For the past 16 years, the Johnson Center for Philanthropy has collected data about Grand Rapid’s residents’ attitudes on various topics concerning our community. This year, in partnership with the Kent County Health Department, the survey has expanded its reach to all of Kent County. The survey is designed to connect demographics with residents’ opinions, attitudes and perceptions. Topics include basic needs, health care, neighborhood safety, employment, education, racism and discrimination.
The goal of the survey is to provide objective data to residents, nonprofits, governments, businesses and other decision makers to help them better understand and meet the needs of our community. Because of the great value this survey provides, many organizations help distribute the survey to their clients. For example, low-income residents who receive services from ACSET Community Action Agency (CAA) will be asked to participate.
If you would like to participate, hard copies are available at the ACSET CAA office in the Kent County Human Services Complex at 121 Franklin St SE, Grand Rapids, MI. Or, you can access the survey online where there is also a Spanish version available. Participants who submit the online survey can register to win prizes for their participation!
Want to make your voice heard? Visit VoiceKent.org and get started. The survey will only take about 15 minutes. Your participation will help community organizations across the county better serve our community.
Your Community in Action! is provided by ASCET Community Action Agency. To learn more about how they help meet emergency needs and assist with areas of self-sufficiency, visit www.communityactionkent.org.
An Aussie/Kiwi couple moves from Down Under to Up Over. Pamela and Craig Benjamin discuss their personal mid-life moves. Changing hemispheres and changing careers in the land of opportunity.
Ferris State University’s (FSU) College of Health Professionals announces that its Molecular Diagnostics program, located at the university’s Grand Rapids campus, has received national accreditation through the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) as a Diagnostic Molecular Scientist training program.
The program is one of only two accredited molecular diagnostics programs in Michigan, and one of only nine programs in the United States.
NAACLS accreditation is voluntary and requires the program to meet or exceed standards for the faculty, curriculum, and institution involved in training laboratory professionals for this cutting-edge field of clinical medicine.
“This accreditation will have a positive impact on our students, both by allowing them to qualify for certification once they graduate, and also by holding us accountable to NAACLS’ high standards for curriculum, transparency, and continuous improvement of the program.” said Dr. Jacqueline Peacock, Molecular Diagnostics program director. “Our graduates are able to fill clinical positions in the workforce immediately after graduation.”
As graduates of a NAACLS accredited program, FSU molecular diagnostics graduates are now able to sit for the certification exam as a Molecular Biology Technologist with the American Society for Clinical Pathology, which recognizes NAACLS accredited programs. Without this accreditation, graduates are required to have a full year of work experience before they could sit for the exam.
“Our Molecular Diagnostics program at Ferris State University currently has 12 clinical affiliations at well-respected clinical, research, and business facilities from which our senior students may choose to intern.” said David Petillo, Ph.D., MT(ASCP)CMMB, clinical coordinator\assistant professor, College of Health Professions, Molecular Diagnostics Program. “These internship opportunities allow our students a substantial advantage in pursuing both immediate employment and graduate opportunities.”
For more information about the program, visit ferris.edu.
When Carol Paine-McGovern sees child poverty continuing to rise in Kent County, she takes some comfort in the work local schools and their communities are doing to relieve its burden on students. She’s intimately involved in that work as executive director of the Kent School Services Network, a social-services support system serving 39 schools in eight school districts.
Yet when she saw the latest local and statewide numbers on poverty and child well-being released today, Paine-McGovern again was reminded how very far we still have to go.
“It tells a profound story of a shift that has happened,” Paine-McGovern said of 2017 Kids Count in Michigan, an annual report on child and family health, education and economic security. “When you observe it in your own community, it really hits hard.”
She spoke of the continuing rise of children ages 0-17 living in poverty and its attendant challenges. The grim trends were to be discussed this morning in a press conference in Grand Rapids.
More than one in five Michigan children, just over 22 percent, lived in poverty in 2015 — a 15 percent rate increase since 2008, according to the report by the Michigan League for Public Policy. The rates were substantially worse for African-American children (47 percent) and Latinos (30 percent) than for whites (15 percent).
Although Kent County was slightly below the statewide figures, its 19.1 percent child poverty rate was up by nearly 5 percent from 2008, when the rate was 18.2 percent. Further, the 47 percent of Kent students receiving free or reduced lunches was a 21 percent rate jump since 2008, and exceeded the statewide rate of 46 percent.
Such sobering statistics represent nearly 30,000 students walking into Kent County classrooms, trying to learn the things that could help lift them out of poverty.
“When you go in schools and see the bright shiny faces and realize everything else that is going on in their lives, we have to figure out how to make things better for a large number of children,” Paine-McGovern said.
Mirroring Statewide Trends
The magnitude of the challenges is heightened by disparity. In an overall ranking of child well-being in 82 of Michigan’s 83 counties, the report places Kent County 27th. Neighboring Ottawa County is first, with 9 percent of its children living in poverty — less than half Kent’s rate.
Yet the report also shows Kent County’s children are far from alone in their struggles: 72 state counties saw child poverty increase, 79 an increase in free and reduced lunch, and 58 an increase in confirmed cases of child abuse and neglect. Kent saw a sharp increase in the latter, along with more low-birthweight babies and inadequate prenatal care.
Other local trends were more encouraging, including a drop in teen births and the percentage of students not graduating on time.
But poverty continues to permeate thousands of children’s lives, and challenges schools’ efforts to “level the playing field” for them, Paine-McGovern said. She noted that in more than half of Kent County’s 230 school buildings, the free and reduced-lunch rate exceeds the state average.
“A lot of schools out there are trying to educate children, when poverty is a consistent theme in their lives,” she said. “How do we as a community pull together to figure out how we can help children learn and be successful and work out of poverty? On the flipside, what are we doing for those families consistently, generation after generation, living in poverty? Those are the hard questions.”
Help for Struggling Families
Kent School Services Network works to answer some of those questions, not just in the urban districts but suburban and rural communities. Here, as statewide, poverty knows no boundaries.
At Kenowa Hills’ Alpine Elementary School, set amid the rolling fruit orchards of Northwest Kent County, KSSN came on board in 2014-15. Since then students and families have gotten help with everything from food, clothing and eyeglasses to housing and state assistance programs.
A school-community coordinator, mental-health clinician and Department of Health and Human Services worker help meet the needs of Alpine’s 375 students. About 75 percent of them receive free or reduced lunch, and in the fall many Latino children come from migrant families who work in the orchards.
Principal Jason Snyder said KSSN has helped students with chronic attendance problems get to school, increased communication with parents, and made school a better experience for students from struggling families.
“That they don’t have to worry about what to eat for dinner or where to stay for the night is definitely to going to help in the classroom,” Snyder said.
From the farm fields of Kenowa, Sparta and Cedar Springs to the city streets of Grand Rapids, Kentwood and Wyoming, poverty remains a perennial challenge to schools, Paine-McGovern said.
“When Kids Count comes out every year it’s always a rude awakening — that we don’t rest, there’s more work to be done.”
On the latest episode of “WKTV Journal: In Focus”, Kyle Caldwell, executive director of the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University, talks with host Ken Norris about the VoiceKent survey. (WKTV)
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
On the latest episode of “WKTV Journal: In Focus”, WKTV’s new public affairs show, we bring to the public a discussion on the VoiceKent survey plans with Kyle Caldwell, executive director of the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University.
The VoiceKent survey of Kent County critical public health concerns is a joint effort of the Kent County Health Department and the Johnson Center for Philanthropy.
In the discussion, which will air twice a week on WKTV channels starting this week and running through Aug. 13, Caldwell details the importance of the survey and the innovative ways it seeks public opinion from communities not often having their voices heard.
“We (at the Johnson Center) make sure we go into venerable communities, places were people would normally not respond to a survey because they don’t normally get connected with services or programs or organizations,” Caldwell told WKTV. “So we work with non-profit partners to go into communities and get people to respond to the survey. Now we are going to go county-wide with our partnership with the Kent County Health Department.”
The survey, which collects responses through October, connects demographics with the opinions, attitudes and perceptions of Kent County residents on topics such as employment, education, racism and discrimination, ability to meet basic needs, access to health care and neighborhood safety. The data gathered from the survey will help create a baseline for conversations on these important community issues.
“WKTV Journal: In Focus” will start airing on Tuesday, Aug. 1, and the program 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.
Also on the latest episode of “WKTV Journal: In Focus” is a discussion with the leaders of Exalta Health, a healthcare provider serving some of the most underserved of our community, and a member of the Kentwood Police Department detailing a crime-reporting website.
The Sounds of Summer wrapped up with the Max Colley jazz group, who treated the crowd to a special 10-year-old sensation.
Max Colley surprised everyone when he presented Justin-Lee Schultz, 10, a keyboard player from Kalamazoo, to the Sounds of Summer audience during the series grand finale concert. Schultz was Colley’s special guest jazz keyboard player and part of the group’s quartet. He smiled as he received thunderous applause throughout the evening from the crowd.
The night was a perfect end to the series with an evening of live music, ice cream, and a playground for the little ones. The Debo sisters, Claire, 4, and Joelle, 2, from Jamestown, along with Trey Ewing, 3, from Dorr, were just some of the children who enjoyed all the activities.
Sounds of Summer is produced by P. Williams Productions. The program is rebroadcast on WKTV Channel 26. Check wktv.org for showtimes.
Think you can solve the puzzle at Mindbender Mansion? Maybe beer will help. (Supplied)
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
Mindbending beer and Polish beer are both on tap for August — and, no, they are not the same thing.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum will offer a special Beer Explorers experience on Aug. 15 titled “Puzzles & Pints!”, when adults, 21 and older, can enjoy craft beer while trying to solve puzzles, games and brainteasers in the museum’s “Mindbender Mansion” exhibit.
According to supplied information, “Mindbender Mansion” includes more than 45 individual and group brain teasers, puzzles and tricky problems to solve all in a unique exhibit setting. Visitors to this fun and quirky mansion are invited to join the Mindbender Society by gathering hidden clues and secret passwords scattered throughout the various thematic rooms of the house.
“Puzzles & Pints” will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 15 from 5 to 8 p.m., with the bar available until 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $4 for Museum members, $11 for Kent County residents and $14 for non-members. Tickets include one craft beer, and admission to “Mindbender Mansion” and all three floors of the Museum to explore. A cash bar will be available for additional drinks.
Grand Rapids’ Rosa Park Circle will host the 2017 Polish Festival Friday to Sunday, Aug. 25-27, with Polish fun, and beer; Polish food, and beer; Polish music, and beer; and Polish beer — did I mention there will be beer?
According to the hosts, the Polish Heritage Society of Grand Rapids, the festival will include cooking demonstrations, a Polish dance group, non-stop music (primarily polkas), children’s activities on Saturday, a Busia contest on Sunday, famously delicious Polish food and a beer tent featuring Polish beer. There will be Polish merchandise available for purchase including beautiful Polish pottery, amber jewelry, Polish glass, Polish baked goods, and a variety of T-shirts.
Part of the proceeds from the festival award students of Polish descent scholarships to Grand Valley State and Aquinas colleges, Grand Rapids Community College and Davenport University.
The festival is free and open to the public. For more information visit polishheritagesociety.com
Lost in the debate surrounding the repeal of the Affordable Care Act is the potentially disastrous effect dramatic reductions in Medicaid funding will have on health care for children, one of the few universally recognized success stories in health care coverage over the last 20 years.
Congress in 1997, after rejecting the universal health care reform proposed by then President Bill Clinton, coalesced behind the Children’s Health Insurance Program in agreement that early health care is critical to children’s future success. Since then, the uninsured rate among children has fallen from 14 percent to less than 4.5 percent.
Combined with increased Medicaid coverage and the extension of health care to millions of uninsured through the Affordable Care Act, the percentage of children who are uninsured has fallen dramatically. Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute reports the impact of extending insurance to parentsis so great that “a child was eight times more likely to have public insurance if their parent had public insurance, when compared to a child whose parent was uninsured.”
While the impact of poverty on educational performance remains a subject of debate, the effect of health care on student performance is not. A Seattle study conducted last year concluded “fewer than 15 percent of students with zero health risks were at academic risk, (but) more than half of students with 11 or more health risks were at risk of failing.”
The Georgetown University Health Policy Institute concludes “The most profound impact of the cuts to health coverage could be a decline in student achievement. Research shows us that students eligible for Medicaid are more likely to graduate from high school and complete college than students without access to health care.”
Children with chronic pain, dental neglect and other health concerns cannot focus on their education. In this community, philanthropic organizations led by the Grand Rapids Community Foundation more than a decade ago came together with the county, schools, health and human service agencies to create the the Kent School Services Network. KSSN provides an array of health and human services for students and their families directly in the school building, using community school coordinators to identify issues impeding student. Medicaid funds are used in these settings to provide health and human services to qualifying students.
KSSN, a model for Governor Snyder’s Pathways to Potential program, and other programs like it have been so successful that policy makers now consider these strategies as evidence-based interventions for school improvement planning and reducing achievement gaps for ethnic and economically disadvantaged student populations.
Deep cuts in Medicaid funding contemplated in the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act could result in the loss of health care for tens of thousands of children in Michigan, and it could also force legislators to scale back the Children’s Health Insurance Program, especially if funding is reduced or curtailed by Congress when the program comes up for renewal in September of this year.
Our children deserve better. Children who are in pain, without treatment, or children who suffer the strain of family members with untreated disease or illness, do not have the same opportunity to succeed as those who are free of those burdens.
Michigan’s recent ranking in the national Kids Count assessment of children’s wellbeing was 32nd among the states. Access to health care was one of the few bright spots, with a state ranking of 17th. Our educational performance was 41st.
We cannot afford to fall backward. We must improve educational performance if we are to restore any portion of Michigan’s past prominence as the engine that drove the nation’s economy. Accessible and affordable health care is essential to the success of our children, to our employers, and to our economy.
Stabenow, Peters, Bergman, Kildee Lead Bipartisan Push to Protect Thunder Bay Sanctuary
The lawmakers warn Trump Administration against shrinking sanctuary and circumventing ban on drilling in Great Lakes
U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Gary Peters (D-MI) and Representatives Jack Bergman (R-MI) and Dan Kildee (D-MI) are leading a bipartisan call on the Trump Administration to maintain the existing boundaries of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and warned against any attempt by the Administration to circumvent the ban on Great Lakes oil and gas drilling.
The Trump Administration recently ordered a review of National Marine Sanctuaries and National Marine Monuments, such as the Thunder Bay Sanctuary, that have been designated or expanded since 2007. The Thunder Bay Sanctuary is critical to tourism, the regional economy, and Michigan’s maritime heritage and has been protected from offshore oil and gas drilling since Stabenow authored a federal ban in 2005.
“We strongly urge you to maintain the expanded boundaries of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary,” wrote the lawmakers. “The decision to expand the Sanctuary in 2014 came after an extensive process that ensured thorough and transparent input from our constituents and all stakeholders. Michigan depends on its marine sanctuary to support the rural and coastal communities of northeast Michigan and preserve this unique area and cultural artifacts for future generations.”
Stabenow Announces Bipartisan Bill to Improve Post-9/11 G.I. Bill for Veterans
U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow has announced bipartisan legislation to improve veterans’ education benefits and enhance the post 9/11 G.I. Bill. The Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 (S.1598), named for the architect of the original G.I. Bill, eliminates an arbitrary 15-year period within which veterans are required to use the benefits they have earned. This bill would allow service-members who enlist after January 1, 2018, to use their benefits at any point after their military service.
“After bravely serving our country, no veteran should have to worry about whether his or her G.I. benefits will expire,” said Senator Stabenow. “So many veterans in Michigan have used the G.I. Bill to continue their education and this bill ensures that even more will have that opportunity.”
The bill expands G.I. Bill eligibility for certain active-duty reservists and Purple Heart recipients who have not completed the full term of their military contract. The bill also restores tuition costs and housing stipends for student veterans whose schools have closed – such as those impacted by the recent closure of for-profit schools like ITT Technical Institute.
Huizenga Speaks, Votes in Favor of Repealing Anti-Consumer CFPB Rule
Congressman Bill Huizenga recently spoke on the House floor in support of repealing the anti-arbitration rule recently put forward by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Through the Congressional Review Act, the House voted to eliminate this onerous anti-consumer regulation by a vote of 231 to 190. This is the 16th time the House has utilized the Congressional Review Act to repeal a burdensome Obama-era regulation. Thus far, President Trump has signed 14 of these regulatory reforms into law, including one authored by Congressman Huizenga.
Huizenga Votes to Increase Sanctions on North Korea, Iran, and Russia
Congressman Bill Huizenga (MI-02) recently released the following statement after voting to increase sanctions on North Korea, Russia, and Iran. H.R. 3364, the Countering Adversarial Nations through Sanctions Act, passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support by a vote of 419-3.
“This bipartisan legislation holds some of the world’s worst actors accountable for their actions,” said Congressman Huizenga. “North Korea and Iran have continued to develop hostile weapons capabilities that threaten our troops and allies despite diplomatic efforts to stabilize the region. Specifically to Russia, this bill expands sanctions due to hostile cyber activities as well as their intervention in the Ukraine. Additionally this legislation limits the ability of the Executive Branch to unilaterally provide sanction relief to Russia without congressional review.”
Gov. Rick Snyder: Michigan now more competitive for new jobs, diverse industries
It wasn’t the usual bill signing location for Gov. Rick Snyder — he wasn’t in the state Capitol or the Romney building in Lansing. On an available industrial property just off of M-59 in Oakland County, Gov. Snyder inked a three-bill package into law designed to diversify Michigan’s economy and attract new, large-scale employers, with a bipartisan group of legislators from across the state, along with economic development partners from every region and representatives of organized labor.
Senate Bills 242-244, sponsored by Sen. Jim Stamas, Wayne Schmidt and Steve Bieda, respectively, will entice new and emerging businesses with sizable work forces, by allowing them to keep some or all of the state income tax paid by their employees if certain criteria are met. The incentives vary in amount and length of time according to the number of new jobs the qualifying businesses creates, and whether or not it can meet or exceed regional average wage requirements.
To qualify, applicants must create at least 250 new jobs, and pay salaries that are 125 percent or more of the prosperity region average wage. Businesses that meet the 500 or 3,000 (or more) job thresholds must pay wages at least equal to 100 percent of the prosperity region average wage. Qualifying 3,000 or more job and wage applicants are eligible to receive the maximum income tax capture for 10 years, the maximum length of time allowed under the legislation.
The new law also:
Preserves the integrity of a performance-based incentive program – if an authorized business fails to satisfy and maintain the minimum number of new jobs, it would forfeit its withholding tax capture for that year;
Requires transparency reporting to the state legislature, detailing employer information, along with the amount and duration of each tax capture;
Caps the number of employer agreements at 15, which could roll over to future years if unused, and limits tax capture revenues to $200 million over the life of the program;
Mandates approval of the Michigan Strategic Fund and a resolution from the local governing body; and
Prevents new agreements from being signed after Dec. 31, 2019.
The bills were supported by a majority of Republicans and Democrats in both the state House and Senate.
For more information on this and other legislation, please visit www.legislature.mi.gov.
Gov. Rick Snyder returns legislation without signature, helping maintain state’s fiscal strength
Gov. Snyder has returned legislation without his signature due to concerns that the legislation is not fiscally prudent.
Senate Bills 94 and 95 would have accelerated the timeline originally agreed upon in 2013 for the phase-in of sales and use tax relief for those who trade in a vehicle when purchasing a new or used vehicle. The reductions were originally scheduled to phase in gradually to lessen the burden on the state’s general fund and School Aid Fund.
In his veto letter to the Legislature, Gov. Snyder said, “The bills would accelerate a gradual and agreed upon phase in of the sales and use tax relief to a degree that I believe is not fiscally prudent. With budget pressures from a number of areas in coming years, in particular dedication of funds to road funding, I do not believe it is appropriate to create additional financial strain by accelerating the tax relief agreed to in 2013.”
Have you ever asked yourself, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” If you have, you are not alone. We don’t always know what our strengths are right out of school. Or, our passions and interests might change over time. It’s never too late to learn more about yourself and find a job you love through career exploration!
What is Career Exploration?
Learning about yourself and the world of work. Your interests, skills and values need to align with the type of career you want to pursue. For example, if you are more of a do-er, you would do best in a job that requires hands-on problem solving and solutions. Interest inventories and skills assessments can help you figure out if you are a do-er, thinker, creator, etc. The O*Net Interest Profiler is a great tool to get started.
Identifying and exploring potentially satisfying occupations. Once you have discovered more about yourself, you can match your interests, skills and values to potential careers. While these careers may be a good fit for you, there may not be job opportunities in your area. Find out which jobs need workers near you or if you should consider a move for your next job. Check out West Michigan Works! Hot Jobs for a list of the 100 fastest-growing and most in-demand jobs in West Michigan.
Developing an effective strategy to realize your career goals. Your next career may require new skills or training. Research who provides training for the skills you need. Do employers in your area prefer one training provider over another? How much will training cost? How long will it take to complete training? Will training fit into your schedule? If you need help developing a strategy, visit your local West Michigan Works! service center and find out if you qualify for free career planning or scholarships for career training.
Want more information? Take an interest profile and learn more about using the results to find your next career at one of West Michigan Works! free workshops. Check the online schedule to find and register for a Career Exploration Workshop near you.
Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.
Tires — 22 to be exact — along mental signage and other trash was just some of the items Martha Stout Vermeulen remembers pulling from the Buck Creek during the first clean up.
Now in its fourth year, the Buck Creek Clean Up is an annual event when residents of Grandville, Wyoming, and Kentwood roll up their sleeves — with a few donning waiters — and spend a Saturday morning, Aug. 5, cleaning up a portion of Buck Creek which travels through the three cities as it makes its way to the Grand River.
The event starts at 8 a.m. at Wyoming’s Lemry Park, 4050 Byron Center Ave. SW, with a light breakfast provided by Biggby Coffee, and Marge’s Donut Den, and orientation that includes free t-shirts. Participants will head out in teams to look for trash and other foreign objects along a variety of Buck Creek locations.
“Last year, from the communities of Wyoming and Grandvile we pulled 80 bags of trash,” said Vermeulen, who serves as the president of the Friends of Buck Creek. The Friends of Buck Creek and Schrems Trout Unlimited host the annual clean up.
Buck Creek, which is about 20 miles long starting in Allegan County, is a cold water stream which holds a viable trout population, all of which is rare to find in an urban setting. For that reason, Schrems Trout Unlimited, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds have highlighted Buck Creek as a threatened stream in need of protection. Two years ago, Schrems Trout Unlimited was awarded a $25,000 grant to assess the water quality in the Buck Creek watershed.
“It was warming,” Vermeulen said. “There was just ignorance as to what was going. There was a lot of fertilizers draining into the creek and other pollutants.”
The area focused on through the clean up efforts has improved with Vermeulen noting that there is trout in that portion of the creek where in other sections the water has become too warm for any fish.
But Vermeulen, who comes from an environmentally-conscious family and lives near Buck Creek, said the greater success has been helping people really care about their environment and their resources so much that they help to protect it.
“Recently, there was a Grandville school teacher who has students go to Buck Creek and do some testing and discussions,”Vermeulen said. “They then built a rain garden for the school parking lot.”
Vermeulen added there is all kinds of things people can do throughout the year to help the creek from adding trees to help shade it to construction a rain garden, which helps to absorb rain runoff that may carry pesticides and fertilizers applied to lawns and other plants.
There is also helping to pitch and care for Buck Creek by removing trash and other items that should not be in the creek.
For more information on the Buck Creek Clean Up, visit swmtu.org. For Friends of the Buck Creek, find the group on Facebook or email Vermeulen at erma00@sbcglobal.net. The clean up is from 8 – 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 5, starting at Charles Lemery Park, 4050 Byron Center Ave. SW. For those who volunteer on Saturday, lunch will be provided at Grandville’s Osgood Brewing.
Kids traveling through the Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA) have a fun new space to play, complete with a replica helicopter and air traffic control tower, thanks to a partnership with Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.
The new space officially opened today after a celebratory ribbon cutting, and includes new foam tile flooring, scenic graphics on the wall, a propeller ceiling fan, an illuminated air traffic control tower, toys, and even a replica Spectrum Health AeroMed helicopter where kids can get behind the controls and experience life as a pilot.
The official ribbon cutting in the new pre-security Kids Play Area at GFIA.
“As a father of seven children, I can tell you nothing is more important than having an exciting, vibrant space where kids can unleash some energy while they are traveling,” said GFIA President & CEO Jim Gill. “We are thrilled to see how this space turned out. The team at Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital did an incredible job of turning our vision into a reality, and we appreciate their support and partnership.”
GFIA and Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital are also currently designing and constructing another Kids Play Area post-security.
“Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital is pleased to be able to sponsor the new Kids’ Port play area at Gerald R. Ford International Airport,” said Dr. Matthew Denenberg, Vice President of Medical Affairs at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. “The children’s hospital is happy to play a part in welcoming visitors to West Michigan with this fun new addition for families and children to enjoy.”
The Kids Play Areas are one part of the Airport’s $45 million Gateway Transformation Project that also includes new terrazzo flooring, lighting fixtures, new restrooms & nursing rooms, family restrooms, pre and post security business centers, new retail and food & beverage space, and much more. Different portions of the construction will open throughout the summer with phase one set to be complete in late August. Construction on the Gateway Transformation Project began in December 2015.
The annual Don Lubbers Cup Regatta, named after former Grand Valley State University president and rowing supporter Arena D. (Don) Lubbers, featured hundreds of athletes and some of the top rowing teams from across the Midwest, all coming to Spring Lake on April 7-9 of this year.
And WKTV was there, filming the best moments. WKTV will replay those best moments on Saturday, July 29, at 6 p.m., and again on Wednesday, Aug. 2 at 6:30 p.m., on Comcast WKTV Channel 25 and on AT&T U-Verse Community 99.
Since its origin in 1995, the Lubbers Cup Regatta has grown to an event that attracts over 500 student athletes to Spring Lake to kick off the regatta season, according to the event’s website. The Lubbers Cup is produced in partnership with The Chamber of Commerce Grand Haven, Spring Lake, Ferrysburg, Grand Valley State University Club Sports, Grand Valley Rowing Club, and the communities of Spring Lake and Ferrysburg.
Each week, WKTV features an adoptable furry friend (or few) from various shelters in the Grand Rapids area. This week, we focus on Humane Society of West Michigan, located at 3077 Wilson Dr. NW in Grand Rapids.
Humane Society of West Michigan’s mission is to rescue hurt, abused and abandoned animals and find them a new forever home. The 501(c)3 non-profit organization helps over 8,000 animals annually and is 100% donor-funded by caring individuals and businesses in the community. Additional programs help reduce pet overpopulation, provide assistance to low-income pet owners, behaviorally assess animals and reunite lost pets with their owners.
Gretchen the Gorgeous
Gretchen — Female Domestic Short Hair Mix
I’m a 10-year-old cat looking for my forever home! I have an unusual charcoal tabby coat that you must see in person. I’m a very sweet and affectionate cat, and I love to talk! I’ve been in and out of homes throughout my life, and I’m ready for my permanent forever home. My adoption fee is waived due to generous grant funding. Please come visit me at Humane Society of West Michigan!
More about Gretchen:
Animal ID: 3075754
Species: Cat
Breed: American Shorthair/Mix
Age 10 years
Gender: Female
Size: Small
Color: Charcoal
Spayed
Not declawed
Adoption fee includes:
A physical done by the staff veterinarian
A test for heartworm disease (if six months or older)
A first series of vaccines including DHLPP (distemper combo), Bordatella (kennel cough) vaccine, and rabies (if older than 14 weeks of age)
Spay/Neuter Surgery
Treatment for internal parasites
One dose of flea preventative
One dose of heartworm preventative
The organization automatically microchips all adoptable animals using 24PetWatch microchips, which include FREE registration into the 24PetWatch pet recovery service. For more information visit www.24petwatch.com or call 1.866.597.2424. This pet is also provided with 30 days of FREE ShelterCare Pet Health Insurance with a valid email address. For more information visit www.sheltercare.com or call 1.866.375.7387 (PETS).
Humane Society of West Michigan is open Tues-Fri 12-7, Sat & Sun 11-4.
When we think of basic needs, we think food, water, housing and clothing. A less obvious, yet equally important need for every individual is a sense of community. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs categorizes this as a psychological need for “belongingness and love.”
According to Abraham Maslow, an American psychologist, there are five stages of needs:
food, water, warmth and rest
security and safety
relationships and friends
status and feelings of accomplishment
self-fulfillment
Individuals must fulfill their lower level needs before they can achieve higher level needs. Every person desires to move toward a level of self-fulfillment. However, many people are unable to do this because their lower level needs haven’t been met.
Kent County is home to many agencies who are committed to helping residents meet basic needs, including ACSET Community Action Agency (CAA). CAA’s senior meals program, however, goes beyond delivering food. It provides a sense of community for the many Hispanic and Latin Americans who live in the county.
Nearly 120 seniors from countries like Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic gather daily for a Latin American-inspired meal. They find comfort in the familiar food, shared language and activities and music from their homelands.
“We’ve had some people coming for 20, 25 years,” says Susan Cervantes, assistant director for ACSET CAA “It’s a very family-oriented atmosphere.”
Seniors of any ethnicity are welcome to participate in the program. Participants must be 60 years or older (or have a spouse 60 years or older), live in Kent County and must fill out an application. The meals are served Monday through Friday at noon at the Kent County Human Services Complex at 121 Franklin SE in Grand Rapids.
Your Community in Action! is provided by ASCET Community Action Agency. To learn more about how they help meet emergency needs and assist with areas of self-sufficiency, visit www.communityactionkent.org.
On the debut episode of WKTV’s new public affairs show, “WKTV Journal In Focus”, Kent County Clerk Lisa Posthumus Lyons discusses the county’s new voting machines. (WKTV)
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
On the debut episode of WKTV’s new public affairs show, “WKTV Journal In Focus”, we bring to the public a discussion with Lisa Posthumus Lyons, Kent County Clerk and Register of Deeds, who was elected to the position in November after serving in the state legislature.
Kent County Clerk Lisa Posthumus Lyons. (WKTV)
In the discussion, which will air twice a week on WKTV channels, she details what the public will notice — and not notice — about new voting machines scheduled to debut in Kent County this fall.
But, she stresses in the discussion, while the voting machine process has changed a little, the overriding importance of security of the voting system is still the most important job for her and local city clerks’ offices.
Ken County’s new voting machines will look and operate much like the ones the public is familiar with — and they are never connected to the internet. (Supplied)
“The entire state is in the midst of transitioning to new election equipment and Kent County’s first election using the new machines will be in November,” Posthumus told WKTV in an on-air discussion. “Voters will take heart that they will continue to cast their ballot on a paper ballot that will be fed into an optical scan tabulator. The voters, I think, will not notice too shocking of a change … There will be a familiarity. … It is just more technologically advanced.
“Kent county’s voting process is absolutely secure,” she adds. “We will continue to operate our elections outside of an internet connection, which I think is very important in this age of making sure out elections are secure and safe.”
For more detailed discussion on the new voting machines, and Posthumus’ thoughts on voter security and integrity, check out “WKTV Journal In Focus”. Starting today, Tuesday, July 25, the program 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. The video segment featuring Posthumus is also posted on YouTube at https://youtu.be/t7SRzV1JFjY
Also on the debut episode of “WKTV Journal In Focus” are park officials from the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming talking about summer events and activities.
As a thanks to its volunteers, WKTV will be hosting a picnic Saturday, aug. 5 at Palmer Park, 1275 52nd St. SW. The event starts at noon.
The event will feature a selection of food from a Moveable Feast food truck. Items include the Grand Rapids Cheesesteak that has grass-fed beef with grilled peppers and onions, Founders beer cheese sauce all on a pretzel bun; the Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap with grilled chicken, romaine, parmesan, croutons, and Caesar dressing in a flour tortilla; the Hawaiian Pulled Pork Sandwich with braised pork shoulder, Hula BBQ Sauce, bread and butter pickles on a Hawaiian sandwich bun; and the truck’s newest offering Grilled Citrus Chicken Taco with grilled chicken wrapped in a flour tortilla.
Pinkie’s Ice Cream will be serving up dessert in its vintage ice cream truck. An assortment of flavors from Sherman’s Ice Cream, based out of South Haven, will be part of the sundae bar that will include a variety of toppings.
There will be games, prizes, and volunteer recognition awards.
The cost is $10 per person, which includes the cost of food, and $5 for children 10 & under. To attend, all you need to do is RSVP to wktv.org by Friday, July 28.
The annual Health and Wellness Day returns to Metro Health–University of Michigan Health on Thursday, July 27, followed by the Metro Way 5K and 10K runs in the evening.
Health and Wellness Day will coincide with the weekly Metro Health Farm Market from 9 am to 2 pm. The two runs start at 6:30 pm, preceded by the free kids races a half hour earlier. All events take place at Metro Health Village, 5900 Byron Center Ave. SW.’
“From morning till night, the day is all about encouraging healthy lifestyles,” said Emil Hannesson, director of community outreach. “Our tradition at Metro Health is to support overall community wellness, not just treat illness.”
Health and Wellness Day activities include free screenings for blood pressure and body mass index, as well as information about stroke awareness, smoking cessation, joint health and hands-only CPR.
Also scheduled is a Chef Cookoff in which local chefs compete to create delicious dishes featuring Farm Market fare. This year’s chefs are:
Jeremy Paquin from Grove Restaurant in Grand Rapids
Vinnie Augustoni, director of dining services at First & Main, an assisted living facility in Metro Health Village
Zach Zost, Metro Health executive chef
Chef O (Oliver Hale), retired national healthy lifestyle chef, winner of Chef Cook-off in 2014
Cookoff judges include Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll, Wyoming Fire Chief Chuck Lark, Valerie Lego of WZZM 13 and two surprises. The chefs get started at 11 am; judging is at noon.
As Health and Wellness Day winds down, the family fun runs get underway. The runs welcome people of all ages and abilities, whether they want to compete or just take a stroll.
“Yes, there will be awards, but the runs are mostly about fun,” said Hannesson. “We don’t care if you run, jog, walk, skip or hop across the finish line. Just come out and get active.”
The range of participants extends to disabled individuals. In association with the local chapter of myTEAM TRIUMPH, Metro Health’s cardiac rehab team will push wheelchair-bound participants in the 5K. MyTEAM TRIUMPH is a nonprofit organization that gives disabled people the thrill of crossing the finish line in endurance events.
The kids races, for children ages 3-14, start at 6 pm. The Metro Way 5K and 10K start at 6:30. Shelley Irwin, host of the WGVU Morning Show, will serve as race emcee.
Kids races are free but registration is required. Advance registration for the 5K and 10K is $30 online. To register for any race, please visit www.metrohealth.net/5K. Adult participants may also register on site for $35 starting at 9 a.m. on race day.
Learn the ins and outs of an industry with a mentor to guide you! Mentors can help you grow professionally. They have knowledge and experience which can help you navigate your career if you’re new to an industry or help you continue to grow if you’re more established in your career.
Your mentor doesn’t have to be someone in senior leadership in a company. It could be someone close in age.
Here are a few tips for choosing a mentor:
Your mentor could someone at your organization, or they might be someone at your gym, church, where you volunteer or even in Mentor groups on social media. Find someone who has experience in your industry, someone who has done things you admire and pick their brain.
Don’t force a relationship with someone. A mentor relationship will progress like any other- naturally. If you aren’t finding a connection with someone after several meetings, it’s ok to start meeting with someone else.
Choose how you communicate based on the person. If your potential mentor is in senior leadership in a company, then you may want to meet with them before work for coffee. If your potential mentor is someone close to your age, perhaps happy hour or dinner works better for their schedule.
Mentors can learn from you too. Make sure to offer help in return when it’s appropriate. A mentor relationship is two-sided!
Like any successful relationship, it takes time to build trust and find the right person. It may take a while to find this person, but once you do will be worth the effort.
Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.
Stabenow Applauds Action Requiring Release of Study to Stop Asian Carp
Sen. Debbie Stabenow
U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Co-Chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, today applauded news that the Senate Appropriations Committee included language in the Energy and Water Appropriations bill requiring the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to release a critical study to stop Asian carp within thirty days of the bill’s enactment. The study, which will provide important guidance on how best to prevent Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes, was supposed to be released in February but has been delayed indefinitely by the Trump Administration.
“Today’s news is an important step toward getting the Army Corps to release this report so we can stop invasive species like Asian carp from entering our Great Lakes,” said Senator Stabenow. “This report is especially urgent given that a live silver carp was recently discovered just nine miles from Lake Michigan. There is no time to waste and I will work with my colleagues to make sure this language becomes law.”
Huizenga: We Can Protect Endangered Species and Preserve Taxpayer Dollars
Rep. Bill Huizenga
On Wednesday, Congressman Bill Huizenga testified before the House Natural Resources Committee on his legislation to modernize the Endangered Species Act. Currently, no fee cap exists for litigation pertaining to the Endangered Species Act. Because of this, taxpayer dollars designated for species protection and restoration are being used to line the pockets of litigious trial attorneys and special interests. H.R. 3131, introduced by Congressman Huizenga, brings the hourly rate for awards of fees to prevailing attorneys to $125 per hour, which is in line with litigation involving veterans, small businesses, and federal benefit claims. The Endangered Species Litigation Reasonableness Act will protect endangered species and preserve taxpayer dollars.
Stabenow, Peters Request Meeting with President Trump to Discuss Ways to Promote American Jobs and Manufacturing
As the White House continues its “Made in America” activities this week, U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Gary Peters (D-MI) today requested a meeting with President Donald Trump to discuss ways to promote American jobs and manufacturing and end outsourcing. The Senators reminded President Trump of his promise to put forward a comprehensive plan to end outsourcing and create jobs, and they called on him to work with Congress to ensure that American jobs are not shipped overseas.
“Your administration declared this week to be “Made In America” week to showcase American manufacturers and American-made products,” wrote the lawmakers. “In Michigan, manufacturing is a key component of our economy. As Senators who have long supported domestic manufacturing, we share a common goal in rewarding manufacturers that make products domestically and create good-paying jobs. Thus, we respectfully request a meeting with you to discuss an economic agenda that promotes American manufacturing by preventing outsourcing and implementing strong Buy American laws.”
Earlier this year, U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow announced her American Jobs Agenda, which will ensure we are making products in America, closing loopholes that send jobs overseas, and holding countries like China accountable for unfair trade practices.
In February, U.S. Senator Gary Peters introduced the Outsourcing Accountability Act to help consumers identify which companies are sending jobs overseas by requiring publicly traded companies to disclose their total numbers of employees by location, including by state and by country. Currently, publicly traded companies are required to disclose total number of employees, but not where they are based, making it very difficult to accurately track the number of jobs they are eliminating in the United States and moving overseas.
Huizenga Congratulates Wyoming Police Chief James Carmody on Being Named Police Chief of the Year
Chief James CarmodyRep. Bill Huizenga
Congressman Bill Huizenga spoke on the floor of the U.S. House to congratulate Wyoming Police Chief James Carmody on recently being named the Michigan Police Chief of the Year.
Peters, Young Introduce Legislation to Update Environmental Sensitivity Index Maps for Great Lakes
Maps Help Assess Ecological Risks of Oil Spill & Natural Disaster; Great Lakes Maps Have Not Been Updated in Over 20 Years
U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Todd Young (R-IN) announced that they are introducing bipartisan legislation to update the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps in the Great Lakes to better address habitat restoration and potential ecological impacts in the event of an oil spill or a natural disaster. ESI maps provide an inventory of at-risk coastal resources such as endangered and threatened species, sensitive shoreline habitats, and human-use resources like beaches, parks and boat ramps. ESI maps for the Great Lakes have not been updated in over two decades and are only available in a limited number of viewable formats, while maps of the East coast, West coast, and Gulf coast have been updated within the last five years and are available in more accessible, searchable and detailed formats.
“An oil spill in the Great Lakes would have long-term and catastrophic implications for the health of Michigan’s ecosystem and economy,” said Senator Peters, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard. “ESI maps can provide crucial insight into how oil spills or natural disasters can impact our environment, but unfortunately maps for the Great Lakes have not been updated in decades. I’m pleased to join Senator Young in introducing bipartisan legislation that will modernize these maps and help provide a better picture of what resources could be at risk so we can keep our Great Lakes safe and clean for future generations.”
ESI maps, which are administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), are used to document the potential ecological impacts for a range of risks to natural resources including oil spills, natural disaster planning and recovery, research, resource damage assessments, and restoration. An up-to-date ESI is necessary to correctly identify vulnerable locations and prioritize areas for protection in the event of a disaster. ESI maps in the Great Lakes have not been updated since between 1985 and 1994, depending on location.
Huizenga leads hearing on the costs of going and staying public
Capital Markets, Securities, and Investment Subcommittee Chairman Bill Huizenga led a hearing to examine the burden that federal corporate governance policies, particularly those stemming from Sarbanes-Oxley and the Dodd-Frank Act, place on public companies. The hearing also focused on ways to ease over-burdensome regulations so public companies can better facilitate capital formation and promote economic growth.
Key Takeaways from the Hearing
The number of public companies and the number of companies going public have dramatically decreased over the last 15 years, greatly limiting the investing options for ordinary Americans.
Given that the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) turns 15 this year, it is appropriate for Congress to review its effectiveness and the significant compliance cost imposed on public companies, particularly for small and medium sized issuers.
Congress must take steps to ensure that the federal securities laws provide investors with material information, and ease burdensome regulations and federal corporate governance polices, many arising out of Dodd-Frank, to facilitate public company formation.
With last year’s announcement of the City of Wyoming’s Bike Night with the Mayor, Mayor Jack Poll thought it would be a good idea if he got a bike to participate in the event.
“So I went out to [Mayor Pro-Tem Sam] Bolt here who is the king of cyclists and he told me just what bike to buy,” Poll said during a recent City Council meeting. “So I bought that bike and I rode those two miles. Now this year will be mile three and four put on that new bike.”
Due to the success of last year’s Bike Night with the Mayor, the city will be hosting its second Bike Night with the Mayor on Thursday, Aug. 10. The event will start at Monelli’s Italian Grill and Sports Bar, 5675 Byron Center Ave. SW, at 7 p.m. The group will travel north on the Kent Trails for about two miles. Along the way, bike lights, ice cream and other prizes will be handed out.
“So grease those tires on that bike and come out and take a little bike ride with me,” Poll said.
Other events coming up in the City of Wyoming are National Night Out on Aug. 1 with the Concerts in the Parks series concluding with a celebration at Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St. SW., and the Buck Creek Clean Up on Aug. 5. For details on the clean up, click here.
Elvis Costello’s appearance at Meijer Gardens this week dug deep into his late 1970s and early ’80s New Wave/Power Pop years. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
Elvis Costello and the Imposters, July 17, at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids, Mi.
60-second Review
It is not unusual for musical artists with the long history of Elvis Costello to always trudge out a select few of their radio hits from bygone days, to play just enough of the “oldies but goodies” expected — demanded — by an audience paying dearly for the opportunity to “remember when.”
What is unusual, in the case of Costello’s appearance at Meijer Gardens this week, was that with the tight backing of his lean, mean band of Imposters, especially pianist Steve Nieve and vocalists Kitten Kuroi and Brianna Lee, Elvis dug deep into his late 1970s and early ’80s New Wave/Power Pop years, his “… and the Attractions” band years.
He embraced that place and time in his past, and that music. But that also meant he offered up songs known and relatively unknown to the audience during a 2-hour 30-minute, 31-song set.
Drawing heavily from his 1982 classic Imperial Bedroom release, such an approach to his past made the first half of the concert a little slow for an often nonchalant audience. The second half — after what seemed more a planned set break than a pause before encore — had an much different feel, leading off with a sparse, memorable version of “Alison” with Kuroi and Lee sharing his single mic proved Costello’s aim is still true.
Prior to the set break, my favorites songs were the slow, soulful “Tears Before Bedtime” and Elvis’ fine lead guitar work on “Shabby Doll” (both from Imperial Bedroom), and a surreal version of “Watching the Detectives” complete with pulp fiction video stills and vocals through a bullhorn. After the break, with the audience fully engaged, my highlights were the new “Blood and Hot Sauce”, a politically/socially-charged song written for planned staged musical “A Face in the Crowd”; my all-time favorite Costello song, “Man Out of Time”; and a rousing, set-closing run including “Radio Radio”, “Pump it Up”, and a cover of “(What’s so Funny ’bout) Peace, Love and Understanding”.
In the end, we all know Elvis has moved on from his “… Attractions” years. He mostly makes his home in New York City with wife/singer Diana Krall and family; he has explored Americana music with collaborations with Bill Frisell, Allen Toussaint and T Bone Burnett; and has recently worked with new artists the likes of Marcus Mumford (Mumford and Sons), Jim James (My Morning Jacket) and Rhiannon Giddens.
But in the end, a flashback to the Imperial Bedroom and other remembered rooms is probably good for him and certainly good for the Meijer Gardens audience.
May I have more, please?
Talking about revisiting the past, I could not help but revisit the urban legend of Elvis and his famous/infamous December 1977 visit to Saturday Night Life (as a late replacement for the Sex Pistols, no less). Still in his punk rock early years, Costello was reportedly forbidden by NBC and SNL’s Loren Michael from performing “Radio Radio” — which basically trashed the commercialism of music of which SNL played its part in. But after starting to play “Less Than Zero”, Costello reportedly stopped the band and kicked into “Radio Radio”.
Legend has it that he was banned from NBC and SNL for years afterword — and more than one wiki refuses to debunk the legend — and it also established his British bad-boy status in America.
And, having been born with the name Declan Patrick MacManus, and hailing from a still emerging British punk rock scene, a geekish-looking, skinny young man who renamed himself “Elvis” needed something to, as they say now, establish his “street cred”.
You can say that theater is in Abby Pletcher’s blood. Her grandmothers and mother have been involved in the arts including theater arts and now Pletcher will follow in their footsteps making her directorial and producing debut this month with the production of “Little Women: The Broadway Musical.”
The show scheduled for July 28 and 29 at the Wealthy Theatre is not Pletcher’s first foray into directing. The home-school graduate has directed many shows over the last several years, if directing your cousins counts. She usually has directed one show each summer since the age of 10. Her first big show involved all the kids in her neighborhood, where she directed a place called “Hotel for Kids,” which was a re-write of the kids movie “Hotel for Dogs.”
All of the other shows Pletcher has directed have been with her willing, although sometimes, coersed cousins. These shows would be held at the family’s favorite annual reunion hotspot in Big Rapids.
Although Pletcher has directed about a dozen shows with youth, this will be her first time directing for a show that is in conjuction with Homeschool Performing Arts – or just HPA (as referenced by those who know the group closely). HPA is a theater group that produces shows every year in the communities of Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Kalamazoo. The show’s cast, crew, make-up, lighting, sound, music, costumes, sets, and rehearsals are all done by home schooled students with parent involvement. Parents and other family members assist in making the costumes, sets, and running rehearsals, but the kids learn and perform the shows. The group was stared by Brad Garnaat back in 1997. Pletcher has been involved with HPA as a student since 2008 where she has had the opportunity to observe, learn, and grow as a thespian.
Show times for the “Little Women: The Broadway Musical” are 7 p.m. both days, July 28 and 29, at Wealthy Street Theatre, 1130 Wealthy St. SE. Tickets are $8. For tickets, click here. For more information about the production, visit www.hpami.org.
Gerald R. Ford Frontier Airlines has announced a significant network expansion adding 21 new cities which will increase the number of destinations served by the low-fare carrier by 30 percent and double the number of total routes.
This expansion included service between Grand Rapids and Orlando and starting in the spring of 2018, service between Grand Rapids and Denver.
By next spring, Frontier will offer low fares to 90 percent of the U.S. population, which is expected to bring more than $1 billion dollars in savings to consumers through lower airfares.
“We are proud to announce the nationwide expansion of our unique brand of Low Fares Done Right which will empower millions more people to afford to fly,” Barry Biffle, president and CEO for Frontier Airlines, said. “We project this will save our customers over a billion dollars annually on their flights. These new flights will allow us to serve even more of America and make flying a truly affordable option.”
Highlights of the announcement include the following:
Twenty-one new cities, about a 30 percent increase in cities to 82 cities
Eighty-five new routes
Nonstop routes nearly double by Summer of 2018 to 314
Total routes (including connections) grow to well over 1000 by Summer 2018 (more than double the current number of total routes)
Expansion of winter service to warm weather destinations with significant growth in Tampa, Miami, Orlando, Fort Myers, Fla., and Cancun, Mexico
“Customers will benefit not only from the broad new selection of nonstop routes, but our growing network will provide more than 1,000 new connecting route options,” Biffle continued. “By taking advantage of our natural share of connecting passengers, we can offer our low fares to even more of America. This is particularly important through our largest hub and our home in Denver.”
Frontier is focused on more than low fares. The carrier offers customers the ability to customize their travel to their needs and budget. For example, customers can purchase options a la carte or in one low-priced bundled called the WORKSsm.
One of the most devastating words in the English language is “cancer”. Even more sobering is the fact and 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in their lifetime (according to the American Cancer Society).
Pat Holland knows this pain firsthand. His dear wife, Peggy, lost her battle against cancer in 2014. Holland wanted to memorialize his wife and her 18-month journey at The Cancer Center at Metro Health Village.
“Peggy was everything to me, everything I could want in a wife and best friend,” said Holland. “I wanted to do something substantial to help celebrate her memory; something people would notice for a long time.”
Holland worked with the Metro Health Hospital Foundation and came up with a plan to install tribute bricks in the Cancer Center garden. A campaign was held offering anyone touched by the Cancer Center a chance to plant a brick in memory of a loved one. More than 30 people did so, purchasing bricks by making a donation to the Cancer Center via the foundation. Though most bricks are memorials, some bear message of hope from Cancer Center survivors.
Photo supplied
Last summer, a few dozen family members, friends and former patients gathered in the garden to dedicate the first round of bricks, which raised more than $7,000 for the Cancer Center.
“It’s a little piece of tranquility,” Holland said of the garden, which is visible through a wall of windows from the chemotherapy infusion chairs. “Peggy and I found comfort in the view during difficult times.”
If you are interested in including your message to the garden, a gift of $100 or more will add a brick with your message of hope and celebration to the path in the Cancer Center Garden. Contact Foundation to make your gift today at 616.252.5000 orfoundation@metrogr.org.
The Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) provides a major source of funding to Community Action Agencies (CAAs) across the United States. In Kent County, 30% of ACSET CAA’s budget for fiscal year 2016-2017 consists of CSBG funds. Unfortunately, the proposed 2018 federal budget would completely eliminate CSBG funding–directly cutting 30% of the funds that assist low-income families.
The proposed budget would also eliminate the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) that helps low-income households heat and cool their homes. LIHEAP also funds weatherization improvements to make clients’ homes more efficient, saving energy and reducing utility bills. LIHEAP funds account for 10% of ACSET CAA’s 2016-2017 budget. If this program is cut, our neighbors could literally be left out in the cold.
ACSET CAA depends on CSBG & LIHEAP to fund programs that serve:
Hard-working families who struggle due to job-loss, family emergencies and unexpected costs from medical problems or car and home repairs
Children who need a warm place to sleep and food on the table
People who have worked all their lives but are struggling to make ends meet when they retire from the workforce
People with disabilities who need door-to-door transportation to get to appointments and maintain their independence
These are our family members, our friends, our neighbors. These are the people who will lose the most from the proposed budget.
You can help ensure ACSET CAA can continue to reduce the conditions of poverty and help move families toward self-sufficiency. Contact your congressman/woman and senators. Ask them to oppose any budget that cuts the current level of funding for CSBG and LIHEAP. Use this online tool to find your congressional representatives based on where you live.
Learn more about ACSET CAA’s impact on our community in their 2016 Annual Report.
Your Community in Action! is provided by ASCET Community Action Agency. To learn more about how they help meet emergency needs and assist with areas of self-sufficiency, visit www.communityactionkent.org.
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).
In honor of Cinco de Mayo 2017, Dr. Jen opted to give all of the ‘newbies’ for the month names of Hispanic origin; we had already had a Cinco (and Dr. Jen is saving Mayo for a white kitty). So, here’s a little bit about Cilantro, one of May’s magnifico kiddos that became a Crash Cat.
Super cute Cilantro is a fun and fabulous fella born in early 2015 who was fortunate enough to cross paths with one of our volunteers. As part of her TNR efforts on the south side of town, the volunteer comes across MANY a cat in need, but thankfully Cilantro was pretty darn healthy, just homeless.
He initially had a difficult time adjusting to shelter life as he didn’t take too kindly to others invading his personal space, but over time he has gotten used to their company. However, we are sure he wouldn’t mind being in a single cat house as long as it is a VERY busy one, probably with a rambunctious kid or two! He can’t wait to chum around with a human that is as energetic and adventurous as he is.
Want to adopt Cilantro? Learn about the adoption process here. Fill out a pre-adoption form here.
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.
Change is never easy. Change becomes even more difficult to manage as we get older and more set in our ways. One of life’s more difficult transitions is the move from independent living to an assisted living facility. Many seniors view this transition as the last move of their life and perhaps, their final chapter. Coming to terms with that knowledge can bring sadness and depression. There are many ways to help your loved one ease into this transition and manage the emotions that accompany it.
When to Move to Assisted Living
There are many reasons to make the move to assisted living. Many seniors are more than capable of managing in their own home with some outside help from family, friends or a paid caregiver. However, this is not always possible or even feasible. Following are some things to consider as you work to determine the best care option for your loved one.
They can no longer shower or bathe without help, or you are concerned about their safety in the tub or shower.
They are at risk for falls.
They forget to take medications ortake medications improperly.
They no longer cook nutritious meals for themselves and may be losing weight.
They can no longer drive and are becoming isolated.
They have been recently hospitalized and you are concerned about whether they can recover at home.
Breaking the Ice
Moving a parent or loved one to assisted living is stressful for everyone involved. Adults are accustomed to being self-sufficient and to keeping their own unique schedule. Giving up their home can leave them feeling frustrated, helpless or angry. In addition, it’s hard for the caregiver to see their loved one growing older, and you may be having difficulty accepting the change yourself.
Visit the chosen facility several times and give your loved one a chance to become accustomed to the idea of moving. When you visit, encourage your loved one to talk with as many of the residents as possible. Most facilities will allow you to join them for meals. You should also take the time to meet with the administrator and any relevant staff members. Spend some time with your loved one going over any brochures or written material you may have been given. Be sure to get a copy of the activities schedule and point out anything you think might interest your loved one.
Ask the facility about respite care. Many offer it, and it’s the perfect way for your loved one to try out their new lifestyle without making a long-term commitment.
“Respite stays can last from a few days to more than a month,” said Amy Thayer, senior living consultant for Holland Home. “It’s not unusual for one of our respite residents to decide to make the move after experiencing everything we offer.
“It’s important to choose a facility that offers the full continuum of care, if possible,” said Thayer. “That way, should a move to a higher level of care such as nursing be required, your loved one will only have to change floors as opposed to moving to a whole new facility.”
Making the Move
When it’s time to make the physical move to the new facility, planning is key. Make sure you have the dimensions of the new space. If possible, plan the furniture arrangement in advance. You will want to bring enough personal items and furniture to make the space feel like “home,” but chances are you will not need everything in your loved one’s current home. Special pieces can be passed down to family and friends. Knowing others will be enjoy treasured belongings can make parting with it easier.
Have a plan for arranging the furniture so that the movers set things up in a way that suits your loved one’s lifestyle and makes them feel more “at home”. Placing knickknacks and pictures in the same or similar places will go a long way toward giving the new space a feeling of familiarity.
After Moving In
One of the best ways to ease the transition to your loved one’s new way of life is to get to know neighbors. They’ve already “been there, and done that,” and can help the individual adapt to the change. One of the best parts about assisted living is that your senior will no longer be isolated, dependent on visits from family and friends to ease any loneliness. They will be surrounded by peers and will have access to a full calendar of specially planned events and outings.
Check the activities calendar as soon as they move in and plan on participating in at least a few of the scheduled events. You may find there are clubs to join, musical evenings, movie showings and bus trips. Getting involved will help your loved one meet people and make new friends.
In addition, they should familiarize themselves with their new surroundings—check out the library, the exercise room, and the laundry facilities. Knowing their way around will make things feel familiar more quickly.
Adjusting
Finally, encourage your loved one to give themselves time to adjust to their new lifestyle. No matter how much they like it, there will most likely still be days when they feel sad or nostalgic for their old way of life.
“If those emotions persist,” said Thayer, “be sure to talk to the staff. Arrangements can be made for the individual to speak to a counselor who can help them ease into their new way of life.”
Most importantly, try to keep a positive mindset. Help your senior focus on the things they like about their new living situation and take advantage of all that it has to offer.
HIS Dance Academy and The Salvation Army Kroc Center are proud to announce a new partnership to provide and expand Kroc Center dance programming beginning this fall.
HIS Dance Academy will send instructors to the Kroc Center to teach classes like beginning ballet and pre-ballet, plus a combined ballet/tap class and special “Mommy and Me” program that engages both parents and kids in learning basic dance concepts.
Classes will start with the Fall 1 session, which starts the week of Sept. 18. Registration for Fall 1 programs will be open from Aug. 1 through Sept. 12. Students who complete basic instruction at the Kroc Center will have the option of enrolling at the Academy’s new facility near the corner of 29th Street and Breton Avenue.
HIS Dance Academy is unique in the Grand Rapids area, combining excellence in dance instruction with Christian character development. Bible verses and lessons are incorporated into classes in ways that relate to the dance concepts being taught.
“Part of our mission is to use dance to reach the community for Christ.” said HIS Dance Academy co-founder Beth Huegli. “This partnership gives us a greater opportunity to meet our mission. We are very excited to work alongside the Kroc Center!”
Senior Kroc Officer, Lt. Bill Brutto, added, “Whether directly or indirectly, we try to infuse Christ’s love into all of our programs. Knowing that HIS Dance Academy shares that goal makes this an ideal partnership.”
The Kroc Center’s Fall 2017 program guide becomes available this week and includes all of the HIS Dance Academy offerings. Drop by the Kroc or visit GrKrocCenter.org to sign up or learn more.
Purpose of The Salvation Army Kroc Center: Sharing the love of Jesus Christ by providing life-changing spiritual, educational and wellness experiences. Visit GrKrocCenter.org, or call 616-588-7200 for more information about the Kroc Center.
About HIS Dance Academy: Developing Christian character through excellence in dance instruction while reaching the community for Christ. Visit hisdance.org, or call 616-245-9501 for information about HIS Dance Academy.
Metro Health – University of Michigan Health physician, Jihad A. Mustapha, MD, FACC, FSCAI, is the first in the U.S. to complete treatment on a patient utilizing the LimFlow Percutaneous Deep Vein Arterialization (pDVA) System. The investigational device is used for the treatment of end-state critical limb ischemia (CLI) after all other efforts have been exhausted.
CLI can be a painful and limb-threatening for individuals who develop it. Common characterizations of CLI include pain at rest, ulcers, or gangrene in one or both legs stemming from arterial disease. Diabetics, smokers, and older individuals are among those with the highest rates of CLI.
“The only other disease with worse life expectancy than CLI is pancreatic cancer,” Mustapha, the study’s primary investigator, said. “Because of the mortality rate associated with amputations due to ischemia, a new approach to treat CLI is needed now more than ever. In the LimFlow study, we hope to help patients with no other options that are on their way to amputation.”
The procedure completed by Mustapha in July is the first case in the U.S. as part of an international feasibility study of the LimFlow system. The study is a multi-center, prospective, single-arm study conducted at three U.S. centers.
“The medical treatments being done at Metro Health – University of Michigan Health are pioneering,” said President and CEO Mike Faas. “I am so proud of the work of Dr. Mustapha, and all of those who comprise our Heart & Vascular team. They are so passionate about the work that they do—and are willing to push the level of care to new heights if it will safely and effectively increase the quality of life for patients.”
“I’m delighted that Metro Health – University of Michigan Health can lead the way in pioneering new treatments for patients,” Mustapha said. “This would not be happening here were it not for the vision of Mr. Faas, our president and CEO. Seven years ago we began work to fight the epidemic of CLI. In that time, our amputation prevention program has grown like no other in the country because the leadership at Metro believed in the pioneering work we were doing, and they recognized this work is improving the health and wellbeing of our community.”
As children play at the splash pad and on the playground, the Wyoming City Council hosted its second outdoor meeting for the summer at Southlawn Park.
About a dozen residents attended the meeting with many echoing what Pastor Wayne Ondersma, from The Pier Church, said just before giving the invocation.
“Thanks for coming to my neighborhood,” Ondersma said.
“I have loved seeing all the different folks,” said Council Member Dan Burrill. “I enjoyed the meeting at Lamar Park and I have enjoyed being at Southlawn. Having these meetings has allowed us to see a lot of folks we normally wouldn’t see.”
Residents attending the meeting brought up several items of concern for their community including promoting the annual leaf pick up in December more to adding more playground equipment to Southlawn Park. Godwin Heights Board Member Rick Hamilton asked the city to consider transferring the north parking lot area of the Site 36 area to Godwin Heights Public Schools, which would use the area for school parking. If the school had ownership over the lot, it could push for no parking on the neighborhood streets, Hamilton said.
Mayor Jack Poll shows the ropes to some young constituents after Monday’s Southlawn Park meeting.
“As any of the fire personal knows, driving a fire truck down through the neighborhood for a fire during a football game is virtual impossible,” Hamilton said, adding that the city has allowed the district to use the parking area and the district has been very grateful for that but he does believe the school could maintain the area better.
The council’s regular meeting agenda also included an item that had direct impact on the neighbor, the restoration of the pedestrian bridge just south of Bellevue Street on Division Avenue. Two other pedestrian bridges just south of 36th Street already have undergone the same process. Cost for the restoration is $24,700.
Other agenda items included the purchase of seventeen replacement vehicles for the police, parks and public works departments and two law mowers for about $580,955 and the replacement of an electric switchgear at the Water Treatment Plant Low Service Station and Gezon Booster Station at cost of about $2.4 million. The current switchgears have been in service for more than thirty years said Public Works Director Bill Dooley. The switchgears are essential in the operation of the plant with the one at the Water Treatment Plant pumping more than a 100 million gallons a day. Work on the switchgears would be done during the plant’s non-peak season which is the winter months, Dooley said.
The council also placed a tentative approval for a preliminary plat approval for Reservoir Ridge located on 56th street near the city’s water tower. Mayor Jack Poll noted that the lots for the plat are some of the largest the city has seen in awhile with plans calling for seven homes to be placed on almost 15 acres with some of the homes having more than an acre of land.
“The development of Metro Health has created interest in having larger lots in the area,” Poll said. The council will review the preliminary plat at its next meeting set for Aug. 7.
The council meets every first and third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. at its chambers in Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW. The meetings are broadcast live on WKTV Channel 26 and rebroadcast at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday.
The last Wyoming Council outdoor summer meeting is scheduled for Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. at the Metro Village, located in front of Metro Health on Byron Center Avenue. For more information about city activities, meetings, and events, visit www.wyomingmi.gov.
Kent Intermediate School District estimates that 2,098 school-age children experienced homelessness last school year. These districts include 20 public schools and several private and charter schools in Kent County.
The majority of the services to help struggling families connect to resources are concentrated in downtown Grand Rapids. However, the issue of homelessness reaches beyond the inner city and into rural areas, where a staggering number of families are facing homelessness due to a variety of reasons.
Mel Trotter Ministries (MTM) was invited to form partnerships with organizations in rural areas to address the crisis together; North Kent Connect (formerly North Kent Community Services) and Cedar Springs Public Schools are two of those organizations. MTM felt called to respond by hiring an outreach advocate to build relationships in rural areas. The outreach advocate connects individuals and families in crisis with resources to help them overcome barriers such as a lack of housing, finances, transportation, domestic violence and other issues.
Photo supplied
“As an organization we have come to realize that if there is a need for our services and ministry in areas outside of the core city, it is our responsibility to partner with organizations to meet those needs. This crisis is too big for any one organization or individual, but it’s not too big for all of us to come together and solve,” said Dennis Van Kampen, CEO of Mel Trotter Ministries.
The MTM outreach advocate has weekly office hours at North Kent Connect and at the Cedar Springs Public Schools administration building. The advocate will also provide outreach services to people living in camps and motels.
“Through this partnership, our families have access to the support they need to help them move through homelessness and into the next step of their lives,” said Stacie Voskuil, Director of Special Education and Student Services at CSPS. “The connections and knowledge that MTM brings will have a ripple effect that could help end homelessness in our district. This affiliation will also bring a spotlight to the issue of homelessness within Cedar Springs.”
Last summer, 191 families were on the waiting list to get into emergency shelter in Kent County.
On July 22, six local bands will converge on the City of Middleville for the first-ever Rock on the River Music Festival.
Set at the Middleville Village Pavilion, 91 E. Main St., the event is the brainchild of artist and Studio Talk host Aaron Kroll who had one goal in mind: to create a format to help promote local independent artists.
Dirt Chili
“The purpose for Rock on the River Music Festival is to help our Independent artists to get more exposure and to help make awareness for them to get a bigger fan base,” Kroll said.
For the event, which starts at 1 p.m., will feature five bands from Grand Rapids, Coldville, Slumlord Radio, Holy Warheads, InnerItch, and Dirt Chili; and one from Kalamazoo, Fates Collide. Kroll said the groups offer a variety of styles including new rock, hard rock, and blues, which should meet about anyone’s taste in music.
“There are so many sounds and different styles of music out there that are being lost and forgotten and not notice which is the reason for this event,” Kroll said. “It’s kind of hard to put a label on these bands and I try not to because they all have their own style and their own way of doing things.”
The event is designed to be family friendly. There will be tables featuring band CDs and other items and opportunities to meet the various band members.
Middleville is just 20 minutes away from the Kentwood and Wyoming areas. It south on the East Beltline to E. Main Street. The Middleville Pavilion is located across from Stagecoach Park and the Middleville Village Offices.
The Rock on the River Music Festival runs from 1 – 7 p.m. Cost to get in is $5. For more information, click here.
The use of smartphones, tablets and computers has become firmly integrated into our daily lives. Even the most resistant adopters of electronic devices in their daily lives often find themselves on the way to their local library or a family member’s house in order to ‘get online’ to complete an important task. Fast-moving technologies can make once simple tasks like banking or ordering from a catalog difficult for those who have not stayed up to date with changes.
While in many ways it can seem like technology has overtaken our lives, it has brought us many opportunities we previously didn’t have. Being able to place a video call to grandchildren who may live miles and miles away from us, or to consult with a physician and get help without an appointment, enriches our everyday experience. Using electronic devices can also empower us, increase our independence and safety, and reduce isolation by connecting us to our communities.
In May, the Pew Research Center (2017), released results on a study of the use of technology by older adults and the results indicated a significant increase of electronic devices in the few years. Since 2011, the use of smartphones among older adults increased 35%. Today 4 in 10 adults age 65+ own a smart phone. There were similar increases in tablet use. One third of seniors own a tablet, like an iPad, which is a 19% increase from 2010. These results indicate that older adults are just as connected as other age groups, yet for many older adults, their devices seem more a hindrance than a help in their daily lives.
While 75% of older adults surveyed in the Center’s study are online several times a day, only 26% of those same adults feel confident in their use of electronic devices. There are several factors that contribute to this experience, but one of the main ones is the feeling of disorientation that older adults sometimes experience when they first get a smartphone, tablet or computer. Well-meaning family members, may get a device for a family member, set it up for them with passwords and security questions they don’t share with the new owner, and then become impatient with them when the device isn’t working properly.
Seniors will often limit themselves to only using features of their devices that they are certain they know how to operate, like making a phone call or playing a favorite game, missing out on a world of functions and apps that can actually enhance their lives and help them continue to be independent.
There are many organizations working to help seniors become more comfortable and proficient on using electronic devices throughout the nation. Public libraries are a great resource for seniors to learn the basics about how to use computers and even tablets and smartphones. Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan (AAAWM) is developing a class to teach seniors how to use their devices, and show them specific applications available that can support their independence and connection to their communities. We’ll also teach seniors how to protect themselves from scams while on the internet.
On Tuesday, August 22nd from 1-3 pm as part of Family Caregiver University, AAAWM will be introducing our new technology class. On this day, participants will learn the best ways to integrate new technology into the lives of older adults, some of the assistive technologies built into many devices, review apps that can help caregivers manage their lives, as well as give a preview of an upcoming course designed specifically to help seniors use mobile devices like a smartphone or tablet. The class will take place at Area Agency on Aging located at 3215 Eaglecrest Dr. NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525.
For a full list of Family Caregiver University classes provided by the Caregiver Resource Network, please call 888.456.5664 or go here.
Caregiver’s Corner is provided as a public service of the Caregiver Resource Network. The Caregiver Resource Network is a collaboration of West Michigan organizations dedicated to providing for the needs and welfare of family and professional caregivers within the community. Funded by the Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan with Older American’s Act Title IIIE, Family Caregiver Support funds.
The cost-free Growing Young Artists (GYA) program continues this summer at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts (400 Culver Street). While their parents are harvesting produce in West Michigan, migrant children in pre-K through 8th grade will have the opportunity to raise their voices and make their mark through this project-based learning program created by the SCA.
Now in its sixth year, GYA uses creativity-infused project-based learning (PBL) to deliver key life skills to approximately 150 “at risk” migrant students in Allegan and Van Buren Counties. PBL delivers value around “hard skills” including language and literacy fluency, math and science, as well as critical “soft skills” such as problem solving, team building, communication skills and empathy. By expanding experiences beyond traditional textbook learning with a professional artist and plunging students into experiential hands-on situations, students will develop deeper learning competencies required for success in college, career, and civic life.
“The Saugatuck Center for the Arts (SCA) is committed to Growing Young Artists because all young people deserve access to innovative learning experiences,” said SCA Executive Director Kristin Armstrong. “Migrant children are under the radar — most of us are unaware that they’re living in our communities each summer and going to school while they’re here. These children deserve access to the same programs our own children benefit from. Thanks to a group of dedicated sponsors, we are able to offer this program, free of charge, to our educational partners.”
Photo supplied
These children follow their parents to West Michigan’s fruit belt to harvest for the summer, moving from school to school and state to state throughout the year. Via GYA, the SCA partners with Fennville and South Haven schools’ summer programs to bridge the gap for these children who often struggle to meet core academic standards.
“We could not offer this program to our students without the generosity and vision of the SCA. We simply don’t have the resources or the expertise that the SCA shares with our students every summer,” said Fennville Education Director Corey Harbaugh. “The opportunity the SCA provides our students to work with a professional artist communicates nothing less than respect for these kids as artists and thinkers. Our students are invited and inspired by SCA every summer to do real art with real artists, and we are grateful.”
The SCA employs a multi-layered, bilingual teaching team comprised of working professionals, college students studying education with varying experience, as well as middle and high school interns for the GYA program. Teachers and interns team up in pairs to teach the GYA programming to students, and along the way also impact the SCA Artist in Residence, the other teachers in Fennville and South Haven, and even each other. “We’ve discovered that this model is so rich in learning opportunities that everyone involved is positively impacted,” said Armstrong.
“I’m grateful for the ability to make these students feel important,” said Fennville Migrant Teacher Kate Godwin. “After Growing Young Artists, students have the tools, experience, and pride – I hope they continue with their self-reflections and creativity, making their dreams a reality after they leave Fennville. I also hope the GYA experience reinforces that the future is wide open for them.”
This summer’s GYA program includes arts-infused field trips and the opportunity to work alongside the Saugatuck Center for the Arts’ Artist in Residence Rubén Aguirre. Aguirre, Chicago artist who focuses on public artwork, will teach the students about cultural connection, relationship building, empowerment, and celebrating their own stories. Students will make their mark and leave a positive impact on Saugatuck by helping Aguirre create a public mural on the west wall of the Saugatuck Center for the Arts building.
Photo supplied
During the four-week GYA program, students complete one drawing prompt and one writing prompt daily, building a portfolio. The goal is to empower the students to think about who they are, what they want to say and to realize that they have the ability to leave permanent, positive “marks” on their community. The students will create individual paintings, representing their stories, which will go into two collaborative panels: one to remain at their school and one to be installed on the SCA public mural. Aguirre will then take the two schools’ panels and attach them to the SCA mural, filling in the empty spaces with his own designs, allowing the children — who are often “invisible” — to truly make a mark on our community.
“Rubén has this admirable gravitas about him and an immense amount of talent, we’re very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with him this summer. His evolution as an artist is fascinating and his creative experiences will seamlessly engage him with our West Michigan migrant youth,” said SCA Education & Exhibitions Manager Whitney Valentine. “During this summer’s program, we’re posing important questions about the students’ identity, their culture and how they want to visually leave their mark on the world. I look forward to watching how deeply Rubén impacts the lives of the students, my staff, and our community over the next month.”
For more information about GYA and other SCA outreach programming, visit sc4a.org or call 269.857.2399.
