Kent County Land for planned Sustainable Business Park, aerial shot that includes the property adjacent to the landfill, with the landfill in the background. (Kent County)
Kent County has announced that a Project Development Agreement has been approved for an “anchor tenant” at the county’s planned Sustainable Business Park in Kent County’s Byron Township, southeast of Byron Center, with the Department of Public Works set to “work with” Continuus Materials and Anaergia on “developing landfill alternative” businesses.
According to a Monday, March 7, statement, late last week the Kent County Board of Public Works approved a Project Development Agreement (PDA) with Kent County Bioenergy Facility, a joint venture between Continuus Materials and Anaergia, and the agreement is now fully executed.
The two companies partnered on a response to a Request for Proposals from Kent County for an “anchor tenant” at the Sustainable Business Park which is planned for 250 acres adjacent to the South Kent Landfill in Byron Township.
Dar Baas, director of the Kent County Department of Public Works, (center in yellow vest) discusses the proposed Kent County Sustainable Business Park in Byron Center with Liesl Eichler Clark, director of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, (Center in orange vest) on a tour in October 2021. (Kent County)
According to the announcement, the PDA is the next step in developing a “multi-faceted mixed waste processing facility capable of handling 430,000 tons of municipal solid waste and recyclables each year to produce renewable natural gas, fertilizer, and recyclable commodities.”
Anaergia has a “proven track record” on four continents of turning organic waste into renewable natural gas and fertilizer using high efficiency anaerobic digestion, according to the announcement. Continuus Materials will produce a roof coverboard material, called Everboard, on site from low value plastics and paper. The plan calls for other recycling and waste processing companies to locate around the anchor tenant at the future Sustainable Business Park.
“We are excited to take the next step in a public-private partnership to help us achieve our goal of diverting 90 percent of trash from the South Kent Landfill by 2030,” Emily Brieve, chair of the Kent County Board of Public Works, said in supplied material/ “Approving the PDA is the culmination of several years of evaluation and due- diligence to find the right company that was a good fit for our community with proven technology. Now the real work begins to nail down costs, schedules and site plans.”
The PDA will guide the DPW and Kent County Bioenergy Facility over the next 18 to 36 months until the project can be fully contracted and financed. If all goes as planned, the facility could be up and running in about three years. The PDA process will also include “continued stakeholder involvement” in the project and to develop supporting policy.
The plan currently calls for Kent County to make a $70 million investment through a bond that would be repaid by tipping fees and shared revenue from materials produced at the park.
In honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday, March has been designated as Reading Month. To celebrate and encourage reading, we are asking local officials, residents and WKTV staff and volunteers to tell us about a book that they enjoy. Happy Reading!
Today’s selection comes from D.A. Reed, an award-winning young adult author and creative writing instructor who subsists on copious amounts of caffeine and chocolate. She lives in West Michigan with her family.
Book: The Dictionary of Lost Words Author: Pip Williams Genre: Historical Fiction
While a fictional novel, “The Dictionary of Lost Words” is based on actual people and events surrounding the work and publication of the Oxford English Dictionary. Williams has created a masterpiece, weaving together a young girl’s life and her love of words with a growing awareness of how certain words came into being, how their meanings changed over the years, and the reason why words we often think should be included in a dictionary are left out. Unforgettable characters and a thought-provoking message reveal the power of words – and celebrate it!
Heather and Todd Luchies just before their surgeries in 2017 (Supplied)
As part of WKTV’s special coverage of World Kidney Day, March 10, we are presenting a series of stories, first about a Michigan donor leading an active lifestyle, then a West Michigan recipient living a lively future thanks to another, and also an adventure of a lifetime — a climb of Africa’s tallest mountain — to bring awareness to the need for more people will to share the gift of life. In this second story, West Michigan donated kidney recipient Heather Luchies.
Heather Luchies, who grew up in Grand Rapids and has lived in Howard City since 2001, is one of the lucky ones, and maybe a bit blessed. And she knows it. In 2017, she received a living-organ donation of a kidney, from the love of her life, her husband.
But she also knows others are not so lucky, so blessed. And as she celebrated her 5-year “transplant-aversary” in January, she continues to advocate for those who, like her, need a kidney to live, and urge those who can to give the gift of life.
Heather and Todd Luchies celebrating their 23rd wedding anniversary in October 2021 (Supplied)
According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), more than 97,000 people in the U.S. are on the waiting list for kidney transplants. Over 3,000 new patients are added to this list every month. With fewer donors than there are those in need, 13 people die every day waiting for a kidney.
“I love talking about my experience. I am doing so well overall and love to give hope to those who are struggling,” Luchies said to WKTV. “I have been a volunteer with Gift of Life Michigan for the past three years, teaching others about organ donation is so important. Signing even one person up is life saving to many others.”
One of her favorite quotes, she says, is: “When you stand and and share your story in an empowering way, your story will heal you and your story will heal somebody else”
The awareness of the plight of those in need of a donation, awareness of the need for donors — and the awareness that a donor does not need to radically alter their lifestyle, even an athletic lifestyle — is part of what is driving a team of the One Kidney Climber group planning to scale Mt. Kilimanjaro on World Kidney Day, March 10.
Mount Kilimanjaro viewed from Moshi (Wikimedia Commons)
The climb, now in progress, is the first coordinated event by Kidney Donor Athletes (KDA) to bring attention to the need for living kidney donors and that those who donate can be “healthy and thrive” with one kidney. WKTV is following the African adventure of one Michigan woman, Emily Polet-Monterosso, who is part of that climb.
Emily met the person who received her donated kidney, they actually became friends. Heather knew her donor even before her surgery was needed — her husband, Todd.
“The fact that I went through this whole process 5 years ago with my husband being my living donor is so humbling,” Heather said. “I was by his side throughout the whole testing process as he was by mine. We recovered together and would argue who had the more ‘painful’ surgery. I still think me, while he thinks the other. Donors are so special, a true gift.”
Heather’s story
Heather Luchies had known for years that she would, eventually, need a kidney transplant. She was diagnosed with Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), a disease which causes scarring (sclerosis) of the kidney, when she was in her 20s.
Doctors told her it would eventually lead to kidney failure, but could not provide a timetable, and for a while she “stayed pretty stable … I was one of the lucky ones.”
But “I knew I would need a kidney one day; I just didn’t know when,” she said in a 2021 interview with Gift of Life Michigan. Her husband, Todd, also knew it was just a fact of life, dating back to when the couple first met more than 25 years ago.
“We always knew it was the eventual outcome. It was always on our mind,” Todd said.
Her kidneys gradually got worse. In late 2016, they were bad enough to have her put on the transplant waiting list — and at that time Todd said he wanted to see if he was a match.
“I called the next day,” he said. “We started getting tested a few days after that.”
After a series of tests, it was determined that he was a good match — something that Todd said was “a tremendous sense of relief” — and the transplant was scheduled for Jan. 7, 2017, and occurred at Mercy Health in Grand Rapids.
Heather and Todd Luchies, with son Cayden. Cayden is a senior at Grand Valley State University. (Supplied)
The couple had been married for about 18 years at the time. And now they have been given five more years together, five more years of watching their son, Cayden, now a senior at Grand Valley State University, grow into a man.
And, hopefully, they will have many more years.
As a donor, Todd recovered well and his “life has not changed,” Heather said. “He is 100 percent, physically, the same as before donating.”
Heather Luchies’ meds right after her kidney transplant surgery; they have greatly diminished since then. (Supplied)
Life is not exactly “normal” now for Heather, she does still have to take medications. But nothing like she did immediately after transplant.
“You start anti-rejection meds also called immunosuppressants. These meds weaken your immune system decreasing your body’s ability to destroy the new kidney,” she said. “I will be on these the rest of my life (or the duration of the transplanted kidney) … I have a love/hate relationship with them.
“The downfall of these meds is your weakened immune system and fighting off other viruses, infections … as well as some lovely side effects. But overall I am so thankful for these meds. Without them I would be on dialysis or not here today.”
Heather Luchies meds today, some continuing due to her kidney transplant and some just regular supplements. (Supplied)
And here, today, is pretty good for Heather.
“I had my 5-year ‘transplant-aversary’ on January 9. Just over 5 years. Time sure does fly,” she said. “Since my transplant I have lived a pretty normal life. I work part time for an electric company in Rockford. 99 percent of the time I work by myself (aside from my dog Wyatt who comes with me) which has been a huge blessing the past two years with COVID.
“I am very active. I work out daily (cardio and kickboxing are my favorite) this is something I could not do before my transplant, I just got too tired. I love hiking with our dog, being with family and just doing normal everyday things. I became vegan a few years ago, I love making new, thrown-together vegan meals.”
She also loves being involved with groups which support kidney donation.
“I have been a volunteer with Gift of Life Michigan for the past three years, teaching others about organ donation is so important. Signing even one person up is life saving to many others,” she said. “I am also a kidney mentor at my transplant center.”
Heather Luchies at Donate Life Day, a living donor informational event, at Grand Rapids Zoo. (Supplied)
Heather is also a “kidney mentor” at her transplant center, and with her friend and fellow transplant patient, she started a West Michigan Kidney Transplant/Disease Facebook group about two years ago “with hopes of meeting everyone in person. But COVID has set us back a tad. We hope to be able to meet up this Spring. I call it therapy.”
She also, strangely enough, has a connection to the group of donors currently in Africa, preparing to climb a mountain to advocate for kidney donation.
“Another cool thing is my Dad summited Kilimanjaro about 12 years ago,” she said. “So I have a slight connection to these climbers, aside from kidney stuff.”
More information on KDA
For more information on the Kidney Donor Athletes climb, and other resources, visit kidneydonorathlete.org.
A videographer is set to accompany the group to document the climb and WKTV plans to produce a story and video using supplied material after the climb. (We are told cell service is not great on top of Mt. Kilimanjaro.)
Founded in 2018, Kidney Donor Athletes is a 501(c)3 nonprofit whose mission is to promote the gift of life through living kidney donation among active individuals and athletes by building a community that inspires, supports, and educates people about the experience.
What can and cannot be recycled in Kent County, and how do it. And what happens to everything else? WKTV Journal, working with Kent County Department of Public Works Resource Recovery Specialist Lauren Westerman, are working to look at specific consumer products and other items and give you the answers.
In this post, we look at that soft plastic tooth paste tube and cap. Does the tube need to be cleaned — can it actually be cleaned? Or is it medical waste? And the cap; hard plastic but is it too small? Here is the lowdown from an expert:
The toothpaste tube and cap are both trash. Even though both the tube and the cap are plastic, neither are able to be recycled at the Kent County Recycling Center. Here’s why:
The toothpaste tube is considered a soft, non-rigid plastic. The Kent County Recycling Center only accepts rigid plastics because soft plastics will not process correctly through the sorting machinery at the facility. The toothpaste cap is considered a rigid plastic but is still not recyclable because of its size. Items that are smaller than about 2 inches by 2 inches will also not process correctly at the Kent County Recycling Center.
Do you have a question about a specific consumer product or other item? Contact WKTV at ken@wktv.org. Please send a photo of the product and the recycling label if available.
Last night, the University of Michigan Health-West changed its beacon lights from white to blue and yellow, showing its support for the people of Ukraine.
“As an organization dedicated to health and the well-being of all people, University of Michigan Health-West stands against violence in all of its forms,” in a released statement from the hospital.
The beacon lights will be blue and yellow 24 hours a day going forward with the hospital stating “with this symbolic gesture, we add our light to others around the world, showing support for the people of Ukraine.”
In honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday, March has been designated as Reading Month. To celebrate and encourage reading, we are asking local officials, residents and WKTV staff and volunteers to tell us about a book that they enjoy. Happy Reading!
Today’s selection comes from WKTV volunteer Donna Kidner Smith. Smith is a pastor, teaches at Grand Valley State University and recently hosted the WKTV Voices’ Storytelling Project at The Stray.
Book: Sensible Shoes Author: Sharon Garlough Brown Genre: Christian Fiction
I appreciate this book that’s written about five women who, each in a different stage of life, question themselves as well as how to best navigate their situation. They make assessments about themselves and one another, often inaccurately. As they become more familiar with each other and essentially “build community,” they make themselves vulnerable and recognize the importance of support and friendship. Most readers can relate to at least one character and some see a bit of themselves in each one.
NOTE: For Women’s History Month we are featuring local female business leaders. We start our series with Nancy Jacob, who with her husband Mike own Apple Spice Box Lunch Delivery and Catering Co.
Nancy Jacobs is co-owner with her husband Mike of Apple Spice Box Lunch Delivery and Catering, Co. (WKTV)
When you meet Nancy Jacobs, you can’t help feel she is the neighbor you just want to have a sandwich and soda with while discussing the day’s ups and downs.
If that does happen, Jacobs can definitely supply the sandwich and beverage of choice as her and her husband Mike are the owners of Apple Spice, a box lunch delivery and catering company located off of 68th Street.
“We often joke that when Nancy goes out our sales go up,” said Mike Jacobs.
Nancy Jacobs is the face of the operation. She is the one who will load up with samples and then head out to visit with local businesses, encouraging prospective clients to try what Apple Spice has to offer.
“I think because many of the people I meet are often women who are the gatekeepers when it comes to planning events at the business, it is a lot easier for me to get connected with the right person,” Nancy Jacobs said, adding that about 80 percent of her contact is woman-to-woman. Jacobs’ husband agrees that for their business, Nancy Jacobs’ ability to network has helped to make Apple Spice successful.
Nancy Jacobs noted that teachers love the heavy duty box that Apple Spice’s box lunch comes in, using the boxes for a variety of purposes. (WKTV)
The Dream of Having Your Own Business
Mike and Nancy Jacobs started Apple Spice just before the pandemic. Mike had been laid off from his aerospace job and through a seminar his former company offered, came home with the idea of the couple starting a franchise.
“It was something that we had talked about in the past, starting a business,” said Nancy Jacobs, who was a nurse. “However, after the seminar, Mike thought that a franchise made for a reasonable way for us to do that since with a franchise the start-up work of creating the business had been done.
“Basically it is like starting a business but with training wheels.”
Through coaching, the couple narrowed it down to two possible franchises and after visiting both companies, opted for Apple Space, which is based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Food seemed like a natural fit for the couple, Jacobs said as the reason for the choice.
A peek inside one of the Apple Spice box lunches. (WKTV)
The couple selected its 68th Street location, in the same mall as The Dollar Tree and Blain Farm and Fleet, because of the space it provided for their business needs while being close to US 131.
Apple Spice offers primarily lunches, through box lunches and catering. Jacobs said they do offer breakfast and some late lunch/early dinner service. Delivery is available for five or more box lunches and catering. Those wishing to order four or less box lunches may pick up from the store front on 68th Street. She noted that it is the Apple Spice team that delivers the food, not an outside service. This is to assure that items are set up to the customer’s expectations, she said.
And things were going pretty well with the couple even adding their own sandwich, the Michigan Cherry Chicken, to the menu and coming up with a “bread flight” that features three of the catering company’s breads.
Then, the pandemic hit.
“We just watched as our catering business went from steady to zero,” Jacobs said. But the business had a second side, box lunches, which offered a solution to providing individual meals for groups.
“People wanted to help hospital workers or police and fire and they would call up to have box lunches sent to a certain floor staff or department,” Jacobs said. The heavy duty box, which Jacobs said teachers find all kinds of creative ways to use, includes a sandwich, pickle, cookie, and a choice of salads, chips or fresh fruit in the classic box. There are other options as well including salad box meals.
The box lunches helped the business through the pandemic, making up almost 95 percent of its business. The business is now seeing more of a 60/40 spited between its box lunches and catering. Of course, there have been supply demands, with the couple adding a storage container in the back parking lot which has allowed them to stock up on items when they do find them.
It takes two
“I like going to Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce events such as the B2 Outlet opening because it gives me the opportunity to network and meet new people,” Jacobs said. “The Chamber is a good resource for me.”
And while Jacobs maybe good at networking and marketing, she does have her weaknesses.
“I can’t work the computer,” she said looking hesitantly over at her work station. “I just learned one system and they changed it on me. I have to rely on Mike, my general manager and staff to help me.”
That is where having a partner has been key to the business’s success, Jacobs said, adding that Mike handles a lot of the operational needs while she focuses on promotions and networking.
“Sometimes I get a call from a customer and I just know it would be better if a man handled it,” she said. “That is when I can ask Mike if he can take it and sometimes, he gets a call and knows it would be better if a woman took the call, so he gives it to me.”
As for challenges of being a women in the catering world, Jacobs admits she has not had many. Husband Mike said he feels it is because the business they are in, food and catering, is fairly diverse.
“I think there would be more challenges if Nancy was say in something like manufacturing which is more male dominated,” he said.
Apple Spice is the couple’s retirement job as they look toward the future. Jacobs said they hope to get a recreational vehicle someday and travel. They currently do some travel as certified Kansas City Barbecue Society judges.
As for now, Nancy Jacob said the couple’s goal is to continue to build Apple Spice and on that note, as the promotions person, she didn’t hesitate to add to encourage people to connect and check out Apple Spice’s offerings.
Apple Spice is located at 701 68th St. SW. The phone number is 616-805-3288 or visit the website at www.applesauce.com.
The 2021-22 high school basketball post-season is in full swing with three local girls teams heading into MHSAA District tournament finals Friday, March 4, and all the local boys teams set to open District play next week.
In the only girls District tournament on a Wyoming-Kentwood high school home floor, the East Kentwood High School girls (12-9 overall) look to continue their post-season run against Byron Center (18-2) in the D1 Girls District 12 finals at East Kentwood. Tipoff will be at 7 p.m.
The Falcons girls, who closed the regular season winning of 10 of 13 games after a slow start, rolled past Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills, 81-14, to open District action Feb. 28; then defeated Caledonia, 50-36, on March 2. Byron Center enters the District finals 18-2 and with an OK Conference White title after a 14-0 conference season.
In other District finals action involving local teams, Grand Rapids South Christian (18-3) will challenge Grand Rapids Christian (15-6) in the D2 Girls District 44 finals at Grand Rapids Christian, while Wyoming Potter’s House (16-5) will play Grand Rapids Covenant Christian (11-8) in the D3 Girls District 76 finals at Fennville. Both tip-off at 7 p.m.
To get both the District finals, the Sailors girls defeated Wyoming Kelloggsville (7-15 final overall record), 54-27, on March 2. (For a WKTV feature on South Christian visit here.)
The Pumas of Wyoming Potter’s House girls, in early District games, first defeated Holland Black River, 50-25, on Feb. 28, and then defeated Saugatuck, 44-33, on March 2.
Boys Districts begin with big games at Kelloggsville
Kelloggsville High School will be the place to be in the local area for boys District play, beginning with opening night action Monday, March 7, as OK Conference Silver foes Wyoming Godwin Heights (9-7 overall, with a “stay sharp” game schedule for March 3) and Kelloggsville (12-8) play the deciding third game in their 2021-22 season in D2 Boys District 44 opening round action with tip off at 5:30 p.m. (See a WKTV feature on the two teams here.)
Kelloggsville high boys basketball team senior Damario Montgomery during a game Feb. 25 at Kelloggsville. (WKTV)
The District 44 tournament at Kelloggsville is loaded with quality local teams as well. In addition to the Wolverines and the Rockets, Grand Rapids West Michigan Aviation Academy (13-6) will open play on March 7 at 7 p.m. against Kentwood Grand River Prep (6-8). Then, set to start play Wednesday, March 9, Grand Rapids Christian (15-4) will play the winner of the first opening round game, while Grand Rapids South Christian (15-5) await the winner of the second opening round game. The finals will be Friday, March 11, at Kelloggsville at 7 p.m.
Two local teams, Wyoming high and East Kentwood, will be in action at Caledonia in the D1 Boys District 12 tournament. The Falcons (6-14) will open play Monday, March 7, against Byron Center (5-14). The Wolves (13-6 overall, with a “stay sharp” game at home against Benton Harbor March 3) get a first-round bye and are set to play the winner of Monday’s game between Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills and host Caledonia on Wednesday, March 9, at 5:30 p.m.
Wyoming Lee (4-13 overall with at least one game scheduled this week at the Battle Creek Academy Tigers Tournament) will play in the D2 Boys District 43 Tournament at Grand Rapids West Catholic, starting opening night, Monday, March 7, against the host school at 5:30 p.m.
Wyoming Potter’s House (14-5 overall, with a “stay sharp” game at North Muskegon March 3) will play at the D3 Boys District 76 Tournament at Grand Rapids Covenant Christian, starting with an opening round game Monday, March 7, at 5:30 p.m. against Saugatuck (8-11).
And Wyoming Tri-unity Christian (14-5, with a “stay sharp” game scheduled at Grandville Calvin Christian March 3) will play in the D4 Boys District 114 Tournament at Climax-Scotts, with a semifinal game scheduled for Wednesday, March 9, against Kalamazoo Phoenix (10-5).
WKTV featured games covered throughout the season, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand at wktvlive.com. You can also follow all WKTV sports programing at wktk.org/sports.
Early renovation work at Phoenix Theatres, the soon-to-(re)open movie house at Woodland Mall. (Supplied)
By Philip Janowski, WKTV Contributing Writer
Old and new marquee sign at Phoenix Theatres, the soon-to-(re)open movie house at Woodland Mall. (Supplied)
High-quality moviegoing experiences — in sight, sound and all-reclining seats — will soon be coming to Woodland Mall as Phoenix Theatres has announced it will be opening its planned 14-screen complex on the mall’s south side in April.
The recently installed vertical marquee, spelling out PHOENIX, is sure to show moviegoers the way.
Phoenix Theatres owner Cory Jacobson, right, and local executive Jordan Hohman, in front of the new marque at the soon-to-(re)open movie house at Woodland Mall. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
The marquee, composed of more than 200 light bulbs, was designed with a classical 1920s and ’30s style in homage to the Chicago Theatre, Jordan Hohman, local executive, recently told WKTV during a backstage tour. The building overall carries a refined art deco style that makes “going to the movies” special again, honoring “tradition” while still providing a “new, modern experience.”
“The theatre can’t just be a ‘box’. You really have to have some character, a face to this business,” Cory Jacobson, owner of Phoenix Theatres, said.
The location is expected to open to the general public Thursday, April 14, after special opening events early that week.
Nearly complete renovation work at Phoenix Theatres, the soon-to-(re)open movie house at Woodland Mall. (Supplied)
Construction is progressing rapidly, with carpeting almost completely fitted and reclining seats added on the daily. At the location there will be four large, three mid-sized, and seven small auditoriums. And, management says, those 14 screens at this location will be the most screens of any Phoenix Theatres location, and will be the 50th screen of the Michigan-based company.
“Like celebrating a fiftieth wedding anniversary,” Jacobson said.
Phoenix Theatres will screen films utilizing the powerful Dolby Atmos sound system, making for some of the highest cinema sound quality in the country, Hohman said.
Phoenix Theatres local executive Jordan Hohman checks out a newly installed camera at the soon-to-(re)open movie house at Woodland Mall. (WKTV/Philip Janowski)
From above, numerous speakers shape sound moving throughout the room. Below, subwoofer speakers in every seat bring the frequency of film audio directly to your chair. This extensive, detailed sound system makes Dolby Atmos the doorway to “improved immersion in films,” Hohman said.
Jacobson actually told a story that Douglas Trumbull, the famous photographic effects supervisor for the classic “2001: A Space Odyssey”, said Phoenix provided the best presentation of the film he had ever seen — and heard — in 50 years.
To promote its new place in the community the theatre is planning to have a ticket giveaway, which can be entered on the company website. First prize is a VIP ticket giving admission to 52 films in the first year, followed by second and third place prizes as well.
Phoenix management is also reaching out to news media and holding press conferences, to make a big initial spash.
When it comes to a grand opening, “You only get one bite at the apple,” Hohman said.
Phoenix Theatres owner Cory Jacobson, left, and local executive Jordan Hohman, check out newly installed seats at the soon-to-(re)open movie house at Woodland Mall. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
Phoenix Theatres also plan to offer unique experiences through Fathom Events, including Turner Classic Movie showings, anniversary films like celebration of the classic “Casablanca” on its 80th anniversary, and live showings from the Metropolitan Opera.
Fathom is a good chance for many to “explore an interest in operatic shows that would otherwise be difficult to access,” Hohman said. Large sports games and other “live events” may also be shown.
The lobby will include self-serve drinks for faster service, as well as a new lounge with a grand piano. Additionally, the halls are to be lined with photographs of historic local theatres.
Despite advanced sound and video systems, and a retro aesthetic, Phoenix Theatres will carry “friendly” film prices.
“You shouldn’t have to pick between a trip to the movies or a trip out of town,” Hohman said.
For more information visit Phoenix Theatres’ website at phoenixmovies.net.
In honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday, March has been designated as Reading Month. To celebrate and encourage reading, we are asking local officials, residents and WKTV staff and volunteers to tell us about a book that they enjoy. Happy Reading!
Today’s selecting comes from WKTV Managing Editor K.D. Norris. Norris is also a creative writer with several short stories and essays published. He is not what one might call an avid reader but when he sinks his teeth into something, he devours it.
Book: Albert and the Whale: Albercht Dürer and How Art Imagines Our World Author: Philip Hoare Genre: Biography/Autobiography
Hoare’s book is filled wonderful and wondering musings on Dürer — who in the 1500s was the most celebrated artist in Northern Europe, and still notably famous for his prints of creatures real and imagined. The reader is able to explore not only the artists’s life and work, but the people around him, famous and obscure. As his publisher’s description puts it “his art captured more than the physical world, he also captured states of mind.”
For many local basketball teams not fighting for a conference title in the last week of the season, the OK Conference Silver boys basketball finale between Godwin Heights High School and Kelloggsville high might have meant little as both ended winning regular seasons and readied themselves for their MHSAA district tournament.
But the Friday, Feb. 25, clash between the visiting Wolverines and the host Rockets — a neighborhood rivalry if there every was one — was not a game without meaning.
Godwin Heights entered the game comfortably in third place in the always tough OK Silver (at 8-3, 9-6 overall) but Kelloggsville also entered in the upper half of the conference standings with a very similar record (8-5 in OK, 11-7 overall). But one of those losses was a 73-67 defeat at Godwin on Jan. 28.
Kelloggsville high boys basketball team senior Cameron Mosley Jr. on the defense during a game Feb. 25 at Kelloggsville. (WKTV)
In Friday’s game, the Rockets gained a measure of revenge against the Wolverines, taking a highly competitive, back-and-forth contest that wasn’t settled until the final horn, 76-74. But both coaches agree that their neighborhood rivalry is good for both schools, both teams and really good to prepare each for the coming tournament.
“I think the neighborhood rivalry is an excellent thing,” Kelloggsville head coach Troy Ricketson said. “I graduated from Kelloggsville in 2009, I have played in this rivalry, so I have experienced firsthand the excitement it brings to the communities. The players know each other and have grown up together in some cases. Every time the two schools play in any sport, it brings a big crowd.”
Godwin head coach Tyler Whittemore agreed, and said he knows his team will always get tested when they play the Rockets.
The Godwin Heights high boys basketball team breaks huddle during a game Feb. 25 at Kelloggsville. (WKTV)
“We have always got Kelloggsville’s best games against us and we can tell that the intensity is increased,” Whittemore said. “It’s important that we understand the intensity in the rivalry so that we play as hard as we can each possession — no plays off.”
Whittemore also said that in games like the Feb. 25 visit to Kelloggsville, his team needed to be poised and stay “true to all of the things we’ve taught them throughout the season and move the basketball fast on offense without turning the ball over.”
But, speaking before the game, Whittemore also said he team could not “get out-worked (because) Kelloggsville talent will be able to put up lots of points quick.”
And that may well have been a key factor in last week’s contest — a Rockets offensive explosion to open the game and the fact that the Wolverines had to constantly play from behind.
Kelloggsville jumps out, then holds on
In the Feb. 25 win, the Rockets — and senior Corey Patton-Ivy — came out to make a early statement and jumped to a 28-16 lead after one quarter, with Patton-Ivy scoring 11 points including a three. Demoni Gamble, Brendon Tuinstra and Harry Knowling also hit from long range in the quarter.
But Godwin’s Jakhary Towns and Jabari Crump-Moore answered the call in the second quarter, scoring nine points each, as the Wolverines battled back to make is close at the half, 39-36.
The second half was a back and forth affair as Kelloggsville extended their lead to eight points after three quarters, 58-50.
Kelloggsville high boys basketball team senior Damario Montgomery during a game Feb. 25 at Kelloggsville. (WKTV)
But the Rockets then had to weather a determined Wolverine attack in the fourth quarter, when Godwin’s offense came alive with 28 points. But Kelloggsville made enough free throws in the final period — nine of them — and eventually survived to even the series at one game apiece with a 76-74 win.
For the game, Patton-Ivy led the Rockets with 21 points, while big-man Caleb Balsitis added 14 points, including six in the final period, and Marc Whitfield Jr. and Tuinstra added nine points each.
Godwin received a great game from Towns, who led all scorers with 26 points, followed by Jeremiah Drake’s 16 points and Crump-Moore’s 15.
Tough schedule needed to be ready for tournament
Irregardless of the outcome of the Friday game, both coaches say their senior-led teams have benefited from their tough OK conference schedule, and their overall non-conference schedule, to prepare them for next week.
The Kelloggsville high boys basketball team huddles during a game Feb. 25 at Kelloggsville. (WKTV)
“When we were trying to create the schedule for this season, we wanted to make sure we were playing competition that was going to challenge us and make us better,” Rockets coach Ricketson said. “We have had some success and have also been humbled throughout. I think that has definitely prepared us for what we will see come district time.”
Throughout the season, the Rockets have been led by senior Demario Montgomery and sophomore Marc Whitfield Jr., both of whom have been averaging more than 10 points-per-game, but also getting great leadership, good rebounding and 7-to-8 ppg. from seniors Patton-Ivy and Balsitis, and junior Tuinstra. Other seniors on the team include Demoni Gamble, Kevin Gaddis Jr., Harry Knowling, Jaevyon Turnbull and Cameron Mosley Jr.
Wolverines coach Whittemore also thinks the tough schedule during a sometimes up-and-down season has helped his team grow.
“This season has been tough and a great learning experience for our players,” Whittemore said. “Most of our games have been very close, on both sides of the winning, and each game has pushed our players to improve and work hard in practice.”
Godwin, too, is a team lead by seniors but with a high-scoring underclassman.
Junior Towns, now in his 3rd year playing varsity, is averaging 20 ppg., and, according to his coach, “is our best offensive player.” But senior Drake — he of the “high-motor and intensity” his coach says, averages about 14 ppg. and 7 rebounds per game. And fellow senior Jordan Norman, a “very good shooter from the outside” who can “guard the opposing teams guards or big guys,” averages 13 ppg. and 5 rebounds.
Other senior leaders include Mark Dolo, Crump-Moore, Kaleil Harris, and Javeon Lyons. While junior Jamarion Collins has been a force on the defensive end.
“Playing Godwin Heights basketball comes with some pressure and the understanding (that) due to the program’s history of success, even before I became the coach, that we will get every team’s best effort. We embrace that and has raised the level of all of the players we have in the program and we are hoping to peak at our performance now that the tournament is approaching.”
District 44 tournament preview
Both Godwin (now 9-7 overall) and Kelloggsville (now 12-7 overall) will play non-conference “stay-sharp” game this week — strangely enough, both against Grand Rapids Covenant Christian (14-3 overall) — with the Rockets at home March 1 at 7 p.m., and the Wolverines at home March 3 at 7:15 p.m.
But things get real in a big way Monday, March 7 as the two look to keep their seasons alive in their Division 2 District 44 tournament, with games scheduled March 7, 9 and 11, and which includes Grand Rapids Christian (15-4 overall), Grand Rapids South Christian (14-5 overall) and Grand Rapids West Michigan Aviation Academy (12-6 overall), as well a Kentwood Grand River Preparatory Academy (6-8 overall).
The good news for both is that the tournament will be in their neighborhood — at Kelloggsville. The bad news is that the Godwin and Kelloggsville will play the 2021-22 series-deciding game on opening night, at 5:30 p.m.
“Our district is a gauntlet, but I am excited to have it on our home floor,” coach Ricketson said before last week’s game. “I feel like we are playing some of our best basketball, and like the confidence these guys are showing.”
It is this consistency that will ultimately allow you to create more wealth both in and out of the stock market. (pxhere.com)
“The best way to measure your investing success is not by gains and losses but by whether you’ve improving your overall financial plan that is likely to get you where you want to go.” — Dave Stanley
On the most fundamental level, there are two different approaches to investing in the stock market: active and passive.
An active investor, relying on his or her personal skill, attempts to beat the market by investing in companies believed to have the most reliable long-term growth prospects. Such an investor may try and beat the market by jumping in and out at precisely the right times to maximize gains and avoid losses.
Passive investors, on the other hand, are looking to match market returns by spreading money around between different types of investments. How their money is allocated will affect their returns, but passive investors are interested in simply taking market returns and not trying to get an edge on everyone else in the market.
There is an obvious difference between the two strategies and, for most individuals, beating the market as an active investor is nearly impossible. Typical active investors, in fact, regularly underperform the market by 4-5%. Even professional investors have difficulty beating the market consistently. Most people wind up losing to the market.
That’s why, when discussing what course of action is best for an individual, financial guru Ben Graham stated that an individual “should act consistently as an investor and not as a speculator.”
Index Investing and the Single Investor
A stock index is a measurement of a segment of the stock market. These indexes are compiled from the prices of selected stocks, usually using a weighted average. Contrary to what you may think, an index (such as the S&P 500) is not the “pulse” of a market, but rather a tool used by investors and financial advisors to compare the returns on specific investments and to describe the moods of investors.
Indexes use a base value that represents the weighted average stock price of all the stocks comprising that particular index. The actual index number has much less importance than its percent change over time. It is this up or down movement that can give you an idea of how that particular index is performing.
Each index is calculated on an ongoing basis every day the market is open, and each reflects market conditions and the state of the economy differently. It is important to note, however, that the most referred-to stock indexes, like the NASDAQ and S&P 500 reflect only a portion of the actual market and not the whole market. So, while indexes give you a useful snapshot of market movements and the attitudes of investors and provide you with a better historical perspective, they are not as useful as forecasting tools. Indexes tend to be most helpful as a research tool when viewed over a long historical period to determine trends and changes in investing patterns. Using an index will provide an investor with a yardstick for comparison.
Far from being the refuge of the timid and inexperienced willing to earn less on their investments, index investing has proven itself to be an incredibly effective strategy that often outperforms similar active investing strategies. 80-90% of the time, taking market returns produced by index investing produces better results than similar active strategy.
Index investing allows even those who are not “bull market geniuses” or who do not possess degrees in finance to make smarter decisions when it comes to growing wealth. It is perhaps the very best way to participate in market gains without having to incur excessive exposure to risk and the many expenses of more active growth strategies. Index investing lets you simplify and streamline the investment process and become more consistent.
It is this consistency that will ultimately allow you to create more wealth both in and out of the stock market.
Dave Stanley is the host of Safe Money Radio WOOD1300 AM, 106.9 FM and a Financial Advisor and Writer at Integrity Financial Service, LLC, Grandville, MI 49418, Telephone 616-719-1979 or Register for Dave’s FREE Newsletter at 888-998-3463 or click this link: Dave Stanley Newsletter – Annuity.comDave is a member of Syndicated Columnists, a national organization committed to a fully transparent approach to money management
Realtor Sam Wilson added a large roof and benches to his Wyoming Park office for the comfort of local residents (and potential buyers) waiting for the next interurban car. (Wyoming Historical Commission)
Recently, Grand Valley State University commemorated remnants of the interurban railway tracks on its downtown campus, rails that once connected to a station in the City of Wyoming that served as a key connector for those wishing to travel to the lakeshore or Kalamazoo.
Started in 1901, the electric transportation system, called the Grand Rapids, Holland, and Chicago Railway, started with a line to Holland and in the following year, 1902, added a Muskegon line. Delayed by politics, the line to Kalamazoo was completed in 1915 by the Michigan Railway Company. Passengers of the interurban could make the decision of if they were heading west or south at a station near Lee Street and Grandville Avenue (now Chicago Drive), located in the City of Wyoming.
“It was located by the old Kelvinator building,” said David Britten, who is with the Wyoming Historical Commission. This made sense since the home appliance manufacturer would open its doors in 1914 with the interurban providing an easy way for residents to get to the plant for work.
There were several stops in the City of Wyoming. If you took the route toward Holland, the interurban would stop at Beverly Hills, Wyoming Park, and Elmbrook neighborhoods. Businessmen took advantage of those route stops to promote bungalow-style homes, spurring growth within the City of Wyoming. Take the interurban to Kalamazoo, which ran along side Divisions Avenue, and it would stop on 50th Avenue in the Kelloggsville neighborhood and 54th Street before heading on to Cutlerville as the train made its way to Kalamazoo. Today Consumer’s Energy power lines follow the old Kalamazoo route.
An ad for the Elmbrook community located between Porter and 28th Street west Byron Center Avenue. (The Street Railways of Grand Rapids by Carl Bajema and Tom maas)
Britten said you can see the interurban route through a Google map overview, but that little remains of the actual tracks.
“In many places, they just paved right over the tracks,” he said, adding the tracks would have run behind the current Godfrey-Lee athletic fields. Some years ago, owners of the property dug up the remaining tracks and pieces, which Britten said he did salvage a few items.
But the tracks contained within a brick inlay on the Mount Vernon pedestrian pathway on GVSU’s Pew Grand Rapids Campus, are more than likely the last stretch of any interurban tracks in West Michigan, according to a GVSU historian.
The exhibit placed above the tracks uses images and text to explain the interurban system and its impact on the region. The piece also gives related historical context for the time, such as how the Grand River was a “working waterfront.” According to Britten, the interurban would travel across the now cement bridge that is a pedestrian crossing for residents to and from the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. From there it would make its way south along Grandville Avenue, passing through the car holding area that is now where Grand Valley State University’s downtown campus is located.
At the heart of the commemorative project is a core narrative that is important to the community, said Nathan Kemler, GVSU director of Galleries and Collections, who helped lead the effort to create and install the piece.
The remaining interurban track is contained within a brick inlay on the Mount Vernon pedestrian pathway on the Grand Valley State University’s Pew Grand Rapids Campus. (GVSU)
“One reason this project is so impactful is that it was an early sustainable transportation method that was rooted in equity,” said Kemler of the themes captured in the exhibit that is part of the GVSU Art Gallery. “Anybody could ride the Interurban, and it would take you into the city or outside of it to Lake Michigan, Lake Macatawa, or farms.”
Kemler noted that someone could take the Interurban from Grand Rapids to Lake Michigan, then board a steam ship for Chicago, and it was all done through electric power.
Learning about the prevalence of such green technology long ago is eye-opening for students, said Matthew Daley, GVSU professor of history, who was the key researcher on the project.
“Students are stunned that there was this huge integrated network of electric freight and passenger service that then tied into a citywide network of street cars,” Daley said. “You could take an interurban that produced no soot, no dirt, and at some point on West Michigan lines reach over 70 mph.”
In fact, reporters who road the Kalamazoo route noted that the train could cover 47 miles between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo in 44 minutes, according to the book “The Street Railways of Grand Rapids,” by Carl Bajema and Tom Mass.
“It ran really well until Americans discovered in the 1920s that they liked cars,” Daley said.
A GVSU employee puts the finishing touches on the outdoor exhibit about the interurban which is now located at Grand Valley State University’s downtown Pew Campus. (GVSU)
The paving of roads would help to establish the American car industry. By 1926, the Grand Rapids, Holland and Chicago Railway was sold at auction. Britten noted that in 1927, the United Suburban Railway was organized to restore car service from Jenison to Grand Rapids.
“It was called the shortest track with the most stockholders,” Britten said with a laugh. The seven miles of track had 700 stockholders. The United Suburban Railway would last until about 1932.
Daley and Kemler both said the story of the interurban gives important insight into fleeting economic conditions, how people come together, the environmental impact on the Grand River and how the community has evolved.
“This is about the changing landscape of Grand Rapids itself and understanding this location before the Grand Valley campus was here and before downtown was revitalized,” Kemler said.
There are no markers in Wyoming of the former interurban, which Britten said it would be nice if a marker was placed. There is only a small portion of the interurban that is part of the walking/bike trail Oxford Trail, which is in Grand Rapids. The Oxford Trail does cross over the old swing bridge the interurban once used, according to Britten.
In honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday, March has been designated as Reading Month. To celebrate and encourage reading, we are asking local officials, residents and WKTV staff and volunteers to tell us about a book that they enjoy. Happy Reading!
Today’s suggested book comes from the Wyoming Tree Commission, which develops and promotes programs that maintain and improve Wyoming’s tree assets on both public and private properties. The group also fosters a healthy, species-diverse tree canopy that meets or exceeds coverage percentages suggested by the Michigan DNR, U.S. Forest Service and National Association of State Foresters.
Book: The Word for World is Forest Author: Ursula LeGuin Genre: Science Fiction
It is suitable for teens and adults. The parallels author Ursula LeGuin draws to contemporary life on earth and where humanity could be heading are palpable, instructive — and inspiring one to act for change (and plant more trees.)
As part of WKTV’s special coverage of World Kidney Day, March 10, we are presenting a series of stories about a Michigan donor leading an active lifestyle, a West Michigan recipient finding a lively future thanks to another, and an adventure of a lifetime to bring awareness to the need for more people will to share the gift of life. First, donor and mountain climber Emily Polet-Monterosso.
Mount Kilimanjaro viewed from Moshi. (Wikimedia Commons)
Emily Polet-Monterosso lives in Metro Detroit, but grew up in Holland, until 15 years old, and “still have lots of family there,” she proudly says. And she is a kidney donor, she also proudly says.
She is also one of 20 or so climbers on their way to Africa as part of a One Kidney Climber group planning to scale Mt. Kilimanjaro on World Kidney Day, March 10, the first coordinated event by Kidney Donor Athletes (KDA) to bring attention to the need for living kidney donors and that those who donate can be “healthy and thrive” with one kidney.
Emily Polet-Monterosso, show here hiking at Yosemite National Park, lives in Metro Detroit but grew up in Holland. (Supplied)
Emily is a kidney donor athlete, and a member of KDA, founded by ultra-athlete Tracey Hulick who donated her kidney in 2017. Emily’s team, climbers from 16 metro areas across the United States and Canada, are scheduled to leave Feb. 28 for Tanzania, where their group will prepare for their climb.
An athletic endeavor is nothing new to Emily, but this is endeavor for a cause she has come to really believe in — believe in enough that she donated one of her two healthy kidneys to someone badly in need.
“When I was in high school, a friend from youth group who was sixteen years old needed a kidney, and our pastor’s wife donated to him,” Polet-Monterosso said to WKTV. “I was in college at the time and wasn’t in a secure enough financial position to take six weeks away from work and school, but I told myself at the time that if the opportunity ever arose to do something so meaningful for another person in the future, I would take it.”
And she did. And there is one more good-news story in a world where not all such stories end happily.
According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), more than 97,000 people in the U.S. are on the waiting list for kidney transplants. Over 3,000 new patients are added to this list every month. With fewer donors than there are those in need, 13 people die every day waiting for a kidney.
Emily’s decision and her reward
At one point, Emily stated that she really can’t quite “articulate” why she donated other than it being the right thing to do. But, talking to WKTV, she said there was that moment.
“Before I donated, I met a young woman through my work … who had been in kidney failure during high school and was therefore unable to go to college after graduating, due to a rigorous dialysis schedule,” Polet-Monterosso said. “She received a kidney from her grandmother and was now able to enroll in college. I was reminded of my friend from years ago, and kidney donation was brought back to the front of my mind.
Emily Polet-Monterosso, with the man she donated a kidney to. (Supplied)
“A couple of weeks later, my sister shared a viral Facebook post which showed a car with a sign in the back windshield: ‘Single dad of 3 needs type O kidney’, and then a phone number. The phone number had a local area code, so I knew this person lived geographically close to me, and I know I have type O blood, since I’m a regular blood donor. It seemed like it was meant to be, so I called the number and started the process.”
She eventually met the “single dad of 3” recipient, although that is not always the case.
Emily Polet-Monterosso, at the wedding of the man she donated a kidney to. (Supplied)
“The phone number on the back of the car was actually the cell phone of the single dad who needed the kidney,” she said. “When I called, I awkwardly told him why I was calling, and he gratefully gave me the link to the intake questionnaire at Henry Ford Hospital for his specific case. My understanding is that somewhere around 250 people started the evaluation process trying to donate to him, and I’m the only one who made it through.
“We are now friends. We chat every few weeks and our families get together every few months. I was blessed to see him get married at the end of last year, and I hope to witness many more milestones that he gets to enjoy with the years this surgery has given him.”
Being a donor and an athlete
Emily and Bobby McLaughlin, president of Kidney Donor Athletes, Inc., both understand the perception that kidney donors are making a decision to change their lives forever by giving part of their body away.
And, surely, there are impacts. But not being an athlete, or even continuing a long, healthy life is not one of them.
Emily Polet-Monterosso was fit before donating a kidney, but she now is even more an athlete. (Supplied)
Polet-Monterosso “is climbing because she believes it’s an amazing way to prove to those considering kidney donation that diminished physical/athletic capacity post-donation does not need to be a concern,” McLaughlin said as part of her introduction of Emily.
And Emily, herself, is proof.
“All potential living kidney donors are evaluated at length to determine if giving a kidney could possibly be detrimental to their long-term health based on their existing physical health,” Polet-Monterosso said. “Only the healthiest of the healthy are cleared to donate.
“All donors work with a team of doctors during the evaluation process — dietitians, nephrologists, psychologists, and many others. Doctors on the team agree that if a donor is healthy enough to be cleared to donate, then there is no expectation of long-term decrease in physical capability once the acute healing period (six weeks post-operation) is complete. … Donors do need to pay extra attention to staying hydrated and maintaining a healthy diet, but if they’re cleared to donate, it’s likely they were already doing those things anyway.”
There is even some evidence that if a donor is healthy enough to be cleared to donate, they are at a high enough threshold of health that even with one fewer kidney, they are still less likely to experience decreased kidney function long-term than the average American.
And about that African climb
The One Kidney Climber team “will have roughly 110 support staff in porters, guides and cooks helping us up the mountain,” McLaughlin said. “It is a 42 mile 8-day expedition and these people we have hired are experts on the mountain.”
Embark Exploration Company out of Portland, Oregon is the guide company.
The National Kidney Registry is supporting the climb as well — “The National Kidney Registry is where we are directing those who may want to explore what it takes for kidney donation.”
While Emily will be part of the team, and she considers the opportunity to be one of a lifetime, she admits she is not an experienced athlete and also knows her limitations on such an adventure.
“I am totally new to climbing,” Polet-Monterosso said. “I live in Michigan, which as you know is not super mountain-ey. I’m also relatively new to athleticism … I actually first started caring about my fitness in the lead-up to my donation.”
She donated in January 2019 and said she started focusing on her fitness in late 2018 — “to ensure that I was as healthy as possible before surgery. I enjoyed it so much that I’ve maintained my interest since then.”
Currently her sports of choice are obstacle course racing and weightlifting. And while the COVID-19 pandemic “put a damper” on both of those activities she keeps working out at home as much as possible, “and I’ve obviously added lots of hiking to my repertoire” in the lead-up to this climb.
“Kilimanjaro is kind of the perfect mountain for people in my situation — relatively physically fit, but not experienced climbers. There is no ‘technical’ climbing involved. It’s basically a really long, steep hike. So I’ve been trying to replicate that as much as possible in my training by hiking local trails and climbing lots of flights of stairs.”
And her expectations for the climb?
“This climb will last for eight days. It will take us six days to get to the summit, and another two days to come back down again,” she said. “I’ll fly home on the 14th (which will give her enough time for the turnaround on a Covid test result after the climb, which will be needed for her to fly home).”
Then it’s back to work and school — she currently hold two jobs and is a full time graduate student. Yet she made time for the climb because it is important for her and for her advocacy of kidney donation.
“Gotta live life while you’re here, right?” she said.
More information on KDA
For more information on the Kidney Donor Athletes climb, and other resources, visit kidneydonorathlete.org.
A videographer is set to accompany the group to document the climb and WKTV plans to produce a story and video using supplied material after the climb. (We are told cell service is not great on top of Mt. Kilimanjaro.)
Founded in 2018, Kidney Donor Athletes is a 501(c)3 nonprofit whose mission is to promote the gift of life through living kidney donation among active individuals and athletes by building a community that inspires, supports, and educates people about the experience.
It was only 8:30 a.m. and customers already were lined up outside the new B2 location at Rogers Plaza on the chilly morning of Thursday, Feb. 24.
Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber President Keith Morgan (right) presents B2 co-owner Duane Smith a recognition certificate before the ribbon cutting ceremony for the store’s new Wyoming location. (WKTV)
The outlet store recently moved from a few spots down from 968 to 962, the former OfficeMax location. The space is three times more than its former location allowing the store to add furniture to the Wyoming location.
“This was something that we would not be able to have had in the old location,” said Rebecca Smith, who is the marketing and public relations manager for the B2 Outlet Stores.
Started in 2014, the B2 stores are designed around the concept of providing good deals to its customers while giving back to the community, said Duane Smith who along with his son Matt are co-owners of the stores.
“Hence the name B2,” Smith said. “It is to provide a benefit to customers while benefiting the community as well.”
Each B2 store partners with a local charitable organization. The Wyoming store has partnered with Lifeline Church. The stores also host a Mission of the Month program for nonprofit organizations that are aiming to help their communities locally and internationally. During a specific month that local organization is featured guests are asked if they would like to round up their purchase to support the organization.
B2 has donated back $1.25 million to local and global causes since 2014, helping more than 250 local organizations.
Shoppers finally get their chance to check out the new B2 Outlet Wyoming store. (WKTV)
There are now 23 B2 Outlet stores in Michigan and one in Illinois. The store sells clothing, home decor, gifts, food, toys, tools, household items, linens and pillows, cleaning supplies, back-to-school supplies, recreation goods, and seasonal items.
Brian Long is a local business forecaster. Credit: GVSU
Modest, steady economic growth continues in West Michigan, yet supply and personnel shortages are hindering normal business operations, according to Brian G. Long, director of Supply Management Research in the Seidman College of Business at Grand Valley State University.
Long’s report for January showed positive numbers for employment, new orders and production, although Long called pending interest rate hikes and a looming situation in the Ukraine “the elephants in the room.”
“If a serious war breaks out and Russia invades Ukraine, all bets are off,” Long said. “Domestically, the greatest economic threat remains inflation. The next two or three reports may rise to a rate of 8 percent or so, and then begin a gradual decline for the rest of the year.”
Other highlights from Long’s report: • Sales/new orders rose slightly in January to +18, signifying that new orders of raw materials or services will be made soon • The index of employment was down in January to +13, from +17 in December; the most significant personnel shortages are in hospitality and service industries • Production index was down slightly in January to +15, from +16 in December
The Institute for Supply Management survey is a monthly survey of business conditions that includes 45 purchasing managers in the greater Grand Rapids area and 25 in Kalamazoo. The respondents are from the region’s major industrial manufacturers, distributors and industrial service organizations. It is patterned after a nationwide survey conducted by the Institute for Supply Management. Each month, the respondents are asked to rate eight factors as “same,” “up” or “down.”
For an audio of Long’s complete report, click here.
From left, Ford Airport CEO and President Tory Richardson, Ford Airport Board Chair Dan Koorndyk, and Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss. (Supplied)
On Feb. 23, the City of Grand Rapids joined Gerald R. Ford International Airport officials to unveil the new home of an Alexander Calder model airplane built in honor of the nation’s Bicentennial.
Commissioned by Braniff International Airways and hand painted by the artist and sculptor who has strong ties to West Michigan, Flying Colors of the United States is gouache on resin-cast plastic. A gift to the City of Grand Rapids in 1975, the airplane features the stars and stripes flag waving in the wind with Calder’s bold signature on the tail.
The design from Calder, whose La Grande Vitesse has become a symbol of pride for Grand Rapids, was recreated on a Boeing 727. First Lady Betty Ford presided over the ceremony in the nation’s capital when the actual plane was dedicated Nov. 17, 1975 – the year before the celebration of America’s 200th birthday and the year of Calder’s death.
The model was presented to the City of Grand Rapids by Braniff two days later when the Flying Colors flew into Grand Rapids. The City is loaning the model, which has a wing span of 74 inches, so it can be viewed by residents and visitors who travel through Ford International Airport.
“We are incredibly pleased to unveil a second Calder piece for our growing collection, which underscores our commitment to both preserve the history of our community and to highlight its public art,” said Tory Richardson, president and CEO of Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority. “We appreciate the opportunity to partner with the city of Grand Rapids to showcase this striking sculpture, which is a welcome addition to our entrance hall.
“As the gateway to West Michigan, we are honored to host Flying Colors at the Ford International Airport.”
Discussions around relocating Flying Colors began in 2019 as Ford International Airport was in the midst of the first phase of its Gateway Transformation project to upgrade the guest experience. The Airport Art Committee collaborated with representatives from Grand Rapids and others involved in the arts and historical preservation to develop an appropriate display prior to the move.
That process was interrupted for nearly a year by the COVID-19 pandemic, resuming in March 2021 as passenger volume began to increase. In September 2021, a painted wooden model of La Grande Vitesse was moved to the east end of the entrance hall as work continued on a display case for Flying Colors, which is located at the other end of the hall.
The La Grande Vitesse stabile, which sits on Calder Plaza in downtown Grand Rapids, was the first piece of public art in the nation to be purchased with a grant from the Art in Public Places program.
One of the entrances to Woodland Mall (on a nice weather day). (Supplied)
WKTV Staff
After frigid temperatures in January resulted in the postponement of the City of Kentwood’s Unity Walk to Honor Martin Luther King Jr., the city announced this week that the event has been rescheduled for Saturday, March 5, and moved indoors at Woodland Mall.
Residents of all ages are invited to gather at the food court inside Woodland Mall, 3195 28th St. SE, at 9:30 a.m., for a walk that will end at 10 a.m., in front of the inside entrance to Von Maur.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. (Wyoming High School)
A ceremony will immediately follow and feature a proclamation, live music, coffee and cake. The event is free and open to the public.
Donations of canned goods and other nonperishable items will be accepted to stock Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry, which began as an MLK Day community service project to fill an immediate and local need. Since then, the city has continued to host food drives to keep the pantry well-stocked.
“While MLK Day serves as a timely, annual reminder of the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr., every day is a great day to celebrate his legacy and take part in activities that honor his values,” Mayor Stephen Kepley said in supplied material. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to host our Unity Walk to Honor MLK at Woodland Mall. It is the perfect local venue for us to be able to gather together, no matter the weather.”
Woodland Mall marketing manager Alyson Presser stated that the event is “in line with the spirit of the mall’s ongoing initiatives and events that encourage guests to support the Black community throughout the year,” according to the announcement.
“We are committed to celebrating and supporting the Black community beyond Black History Month and other annual observances,” Presser said. “We’re honored to work with the City of Kentwood to bring another meaningful opportunity for the local community to celebrate the historic achievements and continued advancement of Black Americans.”
Kentwood’s first Little Free Pantry opened in 2017 at the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE, where it remains available year-round during business hours. The second Little Free Pantry was opened last year at the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch for the community to visit during library hours. Anyone can utilize or donate to the pantry.
Woodland Mall asks all guests to follow CDC recommendations by using the hand sanitizer stations located throughout the mall and practicing physical distancing.
Tomorrow at Wyoming’s The Stray Cafe, 13 local residents will be sharing short stories as part of the WKTV Voices’ Storytelling Project. Writer John D. Gonzalez sits down with organizer and WKTV volunteer Donna Kidner Smith to learn more about the story behind the event.
Each storyteller will share a five to eight minute tale from their personal stories. The stories range from tearjerkers to humorous. The event starts at 7 p.m. at The Stray Cafe, 4253 S. Division Ave. The program is free. The Stray does offer a variety of food items and beverages.
Sometimes a never-ending lifetime flow of income is a better option than a pile of money. (pxhere.com)
“A recent study by Oxfam explained the distribution of wealth which to many people is alarming. The report states that 85 individuals in the world have more combined wealth than the poorest 3.5 billion.” — Dave Stanley
It further states about our country: “In the US, where the gap between rich and poor has grown at a faster rate than any other country, the top 1% captured 95% of growth since 2019. During that time, 70% of Americans became poorer.”
The “rich get richer” as the old saying goes and the gap between rich and the number of poor widens every day. Of course, the obvious way to balance out the deficit would be to add all the money together and give each an equal share. If my memory of history is accurate, this has been tried in the past — it was called Communism.
I wish everyone on planet earth could have all their needs met and live a long and happy life. That being said, the rich will always have an advantage over the poor. Instead of discussing the variance between the rich and the poor, how about those of us in the middle, the other four billion here on planet earth? Those of us who work at a job, save money, and educate our children are the ones who are the middle class, so how do we get ahead?
In September 2020 a UC Berkeley study found that the wealthiest 1% of Americans saw their income grow by 31.4% between 2018 and 2020. Also, it was discovered that income inequality in the United States was the highest since before the Great Depression.
How did this all happen? How does such inequity occur? One actual reason why most in the middle class cannot move to a loftier position is our tax system. Workers are taxed at a different rate than investors — the difference between earned income and dividend and capital gains taxation is significant. If you work, your tax rate is higher than if you earn from your investments.
How do we accumulate more money? How do we become millionaires? My answer is simple: we don’t need to. Ask yourself, what good is a pile of money? Does it represent success? Does it acknowledge your efforts? Yes, it does, but it is not important.
What is important is cash flow, having enough money to live as well as you desire. Now I know there are those who desire to accumulate a large amount of money. To me, having an income that I cannot outlive is far more critical.
That being said, we in the middle class already have that option open to us, income we cannot ever outlive. It is called investing in an annuity.Sometimes a never-ending lifetime flow of income is a better option than a pile of money.
Dave Stanley is the host of Safe Money Radio WOOD1300 AM, 106.9 FM and a Financial Advisor and Writer at Integrity Financial Service, LLC, Grandville, MI 49418, Telephone 616-719-1979 or Register for Dave’s FREE Newsletter at 888-998-3463 or click this link: Dave Stanley Newsletter – Annuity.comDave is a member of Syndicated Columnists, a national organization committed to a fully transparent approach to money management
Anyone who meets Dave Custer will probably eventually hear the story of faced with his father’s story closing, he was able to support the tuition at the then Grand Rapids Junior College.
“Grand Rapids Junior College had lower tuition and allowed me to stay at home and helped me get a start on a college degree,” he said in article from the Grand Rapids Community College. “And having that degree allowed for better opportunities of employment, which molded by career.”
Because of the difference that GRCC had made in the CEO and founder of Custer Inc., Custer and his wife, Karen, have dedicated their time and abilities to ensure current GRCC students get the same opportunities that he had.
This month, the couple is being recognized for their service to the the Greater Grand Rapids community as this year’s Frederik Meijer Service Above Self Award presented by the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids.
“We are pleased and excited to honor the Custers as the 2022 Frederik Meijer Service Above Self Award winners for their contributions to our community,” said Meijer, Inc. Executive Chairman Hank Meijer, who is the son of Fred Meijer. “Dave and Karen’s generous and gracious spirts embodies the true meaning of this award.”
The Custers have been involved in a number of organizations such as the WMU Foundation, Chairman of GRCC Foundation, Hope on the Hill Foundation, Clark Retirement Community Capital Campaign Chair and Board Trustee. Dave Custer is a member and past president of the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids, member and past chairman of the Grand Rapids Economic Club, member and past president of Cascade Hills Country Club and director at Irwin Seating.
“We are honored to receive an award that bears the name of Fred Meijer and believe that you should do all you can for others when you can and while you can,” Dave Custer said. “We are humbled by this recognition which is truly an honor to us.”
The Custers join City of Wyoming’s Marge Wilson, owner of Marge’s Donut Den, along with several others who have received the Frederik Meijer Service Above Self Award.
The Rotary Club of Grand Rapids will honor the Custers at the Frederik Meijer Service Above Self Award Celebration May 10 at 6 p.m. at The Cultural Center, 2250 E. Paris Ave. SE. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids Charities Foundation. Tickets are on sale at grrotary.org or by calling 616-429-5640.
No one taught Dondrea Brown about money as a kid, and the last thing anyone around his kitchen table wanted to mention was the rising pile of bills. Growing up in a single-parent household, he admired how his mother juggled multiple jobs and raised his five siblings.
As Brown learned about money management later in life, he kept hearing people say, “I wish kids knew about this stuff, too.” While studying education at Kent State University in Ohio, he drew upon his experience of overcoming economic hardship to develop a financial literacy curriculum geared toward an audience between ten- to seventeen-years-old.
Dondrea Brown talks to a group of students in his Young Money Finances program. (Supplied)
This curriculum now forms the basis of Young Money Finances, a nonprofit providing financial education to more than 2,000 participants across West Michigan. The fast-growing organization has garnered media attention and significant sponsorship dollars for its innovative approach to removing obstacles to financial security for young people. Because of his work in teaching financial literacy, Brown, along with Henry Sapp from of Better Wiser Stronger and Cole Williams of the Delta Project, was recently invited to help launch the new collaborative initiative We Matter Now, which is designed to help guide and provide role models for young black and brown men.
“I want this to be the last generation to start from scratch,” Brown said. “My goal is to teach the next generation how to have increased control and awareness of their financial journey, not this perpetuated cycle of ‘oh, we didn’t know.'”
For many young people, the balancing act of caring for family members, finding a job, and keeping up with schools feels overwhelming. Those who lack a support network rely on misleading information from social media, seek instant gratification, and wind up in debt.
At Young Money Finances, participants learn how to address this balancing act by completing one or all three program paths: money management, investment, and entrepreneurship. After completing at least one of the paths, they can meet with a money mentor to discuss real-world spending and saving decisions and practice using the budgeting planner and flashcards in their money manager kits.
Even when sessions dive deep into complicated topics like the stock market, the team at Young Money Finances never forget to have a good time. Sessions use “fun police,” who remind instructors to use games and culturally relevant examples such as online sneaker sales when explaining complex concepts.
For some participants, the lessons delivered during these sessions have been life-changing. Quavon Hallman, a music enthusiast who spends his free time DJing and running sound for New City Kids and his local church, learned how to use a budget app and track travel expenses.
For some participants, the lessons delivered during these sessions have been life-changing. Quavon Hallman, a music enthusiast who spends his free time DJing and running sound for New City Kids and his local church, learned how to use a budget app and track travel expenses.
“I was broke, but I saved up $10,000 and bought my first car,” Hallman said. “I learned the difference between getting rich quickly and building wealth.”
Another program graduate, Thailin Johnson, found a simulation focused on building on a starting point of $500 in the bank and cutting frivolous spending habits to be helpful. The exercise taught Johnson the importance of making incremental progress toward achieving his life’s ambitions, including attending college to study sociology or international relations, leading community service projects, and traveling to foreign countries like Ghana and Israel.
“Pay attention and take ownership of your money,” Johnson said. “The training taught me how to break the cycle of the poverty mindset. Young people’s money matters.”
After class, Dondrea Brown sits down with a student to review the matierals. (Supplied)
Reginald Haynes, an athlete who enjoys basketball, football, and wrestling, developed an interest in videography during his time in the program. He records special events for Young Money Finances, with a highlight being a basketball game hosted in partnership with the NAACP.
“I want to help pay off my mom’s house and just provide relief,” Haynes said.
Hallman, Johnson, and Haynes represent the fulfillment of one of Young Money Finances’ goals to help program graduates find employment. Each of these individuals will receive internship credit for assisting with workshop presentations, curriculum development, and social media.
The rapid expansion of Young Money Finances excites Brown, who hopes to purchase a bus for field trips and a building with simulated stock market walls and bank teller stations.
The organization applied for and received grants from Heart of West Michigan United Way, the Grand Rapids Community Foundation, Huntington Bank, and Edward Jones. It also established partnerships with local universities, nonprofit organizations, and the Grand Rapids Public School system.
To learn more about Young Money Finances, visit the organization’s website or Facebook page.
The recently released bobblehead of Gerald R. Ford is the second one to feature the 38th president. (Supplied)
He has an elementary school, amphitheater, post office, gardens, airport and numerous roadways named after him and now Grand Rapids’ favorite son, Gerald R. Ford, has his likeness on a bobblehead.
Actually, the newly release bobblehead in honor of Presidents’ Day is not the first time the 38th President of the United States has been memorialized on a bobblehead, but it is the first time a complete series of United States presidential bobbleheads have been released. Milwaukee’s National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum — think Madame Trussauds’ wax figures only in bobbleheads — released the series today, the day designated to celebrate the U.S. Office of the President.
“We’re excited to release this complete collection of bobbleheads featuring all 46 U.S. Presidents to celebrate Presidents’ Day,” said Phil Sklar, CEO and co-founder of the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum. “Each president played an important part in our country’s history, and we think people will enjoy this new series of presidential bobbleheads.”
Presidents’ Day started in 1879 by an Act of Congress to honor the nation’s first president, George Washington, whose birthday in the Gregorian calendar is on Feb. 22. (Washington was born on Feb. 11 under the Julian calendar which because it did not account for leap days, was about 11 days behind the Gregorian calendar, the calendar that had been adopted by the countries tied to the Catholic church. In 1752, the British Empire switched to the Gregorian calendar.)
Miwaukee’s National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum released the first complete set of presidential bobbleheads. (Supplied)
There was a movement in 1951, to have a “Presidents’ Day.” It wasn’t until 1971 that the official holiday was shifted to the third Monday in February under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which was a move to shift many federal holidays to a three-day weekend. The act also combined the birthdays of Washington and Abraham Lincoln, who was born on Feb. 12, into a single holiday that honored all of the U.S. Presidents.
This change took effect with an executive order from the President Richard Nixon whose vice president at the time was Spiro Agnew. In 1973, Agnew resigned with Nixon choosing Ford as his new vice president. As Ford and his wife Betty prepared to move to the new vice president’s residence, Ford received a call to be ready to become the next U.S. President, which he did on Aug. 9, 1974.
Ford is the only person to serve as U.S. president without ever having been elected to the office. He would lose his bid for reelection to Jimmy Carter in 1976.
Today, Ford’s museum is in Grand Rapids, his childhood home, and his library is in Ann Arbor, where he attended the University of Michigan. Over the years, several other places have honored Ford by bestowing his name on several buildings such as the Gerald R. Ford Elementary School in Indian Wells, California; the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail, Colorado; the Gerald R. Ford Post Office in Vail, Colorado; the Gerald R. Ford Birth Site and Gardens in Omaha, Nebraska; and the Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Michigan. There are also several roadways in Tennessee, California, Texas, Nebraska, and Michigan, such as the Gerald R. Ford Freeway, I-196, that are named after the former president along with the Gerald R. Ford Fieldhouse at Grand Rapids Community College as well as several books about his life.
The Ford bobblehead, along with the other 45 presidents, is available individuals or as part of the set through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s online store. The museum is located at 170 S. 1st. St. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is open seven days a week.
What can and cannot be recycled in Kent County, and how do it. And what happens to everything else? WKTV Journal, working with Kent County Department of Public Works Resource Recovery Specialist Lauren Westerman, are working to look at specific consumer products and other items to give you the answers.
In this post, we look at those sometimes expensive, but sometimes worth the cost, bottles of liquor. When the bottle is a dead solider, it’s glass, so that is easy. Or is it? But what about that tube it comes in, part cardboard and part metal? Here is the lowdown from an expert:
The empty and rinsed glass bottle can be placed into your commingled, single-stream curbside recycling cart. The old glass bottle will head to the Recycling Center and then off to a glass recycling facility where it may become a new glass container, fiberglass, highway beads, glass abrasives, or other specialty glass items like recycled glass countertops.
Laphroaig Scotch bottle cardboard and metal tube. (Laphroaig)
The tube that the bottle came in cannot be recycled unless you disassemble it first. Separate the metal base and metal top from the cardboard tube. Once these three are successfully separated, they may go into the curbside recycling cart. Once at the Recycling Center, the cardboard tube will be sorted with other cardboard and head off to a paper mill to become another box, tube, or similar product. The metal base and top will go to a metal processing facility and be made into metal containers, cans, or other metal products.
The cork and wrapper cannot be recycled through curbside recycling in Kent County. Both can be placed in the garbage.
Do you have a question about a specific consumer product or other item? Contact WKTV at ken@wktv.org. Please send a photo of the product and the recycling label if available.
The Kentwood Justice Center which houses 62-B District Court and the Kentwood Police Department. (WKTV)
By WKTV Staff
In conjunction with National Judicial Outreach Week, the City of Kentwood’s 62-B District Court has announced that residents are invited to meet Judge Amanda Sterkenburg and learn more about the court during a hybrid public/online event Wednesday, March 2.
National Judicial Outreach Week was created in 2017 by the American Bar Association to encourage judges to invite community members to their courthouses to meet with them, share information about the rule of law and talk about the work courts do every day. Every year, it is held March 1-10 and features a “Preserving the Rule of Law” theme.
The City of Kentwood Justice Center houses both the city’s police department headquarters and the 62-B District Court. (Supplied)
The 62-B District Court will host its event inside the courtroom at the Kentwood Justice Center, 4740 Walma Ave. SE, and online via Zoom from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
During the event, Judge Sterkenburg will give a presentation on the importance of the judiciary and how the court preserves the rule of law. Community members will have the opportunity to ask questions and offer suggestions on how the court can better serve the community.
62-B District Court Judge Amanda Sterkenburg. (Supplied)
“National Judicial Outreach Week is a perfect opportunity for the court to foster a greater understanding of our role in government,” Sterkenburg said in supplied material. “We are looking forward to hosting our first-ever judicial outreach event at the 62-B District Court in that spirit and to connect with our community.”
Community members are asked to RSVP for the event online or by calling 616-554-0715.
To help slow the spread of COVID-19, in-person attendance will be limited to the first 40 who register, and face coverings will be required for all regardless of vaccination status.
The event will also be available via Zoom. Virtual participation information will be emailed to registrants prior to the event. Attendees who require interpreter services or other accommodations are asked to contact the court at 616-554-0715 by Friday, Feb. 25.
Sterkenburg began presiding over the 62-B District Court in January 2021, for a six-year term. In her prior practice as a solo attorney, she represented criminal and civil defendants, landlords, tenants and litigants with many different types of claims. Her experience includes successful jury trials on assault, theft and retail fraud offenses. She has more than 90 hours of mediation training and has handled matters in many local circuit and district courts, including the 62-B District Court.
The 62-B District Court, according to the announcement, “strives to earn the public’s trust and confidence by providing a fair and just forum for the resolution of civil and criminal disputes, providing services in a professional, timely and efficient manner with respect and courtesy, educating and providing services in an understandable and user-friendly fashion, being accountable for the resources invested in the court and recognizing the changing needs of the judicial system and the people it serves.”
For more information contact Court Administrator Michele White at 616-554-0715 or whitem@kentwood.us.
The sport of curling in action at the Kentwood Ice Rink. (GR Curling Club)
The sport of curling in action at the Kentwood Ice Rink (preparing to throw the stone). (GR Curling Club)
The sport of curling in action at the Kentwood Ice Rink (giving instructions on placement of stones into the house). (GR Curling Club)
The sport of curling in action at the Kentwood Ice Rink (throwing the stone). (GR Curling Club)
The sport of curling in action at the Kentwood Ice Rink (notice the sweeper helping the stone’s movement). (GR Curling Club)
The sport of curling in action at the Kentwood Ice Rink (who has the shot for point?). (Kristina King)
By D.A. Reed, WKTV Contributing Writer
Continuing a local history of the sport of curling which the Grand Rapids Curling Club “didn’t even know” about initally, the club is bringing a taste of the Winter Olympics to West Michigan by offering curling lessons and leagues at the Kentwood Ice Arena.
“We are getting more and more people who want to try curling,” said Greg Robinson, president of the Grand Rapids Curling Club. “They see it on the Olympics and want to try it. … We have seen curlers as young as 8 and as old as 90. It is an approachable sport that you can play for a long time.”
Curling has a strong history in Grand Rapids. Robinson said the club discovered records in the Grand Rapids Public Library archives that show a curling club was started in 1897 and was very successful until it dissolved slowly in the late 1920s.
“We are standing on history we didn’t even know we had,” said Robinson. “We aren’t starting a new club, we are restarting one that had gotten lost to history. We want to build upon that.”
The original Grand Rapids Curling Club’s Arch Founders, (front) David Forbes, William Miller, John Paul; (standing) George McInnes, John McNabb, Henry Sherwood; (inset) Alex Reeves, James MacGregor.
(Image courtesy of Grand Rapids Public Library Digital Collection and Grand Rapids Public Museum Collection)
Grand Rapids Curling Club’s Arch Ladies from 1908. The note included with it in the GR Public Library read “The city at the time boasted the first curling club in the country composed of women.” Their names are, from left, Mrs. John Brower, Miss Helen Barstow, Mrs. F.E. Hill, Mrs. Stuart Foote, Miss Rosetta Leitelt, Mrs. H.B. Snyder. (Image courtesy of Grand Rapids Public Library Digital Collection and Grand Rapids Public Museum Collection)
The original Grand Rapids Curling Club’s rink, circa 1905, located on the Southeast corner of the intersection of Lake Drive and Norwood Avenue.(Image courtesy of Grand Rapids Public Library Digital Collection and Grand Rapids Public Museum Collection)
While the history of curling in the Grand Rapids area goes back a century, the modern history of the sport started just last year as the Kentwood Ice Arena, a part of Kentwood Public Schools, reached out to the GR Curling Club in the summer of 2021 with an offer to host curling lessons and leagues for the club.
It is the first time the ice arena has been used as a venue for curling, and Philip Sweeney, KPS manager of campus operations and events, said that configuring a schedule to ensure the ice is ready for curling while also hosting hockey and other ice events was a challenge.
“Hockey ice versus curling ice is very different,” Sweeney said. “We need an hour to get the ice ready for curling.”
The challenge, however, did not deter the rink or the curling club. They began by offering Learn to Curl classes on Saturday nights and then began developing leagues on Sunday mornings.
“This is a process that is now starting to come to fruition,” Sweeney said. “We now offer corporate events as well.”
Robinson said that the two-hour “Learn to Curl” classes have been a hit with community members, with many saying they want to do it again.
“We hope curling will become more of a hobby than a curiosity,” he said.
A fun sport for old and new
West Michigan resident Kristina King recently began curling after a recommendation from a co-worker who is also a member of the GR Curling Club. “She talked me into joining the league with her and it all progressed from there,” King said.
Like many others, King watched curling as part of the Winter Olympics over the years — with shouts of “Sweep!” at the television screen being her only engagement with the sport.
After trying it, however, King found she enjoys curling.
Susan Yaw (left) and Kristina King (right) have taken up the sport, and taken lessons. (Kristina King)
“It seemed like a sport that I could get better at slowly without being too hard on myself for not being good at it the first time I tried,” she said. “You definitely have to give yourself some grace when learning a new sport on such a slippery surface.
“It has been somewhat of a life lesson being able to laugh at my ‘newborn fawn’ stature on the ice and having everyone around you show support and encouragement.”
King has also been impressed with both Kentwood Ice Arena and the GR Curling Club, mentioning the friendly and inviting atmosphere, staff willingness to answer questions, and easy to use facilities.
“The instructors do a great job of teaching at a level of the crowd,” King said. “I feel as though they balance the class very well and don’t overwhelm you with the technicalities on the very first try.”
Like her co-worker, King has begun recruiting friends to try out the sport.
“My friend, Kristina, was looking for a fourth teammate for an upcoming bonspiel (tournament). I thought, why not?” said Susan Yaw, a Learn to Curl class member. Yaw admitted that she never really gave curling a thought up until that point, but that she is “always willing to try (almost) anything once.”
Yaw said that she found her time at Kentwood Ice Arena and with GR Curling Club members to be enjoyable, even planning to join a Sunday league to get more time on the ice and hone her skills.
“They were very well organized from the registration process through the time I walked out the door,” Yaw said. “The instructors did a wonderful job breaking down the throwing and sweeping motions and teaching the rules and scoring of the game.”
Yaw urges others to try the sport as well.
“I would highly recommend anyone who thinks they might be remotely interested in learning about curling to attend the next Learn to Curl. A couple of tricks to make it more enjoyable … dress warmly and make sure you use rubber bands on your shoes for traction!”
Current and future home in Kentwood
Sweeney believes curling will be a mainstay at Kentwood Ice Arena.
“We envision a 5-year plan where curling becomes a major portion of our ice arena and our business,” Sweeney said. “We have a great partnership with the Grand Rapids Curling Club. They are great people who are excited to grow enthusiasm for the sport.”
Robinson agrees that curling is here to stay in West Michigan.
“This is our first year…and we are over 70 members strong,” Robinson said. “We have had eight classes since the start of the season in October, and all have sold out.”
Part of Robinson’s hopes include the possibility for starting up a junior program since their partnership with KPS has been so successful. “We have had their full support,” Robinson said. “It’s been wonderful.”
Interested community members can sign up for curling lessons on the Grand Rapids Curling Club website: grcurling.com, and also their Facebook page: facebook.com/GRcurling.
Health and COVID protocols for Kentwood Ice Arena and the GR Curling Club are outlined in the registration process.
Wyoming Lee High School athletic department will add four distinguished alumni to its school’s athletic department Hall of Fame Friday, Feb. 18, with a ceremony scheduled between a 5:30 p.m. girls basketball game and a 7 p.m. boys basketball game, both against Byron Center Zion Christian.
The Hall of Fame includes members of both Rebel and now Legends athletics as well as high school distinguished persons. David Britten, former Lee principal and Godfrey-Lee Public Schools superintendent, will speak at the event.
Among the 2021 inductees are long-time teacher Thomas Wier, who taught at the school from 1980-2020; and Larry Landstra (Class of 1956), a student leader at Lee who was captain of his football team and selected in 1955 to the First Team of the Grand Valley Conference. (Landstra is not expected to attend in-person.)
Two other distinguished Lee high persons will also be inducted posthumously: Miss Agnes Noel, who as a teacher from 1892-1932; and Bernard Raterink, who as a Lee teacher, coach, counselor, athletic director and principal — and also played football at Lee and Michigan Site University in the 1950s.
Woodland Mall has announced plans to help those “looking to maintain your resolutions to stay fit and healthy in 2022” with a free Heath & Wellness Expo planned for Saturday, Feb. 19.
A dozen or more vendors will showcase their products and services from noon to 7 p.m., according to an announcement this week from the mall. From exercise equipment to better sleep, and workout clothing to healthy eating, shoppers will be able to connect with experts focused on promoting an active, engaged and healthy lifestyle.
“We’re all looking to improve our health and well-being,” Alyson Presser, marketing manager for Woodland Mall, said in supplied material. “We have drawn from our own retailers and invited a curated collection of West Michigan’s top organizations for this year’s Health & Wellness Expo, which can help shoppers keep their resolutions and live their best and healthiest lives.”
The event is free and open to the public. Booths will be set up throughout the mall.
Among the vendors expected to be at the Health & Wellness Expo are Aerie, Atman Collective, Black Impact Collaborative, CycleBar, EYEQ.ITY, Jamba Juice, JCPenney, Mayweather Boxing + Fitness, Offline by Aerie, Orangetheory Fitness and Tempur-Pedic.
The expo will also feature demonstrations by Mayweather Boxing + Fitness and CycleBar, along with a fashion show from Aerie and Offline by Aerie and several workout demonstrations.
Woodland Mall asks all guests to follow CDC recommendations by using the hand sanitizer stations located throughout the mall and practicing physical distancing.
Regular mall hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday; and noon to 6 p.m., Sunday.
Woodland Mall is located at 3195 28th St SE, Grand Rapids. For more information visit shopwoodlandmall.com.
DIAs offer several distinct advantages over kinds of safe money products. (pxhere.com)
“Does a deferred income annuity have a place in your retirement plan? It might fit in your portfolio like a glove.” — Dave Stanley
If you’re looking for payments that begin on a future date and continue for the rest of your life, your spouse’s life, or for a specific period, you might consider a deferred income annuity (DIA).
DIAs offer several distinct advantages over other kinds of safe money products. You won’t need to keep your eyes on the stock market, track interest rates, or calculate dividends. If you desire lifetime guaranteed income that you can’t outlive, a deferred income annuity will accomplish that. Having a DIA can give you more peace of mind knowing you will have a predictable income stream available when you no longer work.
For some, DIAs are an excellent selection for their retirement portfolios because they help defer taxes until later when you could be taxed at a lower rate. Other types of annuities are front-loaded, meaning you pay taxes upfront, perhaps at a higher rate.
DIAs are guaranteed by the issuing insurance company’s assets and are not subject to the ups and downs of the stock market. Also, since deferred income annuities don’t have account management and additional fees, ALL of your premium payments go to your monthly income.
When you choose a DIA, you decide how frequently to receive payments. Typically, deferred income annuity buyers can set payments for every month, yearly or quarterly.
Although DIAs are a less complicated safe money product, they are still highly customizable. Improvements in the DIA product mean that you have options to make your DIA do more for your retirement.
One question about annuities is what happens to your funds when the annuitant dies? Does the insurance company stop making payments? Do loved ones lose all the money put into the annuity? Customization allows payments to continue to designated beneficiaries, so it will enable guaranteed income to continue. There are many other ways to customize your annuity, including extending coverage for a guaranteed period, adding a second person to the annuity, and others. An annuity specialist can help customize one just for you and your circumstances.
Tax issues:
How your annuity proceeds are taxed depends on how you fund it. For example, you can purchase a deferred income annuity with proceeds from selling stocks or bonds, a business, or a home. You might also use cash from a maturing CD or money you’ve saved in a deferred annuity account. When you fund a DIA with lump-sum distributions from a defined benefit or defined contribution plans, SEPs, IRAs, 1035 exchanges, or Section 403b plan, the annuity is now a “Qualified Deferred Income Annuity.” You could also use a lump sum from a tax-qualified account, such as a 401k or traditional IRA. Remember to talk with your tax expert since your plan has been growing tax-deferred, and your payments will be taxable income.
Non-qualified deferred income annuities have not been tax-sheltered. They are funded with monies on which you have already paid taxes. Examples of non-qualified annuity money can come from selling a house, mutual fund, business, or other investment. They might also make sense if you receive large inheritance or proceeds from an insurance settlement.
When you start receiving annuity payouts from a non-qualified annuity, a portion of each payment is considered a return of principal and excluded from taxation. The amount excluded is calculated according to an “exclusion ratio.” You can usually find the details of the exclusion ratio on any quotes you get. Be sure to have your annuity professional explain this to you carefully before deciding on any product or company.
The bottom line: Deferred income annuities are an option for people looking to create a pension-like source of reliable income. Like a variable annuity, you won’t access your money for a specific number of years, allowing it to grow. Like an immediate annuity, DIAs have fixed payouts for life. Customization options will enable you to solve other issues, including ensuring income for a spouse or beneficiary.
If you are looking into deferred income annuities, speak with your qualified local expert experienced with the many types of annuities available. They will evaluate your needs and goals to determine if a DIA will solve the most critical issues.
Dave Stanley is the host of Safe Money Radio WOOD1300 AM, 106.9 FM and a Financial Advisor and Writer at Integrity Financial Service, LLC, Grandville, MI 49418, Telephone 616-719-1979 or Register for Dave’s FREE Newsletter at 888-998-3463 or click this link: Dave Stanley Newsletter – Annuity.comDave is a member of Syndicated Columnists, a national organization committed to a fully transparent approach to money management.
Lexi Adams, who will open the City of Kentwood’s free-to-the-public Winter Concert Series this week, is a singer/songwriter who offers up a mix of covers and original music that are “stories of life experience carefully crafted through each melody and lyric.”
The concert, scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 17, will take place at the Community Room of Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE, from 6:30-8 p.m. Guests are welcomed to bring their own beer, wine or nonalcoholic beverages to enjoy at the show.
Each concert will also have a food truck outside offering a range of cuisines and available for purchase, with Patty Matters Food Truck available on Feb. 17.
Michigan home but Nashville bound
Originally from southwest Michigan Lexi moved to Nashville Tennessee in 2008 to “pursue her love and passion for music,” according to her website. She moved back to Michigan with the intent of taking three months to immerse herself in her newly recorded EP but “she received many opportunities to play her music in the west Michigan area and that hasn’t stopped since.”
Lexi Adams. (Supplied by the artist)
Three months turned into 12, and she continues to pursue her love and passion for music in the local Michigan music scene. And while she hopes to eventually return back to the Nashville — “the city that stole her heart” — for the meantime, “Michigan is where it’s at!”
Lexi Adams’ sound, according to her website, “is Ryan Adams on a cool summer night, smoking cigarettes while leaning in for a kiss with Taylor Swift. It will leave you hurting and longing for more; wishing you had said what you really wanted to say to the love of your life before they walked away.”
WKTV will record all concerts and will replay them, as scheduled, on our cable channels as well as on WKTV.org by hitting the “Watch Live” button, and also later on-demand at WKTVlive.org.
Tentative run time for Lexi Adams’s concert will be The concerts will air on WKTV 25 Tuesday, Feb. 22, at 9 p.m.; and Saturday, Feb. 26, at 10 p.m. Visit wktvjournal.org/wktv-on-air-schedule/ for a schedule of replays.
The WKTV Feature Game coverage crew will pay a visit to Lee High School Friday, Feb. 18, as both the boys and girls teams will be in action in an evening which will also be the athletic department’s Hall of Fame night. (See a preview story on the Lee high Hall of Fame night here.)
While the truck crew will be at Lee, we will also have cameras at Wyoming high on Feb. 18, as the Wolves athletic department also holds its Hall of Fame night at the halftime of a girls basketball game and as part of a special community night celebration. (See a preview story on the Wyoming high Hall of Fame night here.)
The Wyoming Lee games, when Byron Center Zion Christian comes to the Legends home court for an Alliance League doubleheader, will feature a girls basketball game at 5:30 p.m., and boys game at 7 p.m.
The WKTV Feature Game coverage crew will wrap up the 2021-22 basketball regular season with planned coverage of East Kenwood boys basketball on Tuesday, Feb. 22, against Caledonia, and then a boys and girls basketball doubleheader Friday, Feb. 25, when Wyoming Tri-unity Christian visits Wyoming Potter’s House Christian.
A look-in at Wyoming/Kentwood area basketball
The Grand Rapids South Christian girls won a big game Wednesday, Feb. 9, 42-39, over visiting Grand Rapids Catholic Central — and then avoided a letdown on Friday, Feb. 11, with a home win over Wayland, 51-38 — to run their record to 13-3 overall and take control in the OK Conference Gold conference race with a 9-1 record. (The Cougars are also 9-1, but are 12-4 overall). (For a game story and a WKTV video, visit here.)
The Wyoming high boys (9-6, 6-4 OK) won an early week contest last week, defeating Holland, 81-36, at home Feb. 8, before falling to state powerhouse and OK Green leader Muskegon on Feb. 11. (For an on-demand recording of the Wyoming-Holland game, visit here.)
The South Christian boys (10-5, 7-3 OK) went 2-1 last week in a stretch of three-straight OK Conference Gold road contests, bouncing back from a Feb. 8 loss at GR Central Catholic to score wins over Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills, 59-45, on Feb. 9, and then defeating Wayland, 71-44, on Feb. 11.
The West Michigan Aviation Academy boys (10-4 overall) saw their six-game win streak come to an end in their only game last week, a 57-50 loss to Wyoming Tri-unity Christian, on Feb. 8. The two teams are still at the top of the Alliance League standings, however, as Wyoming Potter’s House Christian (10-4) leads the league title chase at 5-0, with Tri-unity at 4-0, and the Aviators at 5-1. In addition to the win over WM Aviation Academy, Tri-unity also defeated Byron Center Zion Christian, 72-31, on Feb. 11.
WKTV coverage and schedule/scores
Complete local basketball schedules as well as up-to-date scores of previous night’s games are also available at wktvjournal.org/sports-schedules-scores. (You can also just just bookmark WKTVjournal.org on your phone or other device and click on the blue banner at the bottom of the screen.)
WKTV featured games will on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel, rebroadcast on the night of the game and various days and times the week after. See the programming schedule at wktv.org. For more information on WKTV coverage of basketball and other winter prep sports, follow us at wktvjournal.org/sports.
All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.com.
Valentine’s Day flowers as photographed by WKTV Journal contributor Patty Williams.
Valentine’s Day flowers as photographed by WKTV Journal contributor Patty Williams.
Valentine’s Day flowers as photographed by WKTV Journal contributor Patty Williams.
Valentine’s Day flowers as photographed by WKTV Journal contributor Patty Williams.
Valentine’s Day flowers as photographed by WKTV Journal contributor Patty Williams.
Valentine’s Day flowers as photographed by WKTV Journal contributor Patty Williams.
Valentine’s Day flowers as photographed by WKTV Journal contributor Patty Williams.
By WKTV Staff
WKTV Journal contributor Patty Williams sent us pictures of Valentine’s Day in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where she noted one family of flower farmers prepares arrangements for sale in the streets.
The Wyoming High School athletic department’s Hall of Fame ceremony from 2020. (Supplied/Wyoming High Athletics)
By WKTV Staff
The Wyoming High School athletic department will add eight distinguished alumni to its Wolves Hall of Fame Friday, Feb. 18, with a ceremony at the halftime of a girls varsity basketball game against Zeeland East scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
The Hall of Fame includes members from both Rogers and Wyoming Park high schools, which combined to form Wyoming high.
Among the 2022 inductees are longtime Wyoming Public Schools teacher and Rogers high graduate (Class of 1986) Dino Paganelli, Rogers high (Class of 2002) student-athlete Ashley Heuvelman, Rogers high (Class of 1968) student athlete Jerry Hoag, Wyoming Park high (Class of 1980) student-athlete Rob Baker, Wyoming Park high (Class of 1997) student-athlete Amanda Hartman Schichtel, and Wyoming Park high (Class of 2012) student-athlete Lexi Popma.
Also to be honored are long-time Wyoming Park high athletic supporters Karen and Gary Stockdale, and the late John Wiggers, a huge supporter of athletics both at Wyoming Park and, later, at Wyoming high.
The game night, which includes a junior varsity game starting at 5:30 p.m., and the Hall of Fame ceremony, will be part of a special Community Night, with performances by the Wyoming high Pep Band, and Wyoming Dance Team led by Coach Meghan Dolata. There will also be a halftime hoop shoot, as well as a raffle, and senior shirts and yard signs available.
The senior all-night party committee will be sponsoring the halftime hoop shoot fundraiser when people will have the opportunity to shoot a half-court or 3-point shot. The 50/50 raffle will also support the senior all-night party.
The senior all-night party committee will be selling auction tickets, senior yard signs, and t-shirts as part of their fundraising efforts.
Martha Washington and Betty Ford were former First Ladies who worked hard to help their husband’s achieve the highest office in the United States. (Wikipedia)
A focus on the presidents will be the presentation of the next Mr. Sid’s Video Series Program set for Wednesday, Feb. 16, at 2 p.m. at Marge’s Donut Den, 1751 28th St. SW.
Mike Martin, along with his wife Ginny and their friend Connie, will showcase a story too often missed in school, the story of greatness bubbling over by heroism of individuals aided and abetted by the love of family and friends. The presentation will focus on the wives of presidents George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Gerald R. Ford, who had to play a steep price for their husbands to achieve so much during their lifetimes.
“The presentation will bring a new understanding to your President’s Day celebration both this year and in the future,” Martin said. “Come ready to laugh and cry and be inspired during an hour you won’t forget.”
The program is free. There will be a gospel sing hosted by Lavonne Ritsema, Sid Lenger’s daughter, beginning at 1:45 p.m.
Upcoming Mr. Sid’s Wednesday Afternoon Programs are:
March 16: Executive Director of theHolland Tulip Festival Gwen Auwerda will discuss the Tulip Festival and one of Sid’s favorite events, the Tulip Festival Parade.
April 20: WOOD TV8’s Sports Director Jack Doles will talk about covering the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
May 18: Rick Vuyst from Fruit Basket-Flowerland will discuss how to prepare for spring from planting flowers and lawn care.
June 15: Chris Stevens, the chaplain for the LPGA, will again join the group and update on the Meijer Charity Golf Classic and Professional Women’s Golf.
