Juliana Ludema, communication specialist for Feeding America West Michigan, with host Ken Norris, on the set of WKTV Journal In Focus in January 2021. (WKTV)
During a recent visit to the studio of WKTV Journal In Focus, Feeding America West Michigan is looking back on 40 years of helping to feed those at risk of hunger after experiencing a 2020 that presented both challenges and opportunities.
Juliana Ludema, communication specialist for Feeding America West Michigan, on the set of WKTV Journal In Focus in January 2021. (WKTV)
The local non-profit will be honoring 40 people who have been part of this journey through its “40 Years 40 Faces” series. With us is Juliana Ludema, communication specialist from the organization, and we will talk with her about what food banks do, the history of Feeding America West Michigan, and find out about its efforts before, during and after the current pandemic time of extraordinary local need.
For more information about Feeding America West Michigan, visit feedwm.org.
WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
The area’s most famous road is 28th Street which runs through both the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming. This aerial view shows 28th Street heading east from the City of Wyoming. The Woodland Mall is located on the right about midway on the photo. The photo was probably taken in the early 1970s.
If you have have old photos of the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood, please contact historical commissions for either of those communities. For Kentwood, click here. For Wyoming, click here.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum is now featuring a new exhibit, Windows GR, three large-scale art pieces created by local artists of color.
Originally part of the Windows GR project, the three pieces of artwork are now a part of the GRPM’s permanent Collections and will be on display on the second floor of the Museum.
“I Can’t Breathe” by Guillermo Sotelo. (Supplied)
The Museum purchased the three pieces from Grand Rapids artists: Jalexia Stoutmyre, DeVante Barnes and Guillermo Sotelo, that were created specifically for the Windows GR project. On May 30, 2020, a peaceful protest in support of Black Lives Matter was held in downtown Grand Rapids, in response to the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer on May 25, 2020. Following the protest, riots broke out causing damage to vehicles and buildings. As a result, Windows GR was created, in collaboration with Lions & Rabbits Center for the Arts and a special group of creatives, to use the plywood-covered windows as blank canvases, allowing artists to paint pieces to speak out against systemic racism as well as provide a new platform for black and brown artists’ work to be seen and appreciated. Many artists worked collaboratively in this community activation project to paint the boarded up windows of businesses throughout downtown Grand Rapids over the summer of 2020.
“The protests and riots that took place in Grand Rapids this past summer are part of the history of the city. It is the privilege and place of the GRPM to preserve the stories of our community,” said GRPM President and CEO Dale Robertson. “To that end, these local artists’ statements speak to us on the ideals of justice, of systemic racism, and on racial reckoning. They represent and memorialize the community response to the destruction to our downtown which occurred at first light the following day. The Museum is pleased to be able to host these works, and connect with the community in this way.”
“Urban Funeral” by DeVante Barnes (Supplied)
“As a museum, we believe in the importance of building a collection to share stories that reflect the diversity of our community,” said Alex Forist, the GRPM’s Chief Curator. “Sharing the truth about history isn’t always going to be easy, but it’s important that we tell stories as accurately and completely as possible in order to preserve pieces from this moment in time for future generations. By purchasing these pieces, the Museum is honored to assist with amplifying the voices of black and brown artists in our community.”
The artifacts can also be explored on the Museum’s online Collections database, available at grpmcollections.org. This exhibit will be included with general admission.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced last week that “to help families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic” more than 1.2 million people in Michigan who are eligible for food assistance benefits will receive an additional 15 percent payment to their monthly amount by the end of January.
The temporary increase in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits is for six months, ending in June.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the MDHHS advocated for the increase in the federal benefit and it was recently passed as part of a recent congressional relief bill with the effort led by U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich), according the MDHHS statement.
“No Michigander should worry about how they’ll put food on the table for themselves and their family, especially during a pandemic,” Gov. Whitmer said in supplied material. “COVID-19 is still a very real threat to our state, and we must continue providing crucial support to families that need it most.”
Michigan food assistance recipients will see the increase added to their Bridge Cards by the end of January that are in addition to benefits they received earlier in the month. Food assistance increases by $102 per month for a household of four, which will now receive $782 per month.
Whitmer and MDHHS also are announcing continuation of an initiative that provides additional food assistance to 350,000 Michigan families as a response to the pandemic.
Through the initiative, anyone receiving food assistance who doesn’t already qualify for the maximum monthly benefits will see their payment raised to the maximum monthly amount for their household size. Eligible clients will see these additional food assistance benefits on their Bridge Card by Jan. 30, with payments beginning for some households on Jan. 20.
Eligible families do not need to re-apply to receive the additional benefits. People who receive food assistance can check their benefits balance on their Michigan Bridge Card by going online to michigan.gov/MIBridges or by calling a customer service representative toll-free at 888-678-8914. They can ask questions about the additional benefits by calling or emailing their caseworker.
Customer service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Spanish and Arabic service is available. If you are deaf, deaf-blind, or hard of hearing or speech-impaired, call the Michigan Relay Center at 7-1-1.
Tibbits Young Audiences will move forward with its spring musical, “The Nifty Fifties”to be presented April 23-25 and will hold auditions for the show at 5 p.m. Feb. 8 and 9 at Tibbits Opera House.
After being forced to cancel last year’s production of “The Secret Garden” the week before opening, the TYA team is excited to get the students back on stage. “The Nifty Fifties” by Tim Kelly with music and lyrics by Bill Francoeur is a funny, top-tapping tribute to the 1950s. It tells the story of Gracie Stanley, who has gotten herself into hot water by promising to deliver her distant cousin, rock star Ziggy Springer, for the high school dance. When Ziggy is unavailable she and her friends decide to fake his appearance. The story takes some turns and features memorable characters include a singing soda jerk, a snooty rival, a “totally square” building owner, a paranoid brother, a beatnik gang and its “bad dude” leader.
Auditions are open to any student in sixth through eighth grades. Students should bring a current, non-returnable photo, their completed audition form, and be accompanied by a parent or guardian; no additional guests will be allowed. Students must project through their mask for the audition. They will be asked to introduce themselves from stage, read parts from the script, sing a familiar children’s song, and follow some simple choreography.
Audition forms and the part of the script the auditionees will be reading will be available online at Tibbits.org. Rehearsals will begin Feb 15, 2021 and will be held Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30-6:30; not all roles meet all days. Rehearsals will be in small groups to allow for social distancing and masks will be required. The show will be presented April 23 and 24 at 7 p.m. and April 25 at 2 p.m. at Tibbits.
“The Nifty Fifties” will be directed by Julia Littley and produced by Tirsha Odisher with musical direction by Jayne Lillis. This productionis generously sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Coldwater. Students involved will learn characterization, blocking, costuming, makeup and all aspects of a stage production. Due to current restrictions, several adaptations have been made including reducing the size of the cast to 25 students in order to maintain social distancing. While the TYA program usually casts 50 students from grades 4-8, because of the limited cast size this production will be limited to older students in sixth through eighth grades.
According to Littley, “We are giving this opportunity to the older students since we are limited to half of what we normally cast. It was a difficult decision and we understand it might be disappointing to our younger students, but rest assured we will open this opportunity back up to those in grades 4-5 as soon as we are able, hopefully by the fall production.”
Tibbits Young Audiences offers programs both for and by area youth to develop their interest in the arts. Two shows yearly, a non-musical in the fall and a musical in the spring, provide students an enjoyable introduction to the world of theatre. By putting on a show, they learn teamwork, discipline, theatre skills, self confidence and an appreciation for the arts.
Auditions will be held at Tibbits Opera House, 14 South Hanchett Street, Coldwater, Mich. Students need only attend one time. Masks are required inside the theatre. For more information call 517.278.6029 or visit Tibbits.org.
Grand Haven Main Street invites the community to Build a Snowman on Main Street! Snowmen on Main Street is a new event created by Grand Haven Main Street’s promotions committee that showcases the talents of Snowman building at its finest throughout the Main Street District.
Snowmen on Main Street is a new community contest that allows you to express your snowman making talents without using snow (they do have a snowmelt system, after all)! You may enter individually or as a team. Your snowman can be made out of any type of material, though it will be displayed outside, so use weather resistant materials where possible. Your snowman can be 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional. What you create is up to you. Each snowman that is delivered to Grand Haven Main Street on February 10 will be attached to the light posts up & down Washington Avenue (Harbor to Beacon) and along 7th (Washington to Beacon).
“We are ecstatic to be welcoming a new winter event in 2021, Snowmen on Main. Community driven events like these are what bonds our local communities together and drives our Main Street businesses forward,” Grand Haven Main Street Executive Director Jeremy Swiftney stated. “Grab your materials, you and your team, get creative, and stop by to enjoy the historic main street district as the year round destination our community needs.”
The competition will begin on Saturday, Feb. 13, and run through Saturday, Feb. 20. The community is invited to come to Grand Haven Main Street throughout the week and vote for their favorite snowman.
There will be a first place Juried Award and a first place People’s Choice Award – each will win a trophy and bragging rights.
Grand Haven Main Street presents Snowmen on Main Street so…
– Choose your team
– Pick up, complete & return the registration form* by Feb. 1
– Create your vision
– Build your snowman
– Deliver your snowman to GHMS no later than 2/10 (519 Washington Avenue 9am—12noon)
Develop the skill to identify trees in their winter form from the warmth of your living room this winter. Join Dr. Danielle Zoellner of Idle Awhile Farm & Forage and the W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary online next month to learn to identify common Michigan trees and shrubs using growth form, bark, buds and twigs.
The Winter Twig Identification workshop is set for 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11, and will be held on Zoom. Participants are encouraged to bring any twigs with buds on them to identify during the workshop. Register by Saturday, Feb. 9, for the link to access the meeting.
The cost of participation is $15 for Sanctuary members, and $20 for non-members. Participants may opt to buy the recommended text, “Winter Tree Finder: A Manual for Identifying Deciduous Trees in Winter,” by May T. Watts, which is available for purchase online.
The Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, open during all four seasons, is a perfect place to practice newfound identification skills. The Sanctuary is located at 12685 East C Ave., one mile north of M-89 and just west of 40th Street. To learn more, visit birdsanctuary.kbs.msu.edu. Direct questions to birdsanctuary@kbs.msu.edu or 269-671-2510.
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal Sports Connection, we go bowling.
One of the first winter sports given permission to resume competition following pauses by the state health department and the MHSAA is bowling, with many local teams beginning as early as this week. WKTV not only plans to bring you some prep bowling coverage but, before that, WKTV sports volunteer Bill Rinderknecht spent some time with the head coaches of East Kentwood High School’s boys and girls bowling teams, talking about their sport and their teams.
WKTV volunteer host Bill Rinderknecht on WKTV Sports Sports Connection. (WKTV)
Falcons head boys coach Ed Colburn and girls head coach Todd Sellon talk about how their athletes dealt with the pause in high school athletics due to the pandemic, then being allowed to resume practice but with restrictions, and now the quick turnaround to the beginning of competition. We also got a breakdown of some of the unique rules and format for the high school game, and also a look ahead to their upcoming season.
Coach Colburn and Sellon also discuss how it is not just football and basketball players getting college scholarships.
WKTV Journal Sports Connection brings its audience interviews and stories focused on local Wyoming and Kentwood area high schools sports, both on cable television and on our on-demand and YouTube channels. Readers can catch up on all our local sports coverage by visiting wktvjournal.org/sport.
WKTV Journal Sports Connection is available on-demand, along with WKTV coverage of highs school athletic events and other sports, at WKTVlive.com. It also airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule). Individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal Sports Connection are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
Dr. Joneigh Khaldun of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, at a Jan. 22 news conference. (State of Michigan)
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Michigan High School Athletic Association, the governing body for high school sports in the state, has been dutifully working with the state health department and the governor’s office as rules and restrictions have repeatedly changed during the last 10 months.
And they will again work with the latest changes, announced Friday, Jan. 22, but they are expressing their “disappointment” both from their own scheduling and logistical standpoint, and from the expected impact on student-athletes across the state.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), in its latest directive, altered the allowed number of spectators at events such as this weekend’s prep football finals as well as delayed until at least Feb. 21 all contact sport’s full-contact practices and any possible beginning of those sports’ competitions.
Winter contact sports such as basketball, hockey, wrestling and competitive cheer currently are only allowed non-contract practice but they had been expecting to begin full-contact practice on Feb. 1 and completion later that week.
Mark Uyl, MHSAA executive director, from a previous Zoom meeting. (MHSAA)
“We found out about this decision at 9:30 a.m. (Jan. 22) like everyone else, and we will address it as quickly as possible after taking the weekend to collect more information,” Mark Uyl, MHSAA executive director, said in supplied material. “We did not anticipate this delay in winter contact practices and competition, and today’s announcement has created many new questions.
“Obviously, this is disappointing to thousands of athletes who have been training with their teams over the last week and watching teams in other states around Michigan play for the last two months.”
The latest state pandemic-related changes in rules and regulations also could have allowed more people to attend this weekend’s football finals — but news came too late for the MHSAA to alter established plans to meet now-altered MDHHS rules and regulations.
Also on Jan. 22, Gov. Whitmer and MDHHS announced that sports arenas with capacities of at least 10,000 spectators may allow up to 500 to attend events. But, the MHSAA later announced, “no additional tickets will be sold for today and Saturday’s 11-Player Football Finals at Ford Field” due to the lack of sufficient notice.
“We have been planning these Finals for weeks to include immediate family, and unfortunately this isn’t a process we can adjust midstream,” Uyl said. “Distributing more tickets would put stress on those plans and Ford Field staffing, and force schools to make more hard decisions on who will be able to attend, but at the last second instead of with prior planning.”
“No one wants to stick it to you more than the Kent County Health Department,” said the department’s public relations director Steve Kelso after a Friday afternoon press conference.
And that is fairly obvious as the press conference was to announce a new cooperative between the Health Department, Mercy Health and Spectrum Health to host a central community vaccination site. the West Michigan Vaccine Clinic, at DeVos Place, 303 Monroe Ave. NW. Scheduling is now taking place at the new location with it being open on Monday, Jan. 25.
The West Michigan Vaccine Clinic will be by appointment only. Area residents are encouraged to register by visiting wmvaccineclinic.org. For those unable to register online, they may call 833-755-0696. According to Spectrum Health Chief Operating Officer Brian Brasser, who will be overseeing the clinic, when vaccines are available, registered participants will be notified to make an appointment.
Kent County Health Director Dr. Adam London at today’s virtual press conference announcing the new West Michigan Vaccine Clinic at DeVos Place. (WKTV)
Those coming for appointments will be directed to park in the underground parking and will have the first two hours of their parking waved, which according Brasser, will be enough time for the person to go through the vaccine process.
Funded currently by the three organizations, Kent County Health Department Director Adam London said the location was chosen because it is convenient for a large number of area residents, with the organizations hoping to deliver about 20,000 vaccines a day.
Due to “kinks” in the supply chain delivery, the facility will start by administrating around 7,000 doses.
“In reality, it is always better to start out lower than your expectations to help work out the efficiency,” said Spectrum Health President Darryl Elmouchi at the press conference.
London, Elmouchi, and Mercy Health Saint Mary’s President Hyung Kim all acknowledged the frustration over getting appointments due to delivery issues. London said the Health Department will not make appointments for vaccines it does not have.
“The demand is high and we are trying to do our best,” Elmouchi said. The Kent County Health Department will administered and has scheduled 8,000 doses, according to London with plans to administer 3,000 doses about every week. Kim reported that Mercy Health has distributed 14,000 of its 15,000 vaccine doses. Spectrum Health, which is covering the southwest lake area up to Ludington, has administered about 43,000 vaccines with another 30,000 scheduled, according to Elmouchi. The population of Kent County is around 660,000.
Creating a cooperative partnership and providing a centralized location that will allow for thousands to receive the vaccine should help the West Michigan area get an increase in vaccine supply.
“This is what the state is looking for,” Elmouchi said, adding that the West Michigan Vaccine Clinic is what state officials want to help with getting as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible.
The partnership allows the three organizations to pool resources for staffing and other needs when it comes to getting people vaccinated, Kim said. The clinic also will provide a safe and comfortable environment that is dedicated to the vaccine process, London said.
Representatives for Spectrum Health and Mercy Health St. Mary stated that the West Michigan Vaccine Clinic would be in addition to current vaccine clinics being offered by those organizations. London said the Health Department plans to move its community operation to the DeVos site and focus on targeting specific or underserved areas.
London also noted that the University of Michigan Health – Metro Health will not be partnering in this project. but is focusing on offering more availability to those on the southwest side where its main facility is located.
For more information about the clinic, how to schedule an appointment or if you are eligible for the vaccine, visit wmvaccineclinic.org.
COVID-19’s impact in 2020 have led to things being pretty quiet — really quiet — at Spring Lake’s Seven Steps Up and other independent music venues in Michigan. But there is optimism for 2021. (Seven Steps Up)
In the spring of 2020, WKTV visited Spring Lake’s Seven Steps Up, one of more than a dozen West Michigan and more than 3,000 nationwide “independent” music venues, asking them how they could survive the crippling impact of COVID-19 and related government restrictions.
At the time, Michelle Hanks, who with husband Gary Hanks, own and manger Seven Steps Up, was cautiously optimist despite a total stoppage of the nation’s independent venue musical artist tours, not to mention restrictions that either limited venue attendance or shut them down completely.
“Out of crises, good things can sprout up,” she said, referring to a planned national independent venue advocacy group, to possible governmental support, and to fans of small music venues simply stepping and giving what they could give.
So, now more than six months — six hard months — later, with a new State of Michigan funded Michigan Stages Survival Grant Program now taking applications, following up on a successful GOFundMe campaign for Seven Steps Up and other support from various sources, Hanks remains optimistic despite the venue’s currently dark stage.
Michelle and Gary Hanks, owners and mangers of Seven Steps Up. (WKTV)
“As of now, we are still closed with no known opening date. Our employees are permanently furloughed. Our calendar is bare,” Hanks said this week to WKTV. But “we are cautiously optimistic that we will have regular concerts in the fall. We have many dates held and rescheduled, and the conversations are definitely increasing.”
Hanks credits the venue’s survival so far to several sources, both local and national.
“Seven Steps Up received GoFundme support in the second quarter of 2020,” she said. “We are extremely grateful for the support we received when we received it and we hope that every venue in Michigan that is eligible applies for this (Michigan Stages Survival) grant, as well as the federal Save our Stages grants.”
Seven Steps Up also received a grant through Live Music Society (livemusicsociety.org) in November 2020.
“We were one of only 20 venues in the U.S. and the only one in Michigan to receive the first round of grants,” she said. “Between the GoFundMe and this grant, we’ve been able to survive. (But) we really need the federal funding to get us past this and help us as we open our doors.”
Governmental grants and touring acts needed
The Michigan Stages Survival Grant Program will provide a total of $3.5 million in one-time grants of up to $40,000 to eligible entertainment and live music venues throughout Michigan “that have realized a significant financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and emergency declarations.”
The application window open Thursday, Jan. 21, and will close at noon on Thursday, Jan. 28. For more information on the grant, visit michiganbusiness.org/stages/. The Michigan Independent Venue and Promoter Association (MIVPA) will be responsible for accepting, reviewing and approving applications. The state will then distribute the grant funds based on the recommendation of the MIVPA.
The MIVPA is one of those small venue organizations which formed in the aftermath of the early 2020 industry shutdown. On a national level, the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) was first formed to advocate for the industry in Washington, D.C.
“The MI Stages Survival Grant Program is the result of a lot of hard work on the part of many venues involved in the Michigan Independent Venue & Promoter Association (MIVPA), a new trade association here in Michigan that came about through relationships developed through NIVA (National Independent Venue Association),” Hanks said. “These grants can be a lifeline to Michigan venues as we await for the Federal relief grant program.”
Seven Steps Up is a member of both NIVA and the MIVPA, and Hanks is one of the co-founders of the MIVPA.
But in addition to simply keeping the bills paid and awaiting the opening of venue doors, Seven Steps Up and other venues still need a regular schedule of touring acts.
A full house at an undated concert at Seven Steps Up in Spring Lake. (Seven Steps Up)
“One of the things that is a challenge for us, and for other small venues like us, is we can’t just bring our employees back for one show,” she said in the initial interview last year. “We have to be able to get up and do a regular number os shows for it to make any kinds of sense for anyone.”
Seven Steps Up usually has 7-to-9 part-time employees for 132-seat sold-out shows.
“I think we may get an opportunity for some sporadic shows earlier in the year, but don’t think we will see regular concerts and tours before (fall),” Hanks said. “So much depends upon what is happening with the roll out of the vaccine, COVID cases, etc. I feel really good about the fall, and am hopeful for anything earlier.
“I think the entire industry is simply waiting to feel safe. If we open our doors and people don’t feel safe to come inside to enjoy the concert or artists don’t feel safe to travel, we won’t see this industry restart. … Hopefully, the vaccine will allow this to happen within the next few months.”
For more information on the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) visit their FaceBook page here. For more information on Michigan Independent Venue & Promoter Association (MIVPA), visit its Facebook page here. For more information on Seven Steps Up, located at 116 S. Jackson., Spring Lake, visit sevenstepsup.com.
There are lots of incredible businesses and restaurants right in our own backyard which is why WKTV has partnered with the Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce to bring this series focused on businesses right here in the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming.
Starting the series is Tomato Pie. which was recently purchased Chef Joseff VanHorn, owner of YoChef’s Catering Company and YoChef’s Café.
Name: Tomato Pie, 5301 S. Divison Ave.
What is your business?
A restaurant serving wood fired thin Napoli-style pizza, with a wonderful bubbly crust. Combining high quality ingredients with unique flavor combinations. Also serving hot subs and specialty salads.
How long has your business been operating?
I took over the pizza business November 16, 2020 from Sam D’Angelo (open a total of 18 months)
How did your business get started?
Sam D’Angelo had a vision of what pizza should be (hand tossed dough made from scratch and a red sauce that was made from scratch but not too sweet. Sam & I have been friends for years and in the middle of 2020 we both had to make a move. Catering was at an all time low for me and Sam needed someone he could trust to keep his vision alive and take it to the next level! I excepted the challenge and have been using my 30-plus years of operating many kitchens to bring Tomato Pie to the next level.
Chef Joseff VanHorn just put a wood fire pizza into the oven. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
Why did you decide to locate your business in the Wyoming/Kentwood area?
Sam owned a car lot on which the new building stands. I have another business in Kentwood – YoChef’s Catering Company & YoChef’s Café so it was a perfect fit to be located right around the corner.
What has been the greatest challenge for your business?
Keeping our business open during 2020. COVID-19 and all the rules and regulations that have affected the hospitality business has made it almost impossible to stay open.
Tomato Pie’s Crazy Greek features fresh spinach, roast artichokes, red onion, roasted red pepper, feta, mozzarella and Kalamata olives. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
What is the most popular product/item at your business/restaurant?
Specialty pizzas that you can’t find anywhere else separate us from the standard pizza place. We slice to order a lot of specialty meats and cheeses to make your pizza just the way you like it. People have told us the Margherita, four cheese, & aged prosciutto pizza are the best in town.
What is a Wyoming/Kentwood business you like to visit during your free time?
I have not had much free time. Mostly my away time is spent shopping for local products, meats and cheeses. I really enjoy Lee’s Market for Asian and the Mediterranean Island Market for the hard to find specialty meats and cheese like Suho Meso and Sudeka (smoked beef products).
Hopes for 2021:
We hope to get Tomato Pie open and profitable where people enjoy dine-in or take out food for lunch or dinner. You can not tell from the street but when you walk inside Tomato Pie it is a GREAT place to dine-in. We have an open kitchen where guests can see us toss the dough by hand in the air and make their lunch/diner right in front of them. It is all about the show!
In honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Wednesday, Jan. 27, WKTV will be showcasing three documentaries featuring stories of Jewish families who lived in Germany and surrounding countries during the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis.
The day, established by the United Nations General, is the liberation anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, where between 1.1 to 1.5 million people, most of them Jewish, died. On the annual day of commemoration, the UN encourages people to honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and millions of other victims of Nazism and to develop educational programs to help prevent future genocides.
“The Locket” will air at 1 p.m. on Jan. 27.
At noon, WKTV will be airing “Scattered Seeds.” This film tells the story of two Holocaust survivors who were hidden in Nazi-ruled Europe for several years until they migrated to the United States. Family and friends of these hidden children sacrificed their own fates in hope that one day they would get to live fruitful lives.
Following at 1 p.m., will be the documentary “The Locket.” Director Margaret Bilinsky relates the experiences of her family in Nazi Germany in the 1930s. A locket that belonged to an aunt who was killed in the Holocaust serves as a physical reminder of those who did not survive.
At 1:30 p.m., WKTV will air “Hidden Treasures,” a documentary that tells the story of five families and their efforts to smuggle family heirlooms and hidden treasures out of Germany and Poland during World War II.
All three documentaries may be seen on WKTV Channel 25 or can be live streamed at WKTV.org.
By Officer Jenni Eby Wyoming’s Department of Public Safety
Rhis week’s Traffic Tuesday question was about snow plows. Do you know what year the first snowplow designed to be used with motor equipment built?
A flyer from the Good Roads Machinery Company which is unofficially credited with creating the first snowplow.
A. 1898
B. 1905
C. 1913
D. 1920
The answer is 1913. in New York City. The Good Roads Machinery Company is unofficially credited with creating the first snowplow for the very specific standards of the New York City Cleaning Bureau.
“It was nice to see all the people walking around,” wrote a Facebook friend as we discussed visiting downtown Grand Rapids to see the World of Winter Festival.
Hosted by Downtown Grand Rapids, Inc. (DGRI) and the City of Grand Rapids, the annual event is designed to encourage area residents to get out and enjoy the winter weather. Wanting to make the event special, especially with everyone dealing with the pandemic, the city’s DDA added to its initial $150,000 contribution with an additional $155,000 to expand the festival. This allow organizers to increase the number of outdoor sculptures .
The festival runs through the end of February with different activities and sculpture pieces being installed.
“HYBYCOZO” is on display at Ah-Nab-Awen Park. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
Currently on display is “HYBYCOZO,” a series of large-scale installations and artworks that investigate geometric exploration and patterns through light, shadow, and perception. The piece is located at Ah-Nab-Awen Park, which is in front of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, 303 Pearl St. NW.
Between the Blue Bridge and Pearl Street will be “Grand Illuminations” featuring light and color along the Grand River.
“Winter Tumbleweeds and Grasses,” on the Blue Bridge, is an interactive art installation made out of more than 5,000 pool noodles. The installation features five large tumbleweeds, three small tumbleweeds and for groves and two anemones.
Near the Grand Rapids Public Museum, 272 Pearl St. NW, is the “Path of Encouragement,” which features positive saying and messages such as “It’s OK to no be OK.”
“Path of Encouragement” is located near the Grand Rapids Public Museum. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
Look to the sky to see the 20-foot inflatable dancing tube persons on top of 10 buildings throughout downtown Grand Rapids. Part of the “Color the Skyline,” the bright colorful characters can be seen from the downtown sidewalks as well as from US-131 and I-196.
Being added on Friday is “Impulse,” an interactive art installation that consists of 15 seesaws that light up and create sound when put into motion by people. “Impulse” is located on Monroe. At Canal Park is “The Singing Tree,” a lighting experience that transforms traditional displays into interactive experiences. Participants will be able to sing, clap, or yell to create an unforgettable and magical experience.
Another installation, set to run Jan. 29 – Feb. 2 is the “Ice Luminaries.” Featuring 10 giant icicles with lights frozen in the center, the Ice Luminaries will light the way along the Gillett Bridge located near Ah-Nab-Awen Park.
“Winter Tumbleweeds and Grasses” on the Blue Bridge. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
On Feb. 1, the “Elevated Love Language” project, led by Grand Rapids Poet Laureate Ericka “Key Kane” Thompson, will be installed. In this exhibit, short poetic expressions from local artists will be placed on billboards or projected onto buildings throughout the city.
Also in February, every Saturday and Sunday night, will be “Projection Mapping” by Live Space, which will light up the front of the Civic Auditorium, located on Lyon Square across from the Amway Grand Plaza.
More than 80 ice sculptures will be part of the Valent-ICE, which will take place Feb. 12 – 14. Grand Rapids Running Tours will be offering Ice Sculpture Walking Tours and self-guided tours also will be available.
Many of the past group experiences will not be taking place at this year’s event, however DGRI is planning to live-streaming dance performances at two installations. Also during the six-week event, there will be walking tours such as The Chilly Challenge: the Heartside Walking Tours and Black History Walking Tours as well as pop-up performances, tribal storytelling, outdoor ice games, and a scavenger hunt.
Every year, Mackinac State Historic Parks sends historic interpreters into classrooms throughout the state to share the diverse historic and natural history of the straits area with the students of Michigan. Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, in-classroom outreach has been suspended. However, Mackinac State Historic Parks is excited to debut its lineup of six virtual offerings, headlined by the award-winning Historic Mackinac on Tour program.
“Our new online education programs allow us to reach students across the state, regardless of whether they are learning in the classroom or at home,” said Mackinac State Historic Parks’ Chief Curator Craig Wilson. “Additionally, our new programs significantly broaden the scope of MSHP’s educational offerings, allowing us to address a variety of curriculum standards across multiple grade levels.”
All programs will be offered via Zoom, allowing for students to interact with the historic interpreters. Programs cost $20 each and can be booked fully online. Programs available for the 2020-21 school year include: Historic Mackinac on Tour, Slavery in Colonial Michigan, Women at Michilimackinac, The Revolutionary War in Michigan, Weathering the Climate: Science and Gardening at Michilimackinac, and Challenges to Expansion: The War of 1812 in Michigan. Full descriptions and availability of each program can be found at mackinacparks.com/education.
Historian Craig Wilson talks about the Old Mackinaw Point Lighthouse. (Mackinac State Parks)
Mackinac State Historic Parks’ education outreach programs are made possible, in part, by the generosity of Mackinac Associates, the friends group to MSHP.
Mackinac State Historic Parks, a family of living history museums and parks in northern Michigan’s Straits of Mackinac, is an agency within the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Its sites—which are accredited by the American Alliance of Museums—include Fort Mackinac, Biddle House, Historic Downtown Mackinac, The Richard and Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum, and Mackinac Island State Park on Mackinac Island, and Colonial Michilimackinac, Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse, Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park, and Michilimackinac State Park in Mackinaw City. Mackinac State Historic Parks is governed by the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, established in 1895 to protect, preserve and present the parks’ rich historic and natural resources for the education and recreation of future generations. Visitor information is available at (231) 436-4100 or online
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) and Grand Valley State University announced today that the annual Roger That! conference and event is returning on Friday, Feb. 19, and Saturday, Feb. 20. Roger That! celebrates space exploration and the life of Grand Rapids native, Roger B. Chaffee, with a multi-day virtual experience, hosted by both organizations.
“The Museum is thrilled to partner with GVSU for the fifth year to celebrate the life of Roger B. Chaffee and space exploration through a series of free public events,” said Rob Schuitema, the GRPM’s Director of Public Programs. “Although the celebration is virtual this year, attendees are going to be fully engaged and intrigued by the incredible lineup of guest speakers and presentations that address space, science, art and more.”
GVSU will host a virtual academic conference consisting of a diverse lineup of panelists including meteor scientists, engineers, artists, experts on virtual reality, physicists, space collection curators and astronauts. Registration required. For more information on GVSU’s guest lecture lineup, schedule and to register, visit gvsu.edu/rogerthat.
Roger Chaffee died with his fellow astronauts in a training exercise. (Grand Rapids Public Museum)
“Going virtual has allowed us to include speakers from around the country and around the world (Australia and Vatican City) and will also allow conference participants to tune in from everywhere,” said Deana Weibel, event co-organizer and GVSU professor of anthropology. “For instance, we have a visual effects panel composed of Hugo, Emmy and Oscar awardees. Since this year’s event is virtual, we felt it was important to include discussion from members of an industry that helps take us where we can’t be.”
Public events hosted as part of Roger That! include a livestream of a 1925 sci-fi silent film “Our Heavenly Bodies,” accompanied by the acoustics of the GRPM’s Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ; a webinar led by Dr. Brent Bos, who is a West Michigan native and NASA scientist; and a science fiction panel discussion featuring Hollywood special effects artists. To learn more about public presentations taking place as part of Roger That! visit grpm.org/RogerThat.
Public Virtual Events
The GRPM will kick off its public celebration on Friday, February 19 at 7:30 p.m. with a special virtual presentation of the 1925 sci-fi German silent film, “Our Heavenly Bodies,” accompanied by the dynamic sounds of the 1928 Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ. This performance will be live streamed from the GRPM’s Meijer Theater and will be available to watch via a Zoom link. Tickets are free, but must be reserved in advance due to limited spots. Tickets are available by visiting grpm.org/RogerThat.
On Saturday, Feb. 20, at noon Dr. Brent Bos, West Michigan native, senior research physicist at NASA Goddard Flight Center, and camera operator of the OSIRIS-REx asteroid mission, will host a webinar titled Bombshells at Bennu: Revelations from NASA’s First Asteroid Sample Return Mission. This webinar will be live streamed from the GRPM’s Meijer Theater and will be available to watch via a Zoom link. Tickets are free, but must be reserved in advance due to limited spots. Tickets are available by visiting grpm.org/RogerThat.
The celebration will conclude with a panel discussion, Art and Special Effects in Science Fiction, on February 20, starting at 3 p.m. The panel will be led by four Hollywood special effects artists: Vincent Di Fate, Ron Miller, Robert Skotak and Rick Sternbach. This group of artists have produced Oscar, Emmy and Hugo winning achievements, and will discuss the role of art in science fiction, while focusing on the introduction of special effects in silent films. The panelists will reflect on Friday’s silent film of “Our Heavenly Bodies” as well as share their own stories, experiences and artwork. Q and A will follow. The panel discussion will be available to watch via a Zoom link. Tickets are free, but must be reserved in advance due to limited spots. Register at gvsu.edu/rogerthat.
Visitors are encouraged to continue celebrating space exploration by visiting the GRPM’s Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium, which features a new show Incoming! that explores asteroids, comets and meteors. A live show, created by the GRPM, will accompany the movie portion of Incoming! in partnership with NASA scientist Brent Bos. In addition to the show, the GRPM also partnered with Brent Bos and created a set of new interactive experiences outside of the Chaffee Planetarium. These include a lunar crater station, meteors under a microscope and a meteor pinball machine.
The Planetarium lobby also features an exhibit with Roger B. Chaffee related artifacts that tell a detailed story of his life.
The GRPM is open during regular business hours with capacity limits. Advance tickets are required for entry. Planetarium lobby interactives and displays are included with general admission. Planetarium shows are an additional cost and can be purchased at grpm.org/planetarium.
Roger B. Chaffee and the Apollo Tragedy
On Jan. 27, 1967, tragedy struck NASA’s Apollo program when a flash fire occurred in command module 012 during a launch pad test of the Apollo/Saturn space vehicle being prepared for the first piloted flight, the AS-204 mission. Three astronauts, Lt. Col. Virgil I. Grissom, a veteran of Mercury and Gemini missions; Lt. Col. Edward H. White, the astronaut who had performed the first United States extravehicular activity during the Gemini program; and Grand Rapids Native Roger B. Chaffee, an astronaut preparing for his first spaceflight, died in this tragic accident. The Grand Rapids Public Museum renamed its planetarium to the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium the same year. The Planetarium was originally opened in 1994 and has gone through renovations to provide the best experience for Planetarium visitors.
Roger B. Chaffee, born in Grand Rapids, MI, was an American naval officer and aviator, aeronautical engineer, and NASA astronaut in the Apollo program.
With winter weather, snowplow trucks are very visible this time of year. (WKTV)
By Officer Jenni Eby Wyoming Department of Public Safety
After a holiday break, the Traffic Tuesday is back and this week, in honor of the winter weather, it features a piece of snowplow trivia. Many of us have come to depend on our snowplow trucks to clear on streets. These trucks are operated by the city’s Department of Public Works.
For this week’s Traffic Tuesday question, do you know what year the first snowplow designed to be used with motor equipment built?
Next time you pass by the intersection of 36th Street and South Division, try to imagine this one room school house that once occupied the northeast corner for many decades. As the local population grew in the mid 1800s, there soon was a demand for a new schoolhouse. The brick building was constructed in 1867 and stood until 1924. Hand pumped water, a wood burning stove, and outdoor toilet facilities were the standard accommodations during its operation. The first school teacher employed was Charley Howard, making a dollar a day. At the time of its construction, railroad transportation was just starting to develop in Michigan. What is now Division Avenue was then an unpaved road that served as a high-trafficked main highway linking Grand Rapids with areas to the south.
This photo is part of the Wyoming Historical Commission collection. If you have photos or memorabilia of the City of Wyoming and would like to share it with the historical commission, email wyominghistoryroom@yahoo.com.
St. Cecilia Music Center’s Acoustic Café Folk Series is usually one of the West Michigan winter season’s entertainment musts — if you don’t remember Rosanne Cash’s visit just before the March 2020 pandemic shutdown, you missed out. Whether it is straight folk, Americana or alt-something or another, the series offers something for every acoustic taste.
So, while St. Cecilia’s continues to be empty of live audience, for awhile longer anyway, it is continuing a series of virtual folk and blues concerts to begin 2021 including many West Michigan artists free for the viewing and listening.
Ralston Bowles in concert. (By Jamie Geysbeek/Supplied)
The first of the free concerts will be this week, when Ralston Bowles and Michael Crittenden hit the Royce Auditorium stage Thursday, Jan. 21, for a 7 p.m., performance streaming free of charge on St. Cecilia’s Facebook and YouTube channels, and accessed through scmc-online.org.
The Michigan Folk and Blues Virtual Series 2021, continuing the partnership between St. Cecilia and the Acoustic Café radio show and its host Rob Reinhart, will stretch into April.
The other free virtual concerts include the King Biscuit Trio on Feb. 18; Rachel Davis and Dominic John Davis on March 25 (from their current home in Nashville); and Jen Sygit and Josh Rose on April 8 and back from the Royce Auditorium stage.
When Ralston Bowles and Michael Crittenden take the stage this week, audiences will tune into two of Grand Rapids best known folk musicians as they share the stage (but not at the same time for safety reasons) for a night of great music making and storytelling.
Bowles, often called “the ambassador of West Michigan music,” is an award-winning folk and Americana singer-songwriter who has released several critically acclaimed albums — including “Carwreck Conversations” and “Rally at the Texas Hotel” – and, according to supplied material, has toured the United States and Europe, sharing stages with the likes of Bob Dylan, Shawn Colvin and Arlo Guthrie.
Michael Crittenden. (Supplied/SCMC)
Crittenden is an award-winning producer, songwriter and performer — not to mention founder and frontman for folk-rock’s Troll for Trout. He is not only a producer, player, studio owner and musical collaborator, but has been a key figure in the songwriting contest part of the ArtPrize competition as well as the Mackinac Island Songwriter’s Workshop.
In addition to the free local artist folk series concerts, St. Cecilia will also offer two “ticketed” and one free concerts by national and international artists including Mariza Sings Amália, to be live streamed on Jan. 29 (with tickets costing $40 with a 48-hour viewing window); Judy Collins on Feb. 12 (also $40 with 48-hour window); and Kat Edmonson on March 4 in a free concert also available on St. Cecilia’s Facebook and YouTube channel.
As an added attraction, Edmonson will be doing an interview with Rob Reinhart, host the Acoustic Café radio show.
For a complete list of all virtual concerts offered by St. Cecilia for home viewing, see scmc-online.org/virtual/.
The 6th Annual Jeep the Mac event will return to its original weekend in late April for 2021 (April 23-25) in St. Ignace and Drummond Island. This annual event draws Jeep enthusiasts from around the Midwest to participate in Jeep activities in the Eastern Upper Peninsula including a group ride across the Mackinac Bridge, ferry passes to Drummond Island for a Saturday trail riding (including access to Turtle Ridge Off-road Park), optional street cruises with discounts at designated stops, commemorative gifts and posters, and lots of vendors and sponsors selling Jeep products. Registration for this event is now open. Register and find more details here: https://stignace.com/event/jeep-the-mac/
“2020 was a difficult year for all of us and we are excited to hit the ground running and fill up our calendars mindfully with safety-oriented events when it is safe to do so,” said St. Ignace Visitors Bureau events director Quincy Ranville, “One of the beauties of the outdoor events in St. Ignace like Jeep the Mac is that remaining socially distant and vigilant while also having fun is easily done.”
2021 will also feature the return of Murray’s Midnight Moose Run which was an unexpected activity and hugely popular hit in 2020. A sponsored award ceremony will also be new this year.
“Having worked with St. Ignace as on the St. Ignace Car Show and Jeep the Mac in past years, I’m excited to really bolster the event this year with more sponsors, vendors, and corporate representation,” says St. Ignace Visitors Bureau brand ambassador Murray Pfaff, “this is such a unique event that has the potential to be record breaking.”
Jeep the Mac 2020 was pushed back to October due to the pandemic, and was extremely popular, so stay tuned for more info regarding a second Jeep event this fall (October 1-3), with St. Ignace and Drummond Island teaming up again for another fun filled weekend.
Wyoming and Kentwood small businesses unpacked by COCID-19 — like Kentwood’s Daniele’s Pizzeria, show here in December 2020 — have the opportunity to apply for a new state emergency funding program. (City of Kentwood)
From the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, to the regional business advocate The Right Place, to the Governor, small businesses severely impacted by COVID-19 and related governmental restrictions are being urged — strongly urged — to waste no time in applying for the Michigan Small Business Survival Grant Program.
The $55 million grant program, signed into law late last year but approved for funding by the Michigan Strategic Fund last week, is open for businesses to apply starting today, Jan. 19, but closing at noon Friday. Jan. 22.
According to a statement from the local chamber of commerce, “the $55 million Michigan Small Business Survival Grant program (is designed) to meet the urgent need of Michigan small businesses that have experienced a significant financial hardship” due to the recent COVID-19 emergency “gatherings and face mask orders” and those orders either forcing the closing a small business or the significant reduction in revenue.
“Grants of up to $20,000 will be awarded to businesses that are fully closed, with grants of up to $15,000 awarded to businesses that have been partially closed, or otherwise are open and can demonstrate an impact,” Bob O’Callaghan, president/CEO of the Chamber, said in the statement. “All applications received during this period will be reviewed and scored according to predetermined criteria. Funding is not first come, first serve.”
The Grand Rapids based economic development organization (EDO) The Right Place, Inc., is assisting the state’s Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) in facilitating grants to businesses in 11 West Michigan counties affected by COVID-19.
According to a statement from The Right Place, it will be coordinating the distribution of $5.25 million to business applicants from Kent, Barry, Ionia, Mason, Mecosta, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana and Osceola counties.
“West Michigan’s small businesses continue to be critically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Birgit Klohs, president and CEO of The Right Place, Inc., said in supplied material. “As we approach nearly a year of navigating this pandemic the demand for assistance remains high, and the Survival Grants will offer a needed financial lifeline to small business throughout our region.”
According to The Right Place statement, businesses must meet eligibility requirements including having had 1 to 100 employees (including full-time, part-time and owner/employees) on a worldwide basis on Nov. 17, 2020; be in an industry that demonstrates it is affected by the DHHS epidemic orders; needs working capital to support payroll expenses, rent, mortgage payments, utility expenses, or other similar expenses; and can demonstrate an income loss as a result of the state health orders “as determined by the EDO in which an eligible business is located” — for local businesses, The Right Place.
Local small businesses, to qualify, also must not be a live music and entertainment venue that is eligible for the separate Michigan Stage Survival Grant Program.
(The $3.5 million Michigan Stages Survival Grant Program will provide up to $40,000 in one-time grants to eligible Michigan live music and entertainment venues that have experienced a significant financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information visit michiganbusiness.org/stages/.)
“The Michigan Small Business Survival Grants Program will help small businesses throughout Michigan hardest hit by the impact of COVID-19, especially as they continue to experience additional strain in the winter months,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in supplied material. “This program provides a significant opportunity to address the immediate needs of these businesses, and I strongly encourage all eligible businesses to apply for assistance.”
The state also advises applicants that an electronic queue system will also be in effect with businesses entering the queue prior to entry into the application. Businesses will be able to sign up to receive an alert when they have reached the front of the queue with 15 minutes to start the application once they have been notified that they have reached the front of the queue.
If there was a word for 2020 it would be collaboration, said Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll as he presented his 12th State of the City address at the City Council’s Jan. 18 meeting.
Through the annual address, Poll reflects on the past year while taking a look at the future.
“We did not see 2020 coming,” Poll said. “No one did.”
But despite the challenges faced by many, the residents of the City of Wyoming came together to help each other.
“Our community stepped up together,” he said. “I could spend an entire evening highlighting the ways in which we worked collaboratively to overcome challenges and create a brighter future for all who live, work and play here in Wyoming.”
As the state went into lockdown, businesses were forced to close their doors — some permanently — and employees who could worked remotely did. But cities like Wyoming, Poll noted, are not able to shutdown and the Wyoming City staff “without missing a beat” developed a response plan to ensure the safety of residents, business, and visitors.
Due to social distancing, many activities did not take place and others were moved to virtual. More than 2,400 people participated in virtual programs, Poll said, adding that the Wyoming Senior Center staff has worked with Senior Meals on Wheels to prove more than 6,800 senior meals and in a drive-thru format for personal care items.
Poll noted a number of other successes:
More than 78 percent of the residents self-responded to the U.S. Census, which was nearly a six percent increase over the 2010 U.S. Census. Through in-person follow-up, the city had a 100 percent participation once the 2020 U.S. Census was completed.
At the November presidential election, 65 percent of the registered voters in Wyoming cast ballots with more than half of these ballots being absentee. That is a 420 percent increase in absentee voting over the last presidential election.
The city’s Department of Public Works added more than a mile of new waterman in two separate projects and repaired more than 40 waterman breaks including repairng a major water transmission line in just nine days so that more than 230,000 West Michigan residents could receive clean water.
One of the highlights for 2020 was the grand re-opening of Ideal Park. (WKTV)
In 2020, the city issued more than 580 building permits at a value of more than $105 million in construction.
The Wyoming Planning Commission reviewed more than 40 projects such as the new residential development with multiple buildings to businesses near Burlingame and 60th Street and another new resident developments that included the addition of single family, multi-family and dedicated senior living homes.
Restoration of the Burlingame water tanks
More than 14 miles of streets were resurfaced.
The city celebrated the grand re-opening of Ideal Park and began construction work to improve Jackson Park.
The city invested more than $663,000 in Community Block Grant funding with more than $140,000 spent on housing rehabilitation programs and support services and $79,000 spent on additional public services to prevent homelessness.
The Wyoming Housing Commission participated in a venture with developers to help complete applications to the Michigan State Housing Development Authority which lead to the Housing Commission passing eight resolutions to help increase affordable housing options in Wyoming.
The Department of Public Safety assisted the City of Grand Rapids during several protests. The police responded to 28,500 calls for service and fire responded to about 6,500 calls for service in 2020. Public Safety also responded to 900 calls for confirmed or suspected cases of COVID.
As the city looks toward the future, Poll said the city will have to consider how to maintain its current financial stability.
“Today, our city is in a solid financial place, but we cannot rest on those laurels nor rely on this to continue to grow,” Poll said. “We have to anticipate our future growth and the corresponding future needs of our community.”
Wyoming must continue to address its community needs, such as the staffing of the Department of Public Safety which is understaffed compared to other similar sized communities, Poll said.
“The council and I will be working with city staff to evaluate financial options we hope to bring to residents for review in the coming months,” Poll said.
The city expects to see more development of 28 West in 2021. (WKTV)
Poll said there are many exciting events set to take place in 2021:
The hiring of the city’s next deputy city manager
Working with local developers and continuing to identify the right tenant for the Site 36 property.
Additional retail development along 28 West as the city welcomes nearly 400 new residential units on the site for the former Studio 28
Approving the city’s new master plan
Continuing to work with the cities of Kentwood and Grand Rapids and The Rapid in the Division United study to help the growth of the Division Avenue corridor.
Poll encouraged residents to get involved and mentioned that there were openings on several of the city’s boards and commissions such as development, community enrichment and others.
“Let’s make 2021 a year where we ll are commit to be involved and be informed,” Poll said.
Local high school basketball is a huge step closer to hitting the floor. (Photo from previous year game televised by WKTV with East Kentwood High School’s boys basketball team at Wyoming.)
When high school sports teams including football and volleyball were allowed to begin competition early this month after following extensive COVID-19 rapid testing protocols, not only were those sports given a chance to finish their season but winter sports including basketball could see a path ahead for their restart of practice and competition.
The antigen rapid test results — which showed more than a 99 percent non-infection rate among the student athletes as of last week — were seen as a success by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA).
And last week, both state officials and the MHSAA moved forward with plans to lift all restrictions on non-contact winter sports such as bowling and gymnastics, and began easing of restrictions even on contact sports, many local high school basketball teams began “non-contact” practices this last weekend and they are shooting for a beginning of February start to their seasons.
“We have shown with our remaining fall sports this month that our schools can participate safely, and we’re confident teams will continue to take all the appropriate precautions as we jump back into indoor winter activities,” MHSAA executive director Mark Uyl said last week in supplied material.
And the success of the rapid testing pilot program with the fall sports was a key factor in the continuing opening of high school athletics.
Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 rapid test. (Abbott)
According to numbers supplied by the MDHHS on Friday, and of Jan. 15, the antigen test results (which included multiple tests of same individuals) there were 25,601 total tests with 25,533 negative (99.73 percent) and only 69 positive (0.27 percent).
“Overall, schools have deemed this testing pilot a success that has allowed close to 7,000 student-athletes and staff to safely compete in high school athletics,” Bob Wheaton, spokesperson for the MDHHS, said to WKTV Jan. 15. “More than 99 percent of the tests were negative, however, testing allowed the department to find dozens of positive COVID-19 cases among student-athletes.”
One local school which participated in the testing pilot program was the Grand Rapids South Christian High School football team, which was able to finish their season on the field on Jan. 9 after beginning testing beginning just after New Years Day.
“The MHSAA and the MDHHS have clearly outlined their expectations and have given very sound guidance on the process so we are ready to begin the testing,” South Christian athletic director David Kool said to WKTV at the time testing began.
And that success was good news to local basketball coaches, including Wyoming High School’s head boys basketball coach Thom Vander Klay.
“We are so excited to get back in the gym go to work,” Vander Klay said to WKTV. “We could only see them via remote media using zoom meetings. The kids could not use school facilities either so we are a bit behind. … (But) even with masks and non-contact we will make up a lot of time, being to install our fundamentals and schemes.”
Vander Klay also said that at this point he is not sure if his team will need to work within the same rapid testing protocol or not, but “regardless of what the mandates are as long as we can practice and work on our game we will have plenty to do” in preparation for a scheduled Feb. 4 opening against South Christian.
MHSAA acts as state health department eases restrictions
The MDHHS updated its epidemic order last week to allow re-opening of additional activities including indoor group exercise and non-contact sports — with non-contact practice for contact sports such as basketball also allowed. The new order will last until Jan. 31, according to the MDHHS statement.
Currently, basketball, hockey and wrestling are allowed to practice but not allowed to have competition, while other winter sport include girls gymnastics, girls and boys bowling, and girls and boys swimming and diving are allowed to begin competition.
Masks will be required of all participants of the three sports now allowed competition “except when they are actively participating in gymnastics and swimming & diving,” according to the MHSAA statement. Spectators will be limited to 100 persons in school gyms or 250 in stadiums and arenas, “per MDHHS orders” in place.
“We are glad to have three more sports join skiing in returning to full activity, but we understand the disappointment and frustration on the part of our athletes and coaches whose sports are not yet able to restart completely,” MHSAA’s Uyl said. “We will continue to adjust schedules to provide all of our winter teams as substantial an experience this season as possible, as part of our greater plan this school year to play all three seasons to conclusion.”
Additionally, spring sports teams and fall teams not participating in the MDHHS rapid testing pilot program may begin four-player workouts and resume conditioning but only with non-contact activities.
“We are reopening cautiously because caution is working to save lives,” MDHHS director Robert Gordon said in supplied material. “The new order allows group exercise and non-contact sports, always with masks and social distancing, because in the winter it’s not as easy to get out and exercise and physical activity is important for physical and mental health.”
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced today, Jan. 16, the first confirmed case of the new COVID-19 variant, “B.1.1.7.”, in an adult female living in Washtenaw County and identified by the MDHHS Bureau of Laboratories.
According to the MDHHS statement, the person recently traveled to the United Kingdom, where this variant is thought to have originated.
“Close contacts of this individual have been identified and are in quarantine,” according to the statement. “At this time two new cases have been identified from close contacts with the person, but it is not known if they are infected with the variant.”
B.1.1.7. is believed to be more contagious, and a higher rate of transmission could increase the number of people who need to be hospitalized or who lose their lives to COVID-19 should the new variant begin circulating widely in Michigan. To date, the virus has been identified in at least 16 other states and jurisdictions in the U.S.
“The discovery of this variant in Michigan is concerning, but not unexpected,” Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health at MDHHS, said in supplied material. “We all have a personal responsibility to slow the spread of COVID-19 and end this pandemic as quickly as possible.”
Based on available evidence, current tests and vaccines for COVID-19 also work against this new variant, according to the MDHHS statement. Protective actions that prevent the spread of COVID-19 will also prevent the spread of the new variant, B.1.1.7.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Still Spreading Joy
The City of Holland recently announced that it would keep its holiday lights up through March, extending the cheer through the winter months. The lights are up through downtown Holland so that walkers and runners have the opportunity to enjoy them.
Build It and They Feel Welcomed
The Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park hosted a soft opening this week for its new entranceway. Those who visit the Gardens will now enter through the new Welcome Center, which is comprised of two levels, the Main Level and the lower Courtyard Level. The Main Level features the new entryway, Ram’s Garden, ticketing center and expanded coat room, restrooms, and mobility center as well as other features. The library, archives, indoor eating area and the new Mimi’s Garden are located in the Courtyard Level.
Remembering a Leader
On Monday, Jan. 18, the nation will celebrate the life and contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Locally, two organizations, Grand Valley State University and the Muskegon Museum of Art, will be hosting virtual events. At 6:30 p.m. Jan. 18, GVSU will host a Zoom webinar with White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor who will discuss the Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. On Jan. 18, the Muskegon Museum of Art will offer an online art activity, film list for adults and an African-American art highlight as part of its Virtual MLK Day Celebration. As its 2021 MLK Community Service project, the City of Kentwood is collecting food and nonperishable items for its Little Free Pantry. Items can be dropped off at several locations such as Kentwood City Hall, KDL Kentwood Branch, and the Kentwood Activities Center.
Godwin Heights High School’s girls basketball team in action against Wyoming Tri-unity Christian on Jan. 7, 2020. (WKTV)
The Blizzard and Basketball
While we wait for the high school basketball season to start, how about a history lesson? Recently Google honored James Naismith, the man who invented basketball. According to the only surviving recording of Naismith, the idea for the game came about when he was a physical education teacher for what is now Springfield College in Massachusetts. After a blizzard had covered the area eliminating outdoor activities, Naismith said he was looking for a way to help the students burn off some excess energy. One day, after practice, he came up with the idea of nailing two peach baskets to the opposite ends of the gym, dividing the students into two teams of nine, and told them the object was to get the ball into the other team’s basket. This was the start of one of the U.S.’s most popular winter games.
Wyoming City Mayor Jack Poll is set to give his State of the City address at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 18.
Mayor Jack Poll is set to present his State of the City address on Monday. (WKTV)
Poll will be presenting his address during the city’s Council Meeting, which can be viewed on WKTV Channel 26 or livestreamed on WKTV.org or the WKTV Community Media Facebook page.
The annual State of the City address will reflect on the past year while taking a look at the future.
As part of its Martin Luther King Jr. Day community service project, the city will be collecting donations for its Little Free Pantry locations. (Supplied)
In 2017, four city residents and staff sat around a table discussing possible ideas they could incorporate for Kentwood’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day’s community service project.
“It was [Kentwood Commissioner] Betsy Artz, [resident] Jessica Ann Tyson, [Kentwood Parks and Recreation] Laura Barbrick and I talking about having this Little Free Pantry,” said Kentwood Parks and Recreation Director Val Romeo. “We thought let’s try it. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.”
So the city established its first Free Little Pantry at the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE.
“I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined it being used as much as it has been,” Romeo said.
Fast forward four years and for its 2021 Martin Luther King Jr. community service project, the city will be collecting food and non-perishable items for its Free Little Pantry at the activities center and its new second location at the KDL Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Rd. SE.
“When the center was under construction, we moved the pantry to the library,” Romeo said. “We were pleased to see how much the pantry was being used.”
Because of the usage and the fact that it would serve the other side of the city , it was decided to locate a second pantry at the library, she said. An anonymous donation was received to help get the library pantry started.
“Kentwood is a compassionate, giving community that celebrates neighbors helping neighbors, especially in times of need,” Mayor Stephen Kepley said. “We’re asking the community to come together to help us launch a second Little Free Pantry to increase access to food assistance, which has been a growing issue compounded by the pandemic. If you can, please donate non-perishable items this month and consider becoming a year-round partner so we provide a more sustainable resource for those experiencing food insecurity.”
With the pandemic, the Kent County area has seen an increased need for food and other non-perishable items such as toilet paper. According to Feeding America West Michigan, there are about 300,000 people in need. It would take more than 49 million meals to fill this need. In 2019, agency and its partners were able to supply about 21 million meals in 2019.
Romeo said the Kentwood Parks and Recreation staff also have seen an increased use at its Little Free Pantry.
“There are so many people who are experiencing [food insecurities] for the first time,” she said. “ I think the pantry makes it easier for them because we don’t take down any information or ask anything of them. They can just come in and take what they need.”
Started in Arkansas with the motto “Neighbors serving neighbors,” the Little Free Pantry is similar to the little free library movement. The pantries are designed to be small and fill an immediate and local need. Basically, take an item or items when needed and leave an item or items when you can.
These donation bins are at a number of city locations as well as Railtown Brewing and Saint Mark Lutheran Church. (Supplied)
And just as the need has increased, so has the generosity of residents.
“This pandemic has proven to bring out the best in people,” Romeo said, adding that donations have almost doubled. “We have seen people bring in large donations, large food donations of $300 to $400 dollars worth. We know it is not easy for them but they feel blessed and want to pass it on by helping others.”
Because of residents’ contributions and the anonymous donation, city officials decided to move forward with the second Little Free Pantry location. Romeo said the pantry will be located in the same general area that the temporary one was. It will be on the first floor, in the back corner, near the DVD section.
Romeo said the library Little Free Pantry should be ready to open when KDL reopens all of its library branches which is scheduled for Jan. 19.
For the MLK community service project, residents can donate canned goods and other non-perishable items at the following locations (Reminder masks are required at many of these locations along with social distancing):
Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE: Donations may be dropped off at 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday.
Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave SE: Donations may be placed inside the collection bin 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, and 7:30 a.m. to noon Friday.
KDL Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, 4950 Ave. SE: Donations may be dropped off via curbside from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m Monday through Thursdays, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, and 9:30 a.m to 5 p.m. Saturday.
Kentwood Justice Center, 4740 Walma Ave. SE: Donations may be placed inside the collection bin 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Drop-off bins are available at Railtown Brewing Company, 3595 68th St. SE, and Saint Mark Lutheran Church, 1934 52nd St. SE.
Portable items that people do not need to heat, such as canned meat, seem to be in demand along with personal care items like toothbrushes, soap, and toilet paper.
“We sometimes think that someone in need does use or need a toothbrush or deodorant,” Romeo said. “But if you are choosing between food and deodorant, chances are you are going to pick food.”
For more information about Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry, including a list of suggested donations, visit kentwood.us/littlefreepantry.
St. Cecilia Music Center’s wide-ranging virtual concert season — which includes chamber music, folk and jazz — also offers an expanded series of Michigan Jazz Pianists’ Series with West Michigan artists playing “live from the stage” free virtual concerts from the music center’s Royce Auditorium.
The first of the just announced concerts will be Thursday, Jan. 14, with Roger MacNaughton featured. The 7 p.m. concert will be available free on St. Cecilia’s Facebook page and on its YouTube channel. All are also available on-demand on the YouTube channel.
Rufus Ferguson (Supplied)
In addition to MacNaughton, other concerts include Robin Connell on March 11, and Rufus Ferguson on April 21, both also at 7 p.m.
From September through December, 2020, St. Cecilia presented five Michigan jazz pianists in this series, including a holiday show with the nationally known jazz pianist Bob James in December.
“St. Cecilia Music Center is committed to our audience in helping to ‘Keep Music Alive’ in West Michigan,” Cathy Holbrook, executive and artistic director of SCMC, said in supplied material. “ While we are unable to gather audiences in person at this time due to COVID-19, we remain committed to bringing our patrons great music into the safety of their own home. … We truly appreciate everyone’s support as we strive to keep these wonderful events available for all to experience.”
MacNaughton is a composer, pianist, and musical artist, creator of a line of instrumental CDs. The most recent of his 12 CD releases is named “Mackinac, I’ve Come Home” following Roger’s two-week stay on Mackinac Island in 2019 as an artist-in-residence sponsored by Mackinac State Historic Parks.
MacNaughton, who lives in Lowell, is a member of several bands and musical groups, including Jon Montgomery & RMQ, MacNaughton Boulevard, Mac/Mora, Honey Creek String Ensemble, and Soul ACCESS. His compositions have won four ArtPrize awards, three times in the jazz category and once for classical music.
The just announced addition to the virtual concerts focussed on Michigan artists performing live from St. Cecilia include also includes four concerts featuring Michigan folk and blues artists.
The Michigan Folk and Blues Virtual Series will continue St. Cecilia’s Acoustic Café Folk Series partnership with the radio show of the same name and its host Rob Reinhart.
The folk and blues series will include Ralston Bowles and Michael Crittenden on Jan. 21, King Biscuit Trio on Feb. 18, Rachel Davis and Dominic John Davis on March 25 (from their home in Nashville), and Jen Sygit and Josh Rose on April 8.
For the latest schedule and informant on St. Cecilia’s virtual concerts available for home viewing, visit scmc-online.org/virtual/.
After being closed to the public for almost two months, the Kent District Library announced plans today to reopen all of its branches for in-person services starting Tuesday, Jan. 19.
Patrons will be able to enter their local KDL branch to browse the collection and enjoy other library resources inside, in addition to having the option of curbside service. Due to construction, the KDL Cascade branch will reopen on Feb. 1.
“We are so excited to welcome our patrons back to the library once again,” said Regional Manager Anjie Gleisner. “We look forward to seeing and serving people while making our buildings a safe place to visit.”
For health and safety reasons, KDL will have a couple of guidelines in place:
· Properly worn masks are required.
· Private study rooms are not available for use and play spaces will be closed.
· Patrons are asked to limit their visits to two hours. Computer use will be limited to two hours a day.
· KDL encourages high-risk patrons to visit the branches during the first hour of the day, as they are usually less busy.
· The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Epidemic Ordersrequire KDL to limit building capacity to 30 percent.
Curbside pickup service has become extremely popular, enabling patrons to checkout materials online and have them quickly brought to their car during regular hours. Patrons who are more comfortable using the library from home can enjoy a wide range of materials and services online, including livestreamed programs, by visiting www.kdl.org/virtual. Locations, hours and all services are detailed at kdl.org.
After City of Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley briefly discussed the likelihood of Tesla building and opening a facility in the city, recorded as part of the WKTV Community Media’s coverage of the Jan. 11 Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s Government Matters meeting, the city today confirmed it has issued a building permit for a Tesla service center and gallery.
According to the Tesla official website, there are only two other Tesla store and galleries in the state of Michigan, one in Clarkston (Detroit) and the other in Troy. The location of the Kentwood facility is unannounced at this time.
“We look forward to welcoming Tesla’s new service center and gallery to Kentwood later this year,” Mayor Kepley said in a Jan. 13 statement to WKTV. “Our city continues to be a destination for retail, drawing some of the nation’s premium brands to our community. It’s particularly gratifying to see investment during the pandemic, which is a testament to optimism in our economy. Kentwood remains open — and eager — for business.”
Tesla, according to its website, was founded in 2003 by a group of engineers “who wanted to prove that people didn’t need to compromise to drive electric – that electric vehicles can be better, quicker and more fun to drive than gasoline cars.” Currently, Tesla builds not only all-electric vehicles but also “infinitely scalable clean energy generation and storage” products.
According to various media reports, electric-car maker Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) was worth about $700 billion to end 2020. The stock was recently added to the S&P 500 index as its fifth largest constituent. Tesla’s vehicle deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2020 were reported to be about 180,600 units.
Elon Musk, head of Tesla and the Space X enterprises, recently was reported to have become the world’s richest person, with a net worth of about $185 billion.
To see the on-demand recording of the recent WKTV Government Matters program, visit WKTVlive.org.
Clearly the Grand Rapids South Christian High School football team hoped and practiced for a better result than the 47-7 road loss at state-power Edwardsburg, Saturday, Jan. 9, after the state playoffs resumed following a six-week, state-mandated pause due to COVID-19 restrictions.
But Sailors head coach Danny Brown had nothing but praise for his team, which finished the season 8-2, their best season since 2014, and never backed down from the challenge of a night road game in freezing January temperatures against the Division 4 powerhouse Eddies (now 9-0).
Sailors head coach Danny Brown talks to his team during the Jan. 9 game. (Eric Walstra)
“Our team as a whole deserves a lot of praise,” Brown said to WKTV this week. “This has been a tough journey for these kids and they never wavered. They were always ready no matter what was thrown their way.”
And a lot was thrown their way, including the nearly two-month layoff, less than a week in pads to prepare for the game, and a rigid COVID-19 rapid testing protocol the team and staff had to pass. And that was before they took the field.
In the game, South Christian took the opening kickoff and drove to Edwardsburg 28, keyed by a 22-yard pass from senior Ty Rynbrandt to Trevor Hansen that got the ball to the Eddies’ 28. But the drive stalled, Edwardsburg took over, and the Eddies scored first. The Sailors answered later in the first quarter with a 7-play, 60-yard scoring drive finishing with Hanson’s 28 yard run and Nate Brinks’ PAT to make the score 8-7.
But Edwardsburg, and its prolific offense, proved just too much from there on out. For the game, the Eddies out-gained the Sailors in total yards 306-138, and the host team marched to their fourth Regional title in five seasons while continuing a streak of scoring at least 43 points in every game this season.
For the game, Sailors’ quarterback Rynbrandt was 11-of-26 for 96 yards while returning to the field after recovering from an injury in the November.
But finishing the season on the field was important to Rynbrandt, and to the rest of the South Christian team.
“I think it was important to get closure on the season,” Brown said. “There would of always been this thought of ‘what if’ if we weren’t allowed to continue. We always just wanted a chance to complete the season. The game didn’t goes as we hoped but at least we know we got to play in our last game of the season.”
Try as they might, South Christian could not stop the high-scoring Edwardsburg offense in the Jan. 9 game. (Eric Walstra)
Downtown Holland‘s holiday lights will remain up all winter long to help bring some much-needed light to the community after a difficult year. The lights will remain up until March so they can be enjoyed by Downtown Holland customers, along with numerous walkers and runners who like to take advantage of Downtown Holland’s snowmelt system all winter long.
“We made the decision to leave the lights up because we recognized that the community could use a little light during these long winter days,” said Downtown Development Authority Coordinator Amy Sasamoto. “We invite everyone to Downtown Holland to stroll the brightly lit streets. We hope it’s a gift that helps lift everyone’s spirits!”
The holiday lights in Downtown Holland are installed and maintained by Chips Ground Cover, a local Holland business, and are paid for the City’s Downtown Development Authority. No general taxpayer funds are used for the project. The DDA is funded by a 1.6 mil tax levy paid annually by properties located within the DDA boundaries.
Longtime City of Wyoming resident Earl Jourden stopped by the WKTV Community Media Center’s studio to share some stories about the city. “We had snow,” Jourden said with a laugh as he showed this picture taken in the 1940s of a snowy covered street in Wyoming.
One the biggest blizzards to hit the midwest region was the Armistice Day Blizzard on Nov. 11, 1940. Warm temperatures had encouraged many to venture outside and enjoy the day, especially duck hunters who had noticed an unusual amount of birds out on the lakes. By day’s end, the storm had moved in causing gale force winds, reported to be 80 mph in Grand Rapids, and 20-foot snow drifts.
Jourden’s stories will be featured in an upcoming VOICES program. To learn more about VOICES, contact WKTV Managing Editor Joanne Bailey-Boorsma at joanne@wktv.org.
