Kent County is interested in filling membership on a county committee focused of veterans issues.
By Kent County
The Kent County Board of Commissioners is seeking residents who are interested in serving the community through appointment to the Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
The new Veterans’ Affairs Committee member would fill a mid-term vacancy ending Dec. 31, 2021. Applicants must reside in Kent County and have served honorably on active duty in the United States Armed Forces.
The Veterans’ Affairs Committee meets the first Thursday of each month at 8:30 a.m., at the Veterans’ Services Office, 836 Fuller Avenue NE.
Kent County residents must complete an online application form via the County’s website at accesskent.com/boardappointments. Resumes and cover letters are encouraged and may be attached. The deadline to apply is Friday, April 27.
Please call the Board of Commissioners Office at 616-632-7580 with any questions.
People who live in the City of Grand Rapids — particularly those who live in homes built before 1978 — probably have lead in the paint inside and outside their homes. Lead is bad — especially for kids, babies and pregnant women. It causes brain damage and learning disabilities.
Some key points:
Lead poisons people — especially kids — and can cause lifelong problems.
Grand Rapids zip code 49507 continues to lead state for most lead-poisoned kids.
Prevention is key.
Lead poisoning can be prevented. There’s HUD funding to remove lead paint SAFELY through a program known locally as Get the Lead Out!The program is led by the city of Grand Rapids in collaboration with the Healthy Homes Coalition of West Michigan, the Kent County Health Department and the Rental Property Owners Association.
Recently, the program was simplified, making participation free for eligible homeowners. The program is available to renters, homeowners and landlords who meet certain eligibility requirements. Repairs typically include new windows and siding.
“This is a great opportunity to improve your home and make it healthier,” says Doug Stek, housing rehabilitation supervisor with the City of Grand Rapids. “Sometimes people will attempt to remove lead paint by themselves – scraping and removing the paint – but that can be dangerous and make a bad situation worse. Highly trained contractors work to make homes lead-safe through the Get the Lead Out! program. Think about it: just a week or two to improve your home and, most important, to help the people who live in it.”
“I would encourage the community to take advantage of these funds for the sake of our children,” says Kent County Commissioner Robert S. Womack. “When I ran for office, this was my No. 1 issue. Keeping our kids healthy is crucial — they are our future.”
It doesn’t take much lead to create a toxic situation. One gram of lead dust is enough to make 25,000 square feet of flooring hazardous for young children, according to research jointly conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA).
“We’re talking an amount as small as the equivalent of a packet of Sweet’N Low — just that small amount is enough to contaminate the floors of a dozen homes in Grand Rapids,” says Paul Haan, executive director of the Healthy Homes Coalition of West Michigan.
“More and more people are learning that lead is bad, but a lot of people still don’t know what lurks in their home and how it can harm children. And many don’t know that there’s funding to help safely remove lead paint. That’s why we are relentless about spreading the word about this critical issue,” Haan said.
The Healthy Homes Coalition of West Michigan has a five-point plan that spans discussions at state, county and local levels. Healthy Homes recommends that
All children under age 6 must be tested, especially at ages 1 and 2. When a child is lead poisoned, the source of poisoning needs to be discovered.
Homes must be tested before more children are poisoned.
Homes must be fixed before more children are poisoned.
Contractors must work lead-safe.
The community must be engaged and listened to every step of the way.
RENTERS, HOMEOWNERS, LANDLORDS: If you live in and / or own a home in the city of Grand Rapids, contact the Healthy Homes Coalition of West Michigan at (616) 241-3300 or go to gettheleadoutgr.org to learn more. Or, contact the city of Grand Rapids Community Development Department at 616-456-3030. The HUD funding, and the time frame to participate, is limited.
Each week, WKTV features an adoptable furry friend (or few) from various shelters in the Grand Rapids area. This week, we focus on Humane Society of West Michigan, located at 3077 Wilson Dr. NW in Grand Rapids.
Humane Society of West Michigan’s mission is to rescue hurt, abused and abandoned animals and find them new, forever homes. The 501(c)3 non-profit organization helps over 8,000 animals annually and is 100% donor-funded by caring individuals and businesses in the community. Additional programs help reduce pet overpopulation, provide assistance to low-income pet owners, behaviorally assess animals and reunite lost pets with their owners.
Cooper (10 year old male Domestic Short Hair) & Sammy (8 year old female Domestic Short Hair)
Hi everyone! We are Sammy and Cooper. We are a bonded pair which means we have to go home together because we love each other so much! We are a little shy at first but once we get to know you we would love to play “catch the feather” or “chase the shoe string”. We were surrendered to Humane Society of West Michigan because our owner was moving and could not take us with. We are a part of the Silver Paws program for senior shelter pets — which means there is no cost to adopt us!
Please come meet us at Humane Society of West Michigan!
More about these fabulous felines:
Sammy
Animal ID: 37966188
Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age: 8 years
Female
Size: Small
Color: Grey
Spayed
Not declawed
Cooper
Animal ID: 37966176
Domestic Medium Hair/Mix
Age: 10 years
Female
Size: Small
Color: Brown/White
Spayed
Not declawed
The Humane Society of West Michigan automatically microchips all adoptable animals using 24PetWatch microchips, which include FREE registration into the 24PetWatch pet recovery service. For more information visit www.24petwatch.com or call 1-866-597-2424. This pet is also provided with 30 days of FREE ShelterCare Pet Health Insurance with a valid email address. For more information visit www.sheltercare.com or call 1-866-375-7387 (PETS).
Humane Society of West Michigan is open Tues-Fri 12-7, Sat & Sun 11-4.
Singer-songwriter Myra Maimoh is as comfortable on stage with a microphone as she is with a warm cup around the coffee table. The Cameroonian-born mother of three laughs easily and genuinely while recounting her youth in Central Africa, singing in church and in girl bands. She takes the stage in our studio to share an original composition from her recent album and shares how this formerly cold city of Grand Rapids is rapidly becoming home. Come for the music; stay for the conversation!
Wyoming: Kim Koster selected as Public Safety chief
The Wyoming City Council has named Kimberly Koster its new director of public safety during its regular April 16 meeting. She will be sworn in Wednesday, April 25. For more information, click here.
Wyoming: TwoGuys Brewing now open
Tom Payne, shown at back talking with customers, says he plans for the new taproom to be as much as community meeting place as a place to quaff a beer. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
It may have taken a little longer that expected, but Wyoming’s TwoGuys Brewing has opened in an old city firehouse and a one-time 7-Eleven convenience store in, and for, the Wyoming Park community.
And Tom Payne — managing partner, brewmaster and all-around craft-brew guru — says he plans for the new taproom to be as much as community meeting place as a place to quaff a beer, and he hopes the business is just the beginning of a continued renaissance in the area. For more, click here.
Kentwood: City opens brush drop-off site
The City of Kentwood will be pilot a yard debris drop-off site this spring.
Residents of the city will be able to dispose of sticks, branches and logs at the Kentwood Department of Public Works from May 7 to June 2. For more, click here.
Wyoming and Kentwood: Time for spring cleaning
The City of Wyoming will be hosting its third annual Community Clean-Up Day this Saturday, April 21, at Grand Rapids First, 2100 44th St. SW. Residents must bring proof of residency or property ownership within the city. The event will be from 8 a.m. 2 p.m.
The line will form in the east bound lane of 44th St. SW. Traffic will enter the parking lot through the northeast entrance. Plummers, Kent County Department of Public Works, Recycle Kent, and The Salvation Army will be on hand. For more information, click here.
The City of Kentwood will host its Community Clean-Up Day May 5 at the Kentwood Recycling Center at 5068 Breton Ave. The event is from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. This service is provided to Kentwood residents with proof by picture identification.
The Kent County Department of Public Works will be on hand to accept household hazardous waste items. They will not be accepting latex paint. The Salvation Army and Comprenew also will be on hand. For more information, click here.
Cherry Health: How to prevent asbestos exposure
As many begin their spring cleaning, Cherry Health, in collaboration with mesothelioma health advocateRosie Rosati, takes a look at asbestos and how residents can prevent exposure to the carcinogen. For more on the story, click here.
Tom Payne, shown at back talking with customers, says he plans for the new taproom to be as much as community meeting place as a place to quaff a beer. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
It may have taken a little longer that expected, but Wyoming’s TwoGuys Brewing has opened in an old city firehouse and a one-time 7-Eleven convenience store in, and for, the Wyoming Park community.
And Tom Payne — managing partner, brewmaster and all-around craft-brew guru — says he plans for the new taproom to be as much as community meeting place as a place to quaff a beer, and he hopes the business is just the beginning of a continued renaissance in the area.
Tom Payne of TwoGuys Brewery. (WKTV)
“Some folk see breweries as bars, we are not a bar,” Payne said last week to WKTV. “We are a place where people come together. We just happen to have beer. I keep going back to (my belief) that our beer and our food is the least important thing in this building. We are here for our community.
“We have no TVs in here, by design. This is a place for our community to come together and talk and meet your neighbor. We have all gotten disconnected. This is the place to reconnect. … That is what TwoGuys is — this is a place were people come together.”
TwoGuys is also, Payne hopes, the beginning of better days for the neighborhood in which he grew up, lives and now has opened his business.
“The biggest reason (for placing their business in Wyoming) is that this is where we live, my wife and I,” Payne said in a previous interview with WKTV. “I grew up in Wyoming Park. I graduated from Wyoming Park. I have lived, aside from my time in the Marine Corps, in this area and it has always been my home.”
Payne still believes in his community.
TwoGuys Brewery’s tap room, located at 2356 Porter St SW, had a soft opening for two weeks in late March but is now fully operational. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“We are here to help rebuild Wyoming Park,” he said last week. “This was a thriving business neighborhood, but now it is all dead. So, I really hope that we can bring in some other entrepreneurs into the Wyoming Park area. … Maybe spur on the next thing: ‘What else is the park missing?’… The most important thing is seeing more people come into Wyoming Park.”
The original plans were to open in fall of 2017, but fate and paperwork delayed the opening until March of this year. TwoGuys, located at 2356 Porter St SW, had a soft opening for two weeks in late March but is now fully operational.
The delay in opening had a bit to do with the city and state paperwork necessary in acquisition of the old 7-Eleven building convenience store for the taproom and the city building for the actual breweries. as well as getting the proper proper brewing licensing from the state. But a bit of the delay also had to do with the fact that there was a ton of sweat-equity required — and India Pale Ale expended — in the renovation of the two buildings.
There were some details and delays with the acquisition of the fire barn across the street as the brewery, but “once that got worked out with the city” they had to add a second location to the required state paperwork.”
“It was absolutely a great relationship with the city” in opening the business, Payne said. But “we had to go backtracking a little bit. That is what slowed us down. We were hoping to be open wast September but had to redo somethings.”
Another part of the delay was the complete make-over of the 7-Eleven.
TwoGuys Brewery’s tap room looks nothing like the 7-Eleven convenience story it once was. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“We gutted the entire tap room building,” Payne said. “The only thing that remains, that is left, of the 7-Eleven, is the our cooler wall, where the glass doors are. We kept those for a little bit of nostalgia.”
The work, he said, he and his partners did as a “second- and third-shift, after working their day jobs. … I really want to thank Founders and their All Day IPA. We drank a lot of that as we were working on this place.”
Payne credits Larry Kerkstra, Aaron Roberts, Andy Zapolnik and TwoGuys chef Kris Lohraff as being partners at work and partners at driving down the supply of All Day.
Now they have their own brews for work parties.
For more information on TwoGuys Brewery and Taproom is open Monday through Saturday, closed Sundays. For more information call the taproom at 616-881-2260 or visit twoguysbrewing.beer .
Sunday, April 22nd marks nearly 50 years since the first-ever Earth Day around the world, highlighting the importance of caring for our home planet through environmental activism. Commemorate the occasion during our annual Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, April 21st from 12-3 pm at Blandford Nature Center located at 1715 Hillburn Ave NW, Grand Rapids MI 49504. It is also the 50th Anniversary of Blandford Nature Center — what better way to rejoice at 50 years of getting people outdoors than with FREE general admission in the Mary Jane Dockeray Visitor Center.
In addition to free admission for the entire day, visitors will have the opportunity to explore all of the trails and check out the wildlife ambassadors, such as Baby the Barred Owl and Opal the Opossum in the Wildlife Education Center. Guests can take interpretive tours of the historical buildings including the one-room schoolhouse and log cabin or even partake in volunteer opportunities during an AM shift from 9 am to 12 pm and a PM shift from 1-3 pm. There will also be booths and vendors on-site from community organizations with a plethora of games and activities for families to participate in.
Photo courtesy Blandford Nature Center
“Earth Day is a chance to show the community all that Blandford has to offer for free while showing our appreciation for the Earth through stewardship,” said Renee Baker, Community Programs Manager.
There will also be booths and vendors on-site from community organizations with a plethora of games and activities for families to participate in.
Blandford Nature Center’s mission is to engage and empower our community through enriching experiences in nature. This is accomplished through: an active outdoor environmental lab, a team of passionate, knowledgeable people and a strong link from past to future promoting sustainability. Blandford offers a wide variety of educational and community programs to support this mission. For more information, please visit www.blandfordnaturecenter.org. Blandford Nature Center is a registered, charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Capt. Kim Koster has been named the new Wyoming Pubic Safety Chief. She will be sworn in on April 25.
In a unanimous vote, the Wyoming City Council has named Kimberly Koster its new director of public safety during its regular April 16 meeting. She will be sworn in Wednesday, April 25.
In this role, Koster will lead a team of nearly 130 full-time personnel, including 86 sworn police officers and 29 full-time firefighters. She is the first woman to lead the Department of Public Safety. Koster will replace Chief James E. Carmody, who will retire on April 26 after more than four decades of service in public safety including 11 with the City of Wyoming.
“Capt. Koster has been an exceptional officer and instrumental member of our public safety team, and I am fully confident she will soar in this new role,” said Wyoming City Manager Curtis Holt. ”She has gone above and beyond in her various positions, and I believe is a role model and trusted figure for our residents.
”We look forward to seeing her future accomplishments as she leads our public safety team in its ongoing mission to protect and to serve our community.”
With more than two decades of law enforcement experience, Koster began her career with Wyoming as a school resource and community policing officer. In this position, she worked with neighborhood groups and organized community events to bridge gaps and build solidarity among neighbors.
She worked her way up through the ranks to detective, sergeant, lieutenant and, most recently, captain, a position she has held since 2010. In this role, she assisted with the formation of the Public Safety Department through the administrative consolidation of police and fire services, created a new staffing model, facilitated dispatch operation transitions and led a collaborative effort in the development of the departments five-year strategic plan.
“It has been an honor to watch Capt. Koster grow professionally and to form such strong bonds of trust with colleagues and the public,” Chief Carmody said. “This department has some of the very best public safety professionals. They work extremely hard, and Kim is at the forefront of this team.
“I have complete confidence in her ability and look forward to watching her take this department to the next level, while providing second-to-none police and fire services to our community.”
As the chief of police and fire services, Koster plans to develop strategies that will improve the delivery of the departments public safety services. She will ensure the open and lasting dialogue necessary to keep the community safe is maintained and members of the community are served with dignity, respect, fairness and compassion.
“The Wyoming community has been such an incredible place to begin and to progress in my career,” Koster said. ”Chief Carmody has been a phenomenal mentor, and I am honored and humbled to have the opportunity to take the reins and lead this first-rate public safety department, which is committed to exceptional service and strong community relations.”
Throughout her career, Koster has been recognized with several commendations, including the Life Saving Award, Chiefs Award of Excellence, Outstanding Young Public Safety Officer and Safe Driving Award.
She served as a 911 communications supervisor, during which time she led the consolidation of police and fire operations in multiple communities, including Wyoming’s, move to Kent County. She has also served as lead detective in homicide investigations and as a crisis negotiator, among other critical roles throughout her career.
With a commitment to training, she graduated with Class 251 of the FBI National Academy. She also attended the Leadership Institute training hosted by Grand Rapids Police Department and the Police and Staff Command training hosted by Northwestern University.
Koster received her associates degree from Grand Rapids Junior College, her bachelors degree in criminal justice from Grand Valley State University and her masters degree in criminal justice administration from Ferris State University.
She resides in Grand Rapids with her wife, Marie, and three of her children, Bonham, Cash and Jett. She also has two adult stepchildren, Samantha and Alex.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) is once again the West Michigan Hub for Michigan State University’s Science Festival. Join the GRPM and the rest of the state in this science month celebration with special events hosted in West Michigan.
The Museum will host two special science events in the month of April, including a Statewide Astronomy Night and Pub Science at Brewery Vivant! Entrance is FREE for these events.
The MSU Science Festival is a month long of statewide events highlighting and celebrating the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM). The MSU Science Festival features talks, demonstrations, tours, open houses, guest speakers, and hands-on activities for lifelong learners of all ages. The MSU Science Festival is proudly coordinated and produced by Michigan State University, working together with professionals and educators across the state to bring Michigan communities an opportunity to experience “Science Live.”
On Friday, April 20, experience Statewide Astronomy Night at the Veen Observatory in nearby Lowell. Presented by the GRPM’s Chaffee Planetarium, there will be tours of the facility, hands-on activities and telescope demonstrations. Assisting with the event will be members of the Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association (GRAAA), who operate the observatory with support from the Museum. The observatory houses three large telescopes (including one that can be operated robotically), and portable telescopes will also be set up on the grounds for visitors to use. Special sky observations will take place from 8:30 -11:30 p.m. to observe the moon, Jupiter and other sky objects. Telescopes will be weather dependent; all other activities will take place regardless.
Pub Science will be April 18 at Brewery Vivant.
Pub Science will take place on Wednesday, April 18. Participants will tour behind the scenes at Brewery Vivant to see how beer is made, as well as partake in a discussion all about the science of making beer. Pub Science begins at 7 p.m. and limited to 30 participants. Participants must be 21 and older, and can reserve a spot at grpm.org/calendar.
For more information on MSU’s Statewide Science Festival, please visit www.sciencefestival.msu.edu/. For information regarding Grand Rapids specific events please visit grpm.org.
The GRPM continuously offers astronomy events in conjunction with the GRAAA. On Thursday, April 19, join the GRAAA public meeting to hear Star Stories from Michigan from Mary Stewart Adams, Star Lore Historian, open and free to the public. This presentation begins at 7 p.m. at the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s Chaffee Planetarium.
On Saturday, April 21, join the GRPM and GRAAA for International Astronomy Day. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., view the sky through telescopes at the GRPM. Inside the Museum will be additional hands-on activities, free with general admission.
11th graders Payton Bidwell (left) and Mirabella Witte share some of their group’s brainstorming results about the problem of declining enrollment in teacher preparation programs (photo by Natalie Tomlin)
“How might Grand Valley State University increase the supply of students in the College of Education?”
This was the driving question students were given on the launch of a project at Kent Innovation High School this winter. Other questions included: “How do markets respond to changes to supply or demand? How might the college positively impact supply and demand in the marketplace? What does the data suggest about the supply of teachers?”
Teams of students were challenged to research the causes of the shortage and formulate a possible way for GVSU’s College of Education to address the problem. Their final product, a website, needed to include key data related to the teacher shortage, interpretation of data and a solution, as well as a supply and demand graph. Students also presented their ideas to a panel of GVSU education staff.
This project was designed by facilitator Rachel Haddad, who teaches English language arts and facilitator Jeff Bush, who teaches social studies and economics, in collaboration with two student teachers from GVSU.
At first, Mirabella Witte and one of her teammates, Payton Bidwell, thought the problem seemed huge. But as they delved into the six-week project, their perspective changed. “By the end, we began to see our worth. We realized that we are where the problem is,” said Mirabella, a junior at Union High School.
Dedicated to project-based learning and collaboration, students at Innovation High work on real problems, researching and seeking solutions. Often, students present their ideas to authentic audiences, like the panel from GVSU.
As part of the project, several guest speakers visited to share knowledge of the teacher shortage from different perspectives: Dr. Kelly Margo, assistant professor from GVSU; Char Firlik, retired Kent ISD education consultant; and Coni Sullivan, assistant superintendent for HR and legal services at Kent ISD.
According to Paula Lancaster, director of teacher education at GVSU, “Statewide, since 2008, Michigan has seen an approximately 50% decline in the number of individuals enrolling in teacher preparation programs. At GVSU the decline has been nearly 30%. Over the past three years we have seen a stable uptick.”
Exploring How Supply & Demand Affects Teacher Job Market
Bush explained that one of the goals was to connect students to the concept of supply and demand as it applies to the job market. Students discovered that in part, fewer people are choosing to become teachers because of stagnant teaching salaries in comparison to STEM fields. But students also found that the shortage had to do with more than just money.
Research showed a number of teachers left the field because “they didn’t feel supported.” In response, teams proposed developing mentorship programs to support incoming teachers, or setting up programs through parks and recreation departments.
After researching and pooling possible solutions, Payton Bidwell’s group focused on students who might have a passion for teaching, but were not being recruited during high school. They decided to propose a new program that could involve Kent Career Tech Center helping connect potential educators to GVSU. She said this idea could help high school students get exposure to the field of education and find those with a passion for it.
John Shinsky, associate dean for community impact at GVSU, was a member of the panel and said he was impressed by the rich conversation that resulted. The panel asked students follow-up questions, such as how they came up with their ideas or about alternative ways of implementing their solutions.
“Students did a tremendous job,” Shinsky said. “They brought a pure point of view to the issue. This is just one more example of the capabilities of our young people today. It was also fantastic to see K-12 and higher education coming together.”
Students also gained a new perspective after they presented to an audience.
“It was surprising how realistic our solution was and how serious the adults took us,” said Payton, a junior at Forest Hills Central High School, adding she appreciated the chance to connect with the teaching field. “I learned that every profession has benefits that you may not have known without looking deeper into the profession itself.”
Bush explained that student projects were judged in three areas: Communication and Collaboration, Research and Information, as well as Creative and Critical Thinking.
“It was exciting to give students the opportunity to connect with a local partner that affects them directly,” Haddad said. “Students did an excellent job being professional when grappling with a real world problem.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) announced today tickets are now on sale for the newest traveling exhibit, Be the Astronaut, opening June 16. Visitors will experience what it is like to be an astronaut including the challenges and excitement of spaceflight!
Visitors take command of futuristic space vehicles, chart their course to the Moon, Mars and beyond and land and explore highly detailed digital re-creations of actual places in the solar system built using data from NASA space probes.
Be the Astronaut teaches STEM based content via a fusion of the physical exhibit with state-of-the-art video game technology. Visitors have their own crew of virtual experts throughout every stage of the exhibit. These digital characters will help visitors learn what’s needed to fly a spaceship, pilot a lander, and drive a surface rover — then will be there as visitors climb in the simulators to actually perform these feats, in a thrilling narrative adventure that spans the solar system.
“Through STEM based hands-on activities that are scientifically verified by NASA experts, this exhibit let’s our community travel to space from right here at the Grand Rapids Public Museum,” said Dr. Stephanie Ogren, Director of Science at the GRPM.
Tickets are now on sale for Be the Astronaut, and can be purchased by visiting grpm.org/Astronaut or by calling the Museum’s front desk at 616-929-1700.
Admission to Be the Astronaut is $12 for adults, $7 for children, $9 for Kent County resident adults, $4 for Kent County resident children, and $2 for all Museum members! Tickets include general admission to the Museum.
In each space capsule, a monitor serves as the ‘windshield,’ giving visitors a first-person view of their adventures. Touch-screens and an industrial-quality joystick put visitors in command.
During missions, the entire cockpit comes alive with animated lighting effects, game visuals, and sounds that make visitors believe they are astronauts. Special companion robots will move about the hall and interact with visitors.
The focus of the exhibit is on the concepts common to all space flights and invites visitors into a futuristic storyline as the framework to communicate these ideas.
The experience is scientifically verified by experts at NASA for accuracy and feasibility.
This exhibit will run from June 16 through Sept. 16.
Be the Astronaut was designed and produced by Eureka Exhibits, LLC. – A NASA Space Act Agreement Partner Company.
Be the Astronaut is sponsored by The Steve & Amy Van Andel Foundation, Meijer, David & Carol Van Andel Family Foundation, STAR 105.7, BDO USA, LPP, Chris & Kim Branoff, Cascade Engineering, Jim & Barb Haveman, Lacks Enterprises, Inc., Williams Kitchen & Bath and Holiday Inn Downtown Grand Rapids.
This exhibit is brought to you by the citizens of Kent County and the voter approved millage.
The City of Kentwood will pilot a yard debris drop-off site this spring.
WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org
The City of Kentwood will launch a new brush drop-off site to residents this May, coinciding with its annual community clean-up effort. The brush drop-off project is a pilot project.
Residents of the city will be able to dispose of sticks, branches and logs at the Kentwood Department of Public Works, 5068 Breton Ave. SE, from May 7 to June 2.
Residents can stop by between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays. The site will be closed on Sundays.
“Residents expressed a desire to have this service available, and we hope it will make spring cleaning and yard care easier,” John Gorney, director of public works, said in supplied material. “A drop-off site has worked well in other communities and we are excited for its launch in Kentwood.”
The site will not accept grass clippings, leaves, trash, dirt, concrete, asphalt, tires, rocks, stones, construction materials, glass or metal.
The service is available to Kentwood residents only, and anyone wishing to drop off items must show proof of residency.
For more information on the brush drop-off program visit kentwood.us .
For more information on the community clean-up, visit kentwood.us .
Most interviews end with this question: What questions do you have for us?
Your interview isn’t over yet! Show curiosity and interest in the company during this part of the interview. Impress the employer with great questions- not ones you already know the answer to, such as position details or wage information.
Ask questions to see if you’re a good match for the company. This is your time to shine. Here are five important ones:
What does success look like in the position?
What experiences and skills describe the ideal candidate?
What is the next step in the interview process?
How do you see this position changing in the next three years?
How can I best help you and the team succeed?
Choose three questions that make the most sense for your interview. Write them down in a notebook. During the interview, reference your list if you forget what question to ask next.
The bottom line: ask questions that show you’re interested in the organization. Good questions will impress the employer.
Ready to take these questions to an interview? You’re in luck! There are 13+ hiring events this week with employers offering on-site interviews. See the dates, times and employers on our website here.
Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.
March 2018 was the single busiest month in Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA) history.
March passenger numbers were up 16.2 percent year-over-year; resulting in the busiest March ever, the busiest first quarter ever, and breaking an all-time monthly record from March 2017.
“We continue to sound like a broken record, but what an amazing feat for our airport and our community to not only have a record month, but the best in Ford Airport history,” said Gerald R. Ford International Airport President & CEO Jim Gill. “We saw first-hand the traffic in our parking garage and passengers going through our security checkpoints leaving for Spring Break, but we are pleasantly surprised to see a record-breaking month like this.”
March 2017 was previously the busiest month in GFIA history with 256,880 total passengers. In March 2018, 298,487 total passengers traveled through GFIA – breaking the previous record by 41,607 passengers.
Each month of 2018 has resulted in record-breaking passenger numbers, also equating to GFIA recording its busiest first quarter in history. Through March 2018, GFIA has served 790,106 passengers- more than the first three years that the airport was in operation combined (1964- 1966).
“Our airline partners continue to invest here adding more service, more routes, and larger aircraft to accommodate our growing passenger traffic,” said Gill. “We hope our continued growth prompts even more service to give our West Michigan community more options and competitive pricing when they fly from the Ford Airport.”
The Ford Airport is coming off a 2017 that saw over 2.8 million passengers, the fifth straight year of record growth. GFIA has seen growth in 56 of the last 63 months.
GFIA has invested in new facilities to accommodate the growing traffic by recently completing Phase One of the Gateway Transformation Project – an upgrade in space, retail, food and beverage, restrooms, finishes, amenities, and customer service offerings. The project’s main feature is the consolidated passenger security checkpoint which centralized and combined security screening to one main checkpoint in the Airport. Construction also included new terrazzo flooring, lighting fixtures, pre and post security business centers, a military welcome center, kids play areas, and much more.
Phase Two of the Gateway Transformation Project is slated to begin in Fall 2018 with construction taking place at the airline ticket counters, baggage claim area, and ‘front of house’ area.
“As we continue to grow in traffic it is imperative that our facilities keep up with our passenger demand,” said Gill. “Our passengers keep coming back because we listen to their wants and needs, and as they do we will continue to do our part to improve our amenities, technology, customer service and infrastructure. We are excited to see what the future holds, and we hope to add more growth in the years to come.”
Grand Rapids Symphony Music Director Marcelo Lehninger leads the symphony in the Jan. 5 performance of music of Tchaikovsky and Dvorak.
Tonight’s joint concert with the Grand Rapids Symphony and Cornerstone University Chorale at Cornerstone University has been canceled due to weather.
Titled “Classically Inspired Hymns,” the program had been scheduled for 6 p.m., Sunday, April 15, in Christ Chapel on the Cornerstone University campus. The concert in the Grand Rapids Symphony’s Sacred Dimensions series may be rescheduled at another time. More information will be provided when it’s available.
Ticket buyers should retain their tickets. Tickets will remain valid if the concert is rescheduled or will be exchangeable next season for a Grand Rapids Symphony concert in either its Classical or Great Eras series. (Some restrictions will apply).
U.S. Senator Gary PetersPeters Calls for Suspension of Line 5 Operations
By WKTV Staff
Peters Calls for Suspension of Line 5 Operations
April 13, 2018
Below is a statement from U.S. Senator Gary Peters on a briefing he received from the U.S. Coast Guard about recent damage to Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac. Yesterday, at a Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing, Peters questioned U.S. Coast Guard officials about the decision to keep Line 5 open despite an undetermined risk to the Great Lakes.
“There are few greater dangers to the Great Lakes than an oil spill in the Straits of Mackinac, which would devastate Michigan’s environment and our economy.
“Yesterday, I was personally briefed by U.S. Coast Guard officials in Michigan on the damage to Line 5 caused by a vessel anchor strike in the Straits of Mackinac. Based on the limited information currently available, two segments of the pipeline will require repairs in the short-term, but a visual inspection is still needed to assess the full extent of the damage.
“Upcoming blizzard conditions and high winds pose a threat to the already-damaged pipeline and — even worse — would render on-site cleanup equipment ineffective in the event of an oil spill. We simply cannot afford that kind of risk to Michigan’s most precious natural resource.
“Given the lack of visual inspection and impending storm, I am calling for PHMSA and DEQ to suspend the operation of Line 5 until a visual evaluation is complete and Michiganders can be assured that Line 5’s integrity has not been compromised by the vessel activity.
“In the Senate, I have worked in a bipartisan way to strengthen federal oversight of pipeline safety and will continue fighting to protect our Great Lakes from something as catastrophic as an oil spill.”
VIDEO: Peters Questions U.S. Coast Guard on Line 5 Vessel Damage
April 12, 2018
U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), a member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today questioned U.S. Coast Guard Deputy Commandant for Operations, Policy, and Capabilities, Rear Admiral Linda Fagan at a committee hearing, following reports of multiple dents in Line 5 caused by vessel activity in the Straits of Mackinac. During the exchange, Peters questioned Fagan on the decision to reopen Line 5 despite incomplete inspections.
Peters Statement on Syria
April 11, 2018
U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) released the following statement on Syria, in light of the Syrian military’s chemical weapons attack in Douma:
“Bashar al-Assad and his inhumane government have shown zero regard – and even contempt – for the well-being of the Syrian people. Through chemical weapons, barrel bombings and torture, the Syrian government has inflicted unimaginable terror on the children, women and men it is charged with protecting. Bashar al-Assad is no leader: he is a ruthless, heartless dictator who has long since lost legitimacy with the Syrian people and is only being propped up by Russia and Iran.
“This month’s illegal and horrendous chemical weapons attack on the people of Douma – who have already endured years of indiscriminate shelling – must be met with a swift and firm response from the entire international community. I supported President Trump’s decision to launch air strikes after last year’s chemical weapons attack in Idlib Province, and I look forward to hearing more about the President’s stated plans for additional action in response to the attack in Douma. The United States and the world must once again send a unified message to Bashar al-Assad that chemical weapons have no place in humanity.”
U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow
Senator Stabenow Introduces the Quality Care for Moms and Babies Act
“We all have a stake in keeping moms and babies healthy,” said Senator Stabenow. “My bill makes sure moms and babies get the best care possible from the doctor’s office to the delivery room.”
The Quality Care for Moms and Babies Act of 2018 will improve maternity care for women and newborns by holding Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program accountable through higher quality standards. Medicaid currently has a set of guidelines for pediatric and adult care but no specific standards for maternity and infant care.
The legislation will also provide funding for care quality partnerships that will bring together states, health care providers, insurance companies, and other stakeholders to develop and carry out new strategies to improve maternity and infant care.
A drop of water can go along way and pick up a lot on its journey. Kentwood’s Valleywood Middle School students learned this while examining what’s in the water from wells in Byron Center, Rockford, Caledonia, Wayland, Kentwood and other area municipalities, as well as in tap water from their schools and homes.
Seventh-graders watched water brought in by science teacher Michael Faber turning colors, testing positive for iron and copper, and indicating pH levels as they shook up vials.
Students identified different minerals present in well versus tap water, noting the “hardness” of well water, and learned about how contaminants can have an identifiable source or come from runoff.
“It’s important we know what’s in the water so we are drinking healthy water,” said seventh-grader Alija Nukisic.
The science lab in Faber’s class provided a glimpse of what’s in area groundwater as students thought about impacts of human water usage and pollution. For World Water Day March 22, they discussed water supplies around the world and its scarcity.
Seven-grader T.J. Scott tests a sample while Saurab Pradhan, behind him, and Adan Moran watch for results.
Water Flows Through Classes
The lab was part of seventh graders’ extensive “Water is Life” study, a project-based learning cross-curricular unit, planned by English teacher Jane Van Hof. Students have also studied the watershed in Africa and read the book, “A Long Walk to Water,” by Linda Sue Park, about the Lost Boys of Sudan. They wrote research papers on “How does human activity influence water sustainability?”
They heard presentations from local experts including John Gorney, city of Kentwood Public Works director; Joanna Allerhand, environmental scientist from Groundswell; and Mike Roon, who is retired from the city of Wyoming and has built water systems in Ecuador.
The study will end with a field trip to the Grand Rapids Public Museum to see the Water’s Extreme Journey exhibit.
Faber’s class discussed contamination and pollution, as seen in Flint with lead and the Rockford area with PFAS recently. Seventh-grader Chad Horrell said it’s important to think about what’s in the water they drink and be aware of pollutants. “It could harm us health-wise and mentally,” he said.
Seventh-grader Amari Taylor pours a water sample into a vial
“What happened in Flint was they had too much lead in their water and that caused people to get sick,” added seventh-grader Natalee Redd.
Students said they found differences in unsoftened well water and tap water when it came to mineral content. “It’s way foggier than tap water,” Chad said.
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
The state competition will take place tomorrow and Friday at Saginaw Valley State University.
Two local rookie teams, Lee High School’s Rebel Robotics and Potter’s House Tactical Hams, have qualified for the Michigan State Championship for FIRST Robotics set for this weekend, running through Saturday.
In a recent letter to residents and friends of the Godfrey Lee Public Schools, Superintendent Kevin Polsten noted that the Rebel Robotics finished runner-up “in both invitationals they have participated in. It goes to show the success that can be had when we provide opportunities to our students.”
Being first year teams, both teams receive grants from the FIRST Robotics organization. Polsten said the district is looking to identify a financial and technical partner to support the efforts of the program. Anyone interested in donating to the Lee Robotics team is encouraged to visit the district website at Godfrey-Lee.org .
Currently, there is a fundraising effort for the Lee robotics team to help them go to state which is at Saginaw Valley State University. The estimated cost is more than $8,000 to send the team. For more information, contact the administration offices.
To watch the state competition live, which is tomorrow and Friday, go to http://www.firstinmichigan.org/stream.php. To check out the WKTV coverage of the March 30 and 31 district meet at East Kentwood High School, click here.
Two neighborhood groups plan to hit the streets Saturday, April 14, for annual clean ups along Division Avenue and 28th Street.
At 7:45 a.m., community members are invited to meet at Godwin Heights High School, 50 35th St. SW, for the Division Avenue Annual Clean-Up hosted by the Division Avenue Business Association (DABA). Work will be along Division Avenue from 28th Street to 44th Street. The event is from 7:45 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Abundant Life Church is hosting the Team Up to Clean Up event for 28th Street. Volunteers are asked to meet at 10 a.m. at Marge’s Donut Den, 1751 28th St. SW. Volunteers will be working along 28th Street from Burlingame Avenue to Byron Center Avenue. The event is scheduled for 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. with lunch provided.
Of course with the National Weather Service having placed the Kent County under a winter storm watch, organizers of the event advise residents to double check that events are taking place before heading out.
For the Division Avenue clean up, visit the Facebook page by clicking here.
By Chris Venvema, Michigan State University Extension
Freezing asparagus preserves the fresh flavor
Although spring has sprung, it is still pretty cold, but it is not too early to think about harvesting the first vegetable of spring, asparagus.
Officially named Asparagus officinalis, asparagus is actually a flowering perennial.
With its dark green color, asparagus is rich in vitamins A & B6, calcium, magnesium and zinc. Since it is 93% water, asparagus is low in calories and very low in sodium. Asparagus is a very good source of dietary fiber. When harvesting the asparagus, it is important to gather the tender young shoots. The larger and taller shoots are a woodier product. However, these older shoots should not be discarded, they can be peeled and enjoyed as well. Asparagus can be preserved for later use by freezing, canning, pickling or drying. The technique used depends upon the later intended use. For the fresh from the garden flavor, freezing is ideal.
To freeze asparagus it is necessary to blanch the young spears. To prepare the asparagus for freezing requires that young tender spears be selected. The stalks should be washed, trimmed and sorted according to size. Cut the spears to fit the containers for freezing. Water blanching requires the water to be boiling in a kettle. Tender small spears require a blanching time of two minutes, medium size spears need three minutes and large spears need four minutes. Cool quickly in ice water. Then drain and package leaving no airspace in the rigid container. A technique for individual size pieces is to drain and pat the spears dry. Next arrange the spears or pieces on a cookie sheet. Then place the cookie sheet in the freezer until the pieces are frozen. Finally put the frozen pieces in plastic bags, making sure there is no air trapped in the bag and put in the freezer.
Michigan State University Extension recommends canning asparagus because it is considered a low acid vegetable. Select tightly closed spears that are four to six inches in length. Wash thoroughly. Trim off the scales and tough ends. Then wash again. The spears can be cut into one inch pieces or left whole (4-6 inches).
For the raw pack technique, pack the asparagus tightly into hot jars, leaving one-inch headspace. If salt is desired put a ½ teaspoon of salt into pint jars or 1 teaspoon of salt into quart jars. Fill the jars with boiling water leaving one-inch headspace. Remove the air bubbles. Wipe the rim. Adjust the pretreated lids and process.
Processing can be done in a dial gauge pressure canner at 11 pounds of pressure OR in a weighted gauge pressure canner at 10 pounds of pressure. The processing times are 30 minutes for pints and 40 minutes for quarts.
It is spring time! Why not preserve spring’s first vegetable of the season, asparagus, today!
Action from the annual Lubbers Cup Regatta. (Supplied/Lubbers Cup)
With portions of West Michigan under a winter storm watch, including Kent and Ottawa counties, Grand Valley State University officials announced that they have cancelled the Lubbers Cup Reggatta for this weekend.
According to organizers the main issue is the winds that are expected to be up to 40 miles an hour. That makes any body of water unprovable, organizers stated in a letter to the teams. On top of that the National Weather Service is calling for a cold hard rain that could turn into ice. With temperatures dropping into the 30s as a high and not enough shelter, it was decided by organizers to cancel the regatta event.
From the National Weather Service as of 9:30 a.m. Friday, April 13: Active weather from a slow-moving storm system is expected through Monday. Substantial disruptions to commerce and weekend activities will be possible from the snow, ice and wind, especially in central to northern portions of Michigan. Travel may become dangerous in portions of northern Michigan from heavy snow as well as blowing and drifting snow. Ice pellets (sleet) or rain freezing on contact (freezing rain) is likely Saturday into Sunday in a large portion of Central Lower Michigan. The ice accumulations and strong winds may create multi-day power outages. Grand Rapids and Lansing could become cold enough for a portion of Saturday or Saturday night for a period of freezing rain.
Michigan artists with disabilities will have the opportunity to attend a free Saturday workshop focused on art promotion and marketing and special needs planning.
LTAC Arts, the nonprofit arm of the Legacy Trust Award Collection, will host its first workshop in advance of its May show at the Grand Rapids Art Museum. The three morning sessions will focus on topics such as valuing and marketing art, benefits protection and special needs planning.
Sponsored by Trivalent Group, the workshop will be held on Saturday, April 21 at 401 Hall St. SW, Suite 134. Artists may submit completed artwork and registration forms prior to the start of the sessions. The planning sessions are open to all Michigan artists with disabilities, as well as any interested family, caregivers or other members in the community.
Now in its ninth year, LTAC is a statewide competition open to artists with disabilities that seeks paintings, sculptures, photographs, drawings, collages, mixed media and other works of art. Four wining artists will be entered in ArtPrize 2018.
Chris LaPorte, 2010 ArtPrize winner, and Erin Nemastil, ADAC Automotive communications manager, will lead “Valuing and Marketing Your Art.”
The Arc of Kent County’s Maggie Kolk will lead “Protecting Your Benefits While Selling Your Art.” The Arc of Kent County ensures that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are valued and able to contribute to their community.
Mark Periard, director of wealth management at Grand Rapids-based investment and wealth-management firm Legacy Trust, will lead a session on “Special Needs Planning” session.
Art drop off will be between 8-9 a.m. and sessions will begin at 9:15 a.m. A light breakfast will be provided. RSVP to LTACarts@gmail.com or call 616-649-2818 by April 19. Spouses and caregivers are welcome to attend.
Lee High School sophomore Tavien Bradley knows a good beat and flow when he hears them, but could he do justice through a freestyle rap to describe the legendary duel between Founding Era politicians Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr?
Turns out all it took was some research on the fatal event, an old-school flow and enough confidence to drop this verse: “Two politicians on a mission, Hamilton and Burr just dissin,’ everybody pistol-whippin.’” So begins his 1 minute, 40 second rap.
“I just started writing the lyrics down and they kept coming out of my brain,” said Tavien, who learned to rap from his dad, Tramaine Bradley.
Sophomores and juniors are learning American history and weaving it into raps, poetry and dramatic skits about events and people tied to the American Revolution. All is in preparation for a trip to see “Hamilton,” the Tony Award-winning musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda, at the CIBC Theatre in Chicago May 23.
Tavien’s rap caught the attention of teachers, who submitted it for consideration to be presented on stage at The CIBC Theatre the day of the matinee. He will find out if he was selected before the date of the performance, which will also include a question-and-answer period with the cast.
Juniors Nicholas Espinoza, left, and Francisco Martinez present their skit
Old Documents Become New Expression
The district applied for the trip through the Hamilton Education Program, which gives students from Title 1 high schools the chance to attend the musical for just $10 each. The program is a collaboration of Hamilton producers and the Miranda family, and funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. A requirement is for students to make their own creative pieces tied to events that took place during the founding of the U.S.
“The idea behind this unit is to understand how the writer of ‘Hamilton’ took primary-source documents and turned them into creative expression,” said English teacher Lisa Britten. “It’s just the idea of digging into history in a different way and having it culminate in an experience that is something they normally wouldn’t get to have.
“It’s a pretty rare opportunity to see this show as it is because it is so popular,” she added. “I’m really excited to take our kids to experience something like this because it will just broaden their horizons.”
Brian Cahoon, department chair of social studies, is helping organize the trip. He said it’s impressive looking over students’ creative pieces and seeing all the events, people and concepts present in each piece. “It kind of makes the history come alive, but it ultimately makes them understand it better,” he said.
Juniors Gabrielle Sainz and Yuribizay Damian presented a rap they wrote together that begins, “I, Benjamin Franklin, born in Boston. … I ran away to Philly with some caution.”
They said they can’t wait to see “Hamilton.”
“It’s an amazing opportunity,” Gabrielle said. “The prices are high and I would have never been able to afford that. With this little project that we put together giving us the opportunity to go there, I’m thankful for that. Putting it together was pretty easy; we just let it flow.”
By Brett Gingrich, PharmD, Director of Pharmacy Services at Cherry Health
Cherry Health’s Pharmacy is located in Heart of the City Health Center and provides prescription services for all Cherry Health patients, as well as the general public. The pharmacy also provides a 340B discounted pricing program for Cherry Health patients who qualify for the program. The 340B program is funded by manufacturers of medications and is not federally funded. This means the pharmacy can buy medications from these manufacturers at a discounted price vs. other retail pharmacies. The savings are then used in many ways including these below:
We give the savings back to the patient through our pharmacy sliding fee program. Patients without insurance or even under-insured patients can buy medications at a more affordable price. This is one way we keep medication costs down, so that our patients can take the medications they need, and therefore increasing access.
We also use the 340B savings to increase access to more services. The 340B savings we receive contribute to services such as: patient education, translation, and transportation services along with many others which otherwise may be limited. The 340B program helps make these services sustainable.
The 340B program’s original intent may need clarification, but for Health Centers in Michigan like Cherry Health the program is vital to our patients and the services we provide. The program increases access to affordable medications and furthers Cherry Health’s mission to improve the health and wellness of our patients while encouraging access. So, whether you are insured or not — I encourage you to talk to your Cherry Health primary care physician to see if our Heart of the City Pharmacy is the right fit for you! Delivery services to other select Health Centers are also available.
In need of a refill on your prescription? Check out Heart of the City Pharmacy’s Health Mart page here!
Abe Carrillo is a proud son of Mexican immigrants and proud employee at Herman Miller where he is Director for Diversity & Global Inclusiveness. He joins us to talk about the hard work of immigrants and the inspiring community work that Herman Miller is engaged in.
The Decemberists’ June 4 visit to the Meijer Gardens concert series will likely be on the list of “hot” concerts this season. (Supplied photo by Holly Andres)
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, in announcing their 2018 Fifth Third Bank Summer Concerts at Meijer Gardens series of 31 concerts, use words like “eclectic” and “diverse” to describe the spectrum of artists coming to town.
We could not agree more, or come up with better adjectives.
The series includes — to steal a line from another series of annual events held on the grounds of Meijer Gardens, weddings — something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.
Taking them out of the wedding-rhyme order, while there will be some familiar returners coming back to the Gardens, the new school and New Wave acts may be the most impressive group.
Toad the Wet Sprocket and The Verve Pipe (shown) will be at Meijer Gardens Aug. 19. (Supplied)
With the likes of alt-nation favorites the Decemberists, Fitz and Trantrums and Jason Mraz on the bill, those who think compact discs are archaic will have their day, or night. With the likes of Blondie, Joe Jackson, and the Toad the Wet Sprocket teaming with The Verve Pipe, the older-alt crowd will get their 1980s and ‘90s flashbacks.
My anticipated favorite of the new school/New Wave alt grouping will be +LIVE+, the 1990s alt-rock (post punk) powerhouse whose 1994 “Lightning Crashes” is still one of favorite songs ever, and who recently reunited and put out new music.
Lyle Lovett keeps coming back to Meijer Gardens, and we sure do appreciate it; this time with his Large Band on Aug. 27. (Supplied)
The “old school” rock and country acts on the bill include the always worth-the-money annual visit by Lyle Lovett (this time with his Large Band), Jackson Browne’s return (check out a WKTV review of his 2017 show here), Huey Lewis and the News, Styx and TOTO. And can you get any more old school than The Beach Boys?
We’ll skip the “something borrowed” category because, well, it sounded good but I got nothing. The something (sort-of) blues and soul concerts will include Gladys Knight, Seal, Patti LaBelle and — what may be my second most anticipated concert of the season — the blues kings of Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ together.
Under the somewhat undefinable but, also unmissable concerts include Alison Krauss, Herbie Hancock and the summer party provided by Lake Street Dive.
The concert series includes a special show with Alabama, the classic American country and Southern rock band, on Aug. 23 to benefit the Garden’s ongoing “Welcoming the World: Honoring a Legacy of Love” capital campaign. All net proceeds from this show will be contributed to the campaign.
The complete line-up — with date, showtime, and ticket range — includes:
Tedeschi Trucks Band, May 30 at 6:30 p.m., $75 presale, $78 member, $80 public
Gladys Knight, June 3 at 7 p.m., $68 presale, $71 member, $73 public
The Decemberists, June 4 at 7 p.m., $52 presale, $55 member, $57 public
Jackson Browne, June 6 at 7 p.m., $72 presale, $75 member, $77 public
The B-52s, June 8 at 7 p.m., $57 presale, $60 member, $62 public
Fitz and the Tantrums, June 10 at 7 p.m., $47 presale, $50 member, $52 public
Brandi Carlile, June 13 at 6:30 p.m., $56 presale, $59 member, $61 public
Alison Krauss, June 17 at 7 p.m., $84 presale, $87 member, $89 public
Seal, June 20 at 7 p.m., $91 presale, $94 member, $96 public
Old Crow Medicine Show, June 25 at 7 p.m., $45 presale, $48 member, $50 public
Herbie Hancock, June 27 at 7 p.m., $57 presale, $60 member, $62 public
Blondie, June 29 at 7 p.m., $82 presale, $85 member, $87 public
Huey Lewis and the News, July 8 at 7 p.m., $90 presale, $93 member, $95 public
Patti LaBelle, July 13 at 7 p.m., $75 presale, $78 member, $80 public
The Temptations & The Four Tops, July 15 at 6:30 p.m., $58 presale, $61 member, $63 public
Joe Jackson, July 20 at 7 p.m., $45 presale, $48 member, $50 public
Dispatch with special guests Nahko and Medicine for the People, July 23 at 5:45 p.m., $55 presale, $58 member, $60 public
Jason Mraz with special guest Brett Dennen, July 25 at 6:30 p.m., $83 presale, $86 member, $88 public
The Beach Boys, July 26 at 7 p.m., $64 presale, $67 member, $69 public
Air Supply, July 29 at 7 p.m., $50 presale, $53 member, $55 public
Styx, Aug. 1 at 7 p.m., $72 presale, $75 member, $77 public
Vince Gill, Aug. 6 at 7 p.m., $62 presale, $65 member, $67 public
TajMo: The Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’ Band, Aug. 12 at 7 p.m., $59 presale, $62 member, $64 public
Toad the Wet Sprocket & The Verve Pipe, Aug. 19 at 6:30 p.m., $44 presale, $47 member, $49 public
Trombone Shorty’s Voodoo Threauxdown featuring Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Galactic, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, New Breed Brass Band and special guests, Aug. 22 at 6 p.m., $75 presale, $78 member, $80 public
Alabama, Aug. 23 at 7 p.m., $150 presale, $153 member, $155 public (the special fundraising show to benefit the Welcoming the World: Honoring a Legacy of Love capital campaign)
TOTO’s 40 Trips Around The Sun Tour, Aug. 24 at 7 p.m., $53 presale, $56 member, $58 public
O.A.R. with special guest Matt Nathanson, Aug. 26 at 6:30 p.m., $75 presale, $78 member, $80 public
Lyle Lovett and his Large Band, Aug. 27 at 7 p.m., $63 presale, $66 member, $68 public
Lake Street Dive, Aug. 30 at 7 p.m., $48 presale, $51 member, $53 public
+LIVE+, Sept. 3 at 7 p.m., $60 presale, $63 member, $65 public
And, in case you were wondering, despite the ongoing renovation and expansion of the Meijer Gardens amphitheater, there will still be the same 1,900 general admission tickets available. The concert venue work is taking place over two years. Work on Phase One will conclude for the 2018 season and then resume to be completed for the 2019 season.
And now for the “getting the tickets” details/fine print:
Members may buy tickets during the members-only presale beginning at 9 a.m., April 28 through midnight, May 11. There is a limit of 8 tickets per show, per transaction. The preferred method to purchase tickets is online, but multiple options are available. For details see the Meijer Gardens websive’sa concert series page.
Sales to the public begin at 9 a.m., May 12. There is a limit of 8 tickets per show, per transaction. Also, see the website for options and details.
For more information on the concerts, and all the details on what to bring and not bring to the amphitheater, visit meijergardens.org .
Agropur is a dairy manufacturer headquartered in Canada. Its facility at 5252 Clay SW, mainly produces various shelf-stable dairy products. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
By The Right Place
The Right Place, Inc., in collaboration with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and the City of Wyoming, announced April 11 that Wisconsin-based Agropur, Inc. will invest $21.3 million to expand its existing Wyoming facility, resulting in the creation of 62 new jobs over the next three years.
Agropur is a dairy industry leader that processes more than 13 billion pounds of milk per year at its 39 plants across North America. Agropur is the American subsidiary of Agropur Cooperative, a dairy manufacturer headquartered in Canada. Its facility at 5252 Clay SW, mainly produces various shelf-stable dairy products distributed across the country.
The MEDC is supporting the expansion effort with a $434,000 Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant. The expansion will also be supported locally by a P.A. 198 tax abatement from the City of Wyoming.
“The City of Wyoming is a phenomenal place for manufacturing and we are so proud to have companies like Agropur in our community,” said Mayor Jack Poll, City of Wyoming. “We are excited to be a part of their growth story and we look forward to watching their continued success.”
The majority of the $21.3 million expansion project at Agropur’s Wyoming facility will be for new equipment, with a portion going toward building modifications. This investment is driven by the need to meet growing customer demand, and will result in a modernized production line and increased production capacity.
“We’re excited to be expanding our facility in Grand Rapids, which will allow us to better serve our customers,” said Doug Simon, president of US Operations, Agropur. “This investment is a key to continuing Agropur’s impressive growth, and will also create jobs in the state of Michigan.”
The City of Wyoming was chosen over multiple competing sites in other states. The Right Place worked in collaboration with the MEDC to ensure the project happened in West Michigan. The Right Place also connected the company with workforce development resources at West Michigan Works! to assist with talent attraction and workforce training.
“Agropur’s decision to invest $21.3 million and create more than 60 jobs is a tremendous win for West Michigan and the region’s growing food processing sector,” said Thad Rieder, senior business development manager, The Right Place. “By partnering with the City of Wyoming, West Michigan Works!, Grand Rapids Community College and MEDC, The Right Place has been able to coordinate talent, training, and financial tools to boost Agropur’s internal return for this important expansion.”
Agropur Cooperative is a North American dairy industry leader founded in 1938, with sales of $6.4 billion in 2017. Agropur processes more than 13 billion pounds of milk per year at its 39 plants across North America. For more information visit agropur.com .
During West Michigan World Trade Week, May 7-10, area business leaders will come together to celebrate international trade and business growth in the West Michigan region.
In conjunction with West Michigan World Trade Week, Grand Valley State University’s Van Andel Global Trade Center will host a business conference May 9. The event, in its 33rd year, will focus on how to achieve global success.
This year’s keynote is a panel of three speakers who will discuss global talent in today’s environment. Speakers include Debra Auerbach Clephane from Murray Law Group, Lisa Hanning from Pridgeon & Clay, and Tami D. Vincent from EJ Group Inc.
West Michigan World Trade Week Business Conference
May 9 from 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Noon-1:45 p.m. Luncheon panel speakers
L. William Seidman Center, 50 Front Ave., Pew Grand Rapids Campus
Several breakout sessions are planned on a variety of topics including:
• Finding Global Partners
• Cyber Security and Data Protection
• Understanding India’s Market
• Michigan Exporter Tools
Student Global Awareness held May 2 at Grand Valley
A key component of West Michigan World Trade Week is the Student Global Awareness program. Volunteers have reached more than 1,400 middle school students in Grand Rapids since the program began in 2005. Volunteers work in the classroom to provide students with practical information on what makes world trade work, how the global economy affects their daily lives and how to prepare for an increasingly global job market.
Students from Harrison Middle School will attend a capstone event May 2 at the L. William Seidman Center, where they will interact and connect with professionals in the international trade community.
For a full schedule or more information, visit www.gvsu.edu/wtw or call 616-331-6811.
Anyone attempting to digest Lupe Ramos-Montigny’s entire resume would be well-advised to reserve the better part of an afternoon, and be sure to allow for snacks and hydration.
But if you were short on time and wanted to condense her life into a single word, this might suffice:
Lupe Ramos-Montigny leads the Committee to Honor Cesar E. Chavez. Here, she takes part in a planning meeting with Carla Moore of Baxter Community Center
Doer.
In her nearly 75 years, she’s done as much as anyone – and perhaps more than any Latina – to advance educational opportunities for children in Grand Rapids and beyond. Armed with a passion to change things that need to be, people who know her agree that you either hop on her wagon for social justice and equity or get the heck out of the way.
And don’t expect a lot of breathless rhetoric or political correctness.
“She’s not careful,” says Michigan State Rep. Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids), “because she doesn’t need to be careful. She says what she thinks, and she’s not beholden to anybody.”
By the same token, says Brinks, a longtime activist and current candidate for the State Senate later this year, Ramos-Montigny is “quick to comment, but also committed to being right. And I have never known her to not take ownership for something if she is wrong.”
Brinks is especially impressed with the way Ramos-Montigny often seems to have someone in tow, learning the ropes. “She is a networker,” Brinks observes. “She almost always has a young person that she’s mentoring, bringing them around to help get them connected and involved.”
On an after-school scavenger hunt with her granddaughter and friends from Meadowlark Elementary, Lupe Ramos-Montigny points out ants and the bark of a tree
Strong Roots in Faith and Family
She was born on Dec. 12, a date that doubles as the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, who according to the Catholic Church appeared to St. Juan Diego in 1531, sparking the conversion of some 8 million Mexicans to Catholicism over the ensuing decade. Lupe is named after that venerated image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a moniker she carries proudly. Ramos, meanwhile, is her given maiden name, and Montigny what she retains from her marriage to ex-husband Remi, of French descent.
A native of Texas, Ramos-Montigny is the seventh of nine children born to parents who never advanced past the third grade, but in her mind “were Ph.D.’s in their own right, for the gifts they brought to their greater community and lessons they imparted on their children and others.”
“My parents had very strong family values,” she says. “Respect was of the utmost importance. And we learned that hard work was part of life. They also understood that education was the door to opportunity.
“We all became something,” she says of her brothers and sisters, and she rattles off roles as pastor, doctor, businessman, attorney, Realtor, nurse and more.
“As we came of age,” Ramos-Montigny remembers, “we were expected to chip in on everything. On Saturdays, we cleaned the house, mopped the floors, ironed and starched the clothes.”
At the age of just 10, Ramos-Montigny joined her parents and most of her siblings for what would be three consecutive summers working as migrants in Michigan — a round trip of 4,000 miles that they endured in an open-bed truck where clothing in a pillow case was all you took with you and “that was my bed and my seat for the trip.”
Even against the agrarian hardships, Ramos-Montigny fell in love with the topography, climate and culture of Michigan as the family picked cherries on Traverse County’s Old Mission Peninsula, then harvested beets in Caseville and tomatoes in a third locale.
“Oh the bay,” she says of the sparkling waters just steps away from the cherries they’d bucket. “And those hills.” It created indelible images in her mind, and convinced her at a young age to leave Texas in the rear-view mirror in favor of The Mitten.
Lupe Ramos-Montigny enjoys cuddling with her granddaughter, Amelia Montigny
No-Nonsense Educator
She got her chance while earning a bachelor of science degree from Pan American University in Edinburg, Texas, signing up to spend her senior year teaching migrant farm workers in Lake Odessa, a half-hour east of Grand Rapids.
Though homesick at first, she grew to love Michigan enough that she moved north to teach a total of 36 years, first in Montcalm and Van Buren counties, and then for Grand Rapids Public Schools, where she served the better part of three decades
In the classroom, she was an innovator and a stickler, raising a family of two children while earning a master’s degree at Grand Valley State University, with an emphasis in bilingual education.
“I was a tough teacher,” she says, again brimming with pride. “What I did was assign everyone leadership positions, even if it was in the role of passing out papers, sharpening pencils, watering the plants. Everyone deserves to be a part of something.”
Her voice rises in remembering that “My students didn’t come into the classroom and ever act crazy. First thing, they had to line up. Then I’d check to make sure they had their paper and pencil, their lesson. Every day. Every hour. And if they didn’t have it, they’d better get it.
“Guess what? They’d only mess up once. Once. I mean, what good is a carpenter who shows up to work without his hammer? Are you going to work that day? You’d better figure it out.”
She shakes her head with disgust: “There were other teachers who would just give a kid who forgot another pencil. But that’s not making it a teaching moment, is it? In my class, you showed up and you’d better be ready to learn.”
Lupe Ramos-Montigny, right, at a Chavez committee meeting.
Finding Another Gear
Ramos-Montigny retired from the classroom in 2008, but continued to beat drums for others, and in a dozen different ways.
She’d already heavily invested her time and efforts into the Hispanic community. For 17 years, she’s chaired the Committee to Honor Cesar E. Chavez that galvanizes an entire community each spring and serves as a springboard for scholarships. Three years ago, the Lupe Ramos-Montigny “Si Se Puede” (Yes We Can) Legacy Endowed Scholarship was established at GVSU. Since its inception, seven scholarships of $3,000 each have been awarded.
On the political front, she’s advanced the cause of the local Democratic party with gusto. She was elected to chair the Kent County Democratic Party, its first Latina. She’s also the first Latina to become the second vice-chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, and has attended numerous Democratic national conventions.
Since retiring especially, she’s received a dozen impressive awards for community action, including the Helen Claytor Civil Rights Award, Dave and Carol Van Andel Leadership Award, an honorary doctorate from Ferris State University and more. She also has served on behalf of innumerable committees, caucuses, foundations and organizations.
‘IN MY CLASS, YOU SHOWED UP AND YOU’D BETTER BE READY TO LEARN.’ — LUPE RAMOS-MONTIGNY
In November 2012, she garnered nearly 2 million votes in earning a spot on the Michigan State Board of Education, with a term that extends through 2020.
People who have worked alongside Ramos-Montigny – and even those who have opposed her politically – agree it’s no surprise she’s ascended to lofty positions of trust.
“I’ve known Lupe for most of my adult life,” says former Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell. “She’s intensely loyal to her friends, and … well, I wouldn’t want to be her enemy.”
According to Heartwell, Ramos-Montigny “brings a passion and energy to everything she does. And since just about everything she does has to do with kids, that means there are few more passionate about the well-being of children than Lupe.”
Most recently, Heartwell points out, Ramos-Montigny is active with a statewide initiative known as the Safe Places Alliance, focused on protecting children and adults alike from gun violence. “In our present political environment,” Heartwell emphasizes, “this is frustrating work. But Lupe comes at it with dogged determinism.”
Indeed, it seems nothing can stand as an obstacle.
“There’s no book that says you have to like Ramos-Montigny,” she says with a laugh. “I just believe in doing good work, and hoping others join in.
“My motto? Do not allow anyone or anything to get in the way of progress.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
The annual Don Lubbers Cup Regatta, named after former Grand Valley State University president and rowing supporter Arena D. (Don) Lubbers, features hundreds of athletes and some of the top rowing teams from across the Midwest, all coming to Spring Lake April 13-15.
And WKTV will there, filming the best moments. WKTV will be there live Saturday, April 14, 10-noon and 4-7 p.m., on Comcast WKTV Channel 25 and on AT&T U-Verse Community 99. WKTV’s coverage, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV, are available on-demand within a week of the event at wktvondemand.com .
Since its origin in 1995, the Lubbers Cup Regatta has grown to an event that attracts over 500 student athletes to Spring Lake to kick off the regatta season, according to the event’s website.
The Lubbers Cup is produced in partnership with The Chamber of Commerce Grand Haven, Spring Lake, Ferrysburg, Grand Valley State University Club Sports, Grand Valley Rowing Club, and the communities of Spring Lake and Ferrysburg.
Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet — or few — from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Big Sid’s Sanctuary. 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).
We first laid eyes on Ellyn back in the fall of 2014, when clients of Dr. Jen’s brought her in for medical attention; she had been a stray for quite some time and was in dire need of care. When Dr. Jen first examined this beguiling brown torbie (who was born in the spring of 2010), Dr. Jen discovered that Ellyn was significantly anemic secondary to a blood parasite caused by a heavy flea infestation, had a bilateral ear infection due to untreated ear mites, was plagued by chronic nasal discharge (since her ear infection had ruptured the ear drums and was deep-seeded in the Eustachian tubes), had an umbilical hernia that had to be repaired once she was healthy enough to be spayed AND had lost ALL of her teeth.
To complicate matters, she was also FIV+, but in all honesty, that was the least of her worries. When her rescuers learned of her laundry list of ailments, they didn’t turn her away, and even though Dr. Jen offered to take kitty into our program at Big Sid’s, they instead opted to take her home, treat her and hopefully get her well enough to become part of their household. It took several weeks before Ellyn bounced back, but overall we were all pleased with her progress and they were totally smitten with her! In fact, the three of them lived happily and harmoniously together until the fall of 2017, when sadly it was her humans’ health issues that brought her back to Dr. Jen.
Unfortunately, when our gorgeous girl returned to the clinic this time around, she had yet another list of things that needed addressing, though not from neglect but rather circumstances beyond everyone’s control. Her ear issues were back with an vengeance, her eyes were quite inflamed and irritated, eventually leading to a nasty corneal ulcer in her left orb, and she needed a new fancy haircut as she was very matted.
However, this lovely lady did NOT let her present circumstances get her down, and once Dr. Jen had Ellyn spruced up and feeling fine, she was sent to our shelter to meet everyone; literally everyone who meets Ellyn is completely in love with her as she is just so, so sweet! She is the first one to greet you at the door and won’t stop following you until you sit down for some cuddle time. She will most definitely do great in any home that will give her plenty of lap time, and in return she promises to be your official lap warmer and snuggle bug!
In the meantime we are all enjoying the charming creature that is Ellyn, she who embodies grace and possesses the gentlest of spirits.
More about Ellyn
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.
The $25,000 Global Religion Research Initiative grant allows Calvin professor Tracy Kuperus to collaborate with social science scholars of religion from around the world. (Courtesy Calvin College)
By Hannah Ebeling, Calvin College
The Center for the Study of Religion and Society at the University of Notre Dame awarded Calvin College international development studies professor, Tracy Kuperus, in collaboration with faculty from five other institutions, a $25,000 grant. The central purpose of the grant is to foster new, potentially long-term empirical research collaborations between social science scholars of religion in North America and those beyond the North Atlantic.
Exploring youth, faith and politics
“We’re interested in exploring how Christian institutions on the African continent influence citizenship norms and behaviors among African youth,” said Kuperus. “There’s been a lot of work done on African youth, and a lot of work done on African politics and religion, but there’s very little research bringing those two areas together. As far as we know, we’ll be bridging those research areas for the first time.”
“I think this project has the potential to shape future studies in three ways,” said Amy Patterson, professor at Sewanee University of the South. “First, it calls attention to how churches may be shaping the political attitudes or behaviors of young people. Second, it aims to examine how youth at the community level understand citizenship. Thus the project will bring a uniquely African view to a concept that is often portrayed using the research and language from Western political scientists. Finally, the project dissects the youth category, often treated as a homogeneous mass. We will examine how male and female youth may be influenced in different ways by churches and how church messages on citizenship may differ across socioeconomic lines.”
“As Christian scholars, we have a commitment to understanding what global citizenship and partnership looks like around the world. Our brothers and sisters in Christ are everywhere, but we don’t know as much about what faith commitments look like outside of the United States, especially as that pertains to political engagement. This is a research effort exploring what that looks like within the African continent,” said Kuperus.
Facilitating global collaboration
Although the Global Religion Research Initiative awards six distinct research and writing grants, this one is unique because it is internationally collaborative, explained Kuperus. “I think the really invaluable part of this project is that each of the three American political scientists on the research team will be paired with an African social scientist.”
Africa is an underrepresented continent in a lot of ways.
“Unfortunately, a lot of the resources that pertain to African research are found in the global north, coming from institutions that do not have long-standing or natural connections with the continent,” said Kuperus. “Because of this, knowledge about the continent is often informed by stereotypes and broad generalizations that do not catch the nuances and complexities of any sector—whether that be religion, politics, or youth.” This project emends Global North-Global South partnerships. “This grant is great because it encourages recipients to get outside their network and bridge gaps that should have been bridged ages ago.”
“A crucial aspect also is that the American scholars have worked with the African scholars on teaching and curriculum development in the past,” said Patterson. “For example, my portion of the project is to conduct research with Dr. Phoebe Kajubi, a medical anthropologist in Kampala who also partners with my institution to oversee summer internships. She also spent a semester teaching at my university. Thus, our collaborations occur on multiple levels—teaching, curriculum design, and now the research project.”
Conducting multi-method research
The team’s research project is multi-method involving quantitative analysis in the initial stages. “During summer 2018, each American political scientist will travel to one African country where she has extensive connections,” said Kuperus. “In partnership with an African social scientist, she will be conducting interviews with directors of Christian ecumenical organizations, conducting focus groups with youth connected to neighborhood churches, and, finally, interviewing youth political activists.”
Kuperus said that as a Christian she is committed to redeeming how people view political involvement and citizenship.
“Politics is viewed so negatively,” she said. “People want to close themselves off from politics and not get engaged, but we want Christians to be engaged. Christians can hold governments accountable and advocate for laws and policies that bring about societal flourishing.” In the future, Kuperus said she hopes her research team can continue to build off the research they are beginning now. “I also hope this opens the door for other researchers in the field.”
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal: In Focus is Keith St. Clair, who has been teaching national and international political science at Grand Rapids Community College since 2002 and is frequently asked to discuss Middle East issues.
He has travelled extensively throughout the Middle East including a recent trip to Qatar — a small county strategically located between feuding regional powers Saudi Arabia and Iran. He talks with In Focus host Ken Norris about Qatar’s importance to U.S. foreign policy and current military presence in that often-troubled region.
Also on the episode, is Steve Prince, the director of Warriors Set Free, which is a veterans support program of Set Free Ministries, a Christian-based ministry run by veterans for veterans.
The entire episode of “WKTV Journal: In Focus” airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel.
The episode debuted on WKTV cable channels on Tuesday, April 10, and will again air on Thursday, April 12, also at 6:30 p.m., and will continue on the same days and times the week of April 16. But all interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal: In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
Congolese refugee and author Sandra Uwiringiyimana wrote her story of facing genocide because of all the others that are similar.
“There are thousands of Sandras spread across this country who probably don’t know that you care to hear their story, that you care to hear where they’ve been,” she told Godwin Heights High School students during a recent presentation and book-signing event at the school.
Sandra Uwiringiylmana, author of “How Dare the Sun Rise: Memoirs of a War Child” shares her story with Godwin Heights students.
“I encourage you guys to go out into your community and find people who aren’t like you, get to know them, get to know the stories that are here and then build an impact here at home.”
Uwiringiyimana’s past of fleeing conflict and leaving her country behind resonated with students who read, discussed and created projects from her book, “How Dare the Sun Rise: Memoirs of a War Child” over the past few weeks. The diverse district is home to many immigrants and refugees who also left war-torn countries.
“How Dare the Sun Rise” is a selection for Grandville-Wyoming Community Reads 2018, for which local students and community members read books, selected by age level, to foster dialogue. This year’s focus is on challenges for refugees around the world who are seeking safety and a better life.
“Since you have people who have walked in many of the paths that I have to get here, this story is also your story,” Uwiringiyimana told Godwin Heights students. “It is the story of your community, whether or not you realize it.
“The people who have lived some of this stuff live in your community. They are your neighbors, your friends, your teachers, your nurses, and because of that you need to treat this not as a memoir written by a girl from Africa but as a story that belongs in your community as well.”
Students hold up their copies of the book, which they have read and discussed.
One such person is Godwin Heights senior Jeanette Mukampabuka, also a refugee from Democratic Republic of Congo, who was moved by Uwiringiyimana’s story.
“I went through some of the same situations she went through,” Jeanette said. “I would like everyone here to imagine what she went through and put yourself in her shoes. We can also share our stories by inspiring those around us.”
Along with a community presentation at the Kent District Library – Wyoming Branch, Uwiringiyimana also spoke at Wyoming and Grandville high schools. At Wyoming High School, about 200 students used her book as inspiration for writing their own stories for their student publication, “Finding Refuge in an Uncertain World.”
Targeted for Death
In her book, Uwiringiyimana describes a tumultuous life in Africa as part of the minority tribe Banyamulenge, sometimes called Tutsi Congolese. She was born in Democratic Republic of Congo, and while her childhood was happy and filled with love, her family was uprooted many times to flee areas of conflict.
Uwiringiyimana said perpetrators of the 1994 Rwanda genocide fled to neighboring countries and starting spreading the same ideas that had brainwashed people in Rwanda to murder each other. The effect was neighbors and former friends turning on each other, and the Banyamulenge people were a target.
“The rebels came and told our neighbors we were here to steal their resources and that we did not belong in Congo and that we hated them,” she recounted.
Discrimination increased against her people and, by 2004, the family faced constant threat. “Imagine your neighbors one day deciding that because of what you look like, your background, that you don’t deserve to live there. The rebels had convinced members of our community to purge us.”
By age 10, she lived in the Gatumba Refugee Camp in Burundi, which was attacked by rebels who slaughtered 166 people, including her 6-year-old sister, Deborah.
Three years later, in 2007, she and remaining family members were resettled in New York, where she began her life as an American student. Uwiringiyimana graduated from a private high school, and is pursuing a major in international relations and diplomacy at Mercy College, in Dobbs Ferry, New York. She is cofounder and director of partnerships and communications for Jimbere Fund, an organization that aims to revitalize distressed communities in Congo.
She said she shares the horrific details of the massacre because she knows similar atrocities are still happening.
“I know it’s still going on. It just doesn’t make the front news,” she said, adding that along with violence, there is lack of food and clean water in refugee camps.
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
Patrick Deneen associate professor of constitutional studies at Notre Dame and author of “Why Liberalism Failed”
Americans’ political positions are bitterly divided, driven apart by identity politics, partisan news coverage and algorithm-driven social media echo chambers. Meaningful, well-reasoned political discussion can be hard to find in this political climate.
With that difficulty in mind, the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies at Grand Valley State University will provide substantive conversations about history, political thought and policy without the partisan rhetoric at its annual Progressive/Conservative Summit on April 13-14.
The two-day event will cover a wide variety of topics presented by authors, journalists and academics from various fields. Topics will range from the culture wars and identity liberalism to teaching empathy in a post-truth, pro-feelings age.
Mark Lilla, a contributor to the New York Review of Books and humanities professor at Columbia University
Presenters will include Mark Lilla, a contributor to the New York Review of Books and humanities professor at Columbia University; Patrick Deneen, associate professor of constitutional studies at Notre Dame and author of Why Liberalism Failed; and Molly Worthen, op-ed columnist at the New York Times and assistant professor of history at UNC-Chapel Hill; and many others.
Progressive/Conservative Summit 2018
April 13, 6 – 8:15 p.m. and April 14, 8:15 a.m. – 5:15 p.m.
Loosemore Auditorium, GVSU Pew Grand Rapids Campus
401 Fulton Street West, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Event is free and open to the public, but RSVPs are requested at gvsu.edu/hc
Molly Worthen, op-ed columnist at the New York Times and assistant professor of history at UNC-Chapel Hill
“The big aim of the program is to share knowledge with the hope of improving understanding, not necessarily finding one side that can ‘beat’ the other. We want to help people explore a variety of viewpoints,” said Scott St. Louis, program manager at the Hauenstein Center.
Progressive/Conservative Summit 2018 is presented in partnership with the Kate and Richard Wolters Foundation, the Progressive Women’s Alliance of West Michigan and the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal.
The new Veterans’ Affairs Committee member would fill a mid-term vacancy ending Dec. 31, 2021. Applicants must reside in Kent County and have served honorably on active duty in the United States Armed Forces.
