A month or so ago, I was asked to write about my life during retirement with comments on places I might have traveled. During the conversation, I casually remarked that my wife and I had visited all seven continents. It was then suggested that I should write a series of articles on each of our trips. I said I would, and so started to review where and when and how each trip unfolded.
Where do I to start? Well, when all else fails, start at the beginning. In my case, this would be back in the 1940s when I was given the book “The Flying Carpet” by Richard Haliburton. The story begins in Timbuktu, as the main character is landing his two-seater airplane in the desert. By the end of the last chapter, I discovered my desire to travel. Timbuktu is still on my bucket list.
Soldier Don UppTaken in March of 1958, Upp took this photo of the Fountain of Trevi in Rome during his $250 tour of Europe.
The Army, in the late 1950s, gave me my first opportunity for real travel. Although I had been to the Great Smokey Mountains and had visited my sister in New England, the Army sent me traveling through 12 states by train from Ohio to California. Then I was sent to Germany and France for two years. While there, I saved up my leave time of 42 days to visit Switzerland, Monaco, Italy, Spain, England and Austria, as well as more of Germany and France. Remarkably, I did it all on only $250! My last day was spent riding across France in a small bread truck standing up the whole way. The railroad workers were on a one-day strike.
Shloss Mespelbraunn in Germany is a small hunting castle.
Besides the bread truck, there were several other highlights of this trip I recall. For instance, while being on top of the Arc of Triumph in Paris, I saw an “older” couple who looked familiar. It turned out they lived across the street from my mother! Although I had never met them, I had seen them going in and out of their home many times. Small world indeed!
Another memorable incident that trip happened in Switzerland. Early one morning I walked out on the dock by the hotel and discovered a body in the lake! Someone had fallen in and drowned. I was afraid the police would detain me, but they knew who the person was – the town drunk as fate would have it – and he had fallen off the dock many times before.
In Monaco, I had a much more pleasant experience. I went to the casino, put a French frank into a slot machine and won 150 franks! That paid for my dinner and my hotel room.
In 1970, one of our daughters sang in a high school choral group that was invited to sing in several churches in Italy. My wife and I, along with our youngest daughter, went as part of the chaperone group. We stayed on to visit our son who was in the Army in Germany. After that, we visited more of Germany and then Luxembourg and Switzerland.
In addition to these personal trips, I was fortunate that my business career took me to countries like England, Germany, Mexico, Canada and Switzerland. I retired from my first job in 1987, and the next installment of my travel adventures will take over from there.
You’ve probably seen it often enough – The Meijer buy 10 for $10 and get the 11th item FREE sale. Here are some tips on how to use it to your best advantage:
Mix & Match. You do not have to buy 11 of the same thing for the sale to be valid. Everything that is part of the 10 for $10 and 11th free sale can be mixed and matched.
Buy in multiples of 11. You will find yourself counting constantly, but it’s worth it to make sure it’s right and you get that last freebie.
Keep in mind that many items are priced for a $1.00 every day at Meijer. Some of these items are NOT included in the 10 for 10 sale. So be sure to watch the tags. Just because it’s a $1.00, doesn’t always mean that it is part of the 10 for 10 sale!
Date: The 10 for 10 sales always happen monthly, in the middle the month. It comes like clockwork. (Hey… what else comes like clockwork!- yeah I know…)
Use your coupons. Like any other Meijer sale, you can use your coupons to make the sale price even lower.
But be careful about that free item. #1 – typically every 11th item will be the freebie, so scan strategically – Meijer does not allow the use of a coupon on the “free” item, so you want to scan an item you don’t have a coupon for. If you do get an item free that you have a coupon for, the cashiser will allow you to scan the coupon, but will not credit you for it. #2 – in some stores the items on the sale are only $0.99 every day – like Meijer white bread – and they ring up that way and the computer will default to the lowest item being your freebie no matter what order they are scanned in.
Always have a plan. As with any popular sale there’s likely to be something out of stock. You can get a rain check, but where does that leave your total number of items? You either need to be ready to leave a few things behind or have a few extra items you could grab to round out the deal. Or, you can be willing to forgo the last freebie and leave with fewer items in your last count of 11, but that’s kind of like leaving a $1 bill lying on the floor.
So are you ready to shop? Then head over to Meijer and get the deals this week.
Metro Health and MSU Extension present ‘Gardening 101’
Any one who’s tried it knows that the beauty of gardening is seeing your hard work pay off with a bounty of colorful blooms or fresh vegetables for the dinner table. Whether your green thumb is seasoned or just slightly tinted, a successful growing season starts now with Smart Gardening.
What’s so smart about Smart Gardening as compared to ordinary gardening?
“Balance!” says Rebecca Finneran, a 28-year horticulture educator with the Michigan State University Extension program.
“We create so many of our own problems with too much or too little watering, using too many chemicals and not understanding our soil.
“What’s smart is understanding what does the plant needs and then try to adjust our behaviors so that it fits with the plant’s – that’s Smart Gardening,” Finneran told a room full of local gardeners at a free “Gardening 101′ seminar hosted by Live Healthy at the Metro Health Conference Center.
It’s a ‘ground-breaking’ idea that the MSU Extension team put into action about three years ago, educating the public on how to be environmentally savvy when planning, preparing and maintaining your vegetable garden. Smart Gardening, explains Finneran, “has long been a hallmark of what we do [at MSU]. We help people connect with the real world of horticulture and to do that in an environmentally healthy way to save time, money and energy.”
The ‘Gardening 101’ seminars run about an hour and half. During that time, participants get an overview of Smart Gardening techniques such as preparing the soil, how to reduce the chemical input of both fertilizers and pesticides, how to determine the size and location of the garden, deciding what variety of plants to grow and the best way to water it all. And because vegetable gardens are as unique as the individual gardener, there and many creative options to consider when planning it out.
Yet before any plans are drawn, soil tilled or seeds planted, Finneran’s first words to the wise gardeners is to be realistic. For the new gardener, she suggests starting small.
“Too many times gardeners get over excited at the start of the season and plant too much. Then by July, what happens? You want to go on vacation but who’ll take care of the garden? It’s too hot, there’s too many mosquitoes and taking care of a garden is just dreadful. So you let it go. Then you’re ashamed of it.”
She suggests considering sharing a common gardening space with neighbors, community groups or coworkers.
“I did this with a group of my coworkers. We wanted a little vegetable garden at work. So we each worked one lunch hour per week, about 30 minute five days a week. And guess what?” Finneran asked the crowd. “Many hands made light work! We had a nice crop of vegetables every day for lunch.”
Although she is an ornamental horticulturist with a background in landscape design, Finneran grew up with a farm background and had vegetable gardens all her life. As a result and over time, she creates vegetable gardens that look like masterpieces!
“Vegetable gardens can be useful and beautiful. I think that’s an important thing to consider. There’s no reason we can’t enjoy our vegetable gardens regardless of their size and usefulness. How you plan it out is something to think about,” she suggests.
LOCATION! LOCATION! LOCATION!
When it comes to having a successful garden, it’s all about location! First and foremost, Finneran says, is to consider the accessibility to a water source. “You won’t want to be lugging 90 feet of house across the yard on a 90 degree day,” she points out. With that said, your garden location may be as close as your patio or deck. Whether you’re picking fresh vegetables from a garden out in the yard or a patio container, it’s still rewarding. Here are some tips to consider when choosing a ‘smart site’ for your garden:
* Convenient your home and close to a water source.
* Where the soil is good and free from toxins.
* Sunny, level spot (eight to 10 hours of sunlight depending on the vegetable).
*Avoid north-facing slopes and low areas.
*Stay away from trees and shrubs.
“We really miscalculate this one a lot,” Finneran points out. “Where’s the neighbor’s tree going to be casting its shadow by August?” She suggests to consider the garden’s location over the course of time.
“Think about it and then plant early harvest plants in the areas where shade will dominate from August on. Plant your later harvest plants on garden’s edge where there’s more sunlight on a daily basis,” she says.
Don’t Guess – Soil Test!
There’s more to having healthy soil than earthworms. In fact, it’s mostly about things we cannot see. Understanding how these components all work together is known as soil biology and it’s considered the new frontier of science and the gardening world.
“Have you ever hear of the term soil biology?” Finneran asks. “We hardly every think of soil as being a living, breathing thing. It’s either sand, silt or clay and you walk around on it. But in fact there are billions of micro-organisms that live in your soil. The way they live together is they consume each other and eat the organic matter. They are the ones responsible for releasing the nutrients that the plants need.
“These micro-organisms have an amazing, living, reciprocity with the plant root to allow it to have the nutrients that it needs to live. So if there is a reduced living component, plants are not going to do so well.”
Before the first seed is planted, Finneran encourages getting the soil analyzed by the Michigan State University Extension to determine the nutrients needed in your garden as well as the pH and organic content of the soil. Soil test kits can be purchased online at the MSU Extension Bookstore (search for E3154), or your local MSU Extension office. The kits come with a postage-paid mailer and a re-closable plastic bag to fill with a soil sample. The postage-paid mailer can be placed in your mailbox for pick up and sent to MSU for analysis. The results take up to two weeks and will tell you what amendments to make and in what proportions to add for the best results in the vegetable garden. A Smart Garden starts with a healthy soil and to achieve that:
*Add organic matter to your soil every year.
*Only add the recommended amounts of fertilizer based on the soil test results. Over application of phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers is a known contaminant of surface and ground water.
*Prepare your garden soil for planting by tilling (lightly) to break apart aggregates and mix in organic matter. “The less manipulation, the better,” says Finneran.
MSU Extension offers the community a wealth of free information on horticulture. For more information on Smart Gardening, including helpful articles, videos, classes and events, visit www.migarden.msu.edu. For more information on other topics, or to contact an expert in your area visit www.msue.msu.edu or call the toll free hotline Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at 1-888-678-3463.
While Earth Day is celebrated annually on April 22, at Metro Health, we’re committed to making every day Earth Day! We’re featuring activities all month long to help educate our community and demonstrate how even small changes can make a big difference for our environment.
Please join us for these great activities:
Community Clean Up Day – Friday, April 17, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Now that spring is here, we can see our village could use some spring cleaning. Get some exercise and fresh air while contributing to your community. Wear some old clothes, bring a rake, your work gloves and the family, and pitch in to help clean up Metro Health Village. This may be the most fun you ever had picking up trash! Click here to learn more and to register.
Community Electronic Recycling & Paper Shredding – Tuesday, April 21 – Thursday, April 23
Drop off your unwanted electronics to be recycled at no cost to you. You can also drop off confidential records and papers to be shredded. Please no refrigerators, air conditioners, dehumidifiers or large appliances. Click here to learn more about electronic recycling and click here to learn more about paper shredding.
Mercury Thermometer & Drug Take Back Day – Saturday, April 25, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Drop off expired or unused prescriptions or over-the-counter medications. You can also exchange your mercury thermometers at this event. Click here to learn more.
Students and staff are invited to participate in Runnin’ Rebels.
by Tom Rademacher
Forget everything you’ve ever read or heard about the so-called “loneliness of the long-distance runner.”
At Lee High School, you’ll find a unique running club in full swing, an after-school fitness party where students and staff are invited to come together and embrace not only running, but the benefits of belonging to something greater than themselves.
It’s entitled the “Runnin’ Rebels” running club, the brainchild of David Britten, superintendent of the Godfrey-Lee School District, to which Lee High belongs.
Where another educator might pack up for the afternoon and head home after the bell rings, Britten sees an opening to make a difference in the life of a student or staffer. All they gotta do is show up with a pair of sneakers and a little desire.
“It actually began when I was in Wayland, and working as a principal, and we had a running club for 5th- and 6th-graders called ‘Little Cats,'” says Britten. “When I came here in 2002, we began the running club, and it’s been in place ever since.”
The district probably couldn’t have found a better advocate for running than Britten. A 22-year veteran of the U.S. Army, fitness has been an integral part of the superintendent’s regimen his entire life.
Britten shares his love of running with students and staff in an after school running club.
He ran his first River Bank Run in 1985, the Chicago Marathon in 1990, and has graduated in the last decade or so to ultra-marathoning, with races of more than 62 miles under his belt.
On the day I visited the high school, though, the only goal was to do your best on a loop established throughout the high school hallways that measures one-seventh of a mile long.
Enter the school’s gymnasium from the west side, and you’re immediately confronted by blur after blur, as students and teachers pass by in a counter-clockwise direction, settled in for a 30-minute stint.
“I needed to change my lifestyle, knew I needed to join this club.”
Britten is usually among the group, but today, he’s taking the time to explain the genesis of the club, the rationale for keeping it intact, and the impact it’s had on participants.
“For one thing, a lot of these kids don’t have anything to do after school,” he explains. “This gives them an avenue; otherwise, they’re just going to be hustled out of the building.”
His method of recruiting more and more students into the Runnin’ Rebels is simple: “I just badger ’em enough where they eventually realize that they can do something they didn’t think possible.
“I would have hated to do my next career and just deal with adults,” he says of the transformation from the armed forces to education. “I did that in the Army. But I want to be with kids, and I found I could easily encourage kids to run.”
During the “inside” season, which includes 30 daily runs from November until March – or until the weather improves to allow jogging outside — the goal is to cover the loop as many times as possible within 30 minutes or so.
For those who choose to walk – like Guidance Counselor Betty Killoran, for instance — that translates to a mile or two. For the speediest in the group, it can mean up to three or four miles, even a bit more.
Those who show up for at least 20 of the 30 inside runs qualify for a T-shirt, and this year’s giveaway boasts a quote on the back from one of Britten’s mentors, ultra-marathoner Dean Karnazes, which in part urges people to “immerse yourself in something deeply and with heartfelt intensity,” and implores those same people to “continually improve, never give up – this is fulfillment, this is success.”
Britten, 60, leads the club with humility. Rather than boast about his running achievements and coaching record in cross-country and track, he’s more apt to point out a day in his life when he did his best and scored average.
“I was addressing the senior class after they bombed the MMEs (Michigan Merit Examinations),” he recalls, and shared with them in a parallel way how he was able to complete only 68 miles of a 100-mile run.
“You know what a 68 is?” he asked them.
“It’s a ‘C.’ I was supposed to run 100 miles and get an ‘A.’
Students run inside during the winter.
Britten acknowledges that the lesson had some incidental “shock value,” because many of Lee’s students have never known anyone to run or even try to cover 100 miles at a stretch.
But what he wanted them to walk away with was the realization that if you’re capable of more, you can’t settle for average. “Be determined to do better next time,” he remembers telling them.
Britten’s philosophy is gaining momentum and drawing in more and more participants. In the beginning years, the club operated with a handful of runners. Today, it’s not unusual for dozens to turn out.
Among them is a social studies instructor, Tom DeGennaro, who has endured 14 knee surgeries. Just over a year ago, he weighed nearly 300 pounds and suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure.
Today, his weight is around 230 and he’s got his sugar and BP under control.
He began by alternately walking and jogging for intervals of three to five minutes. Now, he’s kicking out runs of up to six miles at a time. On the day I visited, he was celebrating his 124th straight day of running.
DeGennaro’s three daughters – ages 7, 11 and 13 – provide him extra inspiration: “I want to walk ’em all down the aisle some day.”
Lee High senior Jordan Lovett enjoys belonging to the club not only for health reasons, but because “I’ve made a lot of friends, and it helps relieve a lot of stress from high school. It gives us an escape from reality.”
Lovett hopes to study social work at Aquinas College, and compete for the school’s track and cross-country teams. “I probably wouldn’t be as good a runner as I am,” she says, had she not joined the Runnin’ Rebels.
Students run under motivational signs posted around Godfrey-Lee.
Sophomore Hector Grande is into soccer and martial arts. The running club is a natural extension of both, providing him an aerobic activity that, same as Lovett, doubles as a mental outlet.
“There are stresses in life that you need to get past,” he says, “and sometimes, running is the answer to that.”
For senior Paulina Cabrera, running may help pave her way into the U.S Marine Corps, in which she hopes to enlist following graduation. “I’m tired,” she said after cruising the halls for 30 minutes, “but I feel better for it.”
The Runnin’ Rebels don’t limit their miles to schooldays. It’s an active group that involves even more amateur athletes in summertime, at nearby Pinery Park.
That’s where alumni and parents will join students and teachers in a walk-jog-run that helps bind the school family to one another, often celebrating two and even three generations of Lee faithful.
Most the time, participants in the Runnin’ Rebels simply find their own pace and rhythm, without the need for a lot of coaching.
Not so, however, for some of the fledglings who turn out, especially during summer months.
“The young ones have to learn how to run,” Britten says with a measure of sageness. “At a certain age, they think everything’s a sprint.”
It’s a dream scenario for every young athlete, something that’s thought about during every live telecast. What would they say about me? How would the announcers introduce me, and most importantly, what story would the stats tell?
I always envisioned myself looking into the camera, “Mike DeWitt, six-foot-one, point guard (or wide receiver depending on the sports season).” Then the graphics would flash the stats. Something impressive to show the fans what a monster I was on the playing field.
“Averages a triple-double… by halftime!”
“6 receptions, 305 yards, and 6 touchdowns in last years championship game.”
The stats serve to paint a picture of who the athlete is on the field, nothing more, nothing less. But what if the graphics shown let the audience know what an athlete was like off the field, as a person? Someone bigger than the term “athlete.”
These were questions posed during a WKTV Sports Department meeting back in November towards the tail-end of the the high school football season. Since high school sports teach more than winning and losing, and all of these athletes have futures off the playing field, why isn’t the focus on their lives outside of sports?
WKTV broadcasts at least one live high school athletic event a week throughout the fall, winter and spring seasons. The upcoming winter season was the perfect testing ground for the new idea. A meeting with the local athletic directors from the Wyoming-Kentwood area garnered more support for the shift in WKTV’s coverage of high school sports. Instead of a player’s sport stats on the introduction graphics, the broadcast would use a player’s “life stats” like their GPA, hobbies, college, and career interest.
The change in the graphics went into effect during the winter season and it took off in a big way! Players were excited to share their interests off the court and it added to the overall broadcast of high school sports.
“When we ask the players about their life interests, they’re always a caught off-guard a little. It’s not something they’re expecting as the first question,” explains Kyle Panek, the graphics technician at WKTV, “Once one athlete shares a little about themselves, the others jump in too. It fun to watch the guys interact, open up, and joke around with each other as we’re getting the information we need.”
WKTV sees high school sports as a way for kids to learn life lessons such as teamwork, perseverance, hard work, camaraderie, and discipline. It’s about so much more than just winning!
After the success throughout the winter season, the new graphics program is here to stay! It will again be used during spring, and the program will be out of experimental mode and into full gear by fall.
East Rockford Middle School students pledge to change their behavior in an activity called “Band-Aids for Bullying”.
Greater Awareness Leads to Positive Change
by Charles Honey
When Tarena VanDyke was accused of bullying another student, it really hurt, she said.
“I’ve never seen myself as a bully,” said the Northview High School senior. “I hope I’m a nice person.”
But after watching a series of videos about bullying and reflecting on her behavior, Tarena realized she had not been nice to this other student. In fact, she had been downright mean.
“I was more self-conscious of what I was doing to her,” Tarena said of the sensitization training she went through last year. “I watched the video and said, ‘OK, let’s grow up a little bit. Let’s not try to make her feel horrible, because that’s not a good thing to do.’”
Through the school’s anti-bullying program, called BASIC Training, Tarena said she became aware of how all students can mistreat each other – and more willing to intervene when she sees it. She said she pulled one student away from another whom he’d pushed against a wall.
“It started to open my eyes,” she added. “I realized even if I’m not the bully, I can help the other person.”
While schools commonly employ strategies to curb bullying, some, like Northview High, also aim to educate those accused of bullying about the consequences of their behavior. Typically, such students don’t think of themselves as bullies, or realize how much their actions have hurt someone else, school officials say.
“I don’t like the word ‘bully,’” said Nicole Mulheisen, director of Northview’s Student Responsibility Center. “But I do believe kids are mean. Usually kids who bully other kids, if you search in their life, they’ve been bullied.”
They’re Not Trying to be a Bully’
Schools nationwide increasingly have worked to counteract bullying, spurred by concerns about teen suicide, violence and malicious use of social media. In Michigan, Matt’s Safe School Law requires school districts to have anti-bullying policies and to annually report all incidents and consequences. The Legislature late last year added cyber-bullying to the requirements.
Many districts in the Kent ISD have adopted programs to help prevent bullying and suicide such as “be nice.” developed by the Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan. Several have hosted awareness-raising events such as Rachel’s Challenge, formed in response to the 1999 Columbine massacre. Many have formed their own awareness groups.
Such programs commonly invite bullied students to talk about their experience. But what about those accused of bullying? How do they feel, and what led them to bully someone? Several schools work with students on those questions, in addition to imposing consequences.
The issue starts with the usual idea of “bully.” Unlike the stereotypical brute extorting lunch money, most students accused of bullying, like Tarena, don’t see themselves that way, educators say.
“They’re not trying to be a bully,” said Katie Bush, dean of students at Kenowa Hills’ Central Elementary School. “A lot of kids, when you bring that to their attention, they often break down (in tears) and say ‘That’s horrible.’” Such students “often do a hurtful thing and don’t realize it’s hurtful,” Bush added.
Reflection and Confession, AA-Style
This year, Bush has had students involved in bullying fill out questionnaires – after she consults their parents — stating what happened and what their part in it was. Students list 10 things that could count as bullying, which ones they have done and what they will do to prevent bullying in school. After Bush or Principal Cherie Horner review students’ responses, the students read them to the class.
Along with educating them about the effects of bullying, the assignment forces students to “come clean with themselves” about their behavior, Bush said. The exercise is not meant to shame them but to be a way of asking for help, she said. The papers must begin with “I have been a bully,” and end with a plea to help the student stop doing it.
“We approached it from an AA perspective,” Bush said. “You’re saying to the class, ‘This isn’t the person I want to be. If you correct me, I’m going to see it as help and not lash out.’”
The school has had fewer bullying incidents since the forms were introduced, Bush said, adding accused students have not repeated their behavior as far as she knows. Other approaches also have helped. Knights Lights, a Kenowa High School anti-bullying group, did an activity with fourth- and fifth-graders in which students acknowledged personal problems, such as divorced parents. Classmates responded with sign-language for “I love you.”
The activity raised awareness of the problems that can cause students to act out, and that “people really need support instead of the opposite,” Bush said.
More Emotional Hurts than Physical
In middle school, bullying can become more overt and deliberate by eighth grade. But many younger students still don’t know their behavior is bullying, said Kelly Amshey, assistant principal at East Rockford Middle School.
“We find a lot of those instances are just kids that are naïve, and make quick decisions they don’t think through well enough to realize the consequences for other kids,” Amshey said. Bullying behavior, she added, is usually more emotional than physical, such as “social exclusion, talking bad about somebody, and sharing private or embarrassing information.”
Her school employs an array of approaches to combat bullying and nurture a positive culture. Those include No Place for Hate, a national program of the Anti-Defamation League promoting respect for differences and challenging bigotry, and annual activities such as “Accept and Respect Week” featuring guest speakers.
For those who bully, a mix of consequences and reflection aims to change their behavior. A hallway display shows silhouettes of a boy and girl, both covered with bandage-shaped messages of repentance from students. “I am sorry for … calling you a name,” reads one. “Next time I will … say something nice.”
Students who are disciplined for mean behavior must fill out forms reflecting on what they did, how it hurt someone else and what they could do differently next time. These accompany consequences including a “silent lunch” isolated from other students, contacting parents, or suspension for more serious offenses.
“Rather than just doling out punishment, we’re trying to make sure they understand what their role was and how they could act differently,” Amshey said. “Most of those kids, when they understand they hurt someone else, do show remorse.”
A Long Fight, a Bad Year
Tarena VanDyke felt remorse for her bullying behavior, but also some anger about how it was handled.
The problem developed from a verbal fight with a friend that escalated. Tarena said she was angered by things the friend was telling others about her, and retaliated. “If I would see she was talking about me, I would do things that would irritate her, and I knew they would,” she said.
The fights were part of a “bad year” that often found her depressed and anxious, Tarena said. Sometimes she would eat lunch in the Student Responsibility Center, where students go for discipline problems, just to hide and “feel real sad,” she said. She often confided in Mulheisen, the SRC director, as “the one person I could come to and say, ‘I’m having a real bad day.’”
Tarena eventually earned a four-day suspension – the school calls it administrative leave — for allegedly pushing the girl, though she said it was accidental nudging in crowded hallways. She felt the suspension was unfair and reacted angrily, she admits. But Mulheisen said the action was necessary.
“It was time for Tarena to take a couple days off,” Mulheisen said, noting Tarena has “a strong personality.”
“Her emotions did get the best of her, at times,” Mulheisen said. “But do I think Tarena is a bully? No. Tarena is a great person. She has learned from all of this.”
Learning to ‘Let it Go’
Tarena agrees, after going through the BASIC Training process. She watched six videos on various kinds of bullying, made by other students in an Advanced Placement language class. She wrote a reflection on what it would have been like to be the victim, and what she would do differently if she found herself in a bullying situation again.
Going through that process, and talking heart-to-heart with Mulheisen, Tarena came to a new perspective not only on the bullying incident, but herself.
“Now I can talk like an adult to anybody and address how I’m feeling without tearing them down in return,” Tarena said. “I’m very aware of what I say now, how I say it and how it comes across.”
She is also more aware of how it feels to be bullied. Indeed, she said she was bullied mercilessly by one student in sixth grade, and often came home crying.
She said she now sees how her personality was contributing to the problem with her friend: “I don’t let things go. I have this little box of pettiness in me.” Now, she said, “I just let it go. I don’t hold grudges anymore.”
She also smiles more – especially after a friend told her she didn’t do it enough.
“I’m glad this happened to me,” including the suspension, she insisted. “I’m way more aware of what happened. I found who I am.”
Tarena looks forward to next fall, when she plans to enroll in Grand Rapids Community College. Eventually she wants to earn a degree in social work, qualifying her to work in the courts on behalf of neglected and abused children.
“I want to be able to help kids that don’t have a voice, that can’t stand up for themselves,” she said. “I want to be that one for them that they can trust.”
Tips for Parents
If you learn your child has been bullied at school, here are some things you can do:
1. Never approach the bully’s parents, as this is the school’s job
2. Find out what the bully is doing – actions, times, places – and document it
3. Obtain a copy of the school’s anti-bullying policy to see if it was violated
4. Meet with the principal, relate the facts in a calm way and ask what you can do together to stop the bullying
5. Write down what the principal says, and follow up with a thank-you letter recapping what the principal agreed to do
6. Follow up with your child to see if the bullying stops, and touch base with the principal
7. If the bullying continues, file a notice of harassment and if necessary contact the superintendent and school board
April is deemed National Volunteer Recognition Month. We decided to pay tribute to some of our Citizen Journalists who have gone above the call of duty to deliver quality stories.
Michele Smith Aversa lends her talents to WKTV’s Citizen Journalism program.
Meet Michele Smith-Aversa. She has been with our online-media site since the onset. Her creativity, intelligence, compassion, and strong writing skills have been a pleasure to witness. Writing is her passion. She lives to share the written word.
“I find life to be boring. Writing gets me out of reality. It’s an escape”–she said.
Michele and her husband enjoy living in Wyoming, Michigan.
Michele lives in Wyoming with her husband Mark and in addition to writing and volunteering she loves to sew, bake, make jewelry and decorate. “If I can create and change something boring and make it beautiful to present to the world–that’s something.”
She is a member of the Cascade Writer’s Group and is working on getting her murder/love story book published. It is a 17 chapter, 70,000 word novel entitled, “Christmas is the Season.”
Her volunteer work at Focus on Ferals on 76th and Clyde Park is another passion. She looks after the cats, socializes them, cleans floors and kitty litter–anything she can do to get them adopted out. “If I can make a difference in one life–my life is worth something,” she said emotionally.
Michele’s life has been a constant struggle with her fight with Borderline Personality Disorder and anxiety. “I fight day in and day out. I don’t ever remember not being like this,” she disclosed.
She is currently in treatment at Pine Rest in a (DBT) dialetic behavioral therapy program.
“I take life each hour at a time.”
Michele also recommends that people don’t treat others with depression lightly by saying: Get over it, or let it go. “Unless you can teach me how to get over it, don’t say that,” she explained.
The WKTV Citizen Journalism team is proud to salute Michele Smith-Aversa. With all of her writing talents, she tends to take an ordinary story and make it extraordinary. She uses her rare brand of humor to examine everyday life situations in a unique manner. We are definitely happy to have her on board as one of our superstar writers!
If you would like to become a Citizen Journalist, call the station at 261-5700 and ask for Colleen, Janice, or Mike.
LaughFest 2015 was, as always, a fun family event.
by Tyler Lecceadone
Gilda’s LaughFest, the nation’s only 10-day community-wide festival of laughter, attracted attendees from across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom during its fifth annual event. LaughFest officially kicked off on March 5 with an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most people wearing paper crowns.
Preliminary numbers indicate that more than 45,000 individuals attended LaughFest’s more than 270 ticketed and free events at 49 venues in Grand Rapids, Lowell and Holland. During the 10 Day event the festival featured over 750 artists and attracted visitors from 644 U.S. zip codes. In total, LaughFest tracked attendees from 34 states, Canada and the United Kingdom.
LaughFest 2015 didn’t breakany records for the number of people wearing paper crowns but it was fun trying.
“We are so grateful for the support that our community provides by coming out and enjoying the festival and learning about the important role laughter plays in emotional health,” said Wendy Wigger, president, Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids.
At Kickoff LaughFest 2015 Wendy Wigger hands out freebies to the crowd.
“Our community, our partners and our sponsors have been vital in helping us raise awareness of our mission and contribute donations necessary for continuing the work
done by Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids. This would not be possible without that type of support and I want to say thank you on behalf of the entire Gilda’s Club organization.”
While LaughFest officials are still determining the overall economic impact on the community for 2015, they have announced the funds raised through the “High Five” community match campaign. During LaughFest, and through the month of March, the campaign raised $40,610. For each five dollars donated to the campaign by individual donors, Amway Corporation matched each donation, up to $25,000. This allowed LaughFest to surpass its $50,000 “High Five” campaign goal by $15,610.
“If you ain’t laughin’, you ain’t livin’!” – anonymous
“Amway is honored to be able to donate the full amount offered during the ‘High Five’ community match campaign,” said Todd Woodward, vice president of
communications at Amway.
“It is important that the community understand that there are resources available for individuals who are struggling with emotional health needs. We are delighted that the funds will be used for children’s programming offered through Gilda’s Club.”
Proceeds and donations from LaughFest support free emotional healthcare programs for children and adults living with cancer, grief and loss through Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids. Proceeds from the event account for 10 -15 percent of the Club’s annual operating budget.
Dave & Buster’s, the leading place for fun food, drinks, games and sports, is looking for 250 passionate employees to join its first West Michigan location, scheduled to open May 18th at 3660 28th St. SE in Kentwood. Available positions include host staff, servers, bartenders, cooks and more.
“With the success of the Detroit area locations and the growing dining scene in Grand Rapids, it made perfect sense to bring the very best in food, drink, entertainment and sports viewing to West Michigan,” said Randy Kerney, General Manager of Dave & Buster’s in Kentwood. “Dave and Buster’s is excited to offer high-energy applicants a fun and dynamic work atmosphere that’s unlike any other.”
Dave & Buster’s is proud to offer extraordinary opportunities for people who want to have fun at work, and offers the following:
● Benefits: Dave & Buster’s a very attractive benefits package for a number of positions including medical, dental, vision and 401k.
● Internal Promotions: Dave & Buster’s offers a High Potential program which enables high-performing employees to move quickly into new positions. Additionally, more than 30% of the brand’s current management was promoted from within the company.
● FUN: Dave & Buster’s employees love coming to work in the entertaining atmosphere with the biggest sporting events on huge televisions, upscale dining and over 150 of the latest arcade games.
Interested candidates should complete an online application at http://www.daveandbusters.com/careers, or stop by The Courtyard Grand Rapids Airport – Marriott (4741 28th Street SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512) for an in person interview beginning Wednesday, April 15th.
Dave & Buster’s will offer Grand Rapids the very best in food, drink and entertainment all under one roof in a new, modern interior. The restaurant’s mouth-watering, chef-crafted gourmet menu combines fun and flavor in American fare with items that include the Mountain O’Nachos, Pretzel Dogs, Bacon-Wrapped Sirloin Medallions & Grilled Shrimp, and the Legendary Burger lineup. The menu also features innovative cocktails including the Miami Ice Snow Cone, Original CoronaRita and Strawberry Watermelon Margarita made with strawberry flavored ice cubes.
The new Dave & Buster’s will feature a dynamic 360 degree sports bar that provides “better than stadium” seating and massive high-definition televisions throughout for the ultimate sports watching experience.
Dave & Buster’s patrons can also play more than 150 of the most popular new games in the Million Dollar Midway, including Transformers Human Alliance, Mach Storm, Fruit Ninja FX2 and Kung Fu Panda Dojo Mojo. Tickets can be taken to the Winner’s Circle to be redeemed for a wide variety of prizes including Apple products, Xbox games, sports memorabilia, T-shirts, stuffed animals, electric guitars and more!
ABOUT DAVE & BUSTER’S
Dave & Buster’s, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, operates 72 large-venue, high-volume restaurant/entertainment complexes throughout North America, and will open the 73rd in the Village of Pelham Manor, New York in April. The exciting environment of Dave & Buster’s also provides the perfect setting for corporate and group events. Each Dave & Buster’s offers an impressive selection of high-quality food and beverage items, combined with the latest games and attractions. Guests can watch sporting events in D&B Sports and play state-of-the-art simulators and games of skill they can’t play anywhere else. For more information, visit www.daveandbusters.com
It may be spring, but winter operations professionals will experience the latest snow and ice control solutions very soon.
Over 1,500 snow fighters from across North America are expected in Grand Rapids for “The Show for Snow,” the American Public Works Association (APWA) 2015 North American Snow Conference, held April 12-15, at DeVos Place Convention Center, which will provide an economic impact of over $1.6 million to the city.
Snow and ice management professionals from local and state transportation and public works departments from across the U.S. and Canada will be studying the latest in snow and ice control solutions. With another severe winter experience this year; attendees will have the unique opportunity to share how they have managed to keep their citizens safe and communities functioning in unprecedented ice and snow.
“APWA’s Snow Conference will feature a concentrated collection of industry-leading snow and ice education sessions, and an exhibit floor with vendors showcasing the latest technologies and equipment,” said APWA Executive Director Peter B. King. “This year’s Snow Conference will feature the largest exhibit floor in Snow Conference history, with more than 190 companies and 440 booths, where attendees can learn of products and services focused on snow and ice removal, winter road maintenance, fleet operations, emergency management and sustainability in winter operations,” King said.
Technical Tours of the Grand Rapids’ area are also part of the conference. The tours will take place on Wednesday, April 15 from 8am-12 Noon at the following locations:
· Gerald R. Ford International Airport Winter Maintenance: The airport is the second largest airport in Michigan with three runways and numerous taxiways that must be maintained to serve 24 non-stop destinations and provide air service for over 2 million passengers per year. On average, the airport receives 82” of snow annually, and relies on in-house staff and contractors to clear the 1.6 million square yards of paved surfaces, including the airfield, 40-lane miles of roads and surface lots accommodating about 6,500 cars.
· Kentwood’s Winter Operations & Truck Fabrication – A Regional Collaboration: This technical tour will take place at the City of Kentwood’s Public Works Facility where representatives from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), Kent County Road Commission, Cities of Kentwood, Grand Rapids, Grandville, Walker, Wyoming and East Grand Rapids will be on hand to display their latest snow fighting equipment. They will each explain their collaboration throughout the winter months to ensure a consistent level of service.
The Exhibit Hall will open on Sunday, April 12 at 4:30 p.m., with additional exhibit hours on Monday and Tuesday, closing at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14.
The educational sessions, workshops, and discussions program highlights include:
· Monday, 4/13, 2-2:50pm: Success Planning, Are You Ready for the Next Step?
· Monday, 4/13, 3:30-5:00pm: The “Top 10” Winter Maintenance Issues
· Tuesday, 4/14, 8-8:50am: Demystifying Sustainability in Winter Maintenance
For more information on the APWA North American Snow Conference, visit http://www.apwa.net/snow. To access the registration form for a complimentary press pass for the Snow Conference, contact APWA Media Relations/Communications Manager, Laura Bynum, at lbynum@apwa.net. For media interviews, please contact Sarah Cavanaugh at 616-560-3627.
About APWA:
The American Public Works Association (www.apwa.net) is a not-for-profit, international organization of more than 28,500 members involved in the field of public works. APWA serves its members by promoting professional excellence and public awareness through education, advocacy and the exchange of knowledge. APWA is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, has an office in Washington, D.C. and 63 chapters in North America.
Model railroads have captured the imagination for decades.Ken Skopp is the Grand Rapids Valley Railroad Club’s train show coordinator.
by Ken Skopp
I was five-years old when I visited my grandparents in Waterloo, WI. A train track ran next to their farm. One day while I was playing near the track, a steam engine was moving freight cars back and forth. After some time passed, the steam engine stopped. The engineer leaned out of the cab and asked me if I would like to take a quick ride in the engine. I screamed “Yes!”
I rode with the engineer five miles down the track and back. I didn’t realize it then but I was bitten by the “train bug” and there is no cure.
Now fast forward, 60 years. My wife bought me a HO scale train set made by the Bachmann Company for Christmas. It had a steam locomotive, three passenger cars, a small DC power pack and a loop of track. I had model train layouts in the past but it had been 20 years since I had built my last layout. Those layouts mainly consisted of a track with a few buildings laid on a sheet of plywood. I started buying “Model Railroader” magazines to learn more information about what was available in the hobby.
Ken’s model railroad uses the latest technology for the hobby.
After being an “armchair railroader” (thinking and dreaming about building a model railroad), I decided it was time to start working on a layout. I wanted it to be more than just track on a piece of plywood. I wanted realistic track work and realistic scenery. One day I visited Rider’s Hobby Shop and found a flyer promoting a local train show. So I started going to train shows to see what new products were available in locomotives and cars. I was amazed at how many shows there are in Michigan and Indiana.
Two years ago this past November, I attended a train show at the Home School Building in Wyoming. At the show I bought a HO scale diesel locomotive and wanted to see if it worked. The Grand River Valley Railroad Club (GRVRR Club) which was running the show had a test track there. The club member who tested the engine invited me to visit their club. I did and discovered that many improvements had been made in the hobby. I realized that the ideas I had for my railroad would require learning new techniques from others who had more experience in the hobby. I joined the club three years ago.
Photos courtesy of Ken Skopp
Over the past three years, I have started a model railroad layout in a 9′ x 10′ room in our condo basement. Roger Fenske former president of the GRVRR Club helped me build the bench work, lay the track, wire the layout and how to make realistic scenery. Most importantly, I learned about Digital Command Control (DCC).
Up to the advent of DCC control, trains ran on electrical current from a DC transformer that powered the electrical motor in the locomotive. You could only run one locomotive at a time on your layout. If you wanted to run more than one locomotive, you had to divide the layout into isolated electrical blocks or segments. The wiring and controls are somewhat complicated and not very flexible.
Because of the advance in computerization and miniaturization provided by DCC, each locomotive has a computer chip in it with an individual address. With a DCC control cab, you can send signals to each individual locomotive address. This allows you to control the direction of motion, speed and sound functions for that particular locomotive address. So now, you can have multiple locomotives running at the same time on your layout and each is under individual control.
The Grand Rapids Valley Railroad Train Shows offer fun for kids of any age.
But the biggest advancement in locomotives is the sound in them. It brings them to life! You hear the chuffing of your steam locomotive as it moves on the tracks. You can ring it’s bell and blow it’s whistle just like a real train! Now I can have my Pere Marquette Railroad Steam locomotive chugging around my train layout while my diesel switcher locomotive is switching cars in a train yard. All this action is complete with realistic locomotive sounds – engines, bells, and whistles!
Model railroading is a hobby that combines, motion, sound, 3D modeling, painting, sculpting, woodworking, electrical work, historical research and so much more! At the Grand River Valley RR Club’s Train show on Saturday, April 11th, you can see all the aspects of the hobby in action. You’ll see everything from a Garden Scale railroad that you can put in your backyard to a Z scale railroad that you can fit on the top of a small desk. Your children will love the large LEGO operating layout, playing with LEGOs in the play area, and seeing a “Thomas the Train” display. In addition, there will be two large HO scale operating layouts provided by The Holland Modular RR club and the Battle Creek Model RR Club. I invite you to come and enjoy it all! There will be food available, free parking, door prizes and 120 tables of model railroad items for purchase.
STELLAR SEASON CHANGES ANNOUNCED: CHRISTMAS STORY – THE MUSICAL AND SISTER ACT TO TAKE THE STAGE. Just when you thought the season couldn’t get any better–it did. The Grand Rapids Civic Theatre and School of Theatre Arts is dedicated to providing audiences with the highest quality performances to create an artistic blend of theatre classics, family favorites, and new to their stage productions. “We have a vast selection of titles we want to bring to life and we are diligent in providing West Michigan a rewarding theatre experience, notes Executive and Artistic Director, Bruce Tinker.”
Tinker explains, “Great time and consideration is taken when setting our season selection. But all shows are announced ’as rights pending’ because these can change for Community Theatre at any time.” While the Civic works hard to minimize changes to a season, it does occasionally happen. Also as one of the leading Community Theatres in the nation, the Theatre is called upon when shows are being released to limited markets, providing us with the honor of being one of the first to produce a piece.
For the 2015/2016 Season, both occurrences happened. As a result, Peter Pan and My Fair Lady will be replaced with two new to our stage musicals. In their absence the Theatre presents: A CHRISTMAS STORY, THE MUSICAL: We are thrilled that Civic Theatre has been selected to this new musical, currently only available in select cities each season. This show features a wonderful, heartwarming score and Ralphie’s fantasies about the evil he will conquer with his trusty Red Ryder are a hoot. A CHRISTMAS STORY, THE MUSICAL is a fabulous celebration of the magic of childhood, especially when you are an adult! Tinker stated, “When we were asked to produce the show, we were told that this is likely the only opportunity we will have because Michigan was a target for the 2016 tour.
We wanted to be the first Theatre to bring this holiday experience to our West Michigan Community!” Civic was asked to be among the first community theatres to produce Sister Act as it is being released to limited theatres. This call came on the heels of learning, MY FAIR LADY, was placed in restriction by the Authors’ agents and is not available at this time. Perhaps this was divine intervention as SISTER ACT is the feel-amazing musical comedy smash based on the hit 1992 film that has audiences jumping to their feet! Featuring original music by TONY and 8-time Oscar winner Alan Menken (NEWSIES, BEAUTY & THE BEAST, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS), this uplifting musical was nominated for 5 TONY Awards including Best Musical and just completed a very successful Broadway and tour run.
SISTER ACT and Christmas Carol- the Musical each bring a delightful sparkle to an outstanding 90th Season. Also in the line-up, The Great Gatsby, Sleepy Hollow- A Musicla Tale, Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park, Freckle Face Strawberry, Caroline or Change and Stories from Wayside School and Into the Woods, Jr. Ticket Packages for the 2015/2016 Season are on sale now at significant Early Bird savings. The Season begins September 2015. See events calendar for specific days and times: http://grct.org/eventschedule.html For information on the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre or to purchase tickets, call 616-222-6650 or visit www.GRCT.org.
If you’ve always wanted to save money using coupons but didn’t know where to start, here’s a list of tips to better understand how it’s done. This list includes my own methods as well as some suggestions from whatsyourdeal.com. Although this resource is quite helpful, it can seem overwhelming. To help simplify the process, send questions or comments to my Facebook page (Wyoming Penny Pincher ) and I will help you navigate the website.
So before you dismiss the concept of couponing as being too time consuming, read through this list first. It will give you ideas of how to make the process work for you. After all, wouldn’t saving money every week on what you need be beneficial to you being able to buy what you want? It works for me. It could work for you too!
1. Start small. Focus on 1 or 2 stores and learn their policies & procedures.
2. Organizing your coupons will either make or break your couponing experience.
3. Match your coupons with sales.
4. Stack your manufacturer coupons with your store specific coupons to have a lesser out of pocket total.
5. Before you leave the house, make a plan of what you want to buy. Write down the items, the prices and the quantities. If you are doing multiple transactions, separate the items into lists before ever leaving your house.
6. The less crowded the store, the less stressed both you and your cashier will be. I have found that early in the morning, early afternoon, or late at night is best for me.
7. If you have young kids like we do, shop at a time when they are at their best — in the morning or right after naps. Happy kids make a huge difference. Bring along something to occupy their minds or a treat to occupy their tummies!
8. Remind yourself that sales cycle. When you see an amazing deal, no need to drop everything, abandon your family and rush out the door in a panic. Instead, realize that the sale will come back around in a few weeks to a few months.
9. Prioritize. Set a time limit. Figure out how to incorporate savings into a reasonable amount of time each week and stick to it.
10. It’s important to maintain a positive working relationship with the staff and management at your local stores.
11. If your store is out of the sale item, get a rain-check! Go to customer service and ask for a raincheck for the item you wanted. They will fill out a piece of paper with the item details and price. Then you can come back another day (usually no more than 30 days) and buy that item at the sale price by giving the cashier the raincheck. This also gives you more time to gather coupons for the item!
12. Understand 10/$10 promotions. You do not have to buy 10 items to get the $1 price! The only exception to this rule is if the ad states that you must!
Stores will sometimes put limits on the item to make you think it’s a great price! If cereal is on sale for 2/$4 you might not even notice it. But if it’s on sale “2/$4 — limit 2!” then you will likely think it’s a great price since they had to put a limit on it!
13. If you have couponers in your area then it’s best to get to the store as early in the sale as you can!
14. When checking out pay close attention to the price screen to make sure everything rings up at the correct price. Also, make sure that the cashier scans all of your coupons.
15. Don’t buy a ton of everything as soon as you get started or you will blow your budget!
16. If an item goes on sale for a great price (or free!) then buy more than you need for just the week.
Typically sales go in 12 week cycles so you only need to buy enough for 12 weeks.
Orphaned at a young age, Phillip Nguyen spent his youth in Vietnam bouncing between the streets of homelessness and the occasional care of any relative who would take him in. At age 18, he landed in a refugee camp with a third-grade education and an uncertain future. How did this child of war time become a business owner and civic leader in a mid-sized American city? Join us for a touching story of pluck, hard work, and a little spiritual intervention.
Spring Break fun during a very busy travel season at The Gerald R. Ford International Airport
The Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA) is preparing for its busiest time of year with helpful travel reminders, and a bit of fun mixed in.
Due to additional passenger volume beginning this weekend and continuing through April, parking lot demands will be greater, and airport facilities are expected to be busy. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) expects longer security lines and urges passengers traveling to arrive at the Airport at least two hours prior to departure time.
In order to expedite the security screening process, passengers should carefully consider the contents of their checked luggage and carry-on bags. The TSA also recommends wearing shoes that are easy to remove, having ID and boarding passes ready to present at security checkpoints and ending all cell phone conversations prior to screening.
“The Spring Break season is extremely busy at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport and we strongly encourage those traveling – especially if you haven’t flown recently – to review TSA’s website,” said GFIA Executive Director Brian Ryks. “Our TSA staff does a wonderful job, but the more prepared travelers are, the smoother the screening experience will be for everyone.”
Passengers traveling through GFIA on select Spring Break travel dates will be treated to the annual Passenger Appreciation Days, compliments of the Gerald R. Ford International Airport Board. This bon-voyage celebration will take place from Thursday, April 2 through Saturday, April 4 from 6am-6pm each day in the Airport’s Grand Hall. The Passenger Appreciation Days events include free refreshments, food, giveaways, prize drawings, contests and more!
“We are excited to welcome back the Passenger Appreciation Days,” said Ryks. “This is one more way we are thanking our community for supporting our airport, and our passengers will have some fun before venturing out of West Michigan.”
For passengers wanting to partake in the Passenger Appreciation Days festivities, the Airport encourages them to allow even more travel time.
The TSA also encourages passengers to utilize the 3-1-1 rule with liquids, gels and aerosols. Put all liquids in 3.4 ounce containers and place them in a clear, plastic one-quart zip-top bag.
Additional 3-1-1 Information:
• Deodorant: Stick deodorant is not limited to 3.4 oz. or less, but gel or spray deodorant is.
• Suntan & Sun Block Lotion: Lotions fall under the 3-1-1 procedures mentioned above. As well as the aerosol spray lotions. Sunblock sticks do not fall under this rule.
• Makeup: Any liquid makeup cosmetics such as eyeliner, nail polish, liquid foundation, etc. should be placed in the baggie. That goes for perfume as well. Powder makeup is fine.
• Beverages: Wine, liquor, beer, and all of your other favorite beverages are permitted in your checked baggage. You can also bring beverages packaged in 3.4 oz. or less bottles in your carry-on bags in the 3-1-1 baggie.
• Sporting Goods: Golf clubs, tennis rackets, baseball bats (including the mini slugger bats), cricket bats, bows and arrows, hockey sticks, scuba knives, spear guns, etc. are all prohibited from being carried onto the plane. However, you can have them checked as luggage.
An additional TSA travel check-list is attached for further information.
Editor’s note: Wyoming/Kentwood NOW is pleased to introduce the first in a series of articles by Nancy Staal (a.k.a. Penny Pincher) on saving money through couponing. In fact, Nancy is so efficient at it, she’ll tell you, “I don’t have to grocery shop. I just have to bargain shop!” Nancy and her daughter offer two-hour couponing workshops for groupsinterested in learning the tricks of the trade. If you would like to inquire about her workshops, go to facebook.com/WyomingPennyPincher
How would you like to spend little or nothing for items like toothpaste, toothbrushes and shampoos?
Penny Pincher says it’s not impossible to get free stuff once you know how to use coupons.
Sound impossible? Well it’s not! And I’m going to tell you how you can do it too. My nickname is Penny Pincher and I’ve been using coupons, rebates and sales to cut our family’s cost since the early 1980’s. I would say I save on an average of $20,000 annually on our food, personal care items, clothing, gifts etc. Through the years, I’ve learned a few tricks of the trade that are worth sharing with other budget-conscious consumers. If that sounds like you, you too can learn the many ways to save on purchases and over time, save a substantial amount of money!
Couponing influenced me as a child. When my brothers and sisters and I wanted something at the store, my mom would say, “We can’t afford it.” So we would find coupons so she could afford it. Mom used coupons, took advantage of sales and paid attention to cost cutting when and where ever she could. As my husband and I started our young family, the need to cut our household costs became a way of life. I took up my mother’s habit and quickly learned that I could cut costs and still get items that our family needed.
The receipt says it all…
Now couponing is like a game to me and to be honest, saving money is rather addicting! I always aim to save at least 50- 75% off the regular price of an item if not more. And when I walk out of a store with more money in my pocket than what I spent, I get such a thrill! For instance, at Meijer, (see photo) I picked up eight bottles of Suave Professional shampoo on sale. Between the sale price, the instant savings offer and the manufacturers coupons I had, I ended up getting 27 cents back and paid nothing!
With each shopping trip, I manage to purchase more for our family while spending less in the process. One way is to purchase main staple items on sale in multiple quantities. Take toothpaste for instance. Depending on what my needs are and what coupons I have available, I might buy 10 tubes at a time and save them for later. The items are on hand when you need them and won’t have to be purchased at full price.
Saving money on groceries on a regular basis will definitely give the family budget a boost. It can be the difference between eating what you want versus eating what you have to. For example, if you’re on a limited budget, you may only be able to afford buying four packages of Ramen noodles for a dollar. By using coupons and planning ahead, you can save enough money to buy the foods you want, like a round steak, or a bag of potatoes or lots of fresh vegetables.
After the in-store savings and coupons, Penny was paid 27 cents for getting the shampoo.
The art of couponing (saving money) is to watch for sales and use coupons on the sale items when possible. Coupons can be found in many ways: in any Sunday paper, in direct mail that is sent to your house, on the internet or at the retail stores. There are a lot of people who think couponing takes too much time. It’s not as time consuming as you think once you get into the habit of following this simple process:
1. Begin by looking through store ads and mark the items you may need
2. Cut coupons only for items you can and will use
3. Create a list of these items to attach to the coupons you plan to use
4. Get into the habit of placing your list with the ads in your car (or purse) at the beginning of the week. That way, you always have your coupons on hand to save money when making a purchase any time you shop.
Keep in mind the basics to couponing and saving money is being able to spend less on your purchases while still providing the items that are needed and wanted by your family. Consider this as an obvious way to spread limited income further. Watch for upcoming Penny Pincher tips on this website to save you time and money for your family!
Rockford Brewing Company is thrilled to announce their first ever bottle release since the brewery opened for business 2 years ago in December of 2012. For their first bottle release Rockford Brewing Company selected its annually brewed “Belgian Multigrain Anniversary Ale”. They will be releasing limited bottles from each of their first two anniversary batches, 2013 and 2014! The official release time/date is 5pm/April 7, 2015 at Rockford Brewing Company’s Public House (12 E. Bridge St, Rockford, MI 49341).
Rockford Brewing Company believes their Anniversary Ale is a perfect brand to launch the first edition of a brand new bottled beer collection, appropriately named the “Enthusiast Collection.” The glass bottles were carefully chosen for their unique European shape and size (750mL). The label was thoughtfully designed with a traditionally classic approach. Belgian Multigrain Anniversary Ale is a rich malty Belgian beer brewed with barley, wheat, rye and oats. Bottled beer gives the craft beer enthusiast the freedom to cellar or age the product in a protective package once purchased.
Bottle quantities of Anniversary Ale are very limited to 100 total bottles of the 2013 batch (aged over a year), and 500 total bottles of the 2014 batch. Purchases will be limited to 2 bottles per person per day
“Belgian Multigrain was among the first brands available when Rockford Brewing Company first opened in 2012 before it later became known as our annual Anniversary Ale. It is very meaningful for us to choose our first and second Anniversary brews for Rockford Brewing Company’s first ever bottle release!” – Co-Founder, Seth Rivard
With the clock at all zeros, the celebration into the night could officially begin for first-year Coach Tyler Whittemore and his team as Godwin Heights topped Detroit Henry Ford 85-68 in the Class B State Championship.
For those in attendance, the celebration started a little earlier with the Wolverines already leading by 21-points heading into halftime. The way Godwin was shooting the ball, and with their ability to lock-down any team defensively, 21 points may as well have been 50. Detroit Henry Ford didn’t stand a chance.
About that shooting, the Wolverines shot over 48 percent from the field, including 10-15 from downtown. In the first half alone, 8 of their 11 shots from behind the arc found the bottom of the net.
That lock-down defense? It lead to 17 Detroit Henry Ford turnovers and a 16-2 advantage in points off of turnovers.
The Wolverines were locked in and it didn’t matter who the opponent was. With all the adversity the team had faced in the off-season, they weren’t leaving the Breslin Center without the team’s first ever State Championship title.
Coach Tyler Whittemore cuts down the net at Monday’s pep rally.
Before the season started, long-time coach Chad Conklin stepped down from his position to deal with a family crisis. Coach Conklin had been the cornerstone to building Godwin Heights into a power program. He led the Wolverines to the Semi-Finals in 2013 and the Quarterfinals last season.
Then, on August 4th, former Godwin basketball player Ta’Carhi Richardson was shot and killed at the age of 17. He had previously played under Coach Whittemore at the JV level.
High School principle, and former coach, Chad Conklin spoke to the students and community at a pep rally on Monday, “On the very first day of school I gave a speech to challenge the student body here at Godwin Heights. To make the most of the opportunities that you have and that have been presented in front of you. Today marks the second time that this school has completed a State Championship this year!”
It all came together in East Lansing. The outside shooting, the relentless defense, the ultimate will to win. Five Godwin players finished with double-digits in scoring. Delaney Blaylock finished with 19, Lamar Norton had 17, Michael Williams and Leon Redd each added 13, and Richard Major logged 12.
Everyone stepped up, Lamar Norton, a freshman, finished 7-9 from the field and a perfect 3-3 from downtown.
It was the type of game every coach dreams of. Not winning a State Championship – although that never hurts – but a team playing to their full potential and playing for one another. It culminated on Saturday night for the Wolverines and resulted in a State Championship.
Update: Vandalism 44th and Walma Area, City of Kentwood Over the past several days, the Kentwood Police Department has been investigating several vandalism/malicious destruction of property (MDOP) complaints near the 44th and Walma area.
On Thursday 3/26/15, Investigators were able to pursue several leads which lead to the possible identification of the perpetrators.
Thursday night, investigators conducted two search warrants and several interviews. They have identified two suspects and have recovered the weapons involved in the vandalism/MDOP. The weapons involved were CO2 propelled BB Guns that were fashioned to resemble semi-automatic handguns. Our investigation is continuing.
The suspects have not been charged at this time and therefore, cannot be identified. Both suspects are under the age of 18 and reside in the Kent County area. No arrests have been made at this time.
Investigators will meet with the Kent County Prosecutors Office in the near future to discuss charges stemming from these incidents.
Fifth-grader Mikah Bea hops down the hall, part of a science experiment at East Kentwood High School.
East Kentwood High School senior Jada Haynes peeled back the external layers of skin from a dead frog, showing fifth-grade student Lianna Newbeck its insides.
The younger girl, using tweezers, picked up a small organ. “Is this its neck?” she asked.
“That is the esophagus that goes into the digestive track,” Jada explained, as Lianna and a group of other fifth-grade girls continued eyeing the formaldehyde-soaked amphibian. “When you are dissecting you have to be really careful.
Senior Anne Dunbar introduces girls to the animals she helps care for at East Kentwood High School.
“Do you think you’d want to do this when you get to high school? It’s pretty fun.”
The girls’ reactions to that idea ranged from fascinated to disgusted during their visit to AP biology at East Kentwood High School. It was one of several stops during a tour of classes based in science, engineering, technology and math (STEM).
The girls experienced hands-on chemical and physics experiments, biology with animal specimens and met living snakes, birds and reptiles. They learned about STEM careers and that high-school students, many of whom are preparing for college and careers in science, engineering, technology and math fields, get to delve deep into their studies.
Fifth-grader Samantha Harris works on a chemical reaction with sophomore Maxine Osorio in Accelerated Chemistry class.
Women in STEM Still Underrepresented
The 115 girls are part of the “Girls Only!” STEM program offered for Explorer, Voyager and Discovery Elementary School fifth-graders. Organized by Nancy McKenzie, the district’s STEM coordinator, girls learn of opportunities in traditionally male-dominated fields. The high-school visit was a followup to an October event when the girls listened to presentations and participated in experiments with female scientists, mathematicians, computer programmers and engineers.
But before they can begin careers, the girls, of course, will take many STEM-related classes. During the fall event, the students showed curiosity and anxiety about high school, McKenzie said.
Senior Paige VanderWall shows fifth-grader Vivian Kolkman a frog and fish dissection.
“What a perfect opportunity to bring them into the high school, show them STEM classrooms and get a feel for what high school looks like,” she said. “A lot of STEM roles are taken up by men, and women are underrepresented in stem roles. We want to give our girls a look-see, and information to continue on and to spark interest.”
According to a 2013 memo from the Executive Office of President Obama, women represented 24 percent of the STEM workforce in 2009. Women earn on average 33 percent more when they work in those high-growth fields compared to other industries.
In the biology classroom, senior Anne Dunbar invited girls to touch a snake coiled around her arm, one of many animals students raise. She plans to go to college for nursing.
Amaris Russell examines a chemical reaction caused by mixing potassium iodide with lead nitrate.
“Hopefully today will motivate them to go into project-based science and continue in the field,” Anne said.
It wasn’t long before curiosity turned into excitement about the classes the girls could someday take. Discovery Elementary student Tenaja Aubrey-Sanders proclaimed: “I’ll be here in five-and-a-half years,” to high school teachers.
“I’m excited about taking AP biology, doing experiments and dissecting things,” said Tenaja, who hopes to become an engineer.
She said she’s learned that no job is just for boys.
“Engineering is for girls,” she said. “You don’t have to be judged. You can be you and do what you want to do.”
Dave Engbers enjoying the taste of his Founders beer.
“Dave Engbers, President and Co-Founder of Founders Beer finds the entire microbrew beer industry “quite magical.”
But the magic wasn’t always there.
Mike Stevens and Dave Engbers both had steady jobs when they decided to chase their dreams and open a brewery. They quit their jobs, took out giant loans, wrote the business plans and started to work.
Dave takes time out of his busy schedule to talk to the Citizen Journalism Team
“We wanted to live life without regrets,”Engbers shared during a recent visit with the WKTV Citizen Journalism team.
In the early work days his life was ridiculously busy.
“We built the six packs, brewed the beers, cleaned the bathrooms, swept the floors. I would work from 7:30a.m-2:00 in the morning, he explained.”
They soon found themselves on the verge of bankruptcy.
“There was always a roadblock. We thought of giving up. The business model didn’t work. We were under capitalized. There wasn’t a large craft community out there. We went through a lot of tough times but the only option was to make it work.”
It was at this point that the team decided to brew the kind of beer that got them excited about brewing in the first place: complex, in-your-face ales, with huge aromatics, bigger body, and tons of flavor.
And make it work they did. They never gave up.
” The last seven years have been tremendous,” Engbers related.
At their new location at 235 Grandville Ave SW, which they have been at since November 2007, they have gone from 16 employees to 290 employees.
“We have gone from 30 barrel tanks to 1500 barrel tanks and 7 ft. tall tanks to nearly 6 story tanks, he explained.”
Their KBS (Kentucky Breakfast Stout) is the highest rated stout in the world.
Through persistence and hard work their beers are now distributed all over the world and the growth keeps on continuing.
“As of March 2015 we are found in 32 states and 11 countries. We have been exploring exporting to countries overseas– England, Iceland, Finland, Denmark, Mexico, Austrailia–all over the world.”
Engbers is a Hope College Graduate with a degree in Communication/English. He lives in East Grand Rapids with a young family of four children and a very understanding wife.
The Founders Family, a group of passionate beer enthusiasts, has grown around this simple philosophy: “We don’t brew beer for the masses. Instead, our beers are crafted for a chosen few, a small cadre of renegades and rebels who enjoy a beer that pushes the limits of what is commonly accepted as taste. In short, we make beer for people like us.”
Founders Brewing Co. has been lucky to evolve into one of the highest recognized breweries in the United States.
David Engbers favorite brand is obviously Founders but he doesn’t have a favorite type.
“Our beers are like our children. We love all our children for their uniqueness. There are no favorites.” he laughingly concluded.
He is very proud of his staff– who is like a second family to him– for all of their accomplishments and their extreme work ethic.
“It has been great watching everyone develop as a human being. We call it the Founders Family and we care and love one another,” he concluded.
Singing, dancing, laughing, drama, and a whole lot of theater will be making its way to Broadway Grand Rapids for the theater’s new season! Five shows are lined up to start in September and finish up in June of 2016 and the positivity and excitement has been overwhelming.
“This season we’re offering a custom ‘4-pack’ of shows for those who don’t want to purchase all five,” explained Meghan Distel, the Director of Marketing for Broadway Grand Rapids, “but we have sold very little of the 4-packs as most people are choosing all five shows. That shows the excitement for all the shows we’re bringing in!”
What’s all the excitement about? Well, Broadway Grand Rapids is bringing in a lineup of award winning shows to Grand Rapids.
Newsies (September 22-27)
Pippin (November 3-8)
Riverdance 20th Anniversary Tour (April 12-17, 2016)
The Phantom of the Opera (May 18-29, 2016)
The Book of Mormon (June 21-26, 2016)
Getting together a lineup of shows of that caliber takes some work. Broadway Grand Rapids works on putting the shows together for around 12-18 months before dates are finalized. There is a lot of back and forth that occurs with the timing and use of the Devos Performance Hall and how they line up with the shows themselves and their tour dates.
Sometimes, there can even be structural barriers to overcome.
Broadway Grand Rapids had a massive hurdle to clear in order to bring The Phantom of the Opera to DeVos Performance Hall. Phantom uses very large set pieces that need space in the back to work during the show. The DeVos Performance Hall doesn’t have that necessary space right now, but it will be by the time Phantom rolls into town!
The backstage area will be expanded, and certain aspects of the floor and ceiling are to be reconfigured as well, in order to accommodate the show. As they say, the show must go on! It will all be worth it when show time is here. The city is already buzzing with excitement about the new lineup.
If you’re interested in purchasing tickets for the upcoming season, visit broadwaygrandrapids.com.
The healing power of laughter is no joke. Just ask Sister Sue Tracy, known by some as the ‘Funny Nun’ and by many others as the former oncology chaplain at the Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion and Butterworth Hospital. A Dominican Sister for 55 years, Sr. Sue is well-known in the community as an inspirational speaker, a source of comfort, guidance and hope, and a local laugh expert.
Sister Sue Tracy is, among many things, a Certified Laugh Leader – giving her permission to be silly.
You may wonder, as I did, how does one become a laugh expert?
According to Sister, “It’s based on a lot of years of experience!”
HA! No kidding!
Experience that includes dealing with cancer for 29 years. Sr. Sue is a cancer survivor five-times over and if you ask her how old she is, she’ll gladly tell you, “74! I’ll be 75 in June. I started this journey with cancer when I was 46 years old. So to be able to turn 75 is amazing!” I watched her face light up at the thought of it.
At the time of this writing, she is challenged by the disease once again. For her, being diagnosed with cancer is not reason to repeatedly ask ‘Why me?’ It’s reason to ask ‘How will I react to having it?’ that’s important to her healing.
“When I think of humor, I think it’s going to help me jump start my immune system,” she explains.
“The humor I possess and make use of isn’t just because of cancer. I’ve always been funny. So I’m not going to allow cancer to take away my humor – It’s a natural tranquilizer, it’s free, it’s non-fattening and it’s contagious! It’s a God-given gift,” she laughs.
That’s typical Sr. Sue – a witty, wise and wonderful presence.
There’s no denying that cancer is serious and life-threatening as are many other diseases and circumstances in life. But Sr. Sue believes, “…having a light-hearted, affirming view is possible for any of us – no matter what the ‘mellofahess’ or the ‘muckity-muck’ is that wants to drown us!”
Sister Sue’s first experience with cancer was with her mother, who taught her to take life as it comes and make the best of it.
“My mother was a mentor to me in terms of seeing life as a gift and as a challenge. When it becomes a challenge, you rally whatever sources you can to meet the moment as it unfolds.
“She said, ‘Sue here I am, this is what it is and we’ll take care of it!’ She lived for 15 wonderful years after her diagnosis.” Her mother and father died the same year, both from cancer.
For Sr. Sue, having battled breast cancer in 1986 and 1993, then non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1999 and many basal cell skin cancers in between, her most recent diagnosis, she admits, has been the most stunning and startling to accept.
“In June 2014, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma was discovered in my cheek. Then in November, it had the audacity to go north to the brain! It’s only been in the last month that I’ve gained confidence that I’m gonna pull through. But there are certainly nervous moments about it.
“I may die of cancer some day, but not yet. I have this interview to do first,” she adds with a smirk.
When she finds herself facing the darker moments, Sr. Sue says there is no denying that it is happening. “I don’t run away from what is real. I don’t want to move into a pity party and I don’t want to be stuck in fear because that’s not going to help.”
As a result, Sr. Sue admits she has not had a ‘big cry’ over the situation.
“God has the big picture. It is meant to be – it is not a mistake. I wouldn’t choose it for myself or anyone else but here it is! I can’t back out of it or laugh out of it. But I can laughwith it!
“This is part of my spiritual journey as much as it is my cancer journey,” adds Sr. Sue frankly.
Her journey has led her to discover that it’s in being vulnerable and fragile that people become more connected to each other. “There’s a soothing sense of belonging when you’re in the midst of this. I feel I belong to other people on the cancer journey and I’ve treasured my opportunity to be enriched by other people’s stories too.”
Retired from being a chaplain for a little over a month, Sr. Sue has more time to take care of herself while still helping others.
“My God-given mission to journey with fellow cancer survivors will only stop the day that I breathe my last,” she says. “It’s what it is.”
In the meantime, there is no doubt that Sr. Sue is still looking for the opportunity to have a laugh or two – whether it’s dishing out a one-liner or receiving it. She loves to share a chuckle and great quotes! Here are two of her favorites that are worth remembering:
If you want to succeed in life you must pick three bones to carry with you. A wishbone, a backbone, and a funnybone. – Reba McEntire
Laughter is carbonated holiness. – Anne Lamott
As a fellow cancer traveler, I say ‘Amen’ to that!
For most people, St. Patrick’s Day typically includes spending time with friends and family having a few beers.
St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a national non-profit organization that raises money for childhood cancer research.
But for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, St. Paddy’s day is spent a little differently. The foundation celebrates the holiday through a head-shaving fundraiser to raise money for children’s cancer research.
St. Baldrick’s raises money all over the country for cancer research, and for a second year, the event took place in West Michigan. This year’s host was the 84th Street Pub and Grille in Byron Center. This year the event raised over $45,ooo!
Pat Schrager of Byron Center is St. Baldrick’s local event coordinator. “This is the seventh year I’ve done it. We were doing it in Indiana where we lived. When we came to Grand Rapids, we were surprised it wasn’t here.”
While shaving your head can certainly be difficult for anyone to face, when it comes to a good cause, most people are up for the challenge.
Volunteers step up to have their heads shaved to raise money.
Bobbi Halas is one of those people. She faced the fear of shaving her head to give to the fundraiser.
“It was the weirdest feeling I’ve ever had and I was scared spitless,” Halas said. “But it’s such a great cause.”
Bobbi, along with many others, came out to show their support for children’s cancer research. Cancer survivor Allison Slagter was impressed.
“It’s really fun watching everyone so eager to shave their heads, because that’s kind of scary if they don’t want to,” Slagter said. “Everyone’s just really eager to donate”.
Money for cancer research doesn’t grow on trees. But hair does grow on heads
Schrager explains that the St. Baldrick’s donations are also helping West Michigan local hospitals fund cancer research including the Children’s Oncology Fund, their largest benefactor. “And Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital participates in that,” adds Schrager.
Although the event is only in its second year in West Michigan, Schrager says the number of eager donors is growing.
“As you get people involved and start talking about it, they realize it’s only hair, it grows back,” Schrager said.
March is Women’s History Month, a time to reflect on how far women have come in the workplace. One can examine popular culture like the television show MAD MEN to cringe at the way women were treated in the business world. In one episode Don Draper, the show’s leading man, announced to a female client that he “won’t let a woman talk to him this way.” Combine that with excessive philandering, continual sexist jokes, illicit affairs, holiday parties where male execs actually tackled secretaries the see what color their panties were and women being expected to sleep their way to anything that even resembled a management position. I had the opportunity to talk to local women to see what adversity they overcame to gain leadership in business ventures.
Tommy Brann and Marge Wilson
75-year-old Marge Wilson runs the very successful Marge’s Donut Den in Wyoming, Michigan. She’s been at it since 1975. The business just recently went through expansion and remodeling to meet the needs of the community. She wakes up at 3:00a.m. to be at work by 4:00a.m. It’s not easy and she was doubted by many when she first started. ” I remember when I first started so many men told me that it would be absolutely impossible for a woman to run a successful business,” she said. “There were so many doubters.” Look at her now. Running one of the most successful donut establishments in West Michigan. She makes and distributes baked goods, wedding and corporate cakes, brownies, cookies, muffins and donuts. She recently kept the business open 24 hours on Fat Tuesday to sell 24,000 Packzi’s and went through 2,500 pounds of dough.
Anne Doyle was a successful broadcast journalist at WZZM-TV 13. She is now the author of POWERING UP! How America’s Women Achievers Become Leaders, a City Councilwoman in Auburn HIlls, MI. and a global speaker. She has been tested for decades in some of the toughest leadership laboratories for women: sports locker rooms, the global auto industry, elected office and single parenting.
When she first started in reporting– in a relatively all male newsroom– she was told that it was her responsibility to get the men their coffee every morning.
How things have changed:
“My 2015 message is simply this: BE COURAGEOUS. Dare to continue raising your voice to make a positive difference. Everywhere we look, the human family is crying out for the mothers of the world — women — to step up and take an equal role in shaping the economic, cultural, educational, military and public policy decisions that impact all human possibility.”
I love the words of Admiral Michelle Howard, vice chief of U.S. Naval Operations, who is raising the Navy’s game. She recently told a Washington, DC audience, “My definition of leadership is ‘Not standing around and doing nothing while watching everything go to hell!’” Everywhere we look, things are going to hell. Pick your passion. Then put your shoulder to the wheel and let your voice be heard — particularly if you are the lone voice who brings different perspective to decisions.
Leadership is rarely easy. I draw courage from watching or reading about others in action, such as the movies: Selma, directed by Ava DuVernay; Iron-Jawed Angels and Wild, starring Reese Witherspoon. Or, pick up, “Race Across Alaska,” the fascinating book on Libby Riddles, the first woman to win the 1,000-mile Iditarod dog-sled race. Plus, right before our eyes, fabulous examples of powerful, brave and wise women are rising up and taking action. For example: •United States Congress.
We now have 100 women (out of 535) elected to the U.S. Senate (20) and House of Representatives (80). That’s nowhere close to what it should be. Two of our newest Congresswomen, Brenda Lawrence and Debbie Dingell, are from Michigan and pesonal friends. Here’s a fascinating articles on the women who led the way in the ultimate “boys club” and the sexism even U.S. Senators still contend with. •DC’s Matriarchy – For the first time in history, the Mayor, Police Chief and School Chancellor of an American city are all women — and two are women of color.
It’s time for the rest of America to catch up! •Women of Africa Rising — Kah Walla, a courageous political leader I met years ago at a global conference, is running for president in Cameroon. Her TedTalk is a must-view primer on this critically important continent. •Marissa Mayer and Silicon Sexism – 2014 brought fascinating revelations about the blatant sexism in Silicon Valley. In Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo! author Nicolas Carlson blames Mayer’s Oscar de la Renta shoes !!!) instead of Silicon Valley culture for any sexism she faced. The recent review in NY Times magazine is worth your time. •Actress and activist Geena Davis continues to raise her voice on behalf of girls and women. She is partnering with Coca-Cola, Kraft Foods and Walmart to host a film festival promoting women and diversity in movies.
Yes, indeed, we have come a long way baby–to get to where we’ve got to today.
The Kentwood Rotary Club hosted the State of the City Address with Mayor Steve Kepley Tuesday at the Ramada Inn on 28th Street. Mayor Kepley was pleased to announce that the State of Kentwood is economically strong, vibrant and growing with one of the lowest unemployment rates in Michigan.
Kepley says the city is seeing large multi-million dollar investments by companies interested in moving into Kentwood, creating more jobs. As a result, the mayor says property values are going up and Kentwood is “open for business!”
The city is also proud to be ranked as having one of the highest quality road systems in West Michigan. Kepley credits it to the success of the city’s asset road management plan. However, the mayor warns that the plan is expected to run out of money in the next several years, jeopardizing the quality of the current system. As a result, he is encouraging citizens to be informed about the passage of Proposal 1 this May.
Proposal 1 raises the sales tax and gets rid of the gas tax in favor of a wholesale tax on fuel. It is expected to generate more than a billion dollars a year for roads and even more money for education and local government. The state estimates it will cost 1.2 billion dollars to fix state roads long-term. Mayor Kepley says that because the state money isn’t there, it’s up to Michigan voters to decide if Proposal 1 will provide the needed revenue to fix the roads.
To help fully understand how the proposal with help roads, Mayor Kepley says he’s willing to do presentations to Kentwood community and senior groups who request it. Interested individuals can contact the mayor’s office for details.
In other news, Mayor Kepley was pleased to announce changes to the city’s long-term debt. “Every municipality has a time when expenses surpass income. For the City of Kentwood that years was 2018. The keyword here is ‘was’,” Kepley told audience.
“Through the efforts of our staff this past year, we implemented changes to our long-term debt, implementing a Health Savings Plan and found efficiencies that add up to over 3 million dollars in savings over a four-year period.”
He explained that these actions have delayed the city’s expenses from exceeding the income by a least one year. The mayor and his staff are looking to save another potential two million dollars by continuing to seek changes through efficiencies in long-term pension plans and energy savings strategies.
One of the mayor’s most exciting accomplishments to-date happened early last week, he says.
“The city commission approved my time and effort to pursue the establishment of a Kentwood Community Foundation – a non-profit 501c3 charitable organization that would provide needed support for community improvements,” Kepley stated.
The mayor explained that the 501c3 will be established to make fundraising easier and more successful for various programs throughout the city. “[It] will allow the Parks and Recreation Department to perform more outreaches and programs that will encourage and empower the next generation to greatness,” he says.
Among those attending the Rotary luncheon were students from the ARCH Program. The program, established within the last year, is a joint effort by the city and the Kentwood Public Schools to further invest in its students in an after-school program.
“This past year we were successful in receiving a five-year federal grant to operate the Arch Program for all 16 Kentwood schools,” explained Kepley. “Arch provides additional hours of teaching while providing needed meals for the students.”
The student guests ranged from elementary through high school. All applied and were accepted into the Mayor’s Executive Council. “The council is my opportunity to invest in our students by educating and mentoring them on city governance and leadership.
“It is truly a pleasure to spend time with these students,” Kepley added.
Regional Champions have been decided on the court and the field is set for the State Quarterfinals! Two Wyoming-Kentwood area teams are still breathing after winning their Region. Godwin Heights is alive in Class B and Tri-Unity Christian is coming together and making a strong push in Class D.
Godwin Heights won their third straight Regional Championship on Wednesday night and is hoping third time’s a charm after coming up short of the State Finals each of the past two seasons.
The Wolverines put a thumping on Charlotte in the final Regional game by a score of 81-37. Godwin ended the first half on a 29-0 run and 12 Wolverines scored a point in the contest. In the Regional, the Fighting Wolverines looked their best and destroyed the competition by a combined score of 157-76.
Godwin Heights and Tri-Unity Christian are one game away from the Breslin Center
Two years ago the Wolverines beat Unity Christian in the State Quarterfinals before losing to Detroit Community in the Semi-Finals. Last season, they entered the Quarterfinals undefeated and lost to Benton Harbor. First year coach Tyler Whittemore is looking to get the Wolverines over the hump and into the State Finals in 2015.
Godwin Heights will face Spring Lake in the Class B State Quarterfinals on March 24. The game will be held at Rockford High School.
For the third time in five years, the Tri-Unity Christian boys basketball team is onto the State Quarterfinals after beating Mendon 60-42 in the Regional Final behind 23 points from Willie O’Toole.
While the Defenders 14-10 record may not look daunting, they’re a team on a hot streak! After starting the season 4-9, Coach Keeler’s team has ripped off 10 of their last 11, and they’re winning when it counts!
Tri-Unity Christian will play Morenci in the Class D Quarterfinals at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix High School on March 24.
Good luck to our Wyoming-Kentwood teams!
Wyoming-Kentwood Area Teams and Playoff Results
East Kentwood Boys
District Semi-Final – W Middleville Thornapple Kellogg (52-47)
District Final – L Ottawa Hills (56-59)
East Kentwood Girls
District First Round – L Byron Center (36-41)
Godwin Heights Boys
District Semi-Final – W Kelloggsville (86-47)
District Final – W Wayland Union (63-56)
Regional Semi-Final – W Alma (76-39)
Regional Final – W Charlotte (81-37)
State Quarterfinals – 3/24 Spring Lake
Godwin Heights Girls
District Semi-Final – W Kelloggsville (50-39)
District Final – L Wayland Union (32-75)
Grand River Prep Boys
District Semi-Final – L Wayland Union (34-80)
Grand River Prep Girls
District Semi-Final – L Wayland Union (46-76)
Kelloggsville Boys
District First Round – W Aviation Academy (85-34)
District Semi-Final – L Godwin Heights (86-47)
Kelloggsville Girls
District Semi-Final – L Godwin Heights (39-50)
Potter’s House Boys
District First Round – W Holland Calvary (44-55)
Potter’s House Girls
District First Round – W Holland Calvary (50-42)
District Semi-Finals – L Wyoming Tri-Unity Christian (45-64)
South Christian Boys
District First Round – L Wayland Union (62-72)
South Christian Girls
District First Round – L Wayland Union (39-59)
Tri-Unity Boys
District Semi-Final – W Holland Calvary (60-43)
District Final – W Zion Christian (57-28)
Regional Semi-Final – W Kalamazoo Heritage Christian (72-44)
Regional Final – W Mendon (60-42)
State Quarterfinal – 3/24 Morenci
Tri-Unity Girls
District First Round – W West Michigan Lutheran (64-37)
District Semi-Final – W Zion Christian (51-43)
District Final – W Potter’s House Christian (64-45)
Regional Semi-Final – W Martin (48-38)
Regional Final – L St Joseph Michigan Lutheran (43-62)
West Michigan Aviation Academy Boys
District First Round – L Kelloggsville (34-85)
West Michigan Lutheran Boys
District Semi-Final – L Byron Center Zion Christian (27-55)
West Michigan Lutheran Girls
District First Round – L Tri-Unity Christian (37-64)
Wyoming Boys
District First Round – W Zeeland East (71-59)
District Semi-Final – L Hudsonville (64-77)
Wyoming Girls
District First Round – W Zeeland East (66-40)
District Semi-Final – W West Ottawa (57-53)
District Final – L Hudsonville (49-64)
Wyoming Lee Boys
District First Round – L Comstock Park (29-56)
Wyoming Lee Girls
District Semi-Final – L Catholic Central (6-76)
“Net Neutrality.” The words are often lost on most Americans, but rarely in modern times have two words been so critical to the US economy and the basic freedoms of the average American citizen. I’ll be frank, this article is in no way an attempt to hear both sides; primarily due to the fact that “both sides” are not equal arguments.
An open internet, that is, an internet that is fully accessible by any person, anywhere in the US with no restrictions on the capacity, (as long as they pay for it) imposed on it by outside forces is the very same internet that has become a fundamental part of the US economy.
That’s a mouthful, but then so is the Internet.
Think about it for a moment. Everything, literally everything is now on the internet; business, medicine, retail sales, education, communication, television broadcast, entertainment…nearly all commerce in the USA, in some way, hums down the wires that flow up and down our streets.
Not so, just 15 years ago. The speed with which the internet has become the foundation of nearly all commerce in the US economy is much like how around 1900, very, very few businesses in the US relied on electricity. Kerosene oil lamps and some gas were the rule, but by 1920 nearly all US businesses and homes were relying on electricity. Within that short span, a business or home functioning without electricity was unthinkable and while there were no threats of corporate control of electricity the way there are threats of corporate control of the Internet, the parallels are striking.
Like electricity, the internet revolutionized the way business and communication was done. Things became more efficient, faster, smarter and in the course, just like when the economy encountered electricity, things took a giant leap forward. And the parallels don’t stop there.
Electricity in the United States is regulated by the government and the biggest factor of that regulation is that electricity in the US is completely open to all. There is no limit to what you can use, as long as you pay for it. Our representative government insists on this. Why? Visionaries early on, realized how fundamentally important electricity and an open electrical grid would be for an economy to grow and the fact that that insistence worked so well for the economy has become the paradigm for the Internet today.
Of course what triggered all of this was the bad corporate behavior that experts warned us about more than a decade ago. The concern was that private corporations, controlling the internet, would use that control to stifle competition and innovation that may have threatened their private business model. That’s precisely what large cable providers did to Netflix; all the while insisting that they weren’t.
Netflix was suspicious that their internet connectivity to consumer’s homes was being “throttled.” Placed in a “slow lane,” if you will. Consumers, annoyed that the product they purchased from Netflix wouldn’t download were then being offered a “competing” product from cable providers, which, wouldn’t you know, moved lickity split through the internet they were controlling. A classic case.
Imagine, if you will, that Michigan’s power grid was controlled private corporations and here in Michigan, Chrysler had controlling stock. Let’s say that beginning in the late 1920’s, Chrysler, acting on that control, (and again because the electric grid was unregulated) began choking off the electricity supply to GM factories, supplying only half what was needed and demanding they pay more than others if they wanted the exact same service. Imagine how crippling it would have been to GM and how that lack of competition would have damaged our economy. We wouldn’t know what we missed, except we all would be driving Chryslers. If that sounds like extortion, in fact it is and its absolutely no way for an economy to operate if it’s going to be robust, competitive and nurture innovation.
But it is what cable providers and phone companies were ready to do and already doing with the Internet. By attempting to control the Internet, these private corporate interests were regulating it their own way; putting a stranglehold on competitors and holding them hostage for huge sums of money, or else…your internet speeds would slow to a trickle and your company which used the Internet as a foundation, would be forced out of business.
That sounds more like Economics 101 in Putin’s Russia than in the United States.
If the US economy were not nearly 100% reliant on the Internet for survival this might not make such a big deal; just another aspect of the shark tank that business swims in. Fortunately with the recent re-classification of the internet by the FCC, the federal government recognized that the big fish eating all the little fish is no way to advance economic growth and such behavior by the giant corporations would in fact stifle growth, threatening the common good. Precisely the same way it would have done had private corporate interests been able to put a stranglehold on the electrical grid or the railroads.
Thankfully the federal government recognized the fundamental importance of electricity to economic activity. The fed ensured that electricity was completely open to anyone for as much as they wanted as long as they paid for what they used and (this is the key) the prices were not rigged to destroy competition. It’s a near precise parallel to the argument in favor of internet neutrality, or ‘net neutrality.’
In essence, the internet, like the electrical grid, must remain perfectly neutral. It’s irrelevant who is using the Internet and for what. You simply pay a fair price for what you use and no one decides to give you less and the other guy more. This way, the Internet is a tool for business to use and expand on, instead of being used as a weapon by a few goliaths to crush anyone who dared to compete with them.
The neutrality of the electrical grid heavily contributed to making the US economy the largest, wealthiest, most resilient economy in the world. I shudder to think how much smaller our economy would be without a neutral electrical grid 100 years ago and I rejoice at the prospect of economic growth based on a completely neutral and fully open Internet. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and the three commissioners who voted with him did precisely the right thing when they re-classified the internet as open to all. History (and the nation’s economy) will smile on this decision.
Tom Norton is the General Manager of WKTV Community Media & Television and has been a producer and leader involved in television and communications for nearly 30 years.
Wyoming High School seniors Darren Dannah and Mitch Hendrickson know how to work a crowd.
During every Wyoming Wolves girls’ and boys’ varsity basketball home games they lead a lively group of their “peer a cheer” section where they dance, chant, and board the now famous “Roller Coaster” ride.
“Buckle up!” they shout as the Wolf Pack of about 100 students pretends to secure shoulder harnesses, making a loud “whoosh” sound. They then move in sync, arms up, as if they are on a wild roller coaster ride filled with dramatic twists and turns.
The students cheer on the home team.Seniors Darren Dannah (in front) and Mitch Hendrickson (in hat) started the Wolf Pack student section.
Darren, a football player, and Mitch, a bowler, have begun what they hope continues as a tradition at Wyoming High School. Students join forces to cheer, revving up the teams and crowd, and bringing a heightened sense of unity into the school day.
“We’re getting our players hyped, getting energized and it shows on the court,” Darren said.
“Everybody can show up; nobody’s left out,” Mitch said.
The effort is totally student-led, with word on the night’s theme for each game traveling through the student body. The Wolf Pack has become a sea of pink, purple, white and neon. They’ve been pajama-clad teenagers and Hawaiian tourists in colorful shirts and leis.
The students received recognition from Mlive as one of the Top 10 best student sections in the state.
Darren and Mitch spoke excitedly, often in unison, to describe the fun. They said the Wolf Pack has created a bond among students, giving them something positive to do together. It is their way to give back.
Students gather before a girl’s varsity basketball game.
“It’s a legacy. That’s exactly what it is,” Darren said.
During the recent girls’ district game against West Ottawa, the high school students cheered the team on, with elementary and middle school students joining them in chants and dances. Wolf Pack pride has spread throughout the district.
“It’s well-known throughout the entire school that not only are these kids talented, they are nice,” said Wyoming Athletic Director Ted Hollern.
The Class of 2015 has shown great leadership, he said, showing spirit without being negative about the opposing team.
“It’s striking how many compliments we get from alumni and parents,” Hollern said. “We are all very proud. This is one thing they can do to have fun and look forward to, and give back to the school and the people that care about them.”
Going into the weekend, four Wyoming-Kentwood area basketball teams still envisioned playing in the MHSAA State Championship game at the Breslin Center. After the dust settled, two teams faltered while the other two were able to keep the dream alive.
The Godwin Heights boys basketball team took on Wayland Union in the District final on Friday night and came out victorious, 63-56, thanks to some poor free throw shooting (46 percent) by the Wildcats. The District Championship was a first for new head coach Tyler Whittemore.
After winning Districts, the Wolverines faced off against Alma on Monday night in the Regional Semi-Final. Their patented suffocating ball pressure did its job and allowed the Wolverines to jump out to a 47-16 halftime lead! Godwin ended up coasting to a 76-39 victory. The team plays Charlotte on Wednesday for the Regional Championship.
The Tri-Unity Christian boys team dominated Zion Christian on Friday night to get back on track with a District Championship. Last season, for the first time since 1999, the Defenders didn’t get out of Districts! That changed with a 57-28 win over Byron Center Zion Christian.
Then, in the Regional Semi-Final, Chris Osantowski led Tri-Unity Christian to a victory with an impressive stat-line of 18 points, eight rebounds, six blocks and three steals! That great individual effort was more than enough to hound Kalamazoo Heritage Christian and give the Defenders a 72-44 victory. Mendon awaits in the Regional Championship
Godwin Heights wants a high-five, they’re playing for a Regional Championship!
In the girls Regional Championship on Thursday night, the Defenders of Tri-Unity Christian squared off against St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran. The Titans jumped out to an early 7-0 lead and didn’t look back. Ball pressure and early three-point shooting become too much for Tri-Unity to handle as they fell 62-43. The Defenders finish their 2015 campaign with a District Championship and an 18-7 record.
East Kentwood played with fire all season, winning nine games by six points or less, but still stood undefeated entering the District Championship on Friday night against Ottawa Hills. This game was no different as Ottawa Hills held a 15-point lead entering the fourth quarter. The Falcons ended up storming back held a one-point lead with less than a minute to play.
Unfortunately, when you play with fire it’s eventually going to burn you, and East Kentwood finally felt the burn. Lance Windom hit a jump-shot with 12 seconds left to give the Bengals a 59-56 victory and a District Championship over the Falcons! It was a great season for East Kentwood as they finished with a 21-1 record.
This piece was edited on 3/19 to include the Tri-Unity Christian Boys Basketball team!
Wyoming-Kentwood Area Teams and Playoff Results
East Kentwood Boys
District Semi-Final – W Middleville Thornapple Kellogg (52-47)
District Final – L Ottawa Hills (56-59)
East Kentwood Girls
District First Round – L Byron Center (36-41)
Godwin Heights Boys
District Semi-Final – W Kelloggsville (86-47)
District Final – W Wayland Union (63-56)
Regional Semi-Final – W Alma (76-39)
Regional Final – 3/18 Charlotte
Godwin Heights Girls
District Semi-Final – W Kelloggsville (50-39)
District Final – L Wayland Union (32-75)
Grand River Prep Boys
District Semi-Final – L Wayland Union (34-80)
Grand River Prep Girls
District Semi-Final – L Wayland Union (46-76)
Kelloggsville Boys
District First Round – W Aviation Academy (85-34)
District Semi-Final – L Godwin Heights (86-47)
Kelloggsville Girls
District Semi-Final – L Godwin Heights (39-50)
Potter’s House Boys
District First Round – W Holland Calvary (44-55)
Potter’s House Girls
District First Round – W Holland Calvary (50-42)
District Semi-Finals – L Wyoming Tri-Unity Christian (45-64)
South Christian Boys
District First Round – L Wayland Union (62-72)
South Christian Girls
District First Round – L Wayland Union (39-59)
Tri-Unity Boys
District Semi-Final – W Holland Calvary
District Final – W Zion Christian (57-28)
Regional Semi-Final – W Kalamazoo Heritage Christian (72-44)
Tri-Unity Girls
District First Round – W West Michigan Lutheran (64-37)
District Semi-Final – W Zion Christian (51-43)
District Final – W Potter’s House Christian (64-45)
Regional Semi-Final – W Martin (48-38)
Regional Final – L St Joseph Michigan Lutheran (43-62)
West Michigan Aviation Academy Boys
District First Round – L Kelloggsville (34-85)
West Michigan Lutheran Boys
District Semi-Final – L Byron Center Zion Christian (27-55)
West Michigan Lutheran Girls
District First Round – L Tri-Unity Christian (37-64)
Wyoming Boys
District First Round – W Zeeland East (71-59)
District Semi-Final – L Hudsonville (64-77)
Wyoming Girls
District First Round – W Zeeland East (66-40)
District Semi-Final – W West Ottawa (57-53)
District Final – L Hudsonville (49-64)
Wyoming Lee Boys
District First Round – L Comstock Park (29-56)
Wyoming Lee Girls
District Semi-Final – L Catholic Central (6-76)
Record passengers numbers and a growing region over the last several years has prompted the Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA) to expand its parking facilities.
Construction on the GFIA parking deck roof is underway with a projected finish date of November 18, 2015. Currently, the Airport is forced to close the fourth level of the parking deck in the winter months because of the snow. A fourth level roof will open up 1,113 additional covered parking spaces.
“We are accommodating our growing passenger volume, and are excited to begin construction on this project,” said GFIA Executive Director Brian Ryks.
“A roof on the fourth level of the garage will give our passengers more space for parking in the winter months, and we all know how wonderful it is to have close, covered parking during Michigan winters.” said Ryks.
When construction on the roof project is complete, the garage will be able to accommodate 4,140 total covered parking spaces year-round.
During construction the contractor will be using a portion of the North Lot adjacent to the garage for staging equipment and materials. Because parking spaces are limited, passengers are urged to arrive at the airport at least 90-120 minutes before their scheduled departure.
Passenger traffic at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport was up 14% in January, and 12% in February.
“Because we are entering a busy season with Spring Break and then again during the summer travel months, we highly urge passengers to give themselves adequate time to park, check in, and get through security,” Ryks said. “We are an easy, efficient airport to navigate but with the rapid passenger growth, we want to make sure passengers are planning ahead.”
The $15 million project will be managed by The Christman Company, and steel for the project is being provided by Grand Rapids firm, Builders Iron. Architectural firm Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber is the design engineer.
With spring approaching, it’s time to think about getting out on the water. So, how many of these questions can you say “Yes!” to?
• Do you enjoy being on the water, perhaps especially Lake Michigan?
• Do you enjoy meeting new people?
• Do you enjoy learning new things?
• Do you enjoy testing your mettle a bit?
• Have you ever felt the allure of the sails of old; the romance of the Sea?
• Would you like to crew a tallship?
How many did you say “Yes” to? Did you know you could do all of these things here in West Michigan?
The Michigan Maritime Museum is offering Basic Seamanship classes aboard their replica tallship Friends Good Will, beginning on March 28, 2015.
Basic Seamanship Sail Training Program is open to all (14 year old minimum) regardless of experience. You’ll find that Friends Good Will draws crew from all of West Michigan, Northern Indiana and Illinois, and parts of Wisconsin as well as all walks of life.
Sailing a traditionally rigged vessel is hugely rewarding. As Crew, we help to teach 4th and 5th graders history, team building and self reliance. Watching youth work, again and again to set the mainsail as a team, then seeing the smiles on their faces as they get it. How rewarding is that? We do the same for employees of businesses and corporations. As Friends Good Will takes the Museum’s visitors out on day sails, an extraordinary world is opened up for them. And, because we teach, we also learn, and grow, to our own benefit.
Each time volunteer Marcia Flynn is asked when she will buy her own boat, she responds, “Why? I can sail aboard a tallship and a champion (the Museum’s racing yacht Bernida) any time I like.” And let’s face it, you just can’t beat the beauty of a sunset when viewed from the deck of a tallship.
Basic Seamanship is taught in four parts, with Part I held on Saturday, March 28, at 1:00 pm. Part II is May 2nd, Part III May 9th, and the final session Part IV is on May 16th. Completing all four Basic Seamanship classes allows you the opportunity to become part of the Ship’s Company. You must be a Museum member to crew Friends Good Will. All courses are free to Museum members. Membership in the Michigan Maritime Museum also gives you free access to the Museum and to all kinds of events and classes, including courses on April 26th that include Sail Theory and Sailing Vintage Sailboats, and much more! Why wait? To register, and for more information, call 1-800-747-3810, or email volunteer@michiganmaritimemuseum.org.
Breaking the Mold: Part of Our Ongoing Student Leaders Series
Godfrey-Lee Superintendent David Britten says Jisel Ochoa “has a knack for lighting up the room”
Godfrey Lee Public Schools, MI — Behind her beaming smile, Lee High School junior Jisel Ochoa often is considering center-stage topics in national politics: immigration policy, women’s rights, gay marriage.
Though she’s a talented student and runner, Jisel’s interests surpass sports and academics. She wants the world to be a better place, and believes young people need to make their voices heard about causes affecting their futures.
“I feel that a lot of teenagers nowadays don’t really talk about what’s going on in the world, and we should be involved in what’s going on,” Jisel said. “If we’re not involved, there are going to be all these decisions made that we won’t like.”
Godfrey-Lee Public Schools administrators recommended Jisel for the School News Network Student Leaders series because of her high involvement at school and upbeat attitude.
Brian Cahoon, an economics and government teacher, said Jisel has great potential and promise.
“It is awesome to see her genuine eagerness to be involved, and even better when you know that the person presenting these ideas is capable of legitimately making them happen,” Cahoon said. “I think it’s the sense of maturity and follow-through that sets her apart from many in her age group.”
Advocating for Change
Jisel moved to the United States from Mexico with her parents, Elva and Javier, twin sister, Jasiel, and older brother, Hector. She said she is motivated to do well in school by her background and “the fact that I left my country to come here.”
“My mom and dad would tell me stories about how it’s very different in Mexico, and it’s difficult there to be successful because of all the problems and violence. It’s hard to find a job,” she said.
Her father now works in a factory and her mother is a stay-at-home mom.
“My mom has had a tough life,” Jisel said. As an orphan, Elva had to work starting at age 9, peddling snacks to take care of her sisters. “She always wanted me and my siblings to do better.”
Because the issue is so close to her heart, Jisel is a strong advocate for a just immigration policy. Calling it “something that I strongly believe in,” she recalled hearing the term “illegal alien” during a class lesson. “I thought ‘Why are you calling someone an alien?’ I don’t believe in that word.
“To me, it’s crazy how people, when they think of immigrants, think of bad things,” she added. “They should be looking at it as a positive thing because people leave their country and leave everything behind to come have a better life, not knowing what’s going to happen.”
Jisel isn’t afraid to share her strong opinions on other controversial topics. She said she believes in advocating for same-sex marriage and that all people should have equal opportunities.
‘You Have to Keep Pushing’
Jisel has been active in student government and hopes to be elected class president her senior year. She is in Spanish Club, Diversity Club and a member of both the cross country and track teams, despite having battled several leg injuries. She also played on the middle-school basketball teams, served as a student leader on Freshman Focus, and attended the Michigan Youth Leadership Conference, which works to develop leadership potential in Michigan students.
In track, she runs the 800-meter race and 4×800 meter relay. She’s learned to apply lessons from the track to other areas of her life.
“It’s hard to go out there and run and push your body to the limit and not give up,” she said. “I feel like when you’re running you just want to give up. It’s so hard sometimes.
“Being a teenager you go through a lot of changes and mood swings. Sometimes you’re happy, sad or depressed. You still have to do your work, and if you don’t. your grades are going to drop. You have to keep pushing.”
Superintendent David Britten has noticed that Jisel is always grinning on the track and in school while working hard.
“I have known Jisel since the sixth grade, and her infectious smile and can-do spirit are always uplifting to me as well as everyone around her,” Britten said. “Many of the faculty admit that she has a knack for lighting up the room whenever she is near.”
Jisel said Britten has helped keep her moving forward.
“He’s been a huge influence on my life because I’ve known him for so long,” she said. “At track meets he is always giving motivational speeches and telling us to do better in school and keep doing the right thing.”
Something Bigger
Jisel knows a world filled with opportunities lies ahead. After graduation, she hopes to enroll at Wayne State University, Oakland University or Grand Valley State University and pursue a career in law and politics.
“I really love the idea that the United States is the place where dreams come true, because I think it’s true. It might take some time, and you have to fight really hard and stay positive, but they will come true eventually.”
As a lawyer, she wants someday to help make college more accessible to students who need a better pathway. At Lee High, where a majority of students are Hispanic, their immigrant residency status can be an obstacle for some in areas such as tuition and financial aid.
“I really love the idea that the United States is the place where dreams come true.” — Jisel Ochoa
“I believe there are a lot of students here who work hard, but they aren’t able to attend college because they don’t have the things that are necessary to attend college,” she said.
For now, Jisel is already thinking about ways things can improve, in class, on the race track and among her peers.
“I always felt like I can do something bigger,” she said. “I don’t know what that is yet, but I hope someday I can make change and do something I believe in.
“I don’t give up easily,” she added. “If I want to make change, I won’t stop until I do it.
The MHSAA basketball playoffs are underway this week for both boys and girls! While the boys teams are competing in the District tournament this week, the girls are through Districts and onto the Regional rounds!
Tri-Unity Christian is the only girls team left standing from the Wyoming-Kentwood area. After winning their District in class D by dispatching West Michigan Lutheran, Byron Center Byron Christian, and Potter’s House Christian, the Defenders of Tri-Unity Christian now eye the Regional Championship. The Defenders defeated Martin in their first regional game Wednesday night and play St. Joseph this Friday for a spot in the final 8!
The boys are just starting their District tournament this week and a few schools in the Wyoming-Kentwood area have their sights set much higher than just a District Championship.
After finishing the season undefeated, the East Kentwood basketball team has high expectations for March.
After finishing the season undefeated with numerous nail-biting victories, East Kentwood is looking towards a possible State Championship. The Falcons are the only team over the last two seasons to topple the Big Reds of Muskegon. That monster win early in the season put a massive target on the Falcon’s back as they have taken every opponent’s best shot. East Kentwood takes on Ottawa Hills Friday night for the District Championship.
Godwin Heights finished the regular season 19-1 with that lone blemish coming in a three-point road loss to conference rival NorthPointe Christian. Since that game in late January, the Wolverines have looked stellar and eventually avenged their loss to NorthPointe Christian with an eight-point win later in the season.
The Wolverines have the added benefit of playing the District tournament at home and play Wayland Union in the finals on Friday.
Check the website next week for a quick recap of each remaining team as they set their eyes on the State Championship!
Wyoming-Kentwood Area Teams and Playoff Results
East Kentwood Boys
District Semi-Final – W Middleville Thornapple Kellogg (52-47)
District Final – Ottawa Hills
East Kentwood Girls
District First Round – L Byron Center (36-41)
Godwin Heights Boys
District Semi-Final – W Kelloggsville (86-47)
District Final – Wayland Union
Godwin Heights Girls
District Semi-Final – W Kelloggsville (50-39)
District Final – L Wayland Union (32-75)
Grand River Prep Boys
District Semi-Final – L Wayland Union (34-80)
Grand River Prep Girls
District Semi-Final – L Wayland Union (46-76)
Kelloggsville Boys
District First Round – W Aviation Academy (85-34)
District Semi-Final – L Godwin Heights (86-47)
Kelloggsville Girls
District Semi-Final – L Godwin Heights (39-50)
Potter’s House Boys
District First Round – W Holland Calvary (44-55)
Potter’s House Girls
District First Round – W Holland Calvary (50-42)
District Semi-Finals – L Wyoming Tri-Unity Christian (45-64)
South Christian Boys
District First Round – L Wayland Union (62-72)
South Christian Girls
District First Round – L Wayland Union (39-59)
Tri-Unity Boys
District Semi-Final – W Holland Calvary (60-43)
Tri-Unity Girls
District First Round – W West Michigan Lutheran (64-37)
District Semi-Final – W Zion Christian (51-43)
District Final – W Potter’s House Christian (64-45)
Regional Semi-Final – W Martin (48-38)
Regional Final – St Joseph
West Michigan Aviation Academy Boys
District First Round – L Kelloggsville (34-85)
West Michigan Lutheran Boys
District Semi-Final – L Byron Center Zion Christian (27-55)
West Michigan Lutheran Girls
District First Round – L Tri-Unity Christian (37-64)
Wyoming Boys
District First Round – W Zeeland East (71-59)
District Semi-Final – L Hudsonville (64-77)
Wyoming Girls
District First Round – W Zeeland East (66-40)
District Semi-Final – W West Ottawa (57-53)
District Final – L Hudsonville (49-64)
Wyoming Lee Boys
District First Round – L Comstock Park (29-56)
Wyoming Lee Girls
District Semi-Final – L Catholic Central (6-76)
