All posts by Joanne

Second day of annual Winter Beer Festival sold out

Beer, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Upcoming Events, , , ,

WKTV Staff

 

If you are thinking about attending the Michigan Brewers Guild Winter Beer Festival, held each year at the Grand Rapids area’s Fifth Third Ballpark, you might want to stop thinking about it and do it.

 

According to the event’s website, the second day of the two-day event scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Feb. 24-25, is sold out. But tickets to the Friday night event, running from 5-9 p.m., are still available.

 

Tickets are only available online and, according to supplied information, once online tickets are sold out, no additional tickets will be released.

 

The 2017 Winter Beer Festival, the 10th anniversary of the festival, will feature more than 100 Michigan breweries and approximately 1,000 different craft beers. There will also be music from local bands and a selection of food available for purchase. Friday night’s music will be The Concussions’ surf-instrumental-rock-n-roll sound, as well Big Dudee Roo self-described “oft-psychedelic, Neil Young-styled folk rock” sounds.

 

Fifth Third Ballpark is located at 4500 West River Road NR in Comstock Park. For more information visit mibeer.com/winter-festival .

 

Experience Grand Rapids has announced it will partner with the GR Hopper to offer a $10 shuttle service to and from the festival from participating hotels. (Email staff@GRHopper.com or call 616-606-0467.)

 

Expat life – back in Chiang Mai

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, , , , ,

 

 

By Lynn Strough

Travelynn Tales

 

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to move to another country? To be an expat in a foreign land? For six months I had a sampling of what that’s like in Thailand. It’s easier than you might think.

 

At first it can seem really foreign — different language, even different alphabets, different foods, different religions and different customs. For someone like me, who finds all of these differences fascinating, it’s like living in a dream. People in Thailand are very friendly, polite, welcoming and kind. And in bigger cities or resort towns, many speak some English. As an American, I feel lucky that English has become the current universal language. There are many expats from all over in Chiang Mai, the city where I took up residence and whether German or Korean or Brazilian, all generally communicate in English.

 

First thing to do when arriving is to secure a place to live. There are options for every budget, from shared hostel to small private room to luxury condo or large house. Being in the budget range of travel, I found a place at Mai Mansion, a bright pink building of single, private rooms for the affordable price of 5600 baht — about $156 American dollars a month — plus utilities. Yes, that’s right, you can rent your own furnished place for under $200.

 

If you find your place a little too spare, there are fun, inexpensive places to go for a few items to spruce it up, like the night markets. For under $10 you can buy colored lights, a ceramic vase and fabric, among other things to add some splashes of color.

 

What’s eating like in another country? Delicious! In Thailand, of course, there’s a variety of tasty Thai dishes, including pad Thai and curries. Thais like their food very hot, but they are happy to tone it down for us farangs (foreigners). At small local restaurants you can enjoy dinner for as little as 30 baht, or about $1.

 

If you get homesick for other cuisines, in bigger cities like Chiang Mai you have plenty of options — Mexican, Italian, Indian, American — for a slightly bigger price tag. Even at $6 for dinner, it’s a lot more affordable than eating out in the U.S. or Europe.

 

With a severe mushroom allergy I was concerned, as mushrooms are common in Asia but as soon as I arrived, I asked someone who spoke both languages to please write me a note that told of my allergy, which I simply showed to the servers. No allergy emergencies in six months, I’m happy to report.

 

What about transportation? There are many options there as well. You can hop on a very affordable songtheaw, the little red buses that chug down the roads all over. Or grab a tuk tuk, a sort of cart attached to a motorcycle. Many people rent scooters for around $70 a month, which gives you a lot more freedom or you can rent a bike. And of course, there’s always walking.
What does one do in Thailand once you’re settled in? So many options: take a cooking class or go visit an elephant rescue center (please don’t ride the elephants as it can hurt them, go instead where you can feed and help bathe them). There are beautiful temples everywhere which you can visit, and you can even attend a meditation retreat to explore your spiritual side.

 

If you’re feeling stressed out, for a mere $6 you can experience an hour Thai massage, but I recommend that you splurge on a two-hour coconut oil massage for less than $20. My new friend Pitt does an excellent job, and will leave you feeling like you’re floating.

 

It’s fun to just wander around and see what you might discover, including all the unique flora. You might even get lucky and be there during the flower festival. And speaking of festivals, there are many. In April is Songkran, the Thai New Year, with its crazy water festivities, and in November the stunningly beautiful Loy Kratong lantern festival, where thousands of little boats made of banana leaves are set off on the river, while thousands of paper lanterns are sent floating up in the night sky.

 

Many “digital nomads” go to Chiang Mai for an inexpensive place to live and work, and there are lots of internet cafes and co-working spaces with super wifi connections. And for those who are into shopping of the more modern variety, there are shopping malls as well.

 

In fact, you can get just about anything you want in cities like Chiang Mai, my home base, and certainly everything you need. If you need medical attention, they have topnotch doctors and dentists for a fraction of the cost of care in the U.S. You may just find your prescription for a tenth of the cost of at home. My migraine pills in the States are $40 each by prescription while in Thailand the same brand is $4 over the counter. And I had a great teeth cleaning by the dentist herself for $27.

 

But back to more fun — near Chiang Mai you can head out to a nearby park for a day of lounging in little waterside huts, eating and swimming, or if you’re more daring, head to the Grand Canyon of Chiang Mai for some cliff jumping. There are other trips as well, such as up to visit the hill tribes or on the winding road up to sleepy little hippy town Pai, where you can take a soak in the waterfalls.

 

So much to do, although my main purpose was to work on a book, so I had to hide myself away and try not to get too distracted. It’s easy to make friends in a place like Chiang Mai — whether at the coffee shops or the gym (for $27 a month you can have use of a gym and a pool), the festivals, just walking down the street or at the many meet-up groups.

 

Whether you’re a student taking a break,or a retiree, have been laid off from your job or just need a sabbatical, I highly recommend visiting a foreign country for a period of time, a month or longer. Can’t afford it, you think? Think again. You can housesit or house swap, or couch surf or do like I did and sell everything, though you don’t have to do anything quite so drastic. You can rent out your home, and I bet for the monthly rental income, you’d be able to afford a plane ticket, room and food in Thailand. You can live there pretty easily for $1000 a month (or less if you travel with someone and share accommodations).

 

Work? See if you can take a sabbatical, so your job is waiting for you. Or see if your job can be done remotely — wifi is not hard to find, and neither is your own slice of paradise.

 

Don’t have any savings? Start by keeping track of all your daily expenditures, and I bet you can find a myriad of ways to cut back and stash cash away. Coffee? Lunch out? Cigarettes? Drinks after work? That new pair of shoes when you already have 12 pair in your closet? Speaking of closets, what about cleaning them out, along with your garage, and selling some stuff on eBay? It’s all about priorities. Before you know it you’ll have enough to take off for a month (or maybe a year). In fact, for the same amount that you spend on that one-week cruise or staying at a fancy hotel with a golf course, you can stay for a month in southeast Asia. You may decide not to come home.

 

Concerned about safety? I’ve felt safer in 15 other countries than I do in most places in the U.S., especially as a woman traveling solo. So take off and explore the world! I think you’ll be happy you did.

 

About Lynn Strough

Lynn is a 50+ wanderer whose incarnations in this life have included graphic designer, children’s book author and illustrator, public speaker, teacher, fine art painter, wine educator in the Napa Valley, and world traveler. Through current circumstances, she has found herself single, without a job or a home, and poised for a great adventure.

 

“You could consider me homeless and unemployed, but I prefer nomad and self-employed, as I pack up my skills and head off with my small backpack and even smaller savings to circumnavigate the globe (or at least go until the money runs out). Get ready to tag along for the ride…starting now!”

 

travelynnlogoAll images copyright Lynn Strough and Travelynn Tales

Reprinted with permission

Mason Street Alumni and ‘Lion King’ actor Russell Brown visits local schools

Entertainment

 

By Angela Peavey

Saugatuck Center for the Arts

 

Mason Street Warehouse “alumnus” and The Lion King actor Russell Joel Brown visited Saugatuck Middle School and recently met with 6th grade students to present his outreach program, Project: Inspire.  The Saugatuck Center for the Arts worked with Brown to bring this very special creative educational opportunity to students.

 

“As I travel around North America with the The Lion King, I present my own outreach program, Project: Inspire to elementary, middle, and high school students,” Brown said. “While I present to schools, it is imperative to me that I reach at least one economically disadvantaged school or program per city I visit.” Brown was in Detroit with The Lion King and reached out to the SCA for assistance connecting with schools.

 

Russell Brown at Saugatuck Middle School.

“We love playing the role of ‘connecter’,” said SCA Executive Director Kristin Armstrong.  “Russell is so talented – it’s very exciting when a performer of his caliber visits West Michigan to connect with students. We were thrilled to be able to help him work with several regional schools.”

 

Brown, who is an actor-dancer-singer, played the role of Horse in MSW’s 2009 production of The Full Monty and after, went straight to Broadway where he has been performing as a bass in the singing ensemble, and serving as an understudy to the actor who plays “Mufasa” in The Lion King for the past 12 years.

 

Brown uses the power of creativity, during Project: Inspire, to activate the imagination, inspiring students to achieve excellence in their personal, educational, and artistic lives. Drawing from his experiences in The Lion King as well as other productions, Brown talks about what it takes to be a working performer and to be successful on stage, screen, and in life.

 

“While this is a unique opportunity for the children in our community who have a passion and interest in theatre, Russel’s program connects with any young person interested in making a difference in his or her community,” said SCA Education & Exhibitions Manager Whitney Valentine. “It’s very exciting to share Russell’s passion for helping young people find their unique voice with our community.”

 

During his trip to West Michigan, Brown also visited Whitehall Middle School which is currently working on their own production of The Lion King. Brown connected with more than 100 6th-12th grade students in Whitehall.

 

The Lion King is running through Feb. 26 at the Michigan Opera Theatre in Detroit. For more information on the show, visit michiganopera.org.

Ai Weiwei at Meijer Gardens: Where art, social activism meld

3-bottom, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Politics, , , , , ,
Ai Weiwei self portrait surrounded by supporters and police. (Supplied)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 

When asked about the artist Ai Weiwei, Ping Liang — board chair of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, international businesswoman, and a Chinese-American with a deep understanding of modern Chinese culture — readily defers artistic questions to the Garden’s chief curator.

 

But both she and Joseph Antenucci Becherer, who serves as Meijer Gardens vice president in addition to his curatorial duties, understand that to appreciate Weiwei one must go deeper than simply his art. One must understand his history and his culture, especially his social activism both inside his rigidly controlled home county and around the world.

 

Ping Liang, board chair of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, and chief curator Joseph Antenucci Becherer, in the main gallery of the exhibit “Ai Weiwei at Meijer gardens: Natural State”. (WKTV)

 

“I came to know Ai Weiwei’s reputation through the 2008 Olympic stadium, called the Bird’s Nest. At that time, his name wasn’t taken in a very good light because of the Chinese media, which is very controlled,” Liang said, as she and Becherer sat together with WKTV recently and dove deep into the exhibition Ai Weiwei at Meijer Gardens: Natural State, which is running though Aug. 20.

 

Detail “Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn” in Legos image. (Supplied)

“We only knew him, according to the Chinese media, as a person who purposely broke a very valuable antique jar. We also heard he used vulgar language, kind of insults, purposely. So, I didn’t really know too much about him. Of course, when Joe, here, talked (to us) about Ai Weiwei, as an artist, I was like ‘Wow!’”

 

And as she dug a little deeper, what Liang found was much more than simply an artist as portrayed by the Chinese media.

 

“He has this very famous family, particularly his father, Ai Ching, a very famous poet in China, and how his family suffered during the Cultural Revolution, even though his father was a very prominent and early Communist Party member,” she said. “And when we look at some of (Weiwei’s) artwork, the insults, and some of the themes, I started to understand. He is actually a social activist. That was very rare in China.”

 

‘Everything is politics’

 

Becherer, too, advocates for an understanding of the artist’s politics as well as his art — it is no coincidence that one of Ai Weiwei’s most well known sayings is “Everything is art. Everything is politics.” Blending his art and his politics is, in fact, the “natural state” of Weiwei’s world.

 

Joseph Becherer, Meijer Gardens vice president and chief curator. (WKTV)

“I think it always makes it more meaningful to know something about an artist’s biography when you are looking at their painting or their sculpture or whatever their work happens to be, because we all carry some part of us with us into whatever it is we do for a profession,” Becherer said. “With someone like Weiwei, it is probably more of an extreme, because for him art and life are inseparable.”

 

Becherer, in an essay accompanying the exhibit, states that Ai Weiwei’s art was influenced by, among others factors, his father’s life and clashes with the government, the artist’s growing up isolated from modern industrial China and being influenced by “traditions and artisan efforts of rural China,” followed by his emersion into Beijing’s late 1970s youthful avantgarde and his spending much of the 1980s in New York City before retiring to Beijing in 1993 when his father fell ill.

 

Maybe most importantly, however, Ai Weiwei’s art is influenced by increased use of social media and increased social activism — including his criticism of the Chinese government in the aftermath of the 2008’s Sichuan earthquake.

 

“In the following years,” Becherer’s essay states, “Ai Weiwei came under surveillance and was beaten, hospitalized and denied the right to travel. In 2011, he was arrested and mysteriously detained for 81 days, to the shock of the international cultural community.”

 

It was not long after that Ai Weiwei become a worldwide cause célèbre — and Becherer and Meijer Gardens began their interest and relationship with the artist as part of the the Garden’s pursuit of acquiring the massive sculpture “Iron Tree”.

 

Ai Weiwei’s “Iron Tree” has been on display for two years, but now an extensive exhibition of the artist’s works is on view. (Supplied)

“We started visiting Weiwei more than three and a half years ago, it was initially about acquiring ‘Iron Tree’,” Becherer said during the recent interview about his first meeting with the artist, who was practically under house arrest at the time. “Our process has always been that we try to engage directly with the artist. We want to understand, obviously, how the artist is living, how things come together, how things came to be. So, we began out of that, the very beginning, a sincere desire to know more about him. … It started out in one way, but it evolved and this exhibition was the result.”

 

And the exhibition is another example of Ai Weiwei’s continuing evolution.

 

“He seems to be more and more engaged in universal ideas,” Becherer said. “He seems to be more engaged with global concepts of freedom of speech and human rights. So it (his art), yes, is still related to his biography and, yes, it is related to his nationality and his heritage. But he seems to be more comfortable with the world stage.”

 

Now on the world stage

 

In July 2015, Ai Weiwei’s passport was returned and he was able to travel once again. Today, he divides his time between Beijing and Berlin, where he maintains studios.

 

It was in Berlin, in 2009, that Ai Weiwei created a massive exhibit of 9,000 children’s backpacks on the side of a building, backpacks which represented the number of children who lost their lives in the Sichuan earthquake — with colored backpacks spelling out “For seven years she lived happy on this earth,” a sentence with which a mother commemorated her daughter.

 

And the artist’s focus on social activism, and his influence both in and outside of China, has not changed according to Liang, who has more than 30 years experience in international business including extensive work in China and throughout Asia as managing director of AlphaMax Advisors LLC as well as serving on the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan. She says Ai Weiwei’s example and causes have greatly impacted her and many of her friends and business associates around the world.

 

Ping Liang, board chair of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. (WKTV)

“Now I realize he actually inspired the birth of modern social activism in China,” Liang said. “He and his friends were so active when Sichuan earthquake took place, and the aftermath, when thousands of young children were killed. I remember seeing, on global media as well as Chinese media, the devastation, the building collapsed, and the cry of parents whose only children lost their lives in this earthquake. … Now I look back, I understand that he was trying to raise people’s awareness about what really happened. What you really need to know. This should not be kept as a secret. That is why I describe him as an inspiration for the very beginning of social awareness and activism.

 

“In terms of his impact on the world, it is huge,” she added. “When I travel around the world, everybody talks about Ai Weiwei … People realize he was actually trying to get social justice for the earthquake victims. Actually, because of that a lot of Chinese, overseas Chinese, started donating to the earthquake victims. And a lot of young people started volunteering for non-profit organizations. I thought that was just tremendous. This is the impact he has had.”

 

Ai Weiwei at Meijer Gardens: Natural State is more than 30 works including iconic works from the artist’s repertoire and work specific to Meijer Gardens located in galleries, conservatories, public spaces and the auditorium. For more information visit meijergardens.org .

 

Get to know your neighbor at the first-ever Wyoming Winterfest

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, , , , , , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

The group behind Wyoming’s one-on-one mentoring program is branching out with the first ever Wyoming Winterfest this Saturday, which is designed to get people out and talking to their neighbors.

 

Put together by the One Wyoming Community Collaborative – made up of a collaboration of schools, businesses, government, churches, nonprofits and residents to improve the quality of life in the community – the Wyoming Winterfest is the next step in working to bring residents, community leaders and business owners together to start the dialog of what they can do to improve their neighborhood, said Jon Shaner, the marketing director for the Salvation Army Kroc Center, one of the sponsors for the event.

 

“With the success of the one-on-one mentoring program, we began to look at what would be the next best thing we could do to help unite people together who might be interested in working within their own neighborhood to improve the quality of life,” Shaner said.

 

February was selected because “in the spring, people tend to be out and about and that is when the festivals start,” Shaner said. “But in January and February, this is a time when we tend to holed up with Netflix and hang out at home. We thought this would be a good way to get people out and talking to each other.”

 

The Wyoming Winterfest is similar to National Night Out, which takes place in August. This Saturday’s event will have seven different locations in various neighborhoods throughout the city. Each location has activities that have been planned by churches, residents and businesses of that neighborhood. Shaner said for example, the Kroc Center, which is located in the north end of the city, has partnered with groups in the Godwin Heights area such as the North Godwin Heights Business Association and Community Church. Each site will have its own slate of events, but all will feature free food, family-friendly activities and giveaways from businesses and other local organizations.

 

The DOCK/The PIER, located near Kelloggsville High School at 4669 S. Division Ave., will kick things off with free breakfast from 9 – 11:30 a.m. The morning program will include games and prizes and high school students reading various speeches from African American leaders from past and present. There also will be a reading corner for children.

 

Also taking place from 9 a.m. to noon, will be a variety of activities including a bounce house, basketball contests, games, blood pressure checks, snow sculpture contest (weather permitting) and more at the Wyoming Jr. High School, 2125 Wrenwood St. SW. Food will be available as well as vendor and informational booths. Activities will be accessible from the main parking lot on the east side of the building off of Wrenwood.

 

Activities at Vanguard Charter Academy, 1620 52nd St. SW, will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and include outdoor ice skating (weather permiting) and inflatables indoors. There also will be a coffee bar, hot chocolate and pizza as well as a snow dough snowman making contest.

 

Starting at noon, Calvary Church, 3500 Byron Center Ave., will be offering lunch, kids games, bingo, and tax consultation. The Calvary Church program runs from noon to 3 p.m.

 

Also starting at noon will be outdoor and indoor games including Zumba and a bounce house at Godfrey-Lee Early Childhood Center, 961 Joosten St. SW. There will be raffle prizes as well. The program at Godfrey-Lee runs until 4 p.m.

 

Community Church (Godwin Heights), 150 Burt Ave. SE, – the program the Kroc Center has partnered with – will be offering indoor games, Zumba classes and art from 1 to 4 p.m. Food also will be available.

 

Grace Bible College, 1011 Aldon St. SW, will have activities from 1 to 4 p.m. as well. Those activities include sledding and snow scupting (weather permitting) broom ball, ice skating, games, races and crafts.

 

The entire event is supported by several community organizations including The Salvation Army Kroc Center, Family Fare, Metro Health: University of Michigan Health, Wyoming Community Foundation, Roosevelt Park Ministries, and UCOM.

 

For more information about the event or about One Wyoming, visit onewyoming.com.

School News Network: Language, Culture and ‘Jambo!’

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Education, , ,
Editor’s Note: Places of Refuge is a series focusing on refugee students and their journeys, their new lives and hopes for a future in West Michigan, and the many ways schools and community organizations are working to meet their needs.

 

Tito Ekundat, teacher Rebecca Bing, and Toussaint Melchsedek give their Swahili greeting, “Jambo!” (Photo provided by School News Network.)

By Erin Albanese 

School News Network

 

Sixth grade teacher Rebecca Bing remembers a particularly tough day at school. She walked down the hall, feeling a little tired and pensive. Suddenly, Toussaint Melchsedek passed by, a big smile on his face, and said, “Jambo!”

 

“All of a sudden I felt so happy,” she told Toussaint, a sixth-grader, and Tito Ekundat, a fifth-grader, of the memory. “Whenever you guys talk to me it reminds me of home, and it makes me feel so thankful that I get to work here and that I get to speak with you guys.”

 

Toussaint Melchsedek, a refugee student from the Congo, is known around school for his big smile.

At Wyoming Intermediate School, “Jambo!” brings about lots of smiles. Whenever Bing sees Toussaint or Tito, they all wave with two hands and yell the Swahili greeting. Bing often has candy on hand for Tito, who has a sweet tooth.

 

“It’s candy, hugs and ‘Jambo!'” said Bing, with a laugh.

 

Toussaint and Tito are refugee children from the Congo region, which is made up of two war-torn countries along the Congo River in Central Africa. They immigrated to the U.S. with their families after living in refugee camps in Rwanda and Tanzania. This is Toussaint’s second year as a Wyoming student and Tito’s first. The boys speak Swahili and tribal languages, and have found a connection with Bing, who was raised in Africa by missionary parents.

 

Bing, who still calls Africa home, speaks Swahili, recently honing the language she had set aside for 17 years to help Toussaint and Tito. While they all speak different forms of the language, the trio is able to converse about school, sports, family life and much more.

 

“We make it work, don’t we?” Bing said to the boys.

 


Tito Ekundat, a refugee student from the Congo, takes notes with his fifth grade class

Bing helps provide communication to the boys’ parents. She led the effort to have the families fill out Christmas wish lists that led to many donations of toys and clothes from staff members. Toussaint, who speaks much more English than Tito, also helps translate for his younger friend.

 

“She’s so helpful,” said EL teacher Marissa Bliss about Bing’s work with the boys’ parents. “We’ve been able to communicate with the families. Having her experience and background builds the trust with them too. We’ve had a lot of success getting communication to the family. It makes a big difference.”

 

Bonding Over ‘Home’

Bing, who has taught in Wyoming Public Schools since 2014, was raised in Maryland until sixth grade, when she moved to Africa with her parents, Dale and Carol Linton, missionary teachers at an international school in Ethiopia and Kenya. Africa became Bing’s home until she returned to attend Hope College. “My memories are so rich… I loved the culture; I loved interacting with the people and all the friends I made. I really acclimated well to that being my home.”

 

Tito and Toussaint are getting used to their new home in the U.S., and share lots of good news with Bing. Toussaint recently learned to ride a bike, a skill he talks about with pride. He also likes being able to take hot showers, the changing seasons and that “we have money,” he said. He has learned to speak English and to read.

 

“I like America because you always have food and there’s no hunger. In Africa you have hunger,” he said.

 

Tito loves soccer and his house, and is clearly adored by his classmates, some of whom are also working to learn basic Swahili.

 

Bing remembers experiencing culture shock when she returned to the U.S. in 2000. She didn’t know what the internet was, hadn’t learned to drive and had forgotten about everyday American particulars, like that stores have automatic doors. “I was so out of tune with my age group,” she said.

 

At Wyoming Intermediate, Tito and Toussaint’s peers are happy to spend time getting to know the boys. “Students are very welcoming and eager to learn about your culture and to share,” Bing said. “It’s a great place to have that initial school experience…It welcomes that diversity.”

 

Tito and Toussaint remind Bing of her own childhood and the friends she made across the globe years ago. “I think it is just the biggest blessing to be able to work here and it’s so neat to see how it all comes together. It’s such a joy for me to come to school and see how little bits of that prior life come into my work life. I get to use (a language) I haven’t used in such a long time and interact with people from my homeland.”

 

Precision medicine is the next topic in the Saugatuck Center for the Arts’ ‘Intriguing Conversation’ series

3-bottom, Health, ,

The new concept of “precision medicine” and how it’s revolutionizing the delivery of healthcare is the next topic in the Saugatuck Center for the Arts’ Intriguing Conversation series. The free program takes place Tuesday, Feb. 21, at its new morning time of 8 – 9 a.m.

 

Big data analytics, artificial intelligence, pharmacogencomics, and wearable are all under the umbrella of “precision medicine.  Dr. Adam Kadlec will dig into these topics and answer questions about how the intersection of technology and medicine is changing how we manage our own health care and interact with our health care providers.

 

Kadlec is a fellowship-trained Endourologist with expertise in all forms of minimally invasive surgery. He earned his undergraduate and medical degrees with highest honors at the University of Wisconsin and completed residency training in Urology and a fellowship in Endourology and Minimally Invasive Surgery at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois.

 

Kadlec practices at the Western Michigan Urological Associates. His model of care is shared decision making, and he’s passionate about building long-term and trusting relationships with his patients as he helps them navigate health-related decisions both big and small.

 

Mix and mingle, grab a cup of coffee and breakfast nibbles from Uncommon Grounds, and take a peek into the future of technology and medicine.

 

The Saugatuck Center for the Arts is located at 400 Culver, Saugatuck. More information on this event can be found by visiting sc4a.org or calling 269-857-2399.

Cat of the week: Heyward

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, , , , , ,
Just look at that handsome mug

By Sharon Wylie

Crash’s Landing

Each week WKTV features an adoptable cat from Crash’s Landing or Big Sid’s Sanctuary. Both cat rescue organizations were founded by Jennifer Petrovich, DVM (Dr. Jen), who is on staff at Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic (4245 Clyde Park Ave SW).

We happen to think that ALL of our Crash Cats are good looking, but this guy right here is one hot commodity, and so flipping handsome we can hardly contain ourselves when we gaze upon his gorgeousness! Hunky Heyward (born in late 2011) ended up homeless and helpless in mid-October, 2016 when a cat lover provided him with the safety and comfort of a really awesome outdoor coop she has set up for the strays she often comes across out in her northeast Grand Rapids neighborhood.

When Dr. Jen had the extreme pleasure of welcoming him into our program on November 14th, he was extremely shy and suffering from severe dental disease; in fact the neutered male had pockets of pus present in his mouth and was missing many teeth that had literally rotted and fallen out sometime before his rescue. He was pretty scruffy and matted, probably from not being willing to groom himself as meticulously due to profound oral pain, so we spruced and fluffed him up while he was under anesthesia for his surgery. He looked and smelled SO much better once he woke up and was able to enthusiastically dive head first into bowl after bowl of yummy soft food.

Once at the shelter, Heyward hunkered down in his two-story cat condo and refused ANY and ALL human contact for two whole weeks, though he delighted in the endless supply of meals and didn’t mind people speaking softly to him. Then, all of a sudden, at exactly the two-week mark, he waltzed on out of his condo and demanded affection, and he hasn’t stopped since that wonderful, glorious day. He prefers to stay tucked away out of the limelight but will seek out attention when all is quiet in the shelter.

Heyward is especially fond of belly rubs and lap snuggles; we suspect that once he feels comfy and cozy in his new, mellow home, he will offer his tummy up for major pets and warm the laps of those who have chosen to take a chance on him, take him home and love him up one side and down the other:) Heyward deserves to be doted on and adored, and he will most certainly reciprocate your kindness with unconditional love.

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

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

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

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

American pianist Loren Fishman set to perform at Saugatuck Center for the Arts

Entertainment, , , ,

Loren Fishman brings his colorful technique and musical sensitivity to the Saugatuck Center for the Arts’ Hempy Keyboard Series on Sunday, Feb. 19 at 2 p.m. at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts, 400 Culver Ave., Saugatuck.

 

During his concert Fishman will perform music of great composers from the United States, including George Gershwin and Louis M. Gottschalk. Fishman combines the worlds of classical music, ragtime, and jazz to create an innovative, distinctly American musical language, bringing the colorful tapestry of American piano music to life.

 

Beginning piano lessons at the age of nine with Capital University Professor John Carter, Fishman later studied with Richard Lopez and Nina Polonsky. He received his Bachelor’s degree with honors in 2006 from Northern Kentucky, where he received a full scholarship and studied with Ukrainian pianist and master teacher Sergei Polusmiak. While there, he was the recipient of the prestigious Dean’s Scholarship and the Commonwealth Scholarship for Academic Excellence. He received his Master’s degree in music in 2009, and a doctorate in 2011 from the University of Minnesota, where he studied with the distinguished pianist Lydia Artymiw.

 

Fishman has won top awards in various competitions, including the Graves Regional Young Artist Competition, the KMTA/Bluegrass Young Artist Competition, the NFAA National Arts Recognition Talent Search, the Paducah Symphony Concerto Competition, the MTNA Kentucky State Piano Competition, the Columbus Symphony Concerto Competition, and the Bexley Summerfest Young Artist Competition.

 

Fishman currently maintains an active piano studio and performance schedule in Minneapolis, and is an adjunct professor of piano at Carleton College.

 

Tickets for this event are $10 for adults and free for students 18 and under. For more information on this event please visit sc4a.org or call 269-857-2399.

 

Help for seniors who can’t leave home

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

Your Community in Action!

 

By Community Action Partnership of Kent County

 

Nearly two million Americans over the age of 65 rarely or never leave their homes. In fact, there are more homebound seniors in the US than there are living in nursing homes. Many of these individuals are homebound because they have illnesses like heart and lung disease, arthritis and dementia. They may no longer have access to transportation or they may experience anxiety when leaving the house.

 

Whatever the reason, research has found that those unable or unwilling to leave their homes don’t always receive the care they need. They are more isolated than their counterparts in assisted living. Increased isolation increases the risk of depression, dementia and long-term illness.

 

The majority of homebound adults in the United States are low-income and face language barriers. This makes it more difficult to get adequate care and even proper nutrition. To help meet the needs of these individuals in our community ACSET Community Action Agency (CAA) delivers meals to homebound seniors over the age of 60 living in Kent County. Nutritious and flavorful meals are delivered to their homes each weekday, Monday through Friday.

 

ACSET CAA also offers door-to-door transportation for seniors who need a ride for medical appointments, grocery shopping and other services. Transportation is reserved for low-income seniors over the age of 60. Buses run 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. To find out if you or a loved one qualify for meal delivery or transportation, call ACSET CAA at (616) 336-4000. Latin American Services staff are available to assist Spanish-speaking seniors with their needs.

 

Your Community in Action! is provided by ACSET Community Action Agency. To learn more about how they help meet emergency needs and assist with areas of self-sufficiency, visit www.communityactionkent.org

Game on: WKTV’s featured games for Feb. 14-17

Area Education, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Kentwood Public Schools, , , , , , , ,
This week’s WKTV featured sports coverage includes basketball.

WKTV Staff

 

This week in WKTV’s featured high school sport games, the coverage crew will be at Wyoming Lee for boys basketball game against Kelloggsville on Tuesday, Feb. 14, and then at East Kentwood for a hockey game against Grandville on Friday, Feb. 17.

 

WKTV videos and broadcasts several games each week during high school sports season.

 

Each Tuesday game will be broadcast that night on Live Wire Comcast Channel 24 at 10:30 p.m. throughout the Grand Rapids Metro Area and repeat on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. on  WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 in Wyoming & Kentwood. Every Friday game will be aired that night on Live Wire 24 at 10:30 p.m. and repeat Saturday at 11 a.m. on WKTV 25 and AT&T U-verse 99.

 

For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action in January, see now.wktv.org/sports/

 

DVDs and Blue-Rays of each game are also available for purchase at $20 including shipping. For more information, visit WKTV.org

 

Local high school sports schedule: Feb. 13-20

City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Education, Kentwood Public Schools, , , , ,
High school gymnastics is just one of the sports events happening over the next week.

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

 

Monday, Feb. 13, 2017

Boys/girls Bowling

Belding @ Kelloggsville

Unity Christian @ Wyoming

Wyoming Lee @ Hopkins

South Christian @ Zeeland

East Kentwood @ Grand Haven

NorthPointe Christian @ Godwin Heights

Girls Cheer

Wyoming Lee @ FH Northern

Girls Basketball

WMAES @ West Michigan Lutheran

 

Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017

Girls Basketball

Zion Christian @ Fruitport Calvary Christian

Potter’s House @ Holland Black River

Wellspring Prep @ Grand River Prep

Holland Calvary @ West Michigan Aviation

Algoma Christian @ Tri-Unity Christian

Wyoming @ South Christian

Hopkins @ Godwin Heights

Boys Basketball

Zion Christian @ Fruitport Calvary Christian

Potter’s House @ Holland Black River

Wellspring Prep @ Grand River Prep

Algoma Christian @ West Michigan Aviation

Kelloggsville @ Wyoming Lee

South Christian @ Wyoming

Godwin Heights @ Hopkins

Boys/Girls Bowling

Middleville T-K @ Wyoming

 

Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017

Boys/Girls Bowling

Hopkins @ Kelloggsville

Godwin Heights @ Wyoming Lee

East Kentwood @ Caledonia

Girls Cheer

Wyoming @ Comstock Park

 

Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017

Boys Basketball

Potter’s House @ Marcellus Howardsville Chrstian

Boys/Girls Bowling

Byron Center @ Wyoming

Boys Swimming

South Christian @ Ottawa Hills

Girls Gymnastics

East Kentwood @ Rockford

 

Friday, Feb. 17, 2017

Girls Basketball

Algoma Christian @ Zion Christian

Grand River Prep @ Holland Calvary

Holland Black River @ West Michigan Aviation

Tri-Unity Christian @ Covenant Christian

Kelloggsville @ NorthPointe Christian

Wyoming @ Wayland

East Grand Rapids @ South Christian

West Ottawa @ East Kentwood

Godwin Heights @ Belding

Grattan @ West Michigan Lutheran

Boys Basketball

Algoma Christian @ Zion Christian

West Michigan Aviation @ Holland Black River

Tri-Unity Christian@ Covenant Christian

Kelloggsville @ NorthPointe Christian

Wyoming @ Wayland

Wyoming Lee @ Holland Calvary

East Grand Rapids @ South Christian

West Ottawa @ East Kentwood

Godwin Heights @ Belding

Boys Hockey

Grand Rapids Flames @ West Michigan Aviation

Grandville @ East Kentwood

Girls Cheer

East Kentwood @ Caledonia – MHSAA State Districts

 

Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017

Boys Hockey

Flint Kearsley @ West Michigan Aviation

Girls Cheer

Kelloggsville @ Comstock Park – MHSAA State Districts

Godwin Heights @ Comstock Park – MHSAA State Districts

Wyoming @ Kenowa Hills

Boys/Girls Bowling

Kelloggsville @ Hopkins

Wyoming Lee @ Hopkins

Godwin Heights @ Hopkins

Wyoming @ Christian

South Christian @ Christian

East Kentwood @ Grand Haven

Boys Wrestling

MHSAA State Regionals @ Pickney

 

Monday, Feb. 20, 2017

Girls Basketball

Godwin Heights @ Benton Harbor

West Michigan Lutheran @ Wellspring

 

Local Dyer-Ives poetry contest open for submissions

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Kentwood Public Schools, Kids Activities, , , ,

 

WKTV Staff

 

The annual Dyer-Ives Poetry Competition, a program managed by the Grand Rapids Public Library, is now accepting original and unpublished poetry submissions from residents of Kent County and college students attending classes in Kent County.

 

The competition is free to enter, but only one poem per person is accepted. Submissions begin Feb. 1 and close March 1 at midnight.

 

The Dyer-Ives Poetry Competition was started in 1968 by poet James Allen at the urging of John Hunting, the founder of the Dyer-Ives Foundation, to “encourage excellence in writing and to provide recognition for local work of high quality,” according to supplied information.

 

The annual contest is open to poets ages 5 through adult, separated into three categories. Winners selected in three age categories have their poems published in Voices, receive a cash award, and participate in a reading during the Festival of the Arts in June, held at the Grand Rapids Public Library main library.

 

The judge for this year’s competition is Oliver de la Paz, author of three collections of poetry, Names Above Houses, Furious Lullaby,  and Requiem for the Orchard; winner of the Akron Prize for poetry chosen by Martìn Espada. He co-chairs the advisory board of Kundiman, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of Asian American poetry, and teaches at Western Washington University.

Divisions are K-8th grade, high school through undergraduate college, and post-graduate students and adults.

 

For more information, including the various ways and library locations to submit poems, visit grpl.org/dyer-ives .

 

On the shelf: ‘Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Meth Addiction’ by David Sheff

Entertainment, Reviews, , , , , , , ,

By Lisa Boss, Grand Rapids Public Library, Main

 

“Before Nic Sheff became addicted to crystal meth, he was a charming boy, joyous and funny, a varsity athlete and honor student adored by his two younger siblings. After meth, he was a trembling wraith who lied repeatedly, stole money from his eight-year-old brother, and lived on the streets.”  (Book jacket)

 

What’s different about Meth? Why is it worse than, say, cocaine or heroin? Why did all the drug recovery experts sigh so deeply when they heard that the “drug of choice” was Meth?  David Sheff found his answers to these and many other questions concerning one of the latest drug scourges to reappear.  Like a medical thriller, the story weaves many plot and research lines into a complex tapestry.  And like a horror story, the drug takes on a persona:  a vampire feeding on its willing victim, who seeks out the source that is draining them of life.

 

Drug addiction of any kind can bring families to their knees, leaving wreckage far beyond the principal player.  Al-Anon has their 3 C’s: You didn’t cause it, you can’t control it, and you can’t cure it.   The author, resistant at first, finds the family support groups an unbelievable source of comfort.  Who else will understand when a parent says that they are happy that their child is in jail?

 

Sheff’s work grew out of a piece that he wrote for the New York Times Magazine, “My Addicted Son”,  which won the American Psychological Association’s award for “Outstanding Contribution to Advancing the Understanding of Addiction”.

 

To tell the truth, I didn’t know if I’d like it so much — it sounded like a real downer. Once I started, though, I found it an extremely compelling book. It’s not just about one family’s tragedy, but it connects to every aspect of our own lives. Sheff constantly involves all of us in his Dantesque journey — seeming to ask, without putting it so bluntly, “so you think this does not, will not, ever touch you?”

 

As an example, while the author is staying at yet another hotel, waiting for yet another rehab visit with his son, he begins reading the epigraph from Where Angels Fear to Tread by E.M. Forster, “Every little trifle, for some reason, does seem incalculably important and when you say of a thing that ‘nothing hangs on it’ it sounds like blasphemy. There’s never any knowing–how am I to put it–which of our actions, which of our idlenesses won’t have things hanging on it for ever.”

 

The author ponders this late at night, “I read it and read it again…. I am almost shaking. I think, ‘How innocent we are of our mistakes and how responsible we are for them.’”  

 

The narrative alternates with his research into every aspect of drug addiction: the rehab industry, support groups, crime statistics, environmental damage and the neuroscience of the brain physiology.  And the history — Meth was synthesized from amphetamine in 1919 by a Japanese pharmacologist. It was commercially available and marketed as a bronchodilator for asthma or an appetite suppressant, among other things. Ads featured slogans like, “Never again feel dreary or suffer the blues.”  Used by the military in World War II, mild formulations were still sold over the counter until 1951, when it was finally upgraded to a controlled substance.  Well, who knew…?

 

If you ever buy “Sudefed” for allergies, you’ve experienced how diligent the selling, signing for, and tracking of, this product has become — due to its main ingredient, pseudoephedrine. Here’s a real surprise though. According to the author, while he is laying out how the mom and pop labs have been essentially preempted by international drug cartels, operating their own “super labs”:  “Only nine factories manufacture the bulk of the world’s supply of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, but pharmaceutical companies — and legislators influenced by them — have stopped every move that would have effectively controlled the distribution of the chemical so they could not be diverted to meth super labs.”

 

Meth seems to be a particularly unfortunate drug, since while all the drugs of abuse affect the dopamine reward circuit; Meth quickly causes more serious harm to the brain. The dopamine system becomes so ravaged that it takes months for partial recovery, and a full two years for an almost normal brain PET scan. In the meantime, in the first weeks of recovery attempts, when a Meth user is without the drug, the areas of the brain that light up are the ones that are active when people experience intense pain.

 

At one completely chilling point in the story (and there are many of these) another parent tells him that the only thing that will get him through is God; and the author says he’d like to believe, but he’s just never been able to. “Before this is over,” they reply to him softly, “you will.”

 

The cover quote by Anne Lamott says, “This book will save a lot of lives and heal a lot of hearts.”

 

If any book could discourage a person from trying drugs, this would do it.

 

 

Beer Explorers program teams breweries for barrel-aged comparison

Beer, Entertainment, Food, Local Entertainment, , ,
Last year’s Beer Explorers program at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. (Supplied)

WKTV Staff

 

The Grand Rapids Public Museum’s Beer Explorers program will team with Founders Brewing Company and Brewery Vivant for a “learn while you taste” class where participants will sample barrel-aged beers on Thursday, Feb. 16.

 

The program includes discussion the topics of what makes barrel-aged beers unique, including sampling barrel-aged beers along with a non barrel-aged beer to taste the differences, according to supplied material. Representatives from Founders Brewing Company and Brewery Vivant will lead this tasting and answer any questions participants have on beers. Brewery Vivant will give participants an even more unique experience by offering a sour barrel-aged beer to taste.

 

The class begins at 6 p.m. Admission to each class includes general admission to the museum as well as three beer samples. A cash bar will also be available. Tickets are $8 for museum members and $18 for non-members. Participants must be 21 and older.

 

Tickets and information available by visiting grpm.org.

 

On the shelf: ‘At Least in the City Someone Would Hear Me Scream’ by Wade Rouse

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Reviews, , , ,

After chronicling his escape from rural life growing up gay in the Ozarks with his memoir, America’s Boy, Wade Rouse finds himself on three acres in the middle of the woods just outside of Saugatuck, Michigan. While vacationing in Michigan, Wade and his partner, Gary, decide on the spot to leave their hectic urban life in St. Louis, build a home and create “Wade’s Walden.”

 

Wade faces raccoons (literally head-on), wild turkeys (which he comes to adore), his addiction to tanning, cable and lip gloss and his real relationship with Gary.  In the end, he finds himself disgusted with the tourists who act . . . exactly like he did when he first arrived in the country.  Reading and re-reading Thoreau, Wade sets out to learn ten life lessons along the same path as Walden.

 

At Least in the City Someone Would Hear Me Scream is a funny, heartfelt, sincere memoir that will appeal to anyone, gay or straight, who finds themselves outside of their comfort-zone.

 

Local Government Matters: Chamber to host informational meeting

City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Local Business, , ,

WKTV Staff

 

The Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s monthly Government Matters Committee meeting will be Monday, Feb. 13, from 8-9 a.m. at Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St SW, at the corner of 28th and Michael Avenue SW.

 

The meetings alternate between Wyoming City Hall and Kentwood City Hall.

 

The meeting, where chamber officials meet with local, county and state government officials, is free and open to the public. It will also be recorded by WKTV community television for viewing.

 

The Feb. 13 meeting will be delayed broadcast on WKTV community television Channel 26 on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. until the next Government Matters Committee meeting. It is also available on-demand at wktv.viebit.com

 

For more information on the chamber visit southkent.org.

 

Just announced, Von Maur will be coming to Woodland Mall

3-bottom, City of Kentwood

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

It’s official, the up-scale American department store Von Maur will be moving into the Woodland Mall.

 

Woodland Mall’s parent company, Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust or PREIT, announced today that Von Maur will open its first store in the Grand Rapids region at the mall, located near the corner of 28th Street and the East Beltline. Von Maur has two stores in Michigan, one at Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor and another at Laurel Park Place in Livonia.

 

The 90,000-square-foot store will fill a portion of the 313,000 square feet where Sears is currently located. In January, Sears Holding Company announced it would be closing 26 Sears stores and 78 KMarts, which included the Sears store at Woodland Mall. That Sears store was one of the first tenants of Woodland Mall, which opened in 1968.

 

“The redevelopment of Woodland Mall is an incredible opportunity to allocate capital to fortify one of the strongest assess in our portfolio, said PREIT CEO Joseph F. Coradino in a prepared statement on the company’s website. “Through the recapture of Sears and signing of Von Maur; we’re proactively reducing our exposure to select department stores, while simultaneously offering exclusive, high-quality retail and dining experiences that will continue to fuel traffic and strong sales at the property.”

 

Von Maur along with an array of small shop spaces and about 30,000 square feet of “quality polished” casual restaurants will be added by 2016, according to PREIT’s press release,.

 

“Woodland Mall represents the ideal addition to our existing stores in Michigan,” said Von Maur President Jim von Maur. “We are excited to grow our loyalty customer base by providing a high level of service and a unique assortment of merchandise. We look forward to becoming a premier shopping destination in Grand Rapids for years to come.”

 

Founded in 1872 in Davenport, Iowa, Von Maur currently operates 31 stores in 14 states. The family-owned company is known for brand name and specialty apparel, shoes, accessories and gifts, and features products from leading brands such as Eileen Fisher, Free People, Coach, Joe’s Jeans and Tommy Bahama. Von Maur also offers a number of customer service benefits such as free gift wrapping and shipping services.

 

PREIT owns several mall properties, with the bulk of its holdings in Pennsylvania. The Woodland Mall is the company’s only Michigan property.

 

When the announcement came of the closing to the Sears stores, PREIT stated it has been working to reduce the number of Sears and KMart stores in its portfolio from 27 to 10 since 2012.

TraveLynn Tales: a year around the world

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

 

By Lynn Strough

Travelynn Tales

 

Just the words, “world travel” sound romantic. What’s it like to really chuck it all and travel around the world for a year? After visiting over a dozen countries on a shoestring-budget, I thought I’d do a little visual re-cap of some of the highlights.

 

First stop on my world travel adventure — Australia, including the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns, where I took a leap of faith as well as a leap in the ocean, and later frolicked with rock wallabies, felt the spiritual draw of Uluru, soaked up the sun on Sydney’s beaches and toured the famous opera house. From the capitol, Canberra, to Melbourne to Tasmania, I not only explored all the scenic beauty Australia has to offer, but the beauty and hospitality of the people as well, couch surfing with wonderful souls who opened their homes to me (too many on this journey to name in one blog).

 

Sad to leave the land of Oz, I was at the same time excited to check out the natural beauty of New Zealand’s South Island, from fjords to waterfalls, helicopters and glaciers and swimming with dolphins — to tracks and tramping to wine. It was sensory-overload in every aspect.

 

After all that adventure, it was time to slow down with a 10-day silent meditation retreat in Thailand, focusing on breathing and letting thoughts float by (world travel isn’t all about constantly moving). Other treats lay in store in Thailand as well, like cooking class, night market shopping and even swimming with elephants.

 

From there, a swing through Cambodia to watch the sun rise over Angkor Wat, the largest temple complex in the world and with the help of a generous friend, to buy a tuk tuk for a young man struggling to start his own business.

 

Japan has long been on my list, and exceeded any dreams of what this locale would bring. From the bustle of Tokyo, to a ryokan in cherry blossom-filled mountains near snow monkeys soaking in hot springs — to historic, temple and shrine-filled Kyoto and out to the hush of Arashiyama’s bamboo-forest, Japan was a feast for the senses.

 

As hard as it was leaving Japan, Croatia was calling, with historic cities like Dubrovnik, Split, Zagreb, and Zadar — crystalline waters of National Parks Plitvice and Krka, and scenic islands to hop — Mljet, Korcula, Brac, Hvar, and hundreds more, all set like gems in the vast blue ocean, the colors of which are hard to describe. I even managed to slip in a day trip to Montenegro.

 

Farewell, Croatia meant hello, Slovenia and fairytale Bled, with its island and church and jade-colored lake — and of course, what fairytale would be complete without castle, knights and dancing ladies?

 

Only thoughts of Italy, Venice and gelato, could pry me away from Slovenia. Who can resist singing gondoliers, carnival masks, bridge-stitched canals and Italian wine? Italy also brought the Amalfi coast, Isle of Capri, historic Pompeii, Rome and the Cinque Terra.

 

France included not only couch surfing in Paris and tangoing in front of the Eiffel Tower, but a free private tour on the top of Notre Dame amidst a city full of art and architecture. Loire Valley is filled with castles and I managed to explore several, including Chenonceau, Villandry, Cheverny, and Chambord. Although I didn’t meet a prince, I did get rescued by a fairy godmother, but that’s another story.

 

In the South of France, amidst fields of sunflowers, I sat for a couple of weeks. My first housesit for two little poodles (and a lazy tortoise) gave me use of my own private pool. Spain also lay waiting on my world travels — beautiful Barcelona, infused with the influence of Gaudi, including Parc Guell and Sagrada Familia, and tapas and flamenco rounded out the experience.

 

After months of sun and following summer, it was time to head someplace cool, so I hopped a flight to the emerald isle of Ireland where for a few days in Dublin, I discovered the joys of craic (Irish fun, including music and liquid refreshment) and was even turned temporarily into a leprechaun. Renting a car was the only way to get around on the backroads, so I headed off on the Wild Atlantic Way, through fields of green in every shade, along coast, past grazing sheep, through rainbow villages and castles and Celtic ruins.

 

In time for my second housesit, I flew to Scotland, where first I sampled the magnificent city of Edinburgh, then headed to Fort William to care for a feisty border collie and hike the highlands, while housesitting in a Victorian manse on a hill overlooking a loch.

 

From one dog sit to another to another, I was dropped into Dickens, in a little village called Corsham, where I walked much more slowly with my 15-year-old charge and also fed a visiting peacock named Kevin. A day to cruise through Bath led to four days in lovely London, full of museums, parks and markets.

 

Rounding out my year of world travel was yet another dog sit in Hove in the south of England, for two lively little dachshunds and walks on Brighton’s promenade. All in all, it was an amazing journey — this just scratches the surface.

 

When my year was over, not ready to return to the States, I spent six months in Thailand writing about my adventures. I’m now wintering in Mexico!

 

About Lynn Strough

Lynn is a 50+ wanderer whose incarnations in this life have included graphic designer, children’s book author and illustrator, public speaker, teacher, fine art painter, wine educator in the Napa Valley, and world traveler. Through current circumstances, she has found herself single, without a job or a home, and poised for a great adventure.

 

“You could consider me homeless and unemployed, but I prefer nomad and self-employed, as I pack up my skills and head off with my small backpack and even smaller savings to circumnavigate the globe (or at least go until the money runs out). Get ready to tag along for the ride…starting now!”

 

travelynnlogoAll images copyright Lynn Strough and Travelynn Tales

Reprinted with permission

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February culinary classes at Downtown Market Grand Rapids

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Food, Local Entertainment, , , ,

It’s February! (And you know what that means.) Downtown Market celebrates Valentine’s Day with a bevy of culinary classes.

 

SINGLES VALENTINE’S DAY KICK-OFF

Fri, February 10, 6p-8:30p • $65/person

 

Looking for a fun way to kick off Valentine’s Day weekend? Arrive early to this class and enjoy your first drink at the Downtown Market Ice Lounge. Then make your way to the Teaching Kitchen to meet new people, cook in groups and socialize—all while making seasonal crostini small bites, pomegranate lamb chops, herb cous cous and heart-shaped whoopie pies.

 

I LOVE SUSHI

Sun, February 12, 6p-8:30p • $65/person

 

A Valentine-themed sushi class! Learn how to make three sushi favorites: a sweetheart roll, salmon roll, and spicy tuna roll—each will have you falling in love instantly!

 

VALENTINE’S COUPLES COOKING AND WINE (21+)

Tue, February 14, 6p-8:30p • $150/couple

 

If you love drinking wine, then you’ll love cooking with it! This class will explore the new dimensions you can add to your culinary repertoire by incorporating the legendary beverage into your meals. The menu will include classic creamy cheese fondue, white wine tomato mussels, coq au vin with herb rice, and double-chocolate profiteroles.

 

WINTER COMFORT FOODS

Thu, February 16, 6p-8:30p • $65/person

 

Cook away your winter blues! In this class you’ll make it happen as you create a velvety butternut squash soup, deliciously perfect braised short rib ragu on whipped cheese polenta, and a most comforting warm sticky toffee pudding with whipped cream.

 

MEDITERRANEAN VEGETARIAN

Sun, February 19, 5p-7:30p • $60/person

 

In this Mediterranean cuisine class you’ll take  a journey with a few of Chef Yotam Ottolenghi’s famous vegetarian dishes such as sundal, mee goreng, seaweed ginger carrot salad, tahini and halva brownies.

 

WINTER NIGHTS IN THAILAND

Thu, February 23, 6p-8:30p • $65/person

 

Take a trip to Thailand with hands-on Thai roll instruction and other tasty traditional dishes. You’ll craft Thai spring rolls, a vegetable gang gai (vegetables in red curry), tom qha gai (coconut curry soup) and an unbelievable lemongrass custard.

 

BIG EASY COOKING AND COCKTAILS (21+)

Tue, February 28, 6p-8:30p • $50/person

 

Celebrate Fat Tuesday like you’re in the Crescent City with the Downtown Market Teaching Kitchen. We’ll be demonstrating traditional jambalaya and king cake while sipping on hurricanes and sazeracs. Good food and good cocktails, just like NOLA.

 

REGISTER FOR CLASSES AT: DOWNTOWNMARKETGR.COM/CLASSES

 

435 Ionia Ave. SW

Grand Rapids, MI, MI 49503

616.805.5308

 

 

Government Matters: Opposing views on DeVos confirmation

3-bottom, Area Education, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Education, Hard News, Kentwood Public Schools, Politics, , , ,
News of Your Government

WKTV Staff

 

Following the U.S. Senate confirmation of West Michigan’s Betsy DeVos as President Donald Trump’s choice for Secretary of Education, local U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI) and U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) had very different responses.

 

Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI)

Rep. Huizenga, in a Wednesday, Feb. 8, post on his Facebook account, said: “Congratulations to West Michigan’s own Betsy DeVos on being confirmed by the Senate as the next Secretary of Education. Betsy will work tirelessly and fight to ensure that every child in America, no matter their zip code, has access to a quality education.”

 

Sen. Stabenow was not quite so congratulatory.

 

Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)

In a Feb. 8 supplied statement, Sen. Stabenow said: “I am deeply disappointed that Senate Republicans confirmed Betsy DeVos to lead the Department of Education. I’ve heard from an overwhelming number of Michigan families who have shared their strong concerns about her long record of pushing policies that have seriously undermined public education in Michigan and failed our children. That is why I joined with half of my Senate colleagues, including two Republicans, to oppose her nomination.”

 

Sen. Peters comments on President’s nomination for Supreme Court

 

U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D -MI), on Feb. 1, issued the following statement on President Donald Trump’s nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch, who currently serves on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States:

 

U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI)

“Just as President Obama did, President Trump has a constitutional responsibility to nominate Justices to fill vacancies on the Supreme Court, and the U.S. Senate has a constitutional responsibility to consider those nominees. For 293 days, Senate Republicans failed to fulfill that duty by denying President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland, the same thorough and public consideration process that they are now urging for President Trump’s nominee.

 

“I take very seriously the Senate’s responsibility to advise and consent on all nominees, and every individual who could be serving on our nation’s highest court deserves to be fully vetted. As President Trump’s nominee moves through the judicial hearing process, I will be carefully reviewing his qualifications to serve on the Supreme Court, which is a pillar of American democracy.”

 

Sen. Peters introduces Legislation Helps Protect Domestic Violence Victims and Their Pets

 

U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), along with Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV), on Feb. 8, reintroduced the Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act, legislation to protect victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and dating violence from emotional and psychological trauma caused by violence against their pets.

 

Multiple studies have shown that domestic abusers often seek to manipulate or intimidate their victims by threatening or harming their pets, but according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), only three percent of domestic violence shelters across the country accept pets. Similar legislation is being introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.

 

“Abusers often exploit the emotional attachment victims have with their pets, leaving victims of domestic violence stuck choosing between their own safety or leaving a beloved pet in harm’s way,” Sen. Peters said in supplied material. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bipartisan legislation that will help empower victims to leave abusive situations, get a fresh start and keep their pets who are treasured members of their families.”

 

Public Museum’s Under the Stars continues with local performer Janga

Entertainment, , , , ,
Theo Ndawillie II (Janga)

Join the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) Thursday, Feb. 9, for the next performance of Concerts Under the Stars – a new series in the Chaffee Planetarium. Visitors enjoy a live concert with a fully immersive audio and visual experience.

 

Following a sold out performance on Jan. 19, Janga will be performing funk music accompanied by a live full-dome light show, while visitors sit back and experience the wonder of the cosmos with the wonder of music.

 

This show will feature the music of Janga, the solo project of Grand Rapids-based composer, keyboardist, percussionist and cyclist Theo Ndawillie II, accompanied by musicians from Vox Vidorra and the Grand Rapids Symphony. Theo spends most of his time performing and writing with his band Vox Vidorra, teaching at Triumph Music Academy, and working on commissions. Theo has been commissioned by the Grand Rapids Symphony, Symmetry Films (shehimher), ADAPT Theatre Company and others. His hobbies include finding ways to combine musical endeavors with various forms of environmental and social activism. Theo has been a member of the Well House Board of Directors since January 2016.

 

The Concerts Under the Stars series features visuals by Nate Eizenga. For the past decade, Nate has been fascinated by performances that use visual imagery to enhance the experience of live music. Frustrated with preprocessed, press-play videos, he taught himself to mix and manipulate video in real-time, finally playing his first live show with musician Darkly in early November 2015. Since then he has continued to refine his craft, playing alongside Darkly as well as DJs from Rocksteady Disco, FourFour SoundSystem and Vinyl Fetish. Possessing both musical synchronization and artistic spontaneity, his work is guaranteed to mesmerize even the most reserved viewers.

 

Concerts will begin at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Refreshments, beer and other beverages will be available for purchase.

 

Tickets are $10 for GRPM members, $12 for non-members if purchased in advance, and $15 for non-members on the day of the concert. Tickets are currently on sale at grpm.org, by calling 616-929-1700 or at the Museum’s front desk.

 

The 2017 Concerts Under the Stars Series will continue on March 16 with jazz-inspired electronic by Mishigami, and on April 6 with folk music by Emma Loo and Sam.

 

The Chaffee Planetarium is located at the Grand Rapids Public Museum, 272 Pearl St. NW.

School News Network: More Space to Study, Mingle, Connect

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

By Erin Albanese

School News Network

 

The completely renovated Kelloggsville High School is taking shape, with the opening of eight spacious new classrooms bordering a large common learning area where students can study, mingle and connect their technology.

 

A lounge area is a favorite feature of the new commons area.

In the new space, students recently gathered for homework and group work and passed through more quickly from one side of the building to the other. “It is like a college setup,” said Principal Kevin Simmons. Furnishings include a large projector screen, tables and chairs. There’s a lounge area and a platform for students to sit on.

 

“I personally like it a lot. My favorite part is the comfy chairs and couch,” said freshman Alexandria Demond.

 

“It’s really cool, the chairs and all the open space we get,” said freshman Tony Cortez.

 

“If you have extra work, you can do it here and chill with friends,” added senior Terry Michael.

 

The district started construction last spring on high school improvements, funded by a $33.9 million bond issue passed last February. Of that, $27 million is going into improvements of the high school at 23 Jean St. SW.

 

The new space is decorated in school colors, blue and orange.

“This is exciting. The most exciting part was coming back from winter break and watching the kids react,” Simmons said.

 

Still-to-come improvements, to be completed by fall, include a new competitive-sized gymnasium with a second-floor track. The gym will host varsity games, which are currently held at Kelloggsville Middle School, and allow for more practice space. The auditorium will receive theater-style seating for 480; and a media center will serve as a hub for learning and community center. Use of facilities will be open to the public.

 

Other highlights are a reconfigured parking lot and a new school entrance, relocated from Jean Street to Division Avenue.

 

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

Game on: WKTV’s featured games for Feb. 8-10

City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Kentwood Public Schools, , , ,
Ice hockey is on WKTV’s coverage schedule this week.

WKTV Staff

 

This week in WKTV’s featured high school sport games, the coverage crew will be at East Kentwood for a hockey game against Reeths-Puffer on Wednesday, Feb. 8, and again on Friday, Feb. 10, for another hockey game against Mona Shores.

 

Reeths-Puffer enters the contest with a 9-9 record according to MHSAA latest records, after defeating Rockford with a 10-7 win last week. East Kentwood enters the week with a 6-12-1 record, after falling to Saline last week in a 3-5 loss. Both teams are looking to improve their records in their OK Conference standings.

 

In the Friday’s game, Mona Shores enters the week with a 6-12-2 record after losing to Salem. East Kentwood is seeking revenge on Mona Shores after losing to them earlier this season in a 4-2 game.

 

WKTV videos and broadcasts several games each week during high school sports season.

 

Each Tuesday game will be broadcast that night on Live Wire Comcast Channel 24 at 10:30 p.m. throughout the Grand Rapids Metro Area and repeat on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. on  WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 in Wyoming & Kentwood. Every Friday game will be aired that night on Live Wire 24 at 10:30 p.m. and repeat Saturday at 11 a.m. on WKTV 25 and AT&T U-verse 99.

 

For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action in January, see now.wktv.org/sports/

 

DVDs and Blue-Rays of each game are also available for purchase at $20 including shipping. For more information, visit WKTV.org

 

Cat of the week: Clawed LeMew

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Meet Clawed LeMew!

By Sharon Wylie

Crash’s Landing

Each week WKTV features an adoptable cat from Crash’s Landing or Big Sid’s Sanctuary. Both cat rescue organizations were founded by Jennifer Petrovich, DVM (Dr. Jen), who is on staff at Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic (4245 Clyde Park Ave SW).

At the tail end of January 2015, Wyoming resident April D. came across this very hot mess of a cat on a bitterly cold winter day; abscessed and oozing, this intact male needed help ASAP. So she contacted us and we got him out to the clinic the very next day, which turned out to be not a minute too soon, as there was way more going on than what met the eye. Not only was this 5-year-old tom cat (born in early 2012) suffering from multiple infected bite wounds on his very swollen and lame left rear leg, but both of his ears were terribly infected , one of his nails had been completely torn off resulting in a nasty infection AND he was anemic from a blood parasite carried by fleas.

Although he looked really rough on the outside, it was the lack of red blood cells that was the bigger threat; he ended up requiring two different types of antibiotics, narcotics and steroids to treat all that ailed him. However, in spite of it all, within three weeks after his arrival, our fabulously fine fella with the frayed ear tips recovered completely. In fact, to look at him now, you would never guess the laundry list of issues he had upon arrival into our program.

It took a bit for Clawed LeMew to fully acclimate to his surroundings, something that we totally understand given his tumultuous history and the fact he came in looking like a furry little punching bag. He is still a bit head shy (who can blame him?) but each and every day he is with us he becomes less leery of the other cats around him. However, Dr. Jen admits being told that he is one to speak his mind and spew kitty profanity if someone gets a wee bit too close for comfort.

Clawed adores human attention and is very willing to engage in sessions of belly rubs and heavy petting (sounds naughty right?) but he isn’t too fond of being picked up. He gets a little spooked if you move too fast around him, so we try to remember to go slow and shower him with his favorite tasty treats, Temptations. He may have been a bit of a bad boy while out on his own, but now that he is part of this new team, Clawed gets to stop being defensive and show his softer side.

It has been remarkable for us to literally watch his transformation occur right before our eyes — not only has he developed into a mature, well-adjusted fella, but he has shown us, and more importantly himself, that he is capable of being gentle and loving. He thoroughly enjoys soaking up the reassurances and tender touches of the volunteers that are spoiling him on a daily basis.

Since life on the streets proved to be aggressive and chaotic for Clawed, we will strive to find him a home that is calm and quiet, one where he can settle in, hunker down and reap the rewards of being a handsome, pampered house cat.

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

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

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

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

Wyoming Department of Public Safety seeking assistance in Jan. 26 robbery

3-bottom, City of Wyoming
The car the suspect is believed to have left the scene in. (Photo courtesy of the Wyoming Department of Public Safety)

Wyoming’s Department of Public Safety is still seeking the public’s help in locating the suspect in a Jan. 26 robbery of Speedway gas station.

 

At approximately 3:15 a.m. on Jan. 26, the Wyoming Department of Public Safety responded to the report of a robbery in the 1300 block of Burton Street SW. The clerk reported that an approximately 20-year-old black male came into the store and demanded money while pointing a handgun, according to a police report. The suspect was wearing all black, with a hooded sweatshirt pulled up over his head. The suspect left with an undisclosed amount of cash, according to the report.

 

The report also stated that witnesses reported the suspect left the sense in a white two-door sedan, possibly a Honda Civic and fled westbound on Burton Street.

 

Photo of suspect in Jan. 26 robbery. (Photo courtesy of Wyoming Department of Public Safety.)

Recently, the Wyoming Department of Public Safety was able to obtain photos from the in-store video system at the gas station and is asking the public’s assistance for information that may lead to the identification of the suspect. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Wyoming Department of Public Safety at 616-530-7300 or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345.

 

Recently, the public was able to assist in identifying a suspect in a Feb. 4 Marathon gas station robbery. The suspect, Christopher Charles Wood, 39, from Grand Rapids, has been arraigned on an Unarmed Robbery, Supp 4 charge with a preliminary hearing set for Feb. 15.

Local theater festival marks fifth year, continues to grow

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, , , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

Five years ago, a group of theater lovers looked around Grand Rapids and saw a lot of community-wide events centered around specific themes such as LaughFest and ArtPrize. And this group decided it was time for Grand Rapids to host a community-wide event for theater.

 

Thus the Lake Effect Fringe Festival was born.

 

“Can you believe it?” wrote Mary Beth Quillin. one of the organizers and a member of GEM Theatrics, in announcement about the upcoming event. “The little theater festival that could is now celebrating five years at the Dog Story Theater.”

 

During those five years, the event also has grown from mostly weekend events during the month of February to programming throughout the month, and this year, has expanded into the first weekend in March.

 

Week day events include Comedy Outlet Mondays performing every Monday at 7 p.m. during the Festival. Also during the week is The Brutal Sea’s presentation of “Love & Semiotics,” a new play written by Kimberly Snyder and directed by Alex Michael Cook. The production, set for 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 8 and 9, is about a young woman who is visited by a novelist’s ghost and is forced to confront her relationship with reality and herself. Due to language and themes, the production is for mature audiences only. Christopher Van Der Ark is set to do a reading form “Collage of a Dystopian Midwest: a play by various authors” Feb. 22 at 8 p.m. and local playwright Stephen Douglas Wright will read from “The Ghost of Jimmy Dean” March 1 and 2 at 8 p.m.

 

Hole in the Wall Theater performs Feb. 25 and 26.

There are several Wyoming and Kentwood participants in the festival including members of the Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company, who performed “Titus Andronicus” last weekend. Coming up, Kentwood resident Ann Celeste Cloyd directs the Blue Star Players’ production of “36 Questions,” where two college seniors attempt to replicate an experiment to create real love in a laboratory setting on themselves. “36 Questions” is at 8 p.m. Feb. 18 and 3 p.m. Feb. 19.

 

Also from Kentwood is the Hole in the Wall Theatre Company, a Commedia Dell’Arte group that will present “The Whole Vine Yards” at 8 p.m. Feb. 25 and 3 p.m. Feb. 26. In this tantalizing tale, the diVonstro family vineyard has slowly been going bankrupt over the last three generations, and Modestina, the current head of the estate, is at the end of her financial rope. Then a mysterious box with a treasure map is discovered with everyone from the vineyard owner to the neighbors to the servants racing to get their hands on it.

 

Other productions throughout the month include:

 

One of the original LEFF participants. The University Wits, returns this weekend, Feb. 10 – 12, for Yasmina Reza’s dark comedy “God of Carnage.” Four parents come together to “calmly” discuss the fight between their children, but as tempers flair and neuroses collide, the night evolves into disturbing and hilarious mayhem. Show times are 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday.

 

Also this weekend are two songwriting workshops, the LEFF Songwriting Workshop with Julia Yob from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, and the two-hour musical-writing workshop M.Y. Musical World at 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12.

 

The following week, Feb. 16 and 17 at 8 p.m., Art by Ellis will present “The Bald Soprano,” the classic French farce that launched Theatre of the Absurd a half-century ago. Directed by Roger Ellis, the story centers around the Smiths who entertain and insult their guests the Martins, who can’t remember whether they actually know each other.

 

Feb. 23 and 24 at 8 p.m., Midwest Stage Company presents David Mamet’s “Sexual Perversity in Chicago,” which takes a look at sex and relationships.

 

Since the festival’s inception, GEM Theatrics has wrapped it up and will do so again this year March 3 and 4, with the West Michigan premier of “Chapatti,” by Christian O’Reilly. The husband-and-wife team of Gary E. Mitchell and Quillin play two lonely animal-lovers in Dublin. When Dan (Mitchell) and his dog Chapatti cross paths with Betty (Quillin) and her 19 cats, an unexpected spark begins a warm and gentle story about two people rediscovering the importance of human companionship. Show times are at 8 p.m.

 

LEFF performances are all at the Dog Story Theater, 7 Jefferson SE. Tickets are $14/adults and $8/students and seniors. Comedy Outlet Mondays tickets are $5 each. For more information, visit www.dogstorytheater.com.

St. Cecilia brings Pokey LaFarge’s Americana sounds to Acoustic Café series 

Entertainment, Local Entertainment, ,
Pokey LaFarge bring his sound and songs to the St. Cecilia Music Center’s Acoustic Café stage this week. (Supplied)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 

What kind of music will Pokey LaFarge bring to the St. Cecilia Music Center’s Acoustic Café stage this week? Well, that’s a straightforward, but kind of complicated story.

 

Pokey LaFarge

The easy answer is that the St. Louis-based singer songwriter incorporates early jazz, ragtime, country blues and western swing into his music. The complicated answer is that his music has attracted the attention and admiration of both Prairie Home Companion’s Garrison Keillor and The White Stripes’ Jack White. Think about that for a minute.

 

The audience at St. Cecilia will make their own decision — likely a joyfully complicated one — when LaFarge hits the stage Thursday, Feb. 9, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are still available.

 

LaFarge has a will charm the audience with his down-to-earth unique sound all his own,” Cathy Holbrook, St. Cecilia executive director said in supplied material. “He’s a fabulous musician and totally engaging entertainer.”

 

White added LaFarge to his Third Man label and included him as his opening act on his North American Tour in 2013, according to supplied material. LaFarge performed on “The Prairie Home Companion” radio show in 2013 and 2014.

 

Two of LaFarge’s albums have been named Best Americana Album by the Independent Music Awards.

 

For a video of LaFarge, visit here.

 

A post-concert “Meet-the-artist” reception, with a cash bar, will be to meet LaFarge and obtain signed CDs of his releases.

 

Next up for the Acoustic Café Series is Grammy nominated Texas-trio Los Lonely Boys will bring their unique acoustic performance to St. Cecilia on March 14. Margo Price will bring her Nashville country/soul sound to to town on April 6. And Grammy Award winning Marc Cohn — of 1991’s Grammy winning ballad “Walking in Memphis” — will perform on April 13.

 

For more information and tickets, call 616-459-2224 or visit scmc-onlilne.org.

 

Grammy winner Lalah Hathaway stars in Grand Rapids

Entertainment, , , , ,
Lalah Hathaway

By Jeffrey Kaczmarczyk

Grand Rapids Symphony

 

In the early 1960s, a team of African-American women supplied critical calculations that launched astronaut John Glenn into orbit and brought him home safely. The movie “Hidden Figures,” starring Taraji P. Henson and Octavia Spencer, tells their story in the film nominated for the 2017 Oscar for Best Picture.

 

Its soundtrack, which evokes the 1960s R&B sounds Stevie Wonder and Smoky Robinson, includes Lalah Hathaway singing an up-tempo duet, “Surrender,” with the film’s soundtrack producer, Pharrell Williams.

 

Three-time Grammy Award winner Lalah Hathaway, nominated for two more Grammys this year, is the special guest for the Grand Rapids Symphony’s “Symphony with Soul” Saturday, Feb. 18.

 

Principal Pops Conductor Bob Bernhardt leads the Grand Rapids Symphony in the 16th annual evening of gospel, spirituals, jazz, blues, and R&B, celebrating diversity and inclusion in West Michigan, featuring community musicians performing on behalf of the wider community.

 

The Grand Rapids Symphony Community Chorus an ensemble of singers who sing in the gospel tradition, directed by Duane Shields Davis, will perform.

 

Lalah Hathaway, daughter of soul singer Donny Hathaway, often called the “first daughter of soul,” will showcase her incredibly powerful voice in DeVos Performance Hall.

 

Hathaway made her solo debut in 1990 and gained a Top 10 single with “Heaven Knows,” which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard R&B charts.  In 2013, she collaborated with R&B/Soul group Snarky Puppy on the song “Something,” which led to her first Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance in 2014.

 

The Chicago native released her sixth and most recent album in 2015, recorded live at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. “Lalah Hathaway LIVE!” proved to be a turning point for the soul singer. The album is raw and unedited, giving an authentic look into Hathaway’s style, voice and life. Nominated for the 59th Annual Grammy Award for Best R&B Album, her new single, “Angel,” also was nominated for Best Traditional R&B Performance in the awards ceremony that will be presented on Feb. 12.

 

Each year, the Grand Rapids Symphony’s Symphony with Soul is preceded by the Celebration of Soul, a gala dinner honoring the accomplishments of individuals and organizations in the community that emphasize and celebrate the importance of cultural awareness and inclusion in West Michigan.

 

This year’s recipients of the Dr. Malinda P. Sapp Legacy Award are Elias Lumpkins, Grand Rapids City Commissioner; Christina Arnold, director of The Bob and Aleicia Woodrick Center for Equity and Inclusion at GRCC; and Cherry Street Health Services. Each are leaders in successfully advancing multiculturalism and multicultural awareness in their profession or industry and are role models of consistent, creative encouragement in the community to become more culturally competent.

 

Gala tickets for Celebration of Soul are $150 per person, which includes the reception, dinner and awards at the International Ballroom of the JW Marriott in Grand Rapids plus a ticket to the Symphony with Soul concert and admission to the after party at 10 p.m. Call 616-454-9451 ext. 124 for tickets.

 

Performers for Symphony with Soul include young musicians from the Mosaic Scholarship Program. Made possible through a gift from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Mosaic Scholarships provide talented African-American and Latino students with musical instrument rental, private, one-on-one lessons with a professional musician from the Grand Rapids Symphony, and tickets to Grand Rapids Symphony concerts.

 

At Symphony with Soul these young instrumentalists will perform on stage as part of the Creative Connections program started by Jill Collier Warne.

 

Tickets start at $18 and are available at the GRS ticket office, weekdays 9 am-5 pm at 300 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 100, (located across from the Calder Plaza), or by calling 616.454.9451 x 4. (Phone orders will be charged a $2 per ticket service fee, with a $12 maximum.)

 

Tickets are available at the DeVos Place box office, weekdays 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. or on the day of the concert beginning two hours prior to the performance. Tickets also may be purchased online at GRSymphony.org.

 

Full-time students of any age are able to purchase tickets for only $5 on the night of the concert by enrolling in the GRS Student Passport program. This is a MySymphony360 eligible concert.

63rd District Court receives high satisfaction rating for fourth year

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For the fourth year in a row, the 63rdDistrict Court for Kent County received high marks from the public regarding their experiences with the court. Using a survey that was administered in courts statewide, the 63rd District Court asked court users questions about whether the Court was accessible, timely, and fair, and if they were treated with courtesy and respect by judges and court staff.

 

“The focus of the 63rd District Court is to serve the public, so we very much appreciate their input,” said Chief Judge Sara J. Smolenski. “Both Judge Jeffrey O’Hara and I appreciate the hard work and dedication of our court staff.  We want to continue to improve the efficiency of our court, while respecting the rights of all persons.”

 

The 63rd District Court’s area covers all the townships in Kent County such as Gaines, Byron and Caledonia.

 

Highlights from the survey include:

 

  • 97% of court users said they were treated with courtesy and respect by court staff.
  • 91% of courts users were able to get their business done in a reasonable amount of time.
  • 87% of court users said the way the judge or magistrate handled their case was fair.

 

“We use the responses from the survey to assist us in our quest to constantly improve our service to the public,” said Court Administrator J. Kevin McKay. “Our goal is for every person who comes through our doors to feel like they were heard and treated fairly.”

 

Developed with input from judges and court administrators statewide and tabulated by the State Court Administrative Office to insure accuracy, the survey enables courts to identify strengths, provide positive feedback to employees, and target areas for improvement. The survey was completed by a range of court users, including parties to cases, attorneys, jurors, and others.

 

The public satisfaction survey is part of a statewide initiative of the Michigan Supreme Court and the State Court Administrative Office to measure and report on court performance. From 2013 through 2016, nearly 100,000 surveys were completed in courts throughout Michigan. Visit www.courts.mi.gov for more information.

Grand Rapids Civic Theatre hosts immigration discussion

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By Nancy Brozek

Grand Rapids Civic Theatre

 

What is it like to be an immigrant in West Michigan? That is the question Grand Rapids Civic Theatre is asking our community. In conjunction with the highly anticipated production of “Ragtime the Musical,” Civic Theatre has partnered with the Grand Rapids Public Library and area experts to engage in community conversation on immigration during this important time in American history.

 

“Ragtime” is told through the eyes of an African American Harlem musician, a white upper class suburbanite, and an Eastern European family of immigrants all hoping to find a place in American at the turn of the 20th Century. Just as relevant a topic now as then, panelist will lead the audience in a discussion on these themes in a modern context.  Speakers will share historical insights and present day experiences.

 

Panelists include:

 

Ricardo Tavarez, Pastor at En Vivo Church

 

Susan Kragt, Executive Director at West Michigan Refugee Education and Cultural Center

 

Kristine Van Noord, Program Manager at Bethany Christian Services’ Refugee Adult & Family Programs

 

Kelsey Herbert, Office of Social Justice at Christian Reformed Church of North America

 

Irina Nadrau, Grand Rapids Public Library

 

The event takes place from 7 – 8 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 15, at the Grand Rapids Main Library, 111 Library St. NE. The event is free and attendees will receive a discount to Civic Theatre’s production of Ragtime the Musical (on stage Feb. 24 – Mar. 19)

On the shelf: ‘America’s Boy: A Memoir’ by Wade Rouse

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, , , ,
By Lisa Boss, GRPL Main
And heeeeeere’s “Miss Sugar Creek”!!

Summers in the late ’60s, with the extended family at the idyllic log cabin on Sugar Creek in the Missouri Ozarks, always include a special 4th of July beauty pageant. Wade, now age 5, has always been a judge, when what he really wants to be is a contestant. So, taking matters into his own young hands, when his family comes back from fishing he announces in all his finery, “I am Miss Sugar Creek!” He’s decked himself out in his grandma’s red heels, his mom’s bikini (fitted with duct tape), jewelry, and has a tin foil crown, sash and scepter.

“The moment my family comes in, I wave my scepter and graciously thank them for their decision. They stare at me, blinking in slow motion, trying to act like nothing is wrong, like it is perfectly natural for me to be standing there in a bikini and heels, like a tiny boy Phyllis George.”
 

Eventually, his adored older brother, springs into action:

“Todd, a true country boy, moves toward me, shaking his head, grabbing the scepter from my hands and motioning with it for me to walk the length of the cabin.

“There he is, Miss Sugar Creek,” he sings off-key.”

I liked Rouse’s memoir so much that I read it twice in one week. It’s a short book, telling the story of one of those families that are both ordinary and extraordinary.

You might be fooled into thinking it’s just a humorous book at first, because Rouse is just rib-achingly funny, but, much like Bill Bryson’s Thunderbolt Kid, it’s an extremely well-written look at another time in America, involving three generations and their interactions within their changing culture. I hate to say trite things like, “I laughed, I cried”, but that’s exactly what I did. A must read!

Tips on saving energy and money this winter

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, ,

 

Your Community in Action!

 

By Community Action Partnership of Kent County

 

Winter weather means higher energy costs for households living in the Mitten State. There are many ways to stay warm and save money on your energy bills. Following the tips below can benefit your pocketbook and the environment.

 

Seal drafty doors and windows. Use plastic over windows to stop cold drafts. A heavy-duty, clear plastic that is sealed tightly to the frame will provide the best results. Use caulk or weatherstripping to seal leaky doors and any other gaps that are letting cold air in.

 

Decrease hot water use. Lower your water heater to the warm setting (120° F) and install low-flow faucets and showerheads to save on your water and heat bill.

 

Turn down the thermostat. The recommended heat setting for winter is 68° F. Keep the heat at this level or below and use a blanket on cold nights. Use a programmable thermostat to regulate your home’s temperature and save about $180 a year.

 

Switch out old lightbulbs. This is a cost-saving tip that lasts all year. Replace your old incandescent bulbs with new energy-efficient ones like compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) or light emitting diodes (LEDs). LED bulbs use about a quarter less energy than traditional bulbs and last 25 times longer.

 

Order a free energy saver kit. There are many organizations that offer free kits to get you started. Locally, DTE offers a free Energy Efficiency Kit for its customers. These kits include LED light bulbs, an energy efficient shower head, water-saving faucet aerators and more. You can take a home energy survey and sign-up for a kit online.

 

Low-income families in Kent County may qualify for ACSET Community Action Agency’s Weatherization Assistance Program. This program is designed to help cut energy costs by installing insulation, sealing leaks and/or taking other energy-saving steps. Contact ACSET CAA to learn more and see if you qualify at 616-336-4000.

 

Your Community in Action! is provided by ASCET Community Action Agency. To learn more about how they help meet emergency needs and assist with areas of self-sufficiency, visit www.communityactionkent.org

School News Network: The Beat Goes On for 450 Godfrey-Lee students

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Students are using the instruments in class and for performing.

By Erin Albanese

School News Network

 

Second-graders found the beat playing together on tube-like instruments called boomwhackers, tubano drums, glockenspiels and xylophones to the song, “Welcome back! I’m glad you’re here. Come and listen with your ear!”

 

Students take turns on the xylophones

Thanks to a grant from the Michigan Youth Arts and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, the Godfrey-Lee Early Childhood Center received $1,457 to purchase new instruments for the young fives through second grade music classes.

 

The new instruments provide the chance for group activities like making sound effects and creating songs to go along with children’s literature, said music teacher Tami Nelson, who is planning many music-making opportunities for her 450 students, including public performances.

 

“It’s really nice and it’s awesome we get new drums and new stuff to play,” said second-grader Arianna Wheeler. “We were needing some new stuff. It was nice of them to give us new instruments.”

 

The majority Hispanic district has a large number of students who speak English as a second language. Through music, they can express themselves non-verbally, Nelson said.

 

Also, many students aren’t exposed to instruments outside of school. Many families in the community do not have access to instruments in their homes or the funds to purchase instruments for their own personal use, Nelson added.

 

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

 

Grand Rapids Public Museum expands science programs to Saturday

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Science Saturday will feature programs similar to those in Science Tuesdays.

By Christie Bender

Grand Rapids Public Museum

 

During the month of February, join the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) for hands-on Zoology Science Tuesday programming. Each month at the Museum highlights a different science topic all part of the ongoing educational experience offering, Science Tuesdays, based on changing themes each month.

 

Explore the diversity of the animal kingdom by viewing a variety of animal skins, skulls, and specimens out of the Museum’s education collection. Identify various teeth structures based on an animal’s diet, try your hand at investigating a barn owl’s prey by dissecting owl pellets and use a microscope to get an up-close view of some interesting animal features.

 

Science Tuesdays take place throughout the day every Tuesday in the Museum’s Galleria and include a variety of activities and interactive displays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Activities are free with general admission to the Museum.

 

New beginning the month of February, Special Saturdays at the GRPM will have Science Saturday with hands-on activities related to that month’s Science Tuesdays theme. Science Saturdays will take place in the Museum’s Galleria and be free with general admission. Science Saturdays will take place Feb. 18 and 25, and Mar. 4 and 11.

 

On Saturday, Feb. 25, join the GRPM to help solve mysteries in February’s Curiosity Lab.

In this lab, kids will search clues to find out who stole a missing artifact from the Collection, using the hands-on scientific technique of chromatography. This Curiosity Lab will take place at 11 a.m. and at 1 p.m. Limited tickets available, recommended for ages 8 and older. Tickets can be found at grpm.org/Science-Tuesdays.

 

Future Science Tuesdays are themed around activities happening in the community and at the Museum. For upcoming themes and activities, please visit grpm.org/Science-Tuesdays.