All posts by Joanne

KDL starts accepting submissions for its annual poetry contest

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The Diatribe performs April 20 at the KDL Kentwood Branch.

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

Since 1996, April has been National Poetry Month and there is probably no better way to celebrate than by encouraging creativity and developing interest in poetry by hosting a teen poetry contest which is exactly what the Kent District Library will do again this year with its 14th Annal Find Your Voice: 2017 Teen Poetry Contest and Spoken Word Competition.

 

“We truly believe in giving students a place to express their creativity, and the poetry contest is just one of many offerings,” said KDL Kentwood Branch Teen Parapro Greg Lewis.

 

The poetry celebration starts to tonight with a book signing by Fable the Poet at 6:30 p.m. at the KDL Kentwood branch, 4950 Breton SE, which is hosting all of the KDL poetry competition events.

 

Fable the Poet, Kelsey May, Rachel Gleason, Shawn Moore, and G. Foster II make up the local spoken work The Diatribe which partnered with KDL last year to bring a spoken word component to the competition which was a popular addition.

 

“Since KDL’s partnership with The Diatribe began, many students who may not normally speak up, have found a safe comfortable environment in which to participate,” Lewis said. “Last year the Spoken Word competition was an enormous success, loud, raucous, and totally accepting with nearly 40 participants.”

 

The Diatribe will once again conduct workshops in area schools leading up to the event, which Lewis said he believes will help make this year’s event even more exciting.

 

The Find Your Voice: 2017 Teen Poetry Contest and Spoken Word Competition officially kicks off tomorrow when all of the KDL branches will start accepting submissions . Kent County residents in grades 6-12 have until April 30 to submit a poem. Each person may submit up to two poems.

 

All those who submit a poem are eligible to participate in the 2nd Annul Find Your Voice Teen Poetry Slam, which is May 18 at the KDL Kentwood Branch. Twenty winners, 10 in the juried contest and 10 in the spoken word contest, will each receive a $50 Meijer gift card. Juried winners will be notified prior to May 15.

 

To help get things rolling, the Spring into Poetry with The Diatribe, which features a performance by The Diatribe, will be April 20 at 6:30 p.m. at the KDL Kenwood Branch.

 

For complete guidelines for the Fine Your Voice: 2017 Teen Poetry Contest and Spoken Word Competition, click here. For information on other KDL programs, visit www.kdl.org.

School News Network: Daydream believers make for more purposeful students

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Kamari’a Rogers-Brown practices mindfulness — being aware of sounds and feelings

By Erin Albanese

School News Network

 

Every morning after the bell rings, Godfrey Early Childhood Center students start daydreaming. They close their eyes, sit quietly and think of whatever they want.

 

In kindergarten teacher Eryn Watson’s room, the calming, reflective activity flows into the start of learning. After opening their eyes, students talk about goals for the day: listening, helping a friend, earning reward points. “Why do we do this?” Watson asked on a recent Monday morning.

 

“So we can calm down,” students answered. “So we can rest.”

 

“It’s good for our brains,” added kindergartner Axcel Deleon-Magana.

 

Amber Kilpatrick creator of The Mindful Classrooms project teaches mindfulness techniques to students

Watson agreed. “We do it so we are all happy,” she told them. “I want you to have a wonderful, wonderful day.”

 

Moments spent lost in thought are part of the ECC staff’s effort to create mindful classrooms. Principal Peter Geerling started daydreaming time this school year to help students develop an awareness of their thoughts and emotions. Research shows that mindfulness interventions improve attention, self-control, emotional resilience, memory and immune response.

 

“It’s just giving quiet self-reflection time in this noisy, noisy world,” Geerling said.

 

The meditative sessions are just one component of how Godfrey-Lee staff members are helping students relax, feel more present and safe and, as a result, be more successful. Students also spend 30 minutes a week learning techniques to help navigate and self-regulate emotional stress with Amber Kilpatrick, creator of The Mindful Classrooms Project, and other instructors. Congress Elementary School, in Grand Rapids Public Schools, also uses Kilpatrick’s program.

 

Gabriel Thompson-Brooks has learned how to be mindful

A More Mindful, Sensitive Place

At Godfrey Lee Public Schools, a largely Hispanic district where more than 80 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch and many live below the poverty line, educators see mindfulness as an important part of another focus: creating a trauma-sensitive environment.

 

Social worker Lisa VandeWaa and Geerling have attended training on Trauma Sensitive Schools and staff is also being trained. They are learning best approaches to teach students who have faced trauma. Along with poverty, many students deal with hunger and stressful family situations. “Everybody comes to school with baggage you can’t see, even adults,” Geerling said.

 

Responding to students who have faced trauma requires sensitivity. VandeWaa said traditional disciplinary practices aren’t effective and can even be counterproductive. Instead of “time out,” for example, ECC students are often given time to used their mindfulness techniques in the office until they are calm enough to talk. They aren’t isolated, because that can exacerbate the problem.

 

Jair Cabanas-Landa closes his eyes to daydream

“Trauma sensitivity isn’t a curriculum; it’s just a shift in your mindset and how you approach things,” VandeWaa said. Instead of ‘What’s wrong with this kid?’ you might instead say, ‘What happened to this little peanut?’ which really changes how you would approach what’s going on.”

 

It’s all about creating human connections in a society obsessed with numbers and data, where focusing on proficiency standards can’t be done without meeting basic needs, Geerling said. Part of that is making sure students feel safe.

 

But even getting students to feel comfortable daydreaming with their eyes closed is a process, Geerling said.

 

“For children in poverty, to try to close your eyes for a minute creates so much anxiety because it takes so much trust to have your eyes closed and know nothing is going to happen,” he said. “If we get everybody in the building to sit there with their eyes closed for three minutes, we have passed a huge, huge hurdle…They feel safe. That’s huge.”

On the shelf: ‘Kitchen Table Wisdom’ by Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, , , , ,

By Karen Thoms, Grand Rapids Public Library, Main

 

If I were sitting across the table and complaining to Rachel Remen about something going on in my life, I’m certain she would give me a pearl of wisdom wrapped in a story. Not only am I wiser for Kitchen Table Wisdom, I am more human.

 

This book contains approximately 80 short stories from Remen’s counseling practice, primarily with cancer patients. Many passages left me with tears in my eyes. And although the stories were about her patients’ and coworkers’ “aha!” moments, it was I who was illuminated. I cried over my negative attitudes.

 

In order to be a successful female doctor in the early 1960s, Remen covered over her own tenderness with clinical expertise. Through turns of circumstances interspersed in the book, she recaptures much of the softness her Jewish grandfather had instilled in her. Her transparency about her own journey is refreshing, which in turn suggests to the reader that they, too, may have something to discover about their own life.

 

I was particularly moved by a story of a male patient in the final stages of cancer. What he loved more than anything about seeing his oncologist, he told Remen, were the conversations they would have at the end of his appointments. This doctor was the only person in his life who he felt completely understood what he was going through.

 

Eventually his doctor said there was nothing more he could do, though additional chemotherapy might prolong his life. He did not want more chemotherapy, so the doctor released him from his care. He was devastated; yet he resumed treatments just to have those short conversations! Remen is also the counselor of the man’s oncologist. This doctor came to Remen because he felt his life did not matter. He believed if he died no one would miss him.

 

In three pages, I have been given a beautiful story. Inside the story I see  clearly the value of listening to others with an open heart. And although Remen could not tell the oncologist of the great impact he was making on one man’s life, she told me that, even if I cannot see it, my life is significant to someone.

 

Kitchen Table Wisdom is a must-read for everyone who desires to expand their capacities for loving, understanding and accepting others.

 

Thank you, Dr. Remen, for many hours of  counseling.

 

Ford Airport partners with Kendall College for gateway mural

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By Tara M. Hernandez

Gerald R. Ford International Airport

 

The Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA) has partnered with Kendall College of Art & Design of Ferris State University (KCAD) to create an interactive mural on the Airport’s temporary construction wall.

 

Behind the temporary construction wall in the Airport’s grand hall, construction teams are working on GFIA’s Gateway Transformation Project – a $45 million development that will consolidate security checkpoints, add more food and beverage, retail, and business center space. In addition, new restrooms, terrazzo flooring, nursing rooms, upgraded lighting, and more are a part of the construction improvements.

 

The Airport approached KCAD to cover its blank construction wall, and a team of three KCAD students – with the support of five other students and staff –  designed, created, and installed a horizontal world map. The mural will go live this afternoon, and passengers are encouraged to interact with the wall by using flags to pin-point where they are traveling to or from. Passengers are also encouraged to post their picture on Twitter or Facebook with the hashtag: #GRReatGateway.  When the construction wall comes down in June, one lucky social media winner will receive an airline gift card.

 

“This is a wonderful collaboration between our Airport and KCAD students to fill what would have otherwise been a blank, white construction wall,” said GFIA President & CEO Jim Gill. “We love the creative process that went into this, and we are excited to see our passengers’ pins – to see where they are traveling around the world.”

 

Spring Break for many West Michigan schools is approaching. The Airport’s annual Passenger Appreciation Days kicks off Thursday, March 30, Friday, March 31, and Saturday, April 1. The annual bon-voyage celebration is a way for the Airport to thank passengers for traveling through GRR during the busy Spring Break rush. Travelers are treated to free refreshments, food, giveaways, prize drawings, contests, and more.

 

“KCAD is thrilled to collaborate with the airport on this project. It’s a great experience for our students, who are especially excited to be able to list a project with an international airport on their resumes,” said KCAD Director of Student Engagement Nicole DeKraker, “and a fun, visual way to both celebrate the art-centric West Michigan community and demonstrate the role Grand Rapids plays in world travel.”

Bestselling author heads to Schuler Books to celebrate paperback release

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Emily Giffin (Photo by Emmanuelle Choussy)

By Whitney Spotts

Schuler Books & Music

 

The Garland family stumbles through life dealing with the death of the family’s only son. Fifteen years after the accident, the sisters Josie and Meredith continue to plod through life. One has given up her dream to be an actress and has married and settled down while the other is a single elementary school teacher who can hear her biological clock ticking.

 

This is the premise for author Emily Giffin’s latest novel “First Comes Love!,” which Schuler Books & Music celebrates the paperback release with a visit by Giffin Wednesday, April 5. The 7 p.m. Girls Night Out event will be ticketed.

 

The author of “Something Borrowed,” “Where we Belong,” and “The One & Only,” took two years before releasing “First Comes Love!” which received widespread praise in its hardcover release last year. “Publishers Weekly” said “Giffin at her finest–a fantastic, memorable story.”

 

Giffin is a graduate of Wake Forest University and the University of Virginia School of Law. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and three children.

 

Tickets will be available beginning Tuesday, April 4, at the Schuler Books & Music 2660 28th St. location only, when the store opens at 9am. Seated tickets (tickets #1-100) are available with purchase of a paperback copy of “First Comes Love!” Standing room tickets (tickets 101 and up) are available with no purchase necessary. The signing will proceed after the talk in approximate ticket number order (we will call in groups of 10).

 

For more information, visit schulerbooks.com.

 

 

Internationally acclaimed pianist to perform at GVSU during honorary recital

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Boris Slutsky

By Matthew Makowski

Grand Valley State University

 

The halls of Grand Valley State University’s Performing Arts Center will be filled with the music of renowned composers Joseph Haydn, Frédéric Chopin and Maurice Ravel, during the 2017 Baum Series Recital.

 

The recital, featuring Boris Slutsky, internationally acclaimed pianist and chair of the Piano Department at The Peabody Conservatory of Music, will take place Sunday, April 2, at 3 p.m. in the Sherman Van Solkema Recital Hall (room 1325). The Performing Arts Center is located on the Allendale Campus.

 

Since his orchestral debut at Carnegie Hall with the New York Youth Symphony in 1980, Slutsky has performed on nearly every continent as a soloist and recitalist. He emerged on the international music scene when he won the First Prize, along with every other major prize, at the 1981 William Kapell International Piano Competition at the University of Maryland.

 

Throughout his career, Slutsky has performed with the London Philharmonic, Bem Symphony Orchestra in Switzerland, Bergen Philharmonic in Norway and KBS Symphony Orchestra in Korea, among many others.

 

Born in Moscow into a family of musicians, Slutsky received his early training at Moscow’s Gnessin School for Gifted Children, and completed his formal studies at both Julliard School and Manhattan School of Music.

 

Slutsky’s recital is supported by the William C. Baum Endowment Fund at Grand Valley. The fund was established in 1998 to support professor emeritus William Baum’s two great passions: politics and classical music. The annual series features either a special speaker on issues in American law or a recital by a noted pianist.

 

The Baum Endowment was established to reflect the shared interests of Baum family members. Baum, who died in 2007, was a political science professor at Grand Valley for 40 years and retired in 2005. His wife, Nancy Baum, a Grand Valley dance educator, died in 2011. Their son Jefferson taught dance at Grand Valley from 2000-2007.

 

This concert is free and open to the public. For more information about the recital, contact the Music and Dance Department at 616-331-3484, or visit gvsu.edu/music.

Meijer Gardens expansion includes expanded learning center, local community education opportunities

3-bottom, Area Education, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Education, Kentwood Public Schools, Kids Activities, Recreation, , ,
Architectural drawings for Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park’s new Covenant Learning Center, which will be topped by the new Padnos Families Rooftop Sculpture Garden.

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 

The multi-phased building expansion plans of the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park announced last week will include an expansion the institution’s learning center, already a favorite of several Wyoming and Kentwood community organizations including Kentwood Public Schools A.R.C.H. after school program.

 

The expansion plans include a new 60,000 square foot welcome center, a new transportation center, expansion and upgrades to the concert amphitheater, a new sculpture garden entry plaza and a “reimagined” scenic indoor corridor, and expanded parking and urban garden areas. Overall, project construction is scheduled to begin this fall and continue for approximately four years.

 

After the new welcome center, however, and most important expansion may be the 20,000 square foot Covenant Learning Center, which will be topped by the new Padnos Families Rooftop Sculpture Garden.

 

Architectural drawings for Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park’s new Covenant Learning Center, which will be topped by the new Padnos Families Rooftop Sculpture Garden.

“Today we have two approximately 1,100 square foot classrooms devoted to education,” Meijer Gardens President and CEO David Hooker said when asked by WKTV about the Covenant Learning Center. “Since 1999, our educational programming has grown 305 percent. While our education programming has grown … our space dedicated to education has remained the same. The new Covenant Learning Center will have four approximately 1,200 square foot classrooms, two 1,600 square foot classrooms and one 2,200 square foot Interactive Education Area. The opportunity for additional educational programming is nearly unlimited.”

 

Wyoming and Kentwood programs at the gardens

 

Kentwood’s A.R.C.H. after school program is just one of the many programs currently using the Garden’s educational programing.

 

“The after-school programs from both Kentwood (A.R.C.H.) and Wyoming (T.E.A.M. 21), in particular, have made frequent visits to Meijer Gardens in the past,” said Jessica Hart, Meijer Gardens indoor education manager. “We’re delighted that these groups have been able to enjoy our seasonal exhibitions, Sculpture Park, and Children’s Garden. I expect that the new Covenant Learning Center will allow us additional opportunities to offer educational programs school groups and after-school groups alike in the future.”

 

A.R.C.H. is a collaboration between Kentwood Public Schools and the Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department. Program activities focus on academics, health, wellness, and recreation/leisure education.  These activities will be offered to children, family, and community members throughout the year.

 

But the Kentwood program is just one of many groups availing themselves of local cultural educational opportunities. And that is just the way Meijer Garden’s wants it.

 

Following recent educational additions to other Grand Rapids area institutions, including The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, Meijer Garden’s Covenant Learning Center “will engage learners in new ways and reinforce our commitment as the go-to place for cultural education,” according to supplied information.

 

Part of Meijer Garden’s mission

 

“Since our beginning, education has been a hallmark of the Meijer Gardens mission — reaching more than 89,000 guests last year alone. In fact, the action word in our mission statement is ‘promote.’ Education is the primary method by which we put life into the word ‘promote.’ The dramatic growth of participation in our educational programming not only underscores the quality and diversity of our classes, camps and events, but also demonstrates a need for more classroom space.”

 

A key aspect of the new classrooms will be that they will provide outdoor learning areas, with five of the six having direct access from within the classroom. The outdoor learning area will be located east of the building and will include seating areas for students, teaching areas for instructors, and partial shade/cover from the elements.

 

The expansion plans are the result of a nearly complete $115 million capital campaign titled “Welcoming the World: Honoring a Legacy of Love”. The campaign currently has raised about $102 million of its goal, according to supplied information.

 

“If we are successful in our ‘Welcoming the World: Honoring a Legacy of Love’ fundraising efforts, we will begin construction in September of this year,” Hooker said. “We do not have a precise date at this time for the completion of the Covenant Learning Center or the Padnos Families Rooftop Sculpture Garden.”

 

The New York firm Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects Partners has been chosen “to re-envision and expand” the Meijer Gardens facilities, according to supplied information. The firm is known for their design of the iconic Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia and, most recently, chosen to design the Barack Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.

 

For more information about Meijer Gardens visit meijergardens.org. For more information about the “Welcoming the World: Honoring a Legacy of Love” fundraising efforts visit meijergardens.org/legacyoflove .

 

Grand Rapids Public Museum hosts special spring break activities

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The recreated Waitomo Glowworm Caves of New Zealand. (Photo courtesy of the Grand Rapids Public Museum)

By Kate Moore

Grand Rapids Public Museum

 

Spend this Spring Break at the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) to enjoy intriguing exhibits, planetarium shows and hands-on activities. Visitors can explore the Earth’s most amazing creatures at current traveling exhibits, Whales: Giants of the Deep and Creatures of Light! Experience the Chaffee Planetarium’s newest additions, Escher’s Universe and Eclipses and Phases of the Moon, with additional show times daily.

 

This year, the GRPM invites families to enjoy special Spring Break activities planned from March 31 to April 9 and have even more time for fun and learning. Visitors are able to come eye to eye with whales in Whales: Giants of the Deep, and discover the wonder of bioluminescence in Creatures of light until 8 p.m. April 3 – 7 with the Museum’s special extended hours.

 

Whales: Giants of the Deep is a fully immersive exhibit bringing visitors up close to these mysterious creatures. Also, during spring break, current and new members will be able to visit Whales FREE of charge.

 

Recently opened, Creatures of Light gives visitors a unique experience of moving through diverse environments of creatures that use bioluminescence to glow. Explore and interact with familiar organisms such as fireflies to the unfamiliar of deep sea fish that use this phenomenon to attract a mate, lure prey or protect themselves. This exhibit is free with admission.

 

“Whales: Giants of the Deep” will be free to current and new members.

Visitors will enjoy free hands-on activities in the Museum’s main floor Galleria, including watercolor printmaking, making your own origami whales and playing BIG games. Activities will take place Monday, April 3, through – Saturday, April 8, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 2:30 – 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 2 and 9.

 

Visit the Chaffee Planetarium for the Museum’s newest shows. During Spring Break, the Museum offers additional show times for the most popular shows.

 

Newly opened, Eclipses and Phases of the Moon takes a trip through space, allowing viewers to discover how Solar and Lunar eclipses happen and the mythology surrounding them. Visitors will be able to experience the wonder of these eclipses in the Chaffee Planetarium and given the knowledge on how to safely see the astronomical event of a lifetime! The new planetarium show, Escher’s Universe, shows the viewer a peek into the mind and world of artist, astronomer, and mathematician, M.C. Escher. This show features the mathematically inspired graphic arts of Escher through an art documentary. It explores Escher’s marvel of shapes, 3D reconstructions, dual worlds and unreal buildings to revealing Escher’s continuous search for knowledge.

 

Planetarium shows are $4 with general admission, $5 for planetarium only tickets and free to Museum members. For more information on Spring Break activities including planetarium shows and for tickets visit grpm.org.

GVSU senior dance concert and so much happening this spring

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GVSU Cantate Chamber Ensemble

Music and Dance
For more information about all Music and Dance Department events, call (616) 331-3484. All events are free and open to the public.

 

Baum Series Recital: Boris Slutsky, piano
April 2, at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sherman Van Solkema Hall (room 1325), Performing Arts Center, Allendale Campus
Consistently acclaimed for his exquisite tonal beauty and superb artistry, Boris Slutsky emerged on the international music scene when he captured the First Prize along with every major prize, including the Audience Prize and Wihelm Backhaus Award, at the 1981 William Kapell International Piano Competition at the University of Maryland. His other accomplishments include first prizes at the Kosciuszko Chopin Competition and San Antonio International Keyboard Competition, and major prizes at the International Bach Competition in Memory of Glenn Gould, Gina Bachauer, Busoni, Rina Sala Gallo, and Ettore Pozzoli International Piano Competitions. Since his orchestral debut at Carnegie Hall with the New York Youth Symphony in 1980, Slutsky has appeared on nearly every continent as soloist and recitalist. He currently serves as the Piano Department chair at The Peabody Conservatory of Music.

 

GVSU Senior Dance Concert
April 7 and 8, at 7 p.m.
Dance Studio Theatre (room 1600), Performing Arts Center, Allendale Campus
Join GVSU Dance Program seniors as they showcase their choreography and performance in their Capstone concert. Original works will be presented by Delaney Dickens, Robin Hutchings, Amadeo Lopez-Keranen, Ashley Paradise and Kaye Suarez.

 

GVSU Early Music Ensemble Concert
April 8, at 5 p.m.
Sherman Van Solkema Hall (room 1325), Performing Arts Center, Allendale Campus
Under the direction of Pablo Mahave-Veglia, professor of cello at Grand Valley State University, the GVSU Early Music Ensemble will be joined by Gregory Crowell, professor of organ and music general education at Grand Valley, as well as guest artists Sarah Huebsch (oboe), Leighann Daihl (flute), and Keith Collins (bassoon). Repertoire for this performance will include works by Bach, Telemann, Monteverdi, and others. The GVSU Early Music Ensemble is dedicated to the performance of pre-classical repertoire utilizing period instruments, or faithful modern replicas, as well as historically informed performance practice.

 

GVSU University Arts Chorale and Cantate Chamber Ensemble Concert
April 9, at 5 p.m.
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church (134 Division Ave. North, Grand Rapids)
A part of the Sacred Sounds Concert Series, the Grand Valley Cantate Chamber Ensemble and University Arts Chorale will present a varied concert of choral music including “Lobet den Herrn” by Johann Sebastian Bach, “Alleluia” by Paul Basler and works by Daniel Elder and Kim Arnessen.

 

GVSU Low Brass Chamber Music Concert
April 9, from 7:30-8:45 p.m.
Louis Armstrong Theatre, Performing Arts Center, Allendale Campus
Members of the GVSU Tuba and Euphonium Studio, and Trombone Studio will showcase their chamber music talents through a performance of classical, romantic and contemporary compositions.

 

 

Register now for kids’ creative summer classes at Holland Area Arts Council

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Kids Activities, Recreation, Upcoming Events, , ,

By Mary Sundstrom

This summer, have your child explore his or her creative side. The Holland Area Arts Council offers Fine Arts Camps for all ages, grades 3 through 12.

The classic 8th Street Fine Arts Camp for grades 3-6 will explore the artwork of Yayoi Kusama, the Polka Dot Queen, and draw inspiration from her vibrant colors, polka dots and infinity rooms. Another quilting camp for grades 5-8 will explore the quilts of modern master Nancy Crow, and each student will again bring home pieced and tied quilt!

The newest addition to the Fine Arts Camps this summer is The Joy of Painting, a teen workshop intensive that will give students grades 9-12 a taste of art school. They’ll learn how to prepare a canvas or board, plan a painting, learn new techniques, gain an understanding of brushes, tools and mediums and finish the week with a peer critiques and a mini exhibition of their work.

The Arts Council offers a Clay Camp every year and have grown the program this summer with five camps, including all-new clay, colors and processes and an awesome new teacher. Grades 3-6 can join Mary Wolter, the Arts Council’s ceramics instructor, to make whistles, games, clay self-portraits, wind chimes — and also learn to use the wheel. The Arts Council is also offering a clay workshop for grades K-2 so the little ones get a chance to play in the mud.

Eat with Your Eyes Cooking Camps are back, too. This summer, grades 3-6 can choose between two culinary camps learning to cook a full day’s worth of food or exploring cuisine from Mexico, Italy and Asia. Kids learn to cook from scratch in these camps and leave with a folder of recipes and the skills to try them at home.

Students will meet at the Holland Area Arts Council each day at 150 East 8th Street in Downtown Holland. Call 616.396.3278 or go here for more information and to register.

Register early! Space is limited and camps fill up fast.

Kids ‘Simmer Camp’ now open for registration

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, ,

By Downtown Market GR

Summertime is the perfect time for hands-on cooking and greenhouse activities! Downtown Market offers three exciting themes for kids ages 7-11 — but be sure to register now as classes fill up quickly.

HOW TO PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD
(3 DAY CAMP)

June 27, 28, and 29, 10a-2p • $150/child

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

 

July 25, 26, and 27, 10a-2p • $150/child

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

 

Tired of hearing, “don’t play with your food,” when you’re at the dinner table? In this week of Simmer Camp, you will experience culinary creativity through edible potions, sneaky vegetable appearances, and baking surprises. You’ll even build food sculptures and channel our inner Harry Potter with kitchen magic.

BACKYARD FARMING (3 DAY CAMP)

July 11, 12, and 13, 10a-2p • $150/child

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

August 1, 2, and 3, 10a-2p • $150/child

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Gather ‘round and turn the greenhouse and teaching
kitchen into a backyard farm. Learn new ways to grow
things in small spaces and how to use herbs and veggies from your yard or the farmers market. You won’t have to leave the city to get dirty and you’re sure to go home with some new ideas for creating habitats for the smallest helpers in every garden.

MEALS FROM THE MITTEN (4 DAY CAMP)

July 17, 18, 19, and 20, 10a-2p • $180/child
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

August 7, 8, 9, and 10, 10a-2p • $180/child

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

It’s a wonderful time to live in the Mitten State. Fruits and veggies are in their prime so we’ll gather around the table to celebrate Michigan’s bounty. Explore some recipes that are specific to Michigan towns and learn how farmers make the season last longer by preserving the flavors of summer to be enjoyed all year round!

‘Midwest Farmer’s Daughter’ coming to St. Cecilia’s Acoustic Café stage

3-bottom, Local Entertainment,
Ready to spark: Margo Price will will bring music from her breakthrough solo release to St. Cecilia Music Center on April 6. (Supplied/Angelina Castillo for Third Man Records)

By. K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 

Rarely has there been a more perfect title than Margo Price’s 2016 debut solo recording — “Midwest Farmer’s Daughter” — she hails from the town of Buffalo Prairie, Ill., after all.

 

And rarely has a country/Americana singer emerged with a more perfect pedigree: she left college to move to Nashville, cites Emmylou Harris as a major influence and has a voice compared to Loretta Lynn, and has recently shared the stage with the likes of Sturgill Simpson and Jack White.

 

She also was named “Emerging Artist of the Year” by the Americana Music Association and performed “Hands of Time” from her latest release for the Grammy Award audience early this year.

 

Oh, and did I mention there’s a story is that she sold her car to help pay for the recording of “Midwest Farmer’s Daughter” at the legendary Sun Studios in Memphis, Tenn.?

 

Price will be bringing here stories and songs from “Midwest Farmer’s Daughter” to the St. Cecilia Music Center Acoustic Café series Thursday, April 6, for a 7:30 p.m. concert. Tickets are available.

 

 

“We are so lucky to have Margo Price performing here in Grand Rapids at this stage in her career,” said Cathy Holbrook, St. Cecilia’s executive director. “She’s a rising star who is moving very fast in the music spotlight. This concert will be one that the audience will say, ‘I saw Margo Price when she was new and rising on the scene’.”

 

Price’s music has been variously labeled as not only country and Americana but also honky tonk and outlaw. Her earlier bands include The Pricetags and Buffalo Clover. But with her newest recording, she brings her musical world back to its rural roots.

 

The 10-track record, according to supplied information, influenced by Price’s years of trying to “make it” in Nashville, the childhood memories of her family losing their farm in Illinois and the pain of trying to cope with the death of her first child. After recording the album, Price shopped the project around in Nashville but found no takers until connecting with White’s Third Man Records — where she’s the label’s lone country artist.

 

In the last year, Price appeared on Saturday Night Live, both Charlie Rose’s and Seth Meyers’ television shows, took home the Emerging Artist of the Year award at AmericanaFest, and performed with White on an episode of “A Prairie Home Companion”.

 

For a video of her work, visit here.

 

There will be a post-concert “Meet-the-artist” reception open to all ticket-holders with the opportunity to meet Price and obtain signed CDs of her releases.

 

St. Cecilia’s Acoustic Café series will conclude its 2016-17 season on Thursday, April 13, with Grammy Award winning Marc Cohn — he of 1991’s Grammy winning ballad “Walking in Memphis” and so much more. With his newest 2016 release “Careful What you Dream: Lost Songs and Rarities”, his concert will feature a 25-year retrospective of his most well known music mixed with new releases. Tickets for this concert are $35 and $40.

 

For more information visit scmc-online.org.

 

Philosopher to discuss anger in politics at April 4 Hauenstein Center event

3-bottom, Area Education, Citizen Journalism, , , , ,
Barbara C. Nussbaum

By Nate Hoekstra, GVSU

 

Does getting mad about politics work?

 

Politics in the United States today is an exceptionally divisive topic, and has generated significant anger among many political circles — an emotional response that influential philosopher Martha Nussbaum will argue isn’t the best way to generate change.

 

Nussbaum, a world-renowned philosopher, author and law professor, will discuss anger and its place in politics and personal lives, while addressing its effectiveness as a change agent. Martha Nussbaum: Anger and Revolutionary Justice will be hosted by Grand Valley State University’s Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies on Tuesday, April 4 at 7 pm at the L.V. Eberhard Center, Grand Valley State University’s Pew Grand Rapids Campus.

 

The event is free and open to the public, but registration is requested at hauensteincenter.org/rsvp.

 

Nussbaum, recently named the 2017 Jefferson Lecturer in the Humanities by the National Endowment for the Humanities, will discuss the concept that anger is not an effective response to perceived injustice, noting that three of recent history’s great freedom movements were directed by leaders who aspired to non-anger, including Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Nelson Mandela.

 

She will discuss her book Anger and Forgiveness: Resentment, Generosity, Justice and explore why there will always be a need for leaders who can recognize the humanity of people who think differently when the stakes are high.

 

Nussbaum’s Jefferson Lecturer distinction is the highest honor the federal government bestows for distinguished intellectual achievement in the humanities. She is also the University of Chicago’s Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics. In 2016, she was awarded the Kyoto Prize in Arts and Philosophy. Other awards include The Centennial Medal of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, and the American Philosophical Association’s Philip Quinn Prize.

 

She is one of only two women to give the John Locke Lectures at Oxford, the most eminent lecture series in the field of philosophy.

 

Nussbaum has taught at Harvard, Brown University and Oxford, and has published 24 books and more than 500 academic papers.

 

For more information, visit hauensteincenter.org

School News Network: Godfrey Lee Reopens Superintendent Search after Board Choice Declines

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, , ,
Carlos Lopez

By Erin Albanese

School News Network

 

Carlos Lopez has declined an offer from the Godfrey-Lee Board of Education for the job of superintendent.

 

Lopez is current director of curriculum, instruction and assessment in Plymouth-Canton Community Schools, in Plymouth.

 

Board President Eric Mockerman said they hadn’t yet begun negotiating a contract with Lopez, who cited personal family health concerns as his reason for withdrawing.

 

After consulting with Tom White, a representative with the Michigan Association of School Boards who is guiding the superintendent search, Mockerman said the board plans to repost the position.

 

Lopez was offered the job after interviews with four candidates narrowed from a field of 30 applicants.

 

A new superintendent will replace nine-year Superintendent David Britten, who is stepping down June 30.

 

Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.

Employment Expertise: Ace the phone interview!

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Education, , , ,

 

By West Michigan Works!

 

Employers offer short phone interviews now more than ever before. These interviews help hiring managers decide which candidates to invite to a longer, in-person interview.

 

More than half of what a person says is communicated through body language and non-verbal cues. During a phone interview, the hiring manager can only hear your words. So, extra prep is required.

 

Here are some ways to help make sure you’re offered a second interview:

 

Pick the right place
Find a quiet room for your interview. Arrange for a babysitter. Put your dog where you can’t hear the bark.

 

Put your questions on a table and have a pen ready to take notes. Use these notes to help personalize your thank you note, or to write down questions to ask at the end of the interview.

 

Don’t forget to charge your cell phone the night before. And make sure the room gets good service. Keep your phone connected to your phone charger, if needed.

 

Your introduction is important
Answer their call professionally and identify yourself: “Hi, this is _________.”

 

Smile
Even though the interviewer can’t see you, a smile will change the tone of your voice. It adds energy to your words and helps you sound friendly.

 

Keep answers short and direct
Answer questions in three sentences or less. Short answers don’t allow the employer to get distracted on the phone and hear what you’re saying.

 

Don’t forget to thank them after the interview is over, and send a note in the mail.

 

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

School News Network: Kelloggsville students urged to ‘Find What You Love’

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, Education, , , , ,
City of Kentwood Mayo rStephen Kepley talks about his engineering background led him into city services. (Photo courtesy of School News Network.)

By Erin Albanese

School News Network

 

If someone had told Greggory Hampshire how clinical psychologists spend their days (with lots of paperwork), he might not have pursued it as a career. That’s one reason he likes bringing community professionals into classrooms and giving students real exposure to real careers.

 

“I want you to get an idea of what exists out there, of what you want to do with your life,” said Hampshire, director of education for Junior Achievement of the Michigan Great Lakes.

 

Middle school students got a glimpse of different careers during Reverse Job Shadow Day, when entrepreneurs and professionals stopped by to share their journeys in pursuing their dreams.

 

Professional boxer and entrepreneur Parnell Gates shows his belt to sixth-grader Quijuan Madion-Lewis. (Photo courtesy of School News Network.)

Eighteen speakers — six per grade level — visited sixth- through eighth-graders for the event. It was made possible through a partnership with JA, which teaches young people about work-readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills.

 

The goal was to get students thinking about career fields they may not have considered, said school counselor Laura Kuperus. Professions included manufacturing, health care, law enforcement, finance, cosmetology and education. Several visitors, including a professional boxer, were small business owners and some had pursued skilled trades instead of college.

 

Speakers described ups and downs they had faced through school and in their careers. “That’s inspiring for our kids,” Kuperus said. Karyn Hocking, owner of Salus Massage in Grandville, told eighth-graders that she struggled in school because of a learning disability.

“If you struggle in an area, no matter what subject that may be, that doesn’t mean anything,” Hocking said. “You can still get out and do what you want to do.”

 

Josephine White, owner of JoJo’s House of Business in Grand Rapids, said running a business is hard work, but passion makes it worth it. “Find what you love,” she urged students. “If you find what you love, it’s not that hard.”

 

Seventh-graders Samatha Benitez and Camiyah Blackman try to figure out how to balance six nails atop one nailhead, a challenge from Mayor Stephen Kepley.

A World of Options Awaits

Middle school is a great time to start exploring careers, Kuperus said.

 

“It’s so important for our students to see the variety of careers available to them. Often they think of traditional things they’ve heard of, but they become aware that there are careers they haven’t thought of before.”

 

City of Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley was an engineer for the city for 11 years before being elected mayor in 2013. He said he loves meeting the city’s young people.

 

“My favorite part of the job is investing in the next generation,” Kepley said. “I love networking and solving problems.”

 

Regardless of career choice, people need to know how to work well with others, he said. He illustrated that by challenging students to work in groups to balance six nails on one upright nailhead. “How you solve problems is going to be a big key in how successful you are.”

 

Students said they enjoyed peeking into the lives of business owners.
“It shows you that there are a bunch of different opportunities to choose from,” said eighth-grader Brooklyn Kelly.

 

Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.

A bevy of adoptable beauties from Humane Society of West Michigan

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, , , , ,

Each week, WKTV features an adoptable furry friend (or few) from various shelters in the Grand Rapids area. This week, we focus on Humane Society of West Michigan, located at 3077 Wilson Dr. NW in Grand Rapids.

 

Humane Society of West Michigan’s mission is to rescue hurt, abused and abandoned animals and find them a new forever home. The 501(c)3 non-profit organization helps over 8,000 animals annually and is 100% donor-funded by caring individuals and businesses in the community. Additional programs help reduce pet overpopulation, provide assistance to low-income pet owners, behaviorally assess animals and reunite lost pets with their owners.

Papaya — Female Domestic Short Hair

Papaya

I’m a sweet 6-year-old cat looking for my forever home! I readily approach people and love to be pet behind my ears and under my chin. Please come meet me at Humane Society of West Michigan!

 

More about Papaya:

  • Size: Medium
  • Spayed
  • Not declawed
  • Animal ID: 34458070

Nadia — Female American Pit Bull Terrier

Nadia

I’m a 3-year-old, happy girl who loves to play with people and toys! I was transferred to HSWM from another shelter in Michigan making much of my history a mystery. I’m very social and playful and would do well in a home where I can have regular activity and where my family would do some training with me. If I sound like the right fit for your relaxed home please come meet me at Humane Society of West Michigan!

 

More about Nadia:

  • American Staffordshire Terrier Mix
  • Adult
  • Female
  • Large
  • Spayed/Neutered
  • Current on vaccinations
  • Pet ID: 34812070

Oreo — Female Domestic Short Hair

Oreo

I’m a beautiful 12-year-old cat looking for my forever home. I would need a family who would give me the time and space necessary to adjust to new environment. I am social and friendly once I have warmed up to my place and people!

 

More about Oreo:

  • Domestic Short Hair Mix
  • Senior
  • Female
  • Small
  • Spayed/Neutered
  • Current on vaccinations
  • Primary Color(s): Tabby – Gray, Blue or Silver
  • Pet ID: 31772426

Caliope — Female Domestic Short Hair

Caliope

I’m a beautiful 7-year-old cat looking for my forever home. I love to explore nooks and crannies to find the perfect napping spot! I also love pets and affection from my people friends. Please come meet me at Humane Society of West Michigan. My adoption fee is waived due to generous grant funding.

 

More about Caliope:

  • Domestic Short Hair Mix
  • Senior
  • Female
  • Small
  • Spayed/Neutered
  • Current on vaccinations
  • Primary Color(s): Tabby – Brown or Chocolate
  • Animal ID: 34347071

To adopt one or more of these cuties, call 616.453.8900 or email adoptions@hswestmi.org.

 

Adoption fee includes:

  • A physical done by the staff veterinarian
  • A test for heartworm disease (if six months or older)
  • A first series of vaccines including DHLPP (distemper combo), Bordatella (kennel cough) vaccine, and rabies (if older than 14 weeks of age)
  • Spay/Neuter Surgery
  • Treatment for internal parasites
  • One dose of flea preventative
  • One dose of heartworm preventative

The organization automatically microchips all adoptable animals using 24PetWatch microchips, which include FREE registration into the 24PetWatch pet recovery service. For more information visit www.24petwatch.com or call 1-866-597-2424. This pet is also provided with 30 days of FREE ShelterCare Pet Health Insurance with a valid email address. For more information visit www.shetlercare.com or call 1-866-375-7387 (PETS).

 

Humane Society of West Michigan is open Tues-Fri 12-7, Sat & Sun 11-4.

 

SCA’s next Creativity Revealed features artists from the Sweet Spot Studio

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By Angela Peavey

Saugatuck Center for the Arts

The Saugatuck Center for the Arts will host a “Creativity Revealed” program featuring artists, designers, and inventors Jon and Sarah Vanderbeek of Sweet Spot Studio on Monday, April 3, at 7 p.m.

Jason Passata, Development Director for Career and Technical Education at the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District, is guest host for this evening that explores creativity, product design, the process of inventing toys, and building the perfect light sabre.

Jon and Sarah Vanderbeek have designed toys for major companies including Mattel, Hasbro, and Fisher-Price.  They’ll share their sources of inspiration and talk about the design process including some of their trickiest design problems.

Sweet Spot Studio is a Saugatuck-based company offering a range of services from toy concepts to product packaging.  Sarah Vanderbeek started Sweet Spot Studio in February 2006 after many years employed in the giftware industry. Prior to founding Sweet Spot, she worked at Design Central, The Obb (Kiscom), and Salomon. Jon Vanderbeek has a background inventing toys with renowned companies like The Obb and Bang Zoom.  He brought his expertise in industrial design, mechanisms, electronics and model making to Sweet Spot Studio in the summer of 2006.

Kristin Armstrong, Executive Director at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts, said, “Sweet Spot Studio has worked with national and international firms to develop toys we all know and love to play with. We’re really thrilled to have this opportunity to talk with Sarah and Jon about their design backgrounds, what gets them excited, and what they’re working on now.”

Guest host Jason Passata developed and champions the OAISD’s futurePREP’d Program, an initiative that connects education, business, and the community to provide relevant learning options for both educators and students. Passata is passionate about creativity, design thinking, and project based learning.

The Saugatuck Center for the Arts is located at 400 Culver Street, Saugatuck. Admission to the program is free of charge. For additional information visit sc4a.orgor call 269-857-2399.

On the shelf: ‘The Highest Tide’ by Jim Lynch

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, , , ,

By Lisa Boss, Grand Rapids Public Library, Main

 

Newsflash: the Old Book Curmudgeon LOVED The Highest Tide. Ok, I wasn’t so sure at first. I can be a little hasty  about books, and the plot involves one 13-year-old boy’s summer on Skookumchuck Bay. I wasn’t sure if I would be interested in a 13-year-old boy no matter HOW many excellent reviews the book has gotten.

 

However,  it didn’t take long before I began to like the boy and the book very much. Jim Lynch writes with a subtle touch, the characters slowly revealing themselves. Things that might seem obvious at first, are revealed in much more depth later on, with just a few words, a couple of sentences.

 

Initially, I was entranced by the descriptions of the sea life on the tidal flats of Puget Sound. I loved going along with Miles as he turned over rocks (replacing them exactly the way they were) on his rounds across the flats. It was like listening to a marine biologist, only a young, humorous one.

 

Our protagonist, is a small-for-his-age, “almost 14”-year-old. He is the only child of parents who seem seriously mismatched, and his best friend so far in life, Florence, is a very old and  disabled lady who used to have a modest business as a psychic. He has a crush on his neighbor, who is spiraling into mental illness and is also an entrepeneur with a budding sea life business. No wonder he has trouble sleeping nights.

 

Miles O’Malley has a rich inner life, a passion for the sea and for Rachel Carson, and he is gifted with the capacity to think and act in ways that are out of the ordinary, in the sense that he thinks of others, even other life forms, more than he thinks of himself. So you might call Miles an “old soul”, except that he’s also an unintentionally very funny old soul.

 

Miles is an insomniac, which he blames on Rachel Carson:

 

“There is no drop of water in the ocean, not even in the deepest parts of the abyss, that does not know and respond to the mysterious forces that create the tide.” (Rachel Carson)

 

“How do you read that sentence, yawn and turn out the lights?” Miles asks us, and then goes on to explain that he also makes his best discoveries on moonlit nights when he can’t sleep and prowls the flats of Skookumchuck Bay at low tide. One night his ears pick up a faint, but very different sound from across the vast, dark mudflats and gravelly shore: “It was an exhale, a release of sorts, and I instantly wondered if a whale was stranded again.”  He approaches cautiously and finds the unbelievable: an Architeuthis, a giant squid. It will later be confirmed by Dr. Kramer, his mentor, at a huge media event, and thus begins a summer of notoriety for Miles.

 

Other discoveries follow: about sea creatures, about himself, Florence (his elderly friend), Phelps (his unlikely paid associate, whose obsessive interests are more typical: girls and rock ‘n roll), his parents, his love interest. As in most “young adult” novels, the protagonist faces changes and grows to meet them.

 

Some of the experiences are pretty rough and Miles often turns to the sea for help:

 

“…it was hard for me to feel fear or sadness at dawn on that bay… the water was so clear I could see coon-stripe shrimp in the eelgrass near the tavern and the bottomless bed of white clam shells pooled across the sunken tip of Penrose Point.

 

“Those shells, as unique and timeless as bones, helped me realize that we all die young, that in the life of the earth, we are houseflies, here for one flash of light.”

 

You certainly don’t have to be 14 to relate to  this book. The themes resonate well with people (like the Old Book Curmudgeon) who are at the opposite end of their own timeline.

 

What might happen if we really paid attention to life? What might we discover about the world and ourselves if we just looked a little closer and a little longer? We’re swept along by the tides of time whether we will or nil; so much of life seemingly out of our control. Maybe at a certain point the changes don’t look so good as we are drawn inexorably out to sea. And yet, the way Lynch frames things, it doesn’t sound so bad.

 

Miles draws strength from Rachel Carson’s philosophy. He especially admires that she was not “intimidated by time”.  When she looked at the ocean she summed up that:

 

“In its mysterious past it encompasses all the dim origins of life and receives in the end, after, it may be, many transmutations, the dead husks of the same life. For all at last return to the sea—to Oceanus, the ocean river, like the ever-flowing stream of time, the beginning and the end.” Rachel Carson

 

This book would be a gold mine for book clubs. Lots of material for thoughtful discussion here.

 

Don’t let the liberal use of the “F” word throw you off or you might be too hasty and miss a great little work that illuminates the best in us.

Local high school sports schedule: March 27-30

City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Kentwood Public Schools, Sports,
The high school baseball and softball seasons are starting up on Wyoming and Kentwood area. (WKTV)

Looking for a Wyoming and Kentwood area high school varsity sports event to get out to? Here is your weekly list.

 

Monday, March 27

Boys Baseball

Wyoming @ Covenant Christian

Girls Softball

Wyoming @ Covenant Christian

South Haven @ South Christian – DH

Girls Soccer

Jenison @ Wyoming

West Michigan Aviation @ Hopkins

 

Tuesday, March 28

Boys/Girls Track

Godwin Heights @ Aquinas College – Aquinas Track & Field Challenge

South Christian @ Aquinas College – Aquinas Track & Field Challenge

Wyoming Lee @ Unity Christian

Wyoming @ Unity Christian

Girls Soccer

Comstock Park @ Godwin Heights

Kenowa Hills @ Wyoming

Fruitport Calvary @ West Michigan Aviation

Zion Christian @ Saugatuck

South Christian @ Hudsonville

Girls Tennis

Kelloggsville @ Middleville T-K

Boys Baseball

Kelloggsville @ Comstock Park

Wyoming @ Caledonia

Potter’s House @ Zion Christian

South Christian @ Grandville

Girls Softball

Wyoming @ Caledonia

Girls Water Polo

Jenison @ East Kentwood

Boys Lacrosse

South Christian @ Lakeview

 

Wednesday, March 29

Boys Baseball

Holland @ Godwin Heights – DH

South Christian @ West Ottawa

Girls Softball

Ottawa Hills @ Godwin Heights – Scrimmage

South Christian @ West Ottawa

Girls Soccer

Wyoming Lee @ Ravenna

Grand River Prep @ Kelloggsville

Plainwell @ East Kentwood

Girls Tennis

Byron Center @ Wyoming

 

Thursday, March 30

Boys Baseball

Zion Christian @ Wyoming Lee

Girls Soccer

Zion Christian @ Wyoming Lee

 

Historic family-owned Italian grocer celebrates 112 years in West Michigan

3-bottom, Beer, Citizen Journalism, Food, Local Business, Local Faces, Local Food,

By Jeremy Witt

 

Family-owned Italian grocer, G.B. Russo & Son, has announced a rebrand to commemorate the company’s history dating back to 1905.

 

For 112 years the Russo family has been committed to the Grand Rapids community by offering one of the largest selection of wine and gourmet food; craft beer and liquor, kitchenware, homemade Italian entrees and more. G.B. Russo & Son will now be known as Russo’s International Market. Russo’s will host a variety of giveaways, in-store events, and promotions spanning over a three-month period. A community celebration will be held in May.

 

“My grandfather left Montelepre, Sicily at the age of 17 and by 20 years of age had opened his first store in East Grand Rapids,” said Phil Russo, President of Russo’s International Market.

 

“He made it his mission to serve the community and fed many through the Great Depression regardless of background or race. He was an entrepreneur and risk-taker and in spite of natural disasters, the Great Depression and race riots, the store continued to prosper and expand to make us what we are today.”

 

In 2008, the business doubled the size of the store to 18,000 square feet and expanded parking at the 29th Street location. Today, the store has a 45-foot deli case with over 300 meats and cheeses from around the world, olives, fresh baked breads, oils, private label pastas and sauces, homemade Villa Russo frozen entrees, a vast selection of craft beers and liquor, thousands of wines, kitchenware and more.

 

Russo’s International Market is currently run by the 3rd and 4th generation of the family and in the past few years the business has expanded to include:

  • Catering for events, business meetings and more
  • Wine delivery
  • Custom corporate gifts
  • In-store educational beverage tasting events and more
  • A large selection of Michigan and Grand Rapids products
  • Additional private-labeled items
  • Expanded homemade products such as sandwiches, dips, sauces, breads and more

“In honor of our anniversary we will share history on Grand Rapids in the 1900s while celebrating the present and future endeavors,” said Kelley Russo of Russo’s International Market.

 

“It is our goal to constantly reinvent ourselves as my great-grandfather would’ve encouraged us to do.”

 

Historic Items of Note:

  • In 1908, Giovanni Russo moved the store to Division near Franklin. This area was once known as Little Italy. At that location, he owned apartments, Roma Dance Hall, Grand Rapid’s first pizzeria, a pasta-making factory, and warehouse.
  • In 1914, a near kidnapping of his 18-month-old daughter by the Black Hands Gang was thwarted by the Russo nanny. The gang went on to threaten and harass the family until the Grand Rapids City Police were able to build a case, with Giovanni’s help. The Grand Rapids Press wrote an article dated Nov. 5, 2914, that stated: “It was through Russo’s activities and his disregard for the Black Hand warning that enabled police to capture the gang.”
  • Russo established Roma Hall above the store on Division during the Great Depression and prohibition era. Throughout the Hall’s history, Giovanni rented it to anyone, regardless of ethnicity or status, for dances, weddings, dinners and jam sessions featuring the likes of Ray Charles and Jimmy Reed.
  • Known musicians such as Muddy Waters, B.B. King and Mary Wells performed for Roma Hall audiences in the 1950s and 60s.
  • Due to Giovanni’s acceptance of all races and economic backgrounds, his was the only business on the block not burned down during the race riots of the 1960s.

Visit Russo’s Facebook page for more information.

 

Poverty simulation at Metro Health asks, “What could we do differently?”

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Education, Health, Non-Profits, Senior Living, Volunteers, , ,
Health professionals gather in “families” in preparation to experience a “month” in poverty. Photo by Ellie Walburg

By Ellie Walburg, Access of West Michigan

 

Reading a news article about someone living in poverty is one thing.

 

Actually experiencing it is another.

 

Metro Health Hospital Services recently hosted a poverty simulation workshop with Access of West Michigan. The goal of the poverty education program is to create awareness of the realities of poverty and bring inspiration for change in an experiential way.

 

Participants in the ‘Living on the Edge’ poverty simulation at Metro Health were assigned profiles detailing their name, age, family, income level and other related details. Each “family” then completed four weeks, made up of 15-minute increments, in providing groceries, paying bills, attending doctor’s appointments and other requirements as outlined on their profiles.

 

Afterwards, participants engaged in small group discussions to debrief and learn from one another’s insights.

 

Linda Bos is a registered nurse with Metro Health and attended the workshop. She, along with Heather Rayman, were given the roles of a 75- and 72-year-old couple struggling to make ends meet. Bos, playing the role of Anthony Xanthos, and Rayman playing his wife, Zelda, spent each “week” trying to keep up on their mortgage payments, provide $50 for food and make it to expensive doctor appointments.

 

At one point during the four weeks, they couldn’t buy groceries. Towards the end of the month, they were evicted from their home as they couldn’t provide proof of their mortgage payment.

 

Mobility was also a major issue for them.

 

‘We were struck that we were always concerned about traveling places,” Bos said. “We were never together — it split us up. We never did things together.”

 

Conversations about how they were doing or if they wanted to plan a vacation never arose during their time of balancing their meager budget and keep all their bills afloat “We sure didn’t talk about anything fun,” Bos added.

 

To accompany the small social assistance check they received for the month, Bos sought out other options.

 

“I also tried to get a job, but there was age discrimination,” she said. “There were forms to fill out that were difficult.”

 

Access of West Michigan Staffers share their own story of poverty during group discussions. Photo by Ellie Walburg

Not having an opportunity for additional income made balancing finances even more troublesome.

 

“There was no way out for us,” Bos said. “Neither one of us could get a job.”

 

Rayman was reminded, “Don’t forget we have to eat at some point in our life,” as she recalled the struggle of purchasing weekly groceries.

 

For both Bos and Rayman, living life as an elderly couple with little money was an eye-opening experience.

 

“Everything was tension-producing rather than pleasurable,” Bos noted.

 

That tension is something Bos knows first-hand. While currently employed and doing well, she has felt that same stress.

 

“There was a time when I didn’t have money to buy diapers, when we didn’t have money to pay the mortgage,” she said

 

Bos and Rayman agreed that this simulation could change the way they work with their patients and others they encounter.

 

“I think for me, I’ll be much more cognizant of transportation needs,” Bos said. “I’ll think, ‘What can I do to relieve some of those transportation issues.’”

 

Bos’s work as a nurse involves serving moms and newborns.

 

“I try to be very intentional with younger moms,” she said. “I’ll ask, ‘Do you need anything else for your child?’ ‘Do you have diapers?’ ‘Do you have formula?’”

 

She said she anticipates building upon that intention with those she sees.

 

“I think so often we don’t want to offend people,” she added. “But it’s really just about asking, ‘I want to help, what is it that you need?’” That intention, she said, can come through her following up with her clients through phone calls or other additional conversations.

 

Staffers Candice and Cindy are ready at their “health clinic” table to help participants. Photo by Ellie Walburg

Rayman added, “I feel like this makes me much more aware of things like transportation, medication, samples, getting them to a care manager or something like that — things I didn’t really think of before.”

 

As the simulation event drew to a close, attendees were reminded that while they stopped playing a role in a fictitious family, there are so many in the community who must continue with that difficult reality everyday. And now that the participants had experienced the frustration and stress of living in poverty, they, and all, are left with the question Bos wondered, “What might you do differently?”

 

To learn more about poverty education and the Living On The Edge poverty simulation workshops, please visit http://accessofwestmichigan.org/about-us/poverty-education/.

Don’t be duped! Guarding ourselves against fraud

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By Regina Salmi

Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan

Every year, millions of Americans are victims of scams or fraud. It is estimated that approximately 11% of the population experiences loss of money or personal property annually. While it can happen to a person at any age, older adults are often the most frequent targets for fraud. Older adults often have access to funds, have excellent credit and own their homes, making them attractive targets for criminals. In fact, older adults lose an estimated 2.9 billion dollars a year to fraud.
These are the current scams particularly targeting older adults:

  • Grandchild Scam: A caller will sound distressed and claim to be a grandchild in trouble or in danger and beg to have money wired to them immediately. The best thing to do is to hang up and call family members to insure everyone is safe and sound.
  • IRS Scam: A person could receive a call, an email or an official-looking letter, demanding immediate payment. They are told information will be forwarded to local law enforcement officials for arrest if they fail to pay. This is not the way the IRS collects debts. If you don’t owe taxes, hang up immediately or delete the email without opening it. If you do owe on your taxes, call the IRS at 800-829-1040 for assistance to pay them.
  • Gift Cards: Many people are being tricked into buying hundreds of dollars in gift cards or pre-paid money cards and sending them to a person in order to receive a prize, pay off a debt, purchase goods or services, or to help a grandchild pay off student loans. There isn’t any legitimate business conducted this way, so refuse any request to pay with gift cards or pre-paid credit cards.

While it seems there are scams everywhere we turn, there are a few ‘rules of thumb’ we can use to protect ourselves from being fooled:

  • If it sounds too good to be true — it is. Criminals feed on our desires by offering us goods or opportunities we wouldn’t, in reality, be able to attain: vacations, money, miracle cures, property, etc. You can be sure there is always a hidden cost and we end up losing much more than we would have ever gained.
  • Never send money to someone you do not know. Any business or government agency you owe money to will send you the request through the mail. If a paperless billing notice arrives in your email and you didn’t initiate it, call the company directly to confirm it is from them.
  • Do not give personal or financial information to someone who calls, emails or shows up at your door. Avoid giving out your bank account, credit card or Social Security number unless you are positive you know who is requesting the information. Businesses you have accounts with will ask you to verify some information to make sure it’s you, like the last four digits of your social security number, but they are confirming your information — not receiving it for the first time.
  • If you get an email or pop-up message that asks for personal or financial information, do not reply, open any attachment or click on any link in the message. Legitimate companies don’t ask for this information by email and you’re often opening a door to identity theft. You also risk downloading viruses or software that collects your personal information and/or disables your computer’s security.

It’s important that we protect ourselves and share tips and information with family and friends who might also fall prey to these schemes. If you’re ever unsure about whether you might be the victim of a scam there are several resources available to you.

The Kent County Elder Abuse Coalition updates current scams frequently on their website: http://www.protectkentseniors.org. You can call them at 855.444.3911.

The Michigan Attorney General also has a consumer alert web page here. If you believe you may be a victim of a scam, you can call them at 877.765.8388.

School News Network: Godfrey-Lee Board offers district chief post to veteran administrator

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, ,
Carlos Lopez

By Erin Albanese

School News Network

 

The Godfrey-Lee Board of Education has offered the superintendent position to Carlos Lopez, current director of curriculum, instruction and assessment in Plymouth-Canton Community Schools, in Plymouth.

 

Subject to the negotiation of a contract, Lopez will replace nine-year Superintendent David Britten, who is stepping down June 30.

 

Lopez, who has been in his current position for two years, was formerly the school leader at a Detroit charter school that has a predominantly Latino population. He has also served as superintendent of River Rouge Schools; deputy superintendent at Oak Park Schools; and held various positions in Detroit Public Schools. He has a doctorate in curriculum instruction and administration from Wayne State University.

 

Lopez, 55, who is bilingual in Spanish and English, said he was attracted to the position because of his background in working in majority Hispanic schools such as Godfrey-Lee, where 78 percent of students are Latino. He said he looks forward to continuing programs and innovations the district has implemented, including the human-centered design process and projects tied to it.

 

Godfrey-Lee is completing the human-centered design process, thanks to a $250,000 grant from the Steelcase Foundation, in which staff, parents, students and community members are challenged to reimagine schools. It is an approach to problem-solving that incorporates the wants and needs of end users of a product or service at every stage of the design process.

 

An experienced grant writer, Lopez said he is also excited about funding he can secure for various opportunities in academics, arts and other areas.

 

Aiming for National Model

Once a refugee, Lopez immigrated to the United States in 1970 from Cuba with his his family.

 

“Many people reached out to us,” Lopez said. “I’m here because of the generosity of very dynamic humans who were there at the right time to helps us.”

 

Lopez said he looks forward to continuing Godfrey-Lee’s efforts to embrace parents and the community.

 

“I want the children to feel like they belong there, and the parents to know we’re giving their children the attention they need and deserve,” he said. “I would love to make Godfrey-Lee be a national model for a school that really demonstrates how we can educate (English-language learners) to achieve high levels of proficiency with dignity.”

 

Lopez was offered the job after interviews with four candidates narrowed from a field of 30 applicants.

 

Board President Eric Mockerman said the board appreciated Lopez’s varied experience, especially in working in populations similar to Godfrey-Lee’s.

 

“His experience was very impressive to us, and his passion for students and their learning was very impressive to us,” Mockerman said.

Public Museum puts out call for annual Maker Faire

3-bottom, Area Education, Citizen Journalism, Upcoming Events, ,

By Kate Moore, Grand Rapids Public Museum

 

If you enjoy tinkering, designing, building and hacking new technology-based inventions, then Maker Faire is for you. This year’s Maker Faire will be held at the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) and nearby Grand Valley State University’s Kennedy Hall of Engineering on August 19 and 20.

 

Part science fair, part county fair, and part something entirely new, Maker Faire is an all-ages gathering. All of these “makers” come to Maker Faire to show what they have made and to share what they have learned.

 

Featuring both established and emerging local “makers”, this family-friendly celebration features tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, hobbyists, engineers, artists, students and commercial exhibitors. Visitors will see installations from local West Michigan inventors, innovators and tinkerers, as well as makers traveling greater distances to showcase.

 

The Faire will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, August 19 and from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, August 20. Tickets will go on sale in early summer for Museum members and the general public.

 

Any groups or individuals interested in participating in the Maker Faire should complete the application at GrandRapids.MakerFaire.com. Spots are first come, first serve basis with openings inside both the GRPM and GVSU as well as outside on the GRPM’s lawn. This year’s Maker Faire expects to see more than 7,000 visitors throughout the two-day event.

 

The Call to Makers will close on July 16.

Government Matters: Week in review, March 20-24

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Peters, Stabenow, announce $4.6 million to expand Head Start programs for West Michigan children

By WKTV Contributor

U.S. Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow recently announced that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded $1.95 million to the Grand Rapids Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative to support their Early Head Start Child Care Partnership program, and $2.7 million to the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District to support Early Head Start and Head Start programs for children.

“Head Start and Early Head Start programs provide vital educational and support services to families and children that put them on the path to success,” said Senator Peters. “I’m pleased to help announce this funding that will help expand access to critical medical, nutritional and educational support services for children in West Michigan so they can lead healthy and happy lives.”

“Today’s announcement is good news and will help children in West Michigan get the long-term support they need,” said Senator Stabenow. “Good nutrition, medical care and early childhood education can make all the difference in helping our children succeed.”

Head Start and Early Head Start prepare children and their families for school by offering a variety of services including early learning experiences, family support services and health services. Early Head Start Child Care Partnership programs offer developmental screenings and referrals to medical, dental, nutrition, vision and mental health services, and provide necessities including diapers and formula. Partnership sites receive additional resources to support training and professional development for staff, and improve facilities and upgrade supplies and equipment.

Peters joins colleagues in opposition of proposed EPA cuts

Cuts would eliminate funding to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and impact EPA’s ability to help Flint

By Allison Green

U.S. Senator Gary Peters joined a group of 37 Senators in opposing President Trump’s proposal to inflict a more than 30-percent cut to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) budget that would have a direct effect on Michigan and the Great Lakes. Included in the budget proposal is a complete elimination of funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), which addresses the most serious risks to the Great Lakes ecosystem and supports long-term cleanup goals. The proposed cuts would also significantly hinder the agency’s ability to provide vital technical expertise to the City of Flint as they work to recover from the water crisis and safely transition water sources.

Sen. Peters & colleagues reintroduce bipartisan, bicameral legislation to make college more affordable & accessible

By WKTV Contributor

U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), John Boozman (R-AR) and Al Franken (D-MN), and U.S. Representatives Jared Polis (D-CO) and Tom Reed (R-NY) have announced they are reintroducing bipartisan, bicameral legislation to help make college more affordable and accessible by expanding opportunities for high school students to earn college credit. The Making Education Affordable and Accessible Act (MEAA) would improve access to higher education by providing grants to eligible institutions of higher learning to create dual and concurrent enrollment and early/middle college programs that allow high school students to earn college credits before their high school graduation.

“Some form of higher education or technical certification is increasingly essential to joining today’s workforce, and the rising cost of tuition should not be a barrier that keeps students from getting the skills and education they need to succeed,” said Senator Peters.

“I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation that helps students save money while getting a head start on their college education. The Making Education Affordable and Accessible Act will help ensure students are well-prepared for their chosen careers and employers have trained workers to fill the jobs of the future.”

Senator Stabenow releases video urging people in Michigan to stand up for the Great Lakes

Stabenow asks Michigan residents to share their stories about the Great Lakes and join her to save critical funding

By Miranda Margowsky

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) has released a video message urging people in Michigan to join her and stand up to protect critical funding for the Great Lakes. The bipartisan Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which Senator Stabenow helped launched in 2010, provides vital resources to protect and restore the Great Lakes. The program faces elimination in President Trump’s budget proposal.

To submit your Great Lakes story, visit Sen. Stabenow’s website here.

Senator Stabenow announces bipartisan legislation to support U.S. manufacturers, create more American jobs

By WKTV Contributor

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) today announced legislation amending our tax laws to support American manufacturers and to create jobs here at home. The bill makes it clear that both companies using contract manufacturers and the contract manufacturers themselves are eligible to claim tax deductions that reward domestic manufacturing activities in the United States. U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) also introduced the legislation.

“We don’t have an economy or a middle class unless we make things and grow things,” said Senator Stabenow. “This bill makes a commonsense change to our tax policies that will encourage manufacturers to create more jobs here at home.”

Section 199 is one of the largest tax incentives that benefits domestic manufacturing. It provides companies with a 9% deduction on their income from domestic manufacturing activities, giving those activities a lower effective tax rate and making U.S. manufacturing a more attractive investment.

Under current tax law, it is unclear whether a company using a contract manufacturer or the contract manufacturer itself is eligible to claim the deduction. Senator Stabenow’s legislation would clarify tax law to allow both entities to claim the Section 199 tax incentive for domestic manufacturing.

Huizenga examines impact of financial regulation on small business job creation

On March 22, Capital Markets Subcommittee Chairman Bill Huizenga (MI-02) held a hearing to examine how the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has implemented the JOBS Act and what its impact has been on capital formation and job creation. During the hearing Huizenga called for the SEC to stop pursing political objectives outside its core mission and focus on creating a regulatory environment that supports innovation and job creation.

Key Takeaways from the Hearing:

  • The bipartisan JOBS Act is working, but Congress and the SEC must do more to help small businesses, entrepreneurs and emerging growth companies access capital.
  • The SEC has a responsibility to facilitate, not frustrate, capital formation and must work with Congress to eliminate unnecessary and overly burdensome regulations that are restricting access to capital.
  • The Financial CHOICE Act, the Republican plan to replace the Dodd-Frank Act, included numerous provisions to expand access to capital for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

For more information, go here.

6th Annual GRandJazzFest announces 2017 dates

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Our Cities, Upcoming Events, , , , , ,

 

By Molly Klimas

 

GRandJazzFest presented by DTE Energy Foundation returns to Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids, Mich., this Aug. 19 and 20, for the sixth annual festival. The popular family-friendly festival is West Michigan’s only free, weekend-long jazz festival.

 

At the 2017 festival in August, 11 diverse jazz artists and bands will perform, including a student jazz band and two major headline acts. Free face painting by Fancy Faces will be available for kids and, if lines aren’t too long, for “kids at heart.”

 

The two-day festival will again be free thanks to Presenting Sponsor DTE Energy Foundation, the City of Grand Rapids and other sponsoring organizations, individuals and volunteers.

 

“There’s something special about jazz that brings people together like no other art form. It’s because jazz is so diverse – it has so many styles, from Big Band to Latin to Contemporary, and I’m just naming a few,” GRandJazzFest Founder Audrey Sundstrom said. “GRandJazzFest is what community is all about.”

 

GRandJazzFest typically draws thousands to the heart of downtown Grand Rapids for the two-day, outdoor event always held the third weekend in August.

 

Holding the festival in the center city is by design, to enable festival-goers to take in all that downtown has to offer: restaurants, clubs, museums, microbreweries and shops. The festival typically occurs during Restaurant Week in Grand Rapids. The festival’s location provides easy access to those who ride the bus, walk or bike, and is also close to parking.

 

The 2017 festival lineup will be announced on April 26 at the House of Entertainment and Music (H.O.M.E.) at The B.O.B.

 

 

Ford Airport hosts spring break passenger appreciation days; TSA offers advice for faster screening

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

By Tara Hernandez

Gerald R. Ford International Airport

 

The Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA) is preparing for its busiest time of year with helpful travel reminders, and a bit of fun mixed in.

 

Due to additional passenger volume beginning this month and continuing through April, parking lot demands will be greater, and airport facilities are expected to be busy.  GFIA is also under construction for the Gateway Transformation Project, which affects areas of passenger screening and the terminal Grand Hall. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) expects longer security lines.

 

In order to expedite the security screening process, passengers should carefully consider the contents of their checked luggage and carry-on bags.  The TSA recommends wearing shoes that are easy to remove, having identification and boarding passes ready to present at security checkpoints, removing all items from pockets, avoiding bedazzled and jeweled clothing, limiting heavy jewelry, and ending all cell phone conversations prior to screening. In addition, removing heavy food items such as cheese and fudge, along with granular and powdered items like sugar, from your carry-on bag, will also greatly speed up security screening.

 

“We are looking forward to another Spring Break season, which is our busiest time of the year. Because of that, it is important for those traveling – especially if you haven’t flown recently – to review TSA’s website,” said GFIA President & CEO Jim Gill. “Our TSA staff does a wonderful job, and the more prepared travelers are, the smoother the screening experience will be for everyone.”

 

Passengers traveling through GFIA on select Spring Break travel dates will be treated to the annual Passenger Appreciation Days, compliments of the Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority Board.  This bon-voyage celebration will take place from Thursday, Macy 30 – April 1 from 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. in the Airport’s Grand Hall Meet & Greet area. Passenger Appreciation Days events include free refreshments, food, giveaways, prize drawings, contests, and more.

 

“Our Spring Break travelers who return year after year know how much fun you can have prior to your vacation with our Passenger Appreciation Days,” said Gill. “This is one of the ways we are thanking our community for supporting our airport, and our passengers will have some fun before heading out on their trips.”

 

For passengers wanting to partake in the Passenger Appreciation Days festivities, the Airport encourages them to allow even more travel time.

 

The TSA also encourages passengers to utilize the 3-1-1 rule with liquids, gels and aerosols. Put all liquids in 3.4 ounce containers and place them in a clear, plastic one-quart zip-top bag.

 

Additional 3-1-1 Information:

  • Deodorant: Stick deodorant is not limited to 3.4 oz. or less, but gel or spray deodorant is.
  • Suntan & Sun Block Lotion: Lotions fall under the 3-1-1 procedures mentioned above. As well as the aerosol spray lotions. Sunblock sticks do not fall under this rule.
  • Makeup: Any liquid makeup cosmetics such as eyeliner, nail polish, liquid foundation, etc. should be placed in the baggie. That goes for perfume as well. Powder makeup is fine.
  • Beverages: Wine, liquor, beer, and all of your other favorite beverages are permitted in your checked baggage. You can also bring beverages packaged in 3.4 oz. or less bottles in your carry-on bags in the 3-1-1 baggie.
  • Sporting Goods: Golf clubs, tennis rackets, baseball bats (including the mini slugger bats), cricket bats, lacrosse sticks, bows and arrows, hockey sticks, scuba knives, spear guns, etc. are all prohibited from being carried onto the plane. However, you can have them checked as luggage.

 

Questions about TSA procedures and upcoming travel can be addressed to the TSA Contact Center at 1-866-289-9673 or @AskTSA on Twitter.

Need help meeting a basic need? Call 2-1-1!

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Our Cities, , , , , , , , ,

By ACSET Community Action Agency

Sometimes life can bring unexpected challenges. The loss of a job, unexpected medical bills or a house fire can make a financially stable family face homelessness. Unfortunately, unexpected emergencies can happen at any time. There are many organizations in Kent County that provide assistance in these situations. But how do you know whom to contact? What if you need help with food and paying utilities and rent all at the same time?

There is one resource that connects residents to more than 2,900 services in Kent County. The Heart of West Michigan United Way’s 2-1-1 database is the first place families should go in their time of need. Information can be easily accessed by calling 2-1-1 anywhere in Kent County, emailing HWReferral@incontactemail.com or online at: http://www.referweb.net/hwmi/. They even have their own app available for androids and iPhones — just search Kent 2-1-1 to download.

Whatever your situation, you are not alone. In Kent County, it is estimated that 39% of households are struggling to afford basic needs. Last year our local 2-1-1 answered 65,000 calls for help. Most calls are for assistance with:

  • Food
  • Healthcare
  • Housing
  • Utilities
  • Transportation

The database also offers resources specifically for Veterans and information on employment services, education and arts & recreation.

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

School News Network: Kentwood fifth-grade author keeps turning out new fiction

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Oummu S. Kabba smiles with her biggest fan, her dad, Brima Kabba, at her book-signing.

By Erin Albanese

School News Network

 

In colorful markers, Oummu S. Kabba neatly wrote “O.S.K,” adding a smiley face inside the “O,” during her book-signing event at Barnes & Noble bookstore in Grandville’s Rivertown Crossings Mall.

 

Catering to a steady stream of shoppers, the Kentwood Public Schools’ Discovery Elementary fifth-grader was selling stacks of the three books she has already published for $10 a piece.

 

“I feel excited about all the people who care enough to come,” Oummu said. She was joined at the signing table by her father, Brima Kabba; brother Alpha, a third-grader; and sister Rugui, a sixth-grader.

 

Oummu S. Kabba, 10, has published three books and has a fourth soon to be released ‘You Can Express How You Feel’

Oummu published her first book, “Charlie the Talking Dog,” at age 8. Now 10, she has since published “The New Girl” and “The Chicken Man.” Her next book, a 150-plus page novel called “Battle for My Brother,” will be released in the near future.

 

The young author is the daughter of refugees who had no formal education. Brima Kabba was born in Sierra Leone. He was a refugee in Guinea when he met and married his wife, Fanta. They eventually settled in Malta and were part of a group chosen by the U.S. government to come to America in 2009, when Oummu was a toddler.

 

“I always tried hard to help my kids read and write their names,” Kabba said. He said he didn’t know his daughter would turn those skills into books. “I’m so proud of her.”

Kabba said he first realized his daughter’s passion for writing when she was 6 and he came across her journal, where she had begun “Charlie the Talking Dog.” He promised to publish the book when Oummu finished. True to his word, he did, through Chapbook Press at Schuler Books, where her other books have also been published.

 

 

Oummu said she loves the creativity of writing fiction. “You can express how you feel through different characters and no one can tell you what to write. No matter what, the story is yours.”

 

Oummu is in the gifted-and-talented program, PEAKS, at Discovery Elementary. Her parents are putting any profits she makes from books sales into an education fund. She hopes to go to Harvard University and become a doctor, but she said she will always make time for writing.

 

Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.

On the shelf: ‘The best of James Herriot: favorite memories of a country vet’ by James Herriot

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, , , , ,

By Lisa Boss, Grand Rapids Public Library, Main

 

“All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, all things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all.” (Cecil Alexander)

 

Great books are like musical pieces, with chords and leitmotifs that resonate in our hearts and help us to cope with a painful world. As such, new ones are not necessarily better than older ones, and personal favorites may bring the comfort and wisdom of time-tested friends. I re-visit a few of the Herriot books every so often, and feel the better for it. James Alfred Wight (1916-1995) — pen name, James Herriot — grew up in Scotland and graduated from Glasgow Veterinary College, going to work at a small rural practice when he was 23. A self-confessed “city boy”, he soon fell in love with the wild, spacious countryside of the Yorkshire Dales and its inhabitants.

 

The semi-fictionalized tales of his eccentric partner, Siegfried, with his devil-may-care brother, Tristan, and a larger cast of town characters, have been the bedrock of an enduring legacy. Memoirs of a time and place that don’t exist anymore; Britain between the great wars and on into the forties and fifties, when a great transition was taking place from tiny farms powered by draft animals to a more industrial form of agriculture.

 

To dip into these reminisces is to visit a quieter time, but not an easier one, for vets or their patients. A time before the “miracle” drugs were yet to appear, leading the author to remark, “Those old black magic days with their exotic, largely useless medicines reeking of witchcraft. They have gone for good and though as a veterinary surgeon I rejoice, as a writer I mourn their passing.”

 

Wight wanted to preserve that unique time, and when he started writing his memoirs in his fifties, he imagined a small book of humorous anecdotes, but the books soon grew into a whole world with all its joys and sorrows. Not just about animals, but more about how all the components of work, relationships, love and duty fit together to form healthy communities.

 

And like many compassionate people, the author himself did not always have an easy time of it. He endured a chronic physical ailment and could suffer bouts of depression (possibly from Brucellosis), which one might never guess from his books, except that there is much more depth and understanding of the human condition than a quick glance might reveal.

 

Loved for over 30 years, they are true modern classics.

Authors of teen book about racial tension set to visit KDL Wyoming branch

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Brendan Kiely and Jason Reynolds will be discussing their book “All American Boys” at KDL Wyoming Branch Monday, March 27.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

On Monday, March 27, the co-authors of one of the nation’s most powerful novels on racial tensions for teens will be visiting the KDL Wyoming Branch wrapping up the Community Reads program.

 

“All American Boys,” written by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, is the selected man title for this year’s Community Reads program. The story centers around two teenagers – one black and one white – classmates, who are forced to grabble with the repercussions of a violent act that leaves their school and their community bitterly divided by racial tension. Unique to the book is that Reynolds writes from the perspective of that young black boy, while Kiely writes from the white boy who witnessed the assault.

 

The story line should sound familiar as Reynolds has stated the book is based off similar events that have taken place in such communities as Ferguson, Mo. The goal was to create discussion, especially among students, about those issues playing out in the headlines.

 

“I realize that these conversations were totally divorcing themselves from young people,” Reynolds has said in previous interviews. “We want to create a tool for young people to enter into that conversation in a healthy and safe way.”

 

The book was chosen by the staff of the KDL Wyoming and Grandville branches – the two libraries partnered together for this year’s Community Read – because of its accessibility to students and that it makes a great discussion book because of the timelessness of the themes and the way the story is told from two different viewpoints, according to KDL Wyoming Branch Manager Lori Holland.

 

“When selecting titles we have a planning committee made up of library staff who meet to review titles,” Holland said. “This year we had both Grandville and Wyoming staff looking at and discussing various titles and authors that we have read and loved in the past year or two.  We are looking for titles that engage a variety of readers in order to promote literacy. The book must have compelling characters and themes and foster discussion around issues that are important in our communities.”

 

Another factor in the selection process is that the authors should be compelling speakers and able to engage their audience. ” One of our staff members had seen Jason Reynolds speak and had been blown away by his presentation,” Holland said. In fact, Reynolds’ “Ghost” was the middle school selection for the Community Reads program and the picture book “Friendshape” by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld was selected as a companion title.

 

Because students in Wyoming, Grandville and Godwin high schools are participating in the program, the selected book is then presented to school staff for review and feedback. “They loved the title and were enthusiastic supporters,” she said.

 

“All American Boys” has earned numerous awards including the 2016 Coretta Scott King Author Honor.

 

Monday’s program is for adults and teens in grades 6 – 12. For more information, visit www.kdl.org.

 

March 27 is deadline to enter The Eclipse Awards

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, WKTV Projects, , ,

By Tom Norton, WKTV

 

The 6th Annual Eclipse Awards are on their way to a record number of entries, and there are just three days left to enter: Deadline is 5 pm Monday, March 27.

 

Michigan is hopping with serious content creators and WKTV’s Digital Cinema Program, the WMFVA, Ferris State University, Compass College of Cinematic Arts and the West Michigan Film Office are all sponsors of Michigan’s only competition for film, television, online and the crafts that support them.

 

Sixty judges from a vast array of disciplines in Grand Rapids, Los Angeles and New York will see your work, whether or not you’re screening in any of these cities.

 

Viewing and voting begins March 30. The announcement of nominations is April 17 at 7 pm. Go here to enter.

 

 

Patti Sevensma exhibit opening at Pine Rest Leep Art Gallery

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, , , ,

By Colleen Cullison

Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services

 

A new exhibit titled, “Innovative Artistry,” by local artist Patti Sevensma, ISEA-NF, NCS, opens at the Leep Art Gallery on March27. The mixed media exhibit is at the Postma Center on the Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services campus in Grand Rapids.

 

Having grown up on the shores of Lake Michigan, Sevensma compares her love of creating art to her life-long fascination with the serene, but often turbulent lake. “It’s beautiful, awesome, and terrifying all at the same time. Making art is the same way. Every project is an adventure in and of itself.” As the lake is ever changing, Sevensma, too, continues to change as a multimedia artist. She is learning not only to enhance her creative process but also to make her life more exciting and fulfilling.

 

Early on, Sevensma developed a love of drawing, designing, and even sewing her own clothes. As her sons entered high school, Sevensma focused on becoming a professional photographer and also began taking art classes at Grand Rapids Community College along with local instructor Loretta Sailors, who has been a significant influence on her work. Sevensma also took workshops led by nationally known artists in drawing, watercolor, collage, and mixed media. Her goal has always been to try as many mediums as possible before she dies.

 

Sevensma shares her passion for learning by teaching classes and workshops to inspire others to discover the joy of making art. She teaches photography, with an emphasis on how to capture and design a great photo; critique class for artists seeking to improve their design and composition skills; and watercolor for beginning artists.

 

Sevensma’s artwork is on display at The Flat River Gallery and Framing in Lowell; Mullaly’s 128 Studio and Gallery in Elk Rapids; Museum Contempo in Shelton, Washington; Frames Unlimited Galleries in Grand Rapids, and other locations in the Midwest. She is a member of the National Collage Society and President of the International Society of Experimental Artists.

 

The exhibit will be on display at Pine Rest Postma Center located at 300 68th Street, SE, Grand Rapids, Mich., from March 27 until June 30, 2017. The Leep Art Gallery is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and is free and open to the public. For more information, please call 616.222.4530 or go to www.pinerest.org/events.