WKTV takes seriously its role as a communications provider. We want our community to be well-informed and more involved in local matters.
In the city of Kentwood, residents will be heading to the polls on Nov. 7 to elect new city officers and city commission members. Of the six positions up for election, only two are contested, the Mayor position and a 1st Ward City Commission seat. Below are the candidates for the 1st Ward Commission seat.
Emily Bridson
Name: Emily Bridson
Challenger for the First Ward City Commission Seat
Why did you decide to run for election to this office? [After attending several city commission meetings, Bridson said] Mayor Kepley approached me after a city commission meeting and said, “You know, if you keep showing up, we’ll give you a job to do.” It was back then that I decided to part of the solution. I seized the opportunity to become a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission and also the Planning Commission. It was one of the best decisions I have made: I have learned a tremendous amount about how the city works with other municipalities, and the importance of being an effective member of a committee, of listening to my neighbor’s input, and of serving our city. I’ve learned that all of us, by getting involved with local government, can have a positive impact on our families, neighborhoods, parks and the future of our city.
As you are aware, the City of Kentwood just recently marked its 50th anniversary. What challenges/issues do you believe the city will need to address to continue to build upon its success? Based on the many conversations I have had with residents, my vision for our city includes: investing in education – so that every child has a well-funded, effective education; promoting equity and inclusion – Kentwood’s boards and commissions should reflect our community. When inclusivity connects our community, we all win; improving our public places – investing in parks and recreation enhances our residents’ lives through activities and green spaces; prioritizing public safety – for everyone…for a safer community.
Gerald DeMaagd
Name: Gerald DeMaagd,
Incumbent for the First Ward City Commission Seat
Current position: I retired from Steelcase in 2001 after 27 years. I was a data security team leader.
Why did you decide to run for election/re-election to this office? I decided to run for re-election to continue working on improving governance at the commission level. Governance describes how the commission itself is organized.
As you are aware, the City of Kentwood just recently marked its 50th anniversary. What challenges/issues do you believe the city will need to address to continue to build upon its success? The challenge for Kentwood in the coming years will be long-term fiscal sustainability after the city is fully developed. Currently our tax base is expanding as new commercial, industrial, and housing development occurs…providing a growth dividend. When fully built out, this revenue increase will plateau.
Those seeking re-election in uncontested City of Kentwood races are Dan Kasunic for City Clerk; Laurie Sheldon for City Treasurer; and Betsy Artz for City Commissioner-at-Large. Tom McKelvy is running unopposed as well for a 2nd Ward Commission seat currently held by Erwin Haas who is not seeking re-election.
WKTV takes seriously its role as a communications provider. We want our community to be well-informed and more involved in local matters.
In the city of Kentwood, residents will be heading to the polls on Nov. 7 to elect new city officers and city commission members. Of the six positions up for election, only two are contested: the Mayor position and a 1st Ward City Commission seat. Below are the candidates running for mayor.
Stephen Kepley
Name: Stephen Kepley
Incumbent
Current position: Mayor of the City of Kentwood
Why did you decide to run for election/re-election to this office? I believe it is a calling in my life and that there are definitely goals I want to accomplish in the coming years such as continuing the work on the Kentwood Community Foundation. This was a private foundation which we have worked to make public and are now focused on building an endowment.
As you are aware, the City of Kentwood just recently marked its 50th anniversary. What challenges/issues do you believe the city will need to address to continue to build upon its success? We have been celebrating our past this year and through that we have learned that our residents look to our city to have some of these special city events through our Parks and Recreation Department. These include the farmers market, the Ugly Sweater 5k run, and the outdoor concerts. The residents see added value to keeping these type of events going. We still have a strong work climate, and jobs where people can work remain important which is why Kentwood will always be “open for business.” Kentwood also has a lot of open space and there are needs for housing. We are planning that infrastructure, and while Kentwood still has room to grow, we need to be planning for long-term sustainability of revenue income.
Scott Urbanowski
Name: Scott Urbanowski
Challenger
Current position: President and founder of Humanoid Digital, a digital media company
Why did you decide to run for election/re-election to this office? Originally I had considered the city commission; however, there was a push for me to run for mayor because of my leadership and managerial experience. I know what it is like to struggle with economic difficulties, and having lived through that I feel I understand the needs of all the residents of our community.
As you are aware, the City of Kentwood just recently marked its 50th anniversary. What challenges/issues do you believe the city will need to address to continue to build upon its success? I have a platform of safer, stronger, more engaged and better-managed safety. I would like to see more police patrols and more Neighborhood Watch groups in areas of high crime. Budget sustainability is another key component. Also, I would like to focus on the process of appointments to city boards, making it a more formalized process along with increasing awareness and communication of the positions available within the city.
Those seeking re-election in uncontested City of Kentwood races are Dan Kasunic for City Clerk; Laurie Sheldon for City Treasurer; and Betsy Artz for City Commissioner-at-Large. Tom McKelvy is running unopposed as well for a 2nd Ward Commission seat currently held by Erwin Haas, who is not seeking re-election.
The Michigan State Spartans will bring their energy — and a No. 2 ranking — to Grand Rapids this weekend. Photo from a 2016-17 game. (Courtesy MSU Athletic Communications)
Update Oct. 26, 5 p.m. Update.
MSU basketball charity exhibition receives overwhelming response. No tickets currently available for Sunday’s contest against Georgia
Sunday’s men’s college basketball exhibition between Michigan State University and University of Georgia at the Van Andel Arena in support of disaster relief efforts has proven to be an extremely high demand event. Tickets went on sale Wednesday afternoon, and the response was immediately overwhelming. There are no tickets currently available for the game, but there will be a very limited number of holds released this week.
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
The preseason No. 2-ranked Michigan State Spartans men’s basketball team — including a freshman big man Xavier Tillman, who played high school ball on local courts — will be coming to Grand Rapids this Sunday to play the Georgia Bulldogs in a special disaster-relief fundraising exhibition contest.
The charity exhibition game will take place Sunday, Oct. 29, at 2 p.m., at the Van Andel Arena. Its goal is to help to raise awareness and financial support for hurricane relief efforts, specifically those in Georgia and in the Bahamas — the home of Spartans senior guard Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn Jr.
Ticket sales, which begin today, Wednesday, Oct. 25, will benefit American Red Cross (International Services) and American Red Cross (Georgia Region).
To bring the game to town, the Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority and SMG, which manages the Van Andel Arena and the DeVos Place and Performance Hall partnered with the Michigan State University Athletic Department and the University of Georgia Bulldogs.
Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo. (Courtesy MSU Athletic Communications)
“This is a great opportunity for our programs to help make an impact with the relief and rebuilding efforts in areas that were affected by this summer’s hurricanes,” MSU head coach Tom Izzo said in supplied material. “We look forward to playing back in Grand Rapids where we have a strong fan base.
“They’ll see us play a very good Georgia team that is very well coached and features a great player in Yante Maten, who’s returning to his home state. Combining a competitive basketball game with a worthy cause makes for an outstanding event.”
Georgia’s Maten was selected as the Southeastern Conference Co-Player of the Year last season. A native of Bloomfield, Mi., he averaged 18.2 points and 6.9 rebounds per game last year. The Bulldogs received votes in the USA Today Coaches Preseason Poll after posting a 19-15 record last season and playing in the National Invitation Tournament.
“This is a unique opportunity allowed this year by the NCAA to help with disaster relief,” Georgia head coach Mark Fox said in supplied material. “Adding a road game in short notice seemed more difficult than needed. But this is an opportunity to help the people of the state of Georgia. Hurricane Irma had a significant impact on the DawgNation.”
While the contest will be an exhibition game, a non-counter for the team’s official record, both teams are preparing in earnest for the season to begin and should be a very competitive game. And not only will it match up to of the best players in the country in MSU’s Nairn Jr. and Georgia’s Maten, it will also mark the return home for Tillman.
Tillman, a 6-foot-8 and 260-pound forward, played high school ball at Grand Rapids Christian.
And while Tillman is expected to have an impact on the Spartan program as early as this year, he said he is still in the learning mode when it comes to the next level of basketball and Coach Izzo.
Xavier Tillman, a freshman Spartan who played high school ball in Grand Rapids last year. (Courtesy MSU Athletic Communications)
“It’s crazy … This intensity is different because it’s not like Grand Rapids Christian,” Tillman said in supplied information. “Coach Izzo is looking at me in my face like, ‘You gotta show up, you gotta play.’ So it’s more personal and I think that would be the biggest difference between how my high school used to be and now.”
Tillman was named to the 2017 Detroit News and Detroit Free Press Dream Team and the AP Class A All-State team after averaging 13.9 points, 10.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 4.2 blocks as a senior, shooting 68 percent from the field. He led Grand Rapids Christian to a 27-1 record and an appearance in the Class A state title game.
Ticket prices start at $17.50 and are available at the Van Andel Arena and DeVos Place box offices, online at Ticketmaster.com, and charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Prices are subject to change.
The Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority (GFIA) announced today that Alex Peric, A.A.E. has been hired as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO).
Peric, who comes to Gerald R. Ford International Airport from Allegheny County Airport Authority in Pittsburgh, will start at the Airport Authority on November 6th.
“Alex is a perfect addition to our airport team,” said GFIA President & CEO Jim Gill. “He is well known and well respected among his peers in the aviation industry, and he has experience in all of the areas where we are looking to grow –economic and business development, air service, and operations.”
Peric has more than 15 years of aviation experience. The Cleveland native started his career with Continental Airlines in Cleveland in 2000; he had stops working for the City of Phoenix (Arizona) Aviation Department in Management Development Program, and then returned to the Cleveland Airport System as Properties Officer, Business Development & Properties from 2008-2010.
In his tenure at the Allegheny County Airport Authority, Peric most recently served as Vice President of Business Development and Properties where he was responsible for the evaluation and pursuit of prospective business opportunities in efforts to increase revenues, airport utilization, and the achievement of business objectives. Under the general direction of the CEO, he led negotiations of business transactions and managed a staff of professionals both internal and external to implement the organization’s strategy regarding all business development and properties activities including the leasing of more than 3.5 million square feet of facilities, land development of 9,000 acres, as well as aid air service development in the retention and recruitment of airlines. He also had roles as a Business Manager and Business Analyst in his time in Pittsburgh.
“I am thrilled to join the Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority team,” said Peric. “I grew up in the Midwest and am excited to live in such a thriving community with an incredible airport. Grand Rapids is a hidden gem, and that includes the airport. I am looking forward to working with the GRR team to help the airport grow even more, and create additional business opportunities in West Michigan.”
Peric is an Accredited Airport Executive with the American Association of Airport Executives, and serves on Airport Council International’s Commercial Management Steering Group.
Among the Airport’s future plans is a current Gateway Transformation Project, which is set to begin Phase Two construction in 2018. Additionally, the Airport is on pace to break another passenger record for 2017, and airport leadership are underway in updating the Gerald R. Ford International Airport Master Plan.
“The Gerald R. Ford International Airport is going to be a great place to work because of all of the exciting things happening there,” said Peric. “It is evident among the aviation industry that Grand Rapids is an airport to keep an eye on as we continue to flourish, expand, and plan for an exciting future.”
Peric replaces Phil Johnson, who retired in June after more than 20 years at the Airport.
Wyoming Public Schools superintendent Thomas Reeder’s district is seeking to modernize its buildings and other infrastructure.
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
Wyoming Public Schools superintendent Thomas Reeder is to-the-point when asked to explain the need for his district to modernize its buildings and other infrastructure, which is what the district’s $79.5 million millage extension request on the Nov. 7 ballot is all about.
“At some point, whether it is your home or your car, the number of things going wrong, breaking down, becomes overwhelming … we need a huge overhaul of our buildings,” Reeder said in an interview on WKTV Journal: In Focus. “We have about 18 years of renovations that we want to be able to do … what I mean by that is we have to be able to set our schools up for the next couple of decades.”
He is just as direct when it comes to why district taxpayers should trust that his school system will spend the money wisely — pointing out that his district is the only one of out 20 Kent County school districts to have has balanced its budget in the 5-year period from 2012-2016, and that it has the 14 lowest total millage rate out of those 20 county school districts.
“We have tried to prudent with the dollars (the voters) have given us with our bond requests,” he said. “And we have made necessary cuts, whether it be in administration, maintenance or other things in order to ensure we stay ahead of the curve” when it comes to a balanced budget.
Wyoming Public Schools, which has about 4,300 students, is asking for voter approval to continue the current millage rate for 18 more years — an action which would neither increase or decrease what property tax payers would pay.
The current debt rate of 5.65 is projected to be levied through 2025. It will taper off after that as these bonds are paid off through 2043. If the millage request is passed, the first series bonds (projected for 2018) would be repaid over 21 years, by 2039. A second series of bonds (projected for 2022) would be retired by 2043 at the latest.
The district’s current total property tax base millage is 6.145 mills: 5.65 mills in debt and .495 mill for a sinking fund. Its last big bond measure was passed in 1994. District currently has three bond measures being paid off, and this new millage request would allow for the continued funding of new bonds as each of the three existing bond measures are paid off. The sinking fund is separate, for $400k per year and is in the 2nd year of a 10-year sinking fund request passed in 2015.
By state law, school bonds can only be utilized to fund capital improvement projects, new construction, technology and transportation. The proceeds cannot be used for routine repair or maintenance costs; teacher, administrator or employee salaries; or other operating expenses.
The expenditure of any bond proceeds must be audited annually during the construction period by an external CPA firm. Those audits are transmitted annually to the Department of Treasury.
The breakdown of how the $79.5 million would be spent is:
High school: $40 million in two segments (two phases: 2018 and 2022)
Huntington Woods Early Childhood Center: $1.5 million
Administration Building: $950k
Regional Center and Adult Education: $830k
Bus Garage: $400k
Most of the building and site improvements to be done would be items such as roof replacements, mechanical system upgrades, classroom and building renovations. There would also be safety and security improvements — including playground safety improvements.
“It has been a couple of decades since we passed our last millage,” Reeder said. “So since 1994 all of the HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), roofs, etcetera, have not been done. Parking lots. The parking lots have not had any major work since that time.
“Those all need to be upgraded, to be redone. There is a significant cost in doing that, well beyond an operating millage. In addition, our buildings were built in a very different era. All of our buildings are approximately 50 years or more old.”
The largest single expenditure would be to restructure the high school to again house 9-12 grades. The design would allow for a freshman wing to keep these students together during what the district calls “their important transition year into high school.”
Upgrades to the high school would occur over two phases, starting in 2018. Among the work to be done is construction of two-story, 30 classroom addition, as well as athletic upgrades, and cafeteria and kitchen upgrades for 9th grade student addition.
“The high school gets a total remodel,” Reeder said. “All the other buildings and sites get a significant remodel. But we are not adding on and moving things around as we would at the high school.”
The move to separate the 9th grade students into the middle school was originally done as a cost-saving measure. But “our parents have requested, our staff have overwhelming said: ‘We fully understand why you did that, but at some point we’d love to have the 9th grade back in the high school, with the flow, the way the curriculum works, in this day’,” Reeder said.
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.
Ziggy–Male Retriever Mix
I’m a very sweet, 8-year-old dog looking for my forever home! I have a few special needs and am looking for a home that would be the perfect fit. I am deaf and blind in one eye, but I am very adaptable! I would do best in a home with no small children and relaxed, not overly playful dogs if I’m not the only pet in the home. My adoption fee is waived due to generous grant funding, but my family should consider taking me to the vet to have my teeth cleaned! Please come meet me at Humane Society of West Michigan and see if we are the right fit, I have so much love to give and will make someone so happy!
More about Ziggy:
Animal ID: 36657737
Breed: Retriever/Mix
Age: 8 years
Gender: Male
Size: Medium
Color: White
Neutered
Prada
Prada–Female Domestic Short Hair
I am a 1-year-old cat looking for my forever home! I am playful and sweet, but enjoy having my own space as well. I would do best in a home with no small children because I get startled when surprised and do not like being picked up. I would do well in a home that would give me time to adjust and approach first. Please come meet me at Humane Society of West Michigan!
More about Prada:
Animal ID: 36165735
Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age: 1 year
Gender: Female
Size: Small
Color: Brown/Black
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.
On Saturday, Oct. 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Kentwood Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration will give the public its 14th opportunity in seven years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.
Bring pills for disposal to Kentwood Police Department, located at 4742 Walma Ave. SE. The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles or other sharp objects, only pills or patches. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
Last April, Americans turned in 450 tons (900,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at almost 5,500 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,200 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 13 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in more than 8.1 million pounds—more than 4,050 tons—of pills. This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue.
Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.
For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the Take Back Day event, please contact Vicki Highland at highlandv@ci.kentwood.mi.us or 616-656-6571.
For needles or sharp objects visit recyclekent.org for its SHARPS program or click here.
The City of Wyoming and Metro Health-University of Michigan Health will help area households dispose of unused medications safely and properly on Saturday, Oct. 28.
The City of Wyoming and Metro Health again will partner to provide a Drug Take Back service between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Area residents are encouraged to bring unused prescriptions and over-the-counter medications to the main lobby of Metro Health Hospital, 5900 Byron Center Ave. SW or to Wyoming Department of Public Safety, 2300 DeHoop Ave. SW, both located in Wyoming.
Wyoming Public Safety officers will be on hand to anonymously accept medications, including controlled substances, with no questions asked. A pharmacist from Metro Health will be available throughout the event to answer questions about medications. Mercury thermometers may also be exchanged for a new digital thermometer from the City of Wyoming and Metro Health.
Growing concern over pharmaceutical pollution in waterways and prescription drug abuse has led cities nationwide to develop drug take back programs. The West Michigan Drug Take Back program is a joint effort between local pharmacies, law enforcement, wastewater treatment facilities and government agencies to provide residents with safe, convenient access to proper medicine disposal. Medications collected in West Michigan are transported to Kent County’s Waste to Energy Facility, where they are incinerated.
Metro Health and the City of Wyoming partner twice a year to provide this service to the community. In April, the Drug Take Back Day event took in 652 pounds of prescription and over-the-counter drugs and 25 mercury thermometers.
The City of Wyoming also offers a prescription drug drop-off service 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, also at its Public Safety offices in Wyoming.
According to the West Michigan Take Back Meds, 20 percent to 60 percent of prescription medications go unused and are eventually disposed. A 2002 analysis by the U.S. Geological Survey of 139 streams across 30 states found that 80 percent of waterways tested had measurable concentrations of prescription and nonprescription drugs, steroids and reproductive hormones. For more on West Michigan Take Back Meds, visit www.wmtakebackmeds.com.
In Focus today is Michael Bulthuis of The Rapid public transit system. The Rapid, on November 7, will be asking for renewal of the system’s current 1.47 mil local property tax millage. (WKTV)
By Hannah Haviland, WKTV Editorial Assistant
news@wktv.org
At the upcoming Nov. 7 election, residents of the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood are being asked to consider a 1.47 millage rate so that The Rapid can continue serving these cities along with four other municipalities in the greater Grand Rapids area.
The millage request, which is listed as the Interurban Transit Partnership Board Transit Millage Ballot Proposal 2018-2019 on the Nov. 7 ballot, is not an increase, but rather would replace the current Rapid millage of 1.47 mills which is set to expire in July of 2018.
According to information supplied by The Rapid, for a $100,000 home with a taxable value of $50,000, the homeowner would continue to pay around $73.50 a year for the millage. The millage, which has been active for the past seven years, is about a third of The Rapid’s total budget of $44 million, covering about $15.5 million. The majority of the rest of the budget comes from the Michigan Department of Transportation’s local bus operating assistance and passenger fares.
Because the millage makes up such a large percentage of The Rapids’ operational expenses, without the renewal, most of the fixed route services that the millage helps fund would not be be able to operate, according to The Rapid Marketing and Communications Director Michael Bulthuis, who sat down to talk about the millage in a recent WKTV Journal: In Focus segment.
“Most of our riders are using the bus at least once a week, if not every day, for a work related activity,” Bulthuis said. “If you consider that we have between 11 to 12 million rides every year, 80 percent of those rides are work related trips.”
Each of the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood have nine Rapid routes not counting the Silver Line. These are among the 22 routes that would potentially be shut down if the millage doesn’t pass.
“You would start to see service cuts, frankly, because you’re not getting that $15.5 million in millage funding,” Bulthuis said. “That millage funding also helps leverage state funding so you’re losing millions of dollars in state funding as well.”
The millage has been active for the last seven years, and if it passes, will continue at the same rate of 1.47 for twelve more years. If, however, it doesn’t pass, all of The Rapids’ normal bus routes would cease. The Rapid would only be able to operate on a contractual basis for entities that would entirely cover the cost of its service. Go!Bus, the service for the elderly and disabled, would also be drastically decreased, putting people in that demographic at risk of missing doctor’s appointments or other needed services.
The millage funds are only used for everyday expenses such as wages for employees, fuel, tires, and other essential needs. It is not used for other projects such as new buses, buildings, or project construction. The Silver Line, which operates along Division Avenue connecting downtown Grand Rapids to the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming, would also not be affected since it is funded by state and federal grants.
The WKTV Journal: In Focus episode including the discussion about The Rapid millage, and a discussion with Wyoming Public Schools Superintendent Thomas Reeder on his district’s millage request, will air twice this week on WKTV channels but all interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal: In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVVideos.
“WKTV Journal: In Focus” will air on Tuesdays and Thursdays, at 6:30 p.m., on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel.
Maria Aguirre likes to help other people’s dreams come true: making sure a child has presents wrapped under the tree on Christmas morning, doing her part to fund cancer research, helping distribute grants to organizations doing good in her Wyoming community.
Through extensive giving back and taking a leadership role in doing so, she reveals the good in people and the community, making places and people’s days brighter. She’s a leader at Godwin Heights Public Schools, the newly-named president for Student Leadership Council, and continually organizing programs and pitching in on school-wide efforts.
“I like trying to get the better out of the community, and putting forward that good. It makes you feel good about yourself, bringing out what’s better in the world,” Maria said.
Maria is a scholar, a worker, a leader, and a Dreamer.
Godwin Heights High School senior Maria Aguirre has been recognized for leadership by teacher Katie Hoffman
‘It Makes me Feel Torn’
The 17-year-old senior arrived with her parents from Mexico when she was 3-years-old, and hasn’t been back there since. She doesn’t remember their home in Monterrey, the capital of the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León, or what it’s like there.
At age 15, she paid the $495 application fee for protection from deportation and a work permit through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, created under the Obama Administration. She enrolled as a Dreamer, along with her brothers, among 800,000 individuals in the program.
Now, with doubt cast on her permanent status in the U.S. by the Trump Administration, who rescinded the policy in September, Maria’s dreams are hazy. Trump’s decision officially ends the program in March and halts new applications, but those whose permits expire before March 5 can apply for a two-year renewal, which Maria did. (Trump called on Congress to pass immigration legislation to replace it, and tweeted that he will “revisit this issue” if Congress does not act.)
“It makes me worried if in the future I won’t be able to qualify for a replacement of DACA. Would I have to go back to a country that isn’t my country – that I don’t know anything about?
Would-be social worker Maria Aguirre is recognized school-wide for leadership
“It makes me feel torn. It makes me feel depressed.”
But Maria is the kind of person who keeps forging ahead at her school and in the community, despite what her future holds.
Beginning each November since her freshman year, she has been collecting as many toys as possible with the Student Leadership Council for DA Blodgett St. John’s Home. The Council invites Godwin teachers to adopt children at the foster-care facility and have them encourage students to bring in gifts.
Annually, she works with fellow members of National Honor Society to clean up nearby Hillcroft Park. She raises funds for Relay for Life, the annual 24-hour walk to raise money for cancer research. She’s planning an Unsung Heroes Dinner at school to recognize support staff, like janitors and paraprofessionals, who make a difference at the school. Maria gets to church early to help with Sunday School.
An ambitious student, Maria is dual-enrolled at Grand Rapids Community College, where she’ll tally up a year’s worth of college credit by the time she graduates in May. She has a 3.8 grade-point average.
She just joined the Wyoming Community Foundation Youth Advisory Council to help allocate grant money to local nonprofits and works part-time at McDonald’s.
“Maria is a great role model for her peers and is a positive presence in the school,” said Student Leadership Council advisor Katie Hoffman. “She stands out as someone who wants to make a difference and is willing to go above and beyond to make our school and community a better place to be.”
Maria is always looking for new ways to influence and encourage others, Hoffman said. “I know that she will be successful in whatever field she chooses to go into and we are lucky that she has been a part of our Godwin family.”
Maria Aguirre, president of the Student Leadership Council, explains to members how the Christmas adopt-a-child program for D.A. Blodgett-St. John’s Home works
Still Dreaming
Maria’s dreams are to go to Aquinas College or Grand Valley State University to pursue a degree in sociology and become a social worker. She dreams of making life better for people, and first and foremost, helping support her parents financially.
“Ever since I was little, I grew up struggling economically. I want to be able to, in the future, not have my parents have to work anymore,” she said. Her father is a dishwasher and her mother a stay-at-home mom.
She said growing up with limited financial resources made her passionate about doing what she can to get to college. “It was difficult, but you proceed through it and realize you need to get the education to do better.”
Godwin Heights staff members have been supportive, she said. During visits to college campus, counselors ask for any information pertaining to DACA students.
“I feel pretty confident that I am going to start college here. It feels unknown that I am going to finish it here,” Maria said.
When the DACA decision was announced, Maria’s parents were concerned for their children, who they raised as Americans. The family had already taken in children of a deported friend who wondered when their mother would be back. “They were really heartbroken. They were mostly sad.”
Encouraging Others and Getting Things Done
While leading the Leadership Team meeting on a recent Wednesday during lunch in Hoffman’s classroom, Maria told peers the details of the Christmas donation event for D.A. Blodgett-St. John’s Home. The collecting will kick off next month.
Team members said Maria stands out as a leader. As president of the Leadership Council, Maria knows how to get things done, said junior Luz Parada. She is a good example of how to lead a big group and be a positive influence on people. She is very supportive.
“I’ve known Maria for six years. She is my best friend,” said senior Kamille Martinez. “She stands out because she stands up for people no matter what the issue is. She stays ahead of her work. She is an encouraging person to others. She is an amazing person.”
After participating in discussion about popcorn sales and a new idea to greet students in fun ways as they arrive to school on Monday mornings, Maria wrapped up the meeting and prepared to head to GRCC for a college course. Despite what the future holds, she’s choosing a path for her dreams to become reality, being involved, pursuing education and helping others.
“You see all the bad that’s going on and all the suffering and you just want to get away from that and bring out the good that’s still left in the world,” she said.
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
Alan Headbloom, host of “Feel Like You Belong” will co-moderate the Grand Valley State University’s Fourth Annual Civil Discourse Symposium, set for Friday, Nov. 2, at the Paul A. Johnson Conference Hall at the L.V. Eberhard Center on the Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids Campus.
The 2017 Padnos/Sarosik Civil Discourse Symposium offers a venue for the community to engage in a civil discussion on immigration by considering both its benefits and challenges. Through round-table discussion and panelist-let dialogue, the symposium offers opportunities to interact with community organizations engaged with immigrants and refugees and examine the dynamics driving global migration.
This year’s symposium topic is “Immigrants and Refugees: Celebrating Our Diversity” and will be facilitated by Dr. Jack Mangala, the 2016-2017 Padnos/Sarosik Endowed Professor of Civil Discourse
A light dinner will be served starting at 5 p.m. Parking is available at no cost Your RSVP is appreciated.
In 2013, Headbloom co-created the show “Feel Like You Belong,” a multi-resource web portal and TV show. Headbloom inviterviews immigrants and expatriate to learn how one goes about being long in a new land, new language and new culture. His guests have included “Sesame Street” pioneer Sonia Manzano and former Chicago Young Lords Jose Cha Cha Jimenez. “Feel Like You Belong” is filmed at WKTV.
Panelists
Dr. Mladjo Ivanovic is a visiting professor at the department of philosophy at Grand Valley State University. His research focuses on moral and political challenges tied with the forceful displacement and migration of people. He is also engaged with NGO communities in Serbia, Greece and Turkey, and serves as an advisor for various student organizations that deal with humanitarianism and social justice.
Steffanie Rosalez is the Program Director for the Grandville Avenue Arts and Humanities, Cook Arts Center. Using the arts, she has worked with children from immigrant families in various capacities, including as the manager of the after school program (LOOP) at Cesar Chavez Elementary School.
Kristine Van Noord is the Program Manager for Bethany Christian Services’ Refugee Adult & Family Programs. Kristine has 19 years of experience working with refugees including over seven years with Bethany. She also lived in the Middle East for five years.
Wyoming Public Schools, shown here in a photo supplied by the district, saw its number of students drop in the recent “Count Day” state survey of students. (Supplied)
Some local school leaders were braced for bad news, some confident of good news, as Wyoming and Kentwood area school districts held their public school “Count Day” early this month — a day when the number of students attending their schools directly relates to how much funding they will receive from the state.
The fall count, held Oct. 4, is worth 90 percent of the state per-pupil funding. The spring semester count, from the previous school year, is 10 percent of funding. This school year’s spring count date is scheduled for Feb. 8, 2018.
“We are still in the period where we identify the final number, but that is the formula that is used,” Wyoming’s Godfrey-Lee Public Schools Superintendent Kevin Polston said to WKTV journal. The “count impacts this years funding. We do not receive state aid in September, and begin receiving it in October after fall count. (So) this impacts our current budget.”
The local public school districts, as well as charters, are to receive $7,631 per-pupil for the 2017-18 school year. Godwin Heights Public Schools receives slightly more per student due to a historic loss of a substantial commercial tax base.
Godfrey-Lee counted 1,878 students for the fall count day, 72 below projections and down 84 students for the 2016-17 school year. So, if preliminary numbers hold, Godfrey-Lee would receive less state funding this year than last. But Polston says the district is prepared.
“This is the reason why it is important to have fund balances that can account for shortfalls like this,” said Polston, who is in his first year as superintendent. “We will maintain all current positions and programs, but immediately take a close look at all areas of the budget for both short and long term savings. We are fortunate to have a fund balance that can absorb a shortfall for this year.
“Our Board of Education has a policy of maintaining at least a 10 percent fund balance for times like this. We will need to backfill this deficit with next year’s budget. I’m confident in our team’s ability to strategically prioritize spending with a constant focus on keeping dollars in the classroom.”
His district will also look at the reasons why enrollment dropped.
“We have had a strong growth trend over the past few years, but that didn’t hold this year,” he said. “We are analyzing the areas where we fell short to identify contributing factors. We believe our best solution is to promote our district to our current residents to retain as many as we can in our strong, local, neighborhood schools.”
According to an analysis published on MLive, Michigan has more than 1.6 million kindergarten through 12th grade students in the 2016-17 school year, with about 1 million attending their local public schools. The other half million, or so, attended private or charter schools, or crossed home district lines to enroll in other public school districts.
Kentwood Public Schools is one of the districts gaining students, some from out of the district boundaries.
“We are up 136 — 9,121 total non-audited — students from last Fall count day,” Kentwood Public Schools Superintendent Michael Zoerhoff told WKTV. “The last three years we have seen an upward trend of our enrollment count. We are excited to see that Kentwood Public Schools continues to be a destination district for many families because of the great opportunities provided.”
Godwin Heights Public Schools, according to Superintendent William Fetterhoff, counted 2,166 students after budgeting for 2,145, so 21 over projection and 39 below last year. Fetterhoff told WKTV the trend is not unusual for his district, or across the nation for that matter, and he pointed to a decline in kindergarten through 3rd grade students as one reason.
Wyoming Public Schools, according to the district, counted 4,250, down 70 from last year.
Wyoming Public Schools students. (Supplied)
“4,250 is an appropriate estimate for our fall count … We anticipated a decrease this year,” Matt Lewis, Assistant Superintendent for Finance & Administrative Services for Wyoming Public Schools said to WKTV. “We budgeted to be down 75, and we’re on track to be down between 75 and 80.
“We’re approximately 70 down from last year which is right on projection. … I can’t give you a final number because there are 30 days from the count day during which students can still be counted if they were absent.”
The decline in enrollment is also not surprising to Lewis.
“Wyoming has averaged a loss of 108 students per year since the fall of 2004,” he said. “We’ve done many, many things to address the decline, cutting millions from our operating budget. We’ve become extremely efficient from an administrative perspective, closed buildings when necessary, including the consolidation of our high schools for 2012/13, and made countless adjustments to our contractual obligations and benefit costs. Our employees have (also) taken on a substantial portion of their healthcare costs over this period of enrollment decline.”
In other initial, unaudited numbers from local public districts, detailed in published reports, Kelloggsville Public Schools counted 2,327 students, 102 above projections and 79 more than last year.
Holland Home hopes to help the community better understand advanced care planning with its presentation of the documentary Being Mortal on Wednesday, Oct. 25, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Based on the best-selling book by Dr. Atul Gawande, the film explores the hopes of patients and families facing terminal illness and their relationships with those who care for them. The film explores the intersection of life, death, medicine and what matters most in the end.
Following the screening of the film, Holland Home will hold a panel discussion on the importance of advanced care planning with local palliative care expert, Dr. John Mulder, of Holland Home’s Trillium Institute. What makes this panel discussion unique is that Dr. Mulder has had his own experience with end of life planning and values-based decision making, when he was diagnosed with terminal lung disease in 2015. Dr. Mulder brings not only his professional expertise, but his personal experience, to his understanding of the importance of end of life care and what is most important to the patient. He will be joined by Carol Robinson of Making Choices Michigan.
“Our hope is that Being Mortal will be a catalyst for families to take a deeper look at end of life care and what they desire the end of life to look like,” said Dr. Mulder. “The end of life can be more joyful and more meaningful when resources are in place to honor your wishes.”
The event is free and will be held at Holland Home’s Raybrook campus, located at 2121 Raybrook Drive SE. No registration is necessary. For more information, visit hollandhome.org or call 616-235-5000.
Eighth-grader Hien-Tran Bui entered coding commands for her website focused on tips for putting on makeup. She had just learned the basics of site-building from women who work in the Information technology field. Nearby, eighth-grader Mya Proctor designed a website about activities to do when you’re bored.
“I learned how to code and add links,” said Hien-Tran, who realized the information will be valuable in many fields including what she’s interested in: health care.
Eighteen seventh- and eighth-grade girls from Valleywood Middle School recently attended BitCamp, hosted by Software GR, a nonprofit association dedicated to building and supporting the software design and development community in West Michigan. The opportunity at Amway World Headquarters, in Ada, connected girls with women who work in local IT jobs for a day of coding and website creation. Instructors came from Amway, OST, Spectrum Healthand Software GR.
Eighth-grader Sandrine Ishimwe looks at her website with Anna Godfrey, Valleywood guidance secretary
Hien-Tran said she was impressed to learn from women who took various education paths to get to IT careers. Mya, who wants to become a teacher, agreed.
“Before I came here, I didn’t even know what I was doing,” Mya said. “I’m inspired to do more and go beyond my teaching career and do something like this.”
Showing Girls What’s Out There
BitCamp is a great opportunity to get girls out into the IT field, said Nancy McKenzie, Kentwood Public Schools STEM coordinator, who works to connect students with hands-on, real-world experiences. Girls from other Kentwood middle schools, Crestwood and Pinewood, have also attended or will later this semester.
According to Made with Code, while 74 percent of girls express interest in middle school, they at some point get turned off to science, technology, engineering and math careers. Only 0.4 percent of female college freshmen plan to major in computer science, even though CS jobs will be the highest-paying sectors over the next decade, paying almost $15,000 more than average.
“There is quite a lack of women in these fields,” McKenzie said. “And if they are interested, once they go to school and finish college, they can pretty much write their own ticket because there is such a huge gap of females in this industry.”
Having women teach BitCamp shows girls possibilities, she added: “It empowers them. They see these women doing these type of jobs and knowing that it’s something out there that’s needed now and in the future. It gives them exposure to something they can look into later.
From left, seventh-grader Alianny Daniel; Brittany Nielson, application developer for Spectrum Health; and eighth-grader Nhi Tong work on their websites
“It’s nice for the girls to see women that do these kinds of jobs, so they can have a model about what’s possible.”
Eighth-grader Katelynn Smallwood said she liked the in-depth instruction she received from the women. She hopes to be a medical transcriptionist someday.
“It’s inspirational,” Katelynn said. “It’s not just men who can do the job. There are opportunities for women.”
For Girls Too
Instructors, who presented their stories about going through college and into IT fields, said they hope girls start thinking young about going into what are currently male-dominated fields.
Brittany Nielson, application developer for Spectrum Health, said she knows how it feels to be the only girl in the room.
“When you are a woman going into a tech field that’s mostly men, it’s kind of intimidating,” Nelson said. “We want to make sure women are confident in themselves and their skills when they enter that environment so they can come join our workforce.”
Emotional Intelligence, also known as EQ, is a major indicator of success—even more than IQ, which looks at traditional intelligence. Studies have shown that 90% of top performing employees have high EQ. In fact, as EQ increases, so does average annual salary.
So, what is EQ?
EQ consists of two components—personal and social competence.
Personal Competence—your ability to recognize your emotions and use this self-awareness to manage your thoughts and actions.
Social Competence—your ability to recognize emotions in others and use this understanding to successfully manage your relationships and interactions.
Emotional Intelligence is tied to soft skills that employers are looking for, such as customer service, communication, team work, decision making and time management.
Here are five tips to help you improve your EQ:
Decrease negativity. It is easy to jump to negative conclusions when you don’t understand how others behave. For example, if your boss doesn’t greet you with a friendly “hello,” like usual one morning, don’t assume you did something wrong. He or she may be up against a deadline or distracted by other issues. Don’t make it about you; try to understand where they are coming from.
Take responsibility. Everyone makes mistakes and being able to admit it is a sign of emotional intelligence. When you make a mistake, look for ways to make things right instead of placing blame or making excuses.
Stay calm. Next time you find yourself in a stressful situation, take note of how you feel and how you react. If you find yourself lashing out, take a deep breath and count to ten. This can help you calm down and deal with the problem more effectively.’
Learn about you. Pay attention to how you react to different emotions. You can even take an assessment to find your strengths and weaknesses. This information can help you become more aware of your emotions and strengthen your interactions with others.
Be brave. The next time you’re faced with a challenging emotional situation, be willing to have a difficult conversation. It is important to respond respectfully to others and also create healthy boundaries for yourself. Try using the XYZ method to discuss your emotions, “I feel X when you do Y in situation Z.”
Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.
Just a month short of the four-year mark when the City of Wyoming first introduced the concept of 28 West, city officials will gather with city leaders and business representatives to celebrate the the project that lead to the completion of the first half of the road.
This Saturday, Oct. 21, there will be a ribbon-cutting and grand re-opening celebration of the 28 West Place, formerly Wyoming Village Mall, at 1:30 p.m. with additional events to follow. The ribbon cutting ceremony is hosted by the Wyoming-Kentwood Chamber of Commerce.
“This is a hallmark change in the corridor here that we have been hoping for a number of years…” said Mayor Jack Poll.
The 28 West sign located in front of the former Studio 28 property. Construction for the 28 West project will actually start just east on the Wyoming Mall property.
In 2013, the City of Wyoming adopted a plan for the reimagine of the south side of 28th Street between Clyde Park and Burlingame avenues in to a mixed-use town center utilizing form-based code, which provides flexibility to developers. A key element to the 28 West concept was the construction of a curving slip street which would become the center’s new “main street.” The street was designed to run from the south side of 28th Street across from Hook Avenue to Jenkins Avenue, which runs next to the former Klingman/Rogers Department Store building. Because the plan involved demolition of buildings on privately held property, city officials knew it would take some time to get all parties on board with the plan.
Jumping forward to 2016 when Meyer C. Weiner Company, which owns 28 West Place, approached the city about renovation plans for the mall property which was originally developed in 1962 and known as Southland Mall. Those plans included 20,000 square feet of new entry efficient building space and two out-lot buildings of approximately 11,000 square feet, long with significant property improvements to upgrade the existing retail center and its surface parking lot.
Seeing the opportunity to move forward with the 28 West Street plan, the City of Wyoming officials entered into a $1.6 million agreement with Meyer C. Weiner Company so as to move forward with the first phase of the 28 West Street project from Hook Avenue to Michael Avenue. This past week, the City Council finalized some of the details by placing an all-the-way stop sign at the 28 West Place service drive along the west side of the mall.
“We are excited to commemorate this first stage of redevelopment,” said Megan Sall, assistant city manager and Downtown Development Authority director. “There are so many opportunities inherent in this area and we’re pleased to have a partner in Meyer C. Weiner Company as we set the stage for future growth.”
Overview of the new 2 West Place with the 28 West Street.
Matthew McDade, chief operating officer for the Meyer C. Weiner Company, also points to partnerships as being key to this project’s success. “The Meyer C. Weiner Company would like to thank all the staff and officials at the City of Wyoming who worked extremely hard to make this redevelopment possible, along with the stakeholders for the successful completion of this project.”
As the renovation project got underway, Mr. Alan’s, a clothing store, leased a 5,400-square-foot out-lot building and opened in June. Other new tenants include CSL Plasma which opened in April, and Simply 10, a clothing store, is expected to opening late October. The current tenants of 28 West Place also include a Save-A-Lot, DollarTree, Payless Shoes, and the children’s consignment store Once Upon a Child.
28 West Place retailers will be hosting a series of events from 2 – 4 p.m. which include the Grand Rapids Drive’s mascot Buckets, signed Red Wings photos, face-painting for kids, a live remote with 95.7 WLHT and WKTV also will be there as well.
Grand Valley State University’s new Linn Maxwell Keller Black Box Theatre is providing students and faculty who are studying and teaching the performing arts with opportunities to tackle new types of productions.
The Grand Valley community celebrated the formal dedication of the Keller Theatre, located in the Thomas J. and Marcia J. Haas Center for Performing Arts, on Oct. 17.
To honor Linn’s memory, the Keller family established the Linn Maxwell Keller Professional Vocalist Experience Endowment at Grand Valley in 2017. The fund provides enrichment opportunities for committed vocal performance students and will aim to encourage them in their professional career development. The Keller Theatre was named in appreciation for their generosity.
“The Linn Maxwell Keller Endowment will facilitate and empower our vocal students to move beyond their academic studies and ascend to distinguished achievement by providing needed resources to build artistic capability through advanced study, professional production and community outreach,” said Danny Phipps, chair of the Music, Theatre, and Dance Department. “These experiences are critical to their success as they launch their professional careers as the next generation of performing artists.”
Fred Keller, Linn’s husband, said that the endowment supports her long-held desire to inspire young, aspiring musicians, especially vocalists.
The dedication included an inaugural cabaret in the theater, including six vocal performances by multiple Grand Valley students and alumni of the Music, Theatre, and Dance Department.
“Linn was an incredible artist, and I’m so proud that we can have this space in her memory, and an endowment that is going to be inspiring students in the future,” he said. “You’ll never remember what somebody did or said, but you’ll remember how they made you feel, and that’s what Linn brought to the stage.”
Linn Maxwell Keller was a dedicated professional singer who performed in 28 countries throughout her career. The only child of two musicians, Linn was a mezzo soprano, performing on many operatic and concert stages, from the Essen Opera House in Germany to Puerto Rico and Carnegie Hall.
She went on to write and develop numerous original shows, including the critically acclaimed “Hildegard of Bingen and the Living Light,” and “St. Hildegard, Trumpet of God,” both of which were made into movies.
The dedication ceremony included an inaugural cabaret in the theater, including six vocal performances by multiple Grand Valley students and alumni of the Music, Theatre, and Dance Department.
President Thomas J. Haas said the endowment and the Keller Theatre align with Grand Valley’s mission of encouraging students to reach their full potential.
“No matter what we do in the Linn Maxwell Black Box Theatre, we are going to be driven by sustained attention to excellence and quality,” said Haas.
A black box theater is an indoor performance space with plain black walls and a level floor, typically designed to provide flexibility in stage configuration and audience seating. Black box theaters gained popularity in the 1960s and the unique performance space creates a closer proximity between the audience and performers.
After almost two years of fundraising, planning and obtaining the proper permits, renovations on The Bridge are underway!
The Bridge of Arbor Circle is a safe shelter program for youth who are facing homelessness or considering running away. Serving an average of 250 youth a year and operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, The Bridge is a facility that is constantly in use and constantly in need of maintenance.
Construction begun in August 2017 will provide much-needed upgrades to the facility, improve the functionality of the existing space, and make The Bridge an even more welcoming space for the youth served each year.
Existing bathroom facilities are getting reconstructed to go from two, single-user bathrooms to 3.5 single-user bathrooms. This will double current capacity and streamline bathroom/shower scheduling, especially on busy school days.
The dining room is getting upgraded flooring, lighting, ceiling and furniture to support the family-style approach to meals at The Bridge.
In the program space, furniture is being updated and technology is being built in to support youth in their educational pursuits. A new staff office is being constructed to promote safety and privacy for individual meetings with youth.
In the middle of a crisis, the Bridge provides shelter, counseling, case management, group support, youth activities and connections to other needed services. The Bridge assists youth with meeting their basic needs, setting goals, building new life skills, and establishing connections with peers and mentors who can support them.
Ford Airport Officials & Ford Foundation Officials Celebrate the President Gerald R. Ford Tribute Room Ribbon-Cutting
Two organizations bearing President Gerald R. Ford’s name came together to celebrate a ribbon-cutting and dedication for a tribute room at the airport in the late president’s honor.
Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA) and Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation
officials joined President Gerald R. Ford’s son, Steve Ford, Joan Secchia representing the
Secchia Family Foundation, and Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation Airport Tribute
Room Chairman Fred Keller, for the official opening of the President Gerald R. Ford Tribute
Room.
“Dad would be extremely proud to know that the foundation and the airport that bear his
name came together to honor him with this tribute room,” said Steve Ford. “He loved growing up in Grand Rapids, and it is humbling to know that he will always have a place to
be remembered. This tribute room at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport is a terrific
place for generations that knew my father to spend time reflecting on the past, but also for
future generations to learn about what he meant to our country and to West Michigan.”
The airport worked with the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation to incorporate an
exhibit space dedicated to the 38th President, which is located pre-security as a part of the
newly renovated Gateway Transformation Project. The exhibit includes photos, an aircraft
carrier model, displays, and rotating historical pieces.
“Jerry would not have wanted this much attention on him, but I know he would be proud of this tribute room, and honored that so many came to celebrate his legacy,” said Secchia. “It was important for those of us that knew him well to give him full recognition in a space that bears his name. We appreciate this partnership with the airport authority, and we look
forward to opening this space for all visitors to enjoy.”
“When I approached Peter about having this room at the airport, it was a natural fit and he
and many others that knew President Ford personally jumped on board to make this
tribute room a reality,” said GFIA Board Chairman Roger Morgan. “Our Airport Board
appreciates those that helped raise the funds for this space, and we are anxious to show
this off to the millions of visitors that pass through our airport each year.”
The Tribute Room is open 24 hours a day to visitors and airport patrons.
Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet — or few — from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Crash’s Landing. Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary rescue organizations were founded by Jennifer Denyes, DVM (Dr. Jen), who is on staff at Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic (4245 Clyde Park Ave SW).
Sparky is a lovely cat, ready and eager for his forever home
When you take a gander at this gorgeous gray-and-white guy’s photo, you would have no idea that upon arrival back in October of 2015, his cheek and jaw were a swollen, infected mess. A victim of a nasty cat bite—a common occurrence in intact males— this 4-year-old (born in the spring of 2013) was suffering from a huge pocket of pus teeming with bacteria that caused a terribly high fever (105.7 degrees).
If it weren’t for the kindhearted Wyoming woman who cared for him for over six months noticing that something was awry, Uncle Fester (as he was named then) would have become even more ill than he was, risking widespread infection and devastating tissue damage. As luck would have it, Dr. Jen was able to surgically drain and flush the abscess and treat with heavy-duty antibiotics and pain medication; within a few hours his body temperature had normalized and Fester was no longer festering but eagerly filling his face with yummy canned food.
Further exam showed a previous injury that caused avulsion of his right thumb and a mild flea infestation, but both of those paled in comparison to that erupting volcano of goo and gore!
After a few days of rinsing, rest and relaxation, our beautiful boy was ready to make his way down to Crash’s, where he settled in nicely, totally digging his new surroundings and being doted on hand and foot. It didn’t take him long to win over the volunteers and roomies alike, and within a few short weeks of his arrival, he was out and about, meeting everyone who came to visit our shelter and charming them with his quiet sophistication and sultry good looks. He proved to be a very busy boy that involves himself in any activity happening around him—he loves being in the middle of the action!
Given his bubbly, outgoing nature, he wasn’t with us for a lengthy time period, and soon resided in a family home where he had tons of fun with the kids and adults alike. However, in late June of of 2017, Sparky (as he was renamed) ended up back with us due to unfortunate circumstances beyond his control; although his humans were so very sad to have to return him to us, rest assured he readjusted to life in our free-roaming facility, getting reacquainted with old friends—and making many new ones!
Sparky is an all-around good guy—adventurous and energetic yet gentle and sweet , all rolled up into one stunning perfect companion style package; we have no doubts that we will be able to send him into a home of his own again soon—and hopefully this time forever!
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.
Godwin Heights Public Schools Superintendent Bill Fetterhoff, center, listens as Michelle Krynicki director of instruction, and Title III, speaks to the State Board of Education. (Photos courtesy of School News Network.)
Superintendents from five Kent County school districts got the chance on Tuesday to tout their school improvement initiatives, when State Superintendent Brian Whiston and the eight-member State Board of Education visited Kent ISD.
Presenting superintendents were Michael Shibler of Rockford Public Schools; Gerald Hopkins of Kenowa Hills Public Schools; Thomas Reeder of Wyoming Public Schools; William Fetterhoff of Godwin Heights Public Schools; and Kevin Polston of Godfrey-Lee Public Schools.
Each presentation included what those districts are doing around one or more of the goals of the State Department of Education’s “Top 10 in 10” initiative to make Michigan a premier education state in 10 years.
Luke Wilcox, this year’s Michigan Teacher of the Year, also took part as a representative of Kentwood Public Schools.
Kent ISD was the first stop in the state BOE’s new plan to visit two intermediate school districts each year. The board will visit Wayne RESA in February.
Here is a brief summary of the superintendents’ presentations.
Luke Wilcox, Michigan Teacher of the Year, of Kentwood Public Schools, with State Board member Lupe Ramos-Montigny of Grand Rapids.
Rockford Public Schools: Action Model for Success
Since 1989, Rockford has involved the community, businesses, staff and students to help shape the district’s direction and priorities, resulting in three-year strategic plans. The district is currently finalizing its Rams X report for the next three years.
Key to that level of community engagement is accountability, said Superintendent Michael Shibler.
“This is, quite frankly, the reason we are an outstanding school system,” Shibler told board members. “And it fits your plan, the fact that you need to have stakeholder input to accomplish your goals.”
He shared that if an employer tells him an employee who is a Rockford graduate doesn’t have a skill he or she should have gotten in high school, “I’ll bring that student back free of charge to get those skills.”
Wyoming Public Schools Superintndent Tom Reeder tells the board of his district’s efforts to improve reading proficiency.
Wyoming Public Schools: Reading Now Network, Early Literacy and Literacy Coaching
The three components are key to district efforts to improve reading proficiency for all students. Highlighted for the board was the importance and purpose of early literacy work and literacy coaches throughout the buildings.
The district increased its reading scores through its participation in the Reading Now Network, a collaborative effort involving 100 districts to boost reading proficiency to 80 percent in 13 counties. Wyoming’s partnership with RNN also led to a $10,000 grant from the Herman Miller company, to help get more books into classrooms and create a more consistent book-leveling system.
“We all need to own that our students need to be reading much better than they are,” Superintendent Tom Reeder said.
Godwin Heights Public Schools: Fostering Shared Responsibility in School Improvement
After establishing a clear purpose and message about sharing the work of improvement, administrators and instructional coaches lead teams in highly focused learning. That begins with thoroughly understanding a district instructional goal and visiting classrooms to see it in action. Debriefing sessions within groups lead to possible steps for new improvements toward the goal.
Participants walk away with better understanding, new ways to explore meeting the goal, and a renewed sense of shared responsibility for all students to be career and college ready, said Superintendent Bill Fetterhoff.
Fetterhoff said the strategy has three elements: learning labs, where teachers observe, interact with and learn from one another; and administrators are exempt; learning walks, where administrators and instructional specialists create a consistent “lens” to support teaching staff; and school improvement, where participation is a blend of the other groups.
“So we see it in three different ways, but all the ways are there to enhance student achievement — to make our principals, our teachers, our coaches better,” Fetterhoff said. “It’s all about the learning communities and how the different cycles overlap. The greatest part about it is the feedback, and that’s been that they have confidence that we are doing this for the right reasons.”
Godfrey-Lee Public Schools Superintendent Kevin Polston and Assistant Superintendent Carol Lautenbach speak to the State Board of Education, as Michigan Teacher of the Year Lucas Wilcox, right, looks on.
Godfrey-Lee Public Schools: A Broader Definition of Student Success
The district’s design thinking process led to a redesign of its model of student success that addresses the needs of the whole child instead of simply providing content. This includes responding to research that indicates students need the 6Cs — communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, confidence and content mastery – for success in the 21st century.
Educating the whole child also means fulfilling needs to ensure students are healthy and ready to learn, through programs like Kent School Services Network.
“First, we determine our values, and then we develop goals around those values,” Superintendent Kevin Polston told board members. “When we think about our traditional way of doing school, we’ve maxed out just about all the ways of tweaking how we’ve done that. We need to look at education through a different lens if we are going to significantly transform what we’re doing.”
Kenowa Hills Public Schools: Competency-based Learning
This paradigm-shifting approach to learning is part of a growing national trend in helping all students reach college and career readiness. In this approach, students move ahead individually as soon as they learn the material, and not together as an entire class. This allows some to move more quickly, while others get the support they need, enabling all to master the content.
The district began this shift in 2012 with K-8 mathematics, and has now implemented it districtwide. Administrators say they consistently see students who are more engaged, learning at deeper levels, and taking more ownership of their learning.
“It’s the reality of what all schools face: students who are not engaged, are not meeting the rigors and demands of school and they don’t know why,” Superintendent Gerald Hopkins said. “We don’t have all the answers, but we want to continue to learn and to keep looking for them.”
State Board members seemed to appreciate being able to meet superintendents on their own turf.
“This is the first time we’ve taken our meeting on the road,” said Eileen Lappin Weiser. “You folks are setting a horribly high standard.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
One of the most famous eagle cams is owned and operated by Florida-based Dick Pritchett Real Estate.
The eagles are back!! Every year, eagles across the country return to their nests to prepare and raise their eaglets. As many of us wonder how any eagles survived the strong hurricanes, eagles, especially those in hardest-hit hurricane areas where their nest trees fell, have already started the rebuilding process — without a Lowe’s or Home Depot to run to for supplies. They must find everything they need in nature and have genius ways of using the smallest items to build or rebuild their nests. Even the skeleton of their dinner becomes part of their nest wall or floor. As the eagles build, fight to survive everyday and protect their young, their journey is filled with drama, life, death, and the most tender, uplifting of moments. So, eagle-watching is a huge past-time for millions of humans.
Two favorite eagles of many are Harriet and M-15, who reside in Fort Myers, Florida. As of this weekend, their site has had 112,628,281 views, with the count rapidly rising as they begin the new hatching season. A few years ago, an eagle nest was found on the Dick Pritchett Real Estate property in Fort Myers, Florida. During the off-season, the Pritchett family generously hung cameras with night vision so the public could share the drama and beauty they see daily, without disturbing the eagles. You can get their amazing, inspiring details and history at http://www.dickpritchettrealestate.com. On December 31, 2016, their eaglet “pipped” — started its hatching process. While one egg did not survive, viewers watched in awe as eaglet “E9” broke through the shell, was fed by mom and dad, endured challenge after challenge, until it fell out of the tree, found its way back, continued demonstrating one unique skill after another until it “fledged” (left the nest) not to be recognized again.
Eagles across the country are returning home to nest.
This year has already started with more drama than imaginable. Hurricane Irma destroyed many of the established eagle nests and preferred trees. That means there is already a life-or-death struggle for a new place to build and raise their families. It also means that eagles like Harriet and M-15 need to quickly rebuild their seriously damaged nests before their babies arrive while also aggressively protecting the nest they have used for years. Within the past 24 hours, Harriet and M-15 have had several “visiting eagles” check out their site — which they will protect at all costs to themselves. Even an owl “bumped” Harriet during the night. The battles between owls and eagles are epic and memorable! But for this calm morning, the eagles have put that behind, have eaten their breakfast of fresh fish and by 7 a.m. were seen carrying stick after stick to rebuild their nest that was damaged by the hurricane. They are totally focused on each other and getting ready for raising their next brood.
There are many eagles and many eagle live cams. The one in Washington D.C. gained heavy publicity last year when a brave man climbed into the nest of a deadly eagle to rescue an eaglet that had become stuck in the branches. Amazingly, the protective mother allowed him to do that. The cams in Decorah, Iowa showed extreme drama after drama. The eagles in Alaska are amazing to watch as they arrive in mind-blowing flocks around salmon-processing facilities. One in Michigan showed eagles covered in snow as they protected their eggs. And, it always amazes that a pesky owl attacks at night or knocks sleeping birds off their perches. The Pritchett site remains a fan favorite for many reasons. It has live cameras with night vision capturing many views, friendly chat rooms dedicated only to eagles, classroom internet classes, provides detailed histories, explains language used (like what a pip is, when fledging happens….) and some of the most friendly moderators who explain everything happening and why.
Whichever site you chose, watching the eagles also teaches us a lot about life, death, teamwork and ourselves. Be forewarned, eagle watching becomes addictive!
Wyoming-Kentwood Community Media’s VOICES: a community history projectpowered by WKTV is taking reservations for its appearance at Wyoming Public Library (3350 Michael Ave SW, Wyoming, MI) Monday-Thursday, Oct. 23-Oct. 26, from 10am-8pm*.
VOICEScollects, preserves, and shares the stories of West Michigan people from all backgrounds and beliefs, with a focus on Wyoming, Kentwood and the greater Grand Rapids area. It’s a free public service, offering a comfortable video recording studio with a relaxed atmosphere.
High-tech video and audio equipment records the stories of our neighbors, friends and family — any story from anyone — that make up the fabric of our lives and our community. Participants tell their stories of hardships and successes, of what shaped them and their families into the kind of people they are today. Our lives, experiences, joys, sorrows, triumphs and tragedies are what make us all human.
Interviews usually take place between two people who know and care about each other. They can be friends, family or mere acquaintances. At the end of each 40-minute recording session, participants receive a complimentary DVD of their interview. Each recording is also archived with the Library of Congress.
VOICES sign at the Wyoming Public Library
Interviews can be “life reviews,” conducted with people at the end of their careers. Or they can focus on a specific period or a specific event in people’s lives, as with war veterans or survivors of an earthquake, flood or hurricane.
The project launched at ArtPrize Nine, welcoming scores of visitors to tour our renovated 1958 Airstream® mobile studio and learn more about the oral history project.
Paul Haan, of the Health Homes Coalition of West Michigan, on the set of WKTV Journal: In Focus/ (WKTV)
WKTV Staff
news@wktv.org
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal: In Focus, WKTV’s public affairs show, program host Ken Norris talks with Paul Haan of Healthy Homes Coalition of West Michigan, a group which works to identify and address environmental health hazards in homes with young children, including lead poisoning.
“We were founded 11 years ago this summer and really grew out of a community response to the number of kids who were exposed to lead poisoning here in Kent County,” Haan said. “Our mission at that point was to end lead poisoning in Kent County — we are well on our way, we have more work to do, but that is what we were after. … the Health Homes Coalition grew out of that effort.”
Also on the new program is a discussion with Ethan Anderson, a local financial advisor with a common sense approach to retirement planning. The discussion focuses on retirement planning for the today’s young working families, and it just begins with why company pensions are almost a thing of the past.
The episode will air twice this week on WKTV channels but all interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal: In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVVideos.
“WKTV Journal: In Focus” will air on Tuesdays and Thursdays, at 6:30 p.m., on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel.
Missdalia Rios-Segundo talks to members of Lee Youth Trained to Serve about an upcoming volunteer trip to Feeding America of West Michigan. (Photos courtesy of School News Network)
It’s an extraordinary claim: During her 10 years working with middle school students, Missdalia Rios-Segundo says, not one has ever treated her with disrespect.
But when you meet her, it makes sense.
“They are good kids,” Rios-Segundo said, as if it’s that simple. And, really, it is. Rios, who has worked as a English-language learner paraprofessional at Lee Middle/High School for a decade, is simply kind.
“I’ve never had a situation where I’ve seen a student closed off to her,” said seventh-grade science teacher Janene Parney. “Children kind of sense the character of individuals. She is always so kind and patient and they recognize it and respect her for it.
“I’ve never heard a bad word about her from the students or the teachers, not even a muttering behind her back.”
Instead, students gravitate to Rios-Segundo, Parney said. “It’s nothing but a rally around an individual, completely because of her character.
“She a glue in this school.”
Rios-Segundo works with newcomers to the U.S. in sixth through eighth grades who come from Spanish-speaking countries and other areas of the world. In general-education classes, she helps them comprehend and keep up.
She recently helped sixth-grader Giovanni Chitic with a book in the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series. “She helps me become a better reader,” Giovanni said.
ELL paraprofessional Missdalia Rios-Segundo works with Giovanni Chitic
Rios-Segundo takes notes and completes assignments right along with her students, ensuring that when they ask a question she can help. “I definitely love my job and what I do every day with the kids. I love the interaction,” she said. “If I can make them smile a little, that is good.”
Teacher Emily Colletti said Rios-Segundo uses her special touch to make students feel at ease.
“She provides them with different strategies to be successful. They are very comfortable with her,” Colletti said. “She’s one of the kindest, most compassionate people I’ve ever worked with and she’s always looking for ways to help.”
Shining Bright in the Community
Outside class, Rios-Segundo leads middle schoolers in Lee Youth Trained to Serve, which includes 15 sixth- through eighth-graders who meet regularly for service projects. LYTS recently collected about $135 for DeVos Children’s Hospital by hosting Gridiron Giving at a recent football game, collecting donations in jars and selling doughnuts.
The group is now planning to volunteer at Feeding America West Michigan before beginning their next project, Operation Christmas Child, for which they pack shoeboxes with toys, hygiene items and school supplies for children in other countries. Last year, they collected 150 shoeboxes for the annual project.
Rios-Segundo said she wants middle schoolers to see how they can brighten people’s day.
“I like to help out the community,” she said. “I find so many good people out there and they are helping. I have been in situations when I have gotten help myself. I want the kids to see they can help someone else. We live in a community that’s not the wealthiest, but even if they don’t have a lot we can still give back to somebody.”
Seventh-grader Nuria Pablo said she appreciates the opportunity. “I wanted to join because we are helping kids in need,” she said.
Added seventh-grader Zusette Quinonez, “What I’m looking forward to do is help others and (Rios-Segundo) inspires me because she likes to help others.”
Missdalia Rios-Segundo is known as a pillar at Lee Middle/High School
Once a Newcomer Herself
Rios-Segundo immigrated to the United States at age 9 with her parents and three siblings 30 years ago. They came from Durango, Mexico, for work and education. She lived in California for one year and Illinois for 12 before moving to Michigan 17 years ago, settling in the Godfrey-Lee community with her husband.
Mom to Abel, a Lee High School junior, and Anahi, a Godfrey Elementary School third-grader, she knows what it’s like for students to begin school in a new country. “It was very difficult,” she said.
Now she brings her experiences to students and families, many who use her as a liaison. “I think that is why I love my job — I know where they are coming from.”
The Godfrey-Lee community is family-oriented and that makes it special, she said. “I think it’s the closeness you can get to the families and community. It’s small enough to know everyone. If your children are out with someone you know they are in good company.”
Lee Middle/High School Assistant Principal Rendal Todd said Rios-Segundo is a “pillar in the building.”
“Missdalia always has a positive outlook and comes in every day willing to help the students where they need to have support,” Todd said. “She is very integrated into the community and always willing to help.
“She’s a great natured person to talk to and be around and cares a lot about our children,” he added. “She goes above and beyond without ever being asked.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
The high school football season has gone past way too quickly, and we are already to the final week of the regular season week, but once again WKTV’s featured coverage will have a great matchup as South Christian travels to East Grand Rapids.
South Christian and Grand Rapids Christian each are just a game behind EGR, which is trying to complete a perfect season. With a win though South will get a share of what could be “tri-champions in the OK Gold.”
Elsewhere in the area, Kelloggsville, with their big win over Belding last week, assured themselves of at least a share of the OK Silver championship. The team can clinch the sole championship with a final week victory against Hopkins, which will come into the game with a 4-4 overall record.
With the Godwin Heights victory last week over NorthPointe Christian, the team guaranteed themselves of being a part of the MHSAA playoffs by getting to the 6-win mark.
East Kentwood needs to get a final week victory at home against Caledonia to make it into the playoffs after their defeat last week at Rockford. The Falcons record is 5-3 but they have yet to defeat a team with a winning record so they might not make it as an “at-large” team with only the five wins.
The playoff matchups for all eight divisions will be announced Sunday evening, after the final Friday of games.
Planned WKTV featured coverage this month includes:
Friday, Oct. 20, football — South Christian at East Grand Rapids
Friday, Oct. 27, football – Playoffs TBD (after games of Oct. 20)
Currently, WKTV sports events will be broadcast the night of the game on Comcast Channel 25, usually at 11 p.m., and repeated on Saturday at 11 a.m. on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 in Wyoming & Kentwood.
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week, any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and features on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/
Local high school sports events this week are as follows:
Monday, Oct. 16
Boys/girls Cross Country
South Christian @ East Grand Rapids
Boys Soccer
Everett @ Wyoming – MHSAA Districts
Wyoming Lee vs TBD – MHSAA Districts
Godwin Heights vs TBD @ Christian – MHSAA Districts
TBD @ East Kentwood – MHSAA Districts
Tuesday, Oct. 17
Girls Volleyball
South Christian @ East Grand Rapids
Wayland @ Wyoming – Dig Pink
Wellsprings Prep @ Zion Christian
East Kentwood @ Grandville
Holland Calvary @ Tri-Unity Christian
Boys/girls Cross Country
Wyoming @ East Grand Rapids
Wyoming Lee @ Calvin Christian
Godwin @ Calvin Christian
Kelloggsville @ Calvin Christian
Boys Soccer
Zion Christian @ Calvin Christian – MHSAA Districts
Wednesday, Oct. 18
Boys Soccer
Godwin Heights vs TBD @ Christian – MHSAA Districts
East Kentwood vs TBD @ FH Central – MHSAA Districts
Thursday, Oct. 19
Girls Swimming
South Christian @ Wayland
East Kentwood @ Rockford
Girls Volleyball
Middleville T-K @ South Christian
Wyoming Lee @ NorthPointe Christian
Union @ Kelloggsville
Zion Christian @ West Michigan Aviation
Calvin Christian @ Godwin Heights
East Kentwood @ West Ottawa
Holland Black River @ Tri-Unity Christian
Boys/girls Cross Country
East Kentwood @ Rockford
Friday, Oct. 20
Boys Football
South Christian @ East Grand Rapids – WKTV Featured Game
Forest Hills Eastern @ Wyoming – Community Night
Godwin Heights @ Wyoming Lee
Hopkins @ Kelloggsville
Caledonia @ East Kentwood
Belding @ Potter’s House/Calvin Christian
Boys Water Polo
East Kentwood vs TBD @ West Ottawa – MHSAA Districts
Saturday, Oct. 21
Boys/girls Cross Country
South Christian @ Kalamazoo Christian
Kelloggsville @ Gobles
Girls Volleyball
Wyoming @ Hesperia
Wyoming Lee @ Belding
Godwin Heights @ Belding
Kelloggsville @ Belding
Zion Christian – Alliance League Tournament @ Davenport
Tri-Unity Christian – Alliance League Tournament @ Davenport
Boys Soccer
Godwin vs TBD @ Christian – MHSAA Districts
East Kentwood vs TBD @ FH Central – MHSAA Districts
Boys Water Polo
East Kentwood vs TBD @ West Ottawa – MHSAA Districts
Kentwood Public School’s fifth graduating class came together recently to celebrate their 50th anniversary. The year: 1967, when Aretha Franklin was singing for respect, the first Boeing 737 rolled out, and Paris township became the City of Kentwood.
Steve Barnes with classmate Russ Bullis Russ’s wife Betsy.
“They incorporated all the schools that were connected and became part of Kentwood Public Schools which eventually lead into the City of Kentwood,” said Clare Harrington.
The old classmates were eager to recount stories from their time at Kentwood schools. These memories backtrack to a time before Kentwood was even a city.
“The high school was actually in the Townline building at the same time we were in the middle school before the actual high school was built on 44th Street,” Russ Bullis said.
The Class of 1967 had its 50th Class Reunion at the 84th Street Pub &Grille.
Later, the students would move from the Townline Elementary School to the new high school, today’s Crestwood Middle School located on 44th Street near Walma Avenue. Crestwood, which opened in 1960, housed students in grades 7th – 12th grade. The first Kentwood Public Schools graduating class was in 1963. East Kentwood High School, located on Kalamazoo Avenue, was built in 1969 and even through the Class of 1967 had graduated by the time the high school was built, many of the students could recall special events that took place at East Kentwood High School.
“I remember when the football field went in and the track, and they named it after Patterson,” said Steve Barnes, whose mother is credited in naming the City of Kentwood and whose father, Clifford, was on the Kentwood Public Schools Board of Education. Clifford Barnes served as the first board president. “And that was something big because we didn’t even have that.”
“We were a country school, bottom line,” Harrington said. “It was because of the country setting that we had there for Kentwood High School, they used to call us ‘silo high.'”
But nobody would call Kentwood Schools “silo high” now. The population of this city is 50,000 and growing. And much of that growth can be credited to former Kentwood students who chose to stay and build their lives in their home city.
“I’m just glad that I was a part of it because it’s kinda unique to see it happen,” Harrington said. “Now look at Kentwood today, it’s one of the industrial giants that we have around the whole Grand Rapids area.”
Russ Bullis looks over some of the Class of 1967 memorabilia.
Many have probably seen the animated ad with the house running away from its owner. The ad is for the state run program Step Forward Michigan, a federally funded program designed to help homeowners facing foreclosure. A program, Kent County Treasurer Kenneth Parrish strongly supports.
“I’m a big supporter of the Step Forward Michigan program,” Parrish said during a recent news conference that brought together county treasurers for Kent, Ottawa and Kalamazoo counties along with representatives from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. THE MSHDA oversees the Step Forward Michigan program in collaboration with the Michigan Homeowner Assistance nonprofit Housing Corporation.
“Since 2010, the program has helped nearly 1,700 Kent County residents with over $15 million in loans making us the fourth largest user of the program,” Parrish said, adding that of that about $13.9 million was used to cover mortgage payments, $1.2 million for unpaid property taxes and another $15,000 for condominium payments.
From the Step Forward Michigan video.
Federal funded with $500 million, almost 35,000 Michigan homeowners have qualified for around $308 million in loans since the program started seven years ago. There is about $40 million left to help eligible households but the clock is ticking as the deadline to apply is 2020.
“The Step Forward Program offers great opportunities for families to stabilize their situation and to save their homes,” Parrish said. “We take no pleasure on foreclosing on homes here in Kent County. If you have fallen behind in your property tax, mortgage or condominium payments, I urge you to check out the Step Forward Michigan Program and see if you can get a load that will ultimately help you keep your home.”
Those who have been hit with a hardship – medical event, job loss or underemployment, death, divorce, one-time critical out-of-pocket expense – can get up to a $30,000 interest-free loan to get caught up on property tax, mortgage or condo payments. If the homeowner stays in the home for five years, the loan is forgiven and they do not have to pay back the loan, according to MSHDA Executive Director Earl Poleski.
Kent County Treasurer Kenneth Parrish talks about the Step Forward Michigan program at a recent news conference.
To qualify for assistance, a homeowner must be a Michigan resident, have an ownership interest in the property and be able to sign a new mortgage lien on property, occupy property as his or her primary resident, have enough income to cover the mortgage, condo association fees, and/or property tax payments going forward, and have cash reserves no greater than $10,000.
Any homeowner convicted in the past 10 years on a financial-related felony, including larceny, theft, fraud, forgery, money laundering and/or tax evasion, is not eligible for the program.
A homeowner can receive a loan only once from the program. The average loan amount has been $7,383. Loan payments go directly to the county treasurers office, mortgage lender or condominium association, not to the homeowner
According to state officials, the process to find out if a home owner is eligible is easier than filling out a full mortgage application. Those interested can go to StepForwardMichigan.org and fill out the questions to see if they are eligible or call 866-946-7432.
Kent County residents can also reach out to the Inner City Christian Federation or ICCF at 616-336-9333 or the Home Repair Services of Kent County at 616-241-2601.
Funny things are everywhere: Rachel Turner, Samantha Miheve, Aaron Siebelink and Jared Martin are in Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s “Seussical the Musical.”
“A person’s a person, no matter how small.” – Horton Hears a Who.
You can easily say that Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, was definitely a man before his time. The words he penned in the late 1960s (“Horton Hears a Who” was published in 1970) have become almost a mantra for today as we celebrate the uniqueness every person offers.
“People come in all shapes and sizes,” said Jared Martin, a 10th grader at East Kentwood High School. “People are unique and we should celebrate that from the smallest of the small to the tallest of the tall.”
Starting Oct. 20, Martin, as Cat in the Hat, along with 29 other castmates celebrate the woods of wisdom of Dr. Seuss in the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s family production of “Seussical the Musical” at the theater’s downtown location of 30 N. Division Ave.
Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one: The four local residents in Grand Rapids Civic Theatre goof around backstage after rehearsal.
“It’s bright and happy and I think that is something that we all need right now,” said Wyoming resident Rachel Turner, who plays a Bird Girl in the production. “It’s light, it’s crazy, and there is fun in everything you do. It’s a happy production with an elegant, good message.”
In Dr. Seuss’s writing he covered so many different topics, bullying, drug abuse, child abandonment, Martin said. Many of which are covered in the musical which blends several of Dr. Seuss’s most famous stories together. The elephant Horton (from “Horton Hears a Who”) discovers a speck of dust that contains Whoville. He meets Jo Jo, a Who child sent to military school for thinking too many “thinks.” Horton faces a double challenge: not only must he protect Jo Jo and the Who’s from a world of naysayers and dangers, but he must guard an abandoned egg, left in his care by the irresponsible Mayzie La Bird. All of which is narrated by the Cat in the Hat.
“I love the opening song ‘All the Things You can Think’,” said Wyoming resident Samantha Miheve, a 10th grader at Grand Rapids City High School who plays a Who. “It’s the first thing you see and it is so lively and fun and really sets the stage.” With Wyoming resident Aaron Siebelink, an 11th grader who is homeschooled and plays a Wickersham Brother, adding “It’s like getting hit in the face with a happy brick.”
But that is Dr. Seuss. The topics are serious, but the way he presents them are fun and light, Turner said, adding that it is what has made him such a classic but still relevant today.
Seussing it up: Rachel Turner, Aaron Siebelink, Samantha Miheve, all from Wyoming, and Jared Martin, from Kentwood.
“It’s going be the most fun you ever had,” Siebelink said. “It’s weird. It’s wild. It’s Dr. Seuss.”
The Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s family production is a shorter version of “Seussical the Musical,” only 70 minutes with no intermission. There are nine shows from Oct. 20 – 29. Tickets are $16 – $10. For more information, calll 616-222-6650 or visit www.GRCT.org. There is a low sensory performance available for children with low sensory needs and their families. Call Chelsea at the Civic Theatre, 616-222-6650, ext. 0.
Whether you’re employed and looking for a new job, thinking about a new career or applying for unemployment insurance, use these tips to make the most of your visit to a Michigan Works! service center. (See a list of all ten locations here.)
Bring your resume
After checking in, one of our Career Navigators will ask you to create or update your MiTalentConnect profile on mitalent.org. Employers post jobs and search for candidates on this website, so a detailed profile is essential. Your profile mirrors your resume. Bring your resume to quickly complete your profile.
Employers can see when your profile was last updated. Make sure you update it once a month to let employers know you’re serious about your job search and are actively looking for jobs.
Ask questions
Tap our staff for their knowledge. They receive lots of job search related training and are ready for your toughest questions. If you need more help (resume revisions, interview prep), ask if you are eligible to meet with a Career Coach. They provide one-on-one help.
Go to the workshops
Our workshop instructors keep workshop content fresh and relevant. These free 60-to-90-minute classes cover lots of job search topics — from basic to advanced. If you have questions afterward, they are happy to answer them and to connect you with other resources. See workshop calendars here.
Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.
Flashback: In celebration of Kentwood’s 50 anniversary, here’s a photo from a 1980s Halloween event.
Calling all ghouls, monsters, superheroes, princesses and other trick-or-treaters: You are invited to attend the City of Kentwood’s annual Trunk or Treat on Saturday, Oct. 21.
Trunk or Treat will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at Kentwood Department of Public Works, 5068 Breton Road SE, Kentwood. The City, which is celebrating 50 years in 2017, is inviting families from West Michigan to join in the event.
Children are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes and bring their own candy-collection bag. More than 20 businesses and City departments will be handing out candy and other treats throughout the morning. In addition to the trunks, there will be games, face painting, a bounce house and hay rides.
Some more flashback fun in honor of Kentwood’s 50th anniversary.
“Trunk or Treat gets bigger every year, which is really reflective of the growth in our community,” said Laura Barbrick, marketing and events coordinator of Kentwood’s Parks and Recreation Department. “It was created to provide families a safe and fun opportunity to trick or treat.
“Local businesses and organizations are invited to attend and decorate their vehicles with Halloween themes. It’s a great time for families to connect with local organizations and businesses in a fun, high-energy day.”
The event is free for those participating in trick or treating. There is no cost for those organizations wishing to reserve a parking space, however they must supply their own candy. For more information or to register a vehicle, please contact Laura Barbrick at barbrickl@ci.kentwood.mi.us or 616-656-5272.
Let’s talk about a glaring example of the disconnect between the workforce and the pipeline of students who will soon enter it.
Last spring, Kent ISD, in partnership with local school districts, area manufacturing representatives, and Grand Rapids Community College, started advertising Launch U. That’s an early middle-college program that puts students directly into training for jobs in manufacturing with local businesses, allowing them to earn a free associate degree and credentials in the field.
AutoCam training director Steve Heethuis talks to Byron Center students about the plant’s operations
One snafu in planning was that partner companies didn’t want to promise to hold off hiring until students completed the program. Take a moment to consider that: The company representatives wanted to be able to hire the students, potentially before they completed the program.
Now consider this: Not enough students enrolled in two of the Launch U programs, precision machining and industrial maintenance, for those programs to start as scheduled in late August.
“We couldn’t get 24 students to sign up,” said Bill Smith, assistant superintendent of instructional services for Kent ISD. The plan is to reintroduce the programs next fall.
Smith said he believes many students aren’t getting the message that there are quicker and more affordable routes than a four-year degree into industries where they can thrive and make high wages. “The system that markets to the kids is still leaning toward ‘every kid of value should go to a four-year institution,'” Smith said.
“Until we change that mindset we are going to have these types of jobs sitting open. This is free education, a free associate’s, free workplace-recognized credentials in fields where you are going to get a job and that job is going to pay $80 K.”
AutoCam machinist Richard Tobias shows a part to students including, from left, sophomores Carter hickson and Spencer Julien.
Jobs are Unfilled
Smith was recently part of a group that met with Gov. Rick Snyder and U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta to talk about the gap between skilled workers and in-demand jobs, known as the “talent gap.” According to Snyder, 120,000 available jobs in Michigan are unfilled. Many are in the areas of manufacturing, engineering, information technology and hybrids of these fields.
“There is a need to have stackable credentials, and that need is greater than a college degree,” Smith said. “These jobs don’t go unfilled because people are unavailable; it’s because the talent isn’t aligned to get the job. We have to import workers when we really shouldn’t have to.”
Some companies have long vacancy lists of jobs, he added: “It’s almost impossible to fathom that we have that many jobs open and we can’t connect the unemployed to those jobs.”
With careers rapidly changing and college costs skyrocketing, it’s time for students to become exposed to the fact that there are post-secondary education and training options besides a four-year degree, he said.
Still, about 70 percent of all jobs require some kind of post-secondary education: technical certification, an apprenticeship, an associate or four-year degree.
“Kids have to be graduating from high school and they have to be going on to get some kind of post-secondary training, but it’s a wide range,” said Kevin Stotts, president of Talent 2025. Representing 115 area CEOs in manufacturing, healthcare, information technology, construction, engineering and business services, Talent 2025 works to align talent with workplace needs.
But ingraining that message into K-12 schools requires a shift, Stotts said.
Byron Center students watch a robot at work
“There was such an emphasis on ‘go to college.’ That was your ticket. (But) that could mean getting a degree in a field where there was no demand for that education and training.”
The “college” message was very strong during the economic downturn a few years ago and, though job losses occurred across many industries, manufacturing got a really bad rap, he said. Young people stopped considering it as an option, but the industry has since rebounded and revolutionized.
“We have more than recovered the jobs lost in the manufacturing industry since the Great Recession,” Stotts said. “The jobs that are back are better paying, require technical knowledge and skill, they are utilizing technology and they are in cleaner environments.”
Shrinking the Gap
With the gap becoming more evident, schools and businesses are working together to prepare students for the future West Michigan workforce.
Sixty Byron Center High School students recently toured four area manufacturers to get an up-close, hands-on look at operations that put them in touch with employers in the region’s biggest industry.
Junior Harrison Kosak said he wants to work in engineering or robotics, and that it helps to see what’s out there while still in high school.
“It helps me get more in-depth with what I want to do,” Harrison said as he toured AutoCam. “I can look at these different occupations and see what I might be interested in.”
Byron Center High School teacher Lary Shoemaker, who teaches drafting, CAM/CNC classes and pre-engineering, has 10 students taking his classes — more than 10 percent of the high school’s enrollment — proving that gearing up students for high-demand jobs is possible.
“In West Michigan, the school districts recognize that 25 percent of our jobs are in the manufacturing sector,” Shoemaker said. “We have companies right in Byron Center that are direct placement for students that enter this career path. We have great companies in Grand Rapids that support a manufacturing environment at the high school level.”
AutoCam is one example. Steve Heethuis, training director for the Kentwood firm, talked to the visiting students about career-pathway opportunities right at the company: apprenticeships and the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, which gives employees the opportunity to receive an associate degree for free. Many go on to get engineering degrees. AutoCam also offers internships, scholarships and is a partner in the Launch U Program.
“We are interested in them getting curious about manufacturing,” Heethuis said. “If they have an opportunity to come work for us or any other manufacturer, we feel like it’s a success because we recognize that manufacturing is absolutely vital to our long-term economic regional success. We feel like it’s our leadership position to introduce students to manufacturing.”
Two years ago, Byron Center hosted a college and career day, which included several area manufacturers who presented educational opportunities and apprentice programs.
“Anytime you can have students really talk directly to the people that are potential employers, it’s good real world experience,” Shoemaker said. “It’s almost like a pre-interview.”
Shoemaker, who worked 22 years in manufacturing before starting his teaching career, said schools need to play a role in shifting the paradigm when it comes to how skilled-trades jobs are viewed. It’s possible to receive training and degrees, paid for by companies and allowing students to finish without debt and with direct access to jobs. He’d also like more teachers to come from manufacturing backgrounds.
A Tight Market, Rising Wages
With regional unemployment below 4 percent, the job market is tight, Stotts said.
“That’s a marked change from seven years ago,” he stressed. “The unemployment rate is significantly less than even just a year ago. Employers are trying to find any available talent, so the scarcity of talent to fill open jobs is being seen across every industry and at every occupation level. … It’s tight across the board, across all industries.”
As a result, wages are projected to rise by more than 20 percent in several industries over the next 10 years.
Employers are coming together with education and workforce partners to consider education and training requirements, and how they line up with talent-development programs, Stotts said.
Working together, businesses and schools can begin exposing students to careers as early as middle school.
“The more we can expose students to the variety of industries and jobs and career pathways,” Stotts said, “the more informed those kids and their families will be about what it’s like to work in a field like manufacturing, and where they can go to get education and training.”
As he toured the manufacturing area of AutoCam Precision Components, Byron Center High School junior Devin Merchant said he’s glad to have the opportunity to get out in the field.
“I’m interested in computer hardware engineering,” Devin said. “I think exposing myself to as many opportunities as possible will be beneficial to me in the future.
“There are so many opportunities out there that I didn’t even realize there were.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
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.
Ms. Grumble takes pride in her beauty mark and expects her adopter(s) to feel the same. That’s not too much to ask.
Ms. Grumble — Female Domestic Short Hair
I am a sweet and sassy 8-year-old cat looking for my forever home! I need to be the only cat in the house and would do best in a home with no children. I have a social personality and seek out attention from people, but on my own terms! I prefer not to be held. I would do well in a relaxed home where I had my own space when I needed it and affection from my people when I needed that too. Please come meet me at Humane Society of West Michigan!
More about Ms. Grumble:
Animal ID: 35837287
Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age: 8 years
Gender: Female
Size: Small
Color: Black/White
Spayed
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.
Grand Rapids Treetop Adventure Park will be hosting Halloween-themed events this October designed to be fun for the whole family, and a great time as the leaves are changing.
Treetop Adventure Park is a high ropes and zipline obstacle course set in one of the many beautiful forests of Grand Rapids. The park is located right next to the Celebration North IMAX Theater off East Beltline and Knapp road in Northeast Grand Rapids.
An Adventure Park is a combination of suspended obstacles above the forest floor like bridges, cargo nets, swinging logs, rings, skateboards and ziplines. The courses range in difficulty from the easiest to most difficult, similar to ski resorts, with green, blue, and black runs, so there is something for every fitness and comfort level.
The park will feature Terror at Treetops every Friday and Saturday where the trees are lit up with LED lights, black lights, and halloween decorations. There will be a 20 percent off to anyone who comes dressed in their Halloween costumes. Experience the Haunted Forest during this time, recommended for children ages 12 and up. Sunday mornings, there will be cider and donuts on a first come, first serve basis.Also during the day, every day there will be trick-or-treating around the park with candy-filled pumpkins hidden around the park.
Student Scholarship Winners Amanda Barnett, Rachel Baas, Edward Johnson Jr., Ashlie Herrmann, Jarrod Bemjamin, Kristina Kercher, and Jesse Aronoff.
Experience Grand Rapids hosted a presentation and lunch celebration this week to announce the Restaurant Week Grand Rapids (RWGR) 2017 donation to the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education (SICE) Student Scholarship Fund at GRCC.
In 2017, there were more than 70 participating restaurants that donated $1 for every Restaurant Week meal sold. Since 2010, Restaurant Week participating restaurants and sponsors have contributed more than $126,906 to the scholarship fund. This year, a check totaling $16,200 was presented to the GRCC Foundation, growing the RWGR donation to $143,106.
Accepting the check on behalf of the Grand Rapids Community College Foundation were GRCC President Bill Pink and GRCC Foundation Executive Director Kathy Mullins. Dr. Pink also presented scholarships to seven students. Each scholarship winner received $1,000 to help support his/her continuing studies in GRCC’s SICE program. This is the seventh year that students have been awarded scholarship money from the fund established by Restaurant Week GR.
SICE Students who received 2017 RWGR scholarship awards include:
Amanda Barnett receives her scholarship check.
Amanda Barnett:Amanda was an English teacher before pursuing a culinary career. Six years ago, she started an after-school cooking program for her students because many of them didn’t have anything to eat in the evening. She loved the experience and last year, she finally made the leap to leave her full-time job and attend school. She says this scholarship will help her focus on her studies rather than how to pay for them. Amanda is now working at Brewery Vivant and her dream is to run an after-school cooking program and bake shop for youth.
Rachel Baas:Rachel works in the bakeshop of six.one.six at the JW Marriott. She has fond memories of baking with her grandmother as a child, and making no-bake cookies with her dad, but it wasn’t until her senior year of high school that she decided to pursue a culinary career. She plans to go on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Ferris State University after she graduates from the Secchia Institute and she’s grateful for scholarships like this that have helped her steer clear of student loans. She would love to open, manage and potentially run the foodservice portion of a bed-and-breakfast one day.
Edward Johnson Jr.:Edward has wanted a culinary career since 2nd grade, when he began renting out cookbooks and begging his mom to help him make recipes. He currently works at CityFlatsHotel and dreams of traveling the world to learn different cooking styles. In the meantime, he says, the Restaurant Week scholarship will help him graduate more quickly.
Ashlie Herrmann:Ashlie is working at Grove while she continues her schooling at the Secchia Institute. She says she may not have been able to go to school and accomplish her career goals without the generosity of others, including this scholarship. Her dream is to own a catering company with her mom and her best friend.
Jarrod Benjamin:Jarrod has wanted to work in the culinary field since he was five years old and his ultimate goal is to become a personal chef. He currently works at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse while attending the Secchia institute. He says the school has afforded him many great opportunities and he’s grateful for scholarships like this as he’d be unable to attend the school without them.
Kristina Kercher:Kristina works at The Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck and also at Flo’s Sports Bar in Belmont while she continues her education. She knew she wanted to work in the culinary field when she realized that you can make it if you work hard enough – something she learned from Chef James Powell, who she says didn’t give up on her as she worked to get better. She appreciates this scholarship as a sign that people believe in her enough to help her reach her goals. Her dream is to become a chef with the creative freedom to make the foods she wants and get paid for it.
Jesse Aronoff:Jesse says this scholarship is meaningful to him not just because it will help him further his education, but also because this year’s Restaurant Week was “crazy.” Jesse didn’t have any ambition for a culinary career until he got his first job in the field at age 16. He currently works at Licari’s Sicilian Pizza Kitchen and he can’t narrow down his dreams for the future – he wants to do everything.
Restaurant Week GR took place from Aug. 9 – 20. More than 70 restaurants participated in the event this year. This was the eighth year for Restaurant Week GR which began in Greater Grand Rapids in 2010. Scholarships have been awarded each year since 2011.
