The author of the Jedi Academy books and the Star Wars: Darth Vader and Kids Academy series will be visiting Schuler Books & Music Wednesday, Oct. 18.
Jeffrey Brown, a Grand Rapids native and New York Times bestselling author, will be at the store, located at 2660 28th St. SE, at 7 p.m.. He will be discussing his newest book, “Lucy & Andy Neanderthal: The Stone cold Age!,” the second in the series about two Neanderthal siblings.
Brown become well-known for his 2012’s “Darth Vader and Son” and its follow-up, “Vader’s Little Princess,” both of which reimagine the Sith Lord as a put-upon dad.
In 2016, Brown introduced brother and sister cave kids, Lucy and Andy Neanderthal, living 40,000 years ago, which has received praise from critics and authors. Lincoln Peirce, author the “Big Nate” series, said “Lucy and Andy are Stone Age rock stars! I loved this book,” while Kirkus Reviews called it “a fast, funny read.”
For more information about Brown’s visit to Schuler Books & Music or other activities at the store, visit schulerbooks.com.
The West Michigan economy is going strong and the trend should continue, according to a Grand Valley State University expert.
Brian G. Long, director of Supply Management Research in the Seidman College of Business, surveyed local business leaders and his findings below are based on data collected during the last two weeks of September.
The survey’s index of business improvement (new orders) came in at +21, above last month’s +19. The production index eased to +17 from +20. The index of purchases slowed to +14 from +24, and the employment index remained positive at +17, up from +21.
Long said for auto sales, the September report reversed the negative pattern of the past six months.
“Most auto parts suppliers have been concerned throughout the summer about the slower auto sales, so the September bounce in sales seems to have forestalled any immediate fear of an automotive recession lurking around the corner,” said Long. “The major office furniture firms still appear to be topping out at the present level, but the smaller firms are having a little more success.”
Business optimism is strong in West Michigan and the economy for the rest of the world continues to improve, Long said.
“Canada and Mexico, our two largest trading partners, turned in strong reports for September,” he said. “Whereas most of the major economies were improving over the summer, growth in September slowed in China, Japan and the UK.”
The Institute for Supply Management survey is a monthly survey of business conditions that includes 45 purchasing managers in the greater Grand Rapids area and 25 in Kalamazoo. The respondents are from the region’s major industrial manufacturers, distributors and industrial service organizations. It is patterned after a nationwide survey conducted by the Institute for Supply Management. Each month, the respondents are asked to rate eight factors as “same,” “up” or “down.”
For over 28 years, Dr. Brian Long has edited a survey of local purchasing managers for both the Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids areas, which has proved to be a major indicator of current and future business conditions. This survey appears in many local newspapers and national business publications, including the Grand Rapids Press, MiBiz, and the Grand Rapids Business Journal. The survey is also a component of the Federal Reserve’s bimonthly survey of business conditions.
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal: In Focus, WKTV’s public affairs show, program host Ken Norris talks with Ethan Anderson, a local financial advisor with a common sense approach to retirement planning. Their 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 (and ends with a surprising outlook on the future of Social Security).
(WKTV)
“The key word to focus on, when you are talking about that transition (away from pensions), corporations no longer want to be responsible for the income you receive in retirement,” Anderson said. “We have seen the transitions more toward defined contribution plans, where essentially you are looking at things like 401ks, or in the nonprofit world 403b and 457 plans. But the overall theme, amongst all those plans, and most corporate plans today, is that money is being put in with your name on it that you are essentially responsible for investing.”
Also on the new program is a discussion 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.
Ethan Anderson talks with WKTV Journal: In Focus host Ken Norris. (WKTV)
The new episode will air twice a week on WKTV channels starting this week and running through Oct. 24. Along with all episodes of WKTV Journal: In Focus, the interviews are also available on YouTube at WKTVVideos.
Anderson is a financial advisor with Rehmann, and has spent the last two decades building financial plans and managing investment portfolios for high net worth individuals and charitable organizations. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and a life-long Grand Rapids resident.
“WKTV Journal: In Focus” will started airing on Tuesday, Sept. 26, and 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.
About 6,000 children, parents, and grandparents attended the Wyoming Pumpkin Path last year.
It’s time to get the kids together and pull out your favorite costume because Pumpkin Path is right around the corner!
The City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department is excited to once again host the 14th annual Pumpkin Path – a free event for kids and families on Saturday, Oct. 14 at Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St. SW. The event will be held from 4-6 p.m. Local businesses, clubs and organizations will host spaces along the path and will hand out candy, coupons and other goodies.
“Pumpkin Path was created to be a fun, safe, family-friendly event for the fall, providing an alternative to traditional Halloween events,” said Rebecca Rynbrandt, director of community services for the City of Wyoming. “Pumpkin Path gives families the perfect opportunity to interact with neighborhood businesses while enjoying the outdoors, Lamar Park and the beauty of the fall season.”
Not only should children expect to receive treats, they should also look forward to a DJ and dancing, jumping in the bounce house and games. Participants are welcome to come in costume or in regular clothes.
At last year’s Pumpkin Path event, 65 local businesses and organizations and more than 6,000 children, parents, grandparents and friends attended.
More than 1,200 runners and walkers laced up their sneakers for a behind-the- scenes 5K on one of the runways at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA).
The Runway 5K is the first of its kind on airport grounds in over a decade. The last Runway 5K was for the Airport’s 40th Anniversary in 2003. The race began near the cargo facilities, continuing under a runway tunnel, looping around by the airport fire station, and wrapped around on Runway 8L/26R – GFIA’s general aviation runway. The Airport’s two other commercial aviation runways were operational, giving participants a chance to soak in an up-close-and-personal sight.
“This was a tremendous opportunity for runners, walkers, and families who wanted to experience a fun event on one of our runways that is normally only being used for aircraft,” said GFIA President & CEO Jim Gill. “It was exciting to see West Michigan come out and experience our facility like never before, plus support a wonderful charity at the same time.”
GFIA selected Make-A-Wish Michigan as its charity of choice to donate the race proceeds.
“We’re delighted that the Gerald R. Ford International Airport is hosting an event to benefit Make- A-Wish Michigan.” said Karen Davis, president & CEO of Make-A-Wish Michigan. “It’s through the generous support of our Michigan community, like our friends at GFIA, that we are able to grant life-changing wishes to Michigan children and bring hope, strength and joy at a time when they need it most.”
“Make-A-Wish Michigan does tremendous work in our community, and we are thrilled to be able to donate proceeds from our Runway 5K to this organization,” said Gill. “We see Make-A-Wish kids in our airport on a regular basis, and although we wish that was less frequent; we are happy to help grant more wishes in West Michigan through this donation.”
WKTV will continue its featured high school sports coverage this month as fall sports wrap up and winter sports are on the horizon. The WKTV crew will be bringing the viewers not only the featured football game of the week, but once again will showcase other sports including girls swimming along with boys water polo during October. Planned coverage this month includes:
Friday, Oct. 13, football — Belding at Kelloggsville
Saturday, Oct. 14, boys water polo — at East Kentwood
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. 9
Girls Golf
South Christian – Ernie Popiel Invite @ Egypt Valley
East Kentwood – Ernie Popiel Invite @ Egypt Valley
Boys Soccer
Hudsonville @ East Kentwood
Boys Water Polo
Zeeland East @ East Kentwood
Tuesday, Oct. 10
Girls Golf
Hudsonville @ South Christian
Girls Volleyball
South Christian @ Wayland
East Grand Rapids @ Wyoming
Zion Christian @ Potter’s House
West Michigan Aviation @ Tri-Unity Christian
Boys Soccer
Covenant Christian @ South Christian
Wyoming @ Christian
Wyoming Lee @ Godwin Heights
Kelloggsville @ Hopkins
Zion Christian @ Potter’s House
Grand River Prep @ Kalamazoo Heritage
West Michigan Aviation @ Tri-Unity Christian – Senior Night
Boys/girls Cross Country
Wyoming @ Saranac
Wednesday, Oct. 11
Girls Golf
South Christian – MHSAA Regionals @ Quail Ridge
Boys/girls Cross Country
Godwin Heights @ Wyoming Lee
Kelloggsville @ Wyoming Lee
Boys Soccer
Rockford @ East Kentwood
Thursday, Oct. 12
Girls Swimming
South Christian @ West Ottawa
Grand Haven @ East Kentwood
Boys Soccer
FH Eastern @ South Christian
Middleville T-K @ Wyoming
Wyoming Lee @ NorthPointe Christian
Potter’s House @ Kelloggsville
Calvin Christian @ Godwin Heights
Zion Christian @ Heritage Christian
Grand River Prep @ Wellsprings
Algoma Christian @ West Michigan Aviation
Tri-Unity Christian @ Fruitport Calvary
Girls Volleyball
South Christian @ GR Christian
Wyoming @ FH Eastern
Godwin Heights @ Wyoming Lee
Hopkins @ Kelloggsville
Zion Christian @ Heritage Christian
Tri-Unity Christian @ Fruitport Calvary
Boys Tennis
East Kentwood @ Holland – MHSAA Regionals
Friday, Oct. 13
Boys Football
Middleville T-K vs South Christian @ Grandville
Greenville @ Wyoming – Homecoming
Wyoming Lee @ Hopkins
NorthPointe Christian @ Godwin Heights
Belding @ Kelloggsville – WKTV Featured Game
East Kentwood @ Rockford
Leroy Pine River @ Potter’s House/Calvin Christian
Boys Soccer
West Michigan Aviation @ Wyoming Lee
Saturday, Oct. 14
Boys Football
Tri-Unity Christian @ Grand Traverse Academy
Girls Volleyball
South Christian @ Troy
Wyoming Lee @ Godwin Heights – Pink Out
@ East Kentwood – EK Invitational
Boys/girls Cross Country
Wyoming Lee, Kelloggsville, East Kentwood and Tri-Unity Christian @ Grand Rapids Christian – Kent-Ottawa Invite
Girls Swimming
East Kentwood – MISCA Meet
Boys Water Polo
@ East Kentwood – EK – Mini Tournament – WKTV Featured Event
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
Lexis Pearson was a self-described troublemaker when she was in seventh grade. Her poor choices led her to the office of social worker Brooke Davis.
But by her junior year, Pearson had turned herself around to the point of being named an Alpha Wolf 11, a character recognition from her high school for being an “11 on a scale of 10” in the areas of kindness, compassion and graciousness.
She said the role Davis played in helping her change was huge. “If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have graduated high school,” Pearson said. “She was that little bit of motivation I needed; actually she was a lot of motivation.”
Pearson, who graduated from Wyoming High School in the spring, is one of many students Davis has impacted over the years as a school social worker. Now splitting time between Kelloggsville and Kenowa Hills public schools — and, on top of that, providing consulting services for educators — Davis’ presence in the lives of young people, like Lexis, is having a wider impact.
Fellow educators say that what Davis does, for any student, in any way they can benefit, is steer them in the right direction. She offers a listening ear, helping hand, sage advice or just information to get them where they need to go.
Spreading Her Influence
Davis started her career as a counselor in Kelloggsville in 2004. She has returned to the district part-time as a social worker and trainer at 54th Street Academy, which serves students from several Kent County districts. She also works part-time as a social worker at Alpine and Zinser Elementary schools, in Kenowa Hills.
Brooke Davis discusses goals with a student in her 54th Street Academy office. (School News Network)
“Kelloggsville is so excited to have Brooke Davis back,” said Assistant Superintendent Tammy Savage. “Brooke has such a passion for working with students, staff and families and this comes through in everything she does. … Having Brooke back is just like finding a long-lost friend or relative; they have come home and everyone’s life is better because of it.”
When she’s not working with students, Davis is training staff members in various districts through her company, BTD Consulting, on how to reduce suspensions in their buildings. (Not one to shy away from work, she also works retail at Younkers department store.)
She said her roles are about being a servant leader in every aspect of her life. “You always have more to give,” Davis said. “I love being back at Kelloggsville because it gives me the opportunity to work with economically disadvantaged and culturally diverse students. It is really hitting that passion that I have.”
Her passion developed over time. Davis, originally from Detroit, received her bachelor’s degree in communication arts from Aquinas College. “I thought I was going to be a speaker and urban planner,” she said.
But when she began working at St. John’s Home (now D.A. Blodgett-St. John’s), which offered residential care for foster children, she fell in love with the work. She decided to return to Grand Valley State University for a master’s in social work. At St. John’s, she connected with a Kelloggsville principal who hired her to work as a counselor. Over the next five years she worked at the elementary and middle school levels there, then for 11 years at Wyoming Public Schools at the elementary and secondary levels.
Last year she joined the staff at Kenowa Hills and started her consulting firm to work with principals, superintendents and teachers to set up systems concerning student behavior, and to teach them how to look at data to address behavior.
Many students have a hard time re-acclimating to school after they are suspended, she said, which puts them at a higher risk for dropping out. “The nice thing about Kelloggsville is we still have an alternative program that really seeks to get those students into school, and to know the barriers that keep them from learning in a traditional program. It helps them overcome those barriers so they can transition back into a traditional program.”
Brooke Davis sits down with junior Sky Hommerson to help her get back on track in school (School News Network)
The Ability to Connect
Davis said she was raised by good role models, but can relate to students with whom she works. Her parents emphasized education and demonstrated a great work ethic. Still, “I was a little tough as a kid — with really no reason to be be tough — but I was very verbose. I had two parents that loved me, and a great education, but coming from the city of Detroit, I want kids to have those same things that I had.”
At Kenowa, Davis works with the elementary students and does it well, said Alpine Elementary Principal Jason Snyder. “She is phenomenal,” he said. “The thing with Brooke is she has a passion for kids that is unmatched.”
She steps up to meet the needs of every child she works with, going “above and beyond” to make sure that child is successful. “She’s inspiring to me and pushes me to be a better leader,” Snyder said.
‘Little, Life-Changing Things’
Davis said she loves her jobs because she wants to serve others, to share knowledge and resources. That’s the “why” of it: “If you call me and I have it, I’m going to give it you,” she said.
That mentality is what made the difference for Lexis Pearson, the Wyoming grad who now is a certified nursing assistant and works in a nursing home. “To repay Brooke, I would have to give her the world,” she said.
Davis showed her possibilities. Pearson said she had a rocky life at home and was looking at the future through a narrow lens. “I grew up in a rough neighborhood. For me to see an African-American woman who was this successful … She is my inspiration.”
Brooke was just always present, she said. “When trouble came to find me, she was there to redirect me and let me know that the choices I was making were poor.
“It was the little things that counted,” she added. “Little things that, for me, were life changing.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
Today, there are over 5,000,000 people living with dementia. They are members of our churches, our workplaces, our neighborhoods, and our communities. They shop in the same stores we do, dine at the same restaurants, attend the same events, and utilize the same public transportation system. Despite living with dementia, they continue to be vital members of our communities and valued for their contributions. This is the ideal, anyway.
The reality is, for people living with dementia, their world tends to become slowly and consistently smaller, and a lot of this has to do with the difficulty they experience interacting with the world around them. We’ve all come into contact with a person who seems lost, is taking an extremely long time to make a decision, or is ‘holding up the line’ because they are confused about a process. We become exasperated; they become upset, and no one leaves the experience feeling good about ourselves.
While we can go about our day, collecting better experiences, a person with dementia will be reluctant to have that experience again, and will begin to avoid doing anything that may recreate it — shopping for groceries, riding a bus, ordering in a restaurant. They gradually become more isolated, less independent and separated from their communities. The isolation and separation people with dementia experience can actually contribute to the acceleration of their dementia. This isolation takes a great toll on care partners as well. Since they spend most of their time in the company of their loved one, they experience the same isolation and detachment from community.
Dementia Friendly Grand Rapids (DFGR) is part of a national movement working to create aware and supportive ‘Dementia Friends’ throughout all sectors of our community so that people living with dementia can comfortably navigate daily life. DFGR strives to move Grand Rapids toward becoming a more aware, accessible and inclusive city. A dementia-friendly city improves the community for everyone and is more livable through implementation of universal design. Dementia-friendly communities are more attractive, competitive and sustainable when they become more accessible and inclusive for everyone.
We’re learning more everyday about the various dementias, like Alzheimer’s, and the ways we can help people with dementia live fuller, more active and engaged lives, and extend independence and participation in their communities. For this to happen though, everyone needs to work together to create communities where any person, including a person with dementia, can live and thrive. This is dementia friendly.
DFGR’s main focus right now is creating awareness. This is done by teaching people about dementia and helping participants develop practical actions they can use to help someone they may encounter in the community who has dementia. Jennifer VanHorssen, DFGR Program Coordinator, says, “Whether it be the checkout at a grocery store, on the bus, serving coffee at a coffee shop, or at an art or music performance, each of us can be supportive and help people living with dementia feel welcome and included.” In the last year alone, volunteers with Dementia Friendly Grand Rapids have provided over 30 trainings enabling more than 400 people to become new Dementia Friends.
Creating a dementia-friendly city requires participation from all sectors of society — business, local government, transportation, financial institutions, neighborhood associations and faith communities, emergency responders, healthcare and the legal sector. DFGR’s focus for 2017-2018 is business. VanHorssen’s hope is to focus on sub-sectors “like restaurants, grocery stores, hair salons/barber shops, local retail, libraries and other public spaces” where business owners and/or employees are interacting with customers who may have dementia.
Often the slightest shift in our approach to working with a customer who seems indecisive, confused, or unsure of themselves can help them feel safe, supported and empowered. “In a dementia friendly community” VanHorssen cites, “people living with dementia have autonomy, a high quality of life, and are engaged with the community.”
Grand Rapids is experiencing an enormous amount of growth and development – we have the opportunity to do things differently so all Grand Rapids residents and visitors can have autonomy while navigating our city. It begins with awareness. If your business/organization would like to learn about becoming a dementia friend, contact Dementia Friendly Grand Rapids by calling (616) 222-7036 or email info@dementiafriendlygr.com. You can also learn more about DFGR and the dementia friendly movement on their website: www.dementiafriendlygr.com
Young or old, wealthy or poor, online or in person … nobody is immune from financial scams and identity theft slams. No matter who you are or how well-informed you may be, the bad guys are out there, daily devising new tricks for every fraud we fix.
Financial fraudsters and identity thieves are after your assets and your personal information.Thieves use any means possible to obtain your most treasured personal information, including social security and driver’s license numbers, financial account and credit card numbers, passwords, birthdates and any other about your life that can help them pull off their scams.
So, how can you protect yourself?Criminal techniques may be new-fangled, but the red flags to look for are not. Whether online, in the mail, on the phone or in person, be on high alert for any of the following experiences.
An offer sounds too good to be true.
A stranger wants to be your real or virtual best friend.
Someone you know is behaving oddly, especially via email or phone. This may mean it’s an identity thief, posing as someone you know.
Someone claiming to represent a government agency, financial or legal firm, police department or other authority contacts you out of the blue, demanding money or information.
You’re feeling pressured or tricked into responding immediately to a threat, a temptation or a curiosity.
You’re prioritizing easy access over solid security with weak or absent locks and passwords.
You’re sharing personal information in a public venue, including social media sites.
Facts or figures aren’t adding up; bank statements, reports or other information is missing entirely.
Your defenses are down: you’re ill, injured, grieving, experiencing dementia or feeling blue.
Your gut is warning you: something seems off.
If you feel you’ve been victimized, or any of the above has occurred, check all online accounts, call your financial institutions and credit card companies, and check in with the government agency responsible for overseeing the breach such as the IRS for tax fraud, or the FTC for anything else.
Local state Sen. Peter MacGregor was one of the state lawmakers who discussed no-fault insurance law reform at Monday’s chamber Government Matters meeting. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
The Michigan House of Representatives and Senate are both at work tackling reform of the state’s no-fault auto insurance law, but there are no quick fixes or easy solutions local legislators said at the October’s Wyoming-Kentwood Chamber of Commerce’s monthly Government Matters meetings.
The monthly meeting brings together government leaders of all levels to discuss issues of importance and presents those discussions through WKTV’s live, delayed and on-demand broadcasts.
At the Monday, Oct. 9, meeting at Kentwood City Hall, state representatives Tommy Brann and Steve Johnson, and state senators Tonya Schuitmaker and Peter MacGregor, each discussed the issue as part of a session that included a local insurance businessperson addressing the government panel.
“I have been working on this issue since 2011,” MacGregor said. “It doesn’t seem like it is complicated, but it is … it is a battle.”
Among the competing interests in any overhaul of the current auto insurance system, which has produced some of the highest rates in the country, are not only the cost to the average insurance customer but also the sometimes conflicting interests of insurance companies, medical providers and trial lawyers. And the problem what to do with uninsured, unlicensed motorists hangs over the reform efforts as well.
At times, the issue seems almost too big to handle in a single act of reform, but, MacGregor pointed out: “Maybe we eat this elephant one bite at a time.”
Among the other multi-level government discussions topics at the meeting were the the status of federal tax reform, the planned grand opening of the City of Wyoming’s 28 West development (set for later this month), and the Kent County and the State of Michigan’s emergency management plans.
The Chamber’s Government Matters meetings include representatives of the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming, Kent County, local Michigan House of Representatives and Senate, and, often, representatives of other regional, State of Michigan and Federal elected officials. The next meeting will be Nov. 13 at Kentwood City Hall.
The meetings are on the second Monday of each month, starting at 8 a.m. WKTV Journal will produce a highlight story after the meeting. But WKTV also offers replays of the Monday meetings on the following Wednesday at 7 p.m. on Cable Channel 25. Replays are also available online at WKTV’s government meetings on-demand page (wktv.viebit.com) and on the chamber’s Facebook page.
In this May 2017 photo, NASA astronaut Jack Fischer works outside the U.S. Destiny laboratory module of the International Space Station. (Photo courtesy of NASA)
WKTV Government 26 will be featuring two special NASA programs this week.
On Tuesday, Oct. 10, American astronaut Commander Randy Bresnik and Flight Engineer Mark Vande Hei, both aboard the International Space Station, will embark on the second of three space walks for October.
Coverage will begin at 6:30 a.m., with the spacewalk scheduled to start at 8:05 a.m. The spacewalks may happen earlier if the crew is running ahead of schedule. The second and third spacewalks will be devoted to lubricating the newly replaced Canadarm2 end effector and replacing cameras on the left side of the station’s truss and the right side of the station’s U.S. Destiny laboratory. The spacewalk is expected to last six and a half hours.
The last of the three spacewalks will take place Oct 18 with Bresnik being joined by Engineer Joe Acaba.
On Thursday, Oct. 12, will be the launch of the ISS Progress 68 Cargo Ship to the ISS from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Coverage begins at approximately 5 a.m. with the launch scheduled for 5:32 a.m. Coverage of the docking at the ISS Progress 68 Cargo Ship starts at approximately 8 a.m. with the actual docking scheduled for 8:56 a.m.
For more information on both of these launches, go to nasa.gov/station. NASA TV can be seen on WKTV 26 Government Channel and AT&T U-verse Government channel 99.
U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mi.), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, in an Oct. 5 press release, announced more than $1.8 million will be come to the state to support specialty crop growers who produce fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, nursery plants, and flowers.
The funds come from a U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program award of $1,805,339 million to support 19 projects throughout the state.
“Michigan-grown fruits and vegetables are not only a source of great pride — they are also critical to our state’s diverse agricultural economy,” Sen. Stabenow said. “This new support will help Michigan farmers get their products off the farm and onto our plates.”
Each of the 19 projects are targeted to help specialty crop growers sell more products locally and globally, protect crops from pests and diseases, and market products to be competitive. Grant recipients include the Cherry Marketing Institute, Michigan Apple Committee, Grow Eastern Market, Michigan Carrot Committee, Michigan Vegetable Council, and Michigan Wine Collaborative, among others.
In 2008, Senator Stabenow authored the first ever fruits and vegetables section of a Farm Bill to provide support for so-called “specialty crops” which includes fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, nursery products and floriculture. These crops are critical to the state’s diverse agricultural economy, as Michigan leads the nation in producing a wider variety of crops than any state other than California.
Rep. Huizenga touts his vote on balanced federal budget plan
U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, shown on the set of “WKTV Journal: In Focus” recently. (WKTV)
U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-2nd District) released the following statement on Oct. 5 after voting to balance the federal budget in 10 years, reduce the deficit by $6.5 trillion, and lay the groundwork to provide tax relief for hardworking families and small businesses in West Michigan:
“With our nation’s debt surpassing a whopping $20 trillion, not only do we need to cut spending and reform government, we must also grow our economy. The budget passed today by the House achieves all three of these objectives by balancing in 10 years, reducing the deficit by $6.5 trillion, and laying the groundwork to enact tax relief for hardworking families,” Rep. Huizenga said in the statement.
“By reforming our nation’s outdated tax code small businesses can create more jobs, employees can receive bigger paychecks, and we can reduce our debt and deficits faster. Lastly, this budget seeks to reduce waste by eliminating $700 billion in improper payments made by the federal government with instructions for Congress to identify an additional $203 billion in mandatory savings and reforms.”
Sen. Peters supports review of IRS’s contract with security-marred Equifax
U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mi.)
U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mi.), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management, in an Oct. 5 press release, announced he had joined eight of his colleagues in a letter demanding further scrutiny of the Internal Revenue Service’s decision to award Equifax a sole-source contract to verify taxpayer identities and help prevent tax fraud. This, despite the company’s recent disclosure of a massive cybersecurity breach exposing the personal information of as many as 145.5 million Americans.
“By awarding this no-bid contract, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is paying Equifax $7.25 million in taxpayer money to protect the very same taxpayers from an identity theft risk that Equifax helped create,” the letter stated. “The decision to award this contract to protect the identities of taxpayers and the integrity of federal tax dollars in light of Equifax’s recent and severe breach of the public trust is highly concerning.”
In September, Equifax disclosed a cybersecurity breach that potentially exposed the sensitive personal information of more than 145 million consumers, including Social Security numbers, home addresses, and driver’s license numbers. Equifax had known about the breach for months, but did not publicly disclose it until September.
In the interest of protecting taxpayers’ money, the senators urged IRS Commissioner John Koskinen to explain why Equifax was awarded the sole-source contract in light of this cybersecurity breach.
The smoking area during events at Van Andel Arena will be relocated from the plaza in front of the building to outside the southeast corner of the venue for all events, effective immediately. The relocation will allow more efficient access for patrons coming and going from the arena as well as better flow on the front plaza.
The new smoking area will be accessible from the concourse by the stairs located at the southeast end of the arena. Fans with accessibility needs can use the elevator at the southeast corner of the concourse to access the smoking area outside of the employee entrance and will be wrist banded for re-entry.
The smoking area will be available for fans beginning with the opening of doors until 30 minutes prior to the end of a show or midway through the final period of sporting events.
Continuing SMG’s commitment to maintaining a safe and secure facility, security staff will continue to be present in the smoking area at all times.
ArtPrize is in full swing and DeVos Place painter, Scott Luce, of Grand Rapids, is enjoying the results of his hours of hard work leading up to the competition. Luce works with artists every year to help install their pieces in the convention center, but is also an artist and craftsman himself. He recently participated in the 2017 Tennessee Tiny House Festival with his Gypsy Queen Bowtop camper on Sept.r 8-10. With more than 35 homes, micro-houses, skoolies, DIYs, vintage campers, and other minis registered for the Tiny House Festival, Luce’s custom DIY-built Gypsy wagon won “Best Bohemian Living.” Luce’s entry was also the only camper to win an award that weekend.
“This was the first time I attended a festival like this, and I was inspired by all the beautiful tiny houses and great ideas that were being shown,” said Luce. His Gypsy wagon was custom built with a fold-up feature that seemed to amaze everyone at the festival. He hosted four demonstrations during the week, all which had great attendance. He was presented with a hand crafted, wood-burned plaque for his win.
Scott Luce is also a familiar face at DeVos Place during ArtPrize as an artist. In 2012, he entered Grand Illumination, an abstract architectural sculpture representing the synergy of historic materials with a modern twist. Luce’s piece was carved from the granite steps of what used to be the historic Grand Rapids Civic Auditorium. Joined by three multi-colored lanterns, the antique Italian glass originated from six ceiling lights from the former venue.
“It was my intent, with this piece, to honor the grandeur and timeless beauty of the Civic, while recognizing the modern beauty found in our current DeVos Place Convention Center,” said Luce.
The Kentwood Farmers Market will close with a bang this Saturday as it hosts a Harvest Celebration.
Located in front of the KDL Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE, the event will include yard games and a Halloween craft for children. Also, the first 30 people who come out will be given a farmers goodie bag filled with local produce.
“Some of our vendors, especially those who are seasonal, are not there at this time but it still is a great opportunity to say good-bye to the ones who will be there,” said Denise Dawson, who is the person from the Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department, who oversees the Kentwood Farmers Market.
This year, the closing Harvest Celebration will include food donations for the city’s Little Free Pantry located at the Kentwood Parks and Recreation Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE. The Little Free Pantry is for neighbors helping neighbors with those who can, stocking the pantry, and those in need, taking from it.
This is the third season of the Kentwood Farmers Market and while final numbers for the program will not be available until later this month, Dawson said the Kentwood Farmers Market has meet with much success.
“Residents are really getting use to having the farmers market every Saturday,” she said.
The Kentwood Farmers Market will reopen in June 2018.
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).
It is typically not an easy task for a pet owner to come to the realization that he or she has to return their beloved Crash Cat to us, especially when the kitty in question has been a family member for years, so when an owner contacts us, we try to get as much information as possible so we can make the transition as smooth as possible for both human and feline alike.
We were contacted in mid-August of 2017 because Jamie (formerly known as Phillie) found himself in this unfortunate situation, and in all honesty, we were a bit concerned as to how he would do back at our free-roaming facility, considering he was adopted out over 5-1/2 years prior, and had been the only cat in a household with two adults. But, with his owner becoming a single pet mom and having to travel more than she was home, we all felt it was best to take him back into our furry fold.
Jovial little Jamie, who was born in January of 2008, came in to see Dr. Jen at the clinic before being transferred on down to Crash’s. Dr. Jen did a complete work up on him, since he is now a senior citizen, though quite the spritely one at that. Unfortunately she discovered that he was suffering from early-stage kidney disease and a kidney stones as well; best-case scenario was that infection was causative, but a less likely underlying issue.
At the writing of this biography (early September), he is in the midst of receiving broad-spectrum antibiotics for a total of 6 weeks, just in case bacterial invasion has seeded his unsuspecting kidneys, and he has been put on unlimited canned food to help increase the water content to his diet, flush toxins from building up and also put weight back on his thin frame.
However, don’t fret too much, as he is one helluva happy camper who mingled, meshed and made himself right at home with the other residents almost immediately, which is utterly amazing! Here is what our cat care director had to say about our terrific tuxedo:
“Jamie adjusted so, so well. It only took him a few hours to start exploring, which is pretty good for a cat that had been in a home for so many years. He is very social now and greets everyone who walks in to the shelter. He doesn’t care about the other cats at all, so he could live with or without them. He also talks — a lot!”
And although we fully realize placing an elderly cat with kidney disease in a home is going to be challenging, Jamie is up for it!
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.
Teresa Dood, Parkview Elementary’s Kent School Services Network coordinator, brings an awareness that is deep and real to her job linking families with resources.
For her, navigating complicated systems and overcoming seemingly impossible barriers is personal.
From her school office, Dood explains how heartbreaking experiences can, with time, become life lessons that allow her to relate to other families and empathize with what they face. Consider her current battle: Dood is the single mother of three adopted children, one of whom has Duchenne muscular dystrophy and needs a potentially life-prolonging medication that insurance keeps denying.
A year and a half ago, Dood was fostering her son, now 4, and preparing to adopt him when he was diagnosed with Duchenne, a rare genetic disorder that overwhelmingly affects boys and is characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness. (He and his siblings’ names are not being published due to privacy concerns.) The typical life expectancy of a person with Duchenne is the early 20s.
Teresa Dood welcomes Parkview students to school during drop-off time
“That was devastating to me: to learn that this little boy who I so deeply love would have yet another challenge outside of other early-life trauma to overcome, that will ultimately end his life,” Dood said.
But Dood’s son is among 13 percent of Duchenne patients with a genetic mutation that qualifies him for a newly approved drug called Exondys 51, a gene-skipping therapy, which was given accelerated approval by the Food and Drug Administration. Said Dood, “It has the potential to give him a typical lifespan.”
Teresa Dood checks out fourth-grader Madison Dehaan’s glittery arm
However, the drug costs a minimum $300,000 a year for weekly injections — and Dood’s son needs it for the rest of his life.
She has gone through all internal appeals within Medicaid and received repeated denials, because drug studies on Exondys 51 were not expansive enough. Her claim will next go to an external appeal through the State of Michigan. Other families are facing similar battles to get the drug covered.
“My son won’t get back the skills he has already lost, but it will help maintain his skill levels,” Dood said.
She’s hoping if the external appeal is denied, the drug manufacturer, Sarepta Therapeutics, will cover the cost of the drug because her son can provide valuable data for further study of the medication.
She’s That Go-to Person
At Parkview, where approximately 90 percent of families qualify for free or reduced lunch, Dood works with students and families to eliminate barriers to students’ success at school and establish community partnerships to meet larger schoolwide needs.
A Wyoming native, she has formed partnerships with churches, and received grant funding for a monthly visit from a Feeding America Food Truck. She is starting a program called Good Guys to bring in fathers and other male role models to volunteer.
Parkview teacher Lori Schimmelmann said Dood is the go-to person for many needs at Parkview.
“Teresa gives of herself 110 percent for our Parkview kids,” Schimmelmann said. “When we have a student with a need, Teresa is the first person we call. If she can’t help us, she finds us someone that can. She does everything in her power to make sure that our Parkview kids have what they need to be successful.”
Dood has a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Calvin College. She taught for a brief time before switching to children’s and youth ministry positions at local churches for 10 years. After that, she became a site coordinator for TEAM 21, the after-school program serving Wyoming Public Schools, for several years before beginning as the KSSN coordinator five years ago.
“I am passionate about impacting kids and families in our community, and I’m passionate about education,” Dood said. “I also see how sometimes people’s life challenges get in the way of kids being successful.
“I get excited when I see families come full circle from sometimes needing a lot of supports or resources, to becoming empowered and equipping their family to then being able to share that with others.”
It’s Dood’s everyday interactions with students and families that stands out most, said Principal Katie Jobson.
“Teresa does a great job building relationship with families,” Jobson said. “She brings a good balance between understanding what might be a barrier to families, and seeing the education perspective of what schools are trying to accomplish. She’s really good at bridging those gaps so we are all on the same team.
“Her own unique set of personal experience help her understand where families are coming from in a way that other people may not be able to understand,” she added. “That’s always a comfort to families to understand that somebody gets it.”
Learning the System
Those personal experiences include fostering 20 children over the years and raising her adopted children from infancy. Explained Dood, “I describe foster care as having some of the greatest highs and the greatest lows. There’s amazing joy … yet there’s been some really hard stuff too.”
There’s also been a lot of navigating red tape.
Teresa Dood brings her experiences of fostering and adopting as a single mother to her job connecting families with resources
“I have experiences of going through the IEP (Individualized Education Program for special education students) and having a child with significant behavioral challenges, and I know how it is to work the public mental health system in Kent County,” she said.
She also knows about judgment quickly cast on parents of children with mental health challenges. She wants to lift up families and break down stereotypes and stigmas: “I’ve walked the mental health world with my kids and seen how taxing that is with the other kids in the family and the parents.”
So now she walks beside parents, building relationships and being supportive. To them she can say, “‘You know, I get how hard it is. … I get that it’s hard and I get that it’s a sacrifice, but your kid needs you to be part of the solution.'”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
Within a year, the intersection of 56th Street and Ivanrest Avenue will have a traffic light.
At its regular Monday night meeting, the Wyoming City Council moved forward on improvements for 56th Avenue – which includes the new traffic signal – by formally accepting the agreement with the Michigan Department of Transportation for the reconstruction project.
The project, which is scheduled to start in July of 2018, will include the widening of 56th Street for the addition of a third lane along with sidewalk on the south side and the widening of the bike path on the north side, said Wyoming Public Works Director Bill Dooley during the Monday night council meeting.
“Probably the most key to the people out there right now is that we are going to signalize the intersection at 56th and Ivanrest and that was called for in that report for that development over there at Wilson and 56th Street as well,” Dooley said. The intersection is currently a four-way stop. The development Dooley is referring to is the PUD project the Granger Group has been developing and which has met with much opposition from residents. The Wyomig City Council has table that project to November
“We wanted to start this year [on 56th Street] but it took longer to get the right-a-ways for the project which have been acquired now,” Dooley said. “We normally would start first thing next spring but Maple Hill Golf Course has a big 40-year celebration and they asked us if we could wait until that is complete which will take place in June. So we will be starting right around the first of July.”
The construction costs are estimated at about $2.4 million which includes the city’s portion of $630,500. Dooley note that the cost does not include the city’s engineering and other expenses, which will bring the total project to about $3 million. The city will pay for its portion of construction costs out of its Capital Improvement Fund.
Because there are federal monies involved in the project, MDOT will handling the biding process, Dooley said, adding that the project will be put out for bid this fall.
Library Sidewalk
The Wyoming City Council also accepted a bid for the construction of a concrete sidewalk and lighting to replace an existing dirt path that residents have been taking to get to the KDL Wyoming Branch campus at 3350 Michael Ave. SW. The project was awarded to Weick Bros., Inc, for $44,209.25, which was higher than the planned budget for the project as safety lighting was added to it.
Currently residents east of the library from the Herman Avenue area have been using a dirt trail to reach the facility. With increase use of the trail, it was determined to improve the pathway and safety of residents with concrete and additional lighting, according to Mayor Jack Poll.
The Wyoming City Council meets the first and third Mondays of the month at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at the Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW. The meetings are broadcast live on WKTV Channel 26 and rebroadcast at 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays.
The train was four cars long and at least two cars derailed. Officials are reporting that there are no hazardous substances on the train.
According to an update from Wyoming Department of Public Safety, the engine was pushing three rail cars that derailed.
The engine is still on the tracks. The reason that the rail cars derailed was due to a safety mechanism that was put on the tracks for rail workers further up the line. According to the report, the safety mechanism is designed to derail the cars to protect the workers. This is much like a “lock out” tag system used by electrical or mechanical engineers / maintenance workers so that machines don’t start up while they are performing maintenance work. Police said the system did exactly what it was designed to do. Officials said they have been told that normally these derailers are placed a little further down the line so that if cars are derailed they don’t block the roadway.
There has been a report of one minor injury reported (sprained ankle) to one railroad worker.
Currently 36th Street is blocked at Buchanan Avenue SW on the east end and it will be blocked at Clay Avenue on the west end while the rail cars are taken care of. Also all vehicles that take the north bound off ramp from 131 to 36th Street will be directed to the west. Drivers are being encouraged to find alternative routes.
The Wyoming Department of Public Safety said it does not have an anticipated time that the roadway will open. Officials said barricades will be in place to assist with traffic control.
The Public Museum’s Beer Explorers program will again team with Brewery Vivant to offer a class on how and why beer tastes so darn good. (Supplied)
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
The Muskegon Oktoberfest 2-day fundraiser for Muskegon Winter Sports Complex is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Oct. 6-7, will include a “beer trail” event Saturday from 5-9 p.m. and features specially brewed beers from Pigeon Hill Brewing Company, Unruly Brewing Co., Fetch Brewing Co., and Grand Armory Brewing Company.
Beers from several other craft breweries, hard ciders and wine will be available. (Domestic beer will also be available, but not sure why.) Five biergartens throughout the trail will feature live musical acts, with the Oktoberfest main stage featuring headlining act Westside Soul Surfers from 7-1 p.m.
The fun begins Friday with a “tapping of the kegs” ceremony and a 5K Fun Trail Run under the lights at Muskegon State Park. Saturday, from 3-9 p.m., family events are planned with kid’s activities including a wheel luge track, archery, a pumpkin roll down the luge track and more. Music from traditional German band Ein Prosit will begins at 3:30 p.m.
Free shuttle service will be available to transport guests due to limited parking at the Winter Sports Complex. Shuttle service will run Friday, 6-11:30 p.m., and Saturday, 5-11:30 p.m., with pick up at the state park beach parking lot and the Block House. Guests are encouraged to use the shuttle system to alleviate parking and traffic congestion around the sports complex.
KDL Uncorked program continues with tours, ‘Ladies Night’
The Kent District Library’s Uncorked program will continue with three programs this month, starting Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 7 p.m. with a tour and talk at Gray Skies Distillery, and including later in the month a mead tour at Arktos Meadery, a ladies night wine tasting, and “Geeks Who Drink” quiz night.
The tour at Grey Skies, located at 700 Ottawa NW, Grand Rapids, includes a tasting and behind the scenes look at the process of creating spirits.
The tour of Arktos Meadery, 251 Center Ave. SW, Grand Rapids, will be Wednesday, Oct. 11, at 5 p.m. This tour — which requires pre-registration — will look at how mead is made and have a tasting event.
Also on Wednesday, Oct. 11, from 6-8 p.m., KDL will continue its “KDL Uncorked: Ladies Night”, this time at the East Grand Rapids branch, 746 Lakeside Dr. SE. Wine tasting will be provided by The Crushed Grape, and chocolate and cheese tastings will be provided by The Cheese Lady. During the program, participants will learn about wine pairings and how to create their own.
Finally, on Thursday, Oct. 26, from 7-9 p.m., a special event “Geeks Who Drink” quiz night will be held at the Atwater Brewery, 201 Michigan St. NW, in Grand Rapids. According to supplied material: “If you possess encyclopedic knowledge about “Seinfeld,” can recite Sonic Youth’s entire discography in chronological order, or you want to impress your friend by showing off your otherwise useless knowledge, then this event is for you.”
All programs are for adults, age 21 and older. For more information on any of the events visit kdl.org .
GRAM’s Beer Explorers teams with Brewery Vivant, GRCC
The Grand Rapids Public Museum, in partnership with Brewery Vivant and Grand Rapids Community College, will present a Beer Explorers class examining the science of tasting, on Thursday, Oct. 12.
Brewery Vivant’s Ryan Engeman and GRCC brewery students will host three interactive beer stations, each related to a different sense. According to supplied information, participants will learn how our brains process flavor profiles, and learn about aroma, color, feel and taste of beer.
The Class begins at 6:30 p.m. and will be held on the first floor of GRPM. Admission to class includes three beer samples, as well as access to the Museum’s first two floors to explore, and a cash bar will be available. Participants must be 21 and older. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $20 for non-members and can be purchased at grpm.org/calendar.
Kids can get into the ArtPrize Nine action this weekend at the Grand Rapids Art Museum’s (GRAM) drop-in studios.
“Mighty Chrysanthemum Tree” by Mel Watkins
The GRAM’s ArtPrize drop-in studios will feature a project based on one of its ArtPrize exhibits, Mighty Chrysanthemum Tree by Mel Watkins. The piece is based on the artist’s love and respect for the trees and flowers surrounding her farmhouse in rural southern Illinois. The piece has a menacing aspect to it, because even though nature is beautiful, it can also be deadly. “Mighty Chrysanthemum Tree” imagines a tree-sized handful of Chrysanthemums swaying ominously overhead.
Kids and families will be able to create their own beautiful, and even a bit menacing, flower prints using stamps they can craft from clay. In addition, the GRAM has created a large-scale, collaborative flower garden on the walls of its studio. Guests can use their stamps to add their own unique flower to the flower garden.
The event is free and open during the last weekend of ArtPrize Nine, from 1-4 p.m. on both Saturday, Oct. 7, and Sunday, Oct. 8. There is no need to register in advance, but more information can be found at artmuseumgr.org or by calling 616-831-1000.
The six-member Expedition 53 crew poses for an official crew portrait at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Seated in the front (from left) are Flight Engineer Alexander Misurkin of Roscosmos and Commander Randy Bresnik of NASA. Standing in the back (from left) are NASA astronauts Joe Acaba and Mark Vande Hei, Sergey Ryazanskiy of Roscosmos and Paolo Nespoli of the European Space Agency. (NASA photo)
Be sure to tune in to WKTV Government 26 for our upcoming Special Programming Event from NASA TV.
On Thursday, Oct. 5, the WKTV Government 26 channel will be featuring the ISS Expedition 53 U.S. Spacewalk. Coverage begins at approximately 6:30 a.m. with the Spacewalk scheduled to start at 8:05 a.m. The Spacewalk is expected to last six and half hours.
For more information on the spacewalk, log on to www.nasa.gov. NASA TV can be seen on the WKTV 26 Government Channel and on AT&T U-verse Government Channel 99.
With the second weekend of ArtPrize in full swing and people casting last-minute votes for their favorite works of art, Wyoming-Kentwood Community Media’s VOICES: a community history projectpowered by WKTV rolled out the red carpet and welcomed scores of visitors to tour our renovated 1958 Airstream® mobile studio and learn more about the oral history project.
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.
VOICES is 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.
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.
VOICES is available year-round. Our mobile studio will be at ArtPrize Nine again, Friday and Saturday, Oct. 6-7 from 10am-8pm*. Thereafter, it will travel to other locations.
Monday-Friday, Oct. 16-20 — Wyoming Public Library (3350 Michael Ave SW, Wyoming, MI) from 10am-8pm*, and Monday-Thursday, Oct. 23-Oct. 26, from 10am-8pm*.
Monday-Thursday, Nov. 6-9 and Monday-Thursday, Nov. 13-16 — Kentwood Public Library (4950 Breton Rd SE, Kentwood, MI), from 10am-8pm*.
How well students achieve in school is often connected to the income levels of their families. This set of stories explores some of this data and how schools with lower income families are working to remove barriers to student learning
At Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, the Kent County district with the lowest family income, the correlation between M-STEP scores and poverty is stark. More than 90 percent of students qualify for free or reduced priced lunch in the one-square mile district and 27 percent of third-graders are proficient in English language arts. The statewide average is 44.1 percent.
Poverty is a major factor considered in instruction practices, wrap-around services and ongoing education reform efforts. Superintendent Kevin Polston pointed out where Godfrey-Lee third graders fall on a graph (see above) that illustrates the link between poverty and third-grade reading proficiency. “It shows the impact that poverty has on achievement.”
“Ideally, we want to be one of these outliers,” he said, referring to schools on the graph that are high achievers despite high poverty rates. Those, sadly, are few and far between.
There has to be a big-picture approach when dealing with poverty in schools in order to disrupt the impact on student achievement, he said.
Godfrey-Lee is focused on first meeting basic needs, food, water, warmth and rest, so learning can take place. “The basics of life for some kids are not basic,” said Assistant Superintendent Carol Lautenbach.
To meet those needs – so students are in the classrooms ready to learn – the district has in place Kent School Services Network, which provides dental, health and vision services; Kids Food Basket, which provides sack suppers for children to bring home after school, and universal free breakfast and lunch programs.
Those type of things help build foundations for student learning, Lautenbach said, “Those are really tangible ways we are trying to bridge the gap for kids,” she said.
Recognizing Their Strengths
But there’s another piece in educating students in poverty that often gets overlooked: the strengths they already have. “I don’t like the term disadvantaged,” Polston said.
“Any of our folks intimately involved with this are very good at looking at the hidden strengths that we sometimes ask people to check at the door,” Lautenbach added.
Many people who live in poverty, such as immigrant and refugee students are risk-takers because they have to be. Those experiences can be part of creating the foundation for success that goes way beyond knowing content.
The district is using a strength-based Learner Profile based on the6Cs, skills considered vital for success in future careers. They are collaboration, communication, critical thinking, creative innovation and confidence along with content-knowledge. It’s a strength-based system, Lautenbach explained.
But despite their strengths, children who live in poverty often have limited experiences compared to more affluent families. Seeing Lake Michigan, for example, is different than looking at a picture of it. The district works to provide opportunities for students to experience and explore.
“Their worlds are very small and focused on family, or survival or a small geographic area. (We ask) ‘How can we create more experiences for them so they have more to draw on?’ Lautenbach said. Barriers to reaching reading proficiency can include minimal exposure to academic vocabulary, a lack of books in the home or access to preschool programs.
Kelloggsville Staff Focusing on Poverty & Learning
Kelloggsville Public Schools, where 79 percent of students qualify for free and reduced lunch, is also digging deep into meeting the learning needs of students by assisting with basic needs and building relationships. Staff members are continuing a district-wide book study on “Teaching with Poverty in Mind,” by Erik Jensen, a former reading teacher who synthesizes brain research and develops practical applications for educators.
Assistant Superintendent Tammy Savage said students raised in poverty often live day-to-day and aren’t empowered with information about what they can become in the future. She’s not disparaging their parents, she explained, as many are working so hard to make ends meet, they can’t easily focus beyond the present.
“Parents in poverty are in survival mode rather than in the mode of teaching their children what they can be. It’s a cycle and it’s hard to break,” Savage said.
Still, Kelloggsville is making strides, she said, that are reflected in data. On M-STEP, 31.9 percent of third graders were proficient in ELA, but that’s just one piece. “We can pull out data from the classroom that shows huge gains from the beginning to end of the school year.”
Statewide Reading Scores Tend to Follow Poverty or Wealth
This chart provides a visual depiction –statewide — of the impact of poverty combined with test scores in M-STEP 3rd grade reading. Each dot represents a school building. On the left is the percent of students who scored “proficient,” with zero at the bottom and 100 percent at the top. The data below is the percent of students qualifying for free and reduced lunch, a common poverty indicator, with zero per cent of students at the left and 100 percent of students on the right.
Although many high-poverty schools, according to this chart, struggle with reading proficiency, there are also many scoring quite high. These schools, despite issues of poverty, are finding ways to help students read well. Figuring out how they are accomplishing this and duplicating their success is the mission of Reading Now Network. All 20 of the districts within Kent ISD are participants in this network of hundreds of schools.
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
Jerry Byrne, deputy managing director of operations for the Kent County Road Commission, on the set of WKTV Journal: In Focus. (WKTV)
WKTV Staff
news@wktv.org
On the latest episode of WKTV’s public affairs show, “WKTV Journal: In Focus”, there is roadwork happening all over the region, and winter not far away, so who better to talk with than the deputy managing director of the Kent County Road Commission as he discusses the public’s role in work zone safety and winter driving safety.
Also on the show Godfrey-Lee Public School superintendent Kevin Polston talks about the opportunities — not challenges — his district offers, including have a large Hispanic student body from households where Spanish my still be the dominate language.
The new episode will air twice a week on WKTV channels starting this week and running through Oct. 5. Along with all episodes of WKTV Journal: In Focus, the new interviews are also available on YouTube at WKTVVideos.
“Motorists need to be aware, when you see flashing lights, amber or green, that there is a municipal worker working within the road right-of-way,” said Jerry Byrne, deputy managing director of operations for the Kent County Road Commission, in an interview with In Focushost Ken Norris. “You (the public) have to give their undivided attention in work zones … give it 100 percent of your attention for that few minutes.”
“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.
“During such scary periods, you should never forget two things: First, widespread fear is your friend as an investor, because it serves up bargain purchases. Second, personal fear is your enemy.”
This is a good time to talk about scary markets, since we haven’t experienced a severe one in a while.
Scanning financial news in our calm market, you’ll find the usual range of attempted interpretation about our current market: “We are worried about …” “Economic indicators suggest that …” “Geopolitical events are likely to …” and so on.
While it’s highly unlikely the market will remain this calm forever, nobody can predict when it might turn, or why or how dramatically it may spike back up when it does. We counsel against shifting your portfolio in reaction to near-term forecasts. Instead, let’s use the relative calm as a perfect time to do a reality check on what scary markets really represent, and how to manage them when they occur.
Contrary to common perception, scary markets can be your friend.Instead of fussing over when the next market downturn may or may not occur, here are some great questions to consider:
Are you taking on enough stock market risk in your portfolio to capture a measure of expected returns when they occur?
Are you fortifying your exposure to market risks and expected returns with enough lower-risk holdings, so you won’t fall prey to your fears the next time markets tumble?
Have you assessed whether your current portfolio mix is optimized to achieve your personal goals and have those goals changed?
Does your current portfolio mix of safer/riskier holdings accurately reflect what you’ve learned from past markets?
Have you carefully considered what a 30% or so market downturn would mean to you in real dollars and cents?
You can prepare for the next down market by having a well-planned portfolio in place today — one you can stick with through thick and thin. Neither too “hot” nor too “cold”, your portfolio should be just right for you. It should reflect your financial goals. It should be structured to capture an appropriate measure of expected returns during good times, and allow you to effectively manage your personal fears throughout.
A new exhibit titled, “50/50: Of Color and Black & White,” by local artist Bill Chardon, opens at the Leep Art Gallery on October 5 at the Postma Center on the Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services campus in Grand Rapids.
The exhibit works will reflect a broad range of interests from the artist’s last ten years. In that sense, it is a retrospective, with the earliest photographic works being “Cattle Guard” and “Andrew’s Tree,” and more recent works such as “Enduring” and “Jeckyll #1.”
“While reviewing the images I’ve chosen I realized that there are an almost equal number of color and black and white photographs. It wasn’t intentional, but is reflective of my work,” says artist Bill Chardon. “The juxtaposition of colors has always intrigued me; and I find a well-conceived black and white image just as compelling for the juxtaposition of values. For me, there is no judging which is more worthy. There is only recognition that they can both render a compelling story.”
Chardon grew up in Northern New Jersey about 20 miles west of Manhattan. In the 1960s, this area was small-town, somewhat rural America, with woods and streams to explore, and he developed a deep connection and appreciation for the natural world. After high school he attended Calvin College where he graduated with a BA in Art, and Kendall College of Art and Design with a BFA in Advertising Design. For almost 40 years, graphic design has been his profession.
“A judge’s statement for a show I participated in said that an image should have a ‘hook’; something that pulls the viewer in. This description had an impact on me; and since then I have been more conscious of what that ‘hook’ may be in a particular image,” says Charon. “Whatever the ‘hook’ is in a particular photograph, my ultimate goal as a photographer is to engage you.”
Chardon’s work has been exhibited in a number of venues in the Midwest and has received special recognition from B&W Magazine, The Muskegon Museum of Art, and Grand Rapids Festival of the Arts. He has been a participant in ArtPrize for the past five years with this year’s exhibit at the Women’s City Club.
The Pine Rest Leep Art Gallery exhibit will be on display at the Postma Center located at 300 68thStreet, SE, Grand Rapids, Mich., from October 5 until December 29, 2017. The Leep Art Gallery is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. and is free and open to the public. For more information, please call 616.222.4530 or go to www.pinerest.org/events.
Did you know: 3.5 million people in the U.S. have HEP C. About half don’t even know they have it. Baby Boomers are five times more likely to have HEP C than any other age group. HEP C is not part of a routine blood test. People may have the disease with no symptoms.
WKTV is joining the Jimmie Van Zant HEP C Awareness Initiative and the “Get Tested, Get Cured” Project. The new music video Your Song which promotes HEP C awareness will premiere on WKTV on Tuesday, October 3 @ 7:25pm.
The Van Zant name is one of the most instantly recognizable and respected in all of rock music — a long line of musicians who have left their mark on popular music for the past several decades, including original Lynyrd Skynyrd singer Ronnie, modern day Skynyrd singer Johnny, .38 Special singer/guitarist Donnie, and solo artist Jimmie.
Jimmie built up a large and loyal following during the ’90s and early 21st century on the strength of such albums as The Jimmie Van Zant Band (1996), Southern Comfort (2000), and Feels Like Freedom (2012); he also performed over 200 shows per year. Sadly, the southern rock veteran succumbed to liver cancer in 2016, brought on by Hepatitis C, which Jimmie did not know he had until it was too late. But thanks to his friend/band mate, Gary Dvorkin, Jimmie’s tragic passing will soon make a difference in raising money for the American Cancer Society, and also creating awareness concerning Hepatitis C.
As Dvorkin explained, “It is our hope that by doing this, we honor Jimmie and perhaps do our small part in bringing about a better mode of treatment for those stricken by this horrible illness, so that they might have a better chance of survival than Jimmie did.”
The song is downloadable from iTunes, Google Play or Amazon. One hundred percent of all funds and profits from song sales will flow directly to PreventCancer.org.
Dolores Huerta at the 2012 Induction of the Farm Worker Movement into the Labor Hall of Honor in the Great Hall (Official Department of Labor Photograph)
For most people, say farmworkers rights and they immediate think of Ceasar Chavez. It is only expected since he has been honored with a stamp, roads have been named after him and even buildings such as the Grand Rapids’ Cesar E. Chavez Elementary.
Say the name Dolores Huerta and most of those same people would go “who?” She is not a household name such as Chavez but her importance to the success of the United Farm Workers union – which she and Chavez co-founded – is no less than Chavez.
And Latino activist and rock ‘n’ roll icon Carlos Santana hoped to right that wrong by making the documentary “Dolores.”
Dolores Huerta
In honor of Hispanic Heritage month, which goes through Oct. 15, WKTV will air “The Kamla Show” featuring Dolores Huerta and filmmaker Peter Bratt, who will discuss the documentary that was premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, recently released to theaters and set to air on PBS in 2018. “The Kamla Show” will air on WKTV 25 Monday, Oct. 2, at 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 11 30 a.m. and Friday, Oct. 6, at noon and 7:30 p.m.
Huerta, now 87, is still not messing around with her mission of empowerment. She moved on from the UFW after Chavez’s death in 1993 to found the Dolores Huerta Foundation, which provides leadership training in the grassroots style of activism she helped to pioneer. Huerta travels throughout the country spreading her message, but continues to focus most of her efforts in the Latino agricultural communities of the California’s Central Valley.
An employment gap is an extended period of unemployment on a resume. Employment gaps occur for many reasons: staying home to care for children or an ill family member; a lay off and extended job search; a medical condition.
Whatever the reason, a gap in your employment history can be a red flag to potential employers and can be uncomfortable to discuss. If you have a gap on your resume, you will most likely be asked about it in an interview. Here are a few tips on how to discuss this with a potential employer.
Prepare. Create a compelling answer. Your statement should highlight activities you engaged in during the gap that are relevant to the job you are applying for. Practice answering the question before the interview so you come across as calm and confident.
Don’t hide it. It can be tempting to change your resume format to try to cover up an employment gap. Most hiring managers will see right through that. Instead, explain the gap in your cover letter and offer to answer any questions a potential employer might have.
Be honest. Even if you were serving time in prison, be honest about how you spent your time. It is better to be up front about situations you aren’t proud of than to lie and have an employer learn about it later.
Stay positive. Focus on what you learned and how you grew during that time. How did you spend your time? If you volunteered or participated in training, include that in your resume or cover letter.
Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.
From left to right, Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley, Chamber forum moderator Kathy Bates, Chamber President Bob O’Callaghan and mayoral candidate Scott Urbanowski . (Supplied)
While there are actually six City of Kentwood elected positions on the Nov. 7 ballot, only the position of mayor and one of the 1st Ward commissioner seats find incumbents facing challenge.
But the candidates for those seats were face-to-face recently as the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual candidate forum at the Kentwood City Library — and WKTV was there, covering it all, and now those forums are available to the public either on our cable channels or on-demand over the Internet.
During the candidate forum, Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley and challenger Scott Urbanowski answered questions selected by the chamber and the audience, as did incumbent commissioner Jerry DeMaagd and challenger Emily Bridson.
WKTV’s initial rebroadcasts of the Sept. 21 candidate forum will be on Comcast Channel 26 and AT&T Channel 99 Government Friday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m., with the commissioner forum first, then again on Saturday, Sept. 30, at noon, with the mayoral forum first.
Both programs are available on-demand over the internet at wktv.viebit.com.
Jerry DeMaagd.
At the candidate forum, Commissioner DeMaagd, who is running for a second term, touted his being a longtime Kentwood resident as well as his efforts for long-term city planning — “I have a passion for organization,” he said at one point.
Emily Bridson
Bridson, who said she moved to the city in 2011 and bought a home two years ago because “I have a passion for this city”, stressed her work for the city as a planning commission member, a park and recreation commission member, and on the current 50th anniversary committee.
Scott Urbanowski
During the mayoral forum, Urbanowski introduced himself by saying he has “worked, studied, lived and prayed in this city,” and repeatedly stated that “the city could be better managed.”
Stephen Kepley
Mayor Kepley, as part of his discussion, said that he is proud of his and the city’s accomplishments during his tenure — “We have a great report card.” And he pointed out that in a strong mayor governing system, as Kentwood has, “This is a big job. There is no learning curve.”
The mayor and the 1st Ward positions are each 4-year terms. Also on the ballot for new 4-year terms are Commissioner Member At Large incumbent Betsy A. Artz, Commissioner 2nd Ward incumbent Tom McKelvey, incumbent city clerk Dan Kasunic and incumbent city treasurer Laurie Sheldon.
Also on the ballot in Kentwood will be the renewal of The Rapid’s operating millage which funds the greater Grand Rapids public transportation system.
During ArtPrize Nine the Grand Rapids Public Museum will be open with regular Museum hours and half off general admission fees.
This means that a Kent County adult resident who would normally pay $5 would pay $2.50. Kent County seniors and students go from $3 to $1.50 each.
The Museum will be showcasing “Brain: The World Inside Your Head” traveling exhibit, free with paid admission. This exhibit takes visitors through the human head, learning about neurons firing, how the brain works and much more.
The GRPM will once again host an outdoor exhibition in which the artwork will visually lend itself to the setting of the Museum grounds. Each year the GRPM curates a rewarding experience with approachable art that is intriguing, distinctive and engages the viewer’s capacity for awe and curiosity. Located in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids along the busy river walkway, the GRPM is able to offer a 24-hour experience.
The GRPM will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays through Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays of ArtPrize. For more information about artists, exhibitions, special programming and tickets visit grpm.org.
Foster care in Michigan is often difficult to navigate and measuring outcomes is complicated. West Michigan Partnership for Children (WMPC) is the result of direct, intentional change in how child welfare services are delivered throughout Kent County. Representatives from Kent County, Michigan Department of Health & Human Services, Network180, the 17th Circuit Court and local child welfare agencies (including Bethany Christian Services, Catholic Charities West Michigan, D.A. Blodgett/St. John’s, Samaritas, and Wellspring Lutheran Services) are partnering to create WMPC in an effort to drive improved outcomes for children in the foster care system.
Kent County is the only county in Michigan with such a pilot, which officially launches on Oct. 1. Several other counties have expressed interest in the program. WMPC will pilot a performance-based contract, utilizing a case rate that incentivizes permanency while allowing for flexibility and creativity in funds. Staff will use software that allows for predictive analytics to project successful outcomes and flag cases that are at risk.
Kent County Interim Administrator/Controller Wayman Britt believes successful outcomes can be achieved through public/private collaborations between child and family focused agencies, school districts, foundations, business leaders and County staff who put the needs of displaced and vulnerable children first. “These agencies have been working together on improving these systems and outcomes for children for several years though the Kent County Families and Children Coordinating Council (KCFCCC),” said Britt. “Kent County is an innovator and leader in the State of Michigan as it relates to quality, outcome driven programs and services for children in the foster care and child protection systems. Forming West Michigan Partnership for Children is the most logical next step.”
Oversight will include a Child Welfare Advisory Committee made of judiciary members and court administration, community members, and representatives of County Administration. The committee will be tasked to do the following:
Review performance data of the Kent County Department of Health and Human Service (DHHS) Office for child protection investigations outcomes and in-home child welfare services, and WMPC for out-of- home child welfare services.
Provide constructive feedback to the KCFCCC, WMPC, and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services related to performance trends and community support in order to improve outcomes.
When Wyoming resident Lyle Converse received a letter of his pending reappointment to the city’s Officers Compensation Commission, it was then that he realized “I just wasn’t sure I could do another seven years.”
It was then that the 91-year-old decided to retire from public service having served on various city boards and commissions for 45 years.
“Well certainly on behalf of a very grateful city, thank you for your many years of service,” said Mayor Jack Poll during the Sept. 18 Wyoming City Council meeting where Converse was honored for his years of service. “As long as I have been mayor, I have always ended every letter that I sent out and other things to ‘be involved, be informed” and certainly you are the epitome of being involved and being informed.”
Lyle Converse when he ran for Wyomig City Council
Poll noted that Converse brought so much knowledge to the several boards he served which included the city’s Officers Compensation Commission, the Economic Development Corporation, the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, and the Planning Commission.
“You have served our city wonderfully well but all good things have to come to an end,” Poll said. “Your years of service will always be remembered fondly and we appreciate everything you’ve done.”
For which Converse than received a standing ovation from the crowd. “I never get standing ovations and you were never mayor for crying out load,” Poll said with a chuckle to Converse.
“Well, I ran for the seat once,” Converse responded. It was through the urging of some friends that Converse ran for the Wyoming City Council in 1969. Converse would not win but he was appointed to the Economic Development Corporation which later became part of the Brownfield Development Authority.
Lyle Converse with his wife
Converse came to Grand Rapids in the 1940s on a GI Bill to attend Davenport College. Earl Robson, who owned Robson Department Store on Division Avenue, was looking for a sales person, so Converse took the job with the intention of getting his feet wet in sales for a year and moving on. Converse stayed, eventually taking over the store and finally closing it in 1993.
“When Lyle recently turn in his resignation from the Officers Compensation Committee, the city clerk looked at his past history with our community and realized that he had served the city faithfully for 45 years,” said Wyoming Assistant City Manager Megan Sall. “He was one of the founding fathers of the commission.”
And while Converse may have founded the Officers Compensation Committee, he is more well known for coming up with the idea of the Wyoming Rodeo which was operated out of Lamar Park for almost 25 years. He also served in the South Kent Chamber of Commerce and the Wyoming Chamber of Commerce, which at the time was a branch of the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, according Converse.
Poll said the city has a number of openings available on various commissions and boards. For more information contact the Wyoming City Clerk’s Office at 616-530-7296.
Serving the community, according to Converse, is an important part of being in that community.
“It’s rewarding,” he said. “You meet a lot of people. You help promote the city.
“For myself, if I was to do it over again, I think I would probably do the same thing. Overall you get more out of it than what you give and I think we should all give back to our community for what the community does for us.”
GFIA celebrates with a ribbon-cutting event to official open the Gateway Transformation Project. (Supplied photo.)
Construction on the first phase of the Gerald R. Ford International Airport’s (GFIA) Gateway Transformation Project started in December 2015, and concluded today with a ribbon-cutting celebration with sponsors, tenants, airport staff, and dignitaries. The event recognized project sponsors and tenant partners for their support of the project, believed to be the largest of its kind of any airport in the country.
A view of the new concourse. (Supplied photo.)
“The key to this entire project is partnerships, we really could not have done this without the support of our airline partners, TSA, tenants, concessionaires, staff, and our tremendous sponsors,” said GFIA President & CEO Jim Gill. “How many airports in the country can say they asked their community to support a project like this, and that community came through? We have an exceptional, philanthropic spirit here in West Michigan, and that is now showcased through our gateway to the world.”
The first phase of the Gateway Transformation Project included a consolidated passenger security checkpoint which centralized and combined security screening to one main checkpoint in the airport, eliminating separate screening for passengers traveling through either Concourse A or B.
Another concourse view. (Supplied photo.)
New finishes include terrazzo flooring, lighting fixtures, restrooms & nursing rooms, family restrooms, pre-and post-security kids play areas, pre and post security business centers, meet and greet space, and much more.
“For four straight years we have seen record passenger growth, and we are on pace to make it a fifth. We saw a need to make improvements for the passengers, and to continue to deliver top-notch customer service and amenities,” said GFIA Board Chairman Roger Morgan. “We are committed to being West Michigan’s gateway to the world. We want people to step off the plane and know they’re in West Michigan.”
New retail space includes “A Touch of Grand Rapids” store, a partnership with Hudson News, and new food and beverage space include a Starbucks post-security, and Prospect Hill Brewhouse, a collaboration with HMSHost.
“HMSHost is thrilled to be a part of Gerald R. Ford International Airport’s Gateway Transformation Project. With the recent openings of Prospect Hill and Starbucks, HMSHost has brought both local and national favorites to Grand Rapids travelers,” said HMSHost Vice President of Business Development Bryan Loden. “We’re honored to continue our partnership with the airport, and our partner Steve Jenkins of Diversified Installations, to elevate the traveler experience with even more great food and drink options to kick off their journey.”
The lounge area. (Supplied photo)
Of the $45 million project, over $17 million was raised through sponsorships, with the remainder of the support coming from airport funds and passenger facility charges. Sponsorships included an $8 million donation from Amway as the title sponsor of the Gateway Transformation Project. eSpring drinking fountains and other Amway branding is seen throughout the airport space.
Other sponsorships of $1 million and up include Meijer, SpartanNash, Spectrum Health, Steelcase, and Wolverine Worldwide. SpartanNash is scheduled to complete a Military Welcome Center in late October with a ribbon-cutting set for Thursday, November 9th – right before Veterans Day weekend. Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital has redesigned and added new Kids Play Areas, family restrooms and nursing rooms for new mothers; and Steelcase has outfitted four business lounges pre-and-post security with its collection of office furniture.
Sponsorships of $100,000 and up include:
Betz Industries
Bissell Foundation
CDV 5 Foundation
Chemical Bank
Dick & Betsy DeVos
Richard & Helen DeVos
The Frey Foundation
Herman Miller
Hudsonville Ice Cream
Peter & Joan Secchia
Sponsorships of $15,000 and up include:
* Christman Company * Irwin Seating
* Fifth Third Bank
* Old National Bank
* PNC Bank
* RoMan Manufacturing
* Warner, Norcross and Judd
The checkpoint area. (Supplied photo)
“These sponsorships are a reflection of the level of commitment, pride, and passion so many have for our community,” said Bill Payne, Vice Chairman of Amway, Chairman of the Regional Air Alliance, and Gateway Transformation Campaign Cabinet Member. “Having a modern, world-class airport is critical to West Michigan’s economic vitality, and this will be the reason West Michigan continues to attract more business, more jobs, and more people for generations to come.”
A reconstructed indoor observation area on the mezzanine of the Grand Hall where passengers may see friends and loved ones depart for their flight is also a part of the newly designed space.
The airport is working with the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation to incorporate an exhibit dedicated to the 38th President, which will be pre-security as a part of the new Grand Hall design. The exhibit will include photos, an aircraft carrier model, displays, and rotating historical pieces from the Gerald R. Ford Museum, and is slated to open with a celebration and ribbon-cutting on October 17.
Construction spanned 21 months, is estimated to have utilized 223,200 man hours, and expanded the Airport building by over 59,000 square feet.
A second phase, which will include improvements to the airline ticketing, baggage screening, and baggage claim areas, is currently in the design phase. Construction is slated to begin in 2018. The total cost of the entire project will be $45 million.
The author of the Jedi Academy books and the Star Wars: Darth Vader and Kids Academy series will be visiting Schuler Books & Music Wednesday, Oct. 18.
You’re prioritizing easy access over solid security with weak or absent locks and passwords.
