All posts by Joanne

Changing of the judgeship in Kentwood coming, with public invited to attend virtually

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City of Kentwood 62-B District Court’s long-time Judge William G. Kelly is retiring at the end of the year. (City of Kentwood)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

There will be a changing of the guard at the leadership of the City of Kentwood’s 62-B District Court this month as Amanda Sterkenburg will be sworn into the post and will take over for retiring long-time Judge William G. Kelly on Jan. 1, 2021.

And the public is invited to witness the changeover with two virtual ceremonies.

Judge-elect Sterkenburg’s investiture is set for Wednesday, Dec. 16, at 3 p.m., with the swearing-in ceremony to be fittingly conducted by Judge Kelly. Members of the community are invited to attend via Zoom (Meeting ID 4280940961) or on the 62-B District Court’s YouTube channel.

Then, on Wednesday, Dec. 30, also at 3 p.m., the public is invited to attend Judge Kelly’s virtual retirement celebration via Zoom (Meeting ID 4280940961) or also on the court’s YouTube channel. The event will include remarks by Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack and other distinguished speakers.

Judge Kelly, In Focus, from August 2020. (WKTV)

Kelly has served the Kentwood community as the city’s first and only district court judge since 1979. He was elected in November 1978, following his father, Joseph Kelly, who served as Kentwood’s municipal judge from 1971-79. In 2014, he was re-elected for his seventh and final six-year term. The district court judge leads a team of nearly 25 court personnel.

In August, WKTV Journal In Focus talked with Judge Kelly about his years on the bench and his retirement. See the video here.

“Judge Kelly has been an invaluable asset to Kentwood and the West Michigan area,” Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley said in supplied material. “His dedication to our community has been demonstrated by his service on the bench along with his many accomplishments for our court system. We wish Judge Kelly the best as he moves into retirement and we sincerely thank him for his leadership in directing Kentwood’s 62-B District Court for these past 42 years.”

During his tenure, Judge Kelly instituted several programs, including the Sobriety Court and meditation of small claims cases. Kelly also conducted more than 4,000 weddings throughout his time as district court judge.

Additionally, Kelly explored ways technology could better serve the justice system and Kentwood community. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, 62-B District Court quickly adapted and created a virtual court on Zoom with a livestream on its YouTube Channel. Kelly also has worked with the Supreme Court to implement a paperless system throughout the state to begin in the near future.

“I have been fortunate to have had a great law career,” Judge Kelly said in supplied material. “I have loved serving this community for so many years and I am grateful for all the opportunities that have helped me become a better judge. We have a great team at 62-B District Court, and I look forward to seeing the court’s future accomplishments and growth.”

Handing the gavel to the next judge

With the new year, Sterkenburg will lead preside over the 62-B District Court for a six-year term after being elected to the post in November. (To see her WKTV We The People candidate video, visit here.)

The 62-B District Court settles disputes, processes criminal charges and manages legal appeals. Common offenses heard by a district court judge include operating while intoxicated, domestic violence and retail fraud less than $1,000. The court also conducts weddings, maintains legal records and provides resources for community members.

Judge-elect Amanda Sterkenburg (City of Kentwood)

“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve our community in this capacity,” Sterkenburg said in supplied material. “As 62-B District Court judge, I will remain committed to ensuring well-reasoned sentences, proportionate punishment and fair rulings that reflect the unique circumstances of every matter that comes before me.”

Sterkenburg has represented criminal and civil defendants, landlords, tenants and litigants with many different types of claims throughout her career as an attorney, according to supplied material. Her experience includes successful jury trials on assault, theft and retail fraud offenses. She has more than 90 hours of mediation training and has handled matters in many local circuit and district courts, including the 62-B District Court.

Sterkenburg is active in many local organizations, including the Kentwood Aquatics Club, Glenwood Elementary Parent-Teacher Council, Kentwood Baseball League and Mediation Services of Ottawa and Allegan counties. She and her family attend Kentwood Community Church.

The 62-B District Court judgeship must go to a Kentwood resident.

“We are delighted to welcome Judge-elect Sterkenburg to the 62-B District Court,” Mayor Kepley said. “I have confidence she will follow in Judge Kelly’s footsteps in demonstrating outstanding dedication to justice and service to the Kentwood community.”

Sterkenburg graduated cum laude from Franklin College and Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Drawn to the “diversity and opportunity in Kentwood,” Sterkenburg moved to the city with her two children almost 10 years ago, according to supplied material.

Missing your folk fix? Virtual concert brings out the stars to benefit NYC autism school

Entertainment, Non-Profits, Reviews, Upcoming Events, ,
Steve Earle and the Dukes (2018 photo supplied/Artist)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Those of us who suffered acoustic folk/rock withdrawal this year due to venues such as St. Cecilia Music Center and the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park having canceled their seasons — with the likes of Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams and Jason Isbell set to tour last summer — there is good news steaming.

While only time, and us putting on our masks, taking a shot or two, and a little pandemic good luck, will tell if and when music tours return to West Michigan, local fans can get a free online concert this weekend featuring Earle, Williams and Isbell, as well as a ton of other performers.

Steve Earle, Luck Productions, and City Winery are set to host the 6th annual John Henry’s Friends Benefit Concert For Autism Sunday, Dec. 13, beginning at 7:30p eastern, with a free live on-line feed available via luck.stream/johnhenrysfriends. (You do have to set up an account at Luck Stream, but it was fairly painless. And any on-line donations will be appreciated.)

The annual benefit concert is the passion play of musician/author/playwright/activist — and diehard folk singer — Steve Earl, who for five years has been gathering a group of “world-class friends and performers for a one-night-only concert which raises money for The Keswell School, an educational program for children and young adults with autism,” according to supplied material.

And with 100 percent of donations going to The Keswell School — an institution, near to Earle’s heart at which his son and the event’s namesake, John Henry, is a student— it is not only a night of music but also a night of giving to a great cause.

Lucinda Williams. (Supplied/Artist)

“Well, 2020 has pretty much sucked so far,” Earle said in supplied material. “It’s been tough on everybody, including those of us in the performing arts, who, after all, depend on the patronage of live audiences for our very livelihood. Therefore, I’m especially grateful that some of my favorite people have come together against all odds to support a cause that is near and dear to my heart, the Keswell School.”

In addition to scheduled performances from Steve Earle & The Dukes, Lucinda Williams, and Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires, other names scheduled include Jackson Browne, Emmylou Harris, Graham Nash, Josh Ritter, Matt Savage, Shawn Colvin, The Mastersons and Warren Haynes.

Jason Isbell. (Supplied/Alysse Gafkjen)

“Since we’ve been doing these shows, they are always my favorite day of the year … good music, good friends, and a good cause,” Earle said. “This year’s performers are alumni, one and all, and I’m eternally grateful to each and every one for suiting up and showing up in the hour of our school’s greatest need.”

Founded in 2002, the Keswell School, according to supplied material, is based “on the belief that children diagnosed with ASD can live full and productive lives as integrated members of their communities, The Keswell School provides educational, therapeutic, and supportive services for children diagnosed with ASD and their families. The Keswell School challenges students to accomplish in aspects of school life and prepares them for the fullest possible engagement in the world.”

For more information on the Keswell School visit keswellschool.org.

A full list of artists and more information, including how to donate, can be found at luck.stream/johnhenrysfriends.

A tough year for Earle, in addition to pandemic

While one of Steve Earle’s sons will be on his mind at the benefit concert another may well be in his heart.

Steve Earle & The Dukes “J.T.” album cover.

On the forthcoming album, “J.T.”, Steve Earle & The Dukes pay tribute to Steve’s late son, Justin Townes Earle (J.T.), who passed away on Aug. 20, 2020, in Nashville. The album will be released digitally on what would have been Justin’s 39th birthday, Jan. 4, 2021 (via New West Records).

(Justin Townes Earle, incidentally, was the first show of St. Cecilia Music Centers’ Acoustic Cafe series in 2014.)

According to Steve Earle’s website, “J.T.” finds he and The Dukes covering 10 of Justin’s songs — from “I Don’t Care,” which appeared on his 2007 debut EP, “Yuma”, and a trio of selections from his full-length debut album, “The Good Life”, to later compositions like 2017’s “Champagne Corolla” and 2019’s “The Saint Of Lost Causes,” which was the title track of Justin’s eighth and final studio album.

“J.T.” closes with “Last Words,” a song Steve wrote for Justin.

According to supplied material, 100 percent of the artist advances and royalties from “J.T.” will be donated to a trust for Etta St. James Earle, the three-year-old daughter of Justin and Jenn Earle.

A year without the Santa Claus Girls, on this episode of WKTV Journal In Focus

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Going Local, Health, Holidays, Kids Activities, Local Faces, Local History, Non-Profits, WKTV Journal In Focus,

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

On this holiday episode of WKTV Journal In Focus, we catch up with the Santa Claus Girls, a local non-profit which has been a Christmastime staple in West Michigan for more than 100 years. . . . Until this year.

This holiday season, instead of being bustling preparing thousands of gifts for local children in need, the group and its army of volunteers are quiet due to the pandemic and due to its loss of home facility.

WKTV first reported the news back in November, see the story here.

But late last month In Focus caught up with the group for a video report. First we will offer a recent WKTV short video about the Santa Claus Girls, then we talk with Maggie Moerdyke, Interim President of Santa Claus Girls. She tell us about what led to the group’s decision to suspend operations in 2020, and it is not just due to the pandemic.
 

We will also talk about the current and future needs of the group, as well as their hope for a better 2021.
 

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.

Photo of the Week: Santa Style

Citizen Journalism
Santa costume (Grand Rapids Public Museum/Creative Commons)

This photo is of the Santa Claus costume which was used at the Museum during the holiday season in the early 2000s. It was designed by Kenneth “Reggie” Harwood, a prominent costume designer from Grand Rapids who, for decades, worked in the Michigan theatre industry and also for Broadway Costumes in Chicago. He designed and fitted costumes for productions all over the United States. Shortly after moving back to Grand Rapids, he was tragically struck by a vehicle and passed away in 2006. This costume documents Harwood’s work and his talent as a prominent regional costume designer.

The image is part of the Grand Rapids Public Museum Collections. To see more of the collection, visit www.grpmcollections.org.

County, aiding parents as well as children, allocates latest round of Ready by Five early childhood millage grants

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Ready by Five early childhood support programs are funded by a countywide milage passed in 2018 and provides programs that improve the health, school readiness, and well-being of children under age five. (First Steps Kent)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

The goal of the ongoing Ready by Five early childhood support programs, funded by a countywide milage passed in 2018, is to provide “dedicated and sustainable funding for programs that improve the health, school readiness, and well-being of children under age five.”

And a key element of achieving that goal — to “increase their likelihood of success in school and beyond” — is to get parental involvement for the various Ready by Five programs, especially within at-risk families.

So, acting last week on the recommendation of First Steps Kent, the Kent County Board of Commissioners approved allocation of nearly $6 million in Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage funds with the largest among them going to a group working to gain engagement of the parents involved with the Child Welfare System.
 

The West Michigan Partnership for Children’s Parent Engagement Program — which includes efforts at “engaging, involving and equipping parents involved with the Child Welfare System” — was awarded just over $600,000 for a two-year funding cycle.

In all, $5,775,015 in Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage funds were allocated for 2021. The millage is funded by a .25 mil property tax increase passed in 2018 that was expected to generate about $5.7 million a year from 2019 to 2024.

A Ready by Five kid, preparing for the future. (First Steps Kent)

“Our Board is committed to assuring these funds are distributed equitably throughout the county,” Kent County Administrator Wayman Britt said to WKTV. “The Ready by Five millage was voted on by Kent County residents who confirmed that it is imperative we embrace the diverse needs of our community.”

The review process included action by the Ready by Five Resident Proposal Review Board, which included members of the Board of Commissioners, Phil Skaggs and Monica Sparks, as well as Dr. Juan Olivarez, of First Steps Kent Commission; Sandra Ghoston-Jones, of the Kent County Administrator’s Office; and early childhood expert  Joanne Kelty.

Another example of seeking to gain parental involvement in all levels of the Ready by Five effort is that the proposal review board includes four diverse “Parent Representatives” from different parts of Kent County.

“I am honored to serve on the Ready by Five Review Board,” Kent County Commissioner Sparks said to WKTV. “This is a very serious commitment as it will have a measurable and lasting impact on our children and families. We are working very hard to provide equitable resources to ensure the future success of our entire community.”

In total, the Ready by Five Resident Proposal Review Committee reviewed 18 proposals submitted to First Steps Kent for this funding cycle, and recommended funding 12. The latest recommended amounts are in addition to the 27 contracts currently in place with service providers.

In addition to the West Michigan Partnership for Children’s funding of $600,900 ($294,924 in fiscal year 2021 and $305,976 in 2022), another notable allocation was a Fetal Infant Mortality Review project by the Kent County Health Department ($264,005 over two years), and interpretation and translation services contracts with Bethany Christian Services, Hispanic Center of West Michigan and Liaison Linguistics ($210,000, with $70,000 each over two years).

First Steps Kent will receive $396,399.95 for administration of Ready by Five programs in 2021. First Steps Kent is, according to its website, “an independent nonprofit organization that works with parents, service providers, funders, advocates, and other stakeholders to build a comprehensive early childhood system in Kent County.”

For more information on First Steps Kent and Ready by Five, visit firststepskent.org.

Utah has its monolith, M-6 has its Christmas tree

3-bottom, City of Kentwood,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

The decorated Christmas trees along M-6. (WKTV)

Over the weekend, my daughter came home to announce “It’s back.”

“What’s back?” I asked.

“The Christmas tree, or bush, along M-6,” she responded.

If you drive along M-6, between the US-131 interchange onto M-6 and the entrance/exit ramps off of M-6 to Kalamazoo Avenue, there is a good size bush growing in the median of the highway. Sure enough, it has been decorated with red tinsel, a few bulbs, and solar power lights.

Michigan Department of Transportation oversees the care and maintenance of M-6. MDOT staff said they didn’t know anything about the decorated bush but that members of the department noticed it was decorated a few weeks ago. According to my daughter, the bush also was decorated last year as well with the decorations coming down around mid-January.

MDOT staff said the lights worked, however; we drove-by at night and the lights were not workin. Solar power lights can be that way, work one night and not the next.

As to who decorated it, well that probably will remain a mystery as much as the monolith found in Utah, Romina, and now California, but as one MDOT staff said “I admire the trimmer’s holiday spirt and appreciate their enthusiasm.”

Time of giving: Woodland Mall, retailer Vera Bradley, community giving to Feeding America

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Feeding America West Michigan’s mobile food bank operation worked with Woodland Mall (and the Michigan National Guard) early this year to help feed families, including those of mall employees. This holiday season Woodland Mall is supporting Feeding America . (Feeding America WM)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Even in this usually busy holiday season now made difficult by the COVID-19 pandemic, Woodland Mall and Vera Bradley — and the local community — are working to help families which are struggling to put food on the table.

Through Dec. 13, Vera Bradley’s Woodland Mall location is collecting nonperishable food items for local nonprofit Feeding American West Michigan, according to a Dec. 7 announcement. Woodland Mall will additionally “give back” to a group that supported mall employees in their time of need by matching each food item with a $1 donation to Feeding America.

Woodland Mall retailer Vera Bradley is collecting non-perishable food through Dec. 13. (WKTV)

“Feeding America West Michigan fed our staff laid off during the shutdown this spring,” Cecily McCabe, Woodland Mall marketing director, said in supplied material. “To show our deep appreciation to this incredible organization and to help those struggling with the pandemic’s harsh consequences, we are honored to return the favor.”

Every dollar donated by the mall will provide four meals to people experiencing food insecurity in our region, according to the announcement.

Nonperishable items may be dropped off at Vera Bradley, which is located in the JCPenney wing of Woodland Mall, 3195 28th St. SE, during store hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday; and noon to 6 p.m., Sunday.
 

Suggested items include peanut butter, whole-grain pasta, macaroni and cheese, rice, dried grains, canned vegetables, fruits, beans, canned chicken and fish, canned soup or soup mix, and canned or dried beans.

McCabe also said that Woodland Mall and its realtors are simply doing what they can to  support a community that has supported them with their shopping in good times.

“It’s clear that supporting one another through this pandemic has been the most essential role each of us can take on,” she said. “As our industry enters what traditionally has been our busiest time of year, we are so happy to share what we do have.”

More information on this drive can be found on the Woodland Mall website and on Facebook.

Hempy Keyboard concerts return in virtual format

Citizen Journalism,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

Maestro Robert Nance (supplied)

Each winter, the Saugatuck Center for the Arts (SCA) offers a curated selection of intimate piano concerts presented in its lobby. More than just a concert, these world-class musicians perform classical, modern, and jazz works; along with sharing stories and engaging with the audience.

This year the SCA is bringing the Hempy Keyboard Series performances straight to your living room through an exclusive livestream experience filmed from the Bertha Krueger Reid Theater in Saugatuck. After the performance, patrons can participate in a virtual Q&A session with the performers. Unable to watch the live show? A recorded version of the show will remain active for (72) hours after the live performance.

Tickets can be purchased individually or bundled together as part of a special Full Series Pass.

Every VIP package includes e-ticket access to each Hempy Keyboard Series concert plus a unique musical gift created by Maestro Robert Nance. During his Thursday, March 11, 2021 performance, Maestro Nance will debut a composition dedicated to and orchestrated around the names of Full Series Pass holders.

Individual and season passes may be purchased online at www.sc4a.org/hempy-keyboard.

Jazz pianist Bob James’ St. Cecilia virtual concert brings his holiday home into yours

Entertainment, Holidays, Local Entertainment, Recreation, Upcoming Events, ,
Bob James, jamming’. (SCMC)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

The Michigan holiday home of Bob James, pianist and composer of jazz and much more, is always filled with music and filled with family. It will be the same this year, in this age of pandemic and self-seclusion.

But later this month, James will be inviting St. Cecilia Music Center’s virtual concert audience into his house for what St. Cecilia calls a “holiday performance from his Traverse City home including surprise guests” on Thursday, Dec. 17.

The virtual concert is free and available via the internet on a computer or smart television. For more information about the St. Cecilia virtual concerts see scmc-online.org/virtual/.

Bob James’ family will gather again for Christmas In Michigan this year. (Undated photo supplied by Mr. James)

“Since all the members of my family are musicians, the Christmas season always involves lots of music, both live around the fireplace and permeating through the house,” James said recently to WKTV. So, the concert “will be a family affair.”

And what kind of music might be performed at the Dec. 17 concert?
 

“I tend to prefer the traditional over the novelty,” James said. “I have released two Christmas albums, ‘Christmas Eyes’ with my daughter Hilary, and ‘Snowbound’ with Fourplay. I have performed music from those, and something from each will most likely be on the new set list.”

And, along with many musicians forced to record and perform in isolation these days, James’ Michigan home is no stranger to performance and recording.

Bob James (BobJames.com)

“In recent years I’ve had a home studio where I do most of my composing, and have even produced some final mixes here,” James said. But “my time in this studio has escalated dramatically during this year’s forced isolation.”

A Grammy-award winner, James has long, varied career in music. Discovered by Quincy Jones at the Notre Dame Jazz Festival in 1963, James recorded his first solo album, “Bold Conceptions”, that year. Dozens of albums followed through five decades. His composition, “Angela,” the instrumental theme from the sitcom Taxi, is possibly James’ best known work. But that is only only the beginning.

James set the standard for the smooth jazz sound in the late 1970s. “One On One”, the first in three collaborations with Earl Klugh, was awarded a Grammy in 1980 for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. Also about that time, “Double Vision”, a collaboration with David Sanborn, was another Grammy winner. His long-standing group Fourplay, with Lee Ritenour and Nathan East and later Larry Carlton, has also produced numerous albums.

Make a (private) party night of it

While the concert is free, Martha’s Vineyard concert packages, including a wine and cheese “goodie bag” of treats, can be purchased — and those purchases support St. Cecilia.

The special Martha’s Vineyard concert packages are available by pre-order and will be delivered on the concert date. All proceeds from these purchases benefit SCMC. Priced at $65, each package includes one bottle of wine — a red, white or bubbly — and a block of aged Gouda cheese, nuts, fig spread, crackers, veggie chips and gourmet chocolate. For more information visit here.

When it comes to high school sports, state’s decision to allow resumption ‘guided by the data’

Area Education, Community Health, Education, Health, Sports, WKTV Journal Sports Connection, , ,
South Christian High School had their football team’s playoff drive halted in mid-November, after this game with Hamilton. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

When it comes to COVID-19 related restrictions, or allowances, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer often says her and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ decisions are “guided by the data.”

So as high school athletic departments across the state, including those in the Kentwood and Wyoming area, await an expected modification by Gov. Whitmer and the MDHHS of the current “pause” in competition and most practices, WKTV asked about the data — the numbers.

The MDHHS and the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) both responded, with numbers which might be viewed as telling a somewhat different story.

“There have been 42 outbreaks associated with athletics (K-12 schools, professional, collegiate, and commercial venues) in August and September,” according to a MDHHS statement prior to the Nov. 15 pause in athletics, along with indoor restaurant service and other COVID-19 related restrictions.

And “we do continuously track data on outbreaks, including outbreaks associated with high school sports, and we know that there continued to be high school sports associated outbreaks in (October and November),” Bob Wheaton, spokesperson for the MDHHS, said to WKTV this week.

But those “outbreaks” did not prevent high school sports teams across the state from safely completing the vast majority of scheduled contests, according to MHSAA numbers given to WKTV. Even in a sport considered by the state to be “high risk” — football — with nearly 600 teams playing on any given week the percentage of games not played due to COVID-19 outbreaks was never more than 4.1 percent and was under  3 percent five out of nine weeks of competition.

“Our schools, with athletic directors monitoring activities and trained coaches teaching their athletes best practices and holding them to high standards, have for the large part been able to keep their teams competing and free of infection this fall,”  MHSAA spokesperson Geoff Kimmerly said to WKTV this week. “We have maintained from the start of fall that schools are best equipped to provide athletics in the safest-possible environment, and we’re eager to restart our fall and winter seasons following the precautions that have been successful so far.”

(The complete data chart supplied my the MHSAA is at the end of this story.)

The MHSAA’s opinion on the effectiveness of high school sports programs’ COVID-19 safety efforts was echoed by David Kool, athletic director at South Christian High School, which had their football team’s so-far successful playoff drive halted in mid-November.

“Our staff and players have done a tremendous job navigating through this pandemic,” Kool said this week to WKTV. “The support and leadership from our coaches has been and will continue to be phenomenal. … We have followed the protocols and guidelines put on us to the best of our ability throughout the fall and now into the winter. We all realize that gives us the best chance for the student athletes to do what they love to do, which is to compete.”

MDHHS and athletics numbers

The MDHHS, in response to a questions about how much of a COVID-19 spreader problem high school sports has been this fall and early winter, referenced its late October update of its Interim Guidance for Contact Sports, which noted:

“There have been 42 outbreaks associated with athletics (K-12 schools, professional, collegiate, and commercial venues) in August and September of 2020. Outbreaks of this magnitude have the potential to affect more than just a sports team, but the community in which the players and coaches reside as well.”

The document also noted that contact sports are particularly concern, saying, “Given the available epidemiological data with concerning rising cases of COVID-19, contact sports such as football and wrestling pose a high risk of transmitting COVID-19 to athletes, coaches, and the general community, and should be avoided at this time.”

But under the mid-November order, while high school sports competitions and team practices were restricted, the MDHHS stated: “Gyms will remain open for individual exercise with strict safety measures in place. … (and) Professional and college sports meeting extraordinary standards for risk mitigation may continue without spectators, however all other organized sports must stop.”

And what’s next for high school athletics?

And what will drive Gov. Whitmer and the MDHHS’s decision to continue restrictions on, or allow resumption of, high school sports?

“As MDHHS’s order pausing gatherings for 3 weeks expires Dec. 8, we are reviewing the COVID-19 data and will make decisions on high school sports and other gatherings based on what that data shows us,” the MDHHS spokesperson said.

“We understand why the state health department paused activities for three weeks — we all have the same hopes for reducing COVID-19,” MHSAA’s Kimmerly said. “But we believe we have a good story to tell, and that we can continue to play a major role in keeping high school athletes safe while providing them a meaningful experience during this difficult time.”

And so local  high school athletic departments, coaches and athletes await the decision and guidance from the Governor, MDHHS and the MHSAA.

“Each and every day we are trying to do everything we can to give our student athletes as many opportunities as we can,” South Christian’s Kool said. “We are hopeful that we will be given the green light to continue with athletics on Wednesday, December 9 and look forward to being back in action.”

Grand Rapids Ballet invites public to put on dancing shoes, become part of virtual Nutcracker Experience

Entertainment, Holidays, Kids Activities, Local Entertainment, ,
Grand Rapids Ballet School’s Maya Olthouse, shooting scene from The Nutcracker Experience. (GR Ballet/Scott Rasmussen)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

The upcoming local holiday highlight, the Grand Rapids Ballet’s annual presentation of “The Nutcracker”, was already planned to be unique in this year of pandemic as Ballet will be presenting a ticketed online presentation of “The Nutcracker Experience”, Dec. 18-27, as part of its 2020-21 season.

But in an announcement this week the Ballet added another unique audience “experience” — short dance videos produced by the public incorporated into the program.

Do not try this at home … Grand Rapids Ballet’s Matthew Wenckowski, from The Nutcracker Experience. (GR Ballet/Scott Rasmussen)

“Put on your dancing shoes and submit a video of no longer than 30 seconds of you, your family, your friends — whoever in your pod wants to join in — dancing to the music of The Nutcracker,” a Dec. 2 announcement from the Ballet stated, “and there’s a chance you’ll see it at the end of the performance.”

The Ballet is even making available online music from the production to dance to and “to get you in the holiday spirit.”

In addition to a moment of dance stardom, five submissions will be given a free Patron Plus subscription for the remainder of the 2020-21 season.

Videos can be submitted by email to videos@grballet.com no later than Thursday, Dec. 10.

And if you just want to watch …

Ballet artistic director James Sofranko, his dancers and video production team are putting the finishing touches on “The Nutcracker Experience”, with special choreography by Val Caniparoli, and music composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and performed by Grand Rapids Symphony.

“We know your family’s holidays wouldn’t be the same without The Nutcracker in 2020,” Sofranko states on the Ballet’s website. “That’s why (we are) … so proud to bring you a reimagined version this year — The Nutcracker Experience.”

Grand Rapids Ballet’s Yuka Oba-Muschiana, from The Nutcracker Experience. (GR Ballet/Scott Rasmussen)

According to the Ballet, the Experience will include “many of your favorite characters and dances including Drosselmeier, Clara, the Sugar Plum Fairy, and of course the Nutcracker Prince; as well as many of your favorite scenes including the Waltz of the Snowflakes, Waltz of the Flowers, The Russian Trepak, The Chinese Dragon, and more.”

The Grand Rapids Symphony, long-time Nutcracker partners with the Grand Rapids Ballet, will provide the musical score as conducted by John Varineau.

The production, approximately 60 minutes in length, was filmed explicitly for The Nutcracker Experience by SALT Creative Production Studios, and also includes a behind the scenes look at the artists and their art creation.

Choreographer Caniparoli, according to the Ballet’s website, is “one of the most sought after American choreographers internationally.”

He has contributed to the repertoires of more than 50 dance companies, including Finnish National Ballet, BalletMet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, State Theatre Ballet of South Africa, and Tulsa Ballet, (resident choreographer 2001-06).

Caniparoli is most closely associated with San Francisco Ballet, his artistic home for more than 43 years. (Sofranko came to Grand Rapids Ballet from the San Francisco Ballet.)

Tickets to “The Nutcracker Experience” make the production available online via Vimeo, and are $15. (The Ballet “kindly asks you purchase as many ‘tickets’ as you will have friends and family viewing.”) Once your purchase is complete, ticket holders will receive emails with more details on how to access the online content.

For more information and tickets, visit grballet.com.

Photo of the Week: Where’s the snow

Citizen Journalism

That is what many of us are wondering as we head into the holiday season. This image was sent to us by Kara Boorsma who adopted Collin (the cat) from Crash’s Landing. Collin was just checking out the great outdoors that day from the comfort of the porch.

Do you have a photo you would like considered for Photo of the Week? Then send it to Managing Editor Joanne Bailey-Boorsma at joanne@wktv.org.

Kentwood hosts several giving events to help make the holidays brighter

3-bottom, City of Kentwood,
The community came out in support of the City of Kentwood’s collection of food stuffs for its Little Free Pantry. Donations are accepted at the Little Free Pantry year round. (Supplied/City of Kentwood)

By Anna Johns
WKTV Intern

This holiday season set aside some time and make the holidays brighter for your fellow community members in need. Kentwood’s annual holiday giving programs have returned and they are looking for a variety of donations. 

The Kentwood Parks and Recreation has partnered with Home Instead Senior Care for the “Be a Santa to a Senior” program. More 17 years, the program has provided gifts to low income seniors. To date, more than two million gifts have been given to about 750,000 seniors. To participate in this event, select a tag by calling 616-656-5270. Next, purchase the item(s) listed on the tag, wrap the gift, tape the tag to the outside, and return it to the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE, by Dec. 16. For more information visit beasantatoasenior.com.

The Kentwood Parks and Recreation is also hosting the Holiday Hat and Mitten Tree. For this event, the department is asking residents for new and gently used hats, scarves, mittens, coats, boots, snow pants, socks, and blankets. These items will be donated to local schools and nearby community organizations that need support this winter. Donations will be accepted until Dec. 16 and can be dropped off at the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE, during business hours. 

The Kentwood Parks and Recreation is also accepting donations for Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry. Donations are accepted year-round and with so many impacted by the COVID pandemic, the need is even greater this year. Canned goods, non-perishable food, personal care items are just some of the suggested donations. A complete list is available at kentwood.us/littlefreepantry.

At the pantry, those in need are invited to take anything they need with no application, and no questions asked. Donations for the pantry can be dropped off at the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE, during normal business hours. For more information, or to become collection bin location, visit kentwood.us/littlefreepantry.

Joanne Bailey-Boorsma contributed to this story.

Photo Gallery: A look at the Wyoming Gives Back broadcast

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

  • Santa and Mrs. Claus take a moment for pictures before talking to local children. (WKTV)
  • Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll and WOOD TV8’s Michele DeSelms were host for the Wyoming Gives Back live broadcast. (WKTV)
  • Helping out back stage were City of Wyoming’s Jennifer Stowell and Amanda Moore. (WKTV)
  • City of Wyoming’s Jennifer Stowell checks over the prizes for the raffle. (WKTV)
  • For Wyoming Gives Back 2020, the grand prize was a television. Other prizes included gift certificates and items. (WKTV)
  • The City of Wyoming’s Department of Public Works wishes everyone happy holidays. (WKTV)
  • Santa gets ready to take some calls from local children. (WKTV)
  • WKTV worked some magic to bring Santa calls to area children this year. (WKTV)
  • Local students connect with Santa and give them their Christmas lists. (WKTV)
  • Local children talk to Santa through Zoom. (WKTV)
  • Wyoming Police Chief Kim Koster and offices offer their holiday greetings to area residents. (WKTV)
  • Wyoming Fire Chief Brian Bennett (far right) and his staff wishes everyone a happy holiday. (WKTV)
  • Newly elected council member John Fitzgerald wishes everyone a happy holiday. (WKTV)
  • A close up of some of the this year’s Wyoming Gives Back prizes. (WKTV)
  • San Juan Diego Academy performs during the Wyoming Gives Back live broadcast. (WKTV)
  • San Juan Diego Academy performs at the Wyoming Gives Back live broadcast. (WKTV)
  • Santa takes a call. (WKTV)
  • Some of the magic to bring Santa and Mrs. Claus to area children. (WKTV)
  • Mrs. Claus said she was so excited to talk to children during the live broadcast of Wyoming Gives Back. (WKTV)
  • WOOD TV8’s Michele DeSelms receives a special thank you gift from the City of Wyoming for helping out with this year’s Wyoming Gives Back event. (WKTV)
  • Some of the WKTV crew who helped to make the Wyoming Gives Back live broadcast happen. (WKTV)

On Dec. 3, WKTV presented the first live broadcast of Wyoming Gives Back. The program was hosted by Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll and WOOD TV8’s Michele DeSelms and features prize drawings, a performance by Wyoming’s San Juan Diego Academy and a visit from Santa. Check out the photos to take a peek at just some of the fun that took place during the event.

Kent County commissioners issue social media ‘Takeout Challenge’ to support local restaurants

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Hankerin’ for a take out dinner? Wyoming’s TwoGuys Brewery’s Tom Payne shows off a take-home option (with a side of beer!). (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Live everybody else in Kent County, the Kent County Board of Commissioners like to eat and like to support local businesses when they can. So the commissioners have issued the “Kent County Takeout Challenge” urging residents to support locally-owned Kent County restaurants hit hard by the pandemic.

The social media campaign encourages people to order takeout and publicly challenge three friends to do the same by tagging them on social media, according to a Dec. 4 statement from the county.

The campaign will run through the end of the year and is using the hashtag #KCTakeoutChallenge.

Board Chair Mandy Bolter kicked off the campaign this week at Noto’s Old World Italian Dining where she “nominated” — publicly challenged — fellow Board of Commission members and residents to take up the challenge.

“This campaign supports local businesses, workers and families,” Bolter said in supplied material. “Local restaurants are part of the fabric of communities all across Kent County, and thousands of our neighbors rely on them for their livelihoods. But they have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic. We want our local restaurants and their employees to emerge strong when this crisis is over.”

Restaurants, which were operating at 50 percent capacity since the spring 2020 ban on indoor dining was lifted, were again forced to move to takeout and delivery only when new Michigan Department of Health and Human Services orders took effect on Nov. 16.
 

According to the county statement, some local establishments fear the latest restrictions could force them to close permanently.

The campaign aims to help retain these businesses and the jobs they create. According to Local First, nearly 70 percent of every dollar spent at local businesses stays in the local economy through wages, local taxes, the local supply chain and more.

For more information on the challenge, including locally owned Kentwood and Wyoming restaurants, visit this page on accesskent.com.

Fado and folk: St. Cecilia, again, to take virtual audience to New York for music

Entertainment, Local Business, Local Entertainment, Upcoming Events, , ,
Judy Collins, shown in an undated press photo, made her St. Cecilia Music Center debut in early 2018 and will return via a virtual concert from New York in February 2021. (Supplied/SCMC/Judy Collins)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

St. Cecilia Music Center has already taken audiences to New York City this virtual concert season with its Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center series, and this week came the announcement of two streaming concerts presented in collaboration with New York City’s The Town Hall.

Scheduled to be available for St. Cecilia ticketed evenings of music are Portuguese Fado vocalist Mariza in January, 2021, and American folk legend Judy Collins in February, according to a Dec. 2 announcement.

On Jan. 29, 2021, Mariza will be featured in a concert paying tribute to the legendary Fado singer Amália Rodrigues. The concert will be taped in Lisbon, Portugal, as part of The Town Hall series, and will also coincide with the release of Mariza’s new album Mariza sings Amalia.

On Feb. 12, Collins, a folk singing legend familiar to St. Cecilia audiences, will be featured in a virtual concert onstage at The Town Hall in New York City where, according to the announcement, “in 1964 she made her debut that launched her illustrious musical career.” The concert will recreate her 1964 concert at The Town Hall which was her very first solo appearance on one of the great concert stages in New York City.

“We are delighted to feature two outstanding performers in these two concerts aired through The Town Hall in New York City,” Cathy Holbrook, SCMC executive and artistic director, said in supplied material. “We remain committed to keeping music alive in West Michigan with virtual concerts over the next several months until we can host live performances again … We truly appreciate the public’s support as we strive to keep these wonderful events available for all to experience”

St. Cecilia Music Center is one of only five U.S. venues showcasing these concerts, according to the announcement, and “the cost of each ticket reflects the desire to keep the performers’ band, crew and technical support teams employed during this global crisis. A portion of the ticket sales will also help benefit SCMC during this unprecedented time.”

Tickets for each of the virtual concerts are $40 now on sale through St. Cecilia Music Center at this ticket link.

More on Mariza, Amália and Fado

Mariza’s tribute to Amália Rodrigues will highlight the unique, yet echoing relationship of one to the other. The late “Amália”, as she was known, sang her last concert at The Town Hall in New York City in 1994. Now, Mariza has now become the ambassador of Portugal’s Fado music in the 21st century, just as Amália had been in the 20th century.

Mariza. (SCMC)

Mariza has also now recorded an entire album of Amália classics to commemorate her own 20th year of her musical career, as well as celebrate the 100th anniversary of Amália’s birth. The album will be released a few days before the January concert.

Fado music, according to supplied material, is a form of Portuguese singing that is often associated with pubs, cafés, and restaurants. It originated in Portugal around the 1820s, although it is thought to have much earlier origins. Fado is renowned for its expressive and profoundly melancholic character. The singer in Fado music often is accompanied by one or two 12-string guitars, one or two violas, and sometimes a small 8-string bass.

And speaking with singing with guitar …

Judy Collins, often performing with simply an acoustic guitar in her hands, is scheduled to film a show onstage at The Town Hall to be broadcast Feb. 12. For this show, according to supplied material, Collins will recreate her legendary 1964 New York City concert hall debut at The Town Hall.

Judy Collins (SCMC)

“What a time that was 1964,” Collins said in supplied material. “I was very nervous since my record company decided to record this concert and put it out as an album. I had just been to a Bob Dylan concert, heard the Lonesome Death of Hattie Carol, and knew I had to record it.

“Making (the 1964 album) album and concert at The Town Hall … was a relief and joyous event. It feels right to go back to the material and time period now with the knowledge and life lessons learned in 2020.”

The concert that Collins is performing at The Town Hall will be recorded for a new vinyl album.

For  more information on St. Cecilia Music Center visit scmc-online.org.

State COVID-19 Racial Disparities Task Force interim report shows progress in protecting communities of color

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Hard News, Health, Politics, ,
Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer behind him, addresses a virtual press conference Dec. 3. (State of MIchigan)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

In an afternoon virtual press conference today, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan COVID-19 Task Force on Racial Disparities, chaired by Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, released an interim report detailing the “significant progress Michigan has made in protecting communities of color from the spread of COVID-19,” according to a statement from the governor’s office.

“From the beginning, our administration has listened to medical experts and taken a fact-based approach to eliminating COVID-19 in our most vulnerable communities, and we have seen significant progress,” Gov. Whitmer said at the Dec. 3 press conference and in supplied material.

“Lieutenant Governor Gilchrist and the leaders on the Task Force have been crucial in helping us dramatically reduce the number of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in communities of color by expanding testing and providing crucial support to community organizations.”

The statement points out that while cases and hospitalizations are still rising statewide, the percentages of cases among persons of color has declined as the year has progressed.

“Today’s report shows that significant progress has been made toward our goal to reduce these disparities over the past six months,” Lt. Gov. Gilchrist said. “But as cases continue to rise, we need to recognize that our work is not done because each of us have a role to play to make sure that we defeat this virus.”

The Task Force’s interim report details a number of actions the state has taken to protect communities of color — as well as frontline workers, small businesses and the general population — from the spread of COVID-19.

As of Nov. 16, more than 24,000 tests have been administered in previously underserved communities across 21 Neighborhood Testing sites, according to the statement. From March and April, to September and October, the average cases per million per day for African American Michiganders dropped from 176 to 59. In the same period, the number of probable deaths per million per day among African American Michiganders dropped “significantly,” from 21.7 to 1.

“It’s clear that the work of this task force … has made significant progress in protecting families, frontline workers, and small businesses in communities of color,” Celeste Sanchez Lloyd, Task Force member and community program manager for Strong Beginnings at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, said in supplied material.


For more information about the Task Force, visit here.

Prizes, holiday fun all part of the Wyoming Gives Back live broadcast

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The Russo family helps Kara Boorsma put toys in the Wyoming Gives Back box. This year, Wyoming Gives Back collected more than 500 toys. (WKTV Journal/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

This year’s Wyoming Gives Back has been a success with more than 500 toys donated to the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree. Now the fun begins as WKTV hosts the live broadcast at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3.

During the broadcast, which can be seen on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 along with WKTV’s Facebook page and at wktv.org, prizes will be raffled. Residents were able to get raffle tickets when they donated an unwrapped, new toy. This year, area residents donated more than 500 toys, which organizers said they were amazed at the amount considering the circumstances with so many facing hardships due to COVID.

“I am grateful to our Wyoming community for their generous toy donations this year,” said the City of Wyoming Administrative Assistant Jennifer Stowell, who helps organize the annual event. “These donations will help make many local children’s holiday season brighter.”

Along with the raffle drawings, the hour-long live broadcast will feature a musical performance by Wyoming’s San Juan Diego Academy, which has performed every year at the Wyoming Gives Back. Also there will be presentations by the Salvation Army and lots of holiday fun with hosts Mayor Jack Poll and WOOD TV8’s Michele DeSelms.

Despite COVID-19 challenges, Marge’s Donut Den was able to collect about 200 toys this year. (WKTV Journal/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)

Santa and Mrs. Claus will be attending as well, taking phone calls from area children and Santa will be announcing the winners of this year’s coloring contest. City staff said there were a number of entries to the first-ever coloring contest, making the final selections a tough decision for Santa.

Before the Wyoming Gives Back event, WKTV will be live streaming the Kentwood Tree Lighting Ceremony at 6:30 p.m. This broadcast also can be seen at  WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 along with WKTV’s Facebook page and wktv.org.

Local chamber urges small businesses to apply for just announced state relief grants

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Going Local, Health, Local Business, WKTV Projects, ,
Members of the local business community visited the Family Network of Wyoming this summer as part of a Wyoming/Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s Team Up Tuesday community event. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

After an announcement this week by Governor Gretchen Whitmer that the Michigan Strategic Fund had approved a $10 million grant program to provide up to $15,000 grants to small businesses “disproportionately” impacted the COVID-19 virus, a local business leader urged applications.

In an email today, Dec. 2, the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce and its president/CEO Bob O’Callaghan urged small businesses to apply for the grants. And the WKACC detailed the types of businesses who can apply and what the grants can be used for.

“Grant funds will assist eligible small businesses directly impacted by COVID-19 meet urgent working capital needs including payroll expenses, rent or mortgage payments, and utility expenses,” according to the WKACC statement, which went on to detail “eligible” businesses.

The grants are meant for restaurants, bars and other food and beverage service providers; travel and tourism destinations including lodging providers; live event venues and movie theaters; conference and meeting facilities; ice skating rinks, indoor water parks and bowling centers; and gyms and fitness centers.

In the state’s earlier announcement, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation said the Pure Michigan Small Business Relief Initiative will utilize federal CARES Act funding to award the grants.

“As we continue to take necessary precautions to slow the spread of COVID-19, many of Michigan’s small businesses are experiencing additional strain, particularly now during the holiday season and heading into winter,” Gov. Whitmer said at the time of the state announcement. “We are fully committed to supporting our small businesses and their employees across the state as they navigate and persevere through this pandemic. By putting this federal funding to work, we can provide immediate assistance to those businesses hardest-hit by the pandemic.”

Businesses can apply for the grants starting Dec. 15, and grants will be awarded in amounts of up to $15,000 per eligible business on a “first-in” bases.

In addition to being one of the qualifying businesses, applicants must meet other eligibility criteria including being a for-profit entity (i.e., a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, or LLC), having a physical establishment in the state but not being a home-based business, and providing goods or services to multiple clients or customers.

Businesses must also have had annual gross revenues in 2019 greater than $25,000, have at least two employees, including the owner(s) but less than 50 employees, including full-time and part-time.

In addition, according to the state, “applicants will be required to self-certify that they are following all state and local orders related to COVID-19, including, but not limited to, those issued by DHHS and county health departments.”

For more information and, starting Dec. 15, businesses can apply for the grants at michiganbusiness.org/relief.

 

City of Wyoming seeks applicants for Deputy City manager position

3-bottom, City of Wyoming,
Wyoming City Manager Curtis Holt said the city is looking for a deputy city manager candidate who will help the city grow into a better organization that serves Wyoming’s whole community. (WKTV)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

The City of Wyoming is seeking applicants for the deputy city manager opening. Applications for the position will be accepted through Dec. 13.

The opening was created when former Deputy City Manager Megan Sall Rydecki left in November to take the community affairs manager for Kent County position for Consumers Energy.

The job posting – available on the City of Wyoming webpage at wyomingmi.gov/jobs – calls for candidates who have strong interpersonal skills and are experienced with public management techniques involved in project management, communications and public relations, and community and employee relations. The position is responsible for developing, overseeing, coordinating, and implementing diverse programs and activities related to business and community growth. It also will work with departments and the community to develop and implement programs related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

“We’re looking for a candidate to help us grow into a better organization that serves our whole community,” City Manager Curtis Holt said. “We want to find the right candidate for this important position. One that will help steer our organization into a more equitable and prosperous future, someone with a passion for community growth and understanding.”


The Human Resources Department and other City leaders will vet candidates through an interview process. The City of Wyoming hopes to have a new deputy city manager in place by February. Interested candidates can apply at wyomingmi.gov/jobs by Dec. 13.

35th annual LowellArts West Michigan Art Competition call for entries

Entertainment,

By Janet Teunis
LowellArts

LowellArts (Photo courtesy of WMTA)

The 35th Annual LowellArts West Michigan Art Competition highlights outstanding artwork by Lower West Michigan artists who reside in a 25-county region. Five cash awards totaling $2,500 are awarded. Artists may submit one piece for consideration by the juror.

Deadline for entries is Jan. 15.

The West Michigan Art Competition is open to all visual art media by artists 18 yrs. and older who reside in one of the eligible West Michigan counties. Eligible lower West Michigan counties include: Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Cass, Calhoun, Clare, Clinton, Eaton, Gratiot, Ionia, Isabella, Kalamazoo, Kent, Lake, Mason, Mecosta, Muskegon, Montcalm, Newaygo, Oceana, Osceola, Ottawa, Saint Joseph, and Van Buren.

Find entry fee, eligibility details, and entry form online.

Snapshots: Some holiday fun to do this weekend

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, ,

By Anna Johns
WKTV Intern



You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.

May West, American actress, 1893 – 1980



Write a letter to Santa

Take some time and write a letter to Santa. Kids have until Dec. 18 to get their requests into Santa. Deliver your letters to the “North Pole” mailbox at Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave. SE, or the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE. Letters can also be mailed to Santa’s P.O. Box at 8448, Kentwood, MI 49518. All letters will receive a response from Santa, just be sure to include your return address. For more details visit kentwood.us/letterstosanta.

 

Visit the Big Guy


Grab your family and drive over to Little Pine Island Camp for a drive-thru Santa visit. Along the path, there will be various stations full of refreshments, games, and takeaways. Attendees have to remain in their vehicles as they drive along the trail from station to station. The event is free to attend however it is asked that guests pre-register to ensure that all children attending the event will receive a gift. Little Pine Island Camp is located at 6889 Pine Island Dr. NE in Comstock Park. The event will take place Saturday, Dec. 5, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

 


Take in a Christmas Lite Show

Grab your friends and family and take a drive through the Christmas Lite Show located at the Fifth Third Ballpark, 4500 W. River Dr. NE. One of West Michigan’s largest, animated, drive-thru light shows is now celebrating its 23rd year of entertaining people of all ages. To drive through the show tickets start at $25 (price varies on the type of vehicle). There is also an option to take a ride through the show on the Memory Lane Train. Tickets for the train are $60 per row. Each row includes 4 adult seats and small children can sit on adults laps for free. The show takes place on Sundays to Thursdays from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m and on Fridays and Saturdays from 5:30 to 10 p.m. The show is open through Jan. 2. To learn more details or to book a group train ride, call or text 616-745-9955 or visit christmasliteshow.com.

(Supplied by Woodland Mall)

Fun Fact:
Santa didn’t always wear red

Did you know that the big jolly man in the red suit with a white beard didn’t always look that way? Before 1931, there were many different depictions of Santa. He had a variety of looks from a tall lanky man to a short elf. He even once wore a green suit. It was Coca-Cola that helped create the modern image of Santa. In 1931, the company placed advertisements that showed a realistic Santa Claus wearing a red robe with white trim and the image stuck.

Kentwood’s mayor, city planners talk small business support, master plan on WKTV Journal In Focus

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, Going Local, Local Business, Local Faces, Our Cities, Restaurants, WKTV Journal In Focus, ,

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

On the latest episode of WKTV Journal In Focus, we take another look at the City of Kentwood doing business, with and for businesses large and small, during the current pandemic and in the future.

First we talk in studio with Mayor Stephen Kepley about what the city is doing to help small businesses survive in these difficult economic times, and then about the City of Kentwood’s newly approved Master Plan, which will not only guide the city in future business development but also various community land use and land preservation issues.

Then, separately, we talk with two city planners and delve deeper into the scope and impact of Kentwood’s Master Plan update. Visiting us via Zoom is two City of Kentwood planning department leaders — community development director Terry Schweitzer and economic development planner Lisa Golder. The planners tell us what the Master Plan means for city businesses, land owners and citizens, now and in the near future.

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.

Wyoming police seeking information on Nov. 27 homicide

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, , ,
Wyoming Department of Public Safety (WKTV)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

The Wyoming Department of Public Safety is looking for anyone with information about a Nov. 27 homicide to contact the department or Silent Observer.

According to a department press release, at a approximately 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 27, the Wyoming Department of Public safety responded to reports of gunshots fired and a person down on the sidewalk in the 900 block of Burton St. SW.

The initial investigation indicates that Grand Rapids resident Cynthia Jean McCoy was walking on the sidewalk when she was shot. The victim was transported to a local area hospital where she was pronounced deceased. After shooting the victim, the suspect fled the area on foot. The suspect is described as an unknown race male, 5 feet, 10 inches to 6 feet, 2 inches, wearing a dark blue hooded sweatshirt and blue face mask.

Detectives continue to work to learn the circumstances that led to the shooting.

Anyone with information on the homicide is asked to contact the Wyoming Department of Public Safety at 616-530-7366 or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345.

Head down memory lane with a look at West Michigan’s premiere car event, Metro Cruise

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming,
A big event at the Metro Cruise has been WKTV’s DreamWheels red carpet event. (WKTV)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

Sometimes it’s a pleasure to leave something in the rear view mirror — such as the entire year of 2020 — and at other times, it’s fun to peek back in that mirror to remember just how the good times roll.

This week, WKTV will be taking a look back at the iconic Metro Cruise, traditionally hosted in late August. Like many events, the Metro Cruise had to be cancelled this year as the community — as well as the nation and the world — battled COVID-19. Disappointing is it was, the decision was made to keep residents and visitors safe, according to Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce Bob O’Callaghan, whose organization hosts the annual event that centers around Rogers Plaza.

So for 2020, WKTV put together a special celebration of the annual event in its DreamWheels production set to air Wednesday, Dec. 2, at 8 p.m. and again Saturday, Dec. 5, at 7:30 p.m. on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99. Residents can also see the broadcast on the WKTV.org website.

Getting an unclose look at classic cars has been a key part of the annual Metro Cruise. (Courtesy Bruce Carlson)

The program takes a tour of the Gilmore Car Museum as hosts Kim Carson and Greg Yoder reminisce about some of the major events that have taken place at the cruise. Started in 2005 to help drive business to the 28th Street corridor when the M-6 highway system opened, the Metro Cruise has become a well-known and well-loved West Michigan premiere car event. The event typically draws more than 275,000 people annually from across the United States and includes approximately 15,000 vehicles such as hot rods, low riders, muscle cars, performance cars, classics, antiques and motorcycles, in addition to numerous live events.

Many of these cars were featured on the DreamWheels red carpet event, hosted by WKTV. Some of the cars will be featured in the special such as the Lingenfelter, Auburn Boattail, and Chrysler Woody. Also included is a trip down the 2007 Metro Million and a look at the 2006 Lowrider competition.

 

The backdrop is the Gilmore Car Museum, a 90-acre historic campus located at 6865 Hickory Road, Hickory Corners (just north of Kalamazoo). Open year-round (except for Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day), the Museum has one the largest collections of classic cars providing visitors the opportunity to stroll through automotive history. Many of the buildings have been specifically design for a collection such as the art deco Cadillac dealership that features an array of classic Cadillacs. Residing at the Gilmore is one of the largest collections of Dusenbergs in the United States and during the summer months, there are many local car clubs hosting events for owners to showcase their vehicles. For more about the Gilmore Car Museum. visit gilmorecarmuseum.org.

Also, keep Aug. 20 and 21 open as Callaghan confirmed those will be the dates for the 2021 Metro Cruise, which planning already is underway. For more information on the 2021 Metro Cruise, visit 28thstreetmetrocruise.com.

The Gilmore Car Museum served as the backdrop to the 2020 DreamWheels production. (Supplied)

Virtual health forum on ‘Health Disparities and COVID-19’ public registration still available

3-bottom, Community Health, Hard News, Health, Upcoming Events, ,
While COVID-19 testing is available to a wide range of the public in Kent County there are still many disparities in community care. (Public Domain)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

The Health Forum of West Michigan’s Friday, Dec. 4, forum on Health Disparities and COVID-19, a virtual presentation via Zoom webinar, is still accepting reservations for the general public in additional to health care professionals.

 

Registration deadline is noon on Thursday, Dec. 3, and information and registration is available at gvsu.edu/miperc/healthforum.

The presentation is free and open to the public. Participants will receive a link for this virtual presentation the day before the event.

The Dec. 4 event will run 8-9:30 a.m., with both presentations by guests speakers and a question and answer opportunity.

The event is part of the Health Forum of West Michigan’s  2020-21 series on the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts.

Panelists include Robert Orellana, PhD, COVID-19 Corps and senior epidemiologist with the Michigan Health and Human Services Department; Khan Nedd, MD, founder and Chief Medical Officer of Infusion Associates; and Leslie Pelkey, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Cherry Health.

The event’s welcoming remarks will be presented by Jean Nagelkerk, PhD, Vice Provost for Health at Grand Valley State University; and it will be moderated by Jesse M. Bernal, PhD, Vice President for Inclusion and Equity at GVSU.

Degage seeks donations, volunteers for annual Christmas store

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, ,
A guest selects some items from the Degage Christmas Store Express. The store will be open again this year with social distancing guidelines in place. (Supplied)

By Anna Johns
WKTV Intern

The holiday season is expected to look different this year but Degage Ministries is not letting these hardships get in the way of Christmas. Degage Ministries annual Christmas Store Express has been going on for a number of years and this year will be no different, according to organizers.

The goal of the store is to help low-income and homeless residents of the Heartside neighborhood purchase holiday gifts for family and friends. They will be reselling household items, clothing, toys, and more to residents at reduced prices. The store will provide those in need an opportunity to feel dignity and value in not only choosing, but also paying for the gift items. Individuals who cannot afford the store have an opportunity to earn Degage dollars that they can use for shopping.

“This is a great way for people to bring the brightness of their lives to Christmas this year,” said Degage Ministries Event Coordinator Kristen Aidif.

 

Items sold at the store are donated by the community and Degage Ministries is currently looking for donations for the shop. This year, organizers have created an Amazon wishlist to make it easier for the community to help. Items can be purchased from the Amazon wishlist and will be sent directly to the ministry.

Another option is to purchase items listed on the wishlist and drop them off at any Center for Physical Rehabilitation location, which there is a location in the City of Wyoming at 1736 Gezon Pkwy., Suite 100, and near near the City of Kentwood at 7150 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Suite B. These items should be dropped off unwrapped and donations must be received no later than Dec. 9. 

The store will be open Dec. 16 and 17 at LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church. They are also looking for community volunteers and those who are interested can find more information here. 

At this year’s Christmas Store Express event, participants and volunteers will need to wear masks and social distance the required six feet. (Supplied)

Snapshots: Things to do this weekend

Citizen Journalism, ,

By Anna Johns
WKTV Intern



Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.

Oprah Winfrey



Scenes from Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park’s Christmas and Holiday Traditions Around the World exhibition and events. (Supplied)

Holiday Traditions Continue

This weekend get into the holiday spirit with a visit to the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. The Meijer Gardens currently has its Christmas & Holiday Traditions exhibition on display. This exhibit features 46 trees and displays representing countries and cultures from across the globe and 300,000 lights throughout the grounds. In addition from 1-4 p.m. on the Saturdays leading until Christmas Day, visitors will have the opportunity to visit the “Rooftop Reindeer” and pose for photos with them. For more information visit the Meijer Gardens webpage here.


Penn & Tell Fool Us Magician Richard Preston presents a virtual show. (Photo by Stuart MacDonald)

A little old-fashioned magic

Head back to the 1960s for a little bit of magic and wonderment as magician Richard Preston presents his virtual Christmas Capers Magic Show on Saturday, Nov. 28. During the show, Preston will entertain viewers with a theatrical show full of life and mystery. Though the show is virtual, Preston said there will be audience participation, anecdotes, jokes, and more. The show is 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 per household (and it doesn’t matter if you have 1 or 100 attending) and are available to purchase on Preston’s website. 


Mathias J. Alten (American, b. Germany 1871–1938). The Striped Skirt, 1917. Grand Rapids Art Museum, Gift in Memory of Eleanore Alten Gilleo by her Family. (Supplied)

Stickley and Alten

Stroll through the Grand Rapids Art Museum to check out the work of one of the most influential painters from Grand Rapids, Matthias Alten. “Mathias J. Alten: An Enduring Legacy,” features works from the late impressionist painter who was active iduring the early to the mid-20th century. The museum also celebrates Grand Rapids furniture heritage with “Hand and Machine in Harmony: Regional Arts & Crafts,” featuring works from furniture manufacturers Charles P. Limbert and Albert Stickley and artist Forrest Mann. The museum is open Tuesdays and Saturdays from 12 to 6 p.m. and Thursdays from 12 to 9 p.m. For tickets and other information, visit the Museum’s website.


The Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade (Midtownguy 2012, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Everybody loves a parade

Did you know that the first Macy’s Day Thanksgiving Parade had live animals? The first parade took place in 1924. More than 250,000 people attended the parade that year but it was barely covered by the media. The parade included animals from the Central Park Zoo, floats, and bands. Today the parade has become the longest parade in the world and is three hours long. While this year’s parade was prerecorded (less cheering crowds), it is estimated that more than 50 million people watched the 2020 Macy’s Thanksgiving parade from the comfort of their homes.

Downtown St. Joseph sends some holiday cheer with lights, more

Entertainment, ,

By Adrienne Brown-Reasner
West Michigan Tourist Association

Getting in the holiday spirit is easy when you visit downtown St. Joseph during November and December.

Countdown to the New Year with SWMI businesses and restaurants! Free entry with purchases made at participating locations through Dec. 20. To enter, fill out an entry form for a chance to win a $50 gift certificate from a participating location. St. Joseph Today will draw daily winners through the month of December. The grand prize will be drawn on December 31 for a $500 St. Joseph Today gift certificate good at over 80 locations. Visit stjoetoday.com/countdown for a list of participating locations.

Downtown St. Joseph holiday lights (Supplied by St. Joseph)

On Friday, Dec. 4, Light up the Bluff will transform Lake Bluff Park into a winter wonderland, featuring one million holiday lights. The lights will then remain on through Valentine’s Day in Michigan’s Most Romantic City.

Dec. 4-10, Window Wonderland invites attendees to stroll downtown to get into the holiday spirit as they take in the holiday window decorating contest. Dozens of storefronts will participate in this holiday window decorating event. Vote for your favorite holiday window all beginning at 10:00am on Friday, December 4 – voting will remain open until 11:59pm on December 10 at stjoetoday.com/vote. This event is sponsored by Edgewater Bank, Southwestern Michigan Tourist Council, and Holt Bosse.


Additionally, new winter lights have been added throughout downtown St. Joseph. Zapal says, “St. Joseph Today, Southwestern Michigan Tourist Council, City of St. Joseph, Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber and Cornerstone Alliance have partnered together this winter season to create a magical experience that will bring more consumers and business to downtown St. Joseph.”

The new winter lights have been placed downtown along State St. (from Elm St. to Ship St.) as well as Broad St. and Ship St. (Lake Blvd. to Main St.) and Pleasant St. (Lake Blvd. to Court St.) and will remain up through February 14 in conjunction with Light up the Bluff.

For more information visit stjoetoday.com/merryandbright.

Wyoming Gives Back still collecting toys for this year’s event

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

With all the holiday specials taking place this weekend, it is the perfect time to snatch up a couple of toys for the Wyoming Gives Back event.

Last year, there was one full truck at the Wyoming Gives Back. (WKTV)

For the past 10 years, the City of Wyoming has hosted the Wyoming Gives Back event. This year, due to COVID, the event will be broadcast live on WKTV Comcast Chanel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 at 7 p.m. Dec. 3. Mayor Jack Poll and Michele DeSelms from WOOD TV8 will emcee the program. The WKTV’s Facebook page and wktv.org will be live streaming the event as well.

Area residents have until Nov. 30 to drop off a toy to one of five collection sites in the city. When they drop off an unwrapped, new toy, residents will receive one raffle ticket per new toy just like in past events. On Dec. 3, the raffle drawing will take place with winning raffle numbers being announced. Winners will pick up their items form Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW.

Make sure to drop off a toy to one of the five collection sites by Nov. 30 to receive a raffle ticket. (WKTV Journal/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)

Wyoming Gives Back drop-off locations are:

Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW, small toys, puzzle box-size or smaller, will be accepted at the drive-thru, all others will be by appointment only

Marge’s Donut Den, 1751 28th St. SW, Monday – Saturday, 4 a.m. – 4 p.m., Sunday, 6 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Pizza Hut, 132 28th St. SW., Monday – Sunday, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Godwin Plumbing & Hardware, 3703 S. Division Ave., Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday, 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Russo’s Pizza, 1760 44th St. SW, Monday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m., Sunday 3 – 10 p.m.

“We decided to participate last year and did it again this year because we love to help and support our community,” said Katie DeBoer with Godwin Plumbing & Hardware, one of this year’s collection sites.

Last year, more than 800 toys were collected for donation, and it appears that this year’s event is on its way to meet last year’s goal with Marge’s Donut Den reporting it had already collected more than 200 toys.

Last year, the event raffled more than $4,000 in prizes and city staff have said they have some great prizes for this year’s event as well. But to be entered into the raffle, a resident must drop off a toy by Nov. 30.

Also as part of the fun, Wyoming Gives Back has added a Santa’s Kids Coloring Contest. Area students will be able to submit coloring pages or drawings for a chance to win a prize. Templates can be downloaded from the event webpage. Santa will be attending the live Dec. 3 broadcast, answering phone calls from area children and will be announcing the winners of the coloring contest.

For more about Wyoming Gives Back, visit the event page. 

Piecing together the history of Muskegon County through quilts

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment,

By Brenda Nemetz
Lakeshore Museum

The Lakeshore Museum Center located in Muskegon (Supplied)

A new exhibit at the Lakeshore Museum Center aims to highlight quilts crafted by one dedicated woman. This exhibit will showcase a Muskegon woman who was well-known in the quilting world, but not recognized in her own community. The museum will be displaying the work of the late Rosie Lee Wilkins in Who is Rosie Lee Wilkins– Piecing Together Her History.

“I was inspired to research Rosie after realizing just how few people knew the story of this amazing woman,” said Collections Manager, Brenda Nemetz. “Parts of her history are still unrecorded and I think that’s what made the process so interesting. To many, pieces of her life were enigmatic.”

Lakeshore Museum Center will display just a fraction of the 100 quilts sewn by Wilkins herself. However, the quilts are only a small patch of Wilkins’ story, as visitors will find out. In addition to displaying some of Rosie’s work, the museum staff will share just how they managed to uncover so much of her history.

The exhibit is up through April 24, 2021, which visitors can enjoy at no additional cost. Museum admission is $5 for non-Muskegon County residents and free to those who live in the area as well as museum members. Guests may tour the exhibit during regular business hours, social distancing and masks are expected.

For more information about Lakeshore Museum Center events or exhibits, visit their website or call 231-722-0278.

School News Network: No ‘bad’ apples here

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

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

From creative writing about apples to making music with ukuleles, area schools are offering innovative programming during the pandemic. Speaking of succeeding, if you were an essential worker from April 1 to June 30, you may qualify for the Future for Frontliners program. Scroll to the bottom for more information.

For more stories on local schools, visit the School News Network website, schoolnewsnetwork.org.

There wasn’t much recognizable about Symone Gray’s apple, Martin Van Buren, after he got hit by a car in the Big Apple (School News Network)

Wyoming: Babysitting an apple

Ninth grade students at Wyoming High School get creative in their writing by telling the woes and tragedies of the apples they babysit. Want to get all the juicy sauce on this? Click here.

TEAM 21 Coordinator Ellen Veenkant tackled the change of coordinating the West Godwin Elementary’s drop-off and pick-up schedule (School News Network)

Godwin Heights: A real team player

With no parents allowed in its buildings due to COVID, West Godwin needed help coming up with a plan for pick up and drop off. TEAM 21 member Ellen Veenkant stepped up to the challenge, showing how much of a team player she is. For more, click here.

Kelloggsville music teacher Susan Iacovoni had to figure out a way to get her ukuleles to her students when COVID-19 restrictions meant they couldn’t come to the music room (Dianne Carroll Burdick)

Kelloggsville: Have cart, will travel

Some 140 years after the ukulele was introduced to Hawaii, in Kelloggsville schools, music teacher Susan Iacovoni is introducing her students to the “jumping flea” and watching with glee as their fingers make music, albeit haltingly at first. To learn more about the musical fun, click here.

Brookwood Elementary School Principal Lorenzo Bradshaw is the recipient of the 2020 NAACP Role Model Education Award

Kentwood: Prinicpal earns role model award from NAACP

This past October Kentwood’s Brookwood Elementary School Principal Lorenzo Bradshaw was virtually honored as the 2020 NAACP Role Model Education Award from the local Grand Rapids chapter of the association. Learn why Bradshaw tried to decline the honor and what he finds most rewarding about being in education by clicking here.

Adults attend a Kent ISD GED class (courtesy)

All Districts: Essential workers get high school diplomas thanks to state program

If you served as an essential employee between April 1 to June 30, you may qualify for Futures for Frontliners program. Through the program, eligible participants can earn a GED and/or job training or study at a community college such as Grand Rapids Community College. To be eligible, you must have worked at least 11 of the 13 weeks from April 1 to June 30. For more about the program, click here.

St. Cecilia adds Kurt Elling concert to Christmas line-up

Entertainment

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

Considered the “standout male jazz vocalist of our time” by The New York Times, Kurt Elling will be spreading some holiday cheer Dec. 6 as he performs in the virtual Christmas in Chicago virtual concert.

Kurt Elling (Supplied/St. Cecilia)

“When we were given this opportunity to present this virtual holiday event with Kurt Elling from Chicago, there was no question we wanted in,” said St. Cecilia Music Center Executive and Artistic Director Cathy Holbrook. “Kurt was the first artist we presented on our jazz series 13 years ago and has since returned as a fan favorite. We are so happy to bring him into your home to start your holiday celebration!”

The Grammy Award winning artist will perform live (with no audience) at 4 p.m. from the Green Mill Cocktail Lounge in Chicago. The performance also will feature gospel singer Lizz Wright.

In his 2016 recording of Christmas music, “The Beautiful Day: Kurt Elling Sings Christmas,” Elling reimagined the sounds of Christmas, mixing traditional carols with new arrangements creating songs the were rediscovered treats. He wrapped the universal themes of hope, light, wonder, mystery, and goodwill in musical packages full of delightful surprises.

“I knew I didn’t want to make a ‘religious’ record, just as I knew I didn’t want to make a standard, swingin’ jazzy Christmas,” Elling said of the album. “I’m trying to expand my consciousness and embrace the goodness of the season, and I want to include everybody. 

“For me, Christmas is a time of consideration, of pondering mysteries.”

Tickets for the virtual concert are $40 and allow for 48 hours of on-demand viewing. A portion oof the ticket sale will support St. Cecilia Music Center.

 

Remaining Virtual Series’ concerts by SCMC include the Bob James concert on Dec. 17 and a special concert by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center on Dec. 3 featuring Anne-Marie McDermott and other CMS artists. For more about these December FREE virtual concerts offered by SCMC for home viewing, see  scmc-online.org/virtual/.

Woodland Mall prepares for a busy shopping season

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

The year of 2020 has been less than stellar which maybe why many residents have turned to the holiday season for a little cheer with Christmas music and decorations.

Even the holiday shopping seems to have started a little earlier this year.

“I think people just needed something that was a little brighter right now,” said Woodland Mall Marketing Director Cecily McCabe. “With so many things that had to be cancelled or be put on hold, it was great that we were able to offer some of the holiday traditions people look forward to.”

One of those has been visits with Santa. The visits are a little different this year with families required to make a reservation. Children are not able to sit on Santa’s lap and a clear plexiglass window separates Santa from guests but he is still accepting Christmas wishes and there are opportunities for photos.

McCabe said the mall also expects to be able to accommodate all of those Black Friday shoppers. 

“We are expecting brisk traffic throughout the event,” she said. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, traditionally kicks off the holiday shopping season. The shopping season is shorter this year, three weeks instead of around four, but shoppers have been out scooping up early deals. In fact, many of the stores have extended their Black Friday deals to start either before Thanksgiving or run through Saturday or Sunday. In years past, Black Friday deals end in the afternoon on Friday. 

Also some of the stores are allowing shoppers to purchase doorbuster items online as well, McCabe said. By allowing holiday shoppers to do this, it is hoped it will help with the capacity limitations that were put on the stores from the recent Michigan Department of Health and Human Services partial shutdown order. In that order, it states that retail businesses may have up to 30 percent capacity and must provide line control for those wishing to enter a store.

“The stores all have different capacities because those are determine by a different formula,” McCabe said. “In our common areas we will be able to accommodate our Black Friday customers.”

For those looking to avoid crowds, several of the stores are offering personal styling seasons, where a person can book a time either before or after the store closes and sometimes during regular store hours, to come in and meet with a personal shopper. 

While children will not be able to sit on Santa’s lap this year, he is still collecting Christmas wishes at Woodland Mall. (Supplied/Woodland Mall)

Woodland Mall also recently announced an online and hybrid shopping opportunities through its website.

The mall’s online sMall surprises Holiday Collection features three different gift packages. Through the Mall2Go program, guests can order from several of the mall stores and either pick up at the store or at designed curbside locations. There are both stores and restaurants participating in the Mall2Go program.

McCabe noted that the recent order does not allow dine-in at any restaurant but that restaurants at Woodland Mall, like many others, are offering take out.

For those wishing or planning to visit the mall in-person, McCabe had a few suggestions: if possible, shop early; if you are looking to avoid the crowds, come either Wednesday, Saturday or Sunday, because “while the traffic will be brisk the mall won’t be as jammed”; and to take advantage of the curbside delivery.

 

The mall will have extended holiday hours over the weekend, Friday 7 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Sunday, noon – 6 p.m. Hours through the holidays will be 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Monday – Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday with Dec. 20 hours being 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Guests are asked to follow Center for Disease Control guidelines which include wearing a mask when inside and to practice social distancing by staying six fee apart. 

Annual Christmas Walk in Newaygo area moved to virtual

Entertainment

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

Photo Courtesy of River Count Chamber of Commerce

The River County Chamber of Commerce, located in Newaygo, has announced that its scheduled 2020 Christmas Walk will be moved to a virtual experience.

 

Due to Michigan Department of Health and Human Services order, the Chamber, through a press release, stated that it is not allowed to have the Christmas Walk they way it is traditional down. The walk was scheduled for Dec. 4. 

Instead, the group will do what many have done host a virtual event. The Christmas Walk traditions, including the honorary award, the Christmas tee lighting, Santa holiday greetings, and musical performances will be broadcast on the River County Chamber Facebook book page. The virtual event will be at 6 p.m. Dec. 4.

The Chamber announced to help its local businesses that it has launched the Shop Local, Save Local promotion which includes prize drawings for those who shop at local businesses and restaurants.

For more information, visit rivecountychamber.com.