As a proud home owner in Wyoming since 1977, I am thrilled with all the new adventures and beginnings going on in the city. I think one of the best, and perhaps least known, is the new Veterans Clinic in Metro Village. Even if you are not a veteran, it’s worth your time to stop by and see this new and wonderful facility. The clinic is state-of-the-art on multiple levels. It’s a great resource to give our veterans the kind of care they need, and ultimately deserve, for their service of our country.
If you’d like to take a visit to tour the Veterans Clinic, just stop on by and talk to one of the clinic’s volunteers. They will be glad to give you a tour and information regarding the facility! If you have any interest in volunteering with the veterans, stop on by and ask. There are always volunteer opportunities for those who want it. Personally, I am there on the 1st and 3rd Friday of the month from 8-noon.
The Veterans Clinic isn’t the only new thing is town. There is new construction around the city and new businesses as well! The awful, in my humble opinion, old Ponderosa building is being torn down and a brand new restaurant is being built in its place. Little Mexico restaurant will make a new home in front of the new turn on 28th St, which will be gone because of construction there. Please support this local business as they have decided to stay in Wyoming and add to the local opportunities that are available!
The new Wimsatt building off of 28th St.
Another great addition to 28th St. is the new Wimsatt business. For people who don’t know what they do (like me) they are in construction supply. So, to all those Wyoming construction people, check out the new local business right on 28th St.
Also the old GM plant on 36th St. has a new realtor with international connections. That is a positive development and seems to be a step in the right direction.
I am very proud of the city of Wyoming and how it is turning itself around to a vibrant business plan. We are a city of progress and it bodes well for the city’s future. Wyoming is a great place to live, work, and raise a family.
As fans celebrate the release of Bell’s summer seasonal, Bell’s Brewery, Inc. is proud to announce that a new way to enjoy the taste of summer will be heading their way soon. Twelve-ounce cans of Oberon, packaged in 12-packs, will be released later this summer. They will feature the same look of Bell’s 16 oz. Oberon cans.
“Cans can go more places than glass and it’s a much more convenient packaging option – we believe our fans will really enjoy this new option,” said Laura Bell, Bell’s Vice President.
Bell’s Oberon Ale is currently available on draught, in bottles (6-packs and 12-packs) and in 4-packs (16 oz. cans). Mini-kegs will also return this summer and will feature a paisley design.
The new 12-ounce cans will be available across all areas Bell’s currently distributes to. Oberon is available year round in Florida, Arizona, southern California, southern Alabama and Puerto Rico.
Two Hearted Ale and the rest of Bell’s seasonal portfolio are also available in cans (according to their seasonal release). The Bell’s Beer Finder (bellsbeer.com) can be used to find Bell’s beer nearby.
ABOUT BELL’S BREWERY, INC.
Bell’s Brewery, Inc. began in 1985 with a quest for better beer and a 15 gallon soup kettle. Since then, we’ve grown into a regional craft brewery that employs more than 330 people over a 20 state area, in addition to Puerto Rico and Washington DC. The dedication to brewing flavorful, unfiltered, quality craft beers that started in 1985 is still with us today. We currently brew over 20 beers for distribution as well as many other small batch beers that are served at our pub in Kalamazoo, the Eccentric Cafe. Our ongoing goal is to brew thoughtfully, creatively and artistically. We strive to bring an authentic and pleasant experience to all of our customers through our unique ales and beers. For more information, please visit bellsbeer.com.
Original music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx Book by Jeff Whitty
Based on an original concept by Robert Lopez
Puppet Design by Rick Lyon Guest Director, Scott Mellema
Ticket Prices: $18 – $35
Avenue Q delights in combining a cast of humans and puppets in a plot that tackles subjects such as dating, racism, internet porn, being gay and finding a purpose in life. In short, AvenueQ is about community, and the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre and School of Theatre Arts’ is the first community theatre in Grand Rapids to produce this (2004) Tony Awarding Winning piece.
This modern day musical focuses on a group of unique 20-somethings who are making their way in the big city. Filled with pop-culture references, adult issues, and yes, puppets; this story contains adult content and is not recommended for children.
“Everyone coming in the door should understand that this play contains four of the seven words you CAN’T say on television,” warns guest director Scott Mellema. “It isn’t a piece for the faint of heart, but it IS entertaining, funny, touching and smart. The show is about real life spoken through the voices of young adults. It takes over where Sesame Street left us; instead of learning about numbers, letters, and how to use good manners, Avenue Q talks to adults about subjects like racism, being unemployed and the pitfalls of a one-night stand.”
Mellema guest directed Les Miserables at the Civic Theatre last season and is no stranger to the talent pool West Michigan has to offer. “The cast is incredible,” beamed Mellema, “their energy and commitment to the project has been excellent. Every performer is bringing an unbelievable passion to the work, for many of them Avenue Q was THE show that they really set their sights on this year. Case in point, we have an actor who traveled half way around the world for a chance to audition for her role in this piece. It is a Tony Award Winner for Best Musical, but one that isn’t performed frequently due to the technical difficulty. Puppets do not equate to simplicity in this case”.
Avenue Q concludes the Civic Theatre’s incredible 89th Season and promises to leave audiences with a laugh!
65-year-old Jim Phillips is one of the original River Bank runners and ran the race for 33 consecutive years. He has recently been diagnosed with mesothelioma and is undergoing continual chemotherapy. Jim underwent brain surgery and Doctors removed part of his brain–the right cerebellum– which controls balance and equilibrium. He also had prostrate cancer, a hernia, has gone through bacterial meningitis and hydrocephalus and fights highly aggressive cancer. Did any of these severe medical issues stop him from taking part in this year’s 5/3 event? As the saying goes, you can’t keep a good man down.
He and his wife Linda braved the humid and rainy day during race day walking hand in hand completing the 3.1 mile walk.
” I just wanted to be part of the event, it’s fun,” he said.
His wife knew he could go through with it. “He’s a fighter and just doesn’t give up,” she said.
The retired letter carrier always keeps a positive mental attitude to fight the aggressive cancer and stays in shape by exercising.
“I don’t cling to the past, I don’t dwell on the future. I enjoy every day and try to do as much as we can.”
Jim has lost over 100 pounds since all of his medical issues and looks forward to going to Iceland this summer with his wife and friends.
So how was the entire 5/3/ experience?
“I am so glad that I did this, I was very, very, tired the last half mile, but I completed it and that makes me very happy.”
His wife Linda was at his side the entire time.
“His legs got weak and they start buckling on him at the end of the race. The crowd and police officers could tell he was struggling, so they began cheering him on loudly with encouragement. The determination that he has is what has gotten him to this point. It was a really great experience for him,” she shared.
And what about next year?
“Good Lord willing, and if his health is okay, yes we will be back and we will do it again,” Linda concluded enthusiastically.
Picture this: A place that features a 360-degree Sports Bar with a massive wall of TV’s on each side. A location which contains more than 140 state of the art video games–where everyone will want to play. Combine that with chef-crafted menu items and one of a kind cocktails and you have the newest business in Kentwood. Dave & Buster’s is opening in Kentwood next week at 3660 28th Street SE. This is the 75th location for the business which was founded in 1982 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Over 250 new jobs were brought to Kentwood. All the employees that I spoke to during the pre-grand opening were excited about their new work opportunities. The most popular games on the day of my visit were the large, colorful Candy Crush and Star Wars Battle Pod. But there’s also the old favorites of air hockey, skee ball, and spin the wheel. And like other arcades, if you win enough tickets, the prize wall awaits! I think Fun is Dave & Buster’s middle name. The bright lights, color, laughter, and state of the art audio,visual and lighting systems greet you upon entering. It’s the official headquarters to Eat, Drink, Play and Watch Sports. Check it out.
Choir Teacher Carrie Hoeksema teaches lessons well beyond the classroom
This series of stories were written by high school students from Joe Pellerito’s Advanced Teen Leadership Class at East Kentwood High School. They wrote about the heroes in their lives. Stories were written especially for now.wktv.com.
A hero in my eyes is someone with a genuine and caring heart. Someone who is there when I and others need them and unafraid to speak their mind.
One of my heroes is a strong and spirited woman who walks into a classroom with a bright smile on her face and a positive attitude that shows she’s ready for whatever life has to throw at her. She has a powerful voice that can be heard across an entire school and is never afraid to use it. My hero is an absolutely wonderful choir teacher named Mrs. Carrie Hoeksema.
Each day she walks into the choir classroom at East Kentwood High School full of energy and ready to lead our class and motivate us to perform beautiful music. She consistently pushes the class to sing out and let our voices be heard, and always compliments and teaches us how to do better and grow as musicians. She’s always there for her students, and is always looking to help in any way she can.
Her inspiration to become a choir teacher came during her freshman year of college. She had been in band in high school and had her doubts about what choir would be like, but she decided to give it a try anyway. The choir instructor at the time was retiring, and the new instructor was the one who really inspired her to pursue a career as a choir teacher herself.
As a choir teacher, she feels like the most satisfying part of her job is the interaction with teens, the wide range of emotions surrounding them, and just the dramatic flair that comes with it. She thinks teens are full of hope and ideas, that they are unbreakable, and even responsible. The best part about her job is finding out these things from her students and creating strong relationships with them. She is sure they take the lessons she has taught and make use of it long after high school and college.
Her faith is very important to her, and she owes her biggest influence to God. She believes God inspires her to be the best person that she can be. She also believes God planted her on Earth to help and inspire kids and be a positive role model. Her faith keeps her going, and inspires her to keep kids and even staff members upbeat. Along with her faith, she owes her peppy spirit and personality to her late Grandma Sorensen, who was also quite bubbly and positive.
As a leader herself, she looks up to students who show leadership skills. She believes compassion, ethics, confidence, commitment, the willingness to learn, helping others, and the sense of community and world are all very important qualities of a leader.
Mrs. Hoeksema is not only one of my heroes, but also a strong and positive leader, an amazing teacher, and an awesome person to be around.
Competitive cheerleading has been an eye-opening experience for April Martinez.
There’s more to competitive cheerleading than performing heart-stopping extended split stunts and the toe touch basket toss. Godwin Height High School team members say the sport literally changes lives.
Just ask eleventh-grader Joy Parker.
“I was failing all my classes before coach gave me a place to relieve stress,” she said.
Joy said she was considering dropping out of school, but the friendships she has forged with her teammates has enabled her to tunnel through her troubles.
“I didn’t think I could graduate,” Joy said. “Cheering saved my life. This team is my life, my family. It has given me hope.”
This stunt is called the “toe touch basket toss to a cradle catch.”
Tenth-grader April Martinez joined the team in November because she’s outgoing and cheerful, which convinced her that competitive cheerleading would be a good fit. Her hunch didn’t disappoint.
But competitive cheerleading also has been an eye-opener. Before she joined, April assumed cheerleading would be a cakewalk. Far from it. But it’s that inherent challenge competitive cheerleading requires that ensures April shows up for each practice and competition.
It Takes Strength, Stamina
“You have to have strength and stamina,” April said. “It’s a lot of work, commitment and time. If you try your best, you can do it. Coach has taught us if you can dream it, you can do it.”
“Coach” is Amanda Cook, one of the 25-member varsity cheerleading team (grades 9-12) and 30 sideline cheerleaders seen at football games. Godwin’s team competes against Lee, Kelloggsville, Hopkins, Calvin Christian and NorthPointe Christian.
It’s competitive cheerleading that gets the heart pumping, Cook said.
Competitive cheerleading is judged for cheer creativity; emotion and voice strength; skills in executing splits, tumbles and jumps; and “stunting,” which ranges from the two-legged variety to one-legged extended stunts and high-flying basket tosses.
Like Any Other Sport
Make no mistake, Godwin’s cheerleaders consider competitive cheerleading a sport just as much as shooting hoops or running on the gridiron.”We run like other athletes,” said tenth-grader Najha Lofton, who’s been cheering for four years. “We have to lift bodies in the air. You get tired. You still have to work as hard as other athletes.”Najha likes that challenge. She also appreciates how it helped her overcome her fear of flying – in an airplane.”I’m very determined to get things done,” Najha said. “I used to have a fear of flying in a plane or roller coaster. Not anymore. I love tumbling. It’s my favorite part. I’m really flexible, so that helps.”Coach Cook said being involved in cheerleading often surprises those on the team.
“A lot of the girls don’t consider themselves athletes and after one season, they really see themselves as athletes,” she said. “We really do lift weights and run laps. I’ve had seven girls play soccer for first time this year because they were too afraid to join until they joined the cheerleader team.”
That was the resounding question at the second annual Give On…To Live On event on May 7, 2015. The “heart” refers to the red heart insignia provided by the Secretary of State when you register to be an organ and tissue donor.
The Give On…To Live On event, sponsored by Gift of Life Michigan, was held, according to organizer Karla Huitsing, “To not only raise awareness, but also to celebrate life.” In attendance were many who had received life-saving organ transplants. Chef Oliver Hale, affectionately known as “Chef O,” is a two-time kidney recipient. Chef O confirms his heart-felt gratitude for the opportunities has been given stating, “I have been blessed. I have been given a second chance at life.”
Rick and Marci are friends for life
Also in attendance was Marci Prince who felt the call to become a “living donor” while watching an appeal by Kate Couric on television. “My family had always been involved in donating blood. After watching the program I knew it was my time to donate a kidney.” Soon afterward Marci would learn that her kidney was an excellent match for Rick Herlacher, a local man on the kidney waiting, whose need would also be the inspiration for the first Give On…To Live on gathering in 2014. Marci met Rick and the two bonded immediately. The transplant was a success and both Marci and Rick continue to speak on behalf of Gift of Life outreach efforts. Although Rick could not attend the event this year, Marci states, “Rick is living proof of the gift of life.” When asked about her personal giving, she responds, “ Isn’t that what the human race is designed to do?”
The fact is that the need for organ and tissue donors in Michigan is great. As of March 1, 2015 there were 3,497 patients awaiting transplant. Thousands of others need tissue to relieve their pain, heal their wounds, and help them see again. On average, 400 people are added to waiting lists every 20 minutes, while 14 people awaiting organs die each day.
The quest to raise awareness in our state is urgent. The Donor awareness movement in Michigan has increased greatly due to the actions of the Michigan Secretary of State. Instead of the passive approach of waiting to ask family members for organ donation after a death has occurred, the Secretary of State branches now active as people if they would like to register for organ donation when they are obtaining a license or state ID.
Dr. Luis Tomatis, Director of Medical Affairs for the Richard M. DeVos family and renowned cardiothoracic surgeon, led a panel discussion regarding organ donation in West Michigan. The panel consisted of Dr. Daniel Borreson, Surgical Director of Adult Renal Transplant at Mercy Health St. Mary’s and the Surgical Director of pediatric renal transplantation at Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital; Dr. Muneer Abidi , oncologist with the Spectrum Health Medical Group Adult Blood and Marrow Transplant Program; and Dr. Martin Strueber, Surgical Director for the Spectrum Health Richard M. DeVos Heart and Lung Transplant Program. All stressed the need for increased awareness and the opportunity for Grand Rapids to become one of the leading transplant sites for adults, as well as children, in our state.
Dr. Abidi, who deals with blood cancers and stem cell treatments, reinforced the need for donor registry outreach, especially in minority communities.
Dr. Martin Strueber, who recently moved to Grand Rapids from Germany, saw the Medical Mile and the advancements in heart and lung transplants locally, and has ambition to grow the Center and make transplants more available in our area.
Dr. Borreson also sees opportunity for West Michigan to become a major transplant destination for two main reasons: First, Spectrum Health is a Regional Level 1 Trauma Center, increasing the availability of potential organs locally. Second, character of West Michigan is based largely on Christian values and altruism. When we see a need, we meet a need. One of the most important things stressed by Dr. Borreson is no matter if you have a heart sticker on your license, “Make your wishes known to your family.”
Many who attended the Give On…To Live On event were awaiting organs, just as Rick Herlacher was in 2014. Their hope and their prayer is that someone will be a match, someone will step up and offer the ultimate gift of life. Could that person be you?
To sign up on the Michigan Organ Donor Registry simply go online to giftoflifemichigan.org or call 1-800-482-4881. You can also go online or visit any Michigan Secretary of State branch to receive a red heart to place on your license or state ID. You hold the keys to saving another’s life—register today!
By now you all have probably seen the results of yesterday’s vote on the Kentwood proposals. While we will celebrate the passing of the building and site/sinking fund, we are disappointed that the technology, safety, and building upgrade proposal was defeated. The citizens of our community are valued partners and we are committed to using their funds responsibly and carefully. The fact that the vote was split means that we needed to better identify what was needed and why it was needed. At the same time, this does not change the fact that we are committed to providing an education of excellence to every child within our district.
We appreciate those that went out to vote and the fact that they shared their perspectives
Thank you to all of you who worked so hard to get the word out.
Michael Zoerhoff
Superintendent
Kentwood Public Schools
It was a colorful, joyful celebration. The perfect way to take part in Cinco de Mayo. Hundreds gathered at the Grand Rapids Public Museum to honor the theme of hope, determination, inclusion and respect.
Contrary to popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is not the celebration of Mexico’s Independence Day. It celebrates the victory in the Battle of Puebla by the indigenous people against the powerful French army.
Among the many accomplishments symbolized by Cinco de Mayo observances, the Committee to Honor Cesar E. Chavez celebrates the determination of Mexicans as demonstrated in the Battle of Puebla. Like the steadfast commitment of the Mexican soldiers, the Committee is determined to give students the gift of opportunity through education. In doing so, the rich legacy, spirit and impact of the Battle of Puebla is forever a part of our lives throughout the year.
The 2015 Honorees this year were Michael Flanagan, Connie Dang and Chuy Morales.
Mike Flanagan has been State Superintendent in Michigan for 10 years;and was a local and regional superintendent before that. During his career in education leadership, Mike has been determined to make sure all kids in Michigan have a quality life and education–no matter their race, culture, or personal and economic circumstances.
Connie Dang serves as the director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs at Grand Valley State University. In the community, she serves as board of trustee of the Historical Society of Michigan, member of the Unity Committee to Honor Cesar E. Chavez and a member of the West Michigan Advocates& Leaders for Police and Community Trust.
Chuy Morales, along with his wife Angie, embarked on a journey to provide a voice to many within the Hispanic Community. Their determination and passion led to the formation of an internet radio station called, La Mejor. This radio station has become a vital source of information for the Hispanic community providing program featuring education, health and sports.
The celebration also included music and dance by the Pearson family and the Cook Art Center, Mexican Folkloric Dance Class. The event proved to be inspirational, entertaining, and informative.
The Mexican Folkloric Dance Class from the Cook Art Center entertainCommittee members worked hard to ensure success
Camp Invention is a four day adventure in creativity that immerses children in exciting, hands-on activities that reinvent summer fun. Led by local educators, boys and girls are challenged to explore connections between science, technology, engineering and innovation. Participants spend their time building original prototypes and creating a personalized motor-powered vehicle, while designing, improving and analyzing their own inventions in a team setting. Don’t miss out on all new challenges.
Have you ever wondered about how a computer functions? If you have, a computer uses algorithms. Algorithms are the basic instructions or rules a computer follows. This would be some of the fundamentals of computer programing that you will be learning in the Kent ISD’s Coding Club. In this club, we will be conducting both online and offline activities that will help us dive into the ins and outs of computer programing. During this course, will be learning about algorithms, looping, debugging, conditionals and much much more!
You could spend a week this summer watching someone on TV launch objects through the air; maybe you could even play a video game that does. Or perhaps, you could spend a week designing and actually building catapults and trebuchets to PROPEL these projectiles yourself! Propel Camp is a week-long experience for 6-8th graders to explore and DO science, technology, engineering, art, and math in real life. For five days, students will work in teams to build the ultimate catapult, and use their machine to compete against other teams at the end of the week in a variety of competitions.
You could spend a week this summer watching NASCAR and dreaming of driving in a big race… OR you could spend a week at Camp in Motion actually designing and building soapbox derby cars and racing them yourself!
Creative people wanted! Design and print your own creations on everything from t-shirts, trading cards, buttons and more. You’ll run the printing equipment and even screen print your own shirts.
Explore what it’s like to work on automobiles and heavy equipment. Work with real tools to rotate tires, remove and reinstall spark plugs and perform a compression test. You’ll also get to use paint guns and see how engines work.
Welcome to the wonderful world of baking! Become an expert at making bread, candies, doughnuts and other fried treats, cakes and cupcakes. After this class you could be the next Food Network star.
Future chefs, this camp is for you! Make fabulous gourmet meals, which you can make for yourself and your family at home. You’ll learn the right words to use in the kitchen, how to create the menu, and work as a team to keep the kitchen running. Lunch is included in the registration.
Investigate mock crime scenes, learn defense tactics, conquer obstacle courses and work in a team just like actual law enforcement officials. Your teachers for this exciting week? Real police officers and investigators.
Explore digital photography during scavenger hunts, taking portraits and on a field trip to the zoo! Learn how to set up a good photo and learn some professional photography tricks. Use one of our cameras or bring your own. Plus, use your photos to create fun projects like calendars and buttons and learn the basics of Photoshop.
Do you love video games and computers? Then this camp is for you! You’ll build a computer, build a network and create your own video game you can actually play!
Cyber Camp will allow you to begin to explore a career as a Cyber Security Specialist. Through hands-on labs students will simulate cyber-attack and defense. Students will be guided through the creation of an ethical hacking and penetration testing lab that they will use for both cyber-attack offensive and defensive. Labs topics will include digital forensics, cryptography, network traffic capture, and web site exploitation. Other topics such as mobile wireless security may also be explored. This Cyber Camp for high school Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors will be taught by professors from the #1 ranked Cyber Security program in the state, Ferris State University.
Looking for more summer camp opportunities?
Check out our list of local summer programs, CLICK HERE!
This is an event that will prove to be inspirational, informative and educational. Talons Out Honor Flight requests your presence at the Homecoming Celebration for over 110 World War II veterans on May 16, 2015! Talons Out is the Southwest Michigan hub of the National Honor Flight Network who recognizes the sacrifices and achievements of these veterans by flying them to Washington D.C. for a day at absolutely no cost. While in D.C. these servicemen and women will visit the National World War II Memorial as well as several events scheduled to honor their service.
“We are losing close to 900 WWII veterans each day, “explains Talons Out President Bobbie Bradley, “There are fewer than 2 million alive today.” Each veteran deserves to see the elegant memorial raised to honor those who gave so much for our country. Bradley describes the flight as their “final mission.”
The veterans and their guardians will be leaving out of Gerald R. Ford International Airport at 7:00 a.m. Saturday morning. After a whirlwind of activity in D.C., the flight will land back in Grand Rapids around 8:30 that evening and have a heartwarming patriotic escort to East Kentwood High School. That’s where you come in!
“Everything we do from start to finish is to honor the veterans,” states Jamey Matheny, Flight Day Coordinator. “We would like not only family and friends, but the whole community to come out and show these men and women our gratitude.”
There will be food, entertainment, and an opportunity to make posters to greet the veterans as they roll in. Come out to East Kentwood field house after 7 p.m. to cheer them on, shake a hand or two, and thank them for their service! It promises to be a day the veterans will remember for the rest of their lives!
“Volunteers are welcome and we want to hear from you if you or your group would be interested in honoring our heroes, “stresses Matheny. For him and the whole Talons Out crew
Every day is Veteran’s Day!
For more information go to the organization’s website: Talonsouthonorflight.org
If you know of a veteran who would like to attend a future Honor Flight, the next scheduled mission is September 26, 2015.
U.S. Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow today applauded a $446,875 federal investment in the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans. The grant, which comes from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), will go towards installing an anti-wander and security system.
“Our brave men and women in uniform have defended our country and freedom, and they deserve the best care possible,” said Senator Peters, a former Lt. Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve. “We must keep the promises that we have made to our veterans, and I applaud this critical investment that will help keep Michigan veterans safe.”
“America’s heroes selflessly put their lives on the line to protect our country,” said Senator Stabenow. “Today’s announcement is great news for our veterans in Grand Rapids. Not only will this new security system help make sure they stay safe, it will give their families peace of mind.”
The Grand Rapids Home for Veterans stretches across 90 acres and provides critical long-term care to veterans, from rehabilitation therapy to spiritual, social, recreational and educational activities. The facility hosts 450 nursing care beds and more than 100 domiciliary beds. The nursing care beds include 115 special needs beds, with two 35-bed nursing units for the care of Alzheimer’s and dementia patients and one 45-bed nursing unit for dual diagnoses patients.
Senator Peters has been a strong voice for Michigan service members and veterans in Congress. Earlier this year, Peters cosponsored the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act, bipartisan legislation that was signed into law by the President earlier this year to provide additional resources to improve mental health care and suicide prevention programs for veterans.
For years, Senator Stabenow has led the fight to make sure they have access to the care and resources they need. She has led efforts to bring VA clinics to Michigan so veterans don’t have to drive hundreds of miles to receive medical treatment. In recent years, new clinics have opened in Alpena, Bad Axe, Cadillac, Clare, Grayling, and Mackinaw City.
by Tara Hernandez, Gerald R. Ford International Airport
The Gerald R. Ford International Airport is asking West Michigan to “Pack Your Bags,” and six lucky people will win an all-inclusive weekend in St. Louis!
The 2014 winners from the Tara Hernandez Pack Your Bags contest.
On Friday, May 15th show up at the Airport with a friend, spouse or whoever you’d like to spend a weekend with. Part of the deal? You have to come with your bags packed and ready to get on a flight that morning! Entries will be taken from 5:00 a.m. – 6:15 a.m. At 6:20 a.m., WLAV radio DJ’s Tony Gates and Michelle McKormick, will draw three couples’ names (six total people), and those winners will receive an all-inclusive weekend in St. Louis – including box suite tickets to the Detroit Tigers vs. St. Louis Cardinals game on Saturday!
Airfare will be covered by the Gerald R. Ford International Airport on Southwest Airlines’ nonstop flight from Grand Rapids to St. Louis, departing at 7:20 a.m. Friday, May 15th, and returning at 9:55 p.m. on Sunday, May 17th. The package also includes hotel accommodations, transportation to/from the St. Louis Airport, restaurant gifts cards, tickets to tour the famous St. Louis Arch, and box suite tickets to watch the St. Louis Cardinals in action on Saturday, May 16th.
“St. Louis is a great connection city for people flying Southwest Airlines to southern and western parts of our country, but the city itself also has a lot to offer,” said GFIA Executive Director Brian Ryks. “We want to not only offer a fun promotion for West Michigan travelers, but also celebrate some of the easy and affordable nonstop service that Southwest offers from our Airport.”
“We’re excited to partner with the Gerald R. Ford International and Southwest Airlines for this promotion,” said Cumulus Director of Marketing & Promotions Marcus Bradman. “We are ready to kick off summer and what better way to do that than with baseball? We also know the fun you can have traveling not just around our state, but to the great destinations that the Gerald R. Ford International Airport offers.”
Promotion is not open to Airport employees, GFIA Board Members, Kent County Employees, Cumulus Media Employees or family members of any of the aforementioned.
A previous Chamber Event at Pizza Ranch’s Grand Opening.
The Kentwood/Wyoming Area Chamber of Commerce works hard day in and day out to perform for their members and our community. Keep this list handy for all the upcoming events that will be entertaining and informative for the months of May and June.
UPCOMING EVENTS
May 2 –28th Street Metro Cruise Dust Off
May 5– Election – PLEASE VOTE
May 7–New Member Breakfast
May 8–Connected Chamber Women
May 9–Nutrition N More – Grand Re-Opening
May 9–Godwin Hardware Demonstrates the Holland Grill
May 11–Government Matters @KCH – with Elected Officials
May 14–Division Avenue Business Association Meeting
May 15–Business for Breakfast “Building a Work Ready Community”
May 15–3rd Fridays! Networking Luncheon
Jun 2–Multi Chamber Golf Outing
Jun 8–Government Matters @KCH – with Elected Officials
Jun 11–Division Avenue Business Association Meeting
Jun 19–Godwin Hardware Demonstrates the Holland Grill
Kentwood Board of Education Places Two Tax Neutral Initiatives on the Ballot Safety, Technology, and Facility Upgrades to be voted on in May
The Kentwood Public Schools Board of Education approved asking voters for an extension and a renewal on two ballot initiatives that will not increase the current tax rate. This vote will take place on May 5, 2015. Because of the District’s continued commitment to fiscal responsibility and careful fund management the school system will again not require a tax rate increase.
While these two ballot proposals will not raise the tax rate,” said Mimi Madden, President of the Kentwood Board of Education, “They will improve building safety and security for every Kentwood child, ensure that our technology is competitive, and provide efficient and updated facilities.”
The two proposals previously approved by the voters of Kentwood Public Schools include an extension of the 2003 Bond Issue and a renewal of the 2006 Building and Site Sinking Fund. The proposed Bond Issue amount is $64,860,000. Both proposals require no tax rate increase.
School officials noted that maintaining efficient, up to date facilities helps controls costs. In addition, knowing that parents and employers look for schools that equip students to be technologically competitive, the ballot initiatives ensure that school technology meets the needs of a 21st century education.
With school safety and security a national concern, it is one of the significant issues that the board sought to address with the ballot initiatives. While officials noted that Kentwood Public Schools was one of the first school districts in the region to have focused entry points and security cameras throughout, times have changed, and as a result safety requirements have also changed.
“Kentwood Public Schools has always focused on strong relationships and high expectations as the best form of violence prevention,” said Michael Zoerhoff, Superintendent. “However, safety is supported by up-to-date security procedures and equipment. These initiatives continue the district’s commitment to upgrade facilities and equipment to ensure the safety of each Kentwood child.”
Finally, district officials noted the request to voters reflects the strong partnership between the district and the Kentwood community and builds on months of facilities analysis, staff and community surveys, and an updated strategic plan. “At Kentwood, senior adults use the warming pool, walk the tracks, and read to students,” said Board President Mimi Madden. “This community supports school academic, athletic and arts programs. We believe that these ballot initiatives provide an opportunity for voters to continue to support a dynamic world class student body while continuing a tradition of excellence. ”
Under the leadership of Music Director David Lockington, the Grand Rapids Symphony has achieved new heights of artistic excellence and greater acclaim: four-star ratings by The Grand Rapids Press, a Grammy-nominated performance with hip-harpist Deborah Henson Conant, the orchestra’s 2005 debut at Carnegie Hall and innovative diversity, education and inclusion initiatives. Lockington will conduct his last concerts in the role on Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9, 8:00 p.m. at DeVos Performance Hall as a part of the Richard and Helen DeVos Classical Series. The singular work featured in “David’s Grand Finale” will be Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection.”
The Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus and two guest vocalists, Kelley Nassief and Susan Platts, will join the orchestra for what is sure to be a powerful and significant performance.
Since the beginning of David Lockington’s tenure as GRS Music Director, the orchestra has played one major work by Mahler annually. The composer’s second symphony, “Resurrection,” was the composer’s first major work that established his lifelong meditation on the universal themes of life, death and human fate. The piece is also one of Lockington’s favorite works. The Grand Rapids Symphony has completed a full cycle of Mahler’s nine symphonies over Lockington’s tenure, making Mahler’s “Resurrection” a fitting and spectacular end to his final season.
Mahler’s second symphony is an elaborate work with a gargantuan orchestra, choir, organ, church bells, an offstage brass ensemble and a massive battery of percussion. According to Mahler’s own program notes, the first movement is intended to represent the death of the hero in his first symphony: “…it is the hero of my First Symphony that I am burying here and whose life I am gathering up in a clear mirror…At the same time is the great questions: Why have you lived? Why have you suffered? Is all this merely a great, horrible jest? We must resolve these questions somehow or other, if we are to go on living.”
To answer these questions, the second movement is a gentle, old-fashioned dance of lilting grace, representing long-forgotten pleasure, followed by a grotesque waltz for the third movement shot through with earsplitting chords to astonishing effect. The fourth movement serves as an introduction to the finale with a child’s song, wistfully longing for relief from life’s burdens.
With the colossal fifth and final movement, Mahler introduced sounds and effects never before used in symphonic music to depict the last judgment and resurrection, resulting in one of the most powerful climaxes in classical music. In Mahler’s own words, “The earth quakes, the graves burst open, the dead arise and stream on in endless procession. The trumpets of the apocalypse ring out. All is quiet and blissful. There is no judgment, no sinners, no just men, no great and no small; there is no punishment and no reward. A feeling of overwhelming love fills us with blissful knowledge and illuminates our existence.”
Upbeat, a free pre-concert multi-media presentation, will be hosted in the Recital Hall before each performance at 7:00 p.m. Upbeat is sponsored by BDO USA. “David’s Grand Finale” will be rebroadcast on Sunday, June 14 at 1:00 p.m. on Blue Lake Public Radio, FM 88.9 or FM 90.3.
“David’s Grand Finale” is sponsored by Warner Norcross & Judd. The guest artists for this concert are supported by the Edith I. Blodgett Guest Artist Fund.
Tickets start at $18 and are available at the Symphony office, weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 300 Ottawa 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 by phone in the evening and on Saturday by calling 616.885.1241. Tickets are available at the DeVos Place Box Office, weekdays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., or on the day of the concert beginning two hours prior to the performance. Tickets may also be purchased through Ticketmaster, 800.982.2787, online at GRSymphony.org or in person at Ticketmaster outlets: select D&W Fresh Markets, Family Fare Stores and Walmart. Tickets purchased at these locations will include a Ticketmaster service fee. Full-time students of any age are able to purchase tickets for only $5 on the night of the concert by enrolling in the Symphony’s Student Passport program. This is a MySymphony360 eligible concert.
When Vicki Johnston challenged Wyoming Parkview Elementary School students to choose a community-service project, they overwhelmingly chose a cause: “Trash the Trash.”
Hosted by the school’s Peer Mentoring Program, about 300 of the Wyoming Public Schools students spread out across Wyoming’s Lamar Park, Wyoming Junior High School and in their own schoolyard for their Global Youth Service Day project, picking up litter to improve the community.
Jasmin Cruz hurries to clean up.
“I just want to help out the community and make my state the cleanest state of all,” said fourth-grader Juan Escalante, as he scanned the ground for trash.
The Peer Mentoring Program, headed by Johnston, its founder, involves third- and fourth-grade Parkview students who regularly work with each other on math and reading skills, but they took the afternoon leading their peers in the spruce-up project.
Parkview Elementary School fourth-grader passes out trash bags before beginning a cleanup of Lamar Park.
According to a press release, a million young people worldwide were expected to take part in service projects to make Global Youth Service Day. Official event partners span six continents, more than 100 countries, and all 50 states.
At Wyoming Public Schools’ Oriole Park Elementary School, students also participated in the service day, working with 30 AmeriCorps volunteers on activities to beautify the school and support community organizations. Activities included planting flowers and trees, making dog toys for the Humane Society, decorating paper bags for Grand Rapids-nonprofit organization Kids Food Basket, and making sun catchers and bird feeders.
AmeriCorps, a program supported by the U.S. federal government, involves volunteers working throughout the nation on community-service projects.
Mother’s Day has always been a time of celebration and joy, but not for everyone. It may be a time of hardship if a Mom is going through troubles– spending time in a shelter due to domestic violence.
Movers for Moms has been there to make life a little bit easier for many abused women in the West Michigan community. Two Men And A Truck has teamed up with local churches, schools and child care centers to collect donations for women who have dealt with domestic abuse. They provide items for mothers and children such as clothes, toys, and other necessary belongings on Mothers Day to give them hope in the face of a crisis. It’s a program that is worked on year long and this is the 8th year.
One of the daycare facilities that helped out this year was Rainbow Child Care Center in Byron Center. Stacy Shotko is their Regional Manager, and she is very excited about the Movers for Moms project.
“What a better place to do this project than at a child care center where we are seeing Moms and working with them every single day,” she explained.
Each year, Movers for Moms donates to a different local shelter and this year it’s Safe Haven Ministries. This non-profit helps women and children who have been victims of domestic violence.
Ana Doonan, Development and Communications Director of Safe Haven is appreciative of all of the efforts of this highly successful campaign.
“The donations really takes the children’s minds away from abuse. When you see them playing and reading books or watching movies, it is great,” she said.
Last year was a record-breaking year with more than 220,000 items being collected and donated to shelters across the country. To find out how you can help, please visit: twomenandatruck.com
Brian Kingshott’s mother liked to say her son “came into the world with a bang!” Find out how as Alan interviews Brian Kingshott, an anti-terrorism expert and professor of criminal justice. As a former British intelligence officer, Cornwall and Devon constable, and WW2 bombing survivor, Brian gives us insights on world history and police work… all wrapped up in his inimitable charm and British English accent!
In my last article, I said I would next write about our trips in retirement. Well maybe not after all. Before retirement, there was the trip to Scotland in 1982 that set the traveling stage for us. It was key to determining if we really could afford to jump off the deep end and go places. It all started with an Ann Arbor photo instructor inviting us to attend a meeting about an opportunity to go to Scotland and live in a castle for a week. My wife, Jan, is an established watercolor artist, and the instructor wanted to have her comments on the fine art aspects of images there.
Penkill Castle in Scotland
Our first impulse was No way! The cost for the two of us seemed astronomical. But the next week, Thanksgiving week in 1981, we were talking with our 35-year-old neighbor across the street while she was raking leaves. She told u s she was going into the hospital for exploratory surgery, but did not think it was anything serious. It turned out to be advance cancer and she passed away just after Christmas.
That got us thinking about how quickly something can change in your life. We looked at our finances (we had a daughter in college and one in high school, plus we had the usual home mortgage and car loans. And my wife was enrolled in the fine arts program at Grand Valley College). But we had enough insurance to cover all that, plus we were healthy. So we said “Yes!” In the spring, off we flew to Scotland.
The infamous Loc Ness on a cloudy day.
Since we were spending most of the money on air fare, we went a week early, rented a car, and did some sight seeing. Loc Ness was of course on the agenda. The day we were there, it was gray and blustery. If you looked out over the water, it would not take much to convince yourself that something big and snake-like was out there.
In 1692, the Massacre at Glencoe took place in this beautiful glen. History claims different versions of why the Campbells clan slayed members of the MacDonalds clan.
One of the really spooky places we stopped was where the Massacre at Glencoe took place in 1692. Scottish history claims one Scottish clan, the Campbells, slayed another Scottish clan, the MacDonalds for not pledging their allegiance to the newly appointed King William. The ground here was soft and spongy, and it felt like one could be swallowed up. We found out later that only 38 MacDonalds were killed but over 300 were led to safety by Captain MacDonald. Ill feelings between the two clans still exists today.
We spent our nights at bed and breakfasts which are plentiful in Scotland. At one of them, we were so far north we could take photos at midnight because it was so bright.
After a week of our own sightseeing, we met our group at Penkill Castle, in Ayshire near Girvan. Built in the 16th century, it was, at the time we were there, considered to be the second longest inhabited castle in the United Kingdom. Our group was small: my wife and I, another couple, the photography instructor and the laird of the castle, Elton Eckstand of Detroit. Around 1848, the castle had been a popular rendezvous for the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood of painters, poets and critics trying to reform art at that time. As a result, many castle walls had paintings and murals of their work. One is buried on the castle grounds.
The Upps shared a bedroom with a former resident at Penkill Castle.
Because the castle was built in the 15th century, there is no central heat. Each bedroom and bathroom has its own fireplace. It wasn’t until the last night of our visit that my wife asked for a fire in our bathroom!
One evening, as we were getting ready for bed, we heard a very faint voice calling out “Albert.” The next morning, at breakfast, we were told that was the name of one of the previous owners that had met a very untimely death. Apparently former guests of that bedroom said they heard the voice as well. (That was the same night that the castle houseboys clipped a rose blossom from a hundred-plus-year-old rose bush on my wife’s pillow. A nice touch!)
Evening entertainment at the castle focused on Scottish culture.
Each evening after dinner, we were entertained by local dancers, singers, bag pipers and, one night, by the ceremony of the haggis. The tradition of the haggis is based on the first lamb or sheep to be slaughtered for the season. All the parts that cannot be stored (mostly the organs) are chopped up, mixed with oatmeal, and roasted in a sheep’s stomach. A person in full kilts recites a poem by Robert Burns dedicated to the haggis, and cuts it open. After that, two men in kilts did the dance of the spinning sabers.
The castle was our home base for exploration. One of our trips was to Ailsa Craig, a solid granite island. The granite from here is the official source of all Olympic curling stones. It is now a nature preserve, and so granite can only be quarried every 20 or 25 years. Around noon, we always tried to get to the woolen goods store – they served the best lemon meringue pie in all of Scotland!
Ailsa Craig, a solid granite island is the official source of all Olympic curling stones.
While we were in Scotland, we became curious as to why so many ruins had no roofs. We learned that in the UK, if a building has three walls and a roof, it is taxed as habitable. No roof, no tax. Many of the original buildings had lead roofs and much of the lead was also taken for use in WW1.
At the end of the week, we all went our separate ways. I flew home, and Jan went to London, where she and another Grand Valley student attended Richmond College to complete some fine arts work. She then went on to Stonehenge, the Isle of Wight, and to Brighton. There, she was able to meet the sister of our Swedish exchange student who was coming to live with us the following fall. The timing could not have been better for us taking the trip to Scotland after all.
April is National Volunteer Month and along with Michele Smith-Aversa and Kathy Gray, we would like to take the time to honor Mike Moll with his contributions to the sports department on-air and on the web at WKTV.
Mike is a man who loves sports and put that love to work by volunteering at the station. He started his volunteering stint six years ago when he was asked by Paul Kabelman – one of the Sports Directors at WKTV – to announce a high school football game. Mike was thrown into the fire as part of a three-man crew and he had a blast!
“My first game I did color with two other guys in the booth,” describes Mike, “I didn’t do a whole lot of talking, I wanted to soak it in and figure out what I was doing, but I did it once and loved it!”
As a part of the sports department, Mike does a lot more than just show up and announce at kickoff. On top of commentating, he writes stories for now.wktv.org, puts the full sports schedules together for the station, and works with athletic directors to get stats and set up communications with players and coaches.
Mike Moll has found a passion in announcing for WKTV
Mike, a self proclaimed stat nut, doesn’t mind doing the work necessary to get the information he needs, “It’s hard because there’s not a lot of info and stats available for high school sports. You have to do your own digging by making phone calls to coaches and athletic directors.”
The inside of WKTV’s Mobile Unit
Being a volunteer for the past six years, Mike has seen changes within the sports department and the technology offered by the station. He mentioned the truck and it’s massive changes. It’s now all digital and allows for beautiful broadcasts, and it’s all run by volunteers! He’s also very impressed with the new graphics and the focus they have on individual players and coaches.
“Kids and coaches have commented on the individual focus and how it helps get their stories out there. The players like to share information about themselves,” explains Mike.
Producing a game takes a lot of volunteers and their time. Not only do you need the announcers, but you also need camera operators, a director, people to run cables, and graphics and replay operators. They’re all needed for only one game!
It takes a whole team and a lot of hard work, but Mike sees the bigger picture for his volunteer work, “There are an awful lot of amazing student-athletes to cover and we get to give them attention. It’s an opportunity to give back. Could you imagine if no one volunteered?”
No, Mike, I couldn’t! Volunteering is important and also extremely rewarding. Plus, Mike sees another outlet for his volunteering, “It gives me the opportunity to put my work life away for a little while. If I could do my career all over again, I would be an announcer. I’m going to do this for as long as they’ll let me!”
Many people in don’t fully understand the in’s and out’s of coupons! I will try to help clarify some of the gray areas. In this area we do not have stores that double coupon on a daily or weekly bases. However, we do have some Kmart stores still open in our area that have double coupons one week per month with some stipulations.
For starters, your total purchase must reach $25.00 prior to sales tax. Kmart will double up to $2.00 value making it as high as $4.00, and they will double the 1st five coupons you present to the cashier. They will accept more coupons at face value. It is recommended to print or clip high value coupons, check the store shelves for availability and prices prior to the sale to save time, and know if the value is in your favor.
Big Lots is one retailer that I have found will not accept Manufacturer coupons. Target, Meijer, and Walmart have accepted competitor and Manufacturer coupons on the same item.
Target, Walgreen’s, CVS, and Rite Aid will accept their own store coupons and manufacturer coupons on the same item (this is called stacking). Manufacturer coupons can be used at most stores and it is to their advantage to accept them.
A common misconception on manufacturer coupons is that they can’t be used at Lowe’s, Home Depot, Menards, Ace Hardware, and True Value Hardware. I have had success using manufacturer coupons at all of them. It never hurts to ask.
In my experience, some of the best places to purchase personal care items including toothpaste, toothbrushes, etc. are at Menard’s, Dollar General, Family Dollar, and Dollar Tree. Getting the best value depends on which stores are offering the best ad’s and coupons. Always make sure to you know which stores are offering discounts relative to the others.
Meijer also offers their own unique discounts called Meijer Mperks. The sign up for Mperks is as simple as using you cell phone number and a 4-digit pin number of your own creation. By completing the registration online, you will receive email and text messages with offers and information about sales throughout Meijer.
Mperks has digital coupons that can be clipped on either a computer or cell phone. Coupons that are clipped on your mperk should automatically come off at the register if you enter your cell phone and pin number. It is highly recommended that you choose personal rewards that can give you other ways to increase your savings.
Prescription Rewards and Baby Rewards are other ways to save depending on your family’s needs.
What You Need to Know for Kmart Double Coupon and HOT List of Insert & Printable Coupons
http://wp.me/p4kfAL-ndf
To some students, school can be quite the challenge, but imagine a program that makes school feel a little less academic and a little more like home. The ARCH Program in Kentwood Public Schools does just that.
ARCH stands for academics, recreation, community and health. It runs in 14 different Kentwood schools and allows students to focus on excelling in the classroom and connects learning to their everyday lives.
“We’ve talked about things that kids normally don’t get to talk about [in school],” Site Coordinator Brittany Bayne said. “Like gay marriage and huge things that are out in the society.”
ARCH caters to the bottom 30 percent of students in the school system and Bayne says they hold an open dialogue with both students and their parents.
“[You have to get parents] to believe in the program and you gotta get the kids to believe in the program,” Bayne explains.
Kids are also served lunch, snacks, and provided free transportation home if needed.
In order for students to reap the benefits of ARCH, Bayne said it relies upon several factors-one of which is creating a strong relationship between students and their leaders.
“You’re their teacher and they need to know that you’re there to be a support system,” Bayne said.
At an age where kids just want to fit in, one would think there would be little interest in hanging out at an after school program, but Bayne says otherwise, she explains that students often know they need the extra help and are willing to take it.
“Fair isn’t giving everybody the same thing, fair is giving kids what they need,” Bayne said.
Students at Crestwood Middle School say the program is helping them grow academically, socially and helping them reach goals they didn’t think were possible. Avionna McGehee, a student at Crestwood Middle School, said in sixth grade she struggled often, but as a seventh grader she’s now on the honor roll.
Even Bayne said she’s noticed students stepping up their game, “I just got the summer school list of kids that are failing and are going to be invited to summer school,” Bayne said. “And we only have 6 or 7 kids from ARCH are on there.”
Between the educational learning and personal growth, there is one more important piece of advice. “[The program] is all about getting [kids] comfortable and [them] knowing that they belong,” Bayne said.
This story has a happy ending, but a tough beginning.
Rick Herlacher of Rockford, Michigan suffered with a kidney disease that was discovered in 2001. He struggled through dialysis three times a week for four hours at a time and went through five surgeries within 12 weeks last year. It was a constant battle to live.
The continued search for a transplant donor finally came to an end. Family members didn’t work out–a total stranger did.
Enter Marci Prince from Hastings, Michigan. She saved Rick’s life by donating a kidney.
“I always wanted to be a donor and I just decided to go for it. I feel blessed to be able to do this,” she explained during a recent interview with WKTV Community Media.
Her selfless, courageous act of wanting to donate her kidney was nothing short of remarkable.
But what are the chances of a total stranger being a perfect match?
“This was a match beyond a match–one in a million,” Rick explained emotionally.
Marci gets ready for surgery with extreme courage and determination.
And so the process began. 26 tubes of blood, continual testing at St. Mary’s Transplant Center, and the surgery itself. Marci, who had been a smoker for 30 years, quit cold turkey when she decided to be a donor. The process involves major surgery and both were in the hospital for 4-5 days.
Rick definitely received the gift of life.
“I was ready to go. I knew right after surgery, when I popped right out bed, everything was going to be great. There was no pain. I walked 20 laps. The nurses were shocked,” Rick enthused.
Rick is ready to go
Rick and Marci are now great friends. They find it difficult to put into words the strong connection they have.
Both of them are continually monitored by the medical staff at St. Mary’s. Rick’s immune system works at 1/3rd his capacity and he can be more than three times likely to have cancer.
But, so far, so good, or should I say– SO GREAT!
“I live every day like it’s my last,” Rick said.
Knowing now all that is involved with being a donor, would she do it again?
“Hell yeah, I would do it again,” she said emphatically.
It is shocking to realize that an average of 18 people die every day due to the shortage of available organ donors.
In total, there are more than 120,000 Americans awaiting their organ transplants, while millions of people die each year without signing up as organ and tissue donors.
400 people are on the wait list right now in Michigan for a kidney transplant. There are people waiting to live, and dying while they wait –it is a statistic that calls us to action when we consider that only 38% of Kent County citizens are signed up as organ donors when their life has ended.
At approximately 5:20 AM on today’s date, (4/27/15) the Kentwood Police Department, the Kentwood Fire Department, and Life Ambulance responded to a fatal traffic crash at the intersection of Broadmoor Ave SE (M37) and 44th St SE within the City of Kentwood. The preliminary investigation has determined that a vehicle, driven by a 60-year-old Grand Rapids resident, was southbound Broadmoor while a pedestrian was attempting to cross the road eastbound at the crosswalk on the north side of the intersection. The pedestrian was identified as 52-year-old Ernest Poole of Grand Rapids. The southbound vehicle struck Poole at the crosswalk. Poole was pronounced dead at the scene. The 60-year-old driver was transported to the hospital by Life Ambulance. The name of the 60-year-old driver of the vehicle is not being released at this time pending a full traffic crash investigation and/or determination of charges, if any.
The crash remains under investigation by the Kentwood Police Department Traffic Services Unit. Anyone with further information is asked to call the Traffic Services Unit at 698-6580.
Opening day at Fifth Third Ballpark not only marked the start of a new baseball season for the West Michigan Whitecaps, but also a grand opening for the ballpark’s Craft Beer Clubhouse.
The new Beer Clubhouse is located along the third base concourse and offers a unique experience from the rest of the ballpark. While the stadium is built to “play ball,” and escaping the weather is near impossible, the Craft Beer Clubhouse offers a different atmosphere completely.
Inside the bar is an atmosphere set up much like Founder’s Brewery, a rustic feel with dim lighting to enhance a raw, relaxed environment. The bar is heated and air conditioned so it is always open for business, no matter the weather! That’s a huge bonus in Michigan where it can snow at a moments notice, even in April.
The Craft Beer Clubhouse is located along the third base concourse
Now, the most important question, what does the Craft Beer Clubhouse have on tap? The bar currently has 16 local beers on tap from Perrin’s, Bell’s, Founders, Brewery Vivant, The Mitten Brewing Co., and Arcadia.
“The response has been extremely positive, it’s super busy all the time,” explained Katie Johnson, Food and Beverage Manager for the WhiteCaps, “The Craft Clubhouse has been busier than all the other beer stands in the stadium combined.”
Craft beer isn’t the only thing new inside the stadium. The ballpark has added a couple new dishes to the menu. The Hot-to-Tot! is a dish with buffalo chicken and bleu cheese dish covered in tater tots. There was also a new desert item added, the Beer-a-Misu, a desert with a craft beer and ice cream.
The early part of the season has seen the creation of another menu item with some inspiration from current WhiteCap Joey Pancake. The Joey Pancake is a sandwich with pulled pork and bacon drizzled with maple syrup and placed between two pancakes. Talk about a treat!
Be sure to catch a WhiteCaps game this season, try the new eats, and a craft beer… or two!
The Diatribe members, Shawn Michael Moore, G. Foster II and Marcel Fable Price, listen to Kelloggsville High School students present their work.
Words tumble and flow, punctuated by emotion. Fingers snap rhythmically in the classroom as verses come full circle. It is poetry, raw, unnerving and real, and it’s coming from Kelloggsville High School students.
“When you write something down, you’re writing because you want someone to read it and to get those thoughts out there,” said Daniel Delosh, who won fourth place in the school’s recent Poetry Slam for a piece about his mother. “I plan to keep writing poetry. It’s a very therapeutic thing to do. You can write your thoughts down without opposition.”
Inspired by a group of unlikely mentors, students are digging deep into their personal histories, backgrounds and identities and emerging as wordsmiths. Indeed, the poetry in English teacher Jennifer Sadler’s class has stepped way outside the box of standard iambic pentameter, couplets and ballads. Students are developing their own styles to tell of relationships, hardships and life’s many challenges.
Perhaps mo st astounding, said Sadler, is that the students present and listen to each other, unabashed and supportive.
“It makes my kids feel like they’re not alone,” Sadler said. “As a result they have more respect for each other. It makes them more empathetic, and it creates more of a family feeling overall.”
Spoken-Word Poets Share Their Craft
Members of The Diatribe, a spoken-word poetry group, have transformed Sadler’s poetry unit from teacher-led and traditional into hipster cool. The professional poets said stringing together words into creative expression is their calling and a way to make a difference in young peoples’ lives.
The Grand Rapids-based group, including G. Foster II, Marcel Fable Price, Rachel Gleason and Shawn Michael Moore, spends evenings weaving words during spoken-word nights at Stella’s Lounge downtown and Hookah Lounge in Eastown. But they also have spent many full school days volunteering in Sadler’s class and at 54th Street Academy, the district’s alternative high school.
Marcel Fable Price addresses his younger brother in a poem about abuse.
The partnership culminated in the Poetry Slam, when 36 students braved their way onstage to read their work in front of professional judges and 300 students.
“Mind blown,” was The Diatribe poet Shawn Michael Moore’s response to students’ work. “These kids are exponentially past where I was at this age.”
The Diatribe formed two years to create an ArtPrize exhibit. Mainstays in the local poetry scene, members have diverse backgrounds and styles, and their work ranges from lyrical to rap-influenced, with internal rhyme and free flow. Their poems tell of personal experiences: being bullied, coming out as gay in a conservative town, abuse. They’ve learned that everywhere they go, someone can relate.
“The beauty of it is that we are diverse, and there’s someone out of our collective that will connect with each student,” G Foster II said.
Rachel Gleason said helping students feel comfortable being themselves motivates her.
“These children are going to be the future of poetry and obviously the future in general,” Gleason said. “If you feel like you had any part in them learning to open up, that’s the most important thing to me.”
Relating to Each Other
Sadler said when even the most quiet of her students hear The Diatribe and then other classmates, they become more willing to share. Much of that has to do with the bond the group has created.
Shawn Michael Moore recites his poem about a fourth-grade bully.
“The Diatribe come in dressed like the students, talking like them, but showing how to articulate your words and showing how to present yourself in an educated way,” Sadler said.
She is working to find funding sources to pay for an after-school writing workshop with The Diatribe next school year. So far, they have never been paid for their time with the students.
The poets hope to increase their involvement in other schools as well, and are seeking support from non-profits or other sources.
Student Alexandrea Groters, who won third place in the Poetry Slam, said working with the poets has impacted her life.
“It was nice because it felt like stuff was getting off my shoulders and I was telling my mom more things. That felt good,” Alexandrea said. “They showed that even adults go through tough times, and even though you do, you have to get back up.”
There’s more to leadership than being in charge or leading a group, said Crossroads Alternative High School students as they scrubbed tables, prepared food and served hot meals at God’s Kitchen in the Heartside Neighborhood of Grand Rapids.
Fourteen students from three different leadership programs at the school, Crossroads Brotherhood, Girlz Rock and Crossroads Leadership recently spent a day away from the classroom volunteering at the Grand Rapids-based Catholic Charities of West Michigan program that serves more than 200,000 meals a year to individuals and their families. Students said they were happy to help out, dishing out lunch to people in need.
Crossroads student Tony Bridgeforth organizes food at God’s Kitchen.
“It’s about giving back, helping others, making others happy. It’s the whole purpose of doing something for others,” said senior Brian Barnes.
Teachers Michael Ketelaar and Michael Hall, advisors for Crossroads Brotherhood, said the students are often involved in community-service projects. They’ve volunteered for nonprofit housing organization Habitat for Humanity, animal-protection organization The Humane Society, and have cleaned up the The Rapid bus stop by their school.
Crossroads student Brakezia Sylvester cleans a table.
Learning about leadership, including a strong component of community service, has improved Brian’s outlook on serving others, he said.
“I learned how to be responsible, put in effort and don’t give up,” he said. “I learned how to be an example and a positive role model to others.”
Junior Montae Galles said helping at God’s Kitchen’s Capitol Lunch was a new experience for him.
“It feels good to give back,” he said. “It makes me reflect on my life. My life’s not that bad and I’m thankful for what I have.”
Ketelaar said he believes the students learned valuable lessons from being involved in the community.
“I wanted to show the kids that leadership means serving,” he said. “What better way than to serve the least fortunate in the community?”
March was a record-breaking month at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA), setting a new record as the single busiest month in the Airport’s history.
GFIA saw an 8-percent increase in passenger activity in March 2015 compared to March 2014. March 2015 passenger totals were 231,138 versus 213,844 in 2014. March 2015 also shatters a monthly passenger record, going down as GFIA’s single busiest month in airport history. March 2015’s record breaks the airport’s previous record of July 2011 when the airport served 221,356 passengers.
“Our record breaking numbers are a direct reflection of airline investments in West Michigan, the renewed commitment of area business and leisure travelers to use the Ford as their primary airport, along with our hard-working staff to ensure the best customer service experience at our airport,” said GFIA Executive Director Brian Ryks. “We’re excited to see airlines invest and expand opportunities in our market, and we’re confident that even more growth will follow in the coming months and years.”
“Our airline partners see opportunity in West Michigan and that is why they continue to invest in new routes and additional capacity,” said Ryks. “We are thankful for the support of our airlines, and our area travelers.”
Along with exceptional monthly marks, GFIA set a first-quarter traffic record with 600,336 passengers served since January 1, 2015. This beats a previous record of 546,505 passengers per quarter, set in 2005.
2014 marked the first full year of service for Southwest Airlines in the Grand Rapids market. In addition, the US Airways-American Airlines merger added nonstop service from Grand Rapids to Charlotte and Philadelphia in September, and Delta added a fourth daily nonstop flight to Atlanta in October 2014.
GFIA monthly passenger statistics can be found on our website: http://www.grr.org/History.php
They say a dog is a man’s best friend. A loyal companion until the end.
But, in a day and age where everyone is constantly on the go, taking care of your pup has taken on a new meaning.
Dog trainer Jenn Gavin, owner of A Pleasant Dog Dog Training service, says being busy is not only a challenge for owners, but it can also cause frustration for your pet. “Some people think that having your dog out in the yard for playtime is sufficient exercise for them and it’s really not,” Gavin explains.
This doesn’t mean it’s the end of the road for city dog owners, Gavin says there are many solutions to engage in activities that are enjoyable for both you and your dog.
“There are also games you can play, fetch is a fun one,” Gavin said, “Hide and go seek is an easy one to teach.”
But even if an owner can exercise Fido after work ours, it can still be difficult to attend to the dog during the workday.
So, if you do have to cage your dog you can use toys like a stuffed Kong filled with peanut butter or a small ball to keep their minds busy while you’re away.
However, if you cannot make it home, Gavin says you can seek the help of a dog walking service.
Dog walking husband and wife duo Jackie and Luke Moord, owners of Nature of the Dog, try to help out working folks as much as possible.
Jackie and Luke Moord walk dogs to help the business professionals
“We cater to the business professional,” Jackie said. “And they’re normally too tired to walk their dog at the end of the day.”
They even try to educate their customers about the needs of catering to having a dog in the city. “It’s about being competent dog handlers,” Luke explains.
Overall, Gavin says while some dogs vary in the types of lifestyles they need-with the right mental and physical stimulation any dog will be just fine. According to Gavin, “A good dog is a tired dog.”
The Eclipse Awards, sponsored by WKTV with the West Michigan Film Video Alliance, announce the nominees for 2015. Forty-eight unique entries were submitted for review by judges across the globe.
The Eclipse Awards showcase the best in West Michigan’s film, video, and television community. An Eclipse is awarded to locally produced media for outstanding work in the crafts and several primary categories. The mission of the Eclipse event is to inspire and enhance the West Michigan “voice” in mediums of television, film, sound, and web, and to be recognized for excellence among international, national, and regional judges.
New this year is the Hyperion Award. The Hyperion is the light behind the Eclipse, or better yet, the person behind the production community; setting an example by their craftsmanship or pushing it forward; urging it on by their own example and creative energy.
The Hyperion Award is a peer nominated award from craftspeople working throughout the industry.
Winners will be announced at The Eclipse Awards ceremony Excellence in Craft Thursday, May 7, 2015.
Congratulations to the 2015 Eclipse Awards Nominees! They are:
CRAFTS
Direction
Alley Cat
Deadrise
Peoples History of the LGBT Community in Grand Rapids, MI
Holiday Memories of Grand Rapids
After Visiting Hours
Becoming Made
Dyrafjordur
Through the Dust
Writing in Produced Content
Ironical Chronicles
From Somewhere Else
Cinematography and Videography
Deadrise
Sleeping Bear Dunes
Leon’s Story
Mighty One
Editing
Peoples History of the LGBT Community in Grand Rapids, MI
Dyrafjordur
LaughFest 5 Years of Smiles
Visual Effects (Both CGI and Makeup)
Make Summer Matter
Original Scoring
Overdrive Reunion Show
Some Are Born
Animation
Animation Workshop Group
Sound Design
God is Good: Bunny DeBarge
Acting
Buffalo
The Door
After Visiting Hours
Some Are Born
FILM AND DIGITAL
Narrative Feature Length (50+ minutes)
Pilot Error
Buffalo
Deadrise
Narrative Short
The Mooks
Buzzkillers
Paper Trail
Through the Dust
Super!
Cinema Trailer
Love is Blind
3:33. AM (Trailer)
Documentary
The Viking Ship
History or Hoax
What is Philanthropy?
Leon’s Story
Cancer Warriors
From Somewhere Else
TELEVISION (BROADCAST & CABLE)
Local TV & Cable (One hour time slot)
Holiday Memories of Grand Rapids
Overdrive Reunion Show Local, Regional Segments & Promotional Pieces (under 20 minutes)
GR Film Fest Animated TV Commercial
LaughFest 5 Years of Smiles
ONLINE
Online programs, Segments or Promotional Pieces
Laker for a Lifetime
Divine Assistance (Promo)
Room to Ride It’s About Community
As editors of Wyoming/Kentwood NOW, Colleen, Mike and I appreciate all the contributions we get from people willing to help us share news about our communities. Our mission is to provide something other than what might already be out there on mainstream media. Wyoming and Kentwood are big geographical areas with many neighborhoods. Finding the stories within them take volunteer citizen journalists, like Kathy Gray of Kentwood, to write out the information and share it with us online.
April is National Volunteer Month and along with Michele Smith-Aversa, we salute Kathy Gray for her time, talents and contributions to this website and the community. But Kathy does far more volunteering than just writing articles for us.
The Grays have been married 28 years and have instilled the spirit of volunteering into their two adult kids.
Here’s a woman who loves Kentwood. She’s been a resident here for some 22 years. She works full time for Spectrum Health in physician IT training, has a husband and two kids, and yet finds the time to volunteer – a lot!
I admire people who can do this. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do more of myself. So I want to know how and why?
“I think it started out when my kids were little,” Kathy explains. “I’d come home from work, especially in the wintertime, and I would hibernate. I didn’t like that.”
Kathy decided to change her routine. She began to get out more in the evenings, first by joining a church community and getting involved with groups there. “Once you volunteer for things, you find they are addicting,” she admits laughing. Anytime someone would approach her to volunteer, Kathy would ask ‘What do you need? What do I do?’
“I believe we’re all on this planet to help one another – that’s my Christian philosophy,” she says. “You do whatever you can. Even if it’s helping a mom with three kids getting groceries in her car – that’s why we’re here. And it feels so darn good at the end of the day!””
Over the years though she has learned to use discretion. “It has to be a good fit for me. Something that I look forward to doing.”
Kathy Gray (left) and her friend Laura Boumis are in charge of their church’s food truck every month.
One of her favorite projects is running a mobile food pantry at her church, Kentwood Christian Church, with her good friend Laura Boumis. For the last seven years, they have partnered with Feeding America to provide 5000 pounds of food the second Monday of every month to roughly 150 families in need.
“All we ask is that they register by name and phone number. So they don’t have to show proof of need,” says Kathy. “Anyone can come for it.”
Food is collected by Feeding America and serves 130 to 150 families in the area.
The produce, baked goods and dairy products are collected by Feeding America from area stores just prior to their expiration date. The church pays Feeding America $500 for the food truck which works out to one dollar per person from each church member.
“It’s about distributing good food for use before it goes bad,” she adds. “And there are a lot of people who need it.”
Kathy admits that she looks forward to working Food Truck Mondays, despite all the work involved. “There are some days we’re standing out there in the rain and the sleet and the snow and the heat, and by the end of the day we look beat but we feel great!
“There’s just no greater high in the world!”
Volunteering for the Sunday Sandwich Makers involves her family and the families of her closest friends – 20 in all.
In addition to running the mobile food pantry, Kathy, along with her 17 -year old son Daniel, volunteer as Sunday Sandwich Makers for Kids’ Food Basket. One Sunday a month, you’ll find the Grays and their friends and family on an assembly line making 2500 sandwiches for 37 schools’ Monday lunch.
“Ham and cheese sandwiches are the fastest. Peanut butter slows us down,” she laughs.
Her most recent volunteering project is perhaps her most meaningful. She and her husband of 28 years, Duke, have become involved in the West Michigan Honor Flight for World War II veterans leaving Grand Rapids on May 16th.
“My dad was a World War II veteran and I started learning more and more about how they are dying off so rapidly now. Their mission (Honor Flight) is to get veterans from all across the United States to see the World War II memorials and tour Washington D.C., ” Kathy explains.
The one day event is a full one for the senior veterans and their guardians, beginning at 4:30 a.m. and ending after 8 p.m. in the evening. Upon their return to Grand Rapids, they will be celebrated with a parade, dancing, music and well-wishes from the community. Kathy and her husband Duke will be in charge of the Wheelchair Brigade, 100 of them.
“When the veterans get to the hangar in the morning they’re assigned a wheelchair. Most of them are still spry and fit but during a long day like that, they might need a wheelchair to get off their feet. And by the time they get back here, they’re exhausted. It’s been a 14 hour day. They’ll really need them.”
For Kathy, being a ‘doer’ is the best option for living life. “Otherwise,” she says, “I have a tendency to get depressed being a couch potato. And it’s too easy to have a pity party!”
Trillions of airline miles go unused each year. Instead of letting them expire or using them for magazine subscriptions, those miles can easily be donated to change the lives of sick kids battling life-threatening illnesses right here in Michigan. This month, Make-A-Wish Michigan launched a month-long campaign – Give Wishes Wings – focusing on the unique and critical need Make-A-Wish has for airline miles. The campaign encourages travelers who have unused airline miles to consider donating them to help grant the 81 percent of Michigan wishes that are expected to require travel this fiscal year.
The process to donate miles is as simple as visiting givewisheswings.org, choosing from a number of airlines – including Alaska, American, Delta, Jet Blue and United – and entering a few pieces of information. The number of miles an individual can donate ranges from a few hundred miles* to millions. Donated miles never expire and are never used for anything other than wish travel for wish kids and their families.
Most people have seen or heard of a wish come true – whether it’s a 10-year-old boy visiting Hawaii to see flowing lava, a three-year-old girl meeting the host of a children’s television show, or a teenager being whisked away to a Hollywood movie premiere – miles away from the thought of treatment and the pain of hospital visits. However, few people recognize the resources Make-A-Wish Michigan requires to make wishes possible.
“Travel is a costly expense for our chapter,” said Karen Davis, Make-A-Wish Michigan president & CEO. “Donating airline miles is a little-known way for supporters to help us grant more life-changing wishes to bring hope, strength and joy to our wish kids.”
Supporters who do not have miles to donate, can also visit givewisheswings.org to make a monetary contribution.
Some estimates show there are more than 16 trillion frequent flier miles that go unused each year and some 25 percent of people let their miles expire or at the last minute use miles for magazine subscriptions or a one-time upgrade. In contrast, the impact of a wish can last a lifetime. In fact, medical professionals say wish experiences can improve children’s state of mind, make them more willing to comply with treatment requirements, and even influence their physical health. Former wish kids tell us their wish experience improved their health and strength; gave them more confidence and the will to pursue more challenging life goals; made them more philanthropic and compassionate; and even helped save their life.
Give Wishes Wings is the most ambitious airline miles initiative in Make-A-Wish history. Make-A-Wish Michigan will join Make-A-Wish chapters throughout the country in its activation of the April campaign, which includes brand new broadcast, print and online PSA and advertising features; a mobile optimized micro-site with real-time donation tracking; and a peer-to-peer challenge component that enlists social media to generate campaign support.
On April 25, 2015, from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, the Kentwood Police Department and the West Michigan Take Back Meds Program will give the public the opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.
Bring your pills for disposal to the Kentwood Police Department, 4742 Walma Ave SE, Kentwood, MI 49512. The Department cannot accept liquids, needles or sharp objects, only pills or patches. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
The West Michigan Take Back Meds Program is a joint effort between local pharmacies, law enforcement, wastewater treatment facilities and government agencies to provide residents with safe, convenient access to proper medicine disposal. Proper disposing of your unused medications will ensure that your medicines will not be stolen from the garbage, will not enter our environment, and eliminates the potential for abuse and overdoses at home.
For more information Contact: Volunteer Coordinator Viktoryia Highland @ 616-656-6571
As a proud home owner in Wyoming since 1977, I am thrilled with all the new adventures and beginnings going on in the city. I think one of the best, and perhaps least known, is the new Veterans Clinic in Metro Village. Even if you are not a veteran, it’s worth your time to stop by and see this new and wonderful facility. The clinic is state-of-the-art on multiple levels. It’s a great resource to give our veterans the kind of care they need, and ultimately deserve, for their service of our country.
