D’Angelo Green will graduate from Muskegon Heights High School Academy with a very bright future. But the outlook hasn’t always been so positive.
A bleak future
At the start of his senior year, D’Angelo lacked the essentials needed for graduation and success beyond high school: credits, motivation, maturity and basic employability skills. He was ready to drop the very program that would help him turn his life around—Jobs for Michigan Graduates (JMG).
Jobs for Michigan Graduates
The JMG program helps youth at risk of dropping out of high school get the skills they need to graduate, find a job and contribute to their communities. The program, which includes classroom instruction, adult mentoring and leadership development, has helped 98% of its participants graduate and 91% move on to employment, continuing education or both.
A fresh perspective
Fortunately, D’Angelo didn’t drop the program and after further engagement and several class assignments, his perspective changed. D’Angelo began to see opportunities for a brighter future. After his product presentation for the “Shark Tank” program activity—a virtual reality headset—one of the “Sharks” offered him a job and the mayor of Muskegon Heights offered free space to run his business!
D’Angelo is happy he decided to stay with the JMG program; he has made considerable improvements in areas where he once struggled and he is focused on his plans for the future. He recently accepted a position at AB Electrical Wires in Muskegon Heights and plans to attend Muskegon Community College to study engineering.
“I am extremely grateful for the opportunities that have opened up as a result of the JMG program,” D’Angelo said.
Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.
Multiple opportunities exist to engage with malting barley research in Michigan in June. Photo by Ashley McFarland
Malting barley research has reached all corners of the state and researchers from the Michigan State University (MSUE) malting barley research program have developed a series of field days to showcase the research and to provide networking opportunities for those engaged with the industry. Three separate events will feature different programs targeting the stakeholders in the respective region. Those interested in malting barley and malt production in Michigan are encouraged to check out one or all three programs!
Luckhardt Field Day | June 19, 6 – 8 pm | Saline, MI Event features a winter barley collaborative project in Southeast Michigan, featuring farmer Ryan Luckhardt, a junior at Saline High School and active FFA member. Other partners include local food system consultant, New Growth Associaties; Fermenta, a women’s craft beverage trade organization; and Michigan State University. The showcased research trial is examining the performance of various winter malting barley varieties and their suitability for the local craft malt and craft beer market. Free dinner and refreshments provided. Event address – 5125 Braun Rd., Saline, MI 48176
MSU W.K. Kellogg Biological Station Field Day | June 20, 8 am – 1 pm | Hickory Corners, MI Event features winter and spring performance and management trials and will include speakers from the seed industry and MSU researcher, Dr. Brook Wilke, who will present on research ventures underway to explore double-cropping options within malting barley production. Guided tours of the research plots will conclude the program. Free lunch provided to registered attendees. Event address – 9702 N 40th St., Hickory Corners, MI 49060
Thumb Field Day | June 25, 5 – 7 pm | Kawkawlin, MI Event features the winter malting barley trial, a performance trial evaluating over 30 varieties at the Don Shelagowski Farm. Speakers will include MSU Crop Educator, Martin Nagelkirk, and will discuss local farming opportunities for the local craft malt and beer industries. Dinner sponsored by Schmidt Farms of Auburn. Event address – 804 Wetters Road, Kawkawlin, MI 48631
Registration is live and strongly encouraged for all three events, which are free of charge. Registration for each of the events can be accessed here. For questions about the event or for sponsorship opportunities, contact Sarah Hanks at lovettsa@msu.edu.
Wyoming: Delilah Dewylde’s Rockabilly sounds at Lamar Park on June 12
Delilah DeWylde (Photo by Tyler Steimle)
Delilah DeWylde and her band the Lost Boy brings a high-octane rockabilly sound to the next Wyoming Concerts on Tuesday, June 12, starting at 7 p.m., at Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St. SW. The performance is free.
Kentwood: Adams Family will kick off summer concert series June 14
The Adams Family (Facebook)
The Adams Family will be the first of a summertime full of music as the City of Kentwood’s Summer Concert Series offers free concerts and family entertainment on select Thursday nights from June to August. All concerts will begin at 7 p.m., on the lawn behind Kentwood City Hall, located at 4900 Breton Road SE.
WKTV Voices: You love Marge’s donuts, and you will love her and her sisters stories
The WKTV Voices trailer is at Marge’s Donut Den the second Saturday of each month. In March of this year, Marge and her sister Marilyn sat down to record their oral history. Hear what these marvelously mischievous siblings had to say about the various pranks they pulled during their childhood.
Delilah DeWylde brings her high-octane rockabilly sound to the next Wyoming Concerts Tuesday, June 12.
Starting at 7 p.m. at Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St. SW, DeWylde and her band the Lost Boys will take the stage. The performance is free.
A veteran of the West Michigan music scene and an alumna of rockability institution DangerVille, DeWylde has an out-sized stage presence that is the centerpiece of the show where as one minute she is singing sweetly and the next slapping her bass into submission.
Rounding out the group is Lee Harvey on electric guitar and Johnny HiWatt or F.B. on snare drum.
As part of the fun for this year’s Concerts in the Park, each night will have a theme. Those who participate in the theme will be eligible to enter a drawing for a gift card that will be given out at the end the concert. The June 12 theme is to decorate with flowers.
The Wyoming Concerts in the Park series are put together by the Wyoming Community Enrichment Commission. The concerts are every Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Lamar Park through Aug. 7. The concerts are rebroadcast on WKTV Wednesdays at 5 p.m. and Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 10 p.m.
While society has taken great strides toward acceptance of LGBT citizens, what remains invisible are the issues and challenges that LGBT adults face as they begin to age. Too often, LGBT seniors have felt the need to go back ‘into the closet’ in order to receive services or deny themselves much need care in order to avoid having to do so. The LGBT Initiative, funded by the Michigan Health Endowment grant, is seeking to change that for LGBT seniors throughout the state of Michigan, by creating safe channels for LGBT older adults to seek services.
West Michigan is one of the three regions where this effort is taking place. Kendrick Heinlein, AAAWM Contract Administrator, is heading up this project for Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan.
“Right now, the LGBT initiative is looking at different outreach strategies to reach members of the LGBT community” Heinlein states. Working with the other two regions: the Upper Peninsula and the Bay City/Saginaw region of the state, committee members recognize what works for Grand Rapids doesn’t necessarily work for the U.P., so finding the best methods for each region is the current focus.
Heinlein says, “We want to provide resources and reduce isolation for LGBT seniors and we’re working on the best strategies to go about that.”
There are currently about 1.5 million people age 65+ who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual. There are also many aging LGBT people who live alone, without family to help with the aging process. This puts many LGBT seniors in the position of requiring income-based aging services available in their communities. Needing to ask for help though is often a difficult experience for these seniors.
Older adults who are LGBT don’t often find a warm welcome when they begin to participate in aging services. Sometimes this is due to the discrimination they encounter when seeking services; most times though, it is not hostility but cultural assumptions that can cause LGBT seniors to be reluctant to ask for help. An intake form might ask questions about marriage and children, but not about same-sex partnerships. A senior might be asked about their racial identification or religion, but not gender or sexual orientation.
Many older LGBT seniors carry with them memories of a time when they lost jobs, homes and family for being gay and could be jailed or committed to an asylum for being different. Because many seniors don’t want to “go back into the closet” but fear discrimination, they will avoid asking for help, which can result in a health crisis. This is what the LGBT initiative is working to alleviate. Through outreach to community service providers, AAAWM in partnership with the Grand Rapids Pride Center is in the process of creating a resource guide of senior service providers in West Michigan who are LGBT-friendly.
Anyone can call themselves LGBT-friendly, but what this means in terms of the LGBT initiative is that each provider in the LGBT Senior Resource Guide will be vetted to insure they will provide equal services to LGBT older adults that they would to any other seniors,
“A majority of providers are open to serving LGBT clients,” Heinlein highlights. “A lot of providers have been serving the LGBT community and consider being part of the guide recognition for services they have been providing all along.” By creating this resource guide, the committee hopes to provide safe avenues for LGBT older adults to find the services they need to age gracefully like their peers.
The debut of the LGBT Senior Resource Guide will occur at the Grand Rapids Pride Festival on June 16, 2018, beginning at 12 pm. AAAWM will have the guides available at their vendor table and they encourage people to stop by and take a look.
If you’d like to learn more about this project, contact Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan at (888) 456-5664 or email aaainfo@aaawm.org. To learn about their services, you can visit their website: http://www.aaawm.org.
As parents, we want to believe that our children will always do what we ask of them, but we quickly learn that is not the case. Especially as our kids grow older and assert their independence, what we ask of them and what they do are often in conflict. If you are a parent of a teen with type 1 diabetes, the choices they make can have serious health consequences when what they do and what you ask of them are in conflict. One common choice teens are faced with is whether or not to drink alcohol.
According to the Michigan Department of Community Health, almost one-third of 9th – 12th graders report having at least one drink in the past 30 days. Again, we like to think our children will do what we ask and not drink, but how can we prepare our teens with type 1 diabetes to be safe when they decide to drink?
Bottom line: underage drinking is illegal, and underage drinking can have legal consequences if your teen is caught. For best results, you should talk to your teen about drinking before they decide to drink and when you both are calm. Having a talk after your child has come home drunk is not the best time. If you are having difficulty talking to your teen, ask a family member or friend that your teen trusts for help. Your teen’s healthcare provider is another place to turn. Their advice and guidance on diabetes care for your teen should always be followed.
If your teen decides to drink, they should understand how alcohol affects their blood sugar. Though there might be a temporary spike in blood sugar levels, drinking alcohol usually causes blood sugar to go down. Hypoglycemia (or low blood sugar) occurs because the liver kicks in and works on ridding the body of the alcohol first, and is slower to release glucose into the system causing low blood sugar. According to the Diabetes Teaching Center at the University of California, San Francisco, it takes approximately 1 – 1 ½ hours for the liver to process one drink. It’s during that processing time when people with diabetes are at risk for low blood sugar. If you have two drinks, you would be at risk for 2 – 3 hours. The more drinks you have, the length of time you are at risk for low blood sugar is longer.
An article from Diabetes UK provides additional information that parents can share with their teen to help keep them safe if they decide to drink:
Eat before drinking alcohol, and eat some carbohydrate-containing snacks such as a sandwich or chips while drinking.
Tell a trusted friend that they have diabetes and how to treat low blood sugar if it occurs.
Alternate alcoholic drinks with water or other sugar-free drinks to avoid dehydration.
Wear a diabetes ID bracelet or necklace, because low blood sugar can be mistaken for drunkenness.
Eat before going to bed after a night of drinking. Alcohol stays in the system for a while, so low blood sugar can occur after going to sleep. Eat something with fat and protein, such as chips with dip, cheese, nuts, etc.
Test frequently when drinking. If your teen vomits, the College Diabetes Network suggests that he or she should test at least once an hour for several hours while drinking non-alcoholic beverages and eating some crackers, cereal, bread, etc. If your teen is not able to keep food down and hypoglycemia occurs, they should follow their diabetes care plan to raise blood sugar. If nothing is working, someone should call 911.
Be aware of contraindications of pain relievers while taking diabetes medication or using a continuous glucose monitor. Acetaminophen can cause monitors to read inaccurately for several hours.
We hope our kids make the right decisions. But when they don’t, we can help them by making sure they know what to do to stay safe.
Jeanette Mukampabuka doesn’t like to talk about what led her to flee Africa as a child refugee. But she will talk about what it’s like to arrive in a foreign country and start school when everything is new and different.
“It’s so hard here. It’s so hard,” Jeanette said. “When you come here you don’t even know the culture or how to approach people. You don’t know where to start from or what you have to to say to people. Most of the time I was quiet.”
Jeanette Mukampabuka had to learn to navigate life in America and complete two years of high school at once
She said things have gotten easier since she arrived in Michigan in 2015 without her parents, whom she also declined to talk about. She’s made friends, gotten help from teachers. She’s also learned that other people are unsure of how to approach her, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to get to know her.
It took a while to get used to verbal and non-verbal cues in English and feel comfortable enough to interact with other students. “Coming here and learning everything new is so challenging,” she said, noting that she came from an African tribe that is very close-knit.
In the fall, Jeanette will begin studying for an engineering or nursing degree at Western Michigan University and wants to eventually pursue her master’s degree.
To get through high school in three years, she completed 10th and 11th grades at the the same time, taking some courses online. She graduates with a 3.3 GPA.
Tish Stevenson, Godwin Heights guidance counselor, said Jeanette has shown amazing perseverance.
“When I first met her everything was difficult and, through time, by doing the right things working really, really hard, she has opened so many doors for herself,” Stevenson said. “I see a spectacularly future because of her hard work and character. Many people who have been through such difficult things would be crushed, but it’s just made her strong and vibrant.”
Jeanette Mukampabuka points to her name on a board celebrating seniors. She’s going to Western Michigan University
Finding Her Way
Jeanette, who lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo until age 9 and then in Kenya for five years, graduated from Godwin Heights High School May 23. It marked a significant milestone for a young woman who came from a troubled homeland.
In the DR Congo, displacement of people has occurred due to widespread militia activities, unrest and violence fueled by ethnic and political conflict affecting many areas. She speaks generally about the conflicts that uprooted families in Africa. “It was a war between tribes,” said Jeanette, who is from a tribe that was being attacked.
She arrived in Michigan three years ago with her sister, older brother and niece. She started ninth grade in Bloomingdale, Michigan, and came to Godwin Heights last year. She was supported by two refugee programs: Refuge Point, formerly Mapendo International, which focuses on saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people; and Heshima Kenya, which specializes in identifying and protecting unaccompanied and separated refugee children and youth, especially girls, young women, and their children living in Nairobi, Kenya.
Jeanette lived in foster care for two years and has lived independently with her sister, Mamy Ganza, 27, for a year.
“I like it here but I still miss my country. I miss it a lot,” said Jeanette, who speaks English, Swahili, Kinyarwanda, and several other tribal languages.
While she has excelled academically, Jeanette said she now sees the benefit in becoming involved in other ways. Advice she gives other newcomers: “Join clubs and sports because then you make friends.”
While her strength in math draws her to a career in engineering, Jeanette said she also is interested in nursing so she can help others.
Stevenson said she sees Jeanette in the future giving back to others, “because that’s just the kind of person she is.”
“I see her having a spectacular life full of friends and love.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia is challenging. Memory loss strips victims of short-term memory, making familiar events and tasks, such as faith-based activities or worship very difficult. However, a strong faith can transcend memory loss, with an adapted approach based on the individual’s abilities.
Discover Strengths
People with memory loss still have the need to be known as a person—to receive self-validation even though suffering from dementia.
“Universal human needs don’t go away with memory loss,” says Joshua Baron, chaplain at Holland Home’s Fulton Manor. “We can communicate God’s love in ways that meet those needs. Discover the individual’s strengths and build on those.”
People who still have the ability to speak can be encouraged to lead prayers, sing hymns or play the piano, if they have retained those skills. Praying for others can engender positive feelings of self-worth.
Communicate Using Strengths
While someone with memory loss might not be able to remember what they ate for breakfast that morning because of the decline in short term memory, long term memories and things learned in the past are often still vivid and able to be recalled.
“You can tap into enduring memories with hymns and prayers learned in childhood, which are still familiar,” said Baron.
Providing a sensory experience, such as holding onto something special during a church service, can also be comforting and tap into old memories.
Attending Church Services
“It is important that those with memory loss have the assurance of God’s love, support for continued prayer and the opportunity to participate in religious services,” said Baron. “Research shows that attending church services has positive benefits for a person’s well-being, even for those with significant dementia.” Being a part of a religious community gives people a sense of belonging, and a feeling that “this is my family”.
If the person with memory loss is not able to attend church services, Baron recommends contacting the church to have a minister or church elder visit so that the person with memory loss can still partake in a service and celebrate communion.
Residential Placement
Sometimes it is not possible to care for a person with memory loss at home, and a residential placement needs to be considered. Baron recommends choosing a faith-based organization.
“Holland Home offers a worship service, Evening Star, which was created specifically for people with dementia and is a strength-based approach to worship,” said Baron.
Evening Star focuses on familiar hymns, prayers and Bible passages.
“At Fulton Manor, we offer two services on Sunday where memory care residents are welcome, and also hold services every Monday on our memory care floors using the Evening Star worship service.”
For more information about memory care at Holland Home, visit hollandhome.org/memory-care or call 616-235-5113.
Maybe the best known of the headliners at this summer’s City of Kentwood Summer Concert series are West Michigan favorites The Crane Wives, May Erlewine and The Moxie Strings.
But, starting with The Adams Family coming to town next week, there is not a sour note in a series that will feature an eclectic mix of indie, folk, country, blues and rock music.
The Summer Concert Series offers free concerts and family entertainment on select Thursday nights from June to August. All concerts will begin at 7 p.m., on the lawn behind Kentwood City Hall, located at 4900 Breton Road SE.
In addition to a variety of music, the concerts offer a variety of food trucks at each concert offering food and beverages for purchase. Concert-goers are also encouraged to bring a blanket or their chair, and are welcome to bring their own beer or wine.
“One of the best ways to embrace the warm weather with family and friends is to relax and unwind with live music outdoors,” Val Romeo, Kentwood Parks and Recreation director, said in supplied material. “We are thrilled with our lineup for this year’s summer concert series, and welcome concert-goers of all ages to celebrate summer in Kentwood with us.”
Opening the series, The Adams Family play a blend of folk, doo-wop and classic rock by members Jerry Adams, Brian Adams, Cindy Adams Kropf and Dale Kropf. The band is out of Lowell and describe themselves as an “acoustic folkin’ rock” band.
“When you hear the intricate vocal blend that only close relatives can create, there’s no mistaking that The Adams Family really is a family,” a statement on the band’s website reads. “The band features three lead vocalists: Cindy Adams Kropf, her brother Jerry Adams, and Jerry’s son Brian Adams. Rounding out the group is Cindy’s husband, Dale Kropf, on bass and background vocals.”
For more information on the City of Kentwood Summer Concert Series, visit here.
These concerts are cable rebroadcast on Comcast WKTV Channel 25 and on AT&T U-Verse Community 99, usually on the following Tuesday at 9 p.m. and Saturday at 12:30 p.m. (or following the rebroadcast of a City of Wyoming summer concert. See WKTVjournal.org for complete feature broadcast schedules.
The Kentwood Police Department wants you to keep cool this summer, and one was is to avoid crime and confrontations.
City of Kentwood
With summer soon upon us, the Kentwood Police Department is offering tips to help protect residents and their property. According to Police Chief Tom Hillen, crime incidents and arrests rise during the summer months.
Tom Hillen (Supplied)
“As the school year comes to an end and the temperature rises, we typically see an increase in criminal activity as more people spend time outside,” Hillen said. “We want to remind Kentwood residents of some precautionary steps they can take to deter crime and protect their families and properties.”
Because theft is a crime of opportunity, Kentwood police recommends residents stay alert and follow basic crime prevention measures. Unlocked doors, open windows and open garage doors all provide a temptation to steal visible valuables. By closing garage doors and windows, locking car doors and concealing valuables, residents can help eliminate opportunities for criminals.
The Police Department also experiences a rise in disorderly conduct calls and arrests, which are related to any behavior that creates a threat or disturbance to others, such as a loud argument or altercation. Hillen says the increase in this type of behavior could be related to how heat can affect irritability.
“When the temperatures spike, so can people’s tempers. Immense heat can add to people’s feelings of stress and irritability — and make them snap. A solution to this is simple: get cool,” Hillen said. “Residents can visit the mall or see a movie where they can relax in an air-conditioned space.”
If families seek to cool down from the summer heat in water, Kentwood police encourages them to keep water safety precautions in mind. Enclose pools, ensure pool gates are locked and do not let young children near any body of water unsupervised.
Other disorderly conduct incidents could be about loud noises or other nuisances.
While enjoying the warm weather, residents are reminded to be courteous of neighbors, and to be aware of curfew ordinances for children.
In the City of Kentwood, anyone under the age of 12 years old must not be in any public place after 10 p.m.; for children older than 12 and younger than 16, the curfew is 11 p.m.; and for minors ages 16 or 17, the curfew is midnight.
“As always, ‘If you see something, say something.’ Together we can help prevent crime, so all can have a safe and enjoyable summer,” Hillen said.
For more information about Kentwood Police Department, visit here.
A recent emergency response training, during which Lee Middle School students learned the Heimlich maneuver, paid off when an eighth-grader saved the life of another who was choking.
Shortly after lunch in early May, Arturo Fierros-Cervantes noticed his friend Edgar Vazquez was bent over in the hallway and not breathing. Edgar was choking on a piece of bread for about 30 seconds when Arturo took action, using what he had learned during training to dislodge the food.
“I was I scared I was going to die,” said Edgar, expressing his thanks to Arturo.
“I’m glad because he’s my friend,” Arturo said. “It’s good to save a friend’s life.”
In January and early February, 140 middle school students were trained in emergency response including CPR, response to choking and how to use an automatic external defibrillator, or AED. History teacher Michael Donovan requested the training, which was led by Kevin McGraw, head safety officer at Amway, who started the School Emergency Response Coalition.
Donovan said the incident between Arturo and Edgar happened so seamlessly that few people knew it happened.
“Arturo’s non-assuming personality and belief in doing the right thing without fanfare or recognition also played into the day, and both students went about their business,” Donovan said.
Edgar, however, mentioned it to the school liaison officer, Pam Keen, who let Donovan know about the incident.
“I hope no one ever needs to use the CPR training again, but statistics show that many of our students will use it at some point,” Donovan said. “We may never know the real impact this training had on others, but we know that at least one life may have been saved.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
Don’t forget that Father’s Day is Sunday, June 17th. This is a day all about celebrating dad. Many West Michigan businesses are hosting special events, discounts, or offers for the dad in all of our lives. No matter their interest, you’ll find something for him here. Give dad the gift of West Michigan this Father’s Day!
Father’s Day Specials
TreeRunner Adventure Park in Grand Rapids is hosting their annual Father’s Day event, where dads can come out and climb for free with the purchase of a full-priced ticket!
For Father’s Day, Arcadia Brewing Company in Kalamazoo is offering a “Buy Dad a Beer Day” special. Purchase a tier one beer for only $4 for the dad in your life!
Dads golf for free with a paid round at Waters Edge Golf Course in Fremont on Father’s Day. Waters Edge features a scenic and challenging 18-hole public golf course. Check out the course and book your tee times on Waters Edge’s website.
Father’s Day Events
Celebrate Father’s Day early with the Cars and Coffee at the Downtown Market in Grand Rapids on Friday, June 15th. This special evening event is bigger than ever before, with an expanded display area and much more.
Courtesy Michigan Maritime Museum
The Michigan Maritime Museum in South Haven presents the 37th Antique & Classic Boat Show on Saturday, June 16th. This event celebrates all kinds of antique and classic small craft from power boats to paddle boats.
Virtue Cider has a special treat for dads and dad-types all weekend long. On Saturday, June 16th, they’ll have local barber Sharp Corners on-site giving haircuts, trims, and shaves. Dads will also enjoy a father-friendly Virtue Cider pork barbecue from 2-6pm, paired with buckets of Michigan Brut all weekend that you can enjoy on the outdoor cider house lawn.
Goodrich Park in Whitehall is home to the 40th Annual White Lake Area Arts & Crafts on June 16th and 17th. The festival is expected to draw thousands of people this Father’s Day weekend. Those attending can purchase a variety of hand-made art and crafts such as jewelry, wood furniture, and more.
The Hilton Garden Inn in Benton Harbor is hosting their Classic Car Cruise on Sunday, June 17th. Your visit starts with the Father’s Day buffet at the Garden Grille Restaurant, located in the hotel. Afterwards, head out to the car cruise to check out all the cool cars on display.
Historic Charlton Park in Hastings is hosting their 37th Annual Father’s Day Car Show on Sunday, June 17th. There will be over 800 vehicles on display for you and dad to check out together!
Lemon Creek Winery in Berrien Springs is hosting their 34th Annual Father’s Day Festival on Sunday, June 17th. This event features live music, wine tasting, food trucks, a classic Corvette car show, kids games, and more. This festival is a great opportunity to get the whole family together outside in the Michigan sunshine and celebrate your favorite dad.
Outdoor Recreation that Dad Will Love
Celebrate the great dads in your life by visiting the W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary in Augusta for a summertime walk around Wintergreen Lake on Father’s Day. Dads get in free on their special day! The sanctuary is a great place to enjoy nature and learn about the wonderful world around you.
For the Electric Bike Place in Grand Haven, Father’s Day is a time to celebrate all the dads. Spend the day riding through Grand Haven together on these unique electric bikes, a perfect activity for the entire family.
Take dad out for a golf weekend at Gull Lake View Golf Club & Resort in Augusta. They have six courses, making it a prime location for a golf outing. Their newest addition, Stoatin Brae, sports amazing views all around the course and vistas that rival courses across the country. Check out Stoatin Brae along with Gull Lake View’s other five golf courses this Father’s Day weekend!
Visit the trails of Pierce Cedar Creek Institute in Hastings for Father’s Day. The institute is located on 742 acres with nine miles of hiking trails for you to explore. For more information on their trails, including a calendar of events, visit the Pierce Cedar Creek Institute’s website.
Golf in Mt. Pleasant is easier than ever with Michigan’s Central Swing’s Father’s Day promotion. By using the promotional code MCSDAD2018 in your quote request, you’ll receive a $50 gift card to local restaurants when booking your golf getaway. Treat dad to some of West Michigan’s finest golf in the Mt. Pleasant area.
Fathers tend to like the great outdoors, and Mecosta County is the perfect place to celebrate. The area is home to over 100 lakes and numerous streams, with the majestic Muskegon River being a big draw. If dad loves golf, Mecosta County has five beautiful golf courses, each with their own scenery and experience. To plan your entire trip, visit Mecosta County’s website.
A Feast Fit for a Father
Treat dad to brunch on Father’s Day at a local brewery like Thornapple Brewing in Grand Rapids! Thornapple will be serving up a delicious brunch alongside their beer, cider, mead, and wine.
A waterfront meal at Boatwerks Restaurant in Holland will be a real treat for dad! Their menu features everything from salads and seafood to burgers and pizza. Enjoy a great meal while taking in the lakeside views on beautiful Lake Macatawa.
Schuler’s Restaurant in Marshall is the perfect place for the whole family to spend time with dad on his special day. On Sunday, June 17th, meet for an out-of-this-world smorgasbord that only Schuler’s can deliver. Make reservations early and share the experience with your #1 dad.
Stop by Zazios at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in Kalamazoo for their Cooking with Dad class on Saturday, June 16th. This cooking class will be a fun and interactive way to spend time together on Father’s Day weekend. They’re cranking up the grill and learning a few tips on best practices for everyone’s summertime favorites.
Bell’s Brewery in Kalamazoo is celebrating Father’s Day by raising a glass to dad, just steps from where Larry Bell started his family-owned business in 1985. The father in your life will enjoy tickets to Bell’s special Father’s Day beer dinner on Monday, June 18th as a way to show your love and gratitude.
Visit Brewery Vivant in Grand Rapids for a delicious meal with dad. They create European-inspired cooking in their scratch-kitchen, with an equally impressive beer lineup. Their seasonal beers include the Tropical Saison, with real pineapple and mango balancing the hop complexity!
The Perfect Gift for Dad
Your dad will love tickets to the Circle Theatre in Grand Rapids! They have a full season of shows, including Snow White, Fun Home, Leading Ladies, and On The Town. For a full list of shows and performances, visit the Circle Theatre’s website.
The Kalamazoo Institute of Arts’ Gallery Shop specializes in solving your gift-giving challenges! You’ll find a wide variety of handmade gifts, many by local artists, that dad will cherish.
Treat your dad to an extreme outdoor activity this Father’s Day with MACkite in Grand Haven! Their kiteboarding lessons are a fun and unique gift for any dad that loves being out on the water. During these lessons, dad will be pulled by a kite as long as 19 meters on a board, right on the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan. For information on kiteboarding lessons, visit MACkite’s website.
In Deanne Basse’s classroom, portraits, paintings and drawings – serious, whimsical and thought-provoking – cover the walls. Sculptures rise from desks and countertops.
They were created by students who have learned to go deep with their feelings and experiences, to make art a reflection of themselves and their journeys.
“I encourage them to use art as a vessel for their voice,” said Basse, a 10-year Godwin Heights High School art teacher.
As a result, students sometimes put heavy themes into their work, Basse said, pointing out pieces that express their struggles with education, family, anxiety and other issues. One student used surrealism to express his conflict between going to college in the U.S. or returning to Mexico to reunite with his family.
“I do try to give them a good solid skill base, and then show them how to get out what they’re thinking,” Basse said.
Students, though, say Basse’s method of teaching goes beyond art and into making them feel good about themselves and able to grow their abilities.
“She is joy!” said senior Stephanie Lam. “She will fill your bucket if you are empty.”
Basse sees talent emerge from her students, including how they infuse their work with music and drama, or passion for advocacy or activism. Some have loose, free styles, others are very deliberate. All are reflective, a result of learning to think of art as more than lines, colors or clay.
Art teacher Deanne Basse challenges students to use ‘art as a vessel for their voice’
Perfecting Portfolios
Eighteen seniors, most of whom have had Basse as a teacher since ninth grade, showcased their portfolios recently at the school’s senior art show. They curated their own spaces, gallery-style, to display their work and growth as artists over the years. Though they had already completed final exams, several visited Basse’s classroom every day prior to the show to perfect and polish their work.
Basse is proud of how far her students have come and excited about what they will do next.
“This group in particular has a genuine thirst for more,” she said. “They are unafraid to experiment and they are unafraid to fix and try to reach out of their own comfort zones. Their work ethic is really outstanding.
“I am humbled by how advanced they are, and how much they push themselves and learn on their own by doing and doing and doing.”
At the back of class, two days before the show, senior Dino Celahmetovic worked on a drawing of a villain from Spider-Man. Being creative in Basse’s class always felt natural because of her “encouraging eye,” he said.
Deanne Basse chats with senior Kaitlyn McCourey in front of her work at the senior art show
“With Mrs. Basse, it’s not just about having the tools and environment; as a teacher she gives encouragement and compassion toward art. She helps nurture your art.”
Basse, who earned her bachelor’s degree at Wayne State University and master’s at Western Michigan University, has been an art teacher for 15 years. She taught for three years in Detroit and two in Battle Creek before starting at Godwin Heights.
“I got hired on Friday, married on Saturday and started on Monday,” she said. “So I say Godwin has been my honeymoon ever since.”
She teaches drawing, painting, ceramics, 3-D and calligraphy classes, as well as an introduction to art class. One of her goals is to write and illustrate children’s books.
“Ms. Basse has to be one of the most highly bright, influential teachers,” said senior Paul Kuchnicki, who is working on a graphic novel and hopes to become an animator. “She has very expressed ideas and knows how to lift someone up when they have a stormy cloud above them. She really knows how to brighten the room up… She seems to love her job and she seems to love her students.”
Basse starts assignments with personal-reflection questionnaires. She asks students to focus on vivid memories and feelings, even small things that have somehow shaped perceptions. They write and talk through their thoughts, considering how to symbolize them.
Senior Dino Celahmetovic finishes a drawing, days before the senior art show
Walking the Walk
Her effort to bring students’ experiences into art has spanned the district. She collaborated with other district art teachers last summer for students to create a mural for the annual Grand Rapids art competition, ArtPrize. Their entry was comprised of 70 individually painted shoes in an art piece titled, “You Can’t Know Who We Are If You Don’t Know Where We’ve Been.” Students decorated shoes to share their unique walks through life.
Godwin Heights has a diverse population, with the majority of students coming from economically disadvantaged families. Their stories are filled with hope, grit, heartbreak and everything in between.
“These kids are so full already, and I think it gives them a sensitivity to each other… a sense of family, beyond their immediate family, which is what Godwin becomes,” Basse said. “They genuinely will show they care if you open up. They hold you, just as much as you would hold them.”
Basse shares her own personal stories with her classes, creating a safe place for them to reflect. For example, she had a longtime struggle with infertility. But her students were like her own children, she said. “They fulfilled that part of my family for nine years.”
Then one of them changed her life forever.
Senior Laura Funes adds the finishing touches to a painting of sunflowers
She recalled the day a student came to her and shared that she was pregnant, asking if Basse and her husband would be open to adopting her child. It was an easy yes, she said.
The young woman miscarried, but the situation started Basse and her husband, Matt Basse, on a new path.
“It changed our mindset, and from that day forward we had adoption in our sights. Godwin changed our lives that way.”
They adopted their daughter, Emily, 4, one year ago.
Deanne Basse has helped senior Paul Kuchnicki develop his drawing skills
Along with art, Basse is passionate about baking. Each year, she leads students in an apple pie-making session so they can each have one to take home to their families for Thanksgiving.
“I love to entertain,” she said. “I am happy if people around me are fed, taken care of and healthy.”
While she has endless pride in the seniors who leave school with a portfolio of years’ worth of art, Baase said some of the best moments are reaching the reluctant art students. She finds inspiration when they first walk into her classroom and say they don’t like art and didn’t want to take the class.
She’s ready to encourage them, to open doors, to give them the chance to be successful and take pride in their work, To those students, she has a message:
“I say, ‘You are exactly where you need to be.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
An example of art by senior Paul Kuchnicki at the senior art showDeanne Basse and other district art teachers led a collaborative art project for which students decorated shoes to reflect their identities and journeys
The City of Kentwood ordered the 2018 Spartan Metro Star pumper last year to replace a 2002 pumper nearing retirement. (Supplied)
City of Kentwood
The Kentwood Fire Department recently acquired a new fire engine that will allow firefighters to provide leading-edge fire suppression and emergency medical services.
The City of Kentwood ordered the 2018 Spartan Metro Star pumper last year to replace a 2002 pumper nearing retirement. Built by Charlotte-based Spartan Motors, Inc., the new fire engine will be housed in Fire Station 1, on Walma Avenue, and is slated to be in service soon.
“As part of our regularly scheduled replacements of emergency vehicles, this new engine is a further investment in the safety of Kentwood residents,” said Kentwood Fire Chief Brent Looman. “It will serve as the new main engine at this station.”
The apparatus is equipped with a 450-horsepower clean-diesel engine and a 500-gallon water tank with a foam system. The foam system is used in firefighting to deliver environmentally safe fire-retardant foam to extinguish fires or protect unburned areas.
Additionally, the vehicle is equipped with more than 2,000 feet of fire hose, a 1,500 gallon-per-minute pump and life-saving medical equipment. The new engine cost $491,000 and is expected to be in operation for 10 years or longer.
The Kentwood Fire Department was involved in every step of acquiring the new vehicle, from writing the specs to final delivery. The meticulous process began in earnest with the design. The Fire Department ensured the truck was built using the same parts as other vehicles in the fleet, which is critical for firefighter safety and streamlined maintenance.
After the cab was built, it was transported to Spartan’s sister facility in South Dakota, where the body of the vehicle was built. Looman himself inspected everything from the lug nuts to the lights.
“The inspection is a crucial step in the process that ensures the truck is built to our specifications,” Looman said. “Spartan Motors built a solid vehicle that will allow us to continue to serve our community for years to come.”
More information about Kentwood Fire Department is available online, visit here.
Fifteen inmates in the inaugural Calvin Prison Initiative class earned their associate’s degrees at Handlon Correctional Facility in Ionia, Michigan. (Photo courtesy Calvin College)
A gymnasium filled with moms and dads, sisters and brothers, administrators and teachers. Men seated in a couple of rows, dressed in black caps and gowns. Their smiles only contained by their ears. The room filled with jubilation, and hope.
It’s a familiar scene this time of year. But, not here. At least, not yet.
Peer out a small rectangular window and you quickly realize why. Twenty yards from the podium stands a 20-foot tall fence, wrapped in barbed wire.
Open doors
“We’ve embarked on a lot of firsts these past few years, we know it, those who work here know it, you guys certainly know it,” said Heidi Washington, the director of the Michigan Department of Corrections.
This first? A commencement ceremony inside Handlon Correctional Facility in Ionia, Michigan. And it’s part of another first – the Calvin Prison Initiative—a program that offers 20 inmates each year an opportunity to begin pursuing a bachelor’s degree in ministry leadership. It’s the type of program not happening anywhere else in the state, and in few places across the country. On Monday, 15 students from the first cohort earned their associate’s degrees.
“This first group behind me, literally took the stonings and they made the sacrifices to get this program up and running,” said DeWayne Burton, warden at Handlon Correctional Facility, during Monday’s Commencement ceremony. “Remember, when we started this program there was no manual to refer to. Basically you [graduates] helped us develop a blueprint for how to run a college program inside a prison.”
A blueprint, and a vision
That blueprint was developed through collaboration among Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary faculty and staff, students at Handlon, and leaders in the Michigan Department of Corrections.
That blueprint has unleashed a powerful vision, replacing despair with hope … radical hope.
“We humans are sustained by hope. It is the link between our past and our future, and when there is no future, there is no hope,” said Cheryl Brandsen, provost of Calvin College during the 2018 Commencement Address at Handlon.
“The book of Jeremiah tells the story about a despairing people who had lost hope,” said Brandsen. “Jeremiah wrote them a hard letter: Look, you are going to be here for a long time. 70 years, in fact. Don’t listen to false prophets who are trying to make you feel good by promising a speedy release. It’s not going to happen. So, what should you do? Settle down. Build houses. Plant gardens. Make a life. You will die in captivity but your children will not. Yes, you will weep when you remember your former lives, but don’t weep as those who have no hope. In fact, pray for this strange country, and seek the welfare of this city. I do have a plan for your future that will give you hope. But the plan is not one of going home right now. It is to stay put and prosper. If you know the rest of the story, the exiles did that, they formed new lives in strange places, grasping onto the radical hope that God had in mind: a future for their nation and their children.”
Promoting the welfare of the city
Brandsen then shared a poignant line from Calvin’s new vision statement, approved by the board of trustees earlier this month, which intentionally echoes the Jeremiah passage: “Calvin University will be animated by a Reformed Christian faith that seeks understanding and promotes the welfare of the city and the healing of the world.”
The inmates in the Calvin Prison Initiative program—many of whom are serving life sentences—have now found purpose through a Christ-centered education; they’ve found hope as the antidote to despair.
“I was arrested eight months after graduating from high school,” said Michael Duthler, who provided the student reflection at the ceremony. “I had an idea of what education was but I didn’t connect it to vocation, this idea of being a prime citizen. The two ideas were as far apart as heaven was from earth, but now are very much a part of how I understand my role on earth on my way to heaven. “
And when students like Duthler understand that God’s Kingdom is not confined by anything, that all square inches of creation are in play, it opens doors that aren’t limited by physical space.
“What began for me with an acceptance letter to CPI has formed me into the man who I am today and is inextricably bound with how I see myself in the future, someone who desires to break in God’s Kingdom, be that agent of renewal, to restore shalom, by sharing my education with others, by living out my vocation in a way that glorifies and magnifies God and allows his presence to be known in whatever sphere I touch,” said Duthler.
Living as prime citizens
Living as prime citizens takes courage, and as Duthler says, it is understood and developed within community. He cites examples of professors volunteering to teach two classes (instead of the required one) to allow for more interaction with students, or one professor driving up to Handlon on Christmas Eve to deliver semester grades; he recalls tutors patiently pouring over papers and providing correction or simply words of encouragement; and fellow peers who organize study groups and make themselves available to answer questions and have deep conversations.
“Since you guys have taken the lead, others have followed and guess what, others will continue to follow,” said Burton. “You graduates have also displayed the ethics that support the values that Calvin College has. People look at what you do and not what you say. Values are words, ethics are actions. As you continue to demonstrate values through your actions, the ethical culture at this facility will continue to change. One of the other things you gentleman are displaying is a solid reputation for Calvin College and the Michigan Department of Corrections … If you guys continue with this not only will this program be the best in the country, you guys will be successful and will be the best versions that you can be of yourselves.”
Reimagining what’s possible
While the program was started inside one correctional facility, with one group of men, the vision for its impact goes well beyond the fences of Handlon.
“I was listening to the provost and that wonderful speech,” said Washington. “She talked about how Calvin changed its vision statement and talks about the welfare of the city … and I thought how as the director of the department of corrections I should be concerned about the welfare of the department, the welfare of that city, the big department of corrections. And I’m here to tell you that this department of corrections and this administration is very concerned about that. So, whether it’s the Calvin initiative or the vocational village or the second vocational village or the third one or the many of the other things that we are doing to help people be successful, to help give people hope that there is a future for themselves when they leave here and even if they aren’t leaving here to help make this city a better place, we are committed to doing that, and we are committed to doing that with our partners.”
As the 15 graduates move their tassles from right to left, hear their names read from the podium, shake hands and receive their diplomas, those barbed-wire fences sitting 20 yards to their left are no longer barriers to hope.
“When I think of radical hope I think of you students, perhaps thinking at one time that your current status limited what you hoped for, until now, when the unimaginable is proving itself imaginable,” said Brandsen.
“When I think of radical hope, I think of Warden Burton and other administrators here who had the courage to imagine a different kind of future. ‘Unimaginable, until it isn’t.’”
Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet — or few — from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Crash’s Landing. Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary rescue organizations were founded by Jennifer Denyes, DVM (Dr. Jen), who is on staff at Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic (4245 Clyde Park Ave SW).
Meet MoCheeks, a massive sweetheart with a face that is to die for! Born in early 2013, this FIV+ fella ended up at Harbor Humane Society in November of 2016, but since they do not have an adoption program tailored to FIV or FELV cats, they contacted us to see if we could help out and give this great guy a chance. Thankfully we were in a position to do so when 2017 rolled on in , and we happily welcomed MoCheeks (our very fitting name for him) into our program.
From the get-go, he was very confident and extremely social. He does have chronic tearing from a herpes virus infection that is all too common in kitties, but he takes his twice daily Lysine supplement and cleaning of his peppers like a champ; any time and attention lavished on Mo and he is in utter heaven! He gets along great with the other cats and is often found hanging out with a buddy or two. He’s just a very easygoing, easy-to-please guy. In fact, no one has heard a hiss or snarl from him from day one as he is just such a gentleman! And as one of our cat care directors put it so eloquently: he is soooooooo melllllllloooooowww!
Prior to his rescue, our outgoing onyx boy suffered some sort of trauma to his choppers and rear feet, as his upper canines are broken and two nails on his toes are misshapen and a bit ‘janky’. However, he doesn’t let past experiences taint the vibrant colors of the world around him, especially since he has landed with us at BiG Sid’s! Overall, he is probably one of the nicest boys we have the pleasure of claiming as our own—and this is HUGE considering the population at our place is beyond phenomenal!
There is SO much mo’ to love with Mo Cheeks!
More about Mo Cheeks:
Extra Large
Domestic Short Hair
Adult
Male
Black
House-trained
Vaccinations up to date
Neutered
Not declawed
Want to adopt Mo Cheeks? Learn about the adoption process here. Fill out a pre-adoption form here.
NOTE: A $825 grant from Lil BUB’s Big Fund for the ASPCA will enable Crash’s Landing & Big Sid’s Sanctuary, to fund comprehensive exams for five Big Sid’s Sanctuary cats before going to their new home. Each exam would include a full blood panel, dental care, radiographs, urinalysis, antibiotics and pain medication, if needed. Big Sid’s caters exclusively to cats who test positive for FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) or FeLV (Feline Leukemia Virus). FIV and FeLV are viruses that can, if they flare up, suppress a cat’s immune system. The shelter takes cats with FIV or FeLV from all over Michigan.
Can’t adopt, but still want to help? Find out how you can sponsor a cat!
Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary have a common mission: To take at-risk stray cats off the streets of the Greater Grand Rapids area, provide them with veterinary care and house them in free-roaming, no-kill facilities until dedicated, loving, permanent homes can be found.
Dr. Anan Ameri says she moved to Detroit, Michigan, from the Middle East for a PhD, but it was really for love. Decades later, she can step back and proudly behold the legacy of love that she has given her adopted community. Beyond the founding of two noble institutions (Palestine Aid Society of America and Arab American National Museum), she counts as her proudest accomplishment the mentoring of countless young women who are now leaders in their own right. A native of Syria, Dr. Ameri was recently inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame.
The Wyoming City Council took “the show on the road” by having its first meeting of the summer at the Godfrey Lee Early Childhood Center.
Started last summer, the Wyoming City Council has three of its summer meetings, usually the first meeting in June, July, and August, at a location in the city. The goal is to provide an opportunity for residents to meet with council members in their own neighborhoods while taking part in council meetings.
“These are just great opportunities to get out in the community,” said Mayor Jack Poll. “We want our citizens to feel that we are very approachable and that they can come and talk with us.”
Chief Kim Koster addresses the council
In fact, the seats at the Monday night meeting were full as the council went through the Wyoming Department of Public Safety’s annual report and approved several resolutions which included naming Brain Bennett as the city’s new deputy director of fire services.
“We encourage citizens that when we get around to your community to feel free to come in and see what a council meeting is all about,” Poll said.
The council meets every first and third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. The next “on the road” meeting will be Monday, July 2, at 7 p.m. at Delmar Community Room, near 56th Avenue and Wilson Street. The meetings are broadcast live on WKTV Channel 26 and rebroadcast at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday.
Wyoming: More new faces in public safety as Brian Bennett named as fire chief
The Wyoming Fire Department has a new fire chief.
At its regular Monday meeting, the Wyoming City Council unanimously approved a contact to hire Brian Bennett as the city’s new deputy director of fire services or fire chief. Bennett replaces former Fire Chief Chuck Lark who retired.
Kentwood: Local business an example of energy cost savings program
Rishi’s International Beverage.
One part of a Consumers Energy’s EmPOWERing Kent County package of programs, are efforts to assist small businesses to save money on their energy bills. And one local company, Rishi’s International Beverage, located just across 28th Avenue from Kentwood, is a case in point.
WKTV on YouTube: Meet the City of Wyoming’s newest city councilor
Sheldon DeKryger, the City of Wyoming’s newest city councilor, who talks about his efforts of service to the city was and why becoming a councilor was the right thing for him to do at this time in his life.
A familiar face will be taking over as the City of Wyoming’s new fire chief.
At its regular Monday meeting, the Wyoming City Council unanimously approved a contact to hire Brian Bennett as the city’s new deputy director of fire services or fire chief. Bennett replaces former Fire Chief Chuck Lark who retired.
Bennett came to the department three years ago when Lark was hired to serve as the assistant deputy director of fire operations for the City of Wyoming. Before coming to Wyoming in 2015, Bennett was the fire chief for the Caledonia Fire Department 12 years and before that, served as the deputy chief for that department. Firefighting runs in the family as Bennett’s father was a firefighter for 30 years and his sons,Tony and Brad, are also firefighters with Brad received a unit commendation during the 2017 City of Wyoming Department of Public Safety’s awards ceremony.
“About three years ago we approached Brian Bennett along with Chuck Lark with an idea and asked them if they would come and lead our fire department,” said Wyoming’s Public Safety Chief Kim Koster. “We deploy our fire department in some traditional ways, so we were looking for someone who was willing to think outside of the box and be willing to come in and work hard and provide some excellent leadership. Brian stepped up to the plate along with Chief Lark at the time.
“Lark has since retired and we decided we would like to go in the same direction that we have been going for the last three years and we believe that Brian Bennett will continue the forward movement of the fire department.”
The positive momentum has included opening the Gezon Fire Station 24/7 which has helped to reduce the city’s overall response times to 4 minutes and 27 seconds, which Koster pointed out earlier in the meeting with her presentation of the Department of Public Safety’s annual report.
While response times have gone down, the department has seen a 15 percent increase in calls every year since 2015, Koster said, adding that she credits some of that increase to continue growth of the south side of the city which has had a number of commercial and residential construction projects. The department also added three full-time firefighters, expanded its part-time program and all firefighters are trained to the EMT Level 1.
About 17 parks and public works employees have been cross-trained to help the fire department during structural fires and the department has developed a special response program that includes water, ice, trench, hazmat, and machine rescue.
“We really have been progressive the last three years,” Bennett said after the meeting, pointing out that a combination of full- and part-time firefighters allowed the city to have the Gezon Fire Station operational 24/7. Members of the department also have been involved in a number of community events such as Soups-On, WinterFest, WY-FI Concerts in the Park, Relay for Life, Pumpkin Path and National Night Out.
He said he sees the department continue to build on that progress to provide the best service it can to the city and its residents. This includes continuing the accreditation process for the Wyoming Fire Department.
“We’ve appreciated your service over the last couple of years and trust that the fire department will continue to show great progress and there has been a lot of good continued to happen since Chief Lark and you have been here and we trust that will continue on,” said Mayor Jack Poll at the meeting.
Most of us are aware that many birds claim territory with songs and calls. Robins and cardinals might top the list for the most frequently recognized spring migrants. However, as the frogs and toads emerge from their overwintering habitats, their voices are among the favorites. The woodland frogs begin the annual serenade.
Chorus frogs (Pseudacris triceriata), spring peepers (Pseudacris crucifer) and wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) can be heard in those crepuscular times (dawn and dusk).
Nearly as soon as the ground surface thaws and even when there is still snow on the ground, the chorus frogs make a call that’s reminiscent of running a fingernail along a stiff comb. Often the first to make itself heard in the spring, they can be easily distinguished from the louder spring peepers and wood frogs.
The peepers, particularly, can make a cacophony of sound heard from the inside of speeding cars, even with music playing! Passing through those wetlands might seem a bit like a visitation from an alien world. They might be the best-known northern frog.
Wood frogs are also among the first debuts of spring. Their calls can be distinguished by a rapid thrup-thrup-thrup that sounds a bit like rubber slipping across rubber. Populations of wood frogs are known to sound like a large of group of people, all talking at once.
Soon to follow the chorus frogs, peepers and woodies are the American toads (Bufo americanus). These marvelous sounds are high-pitched trills that last around 15-20 seconds. A neighboring toad will sing at a slightly different pitch. Many toads will sound like a choir of sopranos or like science fiction laser guns!
Gray treefrogs (Hyla versicolor) can be heard from springtime and into the fall. Their sound is often mistaken for that of a bird. It’s a bubbly sound, sort of like blowing a straw into a glass of water, only a much higher pitch. These are also the frogs that can appear on window sills during the summer. They can be colored gray, brown or green.
Northern leopard frogs (Rana pipiens) make a rapid clicking sound as well as a rubber-stretching sound or, maybe, a slow, creaky rocking chair. Sometimes, they sound like the rapid taps of a sapsucker on hollow wood. The pickerel frog (Rana palustris) has a similar call, a bit more like a giant zipper.
Later into the spring and into the summer, green frogs (Rana clamitans) announce themselves with a flat note that is a bit like a single strum on a loose banjo string. Green frogs, bullfrogs, and leopard frogs are generally associated with ponds.
Bullfrogs (Rana catesbiana) are aptly named for their calls, which, indeed, resemble the moaning of bulls in the field. It’s a low-pitched, short moo that is usually repeated several times in sequence.
Of course, all of these northern frogs and toads, including some not mentioned here, are associated with water and begin as tadpoles. Many of them, especially the woodland frogs, are associated with vernal pools. These pools are essentially ephemeral spring puddles in the woods. Besides frogs, vernal pools sport many other interesting critters, such as salamanders and fairy shrimp.
Learning the various sounds of frogs and toads is fairly easy with the numerous audio clips found on the internet. Without much practice, identifying species and population sizes can be fun spring activities. The Michigan DNR has some fun information about our frogs and toads including audio clips.
On Thursday, May 31, Canopy by Hilton, Hilton’s lifestyle hotel brand, along with Michigan-based Lodgco Hospitality and Olsen Loeks Development, celebrated the groundbreaking of Canopy by Hilton Grand Rapids Downtown. Slated to open in summer 2020, the property will provide a comfortable stay for guests in search of thoughtfully-local experiences in the energetic Downtown Grand Rapids neighborhood.
The 155-room hotel, which includes 2,400 square feet of meeting space as well as a transfer lounge where guests can relax, change their clothes or store luggage in lieu of an extended check out, is located at 131 Ionia Ave., SW, at the corner of Ionia Avenue and Cherry Street in downtown Grand Rapids. The rapidly expanding area is set to be popular destination with an exterior piazza, a nine-screen Studio C! movie theater, apartments, retail and office space as well as a parking ramp in the first phase. Canopy by Hilton Grand Rapids Downtown, which will employ up to 90 local residents, will sit as the southwest anchor of the larger development of Studio Park, which is being developed by Jackson Entertainment, an offshoot of Celebration! Cinema Group.
“Grand Rapids Downtown is an ideal neighborhood for our Canopy by Hilton brand,” said Gary Steffen, global head, Canopy by Hilton. “The community is both a business hub and recreational destination with attractive shopping, dining and entertainment opportunities. We are confident that our hotel will reflect the best of the neighborhood through locally-inspired design, partnerships and food and drink.”
As with all Canopy by Hilton hotels, Canopy by Hilton Grand Rapids Downtown is inspired and influenced by its local surroundings. The hotel’s design will reflect the old warehouse buildings previously in the neighborhood with oversize aluminum windows in the guest rooms and use of exterior brick. A two-story glass façade along Ionia Street provides fantastic daylight to public areas. The interior design concept will have a touch of mid-century modern design which has deep roots in the Grand Rapids area.
The property will be home to a café, known as Canopy Central, featuring a casual menu offering, as well as a bar serving local breweries. The hotel will also include an upscale, intimate local biergarten-themed rooftop bar with a view of the city, open air seating on balconies with a fire pit and will be open to the public. This bar will allow guests and patrons to experience the local neighborhood through locally themed food, craft beers, as well as locally-themed aesthetics. Canopy by Hilton properties also offer Wi-Fi and a local artisanal breakfast included in the room rate.
“We wanted to be able to share this ground-breaking ceremony with the community, this is going to be a hub of activity for the neighborhood and travelers will be able to experience the local vibe of Grand Rapids,” said Lodgco Hospitality PresidentAnn Kelly.
By Tracy Gierada, Curator, Heritage Museum & Cultural Center
Do you know why the current lights were built of steel in 1907? Or why there are two lighthouses on the pier instead of one?
Public Tours of the St. Joseph North Pier Lighthouses will be offered Memorial Day through Labor Day in 2018, organized by the Heritage Museum & Cultural Center. Following the major restoration completed in 2016, St. Joseph now has the only lighthouses located on a Lake Michigan pier which are regularly open to the public. The North Pier range lighthouses, along with their preserved “catwalks” or elevated walkways, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Visit to learn more as a new interpretive exhibition debuts inside the lighthouse this season. Explore historic photos, maps, and reproductions. Catch a photo opportunity with St. Joseph’s longtime Lighthouse Keeper, Captain Ollhoff! This exhibit on the pier was made possible by a grant from the Michigan Humanities Council, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, a grant from the Berrien Community Foundation and a gift from Entergy-Palisades Power Plant.
2018 Schedule of St. Joe Lighthouse Tours
“The St. Joseph North Pier Lighthouses are iconic, beloved in our community, and known around the region — but stepping inside gives you an incredible new perspective,” said Lighthouse Tour Manager Alex Milnikel. “Our visitors can literally walk in the footsteps of the lighthouse keepers, up the spiral stairs and ladder, all the way up to the lantern deck for an incredible view of the lake and harbor.”
Photo supplied
The most comprehensive way to experience the lighthouse is to attend an hour-long guided walking tour of the North Pier, which culminates in an optional climb up to the lantern room inside the Inner Lighthouse. North Pier Walking Tours are scheduled for every Friday and Saturday, June 1 through September 1, departing from the beach at 10am. To register, please purchase your tickets online at StJoeLighthouseTours.org or call the Heritage Museum at (269) 983-1191. (Anyone climbing the tower must be the minimum height of 48 inches tall.)
Following the Friday and Saturday Walking Tours, free Open Hours are scheduled at the Inner Lighthouse & Fog Signal Building from 11:00am to 2:00pm. Volunteer guides and the new exhibit will help connect visitors to the Keepers who once maintained the lights and the many vessels who relied on them to safely make port.
Between Memorial Day and Labor Day 2018
Every Friday and Saturday (June 1 through Sept. 1):
North Pier Walking Tour leaves from Tiscornia Beach at 10:00am
On this hour-long walking tour, trek the length of the North Pier with a guide, covering 180 years of lighthouse history. Includes climb to the lantern room of the Inner Light for a bird’s-eye view!
Inner Lighthouse Open Hours 11am-2pm
First floor open to public visitors, free of charge.
Tickets to climb upstairs for Lantern Tour: $5
(Pay by cash or card, first-come/ first-served)
Explore the Inner Lighthouse at your own pace and learn about the Twin Cities’ rich maritime heritage! Tower Climb Tickets are sold on the first level of the lighthouse.
2018 Select Days with Special Open Hours:
Thursday, June 21, Open 7-10pm (Solstice Sunset)
Friday, July 13, Open 7-10pm (Krasl Art Fair Weekend Sunset)
Sunday, Sept. 2, Open 8-11am (Tri-State Regatta)
Private lighthouse tours are also available to groups for a non-refundable fee of $350. The Heritage Museum also offers speakers for short beach programs or PowerPoint presentations on the history of St. Joseph’s Lighthouses for $150. For more information, please call the Heritage Museum or e-mail StJoeLighthouseTours@theheritagemcc.org.
Important St. Joe Lighthouse Tour Information
Safety Notice: If the weather or lake conditions become hazardous, scheduled tours and open hours may be canceled for safety reasons. Signage at Tiscornia Park will display the status of the current day’s Lighthouse Tours; please be advised that cancellation decisions typically occur at the last minute. Thank you for your understanding!
Parking at Tiscornia Park: The daily parking fee set by the City of St. Joseph is not included in the tour price. Please pay by cash or card at the parking lot’s self-serve kiosk.
Liability Release: All walking tour participants or the parent/guardian of minor participants will be required to sign a general liability waiver prior to the tour. The North Pier has many uneven walking surfaces and is subject to weather conditions including waves. There is a tall ladder and spiral stairs for those wishing to climb up to the lantern.
Ladder Height/Age Requirement: Height of 48 inches is required to climb the ladder up to the lantern. Adults who are responsible for youth under age 18 should use their knowledge of the young person’s ability to climb and descend the ladder alone, to determine if the youth should be allowed to ascend.
Photo supplied
Recommended Attire: Comfortable closed-toe walking shoes are strongly recommended. No thong-type sandals will be allowed on the ladder. Please dress for the weather; tours may be held in the rain. Sunscreen and sunglasses are advised; skirts and dresses are not advised.
Refund Policy: If your pre-paid walking tour is canceled due to conditions, please contact the Heritage Museum to reschedule your tour or request a refund. Contact the Heritage Museum at (269) 983-1191 or StJoeLighthouseTours@theheritagemcc.org.
For More Information
For more information, please visit StJoeLighthouseTours.org. Follow our Facebook Page St. Joe Lighthouse Tours to connect with lighthouse information, event reminders, and updates about the current weather and status of scheduled tours and open hours. Contact us at the Heritage Museum by phone, (269) 983-1191, or by e-mail at StJoeLighthouseTours@theheritagemcc.org.
June is a great month to get active at The Salvation Army Kroc Center. The Kroc is proud to take part in the “World’s Largest Swim Lesson” on Thursday, June 21, as well as offering free outdoor fitness classes each Saturday throughout the month.
Free Outdoor Fitness Series
The outdoor fitness classes are free for both members and non-members ages 12 and up (ages 12-15 need the Kroc’s “Teen Fit Permit”); non-members will also need to complete a waiver form upon arrival.
The schedule of classes in the Kroc amphitheater include: June 9 – Total Body; June 16 – Yoga; June 23 – Yoga; June 30 – Zumba. All classes start at 9 a.m.
World’s Largest Swim Lesson
On June 21 at 10 a.m., the Kroc Center’s aquatics team will be offering a free water safety class as part of the“World’s Largest Swim Lesson,” joining organizations around the globe in teaching kids and adults alike to be more comfortable in the water.
This event is made possible through financial support from United HealthCare Community Plan. “UnitedHealthcareCommunity Plan is proud to team up with The Salvation Kroc Community Center for the World’s Largest Swim Lesson,” said Community Outreach Specialist Benicia Kyle. “It is always a pleasure and a privilege to support the fun family activities that take place in our members’ communities.”
Registration for the event is free for everyone, but space is limited — visit GrKrocCenter.org and click the banner on the home page to sign up. All kids under 12 must be accompanied by an adult; participants will also receive a discount on a future six-week session of swim lessons at the Kroc Center.
It is not safe to smoke cigarettes around children and, more importantly, it is not safe to smoke at all. But if adults determine they want to smoke, then they can consider this information for keeping their children safe and healthy.
Smoking cigarettes or using smokeless tobacco is detrimental to your health. Smoking can be addicting, which makes it difficult to quit. Tobacco products damage many organs in your body and can cause heart disease and cancer.
Why is smoking bad for your health?
Tobacco contains a chemical called “nicotine” that gives smokers a pleasant feeling. People get addicted to that good feeling. Electronic cigarettes and “vapes” also deliver nicotine. Just because these products are popular does not mean they are safe. In addition to the nicotine, tobacco products have other poisonous chemicals in them. These toxic substances can poison your body over time, especially your heart and lungs.
Now that we have reviewed the chemicals found in cigarettes, would you drink any of them? Would you give your baby or child any of these chemicals in a bottle or cup? That is essentially what you are doing when you smoke around them. It may not be as potent as the exact chemical, but over time smoking will have adverse effects from secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke is smoke inhaled involuntarily from tobacco being smoked by another.
Effects of secondhand smoke
Children are most affected by secondhand smoke and least able to avoid it (because they have no control over their parents or caretakers actions). The secondhand smoke can come from adults smoking at home or in the car. Children who have parents who smoke are more likely to have the following health issues:
Asthma and asthma attacks
Lung infections
Ear infections
Colds including increased coughing and wheezing
Tooth decay
Many people think their children will not be affected by secondhand smoke if they smoke outside, in a different room in the house or in the car with the window open. All of these scenarios are false. Children can still be affected by secondhand smoke in the above-mentioned situations. Smoke can get in the parents’ clothes, hair, skin and in the areas where children are sitting or sleeping. If you can smell the smoke, then the chemicals are entering into your body and causing harm.
Did you know there is also something called “thirdhand smoke?” According to the American Cancer Society, thirdhand smoke is when the harmful toxins remain in places where people have smoked. Thirdhand smoke can be found in walls and upholstery.
Many times, children and teens watch and mimic what they see adults doing. Research from the American Cancer Society has shown that teen tobacco users are more likely to use alcohol and illegal drugs than are non-users. Cigarette smokers are also more likely to get into fights, carry weapons, attempt suicide, suffer from mental health problems such as depression, and engage in high-risk sexual behaviors. This doesn’t necessarily mean tobacco use caused these behaviors, but they’re more common in teens that use tobacco.
The American Cancer Society says if you smoke, one of the most important things you can do for your own health and the health of your children is to stop smoking. Quitting is the best way to prevent your children from being exposed to secondhand smoke. It may be hard to quit, but you can talk to your doctor or your child’s pediatrician if you need help.
Sportsmanship is a way of life. What type of role model are you?
We usually think of sports as a way to teach kids various physical skills, but youth sports can offer many more learning experiences. There is a lot of research and writing concerning performance but there is very little on the impact around the social, emotional, intellectual, and moral impact of participants according to the Josephson Institute of Ethics. Children learn behavior from the adults most important to them. Those important people could be the parent, a teacher, coaches or a good friend. Regardless, it is important that adults model appropriate ways of being a good competitor and spectator.
Sports are a major social forces that shape the quality and character of American culture. It is an opportunity to teach kids how to handle themselves positively in difficult situations. Below are examples of how grownups can teach a child (and maybe some adults) to be a generous competitor, a good loser, and a graceful winner.
Teach sportsmanship — Require participants to demonstrate sportsmanship before, during and after a competitive event. This can be accomplished by following rules, being honest and fair, showing respect, being well-mannered, and accepting outcomes gracefully.
Applaud your children — Be sure to express your appreciation to the children, the other club/group, officials and others you wish to show respect. Examples of this are to accept the ruling of the officials, congratulate all participants, remain positive at all times, and be cheerful and friendly.
Show respect to others — Don’t heckle, boo, make rude and sarcastic comments or insult other spectators, competitors, coaches or officials. Try to keep emotions under control and give others the benefit of the doubt. Again show respect and please refrain from public arguments.
Be a polite participant — Listen, act interested, and remain quiet when participants are introduced or when announcements are made. Stay until the end of the event, even if your child is finished competing. By doing this you are being a positive role model and showing integrity. Be objective and accept the nature of competition.
Show Courtesy to others — Do not block the view of others when taking pictures or videos, standing in aisles, or by jumping and standing up in moments of excitement. Always leave the viewing area clean by throwing away any litter.
By practicing the above examples, any event can be a pleasurable activity for all involved. Most importantly you will become a positive role model for the youth around you!
Michigan State University Extension offers a multitude of classes and resources on stress and anger manage, parenting, conflict resolution and violence prevention.
Some things to consider when your type 1 diabetic child is ready to start sleeping away from home.
By Erin Carter, Michigan State University Extension
As children gain more independence and have a stronger need to be away from home to spend time with friends, sleepovers become a customary part of children’s experiences. Sleepovers can cause concern among parents with the worry of not monitoring every moment of their child’s day and night. It takes parental adjustment to allow children to begin to have this freedom.
A parent’s job is to have their child eventually leave the nest making healthy life choices for themselves and the people they come into contact with. Sleepovers offer time away from the watchful eyes of parents to begin to practice decision-making skills important to the development of individuality. Many parents have personal guidelines they follow to allow a sleepover at another family’s home.
The typical personal guidelines or rules families have regarding a sleepover are more complicated when the child considering a sleepover is type 1 diabetic (T1D). It is possible for T1D children to have the same experiences children without the illness experience. There are considerations to be in place when a sleepover is in the works between T1D children and their friends.
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is a reliable resource for T1D families for the concerns of working through a chronic disease such as diabetes. Starting with the host family being aware of the issues associated with diabetes is a good place to start. A conversation and training session may be of great importance so all feel at ease. It is best to keep routines consistent when away from home and blood sugars can change (hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia) with the excitement and activity of being with friends overnight. There are signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia for an adult in charge of a sleepover with a T1D child in the mix to be aware. A discussion of these signs and symptoms should happen prior to the party. It will be easier to recognize changes and the need for a blood glucose reading. Along with a discussion, a print out of these signs and symptoms can be given to the host family for their review and to carry with them.
The ADA gives guidance about the demonstration training of the adult in charge prior to the sleep over:
Checking blood glucose levels
Counting carbs or stick with the food plan
Checking and giving insulin
Treating highs and lows
Responding to an emergency- especially when it requires glucagon
Helping the adult in charge to know what your child can eat and how that relates to his diabetes care. If possible, create a menu with your child so that you all can agree on meals, snacks and insulin doses ahead of time.
You may want to request a text or phone call for an update during the evening to know how things are going with the diabetes management.
As the day of the sleepover gets closer, and it is time to pack your child’s diabetic supply bag the ADA has some advice of things to remember. First, pack twice the amount of diabetes supplies you think your child will need.
Glucose tablets or fast-acting sugar to treat low blood glucose
A medical ID card (your child should always wear a medical ID bracelet)
Day and night phone numbers for your D-team
All your contact numbers
Batteries
Snacks like peanut butter and crackers
First aid kit
Anti-diarrhea pills
Anti-nausea drugs
There are many concerns when parenting a child with diabetes, but it is important to have diabetic children have the experiences letting them try to have diabetes be at the forefront of their thoughts. It is hard enough to deal with having a chronic disease when you are the adult, but when children are trying to fit in and make friends, diabetes can be even tougher. Michigan State University Extension has many programs to help people diagnosed chronic disease and the prevention of disease. Find a program fitting your health needs at the website or Facebook page.
East Kentwood High School is Shrek in Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s upcoming production of “Shrek! the Musical,” which starts its two-week run Friday, June 1. The show runs through June 17.
Social justice educator, author, and activist Melanie S. Morrison comes to Schuler Books & Music, 2660 28th St. SE, on Monday, June 4. Morrison will be discussing her new book “Murder on the Shades Mountain: The Lynching of Willie Peterson and the Struggle for Justice in Jim Crow Birmingham.”
All-American Girls Professional Baseball Uniform League Uniform, circa 1952
Kent County: Public Museum host pop up exhibit
Grand Rapids Public Museum will host a pop-up experience this weekend only, June 1 and 2, featuring its Fashion Collection. This opportunity will allow visitors to see how the Museum photographs, catalogs and documents artifacts for the Museum’s online database, grpmcollections.org.
Haworth, furniture manufacturer headquartered in Holland, Michigan, is hiring! We sat down with one of their recruiters, Valerie Reimus, to hear more about the company and open positions.
Thanks for joining us today! Can you introduce yourself?
I am Valerie Reimus and I am a recruiter at Haworth.
How would you describe Haworth to someone who doesn’t know what you do?
I would tell them that we manufacturer things inside a building, like tables, chairs, different office spaces and office rooms, that are comfortable and enjoyable for people in an office to be in.
Why is Haworth different?
We are committed to West Michigan and keeping manufacturing and our jobs in West Michigan. We have a really diverse culture.
We’re focused on our members. Everyone at Haworth is called a member no matter what their job title is. We focus on our values. We want every member to live out our values while on the job, interacting with our customers and interacting with one another while working.
What does success look like in an employee?
As a successful team member, you would be able to learn a variety of jobs in a variety of work areas. And develop consistent attendance and work quality. You would have the opportunity to learn every day and master new things. You would have opportunities to advance and move into different roles.
What do you wish everyone knew before they applied for a job?
We’re family owned; our members and culture are very important to us. So, we want to make sure we’re finding the best candidate fit for all our opportunities. We want to bring people in who can learn and grow with us and be part of our wonderful family.
And, we want people to know it’s important to establish consistent and attendance history.
Sound like a place you’d like to work? Haworth is hiring for:
Got fish? You will if you join one of our fisheries-themed cruises this summer! Photo: Steve Stewart, Michigan Sea Grant
BySteve Stewart, Michigan Sea Grant, Michigan State University Extension
The 2018 season of educational Summer Discovery Cruises begins June 14 as the education vessel Clinton sets sail from Lake Erie Metropark for the upper reaches of the Detroit River. This first cruise is a special 5-hour “Journey through the Straits” cruise, sailing north from Lake Erie through the entire length of the Detroit River. Starting within the boundary of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, we’ll pass Grosse Ile and Fighting Island, get a close look at the steel industry in River Rouge, see Historic Fort Wayne, cruise under the Ambassador Bridge, view Detroit’s incredible downtown waterfront up close, and pass to the west of Belle Isle before docking.
Following the Journey through the Straits, the Clinton will sail on Lake St. Clair for two weeks in late June and July, operating out of the Lake St. Clair Metropark marina. The second half of the summer is spent on Lake Erie and the lower Detroit River.
Join us on the water for our 17th year of learning about the magnificent Great Lakes! There are more than 20 cruise themes to choose from this summer. Topics range from lighthouses, wildlife, shipwrecks, bootleggers and history, to fisheries, ecology, wetlands, habitat restoration and weather.
A new cruise added this year coincides with Macomb County’s bicentennial. This cruise – “200 Years Around Lake St. Clair” – will look back at what life was like around Lake St. Clair long ago. From the first people of the region to the European fur traders, explorers, and settlers, participants will learn how the natural history of Lake St. Clair influenced the human history and use of this magnificent lake.
The 2018 Summer Discovery Cruises season begins June 14, with the final cruise offered Sept. 15. Registration is now open for both individuals (ages six and above) and for groups. For more information or to register, go to www.discoverycruises.org.
Kentwood teacher Scott Mellema is Shrek in Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s “Shrek the Musical.”
He is the swamp-dwelling ogre who only wants to be left alone but has become adored by generations.
Now after four animated features and a Tony-nominated musical, Shrek and his crew are moving into the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre for a two-week run of “Shrek the Musical,” June 1 – 17.
Heading up the cast is East Kentwood High School teacher Scott Mellema who portray’s Shrek. Mellema is the head of the theater department at East Kentwood High School along with teaching English. He has participated in a number of shows serving as director for Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s “Les Miserables” and “Avenue Q” and director for Actors’ Theatre’s “Chess.”
Based on cartoonist Will Steig’s book “Shrek!” and the 2001 DreamWorks movie of the same title, the musical follows Shrek as he is made an orphan by his parents and finds a place of his own in the swamp only to have it invaded by a cast of familiar fairytale characters. The reason being is that Lord Farquaad has cast out all such characters from his town. So Shrek makes a deal with Lord Farquaad and sets out with his faithful steed, Donkey, to find a princess for the Lord to marry, but who captures the princess’s heart may surprise everyone.
The show is recommended for children ages 8 and up. Performances are Wednesday – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets are $18 – $37. For more information, visit grct.org or call 222-6650.
This summer, the Grand Rapids Art Museum celebrates diversity with three shows featuring artists from Pakistan, Iran, and South America.
“It does turn out to be that way but it wasn’t exactly what we set out to do,” said Grand Rapids Art Museum Chief Curator Ron Platt. “We always strive to represent diversity in our programming, so we are really happy about the convergence of these shows.”
In 2014, Anila Agha took ArtPrize by storm with her installation “Intersections,” featuring a large cube with a light bulb in the center that helped to reflect out the patterns and ornamentation inspired from traditional Islamic architecture and design. The piece, which hung in the GRAM in 2014, won both the ArtPrize Public Vote and Juried Grand Prize.
It returns to the museum with the exhibit “Mirror Viariations: the Art of Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian.” An Iranian artist, Farmanfarmaian is known for creating work which draws inspiration from Islamic tradition and modern abstraction. Now 90, she was the first Iranian artist of her generation to use cut-glass mosaics as a medium, as art without religious function.
The work of Monir Farmanfarmaian is up through Aug. 26.
“These shows are very engaging for people of all ages and people who are art fans and people who are causal art viewers,” Platt said. “The Farmanfarmaian show includes intricate mirror mosaics crafting that I think is astonishing in how complex and beautiful it is.
“It also has, at its base. geometry which you know is a universal language in itself which is something that kids learn and study about, and everybody knows what squares, triangles, and rectangles are. It’s amazing to see what she is doing with those shapes.”
The “Mirrors Variations” exhibit is centered around large sculptural reliefs with surfaces of cut mirror mosaic and reverse-glass painting. The materials were used extensively in traditional Persian architecture, an inspiration to the artist.
Bruja Infante by Oswaldo Vigas
There is a variety of programming planned around the Agha and Farmanfarmaian exhibits including artist talks, a film screening, and drop-in tours. For more visit, www.artmuseumgr.org.
In a separate exhibit, located on the first floor, is “Oswaldo Vigas: Transformations,” which is the first solo exhibit of the Venezuelan artist in the United States.
“The Vigas show is really interesting because it covers a 40-year period of his work,” Platt said. “It is paintings and drawings, and it looks at how his drawing practice forms his paintings but also shows how he moved through different styles but still remained interested in ideas about mythology and Latin American identity in his work.”
“Mirror Variations” and “Intersections” will be up through Aug. 26. “Transformations will be up through Sept. 2. The Grand Rapids Art Museum is located at 101 Monroe Ave. NW.
It’s time again to grab a chair, a cooler and head to Lamar Park for the City of Wyoming’s Concerts in the Park.
The annual event is set to kick off at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 5, with its Kids’ Night featuring The Porters. The Grand Rapids-based group, which includes Matt Porter, Lynn Porter, Barbara Weatherhead, and Pete Weatherhead, performs interactive music and movement for children.
As part of the fun for this year’s Concerts in the Park, each night will have a theme. Those who participate in the theme will be eligible to enter a drawing for a gift card that will be given out at the end the concert. The June 5 theme is to dress like your favorite Disney character.
A deaf interpreter will be at the June 5 show as well as the June 19 show which will feature The Adams Family.
The rest of the Wyoming Concert Series’ performers and themes are:
June 12: Delilah DeWylde with the theme of flowers
June 19: the Adams Family with the theme of retro
June 26: the WY-FI concert with Valentiger and Kari Lynch with the theme of patriotism
July 10: Cabildo with the theme of wear your bright colors
July 17: Soul Syndicate with a beach theme
July 24: Blue Soul Express with a Mardi Gras theme
July 31: Matt Gabriel and wear you cowboy hat
Aug. 7: the National Night Out with Yellow Brick Road, Elton John and Billy Joel dueling pianos, with a super hero theme
All concerts, unless noted, start at 7 p.m. at Lamar Park, located 2561 Porter St. SW. Free parking is available at Lamar Park. All the concerts will air on WKTV 25 Wednesdays at 5 p.m. and again Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. For all details and up-to-date information, visit www.facebook.com/wyomingcec.
Kentwood Summer Concert Series
The Kentwood Summer Concert Series kicks off the following week on June 14 with The Adams Family. The Kentwood series is every Thursday (except for June 28 and July 5) through Aug. 2 The event takes place at 7 p.m. on the lawn behind the Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Rd. SE. The series is free with participants encouraged to bring their own lawn chair and drinks. Food trucks will be at each show.
With summer comes a slew of festivals in West Michigan, each entirely unique and memorable. We’re talking about festivals centered around food, beer, art, culture, and more throughout the next few months. With events taking place nearly every week throughout the summer, there’s always something right around the corner for you to experience with these West Michigan festivals.
June Festivals in West Michigan
The Festival of the Arts is a three-day community celebration in downtown Grand Rapids offering art, food, entertainment, and fun activities for all ages. This year’s event is June 1st to 3rd, and will continue the tradition of bringing together the Grand Rapids art community for a summer kick-off. Ongoing for over 40 years, the Festival of the Arts is one of the longest-running festivals in the state.
The Mecosta area is home to festivals throughout the summer. The Lilac Festival is a chance for families to come out and do something fun, as a hometown, family-friendly event from June 1st to 3rd. Return for a summer of festivals, including the Morley Celebration on the Pond, Remus Heritage Days, and Mecosta County Agricultural Fair.
The Charlevoix Craft Beer Festival is a celebration of Michigan craft beer, local food, and entertainment on Saturday, June 2nd. The aim of the festival is to provide patrons the opportunity to enjoy a varied selection of high-quality Michigan craft beer while mingling with friends at the beautiful waterside venue. Attendees are encouraged to venture out and explore downtown Charlevoix’s culinary and retail offerings prior to and after the event.
The band Moxie Strings is set to appear at Cogdal Vineyards in South Haven on Sunday, June 3rd for the Cogdal Vineyards Wine Lovers’ Festival. Attendees can expect a fun experience of high-energy, original, and traditional tunes performed on five-string fiddle and electric cello while enjoying a glass of delicious wine.
Plan a summer fun Girls’ Night Out with Divas Uncorked, the Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula Divas Uncorked event on Friday, June 8th. This evening is devoted entirely to women, wine, food, and fun. Enjoy wine and food pairings, giveaways, shopping, and pampering. Bring your entourage, relax, and be fabulous!
Whether you’re looking for a fun and easy family getaway or a big night out on the town with friends, Mt. Pleasant offers a little bit of everything. They have a wide variety of events this summer, kicking off with the Back to the Bricks car show on Friday, June 8th. The following day, craft beer enthusiasts gather for the Mt. Pleasant Craft Beer Festival, showcasing some of Michigan’s greatest brews. There won’t be a dull moment during your trip to Mt. Pleasant.
Feast of the Strawberry Moon is June 9th and 10th in Grand Haven. The event includes reenactments, a kids day, live entertainment, and more as they explore the middleground world that evolved between Europeans and the Native Americans in the Great Lakes Region during the pre-1800 fur trade era.
Grand Haven hosts some of West Michigan’s fan-favorite festivals every summer. The Spring Lake Heritage Festival is June 11th to 16th, and has family fun like no other. The following week is the Grand Haven Art Festival on June 23th and 24th. The event seeks to provide the community and visitors with a unique opportunity to purchase one-of-a-kind art, directly from the artists.
Music, boating, arts, and culture are all happening in River Country. Some of the area’s most popular annual events include the Three Rivers Water Fest from June 14th to 16th and Sturgis Fest from June 23rd to 30th. More events include Covered Bridge Days and the Magic Get-Together later in the summer. They have a full event calendar on their website, so check that out if you need to fill your time in southwest Michigan!
The Michigan Maritime Museum presents the 37th Antique & Classic Boat Show on Saturday, June 16th, during Harborfest weekend in South Haven. This event celebrates all kinds of antique and classic small craft from power boats to paddle boats. Woodworkers and collectors alike will show their boats, demonstrations on boat building techniques will be featured, and toy boat building will be available for kids. The aim is to help perpetuate the building, restoration, and use of classic boats and small craft to give participants and the public an entertaining and informative learning experience.
Founders Brewing Company in Grand Rapids is pleased to present to you Founders Fest 2018: A Celebration of Beer and Music on Saturday, June 16th. In its 11th year, Founders Fest continues to marry the finest beer with the tastiest artists from around the country and the world.
Located at the scenic Warren Dunes State Park in Sawyer, the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Festival brings together the members of the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail for a spectacular day in the sand on Saturday, June 16th. The festival will feature fantastic regional live music, food trucks, and local restaurants to pair with the world-class wines produced right in southwest Michigan.
Whitehall is home to the 40th Annual White Lake Area Arts & Crafts. The festival is expected to draw thousands of people this Father’s Day weekend on June 16th and 17th. Creative artists will participate in this very popular juried art show, and attendees can purchase a variety of hand-made art and crafts such as jewelry, wood furniture, birdhouses, ceramics, and more. A great lineup of musicians will entertain the crowds throughout the weekend.
The 9th Annual Traverse City Wine & Cider Festival is Saturday, June 24th. Come celebrate local wine, food, and culture. The festival brings together a true taste of the region with great wines, art, food trucks, and live musical entertainment all in one location!
Visit Lansing for the 19th Annual Common Ground Music Festival from June 28th to July 1st! See some of the best rock, pop, country, and hip-hop stars in the world take the stage in downtown Lansing along the Grand River in a setting unlike any other.
June in Battle Creek means it’s time for the Battle Creek Field of Flight Air Show & Balloon Festival from June 28th to July 4th. Balloon launches or fly-ins take place every night (weather dependent) and air shows take place at noon.
The Soo Locks Engineers Weekend begins on Friday, June 29th in Sault Ste. Marie. This fun weekend offers exclusive access to some of the area’s historic and interesting attractions such as the Locks and the Cloverland Electric Hydroelectric Power Plant.
The 60th annual South Haven Art Fair hosted by the South Haven Center for the Arts is a two-day juried festival held one block from the Lake Michigan shore in picturesque Stanley Johnson Park on June 30th and July 1st. This year’s unique blend of talent includes works in acrylic, oil, watercolor, pastel, drawing, sculpture, photography, glass, wood, clay, and wearable art. Admission is free for this two-day event.
The National Cherry Festival brings people from all over the world to Traverse City for a week-long celebration surrounding the cherry. Not only that, it attracts people from all over Michigan, the five-county area, and even just across the street to participate in activities. Come celebrate the Cherry Capital of the World from June 30th to July 7th for another year of food, drink, entertainment, and tradition!
Not only does a good night’s rest feel great, it also plays a vital role in our health.
By Christi Demitz, Michigan State University Extension; Colleen Kokx, MSU Dietetic Intern
Over 37 percent of Michigan adults get less than 7 hours of sleep a night, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), compared to the recommended 7-9 hours. Sleep deprivation impacts nearly all aspects of human functioning. A person’s memory, communication skills, reaction time, situational awareness and ability to make decisions are decreased when sleep is insufficient. In addition to impaired cognition, one’s physical health is impaired as well.
Not getting enough sleep can increase your risk for a number of chronic conditions. Type 2 diabetes and weight gain are two common consequences of not getting enough shut eye. Inadequate sleep affects your judgment, causing you to be more likely to choose unhealthy foods. It also affects our hormone levels that regulate hunger. The body will not be able to signal when it is full versus when it is hungry as efficiently, causing you to eat more than you need. A Northwestern University study showed that night owls consumed 248 more calories a day than those who went to bed at a reasonable time. This can add up to a weight gain of over 25 pounds per year! Extra weight is associated with many diseases such as heart disease, cancer and arthritis. Additionally, too little sleep causes you to be fatigued, likely decreasing physical activity, which contributes to an unhealthy lifestyle.
In today’s fast-paced world, it may seem impossible to add an extra hour or two of sleep into your daily routine. The CDC provides tips to help improve your sleep health:
Be consistent and go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning; even on the weekends.
Be sure to sleep in a dark, quiet and cool room.
Avoid eating a large meal and drinking alcohol and caffeine before bedtime.
Leave electronics out of the bedroom, including TVs, smart phones and computers.
Exercise during the day; it can help you fall asleep more easily at night.
While you may think that guzzling coffee in the morning replaces any sleep you may have missed, it is not so. The only way to truly recharge your body is to get enough sleep. Challenge yourself to get at least 7 hours of sleep at night. Your mind and body will thank you.
