June 4, in Blandford Nature Center’s new Mary Jane Dockeray Welcome Center.
Much more can be seen throughout the grounds wildlife and nature preserve located at 1715 Hillburn Ave. NW, in Grand Rapids.
Outdoor displays, a special Fairy Boutique, live entertainment and more will be part of the three-day event organized by Grand Rapids Symphony Friends, formerly known as the Grand Rapids Symphony Women’s Committee.
Do-it-yourself Fairy Door decorating and build-it-yourself Fairy House making kits will be available. Organizers spent months gathering materials for Fairy House starter kits with all-natural materials.
A special Lantern Walk through the forest, complete with live music, will be held the evening of Saturday, June 3 among the grounds of the 143-acre preserve.
A preview party, “One Enchanted Evening,” will be held Thursday, June 1, at the nature preserve on the northwest side of Grand Rapids.
“Blandford Enchanted” will feature dozens of meticulously hand-crafted fairy houses, none more than 3-foot high, created by local artists. The community-wide project included help from students at Aquinas College and installation and technical assistance from Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, the Grand Rapids Public Museum and Grand Rapids Children’s Museum. Adults and children alike will delight in the tiny details that make these dwellings so unique.
“It’s going to be absolutely enchanting,” said organizer Liz Schultz. “People won’t forget it.”
Hours for “Blandford Enchanted” are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, June 2, through Sunday, June 4. Admission is $10 adults, $5 children.
The Lantern Walk will be 7 to 10 p.m., Saturday, June 3. Tickets for the Lantern Walk are $15 for all ages.
A preview party, “One Enchanted Evening,” will be held 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday, June 1.
Along with a sneak-peak preview of the exhibition, the evening includes heavy hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar; music from the Celtic ensemble An Dro; and the premiere of a new ballet, set to the music of Maurice Ravel, featuring dancers from Grand Rapids Ballet and musicians of the Grand Rapids Symphony.
Tickets for “One Enchanted Evening” are $75. Tickets include entertainment, food and a signature drink.
“Blandford Enchanted” is a fund raiser held to support the Grand Rapids Symphony’s educational programs.
“The focus is the Grand Rapids Symphony and its educational programs. That’s what’s important,” Schultz said. “The magic is what the symphony brings to our community.”
A similar event, Brookby Enchanted, held two years ago at the historic Blodgett Estate in East Grand Rapids was an enchanting success that engaged young families with the creative community of Grand Rapids.
“Brookby was really good,” Schultz said. “But this is going to be even better.”
Not too long after Abby was first adopted out, her new mom relocated out of the country and asked her grandparents to care for her (we were not aware of this exchange until after the fact).
Everyone seemed to be doing well for many months until Dr. Jen received a call: Abby had fallen very ill and continued medical care was not affordable. Of course Dr. Jen asked her to be brought back to the shelter immediately so treatment could be started for profound weight loss, diarrhea and a non-regenerative anemia that was proving to be life-threatening.
When Abby arrived at the clinic, Dr. Jen was astounded at what rough shape she was in; the one portly princess who tipped the scales at 11# was down to a mere 7-1/2#, all skin and bones, weak and rail-thin. Thankfully, heavy-duty antibiotics and steroids acted efficiently to counteract the devastating effects of a blood parasite, and within a few short weeks, Abby was gaining weight, color had returned to her pale mucous membranes and some of her vibrant energy was restored. Having not been her primary caretaker for quite some time, Dr. Jen surmised that physiological stress caused by significant oral inflammation and pain exacerbated the blood parasite (can lay dormant for years); had her oral condition been addressed in a timely manner, it is possible she would have not fallen so ill in the first place.
All of her teeth except her canine had to be removed in hopes of controlling a condition known as Feline Stomatitis, but no worries on the chewing and chomping front, as Abby is able to chow down with the best of em!
Abby had been through more trials and tribulations in her years on this earth (she was born in the summer of 2008) than any one animal should ever be expected to, but she has handled herself with grace in the face of adversity. She is not one to complain or carry on, but a gentle, divine soul who wants nothing more than to be loved and told how pretty she is! Her bladder inflammation (Feline Idiopathic Cystitis) is controlled with daily medication and minimizing her external stressors, as keeping her days as low-stress as possible is what this doctor has ordered!
She has overcome some pretty amazing odds as of late, and we are doing everything within our power to insure that Abby is happy, healthy and well-cared for, so we are planning on her staying put for the time being. Dr. Jen needs to be 100% sure that her anemia resolves completely, and that we are able to get her as healthy as possible before going to a new home.
Abby is positive for Feline Leukemia, but potential adopters shouldn’t rule her out for this. Read about the facts on Feline Leukemia here.
More about Abby:
FELV/FIC/stomatitis
House trained
Spayed/Neutered
Declawed
Special needs
Current on vaccinations
Want to adopt Abby? Learn about the adoption process here. Fill out a pre-adoption form here.
Can’t adopt, but still want to help? Find out how you can sponsor a cat!
Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary have a common mission: To take at-risk stray cats off the streets of the Greater Grand Rapids area, provide them with veterinary care and house them in free-roaming, no-kill facilities until dedicated, loving, permanent homes can be found.
Take a trip down memory lane as WKTV presents “All Aboard!: The Legends of the Rails” June 2 and 3.
The special will air on WKTV Channel 25 at noon on Friday, June 2, and 5 p.m., Saturday, June 3.
The production shows the story of passenger trains in America, taking the viewer on a coast-to-coast journey to re-live the history, color and fascinating story of some of America’s most popular passenger trains. From the earliest-steam locomotives to today’s streamlined Amtrak diesels, the viewer will be treated to spectacular cinematography as these legends of the rails glide through the mountains, valleys cityscapes and back country of America.
Featured locomotives include the Union Pacific 3985, 844, and E9’s, Nebraska Zephyr, Norfolk & Western 611, Frisco 1522, and Southern Pacific 4449. As a special treat, viewers will get to “sit” next to the engineer for ride on the Southwest Chief. Also part of the video includes exclusions, dinner trains, tourist lines, the Dever & Rio Grande Ski Train, and footage of Amtrak from coast to coast.
This is week two of a five-week series on job search buzzwords.
What is a personal brand?
Dictionary definition: the ongoing process of establishing a prescribed image or impression in the mind of others about an individual, group, or organization.
Our definition: how you present yourself online and offline to others and, for job seekers, to potential employers.
Companies use brands to help consumers identify their merchandise. For example, we immediately connect the Coca-Cola logo and Nike swoosh to soda and athletic shoes. But it’s much more than a logo. It represents the feelings, expectations and value we associate with a specific company or product.
A brand can also apply to a person. Your personal brand includes your experience, skills, interests, online presence and relationships. Creating a strong personal brand can help you stand out from the crowd.
How do I create a strong personal brand?
Understand yourself.
What value do you offer? What are you passionate about? What are your strengths and weaknesses? When you reveal your authentic self to potential employers it shows them that you are more than your skills and experience. Your unique personality will help recruiters understand how you fit with the company’s culture.
Create an online presence.
Promote your brand online with positive, professional posts. If you don’t already have one, create a LinkedIn profile. You can include personal information such as causes you are passionate about and share posts on topics you are interested in. You’ll be seen as an individual instead of another resume in a large pile.
Network.
Last week’s article explained how to network. If you have done the work to understand your true self, networking is a way to share it with the world. Be personable and easy to relate to. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable – people like to connect with other real people. Finally, be consistent. Stay true to your brand so that people remember who you are, what you stand for and what value you offer.
Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.
New Holland Brewery will be serving up some oldies but goodies during its “throwback” beer release event June 10. (Supplied)
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
As part of its 20th anniversary celebration, New Holland Brewing Company plans to release six throwback beers — both fan and brewer favorites from the past 20 years — during New Holland’s annual Hatter Days Street Party, Saturday, June 10, at the brewery’s Holland Pub on 8th.
In addition to being available at the Holland Pub — located at 66 E 8th St., in Holland — the throwback beers will also be available June 10 in six packs at New Holland’s Grand Rapids westside’s The Knickerbocker, located at 417 Bridge St. NW.
“We are thrilled to include throwback beers as part of our 20th anniversary celebration,” New Holland President Brett VanderKamp said in supplied material. “We want to thank everyone who has supported us over the past two decades by bringing back some of our favorite brews. It’s a special time for us, and we’re excited to revel in the nostalgia of this milestone with the community at what will be our most dynamic Hatter Days Street Party yet.”
This year, New Holland Brewing will partner with Kids’ Food Basket for Hatter Days. Guests who bring items from the Kids’ Food Basket Wish List to street party will be entered to win one of many raffle prizes, including a private beer- and spirits-paired dinner for 10 persons.
The throwback beer lineup includes Kourage, a brown ale was originally named “Dutch Kourage” and a dark, aggressively hopped brown ale; Zoomer Wit, a summer-favorite wheat ale first brewed 1998 with orange, spices and American-grown wheat; Y2K, from 1999, a barleywine-style ale with deep mahogany hues; Green Hornet, also from 1999, an American-style golden pale ale; Jubilee, also first brewed in 1999 — “It was a very good year …” — that harmoniously blends fruit and fermentation character; and finally Blue Goat, dating from 2006, this doppelbock beer is chestnut in color with a nutty malt profile from its Munich malt.
In addition to the throwback brews, Holland’s Hatter Days will feature free, family-friendly event where all ages are welcome for a BBQ cookout, live music from local and national acts and all-day acts from Daredevil Circus from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Hatter Days will continue with an afterparty inside the Pub until 1 a.m.
The live music lineup includes The Ragbirds, Mucca Pazza, Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers, and The Dirty Dozen Brass Band. The afterparty music will be from Rusty’s Big Ass Band & Silent Disco, with DJ Dr. Joel between sets.
Local music, local food, and of course local beer, will once again be part of the annual LocalFirst Street Party set for June 3.
The 14th annual LocalFirst Street Party will run from 3 p.m. – midnight in the parking lot near Bistro Bella Vita, 44 Grandville Ave. SW, in downtown Grand Rapids.
“The Local First Street Party celebrates the vibrant and diverse local talent we have in Michigan,” said LocalFirst President Elissa Hillary. “From the music and performers to the food and beverage, it’s all evidence that the work we do is supporting and bringing together a strong community.”
New to this year’s event is an expanded kids area with the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum and Sanctuary Folk Art providing programming. Also the Happy Henna will be providing Henna tattoos and there will be an interactive photo booth by Smitten Booth.
Of course, if you are crafty, there will be lots of sidewalk chalk available to decorate the streets. Also returning to this year’s event with activities for everyone are 61Syx Technique Street Dance Academy, Audacious Hoops, and AM Yoga.
If you are looking to bust a groove, local groups such as The Crane Wives, Molly Bouwsma-Schultz & Friends, Cabildo, Convotronics, JRob & Bedrock: The Foundation, Hollywood Makeout, and Wealthy & Diamond will be providing the music to do just that.
Of course food is always on the mind whenever attending the LocalFirst Street Party and there will be plenty of it from a number of local restaurants and food trucks. This year’s line up includes A Moveable Feast, Love’s Ice Cream, Daddy Pete’s BBQ, The Maine Dish, Patty Matters, What the Truck, Twisted Rooster, Grand Rapids Pizza and Delivery, The Candied Yam and Malamiah Juice Bar.
And of course, you have to have something to wash it all down with and local favorites as Founders, Brewery Vivant, Mitten Brewing Company, Farmhaus, and Cider Company will all be on hand providing a range of local beverages to choose from. There also will be free water from Gordon Water.
“We are so grateful for all the support we receive of over 50 sponsors and community partners,” Hillary said. “The Street Party is one of the biggest ways we have to show off what local ownership and collaboration means for West Michigan.”
For more information and updates on the event, visit localfirst.com or follow #LFStreetParty.
Humane Society of West Michigan’s Summer Camp is a great place for your kids to spend their summer learning, growing and having a fun-filled experience that will leave a lasting impression! Summer Camps are filled with activities, games, crafts, lessons and hands-on experience for everyone based on animals and animal welfare! Five different camps are offered for a variety of ages and interests.
Full day sessions — from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
AM sessions — from 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
PM sessions — from 1-4 p.m.
After Care and Before Care are available for an additional fee.
Camp PET PALS
This camp offers a new theme everyday, including Delightful Dogs, Fun with Critters, Feline Friends and more. Days are filled with crafts, games and fun! Campers are expected to bring their own lunch, snack and a water bottle each day. Limited to 40 campers per session.
June 19-23, ages 5-7 — half-day sessions (AM and PM)
June 26-30, ages 8-10 — full-day sessions
July 17-21, ages 11-13 — full-day sessions
July 24-28, ages 5-7 — half-day sessions (AM and PM)
August 7-11, ages 8-10 — full-day sessions
August 21-25, ages 8-10 — full-day sessions
MEDIA MUTTS Camp
In this learn-and-create camp, campers will learn about a new topic each day focused on animals. There are different activities and projects throughout the week leading up to the final unique media project. Campers are expected to bring their own lunch, snack and water bottle each day. Limited to 40 campers per session.
August 14-18, ages 8-12 — full-day sessions
Vet Camp
In this hands-on camp, teens who are seriously considering a career in veterinary medicine will learn the ins and outs of being a vet. Spend some time with HSWM’s vet staff and watch surgeries, participate in dissections, practice suturing and injections, learn about diagnostic testing and more! Campers are expected to bring their own lunch, snack and a water bottle each day. Limited to 25 campers per session.
July 10-14, ages 13-17 — half-day sessions (AM)
July 31-August 4, ages 13-17 — half-day sessions (AM)
K9 Enrichment Camp
Sit, stay and come are just a few of the basic commands you will teach shelter dogs during this canine enrichment-filled camp. Learn basic and advanced obedience training, scent training, agility training, enrichment and socialization! Trainers will practice positive reinforcement training and special skills. They will also perform further research in body language, behavior assessment and breed histories to create a long-term strategy for a shelter dog. Campers are expected to bring their own lunch, snack and a water bottle each day. Limited to 25 campers per session.
July 10-14, ages 13-17 — half-day sessions (PM)
July 31-August 4, ages 13-17 — half-day sessions (PM)
Animal Advocates Mini Camp
In this mini three-day camp, campers who are passionate about animal welfare and making a difference will meet guest speakers and learn about current animal issues in our community. Each day campers will learn about a new topic through games, crafts and activities and even complete a service learning project! Campers are expected to bring their own lunch, snack and a water bottle each day. Limited to 40 campers per session.
July 5-7, ages 13-17 — full-day sessions
Reserve your place by signing up today!
Sign-up by emailing JordAnn your Summer Camp Registration Form (below) at jbush@hswestmi.org.
I had been coming to this realization for a couple of years that I didn’t understand my country. I felt there was this huge gap between the reality of what we were engaged in, in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the way it was being sold to the American public. I thought there was a story there. ~ Ben Fountain
And it’s a great story! A finalist for the National Book Award, there’s enough craziness, extreme masculine humor, power struggles, fighting, money, and sex to cover all the raw major drives. It’s Fountain’s gift to take these unconscious forces and show how they can easily be dressed up and marketed to serve political ends. But he’s also given us a protagonist that we deeply care about, with Specialist Lynn.
Billy is an army private who’s just come out of a fire fight in Iraq, where his team took grievous casualties. Filmed by an embedded Fox News reporter, Bravo squad became instantly famous. Sensing that Americans need a self-esteem boost concerning the war, the Bush administration has brought the remaining Bravos back to the U.S. for a two-week Victory Tour. After the funeral of their sergeant, the Bravos are taken across the country, where they are endlessly lauded, feted and thanked. Now it’s down to the last day before going back to Iraq, and they are guests of the Dallas Cowboys for the big Thanksgiving Day game, where they will also participate in the halftime festivities, and hope to meet Beyonce.
A Hollywood producer is with them, pushing all the buttons for their big movie deal. The alcohol is flowing, and they are meeting the fans, the players, the cheerleaders, the owner’s cabal . . .
Dude, what could go wrong?
Fountain’s novel expresses hard and horrible truths about human nature, but he folds in so many more truths about love, loyalty, and incomprehensible bravery that we swallow the pill. The humor and warmth of the novel carry us along, even as Fountain holds up an often unflattering mirror to our collective narcissism.
With the announcement of the cancellation of the Cutlerville Days, organizers of the Sounds of Summer concert series want residents to know that the program will return in July to Cutler Park.
Williams Productions along with the support of Byron Township make these free concerts available for the community with the concerts growing a larger audience each year.
“I believe that doing it right is the key, the best in entertainment with a variety of music genres, and high quality sound,” said Patty Williams, the award winning concert/video/music producer.
This year’s Sounds of Summer concert series will run Thursday evenings starting July at at Cutler Park, 6701 Cutler Park Drive. All shows are at 7 p.m. Introducing the concerts to the community this year will be newly elected Byron Township Supervisor Tom Hooker.
The 2017 lineup kicks off with bluegrass/country music with the local favorite Lare Williams & New Direction performing on July 6. On July 13 is Bettie Paige performing rock music. Popular request has brought back Blue Soul Express on July 20 and the Max Colley Jazz on July 27.
New this year, ealong with the music, is entertainment for the kids. Up under the shade tree stage left will be shows by P.J. Weber and Randy Vander Wal. These entertainers will provide balloons and magic for the children.
Ice cream, sweet treats and pizza will be available again this year thanks to Johnny’s Pizza and other local vendors from Cutlerville .
WKTV will be taping each show which are aired on the station for all to enjoy.
For more information, visit Williams Productions’ Facebook page, Facebook.com/PWilliamProductions or call 616-818-9874.
Grand Valley State University (GVSU)has again received gold status after completing a sustainability assessment developed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.
The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) gauges the progress of colleges and universities toward sustainability in all sectors, including education and research, operations, innovation and planning, and administration and engagement. Grand Valley joins gold STARS institutions such as Oregon State, Arizona State and Texas A&M University.
“At Grand Valley, sustainability is not an empty buzzword — it is ingrained in every practice,” said Anne Hiskes, dean of the Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies, which houses the Office of Sustainability Practices. “This is a great collective achievement of all colleges and divisions, and recognizes Grand Valley’s leadership in sustainability best practices and education not only among its students, faculty and staff, but among the communities of West Michigan as well.”
This is the fourth time GVSU has participated in the program. GVSU became the first Michigan university to receive gold status in 2013, and again in 2014, up from silver status in 2011.
This year, GVSU’s score increased from 66.05 to 70.80. Yumi Jakobcic, campus sustainability coordinator, credits the improved score to incremental increases across the board.
“Sustainability is a collective effort,” Jakobcic said. “We continue to offer more classes containing sustainability-related content and the number of professors engaged in sustainability-related research has increased. Our biggest improvement was in the waste category due to the university’s Surplus Store, and our score for buildings increased as well.”
The self-reporting assessment included more than 900 questions and includes bronze, silver, gold and platinum statuses. View the full report here.
For more information, contact the Grand Valley Office of Sustainability Practices at 616.331.7366.
Donnie Alford owns his past with a perspective on where he comes from, where he is today and why it all matters that seems mature beyond his 18 years. The Wyoming High School senior, who graduates June 1, tells his story with the precision and detail of a writer, stating his intent to reach out to struggling young people.
“I kind of want to tell you everything, because I want to be an inspiration for kids not to give up,” he said as he began our interview.
In true autobiographer form, he starts at the beginning: “I was born Sept. 4, 1998.”
Julian and Stacey Goodson took Donnie in as a son
Donnie’s family lived on the South Side of Chicago in the Robert Taylor projects, public housing that was notorious for drugs, gangs and violence. “You couldn’t sit above a certain level in the house because you had to be afraid of stray bullets that would fly in the home,” he said. “We always tried to stay below couch-level because it was dangerous.”
Yet many residents, including his family, had few other options. “When I was 5 or 6 years old, they tore down all the the project housing in Chicago, which forced thousands and thousands of mostly African-Americans to be homeless.”
For Donnie, that piece of Chicago history was real life. After a few nights sleeping in an old Volkswagen, he joined his relatives– 14 people total – in a three-bedroom apartment where he lived for the next two years.
“My bedroom wasn’t a bedroom; it was a really big closet. I used my clothes as a bed. I didn’t get my own mattress until I was in fourth grade.”
Donnie Alford smiles just talking about basketball
Moving to Grand Rapids
Donnie’s mother, Shawntay Hill, left Chicago for Grand Rapids to search for work and a new place to live. She came back for Donnie when he was almost 9-years-old.
Life in Grand Rapids was “me and my mom against the world,” he said. Fortunately, Donnie found happiness on the basketball court.
“Basketball is my passion; it’s my life,” he said. “Basketball saved me from some rough times. If it wasn’t for basketball, quite honestly, I would probably be doing what the majority of kids that come from my situation do -– the gang and drug life.
“Basketball was like a safe haven. When I was on the court all my problems would disappear for those split seconds when the ball was in my hand.”
But that passion didn’t yet transfer to the classroom, because Donnie didn’t see the point of trying. By then, his father was serving a more than 20-year prison sentence. “My father gets out of prison when I am 24 years old,” he said. “I can’t remember a moment when my father was free.
Donnie Alford looks to Julian Goodson as a father and example
“I didn’t care about school because, why would I? I didn’t think I was going to be anything in my life.”
When Donnie was 10, his mother gave birth to a boy, Armontae, and Donnie soon embraced the idea of becoming a big brother. But when the baby was just two months old, Donnie’s mother had a stroke and a heart attack, shaking the little stability he had in his life.
Shawntay spent the next seven years, from age 31 to 38, in a near vegetative state at a nursing home, never relearning to walk or talk. Her absence left a huge void in Donnie’s life.
“My mom was like my best friend. Growing up, I was an only child. We did everything together. She was the one who taught me to play basketball.”
With his mom in the hospital, Donnie spent the next few years living with aunts in Grand Rapids and Wyoming, content to get by with D’s in school.
Teacher Kellie Self could see the potential Donnie had in her sixth-grade class, even though he battled frustration and anger.
“I remember him being a brilliant kid who was an incredible writer,” she said. “I knew how capable he was, and that he could accomplish anything he put his mind to. However, I don’t necessarily think he believed that himself yet.
“Honestly, I didn’t treat him any differently than I treat any of my other students, but he responded differently to my encouragement and nurturing -– he literally thrived from it. I kept telling him he could do anything he wanted, and just how smart I knew he was.”
Donnie Alford earned a scholarship to play basketball at Olivet College
Self remembers one particularly rough day for Donnie.
“The social worker and I were in the hallway talking with him and she asked him what was wrong. He screamed, ‘I just want to see my mom!’ ‘You want to see your mom? I’ll take you there!’ the counselor replied. He couldn’t believe we could actually do something like that.”
Self ran back to her classroom and grabbed an African violet flower someone had given her and told him to give it to his mother. “I still have the photo of him next to his mom holding the flower, with with a huge smile on his face.”
Enter the Goodsons
Fate twisted Donnie’s freshman year, when he met Stacey and Julian Goodson, foster parents to many children including a good friend of Donnie’s. They took Donnie in when he was almost 16.
“They were always on me about my grades, he said. “It was like a culture change. The first semester I had straight D’s. I finished the second semester with straight B’s.”
Stacey and Julian both reached Donnie in their own ways. “Julian did it with basketball,” Donnie said, but it was much more than that.
“He told me he cared about me and he loved me. I never had a man in my life tell me he loved me. He actually cared about me and wanted me to be great. He didn’t just see me as a kid living in his house. He felt I was his son.”
Julian remembers Donnie coming to them with a fierce sense of independence. But after learning he was part of the family, Donnie grew leaps and bounds as a student and community member.
“One of the biggest things he learned was how to be a part of a family structure and unit,” Julian said. “He showed incredible leadership among his peers and siblings. … It was really just seeing what type of potential he had. He was able to tap into his potential and he found he was good at a lot of things, not just basketball.”
Julian was the male example Donnie needed.
“Growing up I never seen a successful African-American man,” Donnie said. “I didn’t really know what that was. Julian was there to show me African-American men can be successful, because I didn’t believe we could in this world. He showed me we could. He gave me hope.”
Stacey reached him with what seemed to Donnie like super powers.
“Stacey does so much,” he marveled. “She works, coaches sports, comes home, deals with all our problems, cooks dinner and still has time to laugh and be a good mom to all of us. She’s like superwoman. … I have mad love for her.”
The love is mutual.
“I’ve seen him mature a lot, as far as being an older sibling,” Stacey said. “I’ve also seen him mature in his priorities, what they are and what they need to be aligned with as far as academics and so forth.”
For so long, college wasn’t on Donnie’s radar. No one in Donnie’s family had graduated high school since the early 2000s, much less gone to college. But as his grades improved and more opportunities in basketball came his way, that began to change. The Goodsons gave him the opportunity to play travel basketball, and his team won every weekend.
Promises to His Mother
While Donnie began to excel, he remained hopeful that his mother would someday get better. But last year, doctors informed him she was 98 percent brain dead following a major medical setback. At that point, he said, “I realized my mom was never going to be the same again.”
He and relatives made the heart-wrenching decision to pull her off life support. “I watched my mom suffer for seven years. It was quite honestly the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life.
“My mom was a free spirit,” he added. “She loved to have fun, to laugh and talk and joke and dance.”
Shawntay Hill died May 15, 2016, exactly one year before Donnie was interviewed for this story.
“When my mom died, it was surreal. I couldn’t believe it. It was literally like a part of me died. I lost my best friend and my mom at once. I didn’t connect with anyone like I did with my mom.”
He found support at school from his friends and teachers. “The thing I like about Wyoming is it’s like a family.”
Before his mother died, Donnie made some promises to her.
“I promised my mom I will graduate. I would graduate high school and I would go to college and graduate from there. I told her I would play collegiate basketball. I told her I will do it all for her, and so far I have kept every word.”
‘A Poor Kid from the South Side’
To keep his word to his mother, Donnie, a guard for the Wyoming Wolves, had to up his game in a major way. Always an energetic, up-tempo player, he described himself as average overall. But senior year, “Every time I stepped on the court I was one of the best players.” He ended the year as all-conference honorable mention and all-area honorable mention.
He also improved thanks to the Goodsons, both coaches in Wyoming, who gave him access to the gym and weight room during the summer before his senior year.
“I worked out the whole summer and my motivation was my mom.” He got up every day at 7 a.m., and headed to the track for two hours to run the bleachers wearing a 25-pound weighted jacket.
He would go home for breakfast and then head back to the gym. From noon to 2:30 p.m. he was in the weight room and from 2:30 to 6 p.m. he was in the gym. “I would make 2,000 threes a day, 5,000 free throws, I would dribble until my arms were numb. I would do sprints until my feet hurt.”
He was also inspired by varsity boys basketball coach Tom VanderKlay, who demonstrates life skills to help athletes be successful men in the long run, Donnie said.
Donnie has received a scholarship to play basketball next school year at Olivet College, where he plans to major in personal training and physical therapy.
“Sometimes it doesn’t feel real,” he confessed. “At one point I was content with being like everybody else (from similar backgrounds): I’m going to either end up in jail or sell drugs. That’s the only way out. That’s all I knew.
“Who would ever have thought a poor kid from the South Side of Chicago would go on to play college basketball?”
Always Improving
Donnie’s GPA has climbed from a 1.5 his sophomore year to a 2.7. He hopes to end the year close to a 3.0.
He’s looking forward to his next step.
“My plan is to go to Olivet and dominate. I don’t plan on being an average player. I don’t want to be average anymore. I want to be great.”
Donnie said he grateful to many people who have supported him.
“Most of the kids who come from my situation, they don’t get out of Chicago, let alone finish high school and go to college. To be the first college student (from his family) is going to be pretty amazing. I’m going to continue to work hard and make sure I am the first college graduate.
“I’m just blessed.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
Lowell Showboat Sizzlin’ Summer Concerts outdoor concert series runs June 15 to August 25, 2017. Thursday evening concerts begin at 7 p.m. in front of the Flat River, 113 Riverwalk Plaza, in downtown Lowell, Mich. Food and spirits are available; admission to the concerts and parking are free.
The concerts promote the best of the region’s talented musicians, featuring music groups exclusively from Michigan. A diverse mix of music including Blues, World Music, Roots, Rock, Swing, Big Band, Jazz, Country, Americana, Folk, Indie, Funk, R&B and more draw upwards of 1,000 visitors each week. The concert venue is wheelchair-accessible; bleacher seating is available or attendees may bring their own folding chair.
June 15 – Harper & The Midwest Kind – Blues, World Music, Roots
Borrowing from Western and Aboriginal music, an original take on the roots genre labeled “World Blues”.
June 22 – Brena – Rock, Motown. Features horns, violin, keyboard, electric and acoustic guitar and vocal harmony.
June 29 – Rhythm Section Jazz Band – Swing, Big Band, Jazz
“Little Big Band” consisting of alto sax, tenor sax, trombone, trumpet, piano, guitar, bass, drums, and vocals.
July 6 – Gunnar & the Grizzly Boys – Country, Rock, Americana
Honest storytelling and music that explodes into the audience like an electrifying dose of adrenaline.
July 7 (Friday) – The Bronk Bros. – Country, Southern Rock, Americana. Combines impressive vocals, remarkable guitar playing, rocking harmonica, and crowd-engaging stage energy.
The Lowell Showboat
July 13 – The Steve Hilger Band – Blues. Progressive blues mixed with traditional blues music, come out for an exciting blend of smokin’ hot blues!
July 20 – Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys – Americana
Eclectic Bluegrass band with distinct vocals, tight harmonies, instrumental expertise and creative arrangements.
July 23 (Sunday at 3 p.m.) – 126 Army Band, “The Governor’s Own” – Military Ensemble – Grand Rapids based citizen-soldiers, the band has been providing music for the nation since 1857.
July 27 – The Natchez Trace – Country, Rock. Award-winning group, celebrating 30 years, kickin’ instrumentation and tight 4-part harmony.
August 3 – The Ragbirds – Folk, World Music. A fusion of folk rock and pop hooks over danceable world rhythms stirred with a Celtic fiddler’s bow.
August 17 – Olivia Mainville & the Aquatic Troupe – Folk, Gypsy Swing, Indie. Known for energized, dynamic performances and gargantuan musical talent.
August 24 – The Hip Pocket – Funk, R&B Band. High energy R&B, with cutting edge horn arrangements and exceptional musicianship.
August 25 (Friday at 6 p.m.) – Rockin’ for the Showboat. Alive & Well, The Adams Family, Josh Rose, The Preservers, Time Hungry, The Upstage Crew Blues Band – Regional and local bands joining forces to raise money and help rebuild a Lowell community icon.
The USS Silversides will be the site of the Lost Boat Ceremony on May 28.
By WKTV Staff
While there will be many Memorial Day events this holiday weekend, events honoring those who died while serving in the various branches of the U.S. military, one of West Michgan’s proudest traditions is the U.S.S. Silversides’ Lost Boat Ceremony.
Also a Memorial Day Weekend tradition, WKTV’s coverage crew will be at the event and will rebroadcast the ceremony multiple times.
This year’s Lost Boat Ceremony, hosted by Muskegon’s U.S.S. Silversides Submarine Museum, is set for Sunday, May 28, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the museum, located at 1346 Bluff St., Muskegon.
WKTV will broadcast the ceremony on Cable Channel 25 on Monday, May 29, at 10:15 a.m. and again at 9 p.m. It will also be broadcast Saturday, June 3, at 11 a.m.
The ceremony starts with a fly-by featuring “warbirds” — planes from World War II. There is also a special guest speaker, this year U.S. Navy Capt. Fred Bertsch (Ret.). The service will conclude with a 21-gun salute and the starting up of the engine of the U.S.S. Silversides.
Kemal Hamulic talks with Alan Headbloom during a 2013 interview for “Feel Like You Belong” in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
By Kemal Hamulic
Being mindful and respectful of your employees’ needs in the workplace can ensure a happy workforce, increased employee satisfaction, and better productivity. Sometimes, even just showing an interest in the background of an employee can motivate that individual to try harder. For employers with a diverse workforce, it is especially important to keep up on current events.
One such event is the religious observation of Ramadan. For 2017, May 27 is the first day of fasting that will continue for Muslims worldwide for the next 31 days. It culminates in the holy day of Eid-al-Fitr, celebrating the end of the religious fast.
For American human resource managers with employees who practice Islam, there are two important considerations to ease this month of fasting for them: prayer time and the physical challenges of fasting.
First, you need to know that observant Muslims pray five times a day. The actual prayer times are calculated based on several factors, one of them being geographical location. The times vary and are affected by changes in the hours of sunrise and sunset. For our town of Grand Rapids, Michigan, the dawn prayer on May 27, the first day of fasting, starts around 4:25 am, and the sunset prayer starts around 9:15 pm. At the end of the month, these prayer times shift: 4:20-ish am for the dawn prayer and 9:30-ish pm for the sunset prayer on June 26. (Click here for a prayer timetable.)
Those who fast will not be able to eat or drink ANYTHING between the dawn and sunset prayer times.
Here are six recommendations that will help your employees during these fasting times and beyond:
Prayer. Let Muslim employees know that there is a quiet room available for them to pray.
Stress. Try to adjust work schedules and work duties for observant Muslims to help them work without the need to hydrate or eat.
Food. Offer to make reasonable adjustments for storing food during Ramadan. This is primarily important for those who will be working after the sunset prayer, that is, third-shift employees. Very often, Muslims bring homemade food prepared exclusively for this occasion. This food is halal (similar to kosher) and is taken at certain times. Letting employees go to the break room at a specific time, or having them keep a small food box at their work station are examples of what can be done.
Clothing. Try to be flexible regarding dress codes; if there are situations or areas where flexibility is not possible (for safety reasons, etc.), make an effort to explain company policy and rationale to your Muslim employees. Then, importantly, be consistent with all other employees and their religious needs.
Other Employees. Address the issue of fasting with non-Muslim employees to make sure that it is not interpreted as a sign of religious favoritism. In the past, some Americans have interpreted religious accommodations as “preferential treatment” for Muslim employees.
Scheduling. Make advance scheduling arrangements to ensure there are enough employees to cover the workload on the last day of fasting. Observant Muslims will try to get a day off on this day.
Understand that different ethnic groups take different approaches and use different standards of Islamic observance. You can compare this to your Christian or Jewish family and friends: some are much more observant and some much less. In the case of Muslims, you may find a devoted Saudi believer who will not drink alcohol, eat pork, or smoke, while you may find among Bosnian Muslims that some do not mind smoking and will be flexible on that rule, while fully observing all others.
In explaining the concept of accommodation to non-Muslim employees, help them remember that a flexible workplace tries to work with everyone’s needs:
A nursing mother may need a private space to express milk at break time.
A colostomy patient may need the privacy of a single-use restroom to change a stoma bag.
Catholic workers may wish to have off on Good Friday.
I should emphasize the value of diversity in this working arrangement. For example, non-Christian employees might well volunteer to work on traditionally Christian religious holidays in exchange for having days off for their own holidays. It is a win-win situation for employers.
If explanations are clear and employees understand that all of us work best when we are respected and accommodated, all are prepared to give their best effort and succeed for the company.
___________________________________________________ A 1997 refugee to the United States, Kemal Hamulic has been working with minority groups on various levels for over a decade. His encounters range from community outreach work to diplomatic interpreting to international business negotiations. His formal education includes a Bachelor’s degree in international business and a Master’s in finance. Kemal has extensive experience living abroad and speaks fluent English, Bosnian, and German and is proficient in French. He has given seminars and prepared workshops on the topic of diversity for government agencies and private entities.
This is part two of a two-part series about Community Action Month.
For 53 years, Community Action Agencies (CAAs) in the United States have been fighting poverty at a local level. They are guided by their individual missions and are committed to the Promise of Community Action to improve the community by helping people help themselves and each other.
In Kent County, ACSET CAA is focused on providing services to generate a higher quality of life for all residents. In 2016, ACSET CAA:
Weatherized 101 homes
Provided tax preparation assistance to 2,662 individuals
Made 1,090 utility payments
Distributed 1,945,560 pounds of food
Served 18,068 Latin-inspired meals to seniors
ACSET CAA is grateful to their partners and volunteers. Without the support of 76 partner organizations and 36,588 volunteer hours they would not have the same impact on our community. Together, they are helping people and changing lives.
Your Community in Action! is provided by ASCET Community Action Agency. To learn more about how they help meet emergency needs and assist with areas of self-sufficiency, visit www.communityactionkent.org.
House members seek to block proposed arms sales to Saudi Arabia
By Corie Whalen
Rep. Justin Amash
A bipartisan group of six representatives, led by Reps. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) and Mark Pocan (D-Wisc.), have introduced a joint resolution of disapproval, H.J. Res. 102, to block proposed sales of precision-guided munitions and other offensive weapons to the Government of Saudi Arabia. The joint resolution is cosponsored by Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Walter Jones (R-N.C.), and Jim McGovern (D-Mass.).
Congress was notified of the proposed sales, which are part of a larger arms deal with Saudi Arabia reportedly worth $110 billion, on May 19.
“Saudi Arabia has one of the worst human rights records and has supported many of the extremists terrorizing the people of the Middle East and the world,” said Amash. “These arms sales extend a reckless policy from the Obama administration and prior administrations, and they come at a time when the Saudi government is escalating a gruesome war in Yemen.”
Huizenga Statement on Updated CBO Health Care Score
Rep. Bill Huizenga (MI-02)
Congressman Bill Huizenga (MI-02) has issued the following statement after the CBO released its updated score for the American Health Care Act (AHCA):
“The CBO projection confirms that the American Health Care Act will lower premiums and reduce the federal deficit. Yesterday, the Department of Health and Human Services released a study detailing how premiums for Michigan residents on the individual market have increased by 90% over the last four years alone. ObamaCare is collapsing and isn’t sustainable. We need to restore the ability for hardworking Michiganders to choose the health care plan that best meets their needs. The AHCA is a positive step in helping to achieve that objective.”
Stabenow Statement on CBO Score of Trumpcare
By Miranda Margowsky
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) released a statement on the Congressional Budget Office’s score of Trumpcare that shows 23 million people would lose health insurance:
“Today’s non-partisan report confirms once again that Trumpcare is a bad deal for Michigan families. It raises costs and takes us back to the days when insurance companies were in charge of your health care. If you or your family member has a “preexisting condition” like cancer, pregnancy, or diabetes, you could lose coverage or be forced to pay a lot more. I’m ready to work across the aisle to lower costs and improve care for Michigan families, but this plan makes people pay more for less.
Peters, Stabenow Announce New Pipeline Safety Legislation
By Miranda Margowsky
U.S. Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow have introduced a package of bills that would increase pipeline safety in and around the Great Lakes and account for the unique needs of the Great Lakes ecosystem. The bills announced today would raise liability caps for Great Lakes pipeline operators; expand and clarify U.S. Secretary of Transportation’s authority to suspend or shut down unsafe oil pipelines; strengthen federal review of oil spill response plans; increase transparency surrounding oil spill response and clean up plans; and create a Center for Expertise in the Great Lakes region to study freshwater oil spills.
“The Great Lakes ecosystem is unlike any other in the world, and many existing pipeline safety rules and regulations do not adequately protect this precious resource from a disastrous oil spill,” said Senator Peters, a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.
“We cannot allow another devastating pipeline break like the one that dumped a million gallons of oil in to the Kalamazoo River in 2010,” said Senator Stabenow.
These actions build on previous efforts by Senators Peters and Stabenow to increase pipeline safety in the Great Lakes. In 2015, Peters and Stabenow introduced legislation to strengthen pipeline oversight and improve response plans for oil spills under ice-covered waters. These provisions were included in the Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act, or PIPES Act, which was signed into law by President Obama last year.
Peters, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Strengthen Homeland Missile Defense
Bipartisan Legislation Would Accelerate Process for New Missile Defense Site & Fort Custer Among Finalists to Host
U.S. Senator Gary Peters, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Homeland Security Committees, joined his colleagues in introducing bipartisan legislation to strengthen and improve the reliability, capability, and capacity of U.S. homeland missile defense. TheAdvancing America’s Missile Defense Act of 2017 will, among other actions, accelerate the completion of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) as part of the next step in developing an interceptor site in the Midwest or the East Coast of the United States. The Missile Defense Agency is preparing the EIS for three potential additional missile defense sites, including the Fort Custer Training Center near Battle Creek Air National Guard Base.
“The United States faces an evolving number of security threats — from North Korea’s provocative missile tests designed to inflame global tensions, to Iran’s ballistic missile tests in defiance of a UN Security Council resolution,” said Senator Peters, a former Lt. Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve. “It is critical that America take proactive steps to bolster our missile defense systems so we are prepared in the event of a missile attack directed at our homeland.
The Advancing America’s Missile Defense Act of 2017 will take a comprehensive review of current American missile defense system capabilities, including:
Promoting an integrated, layered ballistic missile defense system that incorporates different aspects of missile defense, such as ground based sensors and radars;
Authorizing an additional 28 GBIs;
Speeding the development and deployment of advanced interceptor technologies;
Accelerating the development and deployment of a space-based sensor layer;
Authorizing increased missile defense testing; and
Requiring a DoD report on potentially increasing GBI capacity.
Peters Statement on President Trump’s 2018 Budget Proposal
U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), Ranking Member of the Federal
U.S. Senator Gary Peters
Spending Oversight Subcommittee, released the following statement regarding President Trump’s fiscal year 2018 budget proposal, which makes drastic cuts to programs that Michigan families and businesses rely on:
“I am extremely concerned that President Trump’s budget proposal makes significant cuts to critical programs that boost Michigan’s working families, support economic development in Michigan’s urban and rural communities, and protect the Great Lakes which are vital to some of our state’s largest industries.
“Rather than investing in policies that promote manufacturing, support small businesses, strengthen education, and drive our economy forward, President Trump’s budget only offers counterproductive cuts that would stifle Michigan’s economic growth and strain the pocketbooks of Michigan families. While Congress has a responsibility to ensure taxpayer dollars are being used efficiently and effectively, any budget passed by Congress must address the needs of middle class families, seniors and small businesses.”
Stabenow Statement on Trump Budget Request that Eliminates Great Lakes funding
By Miranda Margowsky
U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) released a statement following news that President Trump’s full budget request for the 2018 fiscal year still completely eliminates funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative:
“It’s official—President Trump’s 2018 budget zeros out funding for our Great Lakes. Thanks to thousands of people across Michigan speaking out, we already stopped cuts for this year. This is a moment for Michigan when we all need to stand together to protect our Great Lakes.”
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which Senator Stabenow authored in 2010, is critical to supporting jobs, fighting invasive species, and protecting the Michigan way of life. Earlier this month, Senator Stabenow led the bipartisan effort to successfully pass full funding for the Great Lakes for the remainder of fiscal year 2017.
Stabenow Statement Following DeVos Speech Outlining Massive Cuts to Public Education
By Miranda Margowsky
U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) released a statement following a speech by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos outlining a proposal to make massive cuts to public education:
“Parents’ worst fears were realized today when Secretary Betsy DeVos outlined the Trump Administration’s plan to shift billions of dollars away from our nation’s public schools. These policies have already failed children and families in Michigan and now Secretary DeVos wants to implement them nationwide. Instead of working cooperatively to improve our schools, this administration is playing politics with the future of our children.”
