At many of its parks, the City of Wyoming has waste stations along with signage posted on dogs having to be leashed and owners required to clean-up after their pets. (WKTV)
Come next summer, Fido and friends will be able to visit the City of Wyoming’s Pinery Park.
In an unanimous decision, the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission voted to end the 24-year ordinance that excluded pets, such as dogs, to visit the park from May 1 to Oct. 1. The decision was made after reviewing a survey, listening to a resident comments, and following staff recommendations to discontinue the dog-free status.
The survey, which had 628 people complete it, showed a 56-44 split among residents with the majority in favor of allowing dogs at all of the city’s parks.
“This was how it was 24 years ago,” said Community Services Director Rebecca Rynbrandt. “What is surprising is that while the results are about the same, the attendance for this meeting is not.”
In fact, 24 years ago, when the proposal of making one of the City of Wyoming parks dog-free came up, the Parks and Recreation Commission had a full room of residents who wanted to share their thoughts. At its Oct. 13 meeting, which had been moved to the Wyoming Senior Center to accommodate a large crowd, there was only one person in attendance to speak about the dog-free ordinance.
Resident Tish Stevenson said Pinery Park is one of her favorite parks to visit and she would like to be able to bring her dog there. She stated she would like to see the ban lifted and believes that a focus needs to be made on educating dog owners on making sure their dogs are leashed and they clean up after them.
City parks and recreation staff will be removing the “No dogs allowed” signage at Pinery Park. (WKTV)
This was the same comments echoed by many from the survey who felt that there was more of a need to educate dog owners about the city and state ordinances. Rynbrandt said the city ordinance follows that of the state leash law.
According to Michigan’s leash law, which was established in 1919, dogs six months and older are required to be licenses and owners are required to hold “properly in leash” any dog that is not on their property.
The City of Wyoming requires that pets be on a maximum 8-foot leash and owners are required to clean up after their pets. Rynbrandt pointed out that the city does post signs informing animal owners of the rules and provides waste stations with baggies to dispose of animal waste.
The Parks and Recreation Commission decided to follow staff’s recommendation to discontinue the dog-free status at Pinery Park. The staff made that recommendation because of the difficulty of enforcing the ordinance.
“If a person is found to be in violation of the ordinance, then it requires a parks maintenance person to address the animal owner,” Rynbrandt said. “If the person continues to not follow the rule, then it migrates to trespassing and the police are contacted.”
Police categorize all calls with the most serious issues being addressed first which means by the time a police officer gets to Pinery, the person could be gone, she said. Because of staffing issues at both the parks and in the police department, staff felt the dog-free rule at Pinery Park should be discontinued, Rynbrandt said.
Rynbrandt noted that Pinery Park Little League could still enforce its own programming rule prohibiting dogs as part of its events which take place at the park. Also, service and police dogs are allowed to go to places regardless of existing rules.
With the decision to discontinue the dog-free status at Pinery Park, Rynbrandt said staff will begin the process of removing the “No dogs allowed” signs at Pinery Park and updating the park guidelines in preparation for next summer.
The current state of the Hebe Fountain at the Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids. (Supplied)
Larry Arreguin Sr. was a proud World War 2 U.S. Navy veteran involved with many veterans organizations, and was loving family man suffering from Alzheimer’s disease in the last years of his life. (Courtesy of Arreguin family)
Larry Arreguin’s sons, Aaron and Caton, after playing in the Hebe Fountain at what is now called the Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids during a visit to the facility to visit their grandfather, Larry Arreguin, Sr.. (Courtesy of Arreguin family)
Larry Arreguin with his sons. (Courtesy of Arreguin family)
For many people, memories of visiting the Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids, previously known as the Grand Rapids Veterans Home, are bittersweet — caring people caring for a father or brother; strolling the grounds, the veterans cemetery in the distance; sitting quietly around the historic Hebe Fountain.
For Larry Arreguin, memories of his father, Larry Sr., a proud World War 2 U.S. Navy veteran and loving family man suffering from Alzheimer’s disease before he died in 2004, are forever linked to the facility and the fountain.
“The Hebe Fountain and Michigan Veterans Home in Grand Rapids played a significant role” in his father’s and his family’s history, Arreguin said to WKTV. “Both of these places own a somber and joyful piece of my heart.”
Arreguin — a Detroit resident who has worked in a staff position for the City of Detroit and the office of U.S. Rep. John Conyers, Jr., as well as serving on the board of the Michigan Alliance of Latinos Moving Toward Advancement — spoke to WKTV as the Michigan Veteran Homes GR is embarking on a long-awaited restoration campaign of the historic Hebe Fountain on its campus.
The campaign hopes to receive 100 percent of the $120,000 in funds needed by this Veterans Day, Nov 11, of this year.
“My family and I would visit my father at the Home and we would often sit with him near the fountain and enjoy the day while my children would play nearby,” Arreguin said. “Every time we were there, we tended to gravitate towards the Hebe Fountain. During the warm months, my toddlers would splash in the fountain and my father and I would sit there, laughing at how much fun they were having.”
Larry Sr., was diagnosed with Alzheimers in 2001 while he lived with Arreguin and his wife in in Detroit.
“A year before, we were fortunate to have twin boys (Aaron and Caton) join our family and was blessed to have a nanny staying with us. However, in 2002, my fathers condition worsened and another son (Cesar) arrived,” Arreguin said. “Trying to care for three babies and also an elder became too much for my wife and I.
“As we searched throughout Michigan for assistance, one place kept coming up and that was the Michigan Veterans Home at Grand Rapids. We knew there was a special wing at the facility that was designed to care for Alzheimer’s patients and after many days praying we decided to take my father there to visit. Once there, the nurses and other staff were so welcoming and pleasant that I felt confident in the quality of care that was being provided. I knew admitting him there would provide a much better quality of life than what I could back in Detroit.”
On Feb. 16, 2004, Larry Sr. passed away from complications from Alzheimers.
“He lived his life to the fullest and was always cognizant of the sacrifices made by others that served in the Armed Forces,” Arreguin said. “He did this through his work as Commander of American Legions Post 183, Chef de Gare of Voiture 946 of the Forty and Eight and his work with the Veterans of Foreign Wars Posts 701 and 6132.”
In his travels, Arreguin said, he often stops by the home to “reflect on the wonderful experiences” and to express his gratitude to the staff for all they did.
“Although last year when I visited, I was saddened to see the condition of Hebe Fountain, and made it a point to agitate and advocate for repair,” he said. “I’m hopeful, my boys and I can return when the fountain is restored to its previous glory and once again feel that tremendous happiness that was felt when visiting my father.”
Lee Walton, veteran resident of the Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids, tours the Hebe Fountain at the facility with Tiffany Carr, community engagement coordinator at Michigan Veteran Homes (MVH). (Supplied)
The current state of the Hebe Fountain at the Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids. (Supplied)
The current state of the Hebe Fountain at the Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids. (Supplied)
The current state of the Hebe Fountain at the Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids. (Supplied)
History, deterioration over the years
The fountain, designated as a local landmark by the Grand Rapids Historic Preservation Commission in November 1990, has been adored by veteran members and visitors to the campus since it was established by J.L. Mott Iron Works in 1893.
But over the last three decades, weather and deferred maintenance has caused the fountain to erode, and it has remained inoperable since being shut off in 2019.
The first noticeable step in the hoped-for restoration process will be the dismantling of the fountain to send it to restoration experts for a much-needed refresh, set to begin this week.
The complete restoration of the Hebe Fountain will include a new water filtration system, structural repairs to the base and water reservoir and a restoration of the adjacent drinking water fountain. Any remaining funds will be dedicated to annual maintenance and landscape beautification.
“The Hebe Fountain has been part of our legacy in caring for our nation’s heroes both past and present since 1893,” Tiffany Carr, community engagement coordinator at Michigan Veteran Homes, said in supplied material. “We owe it to our members to restore this landmark to its former glory and continue to offer veterans a place to call Home that remembers and honors its history.”
The Hebe Fountain Restoration Campaign follows the opening of the Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids, a new state-of-the-art facility that consists of four unique neighborhood buildings and a community center on the campus in Grand Rapids. Veteran members began moving into the new “Home” in July of this year.
Persons who wish to donate to the Hebe Fountain Restoration Project can send a check payable to Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids at 3000 Monroe Avenue N.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49505.
Persons can also visit michigan.gov/mvh, click on Support MVH, followed by Donate and then Donate Online and select Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids as your donation option.
For more information or questions about the restoration project, contact Tiffany Carr at carrt1@michigan.gov or 616-365-3834.
Michigan Veteran Homes (MVH) is the entity that provides day-to-day operational oversight of the state’s veteran homes on behalf of the Michigan Veterans Facility Authority (MVFA) and is a branch of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA). The MVH operates the Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids (MVHGR), the Michigan Veteran Homes D.J. Jacobetti (MVHDJJ) in Marquette and the new Michigan Veteran Homes at Chesterfield Township (MVHCT).
MSU Extension drainage specialist Ehsan Ghane
discusses controlled drainage strategies for farms at the Lenawee County Center for Excellence field day in August. Roughly 500 farmers attended. Credit: Jon Adamy, Michigan Farm Bureau.
By Andrea Vera Capital News Service
LANSING — Farmers are set to take on a growing number of challenges in the face of climate change.
Now waiting to be passed in the House, the bill would make it easier for farmers to participate in carbon markets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In a recent study of attitudes of West Michigan fruit growers, Julia Linder, a graduate of the University of Michigan’s Program in the Environment, explored the factors that influence how fruit growers adapt to climate change. She currently works as a research assistant at Michigan Medicine.
The goal of her project was to determine the influence of climate change beliefs and perception of climate risk and adaptive actions on management practices used by tree fruit growers.
The study involved 18 interviewees ranging from first-generation to fifth-generation growers with from 5 to 2,500 acres of fruit trees. It appeared in the journal “Weather, Climate and Society.”
“What we would’ve call ‘normal’ is no longer normal – so everything is becoming the new normal, if you will,” one grower said.
Laura Campbell of the Michigan Farm Bureau also identifies climate change as the biggest challenge faced by farmers because of its far-reaching effects on nearly every aspect of what they do.
Campbell, who manages the organization’s agricultural ecology department, said the public lacks familiarity with the inner workings of the agricultural sector, and that makes it difficult for them to conceptualize just how daunting climate change can be for farmers.
“People who don’t farm don’t understand why,” she said.
Bill Schultz, a fruit grower in Mattawan, has been farming his whole life.
His 250-acre family farm, Schultz Fruitridge Farms, is celebrating 70 years since his grandparents founded it in 1951.
Like many other growers interviewed for the study, Schultz has noticed increasing variability in seasonal weather patterns and says he must adapt accordingly.
“In the last five years, what I see as a grower is that the jet stream is becoming very anemic, and that causes a lot of other events to happen that don’t typically happen that frequently,” Schultz says.
He adds, “We see more extreme events happening more frequently.”
More droughts and flooding, heavier rainfall, higher temperatures and more unpredictable frosts are occurring across the country.
That proves especially difficult for Michigan’s tree fruit growers to handle.
That’s because perennial tree fruit crops are very susceptible to changes in temperature and weather patterns, unlike field crops such as corn, Linder’s study says.
Fruit trees in Michigan and other cold-weather locations in the Midwest and Northeast have adapted to undergo a winter dormancy period in which a tree stops growing to protect itself from frost damage.
Campbell said the growing unpredictability of both temperature and frost is a threat at the beginning of the season: An early spring warmup triggers the growth of blossoms, making them vulnerable to a frost event later in the season.
When blossoms die due to frost, the crop for the entire season is lost.
“Spring frosts are probably one of our biggest challenges,” Schultz said.
He recalled the devastation that followed the unprecedented warm up of March 2012 when temperatures reached 80 degrees Fahrenheit, then plunged back down to below freezing.
“We lost everything. I lost my job that year. I still had work to do, but we had no income. We laid everybody off, we had to take out a loan to pay our bills. It set us back years,” he said.
While frost events like those happened only once before in his life, Schultz has seen three frost events like those in the past 10 years.
Linder says that orchards require a long-term commitment and investment of a couple of decades because they are perennial.
Another study interviewee said, “In the row crop business it’s easier to see change, but in the fruit industry, we raise the same commodity for 25 years.”
That grower made it clear that adaptive behaviors are important to preserve the viability of that and future seasons’ crops when they rely on the same trees for decades.
Schultz primarily uses irrigation, frost fans and crop insurance to mitigate climate risk.
Such methods are used in reaction to weather events, but can have limited effectiveness, he says.
Alternatively, farmers can adopt proactive management practices to prepare for future climate scenarios, Linder wrote in her study.
“The goal is to increase a tree’s resilience to climate change,” she said.
There’s still much climate change research to do about perennial agriculture, she said.
As extreme events began threatening Schultz Fruitridge Farms more frequently, the Schultz family diversified from peaches to also grow asparagus, grapes, apples, sweet corn, pumpkins, blueberries and cherries.
They also opened a farm market and a farm-to-table restaurant where they sell their hard cider, donuts and craft beer.
That provided Schultz with a fallback if one of his crops were damaged for the season, but not all growers have the financial capability for such long-term preparations.
“Because it’s so much longer-term, there’s a large sense of uncertainty as to how climate in five, 10, 15, up to 20 years will look like and how growers can address [changing climate] now on their farms that will help them in those extended time periods,” Linder said.
It doesn’t come down to whether growers attribute climate change to anthropogenic – influenced or caused by human activity – causes, Linder added.
Campbell said of farmers, “They’re like any other population group. There’s no monolithic single opinion on how much of climate change is influenced by people.”
Linder wrote in the study, “Adoption of adaptation behaviors may depend less on belief in climate change than on an individual’s belief that they can adapt in a way that will adequately protect them from perceived risk.”
In other words, if growers aren’t confident that certain adaptive behaviors will be effective in protecting their crops, they won’t adopt them, sticking with methods they’ve traditionally used.
Linder said she noticed a lot of pessimism among growers that she interviewed when discussing their ability to adapt while responding to increasing weather variability. “On the flip side, something that was very clear was that there is a large sense of community between growers.”
Schultz said, “It’s very demoralizing. It doesn’t matter how smart, how good you are at your job. You can’t counteract Mother Nature.”
That’s where Linder suggested that university Extension programs participate in successful grower-led meetings and conferences, while shifting the focus toward the effects of climate change and how to address them.
“Addressing a lot of these climate changes is going to require collaboration – not only between growers and Extension workers, but also between growers themselves,” she said.
D.A. Blodgett-St. Johns Communications Specialist Allyssa Murphy stands with boxes of toys received in last year’s D.A. Blodgett-St. Johns Virtual Toy Drive. This year’s drive is being held through Nov. 22. (Supplied)
By Sheila McGrath WKTV Contributing Writer
With shortages happening now in everything from groceries to computer chips to toys, D.A. Blodgett-St. Johns is hoping donors will get in the holiday spirit a little early this year.
Due to Covid-19-related supply chain issues and shipping delays, the nonprofit agency is closing its annual toy drive on Nov. 22, a few weeks earlier than usual. The drive, which opened on Oct. 1, provides gifts for children receiving services from the agency.
DABSJ, a Grand Rapids-based agency, provides services like foster care, adoption, family preservation, and children’s residential treatment.
“We help around 7,000 kids each year, and about 500 of those are kids we provide holiday gifts for,” said Allyssa Murphy, communications specialist with the agency. “Some of them are in foster homes, so they are not with their biological families. Some are in low-income households. We work with each social worker on our team and figure out who is in need and exactly how we can help.”
Closing the drive early will help ensure the gifts get in the hands of kids before the holidays, Murphy said. The gifts need to be shipped to the organization, then distributed to social workers, who get them to the families they support.
This is the second year the toy drive is being held virtually due to the pandemic. Donors can log onto the Virtual Holiday Gift Drive through a website called Roonga to view the gifts that are needed and decide what they might like to donate.
Toys received in last year’s D.A. Blodgett-St. Johns Virtual Toy Drive await distribution to West Michigan children. (Supplied)
Murphy said the vendor they are working with through Roonga put a limit on the number of certain toys they could request due to item shortages. Also, their contact at Roonga suggested they end the drive early to make up for expected delays due to a shortage of delivery drivers.
The toy drive site features items for all ages and price ranges along with basics like socks, underwear and hygiene kits, which are especially important, Murphy said.
“They’re not necessarily the most fun items, but they are necessary, and the kids we support really do need them,” Murphy said. “Gift cards are probably the highest needed item. That really makes up the difference for some families.”
Through Roonga, DABSJ has partnered with a third-party vendor that provides all the toys at wholesale prices, Murphy said. DABSJ typically gives a $50 gift card and at least three gifts per child, depending on how many gifts are donated.
“Sometimes we get more, sometimes less, but we try to give as much as we can,” Murphy said.
DABSJ President and CEO Mary Muliett said many of the kids they help have experienced some type of trauma, and the pandemic has not made things easier.
“These kids need our help now more than ever,” Muliett said. “They deserve a positive and magical holiday season, just like any other kid. We need help making that happen.”
To donate to the holiday gift drive, visit the drive webpage or dabsj.org. For more information or to discuss donation options for businesses, contact Allyssa Murphy at amurphy@dabsj.org.
Karla Black, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator at Kent County Health Department, was invited to Hands on Health to discuss COVID-19 and the vaccines with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services’ Nancy Piersma, Community Education Coordinator, and Rowan O’Dougherty, Board President. (WKTV)
Kentwood non-profit Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services is always looking for new ways to serve the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing communities. And WKTV Community Media is always looking for ways to work with groups in service of its Wyoming, Kentwood and West Michigan audience.
So the two this fall have partnered to begin a new multi-media project, Hands on Health, to provide health education in a format that is accessible to the Deaf, Deaf/Blind, Hard of Hearing — as well as other community members.
The first two episodes are now available on WKTV cable channels in Wyoming and Kentwood (check out the initial schedule below and WKTV cable schedule), on the WKTV Video Podcast page, and on the social media platforms of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (D&HHS) — YouTube and Facebook.
D&HHS, according to supplied material, has served the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing (D/DB/HH) communities across West Michigan for more than 25 years. The agency began after a deaf man’s medical emergency turned nearly fatal due to the emergency services’ lack of accessibility.
“The situation shone a light on the lack of access and services for the D/DB/HH communities,” Deb Atwood, D&HHS executive director, said in printed material. “Today, our agency serves 27 counties across West Michigan, providing a wide range of services specifically for the D/DB/HH communities.
“Each day, we work toward our mission of providing equal communication access, education, and advocacy to the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing in pursuit of all life’s opportunities.
The genesis of Hands On Health
A study published in 2016 by a group of University Medical Departments found that health literacy among the deaf is alarmingly low. When compared to their hearing counterparts, deaf participants were 6.9 times more likely to have inadequate health literacy.
These disparities are caused by several factors including communication barriers, fewer opportunities for incidental learning, and especially lack of accessible information. Many within the D/DB/HH communities are not given appropriate access to information that allows them to understand or practice autonomy over their own health.
“Our agency has recognized the of issue inadequate health literacy among the D/DB/HH in the Greater Grand Rapids area and throughout West Michigan,” Erica Chapin, D&HHS community and partnership manager, said in printed material. “These issues were made alarmingly clear throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. With limited accessible information about COVID-19 and vaccines, D/DB/HH individuals have been susceptible to misinformation and unable to make informed decisions about their health and safety.
“This situation has brought to light the lack of information on general health and wellness topics. To combat this issue, our agency is starting the ‘Hands On Health’ video series that provides health education in a format that is accessible to the D/DB/HH and other communities.”
These first two episodes feature two deaf hosts — Nancy Piersma, Community Education Coordinator, and Rowan O’Dougherty, Board President — with guest Karla Black, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator at Kent County Health Department, who was invited to discuss COVID-19 and the vaccines.
Hands on Health has premiered on WKTV Cable Channel 25 with Episode 1 continuing today, Oct. 21, at 5 p.m. Episode 2 will premiere Oct. 25 at 9 p.m., and continue Oct. 26 at 9:30 a.m., and Oct. 28 at 5 p.m. They may also run at different days and times; see the weekly schedule.
For more information and to donate to Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services, visit www.deafhhs.org/donate.
Hands on Health continues a discussion on COVID-19 and the vaccines, hosted by Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services’ Nancy Piersma, Community Education Coordinator, and Rowan O’Dougherty, Board President. (WKTV)
It was a good night for local high school prep football teams Friday, Oct. 15, as Wyoming High School gained its first win of the season on an emotional night at home, playoff-bound South Christian gained its sixth win, Wyoming Godwin Heights kept its playoff hopes alive, and East Kentwood has now won two of it last four.
WKTV’s Featured Game coverage crew was at Wyoming, and will be at South Christian this week to close out the regular season. WKTV’s Featured Game of the week provides Wyoming and Kentwood cable television and on-demand replays.
Wyoming’s game against Grand Rapids Union was senior night as well as a special celebration for the school’s new stadium being named in honor of Jack VerDuin, who rolled up a 243-118-6 record with the Wyoming Park Vikings before the school merged with Wyoming Rogers to become Wyoming high in 2012.
And the Wolves (1-7) were able to block out a rough 2021 campaign and come out with “plenty of fight” — the result was a 33-17 win over Union (3-7).
“Friday night was in a special night for our community … Our kids had a ton of positive energy that night, and it showed on the field,” Wolves head coach Carlton Brewster II said to WKTV. “I was glad that I could witness the fight in our kids to win our first ball game.”
Brewster specifically pointed out the outstanding performance of senior Mateo Ledesma on both sides of the ball — he had 10 tackles, two sacks, and 65 yards rushing.
WKTV’s South Christian game a playoff preview
South Christian (6-2, 5-1 in OK Conference Gold) scored a 49-7 road win at Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills (2-6, 1-5) on Oct. 15. This week, in the final week of the regular season, on Friday, Oct. 22, WKTV will be at East Kentwood for the Sailors’ season-ending clash with Cedar Springs (also 6-2, 5-1).
While both teams are playoff bound — as is OK Gold champion Grand Rapids Catholic Central (8-0, 6-0), which defeated both the Sailors and the Red Hawks earlier — both South Christian and Cedar Springs will be looking for better playoff seating when the playoffs are announced this weekend.
Past WKTV Featured Games from this season available on-demand include the Aug. 26 Forest HIlls Northern at Wyoming High game, the Sept. 1 NorthPointe at Lee 8-man game, the Sept. 10 Middleville T-K at South Christian game (played at East Kentwood), and East Kentwood’s home win over West Otttawa on Sept. 24, South Christian’s win over Kenowa Hills on Oct. 1, the annual Godwin vs. Kelloggsville rivalry game on Oct. 8, and the Wyoming vs. Union game on Oct. 15.
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 football and other fall 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.
Team-by-team update
East Kentwood
The East Kentwood Falcons (2-6, 2-4 in OK Conference Red) continued their late season resurgence with at 27-7 home win against Grand Haven (3-5, 2-4) on Oct. 15, and will close out the regular season at Jension (currently 2-6, 1-5) on Oct. 22.
After last week’s action, Rockford (8-0) sits alone in OK Red standings at 6-0 with Caledonia second (7-1, 5-1).
Wyoming high
The Wyoming Wolves (1-5 in OK Conference Green) will close out the season on the road at Mona Shores (currently 6-2, 5-1 in conference) on Oct. 22. After last week’s action, Muskegon (7-1) is 6-0 and alone atop the OK Green, with Muskegon Mona Shores second.
Godwin Heights
Wyoming Godwin Heights (4-3, 2-3 in OK Conference Silver action) is still alive in the playoff hunt after last week’s 42-34 road win at Belding (5-3, 2-3) on Oct. 15. The Wolverines can get to their fifth win of the season (giving them a chance at the playoffs) with a win at home to close out the season against Grandville Calvin Christian (1-7, 0-5) on Oct. 22.
After last week’s action, OK Silver standings have Comstock Park (9-0) undefeated in OK Silver action at 6-0, with Sparta (6-2) at 4-1 in conference.
Kelloggsville
The Kelloggsville Rockets (2-6, 1-4 in OK Conference Silver action) scored 34 points in a their game at OK Silver leader Comstock Park (9-0, 6-0) on Oct. 15, but ended up losing 69-34. The Rockets will be at home to face Sparta (6-2, 4-1) on Oct. 22.
Lee (8-man football)
The Lee Legends are playing a non-conference 8-man schedule which includes both 8-man varsity and junior varsity games.
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 Oct. 15. (Kent County)
Following the announcement of a $4 million appropriation from the State of Michigan, the director of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy last week toured the South Kent Landfill and future site of the proposed Kent County Sustainable Business Park.
Also on the Friday, Oct. 15, tour were representatives from Kent County Department of Public Works, Allegan County and Dorr Township. The Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) recently included a $4 million appropriation in the 2022 state budget to support necessary infrastructure improvements at the site.
Dar Baas, director of the Kent County Department of Public Works, (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 Oct. 15. (Kent County)
Approved in 2018, the Sustainable Business Park Master Plan lays out “a vision for transitioning away from landfilling waste in favor of placing value on components of the waste as feedstock for new products or fuel sources,” according to the county. The Master Plan calls for an anchor tenant that will receive the mixed waste currently going to the landfill and separate it for other future tenants to utilize.
“Kent County’s Sustainable Business Park is an important investment in sustainable materials management and growing a vibrant circular economy. This initiative puts Michiganders to work making new products from the materials residents take to their curb each week,” Liesl Eichler Clark, director of EGLE, said in supplied material. “This site visit is a chance to get a first-hand look at what’s planned with State of Michigan support for the project, and learn about the park’s potential to increase recycling, conserve natural resources, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
The Sustainable Business Park, planned for 250 acres adjacent to the South Kent Landfill in Byron Center, will be built on land that was initially purchased by Kent County to create a new landfill. The state funding will go to infrastructure improvements on the site such as utilities, roads and stormwater to prepare it for initial tenants. The first phase of infrastructure development is estimated to cost $19 million.
“The site visit by EGLE allowed us the opportunity to show how this project is moving us closer to our landfill diversion goals in Kent County,” Dar Baas, director of the Kent County Department of Public Works, said in supplied material. “The state funding will lay the foundation for additional private investment in the entire park.”
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)
“Warren Buffet once pointed out that when you do the math, it is obvious that inflation is far more destructive to wealth than any tax levied on us by the government.” Dave Stanley
It probably hasn’t escaped your notice that consumer prices have gone rogue in 2021. Prices for goods and services are surging at the fastest pace in over ten years, threatening to squeeze households and squelch a potential post-COVID economic recovery. Economists, bankers, and pundits insist that inflation rates reflect pandemic-induced trends and are only temporary. However, many retirees, pre-retirees, and investors are concerned that prices will keep going up, stalling economic growth and causing stocks to plummet. If you are a certain age, you might remember the double-digit inflation of the 1960s and 70s, which reached its’ apex during the Jimmy Carter Administration. Like all inflation, the price hikes were due to several factors, including an oil crisis in the Middle East, excessive government spending, and a slow-acting Federal Reserve.
Inflation is the silent thief of retiree wealth.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to know if our current rising prices are temporary or a sign of things to come. Yet, many economists believe that the diversified, globally integrated US economy is big enough and robust enough to avoid the hyperinflation found in countries such as Zimbabwe.
Still, if you are about to retire, you should maintain vigilance when it comes to inflation. Even if increased inflation lasts only a few years, it can wipe out a significant part of your retirement savings. An annual inflation rate of just 3% seems insignificant. However, at a 3% rate, if you currently have monthly expenses of $4,000, they will be $5,000 a month in just ten years. For this reason, it is critical for those within ten years of retirement to review their plans and adjust for worst-case scenario inflation levels.
Many people fail to realize just how significant the impact of inflation is on their savings. For example, if you own an asset that is bringing in 4% returns with no income tax, and the annual inflation rate is also 4%, that scenario is equivalent to a 100% tax in a time where inflation is at ZERO! If the inflation rate were to go to 5%, and your asset will still making only 4%, you would be paying a tax equivalent to 125%.
Bake inflation protection into your financial blueprint
Inflation is a stealth tax that, although it doesn’t go entirely unnoticed, is not as in-your-face as government-levied taxes. Government tax increases, such as those on income or property, are more readily identified and felt. On the other hand, inflation is like bleeding to death from a thousand tiny pinpricks rather than one gaping wound. Inflation expresses itself as a few cents more for a loaf of bread, a five-cent price increase on coffee, and so forth. Inflation leaves you scratching your head, wondering how your paycheck could vanish so rapidly.
Retirees and those leaving the workforce must partner with their advisors to put some armor around their wealth in a few years. Your savings must be protected as much as possible, or you risk running out of money when you need it most. Your advisor or advisory team may recommend various strategies using things such as certain types of annuities, cash-flowing investments, or even precious metals or cyber currencies.
Depending on your goals and risk tolerance, alternate investment strategies can form a protective barrier against erosive elements, including inflation, sequence of returns risk, and other attacks on your wealth.
The bottom line is: Like an unwelcome house guest, it’s bound to show up when you least expect it, and it will outstay its welcome nearly every time.
Don’t forget to plan for inflation.
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.com Dave is a member of Syndicated Columnists, a national organization committed to a fully transparent approach to money management.
South Kent Community and Senior Expo is set for Tuesday, Oct. 26, at the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE.
By WKTV Staff joanne@wktv.org
Community members of all ages are invited to the fifth annual South Kent Community & Senior Expo on Tuesday, Oct. 26.
The free event, hosted by the City of Kentwood and Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, is set for 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE. It will feature a variety of products and services from more than 35 local businesses, as well as health screenings, flu shots, door prizes and free food.
The free health screenings will include blood pressure, spine alignment and more. The flu shot clinic will be provided by Walgreens from 10 a.m.-noon. For individuals without qualifying insurance, the cost will be $35.99 for a regular-dose flu shot for ages 64 and younger, or $65.99 for a high-dose for ages 65 and older.
“The South Kent Community & Senior Expo provides community members with a great opportunity to connect with a broad range of businesses and organizations in southern Kent County,” said Bob O’Callaghan, president/CEO of the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce. “We look forward to this event each year and showcasing local products and services.”
The City of Kentwood is proud to partner with the Chamber on the expo, said Recreation Program Coordinator Ann Przybysz.
“There’s something for everyone at this fun community event,” Przybysz said. “We encourage residents, businesses and organizations to join us for a great lineup of activities.”
Touchdown sponsors of the football-themed expo are Consumers Energy, Estate Information Services, Inc., St. Ann’s Home and United Healthcare. Field goal sponsors are Baldwin House of Grand Rapids, HealthBridge Post-Acute Rehabilitation, Mission Point Healthcare Services, Priority Health and The Care Team.
Michigan aid organizations are scrambling to provide housing and services for 1,300 Afghan refugees they’ve pledged to resettle, some of whom will be heading to Kent County.
To answer the call, Kent County has created the Gateways for Growth Welcome Plan Steering Committee, which is working to coordinate residents, businesses, organizations and funders to support the hundreds of Afghan refugees who will be arriving in West Michigan. These opportunities will address their essential needs, such as housing, supportive services, mental health care, and volunteers to help them adjust to life in the United States.
“Creating a welcoming community takes all of us coming together in support of our neighbors, whether its our long-time residents or individuals who just arrived,” said representatives from the Kent County Gateways for Growth Welcome Plan Steering Committee. “We are encouraging our community to join together to ensure these families have the resources and support they need to resettle in West Michigan.”
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
“These are really nice, hardworking and kind people,” said Kurt Richter, a Michigan State University associate professor who helped evacuate more than 70 Afghan staff and scholars from the country. “I would welcome them as my neighbors.”
And they also can be strong contributors to the state’s economy, said Richter, who ran the university’s Grain Research and Innovation Project in Afghanistan. The MSU refugees are in Albania where they await transport to the United States.
Also waiting are about 60,000 refugees who were evacuated to U.S. military bases for resettlement following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, said Judi Harris, the director of refugee development in St. Vincent Catholic Charities, a faith-based nonprofit in Lansing that has pledged to resettle 300 Afghan refugees in Ingham County.
About 1.300 Afghan refugees are scheduled to come to Michigan with several hundred expected to be relocated to Kent county. (pxhere.com)
One family was recently settled in West Michigan by Samaritas, according to Rev. Bill Danaher, who is a board member of the faith-based social service agency. Samaritas has pledged to support 350 refugees. The West Michigan location was chosen because of the existing Afghan community there, Danaher said, adding that beyond housing, it is important to find the refugees a welcoming environment, which is why there are efforts to help settle refugees near other Afghan families.
Representatives from Samritas along with representatives from Kent County, City of Grand Rapids, West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce comprised The Gateways for Growth Welcome Plan Steering Committee. The committee has worked with local partners to compile a list of prioritized needs and ways the broader community can contribute.
A Place to Call Home
The most immediate need is housing. An Afghan Housing Resource survey was created for Kent County to capture housing resources people can offer, such as access to a rental property or extra rooms in their homes.
Harris said, for future arrivals, permanent options may be limited. They may need temporary housing in hotels.
The Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity has secured $500,000 to assist in these costs. The funding came from an existing Michigan State Housing Development Authority fund for rent assistance open to non-citizens.
Such support is important as resettlement can be expensive and require lots of work, said the Rev. Bill Danaher, of Christ Church Cranbrook in Bloomfield Hills. It costs about $57,000 a year to support a family of seven. Most of these costs are handled by community organizations.
“The government only does so much,” Danaher said. “We know there will be significant costs despite the government funding we are receiving.”
Other needs that the Kent County The Gateways for Growth Welcome Plan Steering Committee has identified are:
Mental Health – Mental health practitioners are invited to complete the Mental Health Provider survey to learn how they can support the wellness of New Americans, also known as immigrants and refugees.
That’s why D-Birmingham Rep. Mari Manoogian’s resolution, which the House adopted Oct. 14, is important, he said. It can help address apprehension some Michigan residents may have to Afghan refugees.
This welcome should not be limited to communities with Afghan populations. such as Grand Rapids and Lansing, Danaher said. These refugees will be resettled across the state.
“Your voice matters,” Danaher testified during a hearing on the resolution. “The state of Michigan needs to say that these refugees are welcome.”
Despite the intense vetting, some people might have unfounded fears regarding Afghan refugees, Danaher said. Therefore these state level efforts help support work at the community level.
Helping to Build a Better Economy
Welcoming Afghan refugees to the state is not just the right thing to do, but the smart one, Danaher said. Refugees in Michigan have generated about $200 million of new businesses and jobs in the economy.
Three-quarters of refugees are self-sufficient within six months of resettlement, Danaher said. It normally takes 10 volunteers to help host a family for six months, he said.
Samaritas is looking for volunteers to help, he said. Danaher said he hopes support from the state and legislators will help bring attention and energy among Michigan residents.
Michigan has also set up a webpage to gather donations and volunteers for the organizations involved. Local residents are encouraged to visit the Kent County Gateways for Growth website or follow its Facebook page to view the list of ways to support local Afghan refugees and to learn more about the Welcome Plan’s goal and objectives to foster a sense of belonging in Kent County.
LANSING — As the federal government works to roll out a 9-8-8 suicide hotline, one lawmaker is looking to expand crisis line services within Michigan.
Rep. Mary Whiteford, R-Casco Township, wants to incorporate the Michigan Crisis and Access line and the National Suicide Prevention Hotline under the same three-digit phone number.
“It’s just to make it really simple. No matter where you live in Michigan, you have one number that you can call to find local help,” Whiteford said.
Whiteford had introduced the Michigan Crisis and Access Line that was signed into law in January 2020. The 24/7 phone, text and chat line serves the Upper Peninsula and Oakland County and is rolling out statewide.
It can be accessed at 1-844-44 MICAL.
With the national designation of 9-8-8 as the new phone number for the National Suicide Hotline, Whiteford wants to designate the Michigan Crisis and Access Line as Michigan’s crisis hotline center. That would provide intervention services and care to anyone accessing the 9-8-8 hotline.
“We’ve always talked about aligning (the Michigan Crisis and Access Line) with 9-8-8, but that was the next step,” Whiteford said.
There are 46 community mental health centers in the state that operate local crisis lines.
The advantage of the Michigan Crisis and Access Line is you can advertise one number statewide and receive referral to local mental health resources and the local crisis line, said Robert Sheehan, the executive director of the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan.
The Crisis and Access Line is also working to provide other resources, including referral to substance abuse recovery centers and the psychiatric bed registry.
“That’s not been available statewide, so that would be a real great cataloging of mental health resources on a statewide level,” Sheehan said.
Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for Michigan residents age 10 to 34, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. In 2020, 76.5% of Michigan communities did not have enough mental health providers to serve residents, the foundation reported.
In addition to incorporating the state’s crisis line under 9-8-8, Whiteford also introduced a companion bill to create a fund to support crisis services.
It would gather funds from a monthly 55-cent charge to the cell phone bills of all Michigan residents and a 2% charge per retail transaction for prepaid wireless calling services. That charge can be adjusted to fund program operations, expansions and maintenance.
“I really wanted to get that out there to have a conversation about something we could do to have sustainable funding for crisis services for the state,” Whiteford said.
The state Department of Health and Human Services would be responsible for managing the fund. It could be used to set up additional crisis stabilization units and to offer more services because the fund does not lapse into the state’s general fund at the end of the year, Whiteford said.
While Michigan has a very comprehensive mental health system, it receives about 95% of its funding from Medicaid, a public health insurance program for low-income people, making it inaccessible to most residents who do not qualify for Medicaid, Sheehan said.
By taking a public utility approach in providing a crisis response line and crisis response teams, anybody can call and get the care they need, he said.
While Whiteford is the sole sponsor of these bills, she said she expects they will receive broad, bipartisan support in the Committee on Health Policy. Both bills are pending committee review.
Kyle Davidson is an MSU Junior working to complete his degree in Journalism. Kyle currently works with both The Spartan Newsroom and Capital News Service covering public safety, criminal justice, politics, and women’s issues in the political sphere.
Actor William Shatner’s emotional reaction to his brief ride into space on Oct. 13 was a fascinating, unfiltered response that gives new insight into how experiencing space affects humans, according to a Grand Valley State University cultural anthropologist.
Dr. Deana Weibel, who specializes in studying space exploration and religion, has conducted interviews with people who traveled to space to get their impressions on the experience.
The immediate, unfettered reaction from Shatner is a new element to observe, she said. His thoughts were not filtered through memory as they would be for an interview conducted later. And he also is not steeped in the cautious NASA culture, where those going to space are trained to communicate in a straightforward way.
“This is an outpouring of an instant reaction without time passing; it’s really fresh. I’m glad it’s recorded because it’s going to be influential,” Weibel said. “I know I’m going to make reference to this.”
The experiences of people traveling into space through private companies and as paying customers may present another channel of research on how people react to seeing space because they can be more open, Weibel said.
William Shatner (Super Festivals, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons)
Weibel was struck by how profoundly the 90-year-old Shatner was affected, noting that while there was an air of celebration with those around him as he exited the capsule, Shatner appeared to want to reflect.
“William Shatner didn’t want to pop the champagne and jump up and down,” Weibel said. “He just had his mind blown.”
She said she has encountered the cautious NASA culture when she interviewed active astronauts as part of her research on religion and space. They were hesitant to go far afield, even knowing personal details would be omitted.
“People have to be really careful about what they say,” Weibel said. “There’s an awareness among active astronauts that they may lose their next flight if they say something questionable.”
But Shatner freely and emotionally encapsulated his experience, describing his awe. And his references to the life on the blue of Earth along with the black of space, pondering if the latter was death, had religious overtones even if he didn’t talk specifically about religion, Weibel said.
She also noted that his words immediately after the flight indicated he experienced what author Frank White coined as the “overview effect.” She described it as a profound emotional response to seeing Earth from space and realizing its fragility; some astronauts have experienced it, while others haven’t.
“It’s recognizing the reality of living on this sphere suspended in space that hits you in a way that was so abstract before,” Weibel said.
Armed with umbrellas in an effort to stay dry from the downpour of rain, about 50 people came out to the dedication and ribbon cutting for the expansion of the KDL Grandville Branch on Oct. 8.
The event, hosted by the City of Grandville and the Kent District Library, celebrated the addition of 6,665 square feet to the library, with the largest part of the addition being a divisible community room for hosting library programs and serving city and community events.
“At the Grandville Branch, we see a number of people from throughout the county,” said KDL Grandville Branch Manager Josh Bernstein, who is a regional manager serving both the Grandville and Byron Center branches. In fact, because the KDL library branches over the years have become more regional sources, KDL has created regional branch managers to work with communities.
“We have a lot of our neighbors from Byron Center and Georgetown, as we have a partnership with them, coming to the Grandville library for resources and meeting space,” he said.
A new feature is the fireplace that separates the community room from the library. (WKTV)
Visitors check out the new children’s play area. (WKTV)
The KDL Grandville branch has more than one million library items. (WKTV)
Space was the original reason that Grandville City Council decided to move the library from the city complex to its own space. The current library facility was built in 1991 and dedicated in 1992. The original library project costs was about $1.8 million.
Space again was the concern for city and community leaders to come together to raise funds for the expansion, according to Grandville Mayor Steve Maas who spoke during the dedication ceremony. Through the additional space, Maas said the library facility was able to expand from one study room to 10 new private study rooms. The expanded and updated Grandville facility also includes:
The new Nelson Foundation Disability Resource Room
More than a million library items
Hundreds of regularly scheduled in-person programs and activities for all ages
Separate and enclosed space for children’s programs and early literacy efforts
Drive-up book drop
Larger space for the Friends of the Grandville Library Book Nook
Fireplace area separating the library from the new community center
New, high-efficiency HVAC system
Additional restrooms, including a family restroom
Area residents and leaders were willing to brave the heavy rains for the KDL Grandville Branch dedication on Oct. 8. (WKTV)
For the new addition, city and community leaders hosted a Building Beyond Books fundraising campaign with the goal of raising about a million dollars. At the time of the dedication, the effort had raised $870,000 with donations still being accepted.
KDL oversees 20 branches that serve the communities around Grand Rapids. (The City of Grand Rapids is served by the Grand Rapids Library.) Locations on the southwest side of the county include, Wyoming, Kentwood, Gaines, Byron Center, Grandville, Caledonia, and Kelloggsville High School. KDL operates the Bookmobilie and the KDL Wyoming branch houses the KDL Talking Book and Braille Center. For more about KDL and its locations, visit kdl.org.
Even people in the know about the state of the State of Michigan high school girls golf might have overlooked East Kentwood High School sophomore Elise Fennell last year — until she finished her freshman season a solid fourth in the Division 1 individual finals.
And following her consistent, quality play this season, and with her dominating the field at a very tough Division 1 Regional 1 last week — shooting a 73 at Thompsonville’s Betsie Valley course, six stokes ahead of the second place individual finisher — she may well be the golfer to beat this week at the 2-day state Division 1 finals at Grand Valley State University.
East Kentwood High School sophomore Elise Fennell will be seeking a state title Oct. 15-16. (Supplied)
While the 15-year old speaks softly and humbly when asked about her approach to the state finals, to be held Oct. 15-16 at The Meadows, she sounds quietly confident in her game. And her Falcon coach, Mike Ketelaar, says the same thing, a little more loudly.
“Just trying to get ready, mentally, more than anything,” Fennell said to WKTV this week, as she prepared for a practice round at Stonewater Country Club in Caledonia. “Physically is not as important as your mental game. I’m just trying to prepare for what I am going to do. Course management decisions. Everything like that.”
Ketelaar, too, says his prize young player is “hungry” to prove herself to be among the best in the state while she is already establishing herself on the national stage in youth golf by playing in “a lot of serious tournaments in the summertime with some of the best players in the country.”
“Playing in the state finals last year … I got to watch every shot and she was very composed. She enjoyed herself,” Ketelaar said to WKTV. “At the state tournament last year, there was a little bit of nerves but there was nothing she wasn’t used to. I think this year she is very excited for this state tournament coming up, because it is 36 holes, its at Grand Valley, where we’ve had a lot of events.
“I think she is hungry. Fourth place (last year) was really good for her but I think she has higher aspirations this year.”
Growing into her game, individual and team
Fennell has been playing since age six, and competing since she was about 10. And like a lot of young players, when she started there as a parent and a Tiger involved.
East Kentwood High School sophomore Elise Fennell is all smiles … until there is a club in her hands. (Supplied)
“I was like six, and my dad and I would watch Tiger (Woods) on TV, all those guys on TV, and he introduced me to the game,” Fennell said. Her first lesson, however, was later — “I was nine and it was here, (at Stonewater) from Jimmy (Wisinski).”
It was right about that time that she knew she could — and should — compete with the best in her age group, and higher.
“When I was 10, I was winning a lot of stuff in my age group, just because it was small, there was not a lot of girls in my age group,” Fennell said. “My scores were similar to the older girls, so I started moving up. And every time I moved up, all my scores were right there with them. … When I was like 12, I ended up playing with high schoolers and I said ‘Okay, this is where I am meant to be.’”
And that is about the time Falcon coach Ketelaar started hearing about the talent that would he would have the “privilege” and “responsibility” to be working with.
“I’ve had the privilege to work with Elise for the last two years, as her coach at East Kentwood High School,” he said. “But, prior to that, I knew about her pedigree and her ability. … Hearing about her name around the country club here and seeing her scores in different newspapers and stuff, I knew I had a huge responsibility as a coach to make sure I took care of that talent and help develop it to the best of my abilities.”
And despite her growth, physically, it is her mental game where she and her coach continue working to improve.
Her game changed, physically, she said as she grew from 10 to her current 15 years old “because I kept growing, so I needed new clubs, and my yardages changed, and but the same mentality stayed where I just wanted to focus on each shot, stay in the moment and not get too far ahead of myself. Otherwise it would be downhill from there.”
She has also grown both in her individual game and her team game, her coach said.
“I’ve noticed a huge growth in (her), she wants to do well individually still, she’s very hungry and competitive. But I think she is seeing the larger picture of the importance of helping team members,” Ketelaar said. “She obviously has more golf experience than a lot of girls on the team. She has really taken it upon herself to pass on that knowledge and teach them about course management. How to remain calm. Just to enjoy the moment.
“I know she knows high school golf is four years. I think the first year she was really concerned about learning about it and having success herself. It is very apparent now that it is not so much about her as it is about the whole team.”
Falcon team making improvements
While the East Kentwood girls golf team did not advance past the regionals, Fennell’s coach said her impact on the team this year and in the future is certain. Not only on the courses but at practice.
East Kentwood High School head girls golf coach Mike Ketelaar. (WKTV)
“I text and call Elise a lot to get a vibe on what’s the team thinking,” Ketelaar said. “Obviously I’m not a high school girl and I try my best to figure out the climate of the team is. But a lot of time I bank on her relationships, her friendships, with them all to say ‘Hey, are they enjoying themselves? Is there a practice we are doing, is it worthwhile?’ She comes back with really good advice of how she thinks we can improve our program.”
Looking at this year’s team, outride of Fennell, coach starts with his senior leader, Chandler Baillie — “She was a really a consistent player for us,” and then goes from there.
“Morgan Lee is a sophomore, she played our Number 2 this year — I know she is really excited to work in the off season, to improve. So, I’m looking forward to seeing what Morgan can bring to the table next year.
“And Aish (Aishwarya Kasaju) is a junior this year, she had huge improvements, she’ll be a senior leader. And Cam (Camryn) Kolzow came out as a freshman and never played school golf before and now has a real itch. So I think we have a great squad coming in for next year.”
East Kentwood High School sophomore Elise Fennell at practice. (Supplied)
There have been reported hauntings on USS Edson, which is located on the Saginaw River in Bay City. (Public domain)
By Wayne Thomas Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters
In the late 1800s, Bay City was considered the “Lumbering Capital of the World.” In her book “Haunted Bay City, Michigan,” Nicole Beauchamp describes a six-block red-light district known as ‘Hell’s Half Mile,” which was characterized by violence, gambling, and, prostitution. This scene would recur each spring when between five to ten thousand rowdy lumberjacks would come to town. Apparently it was not uncommon to see bodies of murder victims floating down the Saginaw River. According to Beauchamp the brutal beginnings of brawling, boozing, and brothels, left a paranormal imprint on the Bay City area. Theoretically a brutal tortured existence can lead to unrest in the afterlife. Reported ghost activity includes a “sinister Victorian lady” who scares visitors on the upper level of Bay City Antique Center and a little ghost girl roaming Sage Library.
Chapter one in Beauchamp’s book, titled “The Gray Ghost,” outlines the historical significance of the USS Edson that is now docked on the Saginaw River. Visitors to the Edson tell of various paranormal experiences that have included the barking of a canine spirit and pictures of Paul, a former caretaker who loved his job so much that his spirit still strolls the decks, playing pranks on patrons. The Gray Ghost/USS Edson was featured in a 1963 “Twilight Zone” episode called, “The Thirty-Fathom Grave” where they used video from inside the ship.
Beauchamp’s chapter titles are cleverly worded and the text is full of supernatural insights and historical highlights of locations like Tummy Ache Candy Store and Sage Library, the oldest public library in Michigan. In 2009, Beauchamp founded the Tri-City Ghost Hunters Society, a paranormal research team. Equal to the group’s passion for the paranormal is its support for historical preservation, giving thousands of dollars to fully renovate antiquated buildings.
As the big trees disappeared from the surrounding Saginaw Bay area so did the thousands of seasonal roughneck lumberjacks that created Hell’s Half Mile and gave birth to the haunted history of Bay City, Michigan.
You can learn more about Nicole Beauchamp and Tri-City Ghost Hunters Society on Grand Rapids Ghost Hunter Podcast episode #32, which features Beauchamp as a special guest.
The football stadium at Wyoming High School, which will be filled with fans Friday as the school and the community honors Jack VerDuin, who coached football at Wyoming Park High School. (WKTV)
If you ask someone in the Wyoming-area high school football community to name a few people whom long-time Wyoming Park coach Jack VerDuin impacted as a coach, teacher, friend and mentor be prepared for a long list.
And, as Wyoming High School is set to honor the late VerDuin by naming its new field in his honor this week, it is probably no coincidence that the first two people who talked to WKTV were more than happy to do so and are also now respected educators.
A photo of Jack VerDuin when he coached football at Wyoming Park High School. (Supplied/Wyoming High School)
“For me, it was a lot of things outside of football … as a teacher and an athletic director,” said Oogie LaMar, who was on VerDuin’s state title football team and is currently Director of Adult Education and Community Relations at the Kent ISD. “Many of my memories of him were the times off the field. Back in the day, in study hall. He was my study hall teacher, and so a lot of the discussions we had were just about life and team-ship — being a good person, being a good teammate. Being committed to principals … about the team, but (also) families and how to treat other people.”
VerDuin, who rolled up a 243-118-6 record with the Wyoming Park Vikings before the school merged with Wyoming Rogers into Wyoming high in 2012, was given many honors in his lifetime and after he died in 2007.
He coached the Vikings for 38 seasons beginning in 1962. During the years, Wyoming Park won 19 conference championships and the Class B state championship in 1984, a 33-20 victory over Monroe Catholic Central. The Vikings were then the state runner-up in 1985.
VerDuin is a member of the Wyoming Hall of Fame, Grand Rapids Hall of Fame, Michigan High School Hall of Fame and the Michigan Football Hall of Fame.
But maybe the honor he would appreciate the most would be the special place he occupies in so many of the young people he influenced, on and off the football field.
“Jack influenced me as a person by helping me grow up. He had high expectations and a belief that if we all follow the process, we will all be champions,” said Thom Vander Klay, who played for VerDuin as well and is now a coach and teacher at Wyoming high. “He rarely let his kids believe they were anything but unbeatable … and he was right.”
Teaching how to coach, how to succeed off the field
Vander Klay, to a large extend, also learned how to coach and how to lead an athletic program, from VerDuin.
“He was way ahead of his time regarding finding the right fit for positions for the football team seven years down the road,” Vander Klay said. “For example, he would watch the 7th grade sporting events (not just football) and find who he wanted for each position on his football teams. We generally all played the same position in the same system on both sides of the ball for 6 years. After that long people get pretty good at what they are trying to do.
“He was not concerned with younger teams’ records as it was all about getting better within the system,” he said. “I have worked as a coach to use Jack’s work ethic, attention to detail, and ways to work with each student athlete from where they come from in order to create synergy and teach them they can achieve when they believe in the process. Not just in athletics but when they are adults and are carrying out their plans.”
That idea, often-used these days, of “planning your work and working your plan” was just part of VerDuin caring more about his students as people than simply as athletes.
“Jack was a consistent professional and had great passion for kids and working hard,” Vander Klay said. “He was a big picture guy that would not accept excuses for falling short of his best.”
LaMar told much the same story — “He really just wanted us to do our best … he always expected that.”
Intentional or not, VerDuin was unique
Of course, Coach VerDuin was not without his (occasional) mistakes, with his teams and with his style of dress, as both LaMar and Vander Klay reluctantly talked about.
“I do remember when I was coaching with Jack and he came back from Florida (he coached in Naples, Fla., for two seasons) and he thought he could have the same type of pregame speech to a team we had that was just outmatched that year,” Vander Klay said. “He told them how bad our opponent wanted to beat us and how hard they had prepared and how they were so ready for us. The problem was our kids, who were not that experienced and (were) young that year, believed him and we got drilled.
“We said ‘Maybe you can’t use that same speech for a bit coach’ and he smiled and said ‘I get it.’ Two years later he led Park to another championship.”
And that style of 1980s’ coaching attire?
“He did have those white shoes that he wore, the turf shoes,” LaMar said. “As I look back, and see he and all our coaches in their tight shorts, back in the day, but I guess that was just maybe the style.”
WKTV’s Feature Game crew will be at Wyoming high this week as the Wolves host Grand Rapids Union and also a special celebration for the school’s new stadium being named in honor of Jack VerDuin. The celebration — which will also be 1971-72 Team Reunion Night, Community Night and Senior Night — includes free admission. There will be a Wyoming High School open House at 6 p.m., then the Jack VerDuin Stadium Dedication at 6:45 p.m., followed by game kickoff at 7 p.m.
The winning City of Kentwood team at this year’s 2021 American Public Works Association Midwest Michigan Snowplow Roadeo and Equipment Show. (City of Kentwood)
For the second year in a row, the City of Kentwood’s Department of Public Work snowplow team has won the local Snowplow Roadeo.
On Oct. 6, the City of Wyoming Department of Public Works hosted the 2021 American Public Works Association Midwest Michigan Snowplow Roadeo and Equipment Show. The event featured a timed obstacle course where drivers from across Michigan competed to test their skills.
The event featured a timed obstacle course where drivers from across Michigan competed to test their skills. (City of Wyoming)
The roadeo provides an opportunity for public agencies to prepare for winter snow removal operations by training drivers, networking with each other and viewing a variety of useful products and services. More than 28 public agencies competed in this year’s Roadeo. Public administrators and elected officials, as well as other local celebrities were invited to operate snow removal equipment in a non-working/non-emergency atmosphere.
This year the Kentwood team of Jeff Bremer and Zach Wolford won the roadeo with Wolford also being named the top driver. The city also took home first place in the “Pride of the Fleet” competition.
“It is wonderful to celebrate Jeff Bremer and Zach Wolford as the winning driving team of this year’s Snowplow Roadeo,” said Kentwood Public Works Department Director Chad Griffin. “We look forward to the Snowplow Roadeo and Equipment Show each year as part of our training for winter snow removal operations. Placing well in the competition demonstrates the quality of our training and our commitment to excellence in the public works profession.”
Griffin along with Mike Kaminski won the 2020 Snowplow Roadeo and went on to compete in the national competition held annually in Loveland, Colorado. Bremer and Wolford will represent the APWA Midwest Michigan area at the national competition in October 2022.
The City of Kentwood’s Pride of the Fleet winner. (City of Kentwood)
University of Michigan Health – West Chief Medical Information Officer Dr. Lance M. Owens discusses patient care while the Dragon Ambient eXperience program takes notes. (Supplied)
University of Michigan Health-West (formerly Metro Health – University of Michigan Health) is the first system in the state to pilot automated documentation in the exam room, allowing health providers to focus on the patient rather than the computer.
The AI-powered Nuance Dragon Ambient eXperience (DAX) is an ambient clinical intelligence solution that captures and contextualizes every word of the patient encounter and automatically creates clinical documentation.
The pilot at University of Michigan Health-West began earlier this year with 13 providers, throughout primary and specialty care settings.
“We have already discovered multiple advantages to suggest that Nuance DAX could become a transformative innovation for our organization,” said Dr. Lance M. Owens, Chief Medical Information Officer, who is leading the pilot. “This technology captures documentation automatically and removes the computer as a barrier between providers and their patients and enables better patient- provider engagement. It is yet another way we are relentlessly pursuing our vision to deliver innovations that change care and care that changes lives.”
University of Michigan Health – West Chief Medical Information Officer Dr. Lance M. Owens has been leading the pilot on ai-powered documentation. (Supplied)
“University of Michigan Health-West is a model for the deep partnerships needed to transform healthcare delivery and empower physicians with the advanced technology they need to provide personalized patient care,” said Diana Nole, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Nuance Healthcare. “Nuance DAX works seamlessly in the background unlocking the physician from the burden of administrative tasks and enables them to focus solely on the patient. This was our vision when introducing Nuance DAX, and now, together with our customers like the University of Michigan Health-West, we are bringing that vision to life by delivering an enhanced patient-provider experience.”
In initial surveys at pilot sites, when asked to compare their visit to previous healthcare encounters, patients overwhelmingly agreed with several performance indicators, stating:
“My visit felt more like a personable conversation.”
“The provider seemed to be more focused on me during the visit.”
“The provider spent less time typing on their computer.”
“The benefit to patients is becoming readily apparent,” Owen said. “By reducing the documentation burden, we allow providers to focus on delivering the best care for their patients and stronger patient-provider relationship.”
After using Nuance DAX, one University of Michigan Health-West provider saw a decrease in 31 minutes per day in documentation. Another provider saw an average reduction of 5 minutes of documentation time per appointment. One particularly efficient provider decreased time per note from two minutes to 1.9 minutes, totaling a significant decrease in documentation time overall. In addition to helping providers stay on schedule and spend more time with patients, the system improves accuracy and thoroughness of documentation because providers don’t have to divide their attention between patient and computer.
“As we continue to track key metrics during the pilot, we plan to roll out the system for all primary care physicians over the next year,” Owens said. “We see potential to expand for specialty use, in the Emergency Department and nursing settings in the near future.”
For more about University of Michigan Health-West and its innovation initiatives, please visit www.uofmhealthwest.org.
With Halloween right around the corner, kids are thinking trick-or-treat and adults are stocking up on bags of candy. As if that won’t be enough sugar, every grocery store has Halloween-theme decorated cupcakes and cookies. The pumpkin spice must flow. No wonder kids come down with colds and flu in early November. Sugar can impair the body’s natural immune response and leave us more vulnerable to germs and viruses. (Since we are still in the middle of a global COVID-19 pandemic, this is pretty important information.)
It’s a shame that all eyes (and tastebuds) are focused on sweets when another Halloween celebrity offers a host of health benefits. Pumpkins!
One of the first cultivated foods of the Americas, pumpkins were a staple food in Oaxaca (Mexico) as early as 8750 BC—long before corn or beans. By 2700 BC, they had spread to the eastern United States. The Pueblo, Apaches, Hopi, Navajo, Havasupai, Papago, Pima and Yuman all counted on the pumpkin’s flesh and seeds as a staple food. They roasted the seeds and ate them with chili powder or mixed with fruits and nuts. As for the flesh, they roasted, dried or boiled it. Mashed boiled pumpkin was mixed with batter or syrup or used to thicken soup. Dried pumpkin was sliced into rings and hung in storerooms for winter.
Pumpkin flesh is low in fat and rich in nutrients. One cup of cooked pumpkin provides three grams of fiber, magnesium, potassium and vitamins A, C and E—200% of your daily requirement of vitamin A (for healthy eyes). It also provides carotenoids, which can help lower your risk for cancer.
Pumpkin seeds have anti‐microbial benefits, including anti‐fungal and antiviral properties. So, they are a great snack during the cold and flu season. Studies on laboratory animals have shown pumpkin seeds may improve insulin regulation and help kidney function. Because they are an excellent source of the mineral zinc, the World Health Organization recommends eating them. Eating whole, roasted unshelled pumpkin seeds gives you the most zinc.
You can roast the pumpkin seeds you remove from your Jack O’Lantern. And you can buy pumpkins seeds at most grocery stores. They are also called pepitas. Pepitas are a very popular snack in the Latinx culture, perhaps because some of their ancestors were among the first in the world to discover and cultivate pumpkins.
If your Jack O’Lantern goes bad before you have a chance to roast it, look for “pie pumpkins” in your store’s produce department or at the U-M Health West Farm Market—and try a recipe besides pie!
Another way to boo-ooo-oost your immune system is to come in for a chiropractic adjustment. Keeping your spine aligned helps your brain, gut, immune system, and other body organs to work better with each other and keep you healthy naturally.
Cory Mcliechey, a descendent of Sojourner Truth, keeps his family’s legacy thriving with his recently released children’s book, “Keeping the Truth Alive.” (Supplied)
Cory P. Mcliechey, a 5th generation grandson to iconic historical figure Sojourner Truth, keeps his family’s legacy thriving with his recently released children’s book, “Keeping the Truth Alive.”
In Mcliechey’s debut tale, he strives to educate today’s youth about a historical woman and the trials she endured.
The cover of Cory Mcliechey’s recently released children’s book about Sojourner, “Keeping the Truth Alive.” (Supplied)
“Keeping the Truth Alive” contains colorful illustrations that Mcliechey himself designed and created, captivating readers as they learn about a heroine who stood against her oppressors and fought against inequality and racism, providing greatness to America despite the obstacles Sojourner Truth experienced.
Having recently lost his parents, Mcliechey told WKTV that he felt driven to finish the book as a way to keep his familial legacy alive.
“I dedicated it to the memory of my parents whom me and my siblings had to bury earlier this year,” Mcliechey, a Grand Rapids resident, said to WKTV “That was my motivation in getting the book done.”
Book an extension of community work
Following in the footsteps of his ancestors, Mcliechey has been a community advocate and activist for many years, “fighting for equality and justice,” he said.
Cory Mcliechey’s Top Notch Kids community program aims to change the narrative of the gun by providing real life opportunities to rejuvenate communities using the “GUNS” of home improvement — caulk guns, staple, guns, nail guns, and paint guns. (Supplied)
One of the goals he hopes to accomplish through his activism is helping people realize that, “Throughout all of the ‘isms,’ such as racism, the different hues and colors of people are a reflection of God’s majesty. Don’t get it mixed up with how we view it as humans.”
Mcliechey paused, then repeated, “Different hues, but human.”
Mcliechey has put action to his words, founding a non-profit organization, Descendants of the Truth, whose sole agenda is to educate youth on their history while teaching them life skills.
Top Notch Kids is one program among many under the umbrella of Descendants of the Truth. Designed to encourage and inspire youth to help revitalize their neighborhoods, this movement provides a fun and safe alternative to the culture of violence so prevalent in today’s world, he said.
(Supplied)
Top Notch Kids aims to change the narrative of the gun by providing real life opportunities to rejuvenate communities using the “GUNS” of home improvement, such as caulk guns, staple, guns, nail guns, and paint guns. This not only helps them take part in their community, it allows children to attain a valuable skill to help with career readiness.
The motto of Top Notch Kids emphasizes the objective: “We don’t kill with guns, we build with guns.”
Book part of series, documentary in work
When asked about his plans for the future, Mcliechey said that he intends to continue Sojourner Truth’s story as a series.
“I want to continue with Sojourner Truth’s story because there is so much to know about her. This (“Keeping the Truth Alive”) is just a small glimpse of what she’s done for society and America,” Mcliechey said.
The author is also preparing to create a Top Notch Kids children’s book that focuses more on current issues versus history. The main objective of the new work is stressing safety, improvement of self and community, and to guide children toward helping their community.
Cory Mcliechey’s artwork has gained admirers such as American feminist journalist and social-political activist Gloria Steinem. (Supplied)
A more immediate work-in-progress is a documentary on Sojourner Truth’s journey from enslavement to activism and advocacy.
Mcliechey has been working closely with Lateef Calloway, founder of the Phoeion Group LLC (dba Calliwood Productions LLC), and American feminist journalist and social-political activist Gloria Steinem, to showcase how Sojourner Truth’s teachings impacted Truth’s descendants’ individual lives and their views on civil rights, human rights, and women’s rights.
In fact, it was while working with Calloway that Mcliechey’s artistic side reignited.
“I’ve always been an artist,” Mcliechey said, “but it had become dormant. Lateef reignited my passion for art.”
Mcliechey attributes his ability to create the illustrations for “Keeping the Truth Alive” to Calloway and his mentorship.
Calloway also encouraged Mcliechey to design a painting for Steinem. As a way to draw attention to issues of women today and continue Gloria’s legacy, Mcliechey produced a painting of an African Goddess, featuring 24-Karat gold leaf imported from Thailand, which is now hanging in Steinem’s brownstone.
To order a copy of “Keeping the Truth Alive” by Cory P. Mcliechey, visit here.
To learn about the separate Sojourner Truth Memorial currently underway to honor the American icon, visit here.
With only two more weeks of the regular season remaining in the 2021 high school football season, results of Week 7 involving local teams found Grand Rapids South Christian High School (5-2 overall) all but assured a state playoff berth at the end of the month, and Wyoming Godwin Heights (3-3) kept their playoff hopes alive by defeating Kelloggsville.
The Sailors’ scored a 37-13 home win (at East Kentwood) over Ada Forest Hills Eastern. The Wolverines scored a 53-13 win in its annual rivalry game against the Rockets on a rainy night that was WKTV’s Featured Game of the week, with Wyoming and Kentwood cable television and on-demand replays available.
And talking about featured games, WKTV will be at Wyoming high this week as the Wolves host Grand Rapids Union and also a special celebration for the school’s new stadium being named in honor of Jack VerDuin, who rolled up a 243-118-6 record with the Wyoming Park Vikings before the school merged with Wyoming Rogers to become Wyoming high in 2012.
Then, in the final week of the regular season, on Friday, Oct. 22, WKTV will be at East Kentwood for South Christian’s season ending OK Conference Gold clash with current conference co-leader Cedar Springs.
Past WKTV Featured Games from this season available on-demand include the Aug. 26 Forest HIlls Northern at Wyoming High game, the Sept. 1 NorthPointe at Lee 8-man game, the Sept. 10 Middleville T-K at South Christian game (played at East Kentwood), and East Kentwood’s home win over West Otttawa on Sept. 24, South Christian’s win over Kenowa Hills on Oct. 1, and the annual Godwin vs. Kelloggsville rivalry game on Oct. 8.
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 football and other fall 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.
Team-by-team update
East Kentwood
The East Kentwood Falcons (1-6, 1-4 in OK Conference Red) lost 6-44 on the road at Grandville (4-3, 3-2) on Oct. 8. Remaining on the Falcon’s schedule are a home game against Grand Haven (3-4, 2-3) on Oct. 15, then closing out the regular season at Jension (currently 2-5, 1-4) on Oct. 22.
After last week’s action, Rockford (7-0) sits alone in OK Red standings at 5-0 after defeating Caledonia (6-1, 4-1) with Hudsonville (4-3) also at 4-1 in conference.
Wyoming high
The Wyoming Wolves (0-7, 0-5 in OK Conference Green) were on the road again last week and lost 34-65 at Zeeland East (5-2, 4-1) on Oct. 8. This week’s game, on Oct. 15, is a home game against Grand Rapids Union (3-4, 1-4), and then the Wolves close out the season on the road at Mona Shores (currently 5-2, 4-1) on Oct. 22.
After last week’s action, Muskegon (6-1) is 5-0 and alone atop the OK Green after defeating Muskegon Mona Shores.
Grand Rapids South Christian
The South Christian Sailors (5-2, 4-1 in OK Conference Gold) will be the road for Week 8 with an OK Gold game against Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills (2-5, 1-4) on Oct. 15.
After last week’s action, Grand Rapids Central Catholic (7-0) and Cedar Springs (6-1) are both 5-0 in OK Gold action, with the Sailors one game behind. South Christian played and lost to Catholic Central on Sept. 17, but still have a home game against Cedar Springs to be played to close the regular season Oct. 22.
Godwin Heights
The Godwin Heights Wolverines (3-3, 1-2 in OK Conference Silver action), after last week’s win over Kelloggsville (2-5, 1-3), could still make the playoffs by winning out in their road game at Belding (5-2, 2-2) on Oct. 15, and then winning at home to close out the season against Grandville Calvin Christian (currently 1-6, 0-4) on Oct. 22.
After last week’s action, OK Silver standings have Comstock Park (7-0) undefeated in OK Silver action at 5-0, with Sparta (5-2) at 3-1 in conference.
Kelloggsville
The Kelloggsville Rockets (2-5, 1-3 in OK Conference Silver action) saw their 2-game winning streak come to an end on a rainy night at Godwin Heights last week, and now have two tough games to end the season: at OK Silver leader Comstock Park (7-0, 5-0) on Oct. 15, and then at home to face Sparta (5-2, 3-1) on Oct. 22.
Lee (8-man football)
The Lee Legends are playing a non-conference 8-man schedule which includes both 8-man varsity and junior varsity games.
Voters in the Kelloggsville Public Schools district will be asked to approve an $11.3 million bond proposal on the Nov. 2 ballot which will allow the district to build a S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) building at the high school as well as other building projects.
Kelloggsville students would gain technology space and equipment. (Supplied)
“Our goal is to give our students an exceptional facility that will provide opportunities for S.T.E.M., robotics, and business classes,” according to a statement on the district website. The additions “would expand opportunities for our students to explore technology through an updated media center, S.T.E.M. building, and (to) participate in our robotics program.”
The last day to register to vote by mail for the November ballot is Oct. 18. See here for a map of the school district, which has voters in both Kentwood and Wyoming.
Passage of the bond measure would not increase residential take above the current tax rate, also according to district supplied material, “it would simply continue with the existing debt levy.”
The funds from the bond measure will allow for the construction and addition of a S.T.E.M. building at the high school complex, a new media center at Southeast elementary, continue efforts to “provide and update safe and secure entrances” throughout the district, and well as technology upgrades to “enhance instruction.”
In addition to Kelloggsville High School, the district includes Kelloggsville Middle School, Southeast Kelloggsville Elementary, Central Kelloggsville Elementary, West Kelloggsville Elementary, Kelloggsville Virtual School and the Kelloggsville Early Childhood Learning Center.
After a modified Trunk or Treat last year, when pandemic precautions allowed only a drive-through event for the Kentwood community, the City of Kentwood is once again inviting trick-or-treaters to don their costumes and come to the city’s Trunk or Treat event Saturday, Oct. 23.
Dress up is encouraged at this year’s Trunk or Treat in Kentwood. (Supplied)
“Trunk or Treat gives families a fun alternative to door-to-door Halloween activities while connecting with community organizations in a more controlled environment,” Val Romeo, Kentwood Parks and Recreation director, said in supplied material. “It also offers holiday-decor enthusiasts the opportunity to get creative with their trunks. Halloween is such a spirited holiday, and we’re looking forward to seeing all of the costumes and trunks that come out of this year’s event.”
The free event will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Department of Public Works, 5068 Breton Ave. SE, where 20-plus city and community vehicles will be stationed with decorated trunks filled with candy.
In addition to collecting candy, participants will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite trunk. Children are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes and face coverings and bring their own bag for collecting candy.
Local businesses and community groups can participate in Trunk or Treat by registering for free online until 4 p.m., Friday, Oct. 15.
The Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department will continue to monitor public health guidance and state orders, which may necessitate changes to the event.
One of the concerns raised in 1997 was pet owners and handlers not controlling their animals. That same concerned was raised in a survey conducted this year. (pxhere.com)
By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma joanne@wktv.org
A recent survey on whether the City of Wyoming should have at least one city park be dog-free during the summer came in with very close results, 56 percent opposed and 44 percent in favor.
The Wyoming Parks and Recreation Commission is set to review the dog survey results at its meeting set for Wednesday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. at the Wyoming Senior Center, 2380 DeHoop Ave. SW.
The results, which can bee seen on the Parks and Recreation page of the City of Wyoming’s website. A total of 628 responses were collected of which 565 were Wyoming residents.
City of Wyoming Community Services Director Rebecca Rynbrandt said during a recent Marquette Park master plan discussing that the results were close especially given the current climate of acceptance of people having pets at events, restaurants, and stores.
At Wednesday’s meeting, the Parks and Recreation Commission will consider two questions: whether the city should keep one park dog free from May 1 to Oct. 1 and which city park that would be. Rynbrandt noted that the second question of which park will only be considered if the commission moves forward with maintaining one park as dog free.
From the survey results, Pinery Park was the first choice of both Wyoming and area residents to have the dog restriction. For the past 24 years, Pinery Park has been the designated dog-free park for the city. At the time the restriction was put in place, there were concerns over certain breeds being perceived as aggressive, allergies to dogs and dander, pet owners who allow dogs to run off leash and were not controlled by their handlers, and frustration with pet owners who did not pick up after their dogs.
From the survey, those same reasons were given as to why the city should maintain at least one dog free park during the summer months. Many picked Pinery Park for that designation because of its has had the restriction and also because of its one-mile trail and the number of student activities that take place at Pinery Park.
The city does have a designated dog park at Marquette Park. The dog park does have a membership requirement. Also in the master plan for Battjes Park, also located on the northland of the city at at 1655 Blandford SW, there are plans to include a dog park/area.
Engagement is a key component for the Parks and Recreation, Rynbrandt said, adding she encourages people to attend the park and recreation meeting to express their thoughts. The parks department also has had several surveys about program offerings and the future design of Marquette Park.
“Using inflation as a tool, governments can confiscate, secretly and unobserved, an important part of the wealth of their retirees.” Dave Stanley
You can almost imagine the unrestrained joy politicians felt upon reading John Maynard Keynes‘ words back in the early 1920s. Finally, they had discovered an easy way to finance the government’s wild spending sprees and pork-barrel projects without raising taxes (and losing votes!) Inflation gave governments a powerful yet discrete method of taxation, requiring no approval from the voters. The icing on the cake was that inflation’s consequences were much less detrimental to political careers than making unpopular budget cuts or increasing tax rates. Thus began the era of addiction to the printing press, unrestrained deficit spending, and an increasingly intrusive government.
Where are we today?
The “easy money” inflation genie rocketed out of the bottle with the force of a cork exiting a champagne bottle. No amount of pressure or commonsense economics could push it back inside. Even the Great Depression, funded partly by easy money economics, could not reverse a course of uncontrolled government spending and money printing.
Inflation is a misunderstood concept that threatens your wealth.
Inflation is one of the most misunderstood economic ideas and the source for much of the evaporation of middle-class wealth in the United States. In simple terms, inflation is a measure that determines the rate of rising prices in an economy.
Catalysts of inflation can include
Increases in the costs of raw materials
Wage increases
Poor fiscal management by the government.
Specific government actions are undertaken to jumpstart a lackluster economy, such as the so-called “quantitative easing” pursued by the Federal Reserve a few years ago, which also contributes significantly to rising inflation.
Inflation is the “silent” tax.
Sometimes referred to as the “stealth tax,” inflation is a more significant threat to your financial future than state or local income taxes. Inflation has proven to be particularly problematic for seniors who are retired. That’s because retirees live mainly off the income generated by their retirement accounts, along with Social Security. So, when money loses its purchasing power, the price of necessities increases. Such increases mean that seniors will use up their savings faster, perhaps putting themselves in the position of running out of money early in retirement.
Could we see “billion-dollar” currency denominations?
Disastrous monetary policies such as shameless deficit printing and currency devaluation have existed for the greater part of human history. Unfortunately, though, the United States has taken fiscal irresponsibility to new heights, becoming the most indebted country in world history. Currency turmoil is almost always the outcome of reckless fiscal policy. For example, inflation in the country of Zimbabwe was so high for so long that their entire economic system crashed. This hyper-inflation arose when Zimbabwe’s government responded to the out-of-control national debt, political corruption, and a weak economy by increasing the money supply.
Zimbabwe’s government caused some of the highest inflation in human history. At one point, it took 1.2 QUADRILLION Zimbabwean dollars to equal $4,000 U.S. dollars! Some scholars suggest that if the U.S. continues on its present course, we could experience similar issues.
The bottom line: Inflation is just one of the erosive factors that can undo your best-laid retirement plans and cause you to experience stress and worry when you no longer work. Inflation may be the greatest threat of all because it is little understood and anticipated. If you have a retirement plan in place, now is an excellent time to review that plan with your advisor to ensure you have included provisions to see you through in the event of hyperinflation.
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.com Dave is a member of Syndicated Columnists, a national organization committed to a fully transparent approach to money management.
LANSING — A species unique to the Great Lakes region once had a bounty on its head, but now experts are trying to save it.
Known as the only venomous snake in Michigan — and one of two rattlesnakes in the Great Lakes Region — the eastern massasauga rattlesnake has been listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act since 2016.
Less than half of the massasauga’s historical population exists, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Why save it?
Snakes in general cause a visceral response, said Yu Man Lee, a conservation scientist at the Michigan Natural Features Inventory, a program of Michigan State University Extension.
“There’s this perceived risk (and) misunderstanding about the snake’s behavior and ecology,” Lee said.
“You know, like ‘the snake’s going to chase after me. It’s going to come after me and bite me and stuff.’ And so I think that perceived risk then gets that added layer on top of the fact that people don’t like snakes and don’t understand the value of snakes.”
But the eastern massasauga is unlikely to chase or bite people, Lee said.
There’s a reason some people don’t know Michigan is home to a venomous snake: Eastern massasaugas are docile, often hide and aren’t likely to bite unless grabbed or stepped on, she said.
A total of 848 individual reports of eastern massasaugas biting humans were made in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio between 1800 and 2015, according to a recent study published in Wilderness and Environmental Medicine. That’s about four snake bites per year. While fatalities from the bites were reported by the study, none occurred after 1935.
Lee has surveyed civilians about the eastern massasauga for more than 20 years. There is a range of those who like snakes and want to know about rattlesnakes from a safety perspective and others who think no snake is a good snake, she said.
The small, thick-bodied snake lives in wetlands in all Great Lakes states, Iowa and Ontario, but most populations are in Michigan and Ontario. Michigan is the stronghold for the species, said Dan Kennedy, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources endangered species coordinator.
Over the last two decades, the Michigan DNR has sought efforts to conserve the snake, Kennedy said. By managing state-owned land and that of private partners, the department has preserved millions of acres of land under a conservation agreement, Kennedy said.
Shaughn Galloway via U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceAn eastern massasauga rattlesnake lying in brush.
“I think as years have progressed we’ve seen the consequences firsthand of when we try to remove species that we’re fearful of, and even in those cases, it comes back to bite us,” Hileman said.
Snakes like the eastern massasauga are an important part of the ecosystem. They regulate small mammal populations, which can transmit disease, Hileman said. For example, eastern massasauga eat small mammals carrying ticks, which can help ward off Lyme disease.
However, past bounties aren’t the main reason for population decline.
“I would say the biggest culprit is habitat loss, either simply by removing habitat and converting it to agriculture or urbanizing it, or sometimes in some areas, simply succession,” Hileman said.
Eastern massasaugas live in wetlands. Natural succession may lead the wetland area to turn into forest if there isn’t any fire to keep the trees down and maintain the wetland, Hileman said.
The snakes regulate their temperature with outside sources of heat. A shaded forest doesn’t suit them.
As habitat loss occurs, the massasauga’s range is divided into smaller pieces, sometimes causing the snakes to die while crossing roads, Hileman said.
Hileman has worked with massasaugas for 11 years. He’s handled over 1,000 of them with proper equipment. The vast majority didn’t strike.
“They don’t deserve the reputation that they have,” said Hileman, adding that it’s understandable to be fearful if you live in a state that doesn’t have other venomous snakes.
Some people tend to have a bias towards species that are charismatic and they tend to care more about the conservation of species that are perceived as cute, said Carrie Tansy, the deputy field supervisor for the Fish and Wildlife Service.
“It’s important to understand that native species, like massasauga, often play an important ecological role within their communities,” Tansy said.
The Fish and Wildlife Service announced Sept. 23 that it has partnered with state, federal and private agencies to carry out a final recovery plan for the eastern massasauga.
The goal is to stop species decline and ensure long-term survival by addressing habitat loss, according to the release. The plan also addresses impacts from flooding, drought, disease and intentional killing of the snakes.
“If eastern massasauga disappear, it’s one of a kind,” Hileman said. “It will never come back. So I think, from my perspective, that alone is a reason to want to work towards conservation.”
LANSING — Off-road vehicle and snowmobile riders who are claustrophobic would not have to wear a helmet if a series of bills are passed by the Legislature.
A doctor’s note would give a get-out-of-jail-free card to Michigan outdoor enthusiasts who have certain medical conditions and use off-road vehicles (commonly known as ORVs) and snowmobiles for hunting, fishing and other outdoor recreation.
An Upper Peninsula senator sponsored the bills after a constituent asked why he couldn’t get a doctor’s excuse to not wear a helmet when people could get them for not wearing seatbelts.
“He himself has a number of special needs, including body shape development of his head, that are not typical, and it makes it impossible or very painful for him to wear a helmet,” Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Waucedah Township, said at a hearing that resulted in the bills being passed in the Senate this spring.
Doctor’s notes could also include nonphysical conditions.
“There’s also the reality that some of the individuals I’ve talked to, as I’ve worked on this piece of legislation, their medical condition that impairs their wearing a helmet is not necessarily physical,” McBroom said. “Claustrophobia is a particular ailment, and I talked to an individual who has panic attacks.”
Allowances may need to be made in these types of circumstances, said Karen Middendorf, the executive director of the Michigan Snowmobile & ORV Association.
“We all know helmets are worn for safety, and it is safest to have one on while riding. However, if you have an incapacitating condition that does not allow you to cover your head, this becomes a very personal decision. An exception may be needed,” she said.
McBroom said the bills are not linked to what others consider the main issue: that motorcyclists aren’t required by law to wear helmets, yet snowmobile and ORV riders are.
“In this bill package, we are not dealing with that larger issue of is mandating helmets for everybody right or wrong in the first place,” he said.
But some snowmobile and ORV riders say the larger issue is personal choice.
“The doctor’s note should not be part of anything like this — that is truly ridiculous,” said Chris Bovee, a longtime snowmobile rider and resident of Harbor Springs.
“While I would always ride a motorcycle or snowmobile on trail with a helmet, it being a law isn’t right,” Bovee wrote in an email. “At the very least, if I am on private property, piss off. The decision to wear a helmet or not is something I am very capable of making… Don’t need a law for it.”
Paul Anderson, the owner of Sled Solutions in Acme and a longtime snowmobile rider, agreed it should be the choice of the rider, not the government.
But the government is involved, and helmet-wearing exemptions are presenting as partisan issues. The bills passed the Senate mainly along party lines.
The Department of Natural Resources and the Gov. Gretchen Whitmer administration are against it, McBroom said.
“Frequently the party that is the same as the administration decides to support the governor and departments and divisions, those kinds of things,” he said. The bill would have attracted more Senate Democrats, McBroom said, but the department and current administration opposed it.
John Pepin, the Department of Natural Resources deputy public information officer, said the agency had no comment.
McBroom said he hopes to gain support from both sides of the aisle before the bills come up for a vote in the House.
“I certainly have some good connections with Democrats and Republicans in the House that I hope I’ll be able to utilize to get bipartisan support,” he said.
Dr. Alistair Chapman, a Spectrum Health trauma surgeon and director of the Spectrum Health Trauma Research Institute in Grand Rapids, said the bill should neither be partisan nor an issue in the first place.
“I am disappointed that legislators are again exploring helmet exemptions. A helmet is a common-sense safety mechanism. Wearing one is smart and safe,” he said. |
Anderson said he plans to continue on as he has been: “I wear a helmet on my snowmobile not because I’m required to but because I want to.”
Getting rid of the ORV/snowmobile helmet law as a whole wouldn’t make that much of a difference in people’s behavior, he said.
“If you took a poll of how many people would opt out of wearing a helmet on a snowmobile if the law didn’t require it, you’d find most would still wear it,” Anderson wrote in an email.
Barbara Bellinger is a master’s student in journalism at Michigan State University. Her journalistic interests include undocumented immigration, international journalism and the criminal justice system. She hopes to become a reporter for CNN, NPR or a local Michigan news outlet.
Pent-up supply demand has been satisfied causing the West Michigan economic recovery to continue to flatten, said Brian G. Long, director of Supply Management Research in the Seidman College of Business at Grand Valley State University.
Brian Long is a local business forecaster. Credit: GVSU
“Our index of business improvement came in at +8,” said Long. “The pent-up demand has been satisfied, but supply chain constraints are holding back further progress.”
There is no end in sight for the on-going computer chip shortage, said Long, and automotive customers, dealers and manufacturers are all growing increasingly frustrated.
“The auto industry continues to be stymied by the shortage of computer chips, resulting in reduced production schedules affecting local auto suppliers. Some experts believe this crisis could extend for another full year,” he said.
Employers continue to experience a shortage of workers. Long said there are a record number of job postings in West Michigan and across the country. “We have to get people who dropped out of the workforce back to work,” he said.
Highlights of Long’s September report:
The Index of Employment remained positive, and rose to +27 from +19. It would be stronger if there were more people to hire.
Bad news for the widely publicized chip shortage. There is no end in sight for the chip shortage. Tech companies are reluctant to add capacity for the types of chips needed for automotive. Because of the chip shortage, auto sales have fallen to levels last seen in the Great Recession.
The production index has turned slightly negative (-1) for the first time in 14 months.
To attract new employees, about a third of all firms have raised their starting wage. Others are offering signing bonuses to avoid getting locked in to higher wages. Some economists are concerned we could be developing a wage-price spiral leading to cost-push inflation.
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.”
A member of the Migrant Legal Aid staff gets a vaccine. (Supplied)
By Sheila McGrath WKTV Contributing Writer
A Sparta health clinic that went above and beyond the call of duty to vaccinate West Michigan farm workers will be honored at Migrant Legal Aid’s annual Harvest of Justice Luncheon this month.
The event, designed to share client success stories with donors and the community, will be held at noon on Wednesday, Oct. 13, at the Eberhard Center on GVSU’s downtown campus.
Clinics held at the Mercy Health Physician Partners office in Sparta last March vaccinated more than 500 migrant workers against COVID-19, according to Mary Bennett, CFO Of Migrant Legal Aid.
The clinic did an exemplary job organizing its vaccination site so farm workers could get in and out quickly without standing around waiting, according to Teresa Hendricks, executive director of the organization.
“It was an incredible logistical feat,” she said.
Migrant Legal Aid, a nonprofit that advocates for migrant workers’ rights, has assisted at several vaccination clinics in hopes of getting as many of the workers vaccinated as possible. The state doesn’t keep numbers on how many farm workers have been vaccinated for the virus, Hendricks said, but Migrant Legal Aid has assisted with vaccinating 625 people so far.
They’re not done with the work yet, and they hope to persuade more migrant workers to get the vaccine through a video recently produced by WKTV. In both English and Spanish, the video dispels common myths surrounding the vaccine and presents the facts. Appearing on the video are Spanish-speaking doctors who have gotten the vaccine themselves.
“We realized a peer-to-peer video speaking about the importance of it was going to be key,” Hendricks said.
(Right) Mirgrant Legal Aid Executive Director Teresa Hendricks shows off her vaccine shot with a staff member. (Supplied)
The video will be shared on Migrant Legal Aid’s website and YouTube channel along with other social media sites. It will also go out to listservs (a mailing list) for other migrant providers, Hendricks said.
The video can also be used at migrant camps, where Migrant Legal Aid staff can show it on an iPad when they’re visiting, Hendricks said. At future vaccination clinics, they can have it playing on a loop while people wait to get their shots.
The Harvest of Justice luncheon is an important event to spread the word about what Migrant Legal Aid does, Bennett said. In addition to the award presentation, the luncheon will feature highlights of the work the organization has done over the past year.
“We have table hosts we ask to bring guests who might not be familiar with our program and what we do. That grows the community awareness as well as our donor base. Most of them, after they hear what we do, are eager to help,” she said.
Last year’s luncheon was held online at the WKTV studio due to the pandemic. The online version got a wide audience and raised the interest of people who are excited to come in person this year, Bennett said.
This year’s keynote speaker will be Charlie LeDuff, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and investigative journalist.
In his research for articles about farm workers, LeDuff has embedded himself with migrants crossing the border and working in the fields in California to see what they go through. He nearly died while crossing the border during his investigative reporting, Hendricks said.
Tickets to the luncheon are free, but there will be an “ask” for donations, Bennett said. For tickets, go to www.migrantlegalaid.org.
As the world grapples with the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, Ferris State University stakeholders quickly collaborated to create a plan to keep campus safe and in operation after the state-wide stay at home order.
Nick Kuiper
The new documentary film from regional Emmy® Award winning filmmaker Nick Kuiper, “A New Normal,” features nearly 50 interviews with students, faculty, staff, and administrators as they share their experience during the pandemic. The film captures the stress of learning during a pandemic, the collaboration necessary to keep campus running, the creative problem solving necessary to keep stakeholders safe, and the challenges involved with quickly shifting classes online. A New Normal offers a roadmap of how one university utilized feedback from all their members to safely stay open.
One such story focuses on the Ferris Plastics program’s collaboration with Operation Face Shield. While campus shifted to online education, staff and faculty in the plastics program helped develop a mold for mass production of face shields and eventually creating over 40,000 face shields that were sent out across the globe.
Imagine being an excited student ready to embark on your first study abroad trip to Peru, when suddenly, in the middle of your excursion, the Peruvian government initiates a mandatory lockdown. A New Normal showcases the quick thinking of Ferris faculty as they rush to evacuate their students before being stuck in the country indefinitely.
Also hear from students and faculty in Biotechnology, as they quickly implement revolutionary wastewater testing technology to narrow in on COVID-19 clusters and stop outbreaks before it can spread around campus.
“A New Normal” will air on WKTV Channel 25 Oct. 13 at 2:30 p.m. and again on Oct. 14 at 10 :30 p.m. and Oct. 15 at noon.
The Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce hosted candidate forums for elections in the Wyoming and Kentwood area. Among them were the City of Kentwood City Commission At-large, Ward 1 and Ward 2 candidate forums. The forums were produced through the facilities of WKTV Community Media.
The At-large commission seat, one of two at-large seats, is voted upon by the entire City of Kentwood. Kentwood’s Ward 1, which also has two commissioners, includes voting Precincts 1-9, roughly the southwest areas of the city. Ward 2, which also has two commissioners, includes voting Precincts 10-18, roughly the east and northeast areas of the city. For a precinct and ward map, click here.
The non-partisan candidates for the At-large seat are incumbent Commissioner Betsy Artz and candidate Leonica Riley Erwin; candidates for the Ward 1 seat are Clarkston Morgan and Meochia Thompson (this is the seat currently held by Commissioner Emily Bridson, who is running for mayor); and candidates for Ward 2 are Jessica Ann Tyson and Dan VanderMolen (this is the seat currently held by Commissioner Tom McKelvey).
Note: Commissioner Artz and Mr. VanderMolen were not able to attend their respective forums.
To view the on-demand video replays of the forums, visit the following links:
The City of Kentwood City Commissioner candidate forums will air on WKTV cable television, Government 26. See the initial schedule of days and times below. Visit here for a WKTV Weekly Schedule of all programs.
They are also available on-demand at WKTVLive.org.
As the Wolverines prepare for the annual Kelloggsville rivalry game, 1st-year Godwin Heights football head coach Sydeon Harvey talks with WKTV about his young team’ s progress this year — what has worked (his senior captains) and what do they need to get better at (penalties, penalties, penalties). (WKTV)
Godwin Heights High School’s 1st-year head football coach Sydeon Harvey is pretty sure his senior-led but still young team will continue to improve this week when the Wolverines host Kelloggsville. He is absolutely sure his team will be pumped-up for the cross-town rival Rockets.
While records don’t really matter in a game like this one — Godwin Heights is 2-3, 0-3 in OK Conference Silver action while Kelloggsville Rockets is 2-4 and 1-2 — bragging rights do, now and in the future.
Godwin Heights High School head football coach Sydeon Harvey. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“The records mean nothing. That’s really true,” Harvey said to WKTV this week at a team practice. “This is my first here here but I’m not an idiot. When you have a rivalry, that’s what it is all about. That’s the one game that, when you look back 20 years, you’ll say ‘We won that game!’ A lot of these kids are just like a stone’s throw away” from Kelloggsville.
“This will be a big game this week. I expect both teams to play really hard, but I’m confident we’ll do well. … We are on the cusp. I feel really confident about this week against Kelloggsville. They are not going to lay down for us, but it’s homecoming, it’s a rivalry. I think our guys are going to be up for that.”
The “big game” between Kelloggsville at Godwin Heights — which is also the Wolverines’ Homecoming game — is this week’s WKTV Feature Game, on Friday, Oct. 8, with cable television and on-demand replays available.
Godwin Heights, after a week off from action, returned to the field and OK Conference Silver acton last week but lost a tight road game at Sparta (4-2, 2-1 in conference). Kelloggsville has seen their offense in high gear for three straight weeks, the last two being wins, as they followed up a win at Calvin Christian in conference action with a non-conference road win at Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard.
After last week’s action, OK Silver standings have Comstock Park (6-0) as the only undefeated in OK Silver action at 4-0, with Hopkins (3-3) at 3-1 and Sparta (4-2) at 2-1 in conference. While a conference crown is not likely for either Godwin or Kelloggsville, either could finish with five wins and a possible playoff birth.
Young, improving team is senior led
“The thing we are doing really well is that the kids are getting better every week,” Harvey said, looking at his team’s up and down season so far. “We are getting better doing some of the little things — better with our discipline, penalties are going down. But we are not penalty free yet.
The Godwin Heights High School football team will be out to protect their house against Kelloggsville. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“You talk about stuff we can be better at, we have to be better at those little things. We can’t have penalties at critical times. But that is part of being a young team. We got 31, 32 guys on varsity and 10 of them are seniors. We are pretty much a young team. But I have been really pleased that we are getting better at all the little things, running the ball, throwing the ball, getting everybody involved.”
Another thing coach is pleased with is his senior captains.
“All our captains are playing really, really well,” he said. “Kaleil (Harris) is a two-way player, he plays rover (on defense) and plays wide out (on offense) — he’s made a lot of real good plays for us. Jeremiah (Drake), our starting quarterback — he was missing for three games and that hurt us a little bit, it was just a change. He’s a great leader, and been doing really well for us.
“Javeon (Lyons), who is our defensive captain, has played really well for us. And then there is Jabari Crump(-Moore), he’s great leader for us and been playing extremely well for us. We have four captains and they have played great as captains, they’ve been great leaders and they’ve been great on the field.”
The Godwin Heights High School football team at practice this week preparing for a game against Kelloggsville. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
Where and when to see WKTV game replays
WKTV featured games will be 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 football and other fall 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.
The Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce hosted candidate forums for elections in the Wyoming and Kentwood area. Among them were the City of Kentwood Mayor Forum. The forums were produced through the facilities of WKTV Community Media.
The city’s mayoral seat is voted upon by the entire City of Kentwood. For a precinct and ward map, click here.
The non-partisan candidates are incumbent Mayor Stephen Kepley and current Ward 1 Commissioner Emily Bridson.
The City of Kentwood Mayor Forum is on-demand on WKTVLive.org. It will also be televised on local cable television on WKTV Government 26, beginning Thursday, Oct. 14 at 8:30 p.m., and continuing Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m., Oct. 16 at noon, and other dates. (Visit here for the WKTV cable channel schedule.)
A past pile of leaves at the City of Kentwood Department of Public Works as the city’s fall leaf and brush drop-off programs returns later this month. (City of Kentwood)
As the City of Kentwood’s fall leaf and brush drop-off programs returns later this month, the Kentwood Department of Public Works continues its work to recycle much of what is dropped off by working with local businesses.
“The city works with landscaping and disposal companies to haul the leaves and brush away, which the contractors then use for composting and other recycled uses,” according to a statement from the pubic works department.
Starting Monday, Oct. 18, residents may drop off loose leaves, brush, sticks, tree limbs, logs and grass clippings at the Kentwood Department of Public Works, 5068 Breton Ave. SE.
A past pile at the City of Kentwood Department of Public Works as the city’s fall leaf and brush drop-off programs returns later this month. (City of Kentwood)
The drop-off services provide residents with a convenient way to keep their yards clear of leaves and debris, according to the statement. The accumulation of leaves and debris on a property or in the right-of-way is prohibited in the City of Kentwood, as is burning leaves and brush.
“We look forward to helping residents with their fall yard cleanup and making sure our roadways and storm drains remain clear of leaves and other tree debris this season,” Jim Wolford, Department of Public Works supervisor, said in supplied material. “The City of Kentwood is pleased to offer these services to our community in the spring and fall each year.”
Drop-off is available noon-8 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and noon-6 p.m., Sundays, through Dec. 5.
The services are available to Kentwood residents only, and proof of residency is required. Materials that cannot be accepted include trash, paper and plastic bags, dirt, concrete, asphalt, tires, rocks, stones, construction materials, glass and metal.
After closing for winter in December, both drop-off sites will reopen in the spring.
More information about the City’s leaf and brush drop-off services is available at kentwood.us/BrushLeafDropOff.
One of the most popular events in the City of Wyoming is taking place this weekend, the Trick of Treat Trail. The event is set for 4 – 6 p.m. at Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St. SW.
About 2,500 children are expected to attend to the annual free event which has local businesses, such as Weller Self Serve, Bloom Credit Union, Godwin Plumbing and Hardware, and Hom Flats, handing out candy. WKTV also will be there filming fall greetings from area children on different seasonal backgrounds.
There is no pre-registration for the event, with families encouraged to come. With that in mind, we caught up with Wyoming’s Special Events and Marketing Programmer Corey Stamps to get the scoop on a few things you should know before you go.
The community comes together at Wyoming’s Trick or Treat Trail. (Supplied)
Entering and Parking: Participants should enter from the Byron Center East gate (see map above). This is also where they can park.
Costumes: Costumes are not required but encouraged to add a little more fun to the event. Parents can dress up as well.
Adult supervision: Children must have a supervising adult with them to participate.
Event time: The event will start right at 4 p.m. and go until 6 p.m. There is no additional time before or after the event.
The pathway: Once participants park they will be directed to the path. The actual path goes in a complete loop around the Lamar Park parking lot. Along the way participants will be greeted by our table host and be able to participate in different activities.
Kids Area: There will be a kids area with crafts, face painting and tattoos.
Social distancing and Mask wearing: Since there will being a large number of participants, we encourage everyone to try and keep a safe distance from one another. Masks are not required at this event but participants are more than welcome to wear one.
What if it rains?The event will take place rain or shine. Please pay attention to our Facebook page if there happens to be a weather concern.
For more information about Parks and Recreation programs and events please contact the City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation team by calling 616-530-3164, emailing parks_info@wyomingmi.gov, or visiting www.wyomingmi.gov
