Future doctors conferred with practicing osteopathic physicians recently on some critical topics in the North Godwin Elementary gymnasium.
A healthy lifestyle leads to a strong body and brain, good for pursuing a career in medicine, students learned during Mini-Medical School, where they listened to doctors explain what they do every day and why it’s important.
First- through fourth-graders in the after-school program TEAM 21 visited six stations manned by osteopathic physicians representing the Family Medicine Residency program at Metro Health – University of Michigan Health’s Community Clinic and members of the Michigan Health Council.
“I learned that your kidneys are in your back,” said fourth-grader Hunter Longstreet, as he posed for a photo while holding a “Mini Medical School Graduate” certificate that gave him the title “Future Doctor.”
Hunter Longstreet earns his certificate
Donning doctor’s coats, students examined X-rays and learned about bone health, tested medical instruments, practiced hygiene using hand sanitizer to kill germs, affixed Velcro organs to an anatomy apron, and received lessons in nutrition and exercise.
“We learned how to use the equipment,” said student Laura Munoz-Castillo. “When your skin gets ripped you can get germs inside. That’s why you should wear a Band-Aid.”
Brandess Wallace, community engagement and education coordinator for the Michigan Health Council, said the mission of the event is multi-faceted.
“One goal is to take the mystery out of and alleviate the fear that might go with visiting the doctor; another is to show kids what it means to lead a healthy lifestyle and, finally, we want to expose these kids to medicine as a potential career,” Wallace said.
Ellen Hensel, TEAM 21 site coordinator, said career exploration is an important component of the enrichment program.
“This is just something new they might not be able to fit into the school day that we can provide after school,” she said. “A lot of them might not have thought about being a doctor some day, but now it’s on their radar.”
From left, Sabrina Reeder, Adrian Vital, Yeinier Collazo and Barnard Davis, Jr., use hand sanitizer
By Lisa Boss, Grand Rapids Public Library, Main Branch
Chast’s graphic memoir focuses on a time in her parents’ lives, when, after living in the same apartment in Brooklyn for 48 years (not hip Brooklyn, but Deep Brooklyn), they have come to the point where they are, “slowly leaving the sphere of TV commercial old age … and moving into the part of old age that was scarier, harder to talk about, and not a part of this culture.”
Going into their nineties, the trip they’ve shared together is about to hit rough seas. And reality wallops their only daughter in the form of an after-midnight phone call. From the hospital.
Fans of Roz Chast (I’m in the “rabid” category) will recognize the skewed wit and unique, pulsating, line style from her cartoons that have been featured in the New Yorker since the ’70s. But the depth of conflicting emotions, and the insights into human hope, love, and frailty are simply breathtaking, as she has taken her work to a whole new level.
The first few pages contain the clues to the Gordion’s Knot underlying the psychological gestalt of this family. No wonder people have been so anxious in Chast’s cartoons in the New Yorker for over 30 years.
The book’s scope is daunting: one’s identity vis-a-vis one’s parents, the hopes and dreams that were not–could not–be met, and then, suddenly, the role-reversal of the child-parent relationship. It’s a pretty deep look at some of the toughest challenges of the human condition, and Chast handles the material straight on. The humor she finds in these situations (I often laughed out loud) is painful, but kind of therapeutic. Because despite the constant deluge from the self-help industry, a resonant theme in literature continues to involve our issues with the past.
Why do things happen? What could I have done differently? Why won’t the dead leave us alone?
Deeply moving, absurdly funny, it’s a book you just can’t forget.
Everyone has his/her favorite candy, but have you ever heard of how good the scrumdidlyiscious candy bar is? You will if you come to the upcoming production of “Willy Wonka” the Musical at the Van Singel Fine Arts Center on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 and 2.
The musical is a fun-filled burst of kids, candy, and song, but it’s also a major milestone for the Van Singel Fine Arts Center and the Master Arts Theatre company. The two organizations came together to combine the skilled direction of Master Arts Theatre with the magnificent stage of the Van Singel. Both groups were excited about the partnership, and look forward to other possibilities.
“This one is unique and not because we don’t have community theatre, because we have several which is cool,” said Chris Knoblock who portrays Willy Wonka in the holiday offering. “This is a special conglomeration when you take two different organizations and they blend their strengths. You’ve got Master Arts Theatre bringing us the script and the direction and then you’ve got Van Singel bringing us everything they have to offer with the Dan Pfieffer stage and all of the set pieces and all of their expertise.
“It is going to be really, really cool and anyone who comes is going to enjoy it.”
When choosing their holiday production, the directors wanted something family friendly and community oriented. They wanted families from the community to be able to come to the shows with their children in tow and walk out with everyone singing the same cheerful songs.
“[When selecting the show, we wanted] something that was going to be appropriate for the season with the holidays coming up and one that was really going to strike a cord that families could enjoy and come and see together,” Master Arts Executive Director Timothy Van Bruggen.
The musical is based on the beloved children’s book by Roald Dahl, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” which has had two films, a 1971 version with Gene Wilder as Wonka and the 2005 version with Johnny Depp as Wonka. (Note, Knoblock said he is channeling his inner Gene Wilder for the upcoming production.) The story follows a very poor boy, named Charlie, who is one of five lucky children to find a golden ticket giving him a once-in-a-lifetime chance to tour the elusive Wonka factory and receive the ultimate reward: lifetime supply of chocolate…or is it?
Nate Knoblock, who plays Phineas Trout, and brother Chris, who plays Willy Wonka.
“Willy Wonka the Musical” was also chosen because of the special way it involves kids, according to the show’s director Cathy VanLopik, adding it gives adult actors a chance to work with and mentor the next generation. In fact, Knoblock said it was his daughter, Kylee, who wanted to try out for a musical with her dad that brought Knoblock to Van Singel for the July auditions.
“My own father tried out with me for a musical when that wasn’t even his thing and we got to be in a musical together when I was a kid and I thought what fun to do it with my own daughter,” said Knoblock who actually got an extra treat with brother Nate being casted as reporter Phineas Trout.
More than 100 people tried out for parts in the production with residents from a number of areas, including Wyoming and Kentwood, being cast. Being this is a first-time venture, Van Singel Fine Arts Center Managing Director Sara Pass said they were pleasantly surprised at the turnout along with how well tickets have been selling at the box office.
“We figured we could not go wrong with anything that involves kids, candy, and song especially too because Willy Wonka is so timeless,” Pass said.
Showtimes for “Willy Wonka the Musical” is 7:30 p.m. Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 and 2 and 2 p.m Dec. 2 at the Van Singel Fine Arts Center, 8500 Burlingame Ave. SW. The Van Singel is adjacent to the Byron Center High School at the corner of 84th Street and Burlingame Avenue. Tickets are $22 for the prime seating (which is selling fast for all shows) $19 for all others, $17 for students and seniors and $8.50 for children 10 and under. For more information call 616-878-6800 noon- 5 pm. Monday-Friday or visit www.vsfac.com.
Sleigh bells are ringing, can you hear them? Well, you certainly will in the next couple off weeks as both the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood host several popular holiday events.
Santa Parade
Kicking things off will be the annual Santa Parade hosted by the Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce. The parade is set for Saturday, Dec. 2, with step off at 10 a.m. The parade runs down S. Division Avenue starting at the 34th Street Mall Parking Lot (formerly Hope Network) to Murray Street (Chase bank).
After the parade, Santa will be available for photos at the Brann’s Sizzlin’ Steaks & Sports Grill, 4132 S. Divison Ave. to meet with families and for photos, so make sure to bring a camera, said Chamber President Bob O’Callaghan.
For the seventh year, the City of Wyoming will come together to host the annual community event Wyoming Gives Back. The event is Thursday, Dec. 7, from 6 – 8 p.m. at Rogers Plaza Mall, 972 28th St. SW.
Participants are encouraged to donate a new, unwrapped toy to the Salvation Army Tree. Last year, more than 400 toys were collected. Each attendee who bring a new, unwrapped toy as a donation will receive a raffle ticket in exchange for a chance to win prizes donated by Wyoming businesses. Last year, the city raffled off nearly $5,000 in prizes.
There will be hot chocolate, music by local choirs and bands, and of course, a visit from Santa.
For more information on the event, visit www.wyomingmi.gov or call 616-530-7272.
Kentwood Tree Lighting Ceremony
As part of its 50th anniversary celebration, the City of Kentwood will host its annual community tree lighting ceremony Friday, Dec. 8. The evening starts with a holiday light parade at 6 p.m. along Breton Avenue followed by caroling and lighting of the tree at 6:30 p.m. lead by Mayor Stephen Kepley. From 6 – 8 p.m., the Elves Express Gift Shop will be inside the KDL Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SW. There will also be hay rides, hot chocolate, cookies, live music, caroling, and of course a visit from Santa.
The entire event has free admission. For more information, visit kentwood50.com.
Wyoming’s Great Candy Cane Hunt
The City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department will host the Great Candy Cane Hunt, Saturday, Dec. 9, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. The event begins outdoors in the front of the Wyoming Police Department, 2300 DeHoop Ave. SW, where Santa Claus will lead kids on a scavenger hunt for the many hidden candy canes outside. Activities will then move indoors to the Wyoming Senior Center, 2380 DeHoop Ave. SW, for lunch, games and crafts.
The event is for children 3- 14 years-old. The cost to participate is $4 resident, $6 non-resident. Additional family members who are 15 or older may attend and have lunch for $2. Pre-registation is required. To register, call 616-530-3164 or www.wyomingmi.gov/PRRegistration.
One of the most famous eagle cams is owned and operated by Florida-based Pritchett Real Estate.
I AM SOOOOO excited to tell you that Harriet, the famous Fort Myer eagle mom, laid her first egg of the season at 3:24 p.m. Nov. 19. M15, the famous eagle dad, arrived shortly after to cover her in grasses and check out the newest addition.
As April the giraffe did and many animals do, she delivered very quickly and very quietly, so as not to attract predatory attention. About an hour later, dad (M15) eagle arrived at the nest, took over, and was incubating the egg while mom flew to the nearby pond to take a bath and regroup. Typically, she will lay another egg (could even be two!) any moment to any day now. She has historically delivered an egg on Nov. 22. Juliet, the Northern Florida eagle mom, delivered her first egg of the season Nov. 2…also a bit early this year.
It will have about the same number of attendees as the Super Bowl. It has its own Snapchat filer, and is perhaps rarer than the Olympics being hosted in the United States. It is tomorrow’s beatification mass for the Venerable Father Solanus Casey.
More than 400 area residents will be part of the 70,000 expected to attend the Catholic Church’s beatification mass at 4 p.m. at Detroit’s Ford Field. The event, which is free, sold out in minutes, but area residents can still see the entire mass live on Eternal World Television (EWTN) Network (click here for a channel finder) or may go to http://solanuscasey.org/beatification-live or the Father Solanus Casey Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/FatherSolanusCasey.
Bishop David J. Walkowiak
“With great joy, we join the Capuchins, the people and clergy of the Archdiocese of Detroit, and Catholics around the world in celebrating this historic moment,” said Bishop David J. Walkowiak of the Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids in a released statement. Bishop Walkowiak will be participating in tomorrow’s beatification mass. “Father Solanus lived the Gospel message through the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. He spent time counseling the doubtful, comforting the sorrowful, feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, and caring for the poor. His life’s work embodies the mission we are all called to as disciples – a life of service to others.”
Father Casey was born in 1870 to an Irish immigrant family in Oak Grove, Wis.. He spent 20 years in Detroit as a member of the Capuchin Franciscan Order of St. Joseph. The Capuchin priest was known as the “friar at the door of the monastery, who welcomes your spiritual need but also answers to your physical needs or material difficulties,” according to Father Carlo Calloni in a Catholic News Agency article. Because of his humility and good counsel, people began to seek out Father Casey for spiritual guidance.
An emoji of Father Solanus Casey that is available through the Solanus Casey Center. Click here.
“There are a lot of people in our community who have some sort of connection to Father Casey,” said Annalise Laumeyer, Director of Communication for the Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids. “Whether it was grandparents who visited him in Detroit or grandparents who have prayed to Father Casey and passed that down through generations.”
Parishioners from Kentwood’s St. Mary Magdalen and Wyoming’s St. John Vianney and Holy Name of Jesus will be among officials from the Vatican to Father Casey’s family members from Ireland who will make the trip for the beatification. In fact, the expected attendance to the beatification mass is just shy of the number who attended the 2017 Super Bowl.
The reason being is that a beatification is not common.
Before a person can be beatified, the Catholic Church has to investigate and make sure that all of the person’s writings show “purity of doctrine” and that all of the person’s actions were motivated by virtue. If the person passes through those stages, he or she is called “venerable.” To be beatified, the Church also has to prove that either you were martyred or that you caused a miracle after your death. In the case of Father Casey, it was determined a woman who prayed at his gravesite was cured of a genetic skin disease. Father Casey died in 1957 of the skin disease erysipelas.
Another emoji of Father Casey available through the Solunas Casey Center. Click here.
Beatification is a step toward sainthood in the Catholic Church. To become a saint, a miracle must be attributed to him after being beatified. While the Catholic Church has made 11 people saints for their work in what is now the United States, only one other American-born male has been beatified, the Blessed Father Stanley Rother, who was martyred in Guatemala. Rother’s beatification mass took place earlier this year.
There is also the potential for another beatification as the Diocese of Marquette has been working toward this for the Venerable Bishop Frederic Baraga. Baraga actually has a connection to Grand Rapids. According to Laumeyer and the Diocese of Marquette’s website, Bishop Baraga was in the Grand Rapids area from 1833 – 1835 before moving his mission to the Marquette area.
“As we commemorate this step along Father Solanus’ journey to sainthood, let us reflect on his life and how we can live the Gospel of mercy in our own lives,” said Bishop Walkowiak. “We pray for the intercession of Father Solanus and the blessing of his grace and wisdom.”
When Dana Friis-Hansen interviewed for the position of director and chief executive officer at the Grand Rapids Art Museum, he already knew how special the white and glass facility at 101 Monroe Center NW was.
The building, constructed in the early 2000s, was the world’s first LEED Gold certified art museum, setting a standard that only a few have achieved such as the Boston Children’s Museum, San Diego Natural History Museum, and East Lansing’s Eli and Edith Broad Art Museum. Friis-Hansen also knew of the work of London-based Munkenbeck+Marshalls Architects which designed the building and of architect Kulapat Yantrasast of wHY Architecture who completed the project.
Grand Rapids Art Museum Director and CEO Dana Friis-Hansen talks to a visiting student.
“It was the first purposed building for the art museum,” Friis-Hansen said during a recent phone interview. At the time, the Grand Rapids Art Museum was housed in what is now the Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University’s Fed Galleries on Pearl Street. The GRAM building was designed to serve many functions with the 125,000-square-foot building having three floors of gallery and exhibition space, an auditorium, education area, store, and lobby.
“In the lobby area, we could have a classical works program and it can also host a wedding,” Friis-Hansen said as an example of the facility’s multiple uses. “The auditorium provides space for various programs, community events, and activities.”
Simply put: the GRAM building when opened in 2008 had many taking notice of what Grand Rapids had to offer and its commitment to the arts.
It has been 10 years since the facility was open and this Saturday, Nov. 18, the art museum is hosting a party, “10 at 101: Celebrating GRAM’s Tenth Anniversary at 101 Monroe Center.” The free event will include a variety of activities:
10 a.m – 4 pm.: party hat making in the GRAM’s lobby
10 a.m. – noon: birthday cake in GRAM’s Auditorium
11 a.m. – 4 p.m.: screen printing in GRAM Studio
There also will be two Drop-in-Tours to explore the GRAMs newest exhibition with a museum docent at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. The exhibit is “Andy Warhol’s American Icons,” which runs through Feb. 11 and also celebrates the museum 10th anniversary since a Warhol exhibit was the first exhibition in the building when it opened.
The 2007 official ribbon cutting at the Grand Rapids Art Museum.
“When the idea was first brought up to have a Warhol exhibit, the response was people have already seen that,” Friis-Hansen said. “As we discussed it further, we felt as if there was a whole generation who had not seen the show and perhaps had never seen a real Warhol.”
The “American Icons” was organized by GRAM and is designed to be a celebration of America by bringing together a selection of Warhol paintings, prints, and photographs. Among those items is Warhol’s famous “Campbell’s Soup” silk-screen and two screen prints from a 1967 series of Marilyn Monroe.
Also at the GRAM is “Christian Marclay: Video Quartet” through Jan. 14. Marclay is an international artist who has spent the last 30 years exploring the fusion of fine art and audio cultures. In this exhibit, he has taken more than 700 individual film clips in which characters play instruments, sing, or make noise in one form or another.
One of the goals of the GRAM with its current facility has been to provide the community with a broad spectrum of art such as the visual art of Marclay, the pop art of Warhol, the fashion work of Iris van Herpen, the prints of Grand Rapids artist Reynold Weidenaar, the pottery of Newcomb, and the popular exhibition “Diana – A Celebration” featuring the Princess of Wales’ wedding dress.
Looking at the next 10 years, do not expect the GRAM to slow down. On the horizon is the contemporary painter Alexis Rockman exhibit “The Great Lakes Cycle” which takes a look at the past, present and future of North America’s Great Lakes and next fall, “Who Shot Sports: A Photographic History, 1843 to the Present,” which will feature more than 200 images from the past 175 years of sports photography. Friis-Hansen said the GRAM also will have an exhibit called “What Happen Here?,” which will explore how the land the museum currently sits on has changed from a place where American Natives gathered to become the site of the world’s first green museum.
Note: While GRAM does not offer parking, there are many public parking lots located directly adjacent to the museum. Various city lots do offer the first hour of parking free, and the closet is the Monroe Center Parking Ramp, located on the corner of Louis Street and Ionia Avenue.
Kira Alsum is very familiar with the show “Annie” as it is one of her favorites. In fact, she loves it so much, that when the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre opens its production of the world’s most famous red-headed orphan this weekend, it will be Alsum’s third time in an “Annie” show.
“It is such a different show for its time, and now,” Alsum said of the musical based on Harold Gray’s comic strip “Little Orphan Annie.” “She is such an optimist in a very dark time, the Depression, and I think everyone needs a little ‘the sun will come out’ at some point, especially right now.”
From the Kentwood area, Alsum portrays Grace Farrell, a part she first performed at her high school alma mater Grand Rapids Christian.
“Not only do I love the music of ‘Annie,’ I love Grace Farrell,” Alsum said, adding she really became familiar with the character during her Grand Rapids Christian performance. “She is a strong woman and is one of the few in musical theater.”
It is Grace Farrell who comes to the orphanage run by Miss Hannigan for the purpose of selecting an orphan who will be the guest of billionaire businessman Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks for the holidays. It is Grace Farrell who stands up against Miss Hannigan to take Annie and against Warbucks who was expecting a boy orphan. And finally, it is Grace Farrell who helps Warbucks open his heart to Annie and Annie to find a place to call home.
“The Civic production of ‘Annie’ has all of the songs and moments that you love and remember from childhood, but updated technology in our building – including projections and LED lights – have given this production a fresh new energy,” said Director Allyson Paris.” It is a charming show – the thing Holiday memories are made of.”
The musical is peppered with familiar songs such as a “Hard Knock Life,” “Little Girls,” “Easy Street,” “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile,” and of course “Tomorrow.”
“While working on this production, I’ve heard so many people –neighbors, friends, family members – say that they grew up watching and listening to ‘Annie,’” Parsons said. “They always say this with a wistful smile, and I’m sure that’s because the message of optimism and hope resonates with people of all ages and from all walks of life.”
Alsum encourages everyone to come just to see the orphans.
“I am amazed at how talented the orphans are,” she said, adding that the adult cast is incredible too but you expect adults to have a certain level of professionalism. That level can be seen in even the youngest cast members of the show she said, adding, “They are amazing singers and actors.”
Alsum, who graduated from Hope College with a degree in theater and vocal music, said she credits the encouragement of young talent to the strong support of theater at local high schools such as Grand Rapids Christian and East Kentwood and programs like the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s School of Theatre Arts, where she got her start.
Alsum’s interested in theater began in third grade and by high school “it had deep roots as I knew it was something I did not want to stop doing.” She has volunteered with Civic Theater over the years and was in the past production of “Holes.” She also has volunteered with other companies such as Circle Theater and was part of Circle’s “Annie” crew. She most recently completed a marketing internship at a professional theater company in Rhode Island and has performed with Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company. Her next great production after “Annie” will be getting married.
But first comes the 27 performances for the show, which being that it is Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s holiday offering, tickets are selling quickly.
“So ask me after the 27 performances if I still love the show,” Alsum said with a laugh. Leapin’ lizards, we’re betting just as the sun will come out tomorrow, she sure will.
“Annie” runs Nov. 17 – Dec. 17 at Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, 30 N. Division Ave. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m .Wednesdays – Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. (There is no matinee performance on Nov. 18.) Tickets are $18-$37. There is a give thanks special not eh Wednesday, Nov. 22, before Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving, Nov. 23, performances with tickets being $15/students and $27/adults. For more information, call 616-222-6650 or visit grct.org.
One of the best operas Giuseppe Verdi ever wrote calls for no costumes or sets. And one of his best-known sacred works is seldom performed in church. What’s more, both are one in the same.
Verdi’s Requiem has no operatic adventures involving heroes and villains, but it still features some of the most dramatic music ever written by the composer of Rigoletto, La Traviata, Otello and Aida.
Grand Rapids Symphony Music Director Marcelo Lehninger says the work that’s popular with audiences is a particular favorite of his as well.
“It’s one of the pieces I enjoy conducting the most,” he said.
Lehninger, who is in his second season with the Grand Rapids Symphony, will lead the third concert of the 2017-18 Richard and Helen DeVos Classical series at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, November 17-18, in DeVos Performance Hall, 303 Monroe Ave. NW.
The 140-voice Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus will be joined by the 40-voice Calvin College Capella, both directed by Pearl Shangkuan, a professor of music at Calvin College.
All told, there will be upwards of 270 musicians on stage for the performances.
Concerts on Friday and Saturday will be dedicated to the memory of Helen DeVos, the Grand Rapids Symphony’s dear friend and greatest champion, who died in October. A member of the Symphony’s Board of Directors for nearly 20 years and an honorary board member afterwards, Helen DeVos had been awarded the Grand Rapids Symphony’s highest honor, its BRAVO! Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.
Grand Rapids Symphony musicians and staff will wear yellow ribbons in Mrs. DeVos’s memory. Music Director Marcelo Lehninger and the symphony’s principal first and second violins and principal viola and cello, which together comprise the Grand Rapids Symphony’s DeVos String Quartet, all will wear yellow rose boutonnieres or corsages at both performances.
Verdi, who was spiritual, but not a regular churchgoer, poured his most mature vocal and dramatic gifts into his Requiem. The traditional Mass for the Dead in the Roman Catholic liturgy takes its title from the opening phrase, “Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine,” which translates as, “Grant them eternal rest, O Lord.”
Verdi began the work to honor his operatic colleague, Gioachino Rossini, though he never completed it. Years later, Verdi finished the piece to commemorate the first anniversary of the death of Italian poet and novelist Alessandro Manzoni.
In Verdi’s mind, a big man needed a big sendoff, so he composed a work for double chorus, no fewer than 16 brass instruments, and a pounding bass drum that never goes away.
Portions of the 85 minute-work are well-known in popular culture. The dramatic “Die Irae” or “Day of Wrath” sequence is among the loudest musical moments in the orchestra repertoire. It’s frequently heard in movies, on TV and in commercials including the films “Mad Max: Fury Road” in 2015 and “Django Unchained” in 2012 and in the TV series “X Factor.”
Grand Rapids Symphony last performed Verdi’s Requiem in May 2010 to end its 2009-10 season.
Prior to that, the Grand Rapids Symphony sang Verdi’s Requiem in November 2001, just weeks after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which gave added poignancy to the “Libre Me” section, with its first line that translates as “Deliver me, O Lord, from death eternal on that fateful day.”
Inside the Music, a free, pre-concert, multi-media presentation sponsored by BDO USA, will be held before each performance at 7 p.m. in the DeVos Place Recital Hall.
The complete Verdi’s Requiem program will be rebroadcast on Sunday, March 25, 2018, at 1 p.m. on Blue Lake Public Radio 88.9 FM or 90.3 FM.
Tickets
Tickets start at $18 and are available at the GRS box office, weekdays 9 am-5 pm, at 300 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 100, (located across from the Calder Plaza), or by calling 616.454.9451 x 4. (Phone orders will be charged a $2 per ticket service fee, with a $12 maximum.)
Tickets are available at the DeVos Place ticket office, weekdays 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. or on the day of the concert beginning two hours prior to the performance. Tickets also may be purchased online at GRSymphony.org.
Full-time students of any age are able to purchase tickets for only $5 on the night of the concert by enrolling in the GRS Student Ticketsprogram, sponsored by Comerica and Calvin College. This is a MySymphony360 eligible concert.
Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet — or few — from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Crash’s Landing. Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary rescue organizations were founded by Jennifer Denyes, DVM (Dr. Jen), who is on staff at Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic (4245 Clyde Park Ave SW).
In early Jan. 2017, one of our volunteers came across a stunning but profoundly, shy gray girl at a feral feeding station in downtown Grand Rapids. Born in early 2013, this poor soul ended up a shadow dweller, hiding out in the darkness until night fell, then scrambling out for a quick bite before scurrying off to safety.
After observing the volunteer diligently at work day after day, supplying all the cats with canned food, the stray finally gained enough courage to crash on through the dishes one day, knocking everything over in order to get to the yummy wet food — and amazingly allowed herself to be petted while she gobbled down with gusto and delight. It took a bit longer until Zillah — whose name means ’shadow’ — could be convinced to come to our clinic. Once she arrived, she was spayed, treated for intestinal parasites, tested (negative–YAY!) and vaccinated. Zillah spent a month at the volunteer’s home getting acclimated to indoor living, then came down to Crash’s to spend a month with us before heading off to another foster home that offered a bit more peace and quiet.
Zillah’s foster mom, Sara wrote up a synopsis of her emerging personality, as the longer she is with Sara, the bolder she becomes and the brighter she shines. Here are the sweet things Sara had to say about her timid little lady:
“Zillah spent most of her time in the corner of her open cage in Intake while at Crash’s, not wanting a thing to do with anyone — cat or human. In her foster room (with companion Moriarity) she has gone from hiding all of the time to sitting in a cat bed looking out the window. She loves being petted all over, even her sleek belly and, of course, is absolutely wild about wet food, tolerating tummy rubs while chowing down to her heart’s content.
Here, Zillah sports a pensive look
“Her favorite toy is a bird on a stick and she will jump extremely high to catch that little bugger! It has been an absolute delight teaching her all about treats, as so many strays are unfamiliar with them and don’t understand quite how to take them from a person’s fingers; she licks away at the hard kibble until she finally takes it in through the side of her mouth and looks up beseechingly for more! She does NOT like being picked up at all and is not, at least at the writing of this bio in April, a lap cat. She will sit close and allow you to stroke her sleek coat, which is one of our favorite pastimes.”
We are all so very proud of how far Zillah has come in such a short time! We are looking forward to watching her blossom as spring turns into summer and she finds comfort and security where she is planted.
Can’t adopt, but still want to help? Find out how you can sponsor a cat!
Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary have a common mission: To take at-risk stray cats off the streets of the Greater Grand Rapids area, provide them with veterinary care and house them in free-roaming, no-kill facilities until dedicated, loving, permanent homes can be found.
The Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce marked two ribbon cutting ceremonies in November, celebrating the addition of a hotel and a rehabilitation facility.
On Friday, Nov. 8, was the ribbon cutting for Delta Hotels by Marriott Grand Rapids Airport. The new hotel, located at 3333 28th St. SE, is a full-service hotel designed with the essential needs of frequent travels in mind. The new hotel is located erwin Woodland and CenterPointe malls and is four miles from the Gerald R. Ford International Airport and 15 minutes from downtown Grand Rapids. It is also only walking distance from many Kentwood dining and entertainment options and is connected to Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom.
Earlier was the ribbon cutting for HealthBridge Post-Acute Rehabilitation, located in the Metro Health Village at 2060 Health Dr. SW. The new center provides short-term care for patients requiring physical, occupational, and speech therapy, along with skilled nursing care, after a hospital stay.
By Karen Thoms, Grand Rapids Public Library, West Side Branch
Using the kindheartedness of most Americans as a backdrop, Robert Lupton’s Toxic Charity shows how the choices we make to express our compassion can have negative consequences on the very people we hope to help. It is a hard read because most of us who give have done some of the things he identifies as damaging.Yet he does not leave us to wallow in guilt or shame but quickly charts a course correction for givers that can make a restorative difference in the lives of hurting people.
Throughout the book Lupton walks us through actual situations where people or churches are giving time or money.Outcomes of these efforts are gleaned and measured. The stark findings command our attention: much of our giving is a Band-Aid and sometimes the results are disastrous!Lupton is able to turn our good intentions upside down to reveal pages of negative repercussions.We are brought up short story after story and then faced with the hard truth.There are no quick fixes when we are hoping to help people toward wholeness here or abroad. Being willing to consider Lupton’s assessments is a first step toward moving from hurtful aid to wholeness and development.
Helping agencies and compassionate people will be challenged by the evidence in this book.Armed with this new knowledge Lupton turns the reader’s attention to the cure as he proposes an Oath for Compassionate Service, describes in detail what service with dignity looks like, and finally suggests steps to reaching the better outcomes we had hoped for in the first place.After reading Toxic Charity you will likely be changed in how you evaluate the use of your resources.
The West Michigan economy continues to show positive growth, and the national industrial economy remains very strong, according to a Grand Valley State University expert.
“This is probably as good as it’s going to get,” said Brian G. Long, director of Supply Management Research in the Seidman College of Business. “If we continue this way to 2019, it will be the longest post-war recovery in history without sliding into another recession.”
Long surveyed local business leaders and his findings below are based on data collected during the last two weeks of October.
The survey’s index of business improvement (new orders) remained positive at +11, but declined from +21 in September. The production index posted a modest gain, rising from +17 to +20. The index of purchases rose to +21 from +14, and the employment index remained positive at +14, down from +17.
Long said most of the auto parts suppliers are still maintaining their present status, with a similar mood noted among the office furniture firms. He said October was generally a good month for industrial distributors.
The local index of employment remained double-digit positive, while the official unemployment rate nationally has fallen to 4.1 percent. “That’s only a breath away from the 20-year low of 3.8 percent,” said Long.
The national industrial economy also remains very strong, according to Long.
“U.S. manufacturing stepped up a gear at the start of the fourth quarter, boding well for higher factory production to support robust economic growth in the closing months of 2017,” he said. “Production volumes jumped higher and growth in factory jobs picked up to one of the strongest levels since the global financial crisis, underscoring the improvement in optimism about future trading among manufacturers.”
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.”
What do you think of when you hear the word apprentice? A medieval blacksmith or a modern-day electrician? Today’s apprenticeships offer career opportunities in a variety of high-demand fields like information technology and health care in addition to more traditional industries like construction and manufacturing.
In honor of National Apprenticeship Week, November 13-19, check out these FAQs to see if an apprenticeship is right for you!
Q: What is an apprenticeship?
A: An apprenticeship is a paid work experience that includes on-the-job and classroom learning. Apprenticeships give workers the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in a high-demand job and the opportunity to pursue a career in a high-demand industry.
Q: What is a “high-demand” job or industry?
A: A high-demand industry is one that is experiencing a demand for its products or services. A high-demand job where employers need qualified workers to meet that demand. Currently in West Michigan, construction, health care, information technology and manufacturing are experiencing a need for skilled workers.
Q: How long does an apprenticeship program last?
A: The length of an apprenticeship program varies depending on the employer, the occupation and the type of program. Registered apprenticeship programs typically range from one year to six years.
Q: How much money can an apprentice earn?
A: The average wage for a worker who completes an apprenticeship varies by industry, however apprentices who complete their program earn approximately $300,000 more over their career than non-apprenticeship workers.
Q: Sounds great! When can I start?
A: Apprenticeship opportunities are driven by employer need. When employers have a critical need for skilled workers and an apprenticeship program or opening is created, West Michigan Works! will promote the opportunity on its website, in its service centers and in the weekly Job Blast email.
Staff at your local Michigan Works! service center can help you determine if an apprenticeship is a good fit for you and how to pursue one. You can learn more about the benefits of a Registered Apprenticeship on the US Department of Labor’s website: www.dol.gov/apprenticeship/
Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.
A bank was robbed. Fifteen suspects – all middle-school staff members – had their mugshots taken, each holding a dollar bill up to their forehead. Algebra students were notified.
The CSI team was waiting on video surveillance to confirm the perpetrator’s height, and once known, they would be able to quickly and easily identify the culprit using data collected by students.
“The CSI team is calling on you, the mathematics experts, to use your knowledge of scale factor to find the actual heights of each of the subjects,” assigned math teacher Heather Richards.
Antonio Valenzuela and Brianna Morris work to win points during math Jeopardy!
Over two class periods, eighth-graders used math to figure out the height of each suspect by calculating the true dimensions of a dollar bill, translating it to the photo-sized dollar and relating it to the height of the suspect in each photo. They eventually learned – Richards announced the conclusion made from video surveillance – the robber was 5 feet 10 inches.
From there, they used a slate of clues to pinpoint… dun-dun-dun… English teacher Jacob Deubner as the thief.
The CSI investigation was the brainchild of Richards, who has taught at Kelloggsville Middle School for nine years. She said she wanted to teach scale factor in an interesting way, and crime-scene sleuthing is one of many approaches she uses to engage her students.
Known to jolt young teens’ attention with scavenger hunts, her old-school rap savviness or trivia knowledge of obscura such as how frequently the average human being flatulates in one day (14 times), Richards brings liveliness to teaching, funneling positive energy into every coefficient, quotient and sum. She describes her school day as “hours of endless mathematical fun,” a statement that contains no sarcasm.
With dry erase pen on whiteboard, she demonstrates an alternate way to solve an algebraic equation, her face lighting up with delight. “Isn’t that cool?” she asks, her giddiness growing exponentially.
Richards earned her bachelor’s degree from Grand Valley State University and her master’s from Marygrove College in Detroit. She taught in Belleville Public Schools for three years before being hired in Kelloggsville.
She said she likes to spice up the subject she loves and pass it on to her students. “I like teaching in general. I like being able to influence kids and kind of run the show in here and be a positive role model on top of teaching. I love teaching math. I’ve always been good at math. I have a math brain.”
She also makes sure her students always have access to instruction, through video lessons on her website and YouTube.
Kelloggsville Middle School teacher Heather Richards smiles as she shows how to solve an algebra problem using a chart
Teaching Deep in Simple Ways
Master mathematicians-investigators Pablo Vicario and Matt Zaiger were the first students to name the robber in the CSI activity. They said the activity shed light on the “When are we going to use this question?” often posed in algebra class.
“It was a really fun activity,” Matt said. “We were able to use our clues and math skills to figure out who the robber was.”
The woman behind the activity was not lost to them. “I would say math is my favorite subject… I like Mrs. Richards,” Matt said. “She teaches us ways to make math a lot easier than other ways that make it confusing.”
Added Pablo: “Before, math was an OK subject for me. I did it, I was good at it, but then with Mrs. Richards, it was really fun. She explains it way better. She’s the best teacher.”
Where did that ability come from?
In 10th grade, Richards, a Wyoming native who graduated from Wyoming Rogers High School in 2001, had a math teacher who presented different ways to solve equations through various activities. She showed that traditional algorithms didn’t have to be the automatic go-to. That gave Richards a sense of what kind of math teacher she could be.
“I always try to come up with alternative methods of learning stuff,” she said. “The idea has always been to give students the deeper conceptual-type understanding. Then I show them another way, and another way, and another way.”
Principal Jim Alston said Richards’ love for learning is contagious.
“Her personality is very energetic, very much like that of a middle-school student. They respond well to her and the enthusiasm she brings to her classroom. Her interest is so high for the subject that it rubs off on the students,” he said. “They see her excited about what they are doing for the day and all of a sudden they are excited, and sometimes they don’t even realize it. Her love for math and teaching math is what the students see and appreciate every day.”
From left to right: Ayanna Thompson, Alexis Shoemaker, Lacy Sleet and Loida Benavidas work to rack up the points
To the Final Jeopardy! Round
Pop into Richards’ class and there’s likely to be motion, discussion and students engaged in math. To prepare for a test, Richards recently hosted a Jeopardy!-style game show, with students in groups of four who answered questions that ranged in difficulty to amass points.
“Scientific notation, c’mon!” Richards shouted, as they worked to come up with the right expressions.
“You can’t just sit with a textbook and grasp it,” she said. “They have to be able to experience math.”
Her annual scavenger hunt is another example: The hunt is based on using clues with coordinates on them to find the location of math problems.
“She interacts with us. It makes it easier to comprehend,” said eighth-grader Antonio Valenzuela.
“She’s fun. She teaches well and she makes us understand it and goes over it and over it until we get it,” said Stephane Garcia-Palacios.
Richards is also likely to be stopped in the hallway by a student with a math question, and she’s ready to walk them through it.
Principal Alston said students have a comfort level with Richards that helps them learn.
“On top of her love for math, she builds such good relationships with her students,” he said. “She does this by letting students know who she is as a person. She has a great sense of humor and she uses that to her advantage to reach her students on a more personal level. Her students love being in her classroom because they never know what to expect in there. They know that she will hold them responsible for their work, but that she will help them along in any way she can.”
Meanwhile, the Jeopardy! game proceeded, and students jotted down expressions and calculations as fast as possible, throwing up their answers on mini-whiteboards. Somehow, a question about rapper Jay-Z was thrown in. Points racked up and students showed they were ready for the next day’s big test. They knew they could do math.
And it’s a safe bet that if host Alex Trebek ever states: “This teacher was known as the best middle-school math teacher,” Kelloggsville students will answer “Who is Heather Richards?”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
“I am a man who likes to cross the t’s and dot the i’s,” said Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley as he watched the poll numbers roll in from the 2017 election results at his evening campaign headquaters at Kentwood’s Paris Cafe & Desserts.
By 8:30 p.m., Kepley had a secure lead of 3 to 1 to his challenger Scott Urbanowski. It was a lead that Kepley never relinquished with him winning his bid for a second term with 2,116 votes to Urbanowski’s 696.
“I am really excited about the next four years,”Kepley said. “I truly love serving the citizens. I love the city, the residents and the neighbors.”
Kepley said he believes it is a team effort of the city managers and department heads who have made the positive decisions to push the city forward and he is excited about seeing the “positive changes we can make in Kentwood” over the next four years.
“Ultimately, I did not convince enough people that Kentwood needed change in the Mayor’s Office and that I was in the best position to make that change,” Urbanowski said in a released statement. “Nevertheless, I’m grateful to everyone who voted, volunteered, or donated in support of this young person with no elected experience or establishment support.
“I am glad that I was able to spark conversations about issues that matter; to help boost interest in local government; and to get to know Kentwood and its people even better.”
1st Ward City Commission Candidate Emily Bridson takes photos with supporters.
Challenger Emily Bridson had to wait a little longer before celebrating her victory last night. Bridson held a 2-to-1 lead over incumbent Gerald DeMaagd for most of the night with her winning the 1st Ward City Commission seat with 890 votes to DeMaagd’s 451.
“I am really excited about this opportunity,” Bridson said from her campaign celebration at Peppino’s South. “I have met so many people and made a lot of new friends. I have a greater understanding of a lot of priorities from what they love about our city and what they would like to see changed. I am going to work on a strategic plan to address those changes.”
Bridson said she is very honored to have gone through this process. “I want to thank Jerry for his service,” Bridson said. “I am excited and looking forward to to working with Mayor Kepley and the commission.”
In statement released this morning, incumbent DeMaagd said:
“Emily Bridson has won the Kentwood 1st Ward City Commission seat by substantial margins. She conducted a textbook campaign, and executed well. She is smart, capable, and deserves the win based on her efforts.
“I think there is a further story here though, given the level of outside influence on both the mayoral and commission races which are officially non-partisan. The pre-election campaign reports filed with Kent County show that 53 of Bridson’s contributors were from other cities outside Kentwood, and only 5 from Kentwood (plus herself). Post-election campaign reports aren’t due until Dec. 7. Allegedly she was endorsed by the UAW (United Auto Workers), although she did not advertise it. On the other hand, the mayoral candidate, Scott Urbanowski’s campaign literature does state that he was ‘ENDORSEDby the Kent County Democratic Party’.
“Although these actions are perfectly legal, it does show the amount of outside interest in what is essentially a local race.
“As a candidate, I received several calls from voters about my position relative to national issues. They say all politics is local… but I think that for Kentwood it’s actually the reverse: All local politics is now national!“
Each week, WKTV features an adoptable furry friend (or few) from various shelters in the Grand Rapids area. This week, we focus on Humane Society of West Michigan, located at 3077 Wilson Dr. NW in Grand Rapids.
Humane Society of West Michigan’s mission is to rescue hurt, abused and abandoned animals and find them new, forever homes. The 501(c)3 non-profit organization helps over 8,000 animals annually and is 100% donor-funded by caring individuals and businesses in the community. Additional programs help reduce pet overpopulation, provide assistance to low-income pet owners, behaviorally assess animals and reunite lost pets with their owners.
Herrin — Male Boxer/Bulldog Mix
I am a friendly and playful 1-year-old dog! I would do best in a home with no other pets or small children. I would do well with a family that has the time to play with me, take me for walks, and work on basic training. I’m a happy guy with a lot of love to give, if I sound like the right fit for you please come meet me at Humane Society of West Michigan!
More about Herrin:
Animal ID: 36092394
Breed: Boxer/Bulldog
Age: 1 year
Gender: Male
Size: Medium
Color: White
Neutered
Regal Chessy likes things on her own terms
Chessy — Female Domestic Short Hair Mix
I am a 5-year-old cat looking for my forever home! I need to be placed in a home with no dogs and no small children. I am social and playful, however, I am not very tolerant of being picked up or petted. I need an environment where I can approach people on my own terms and in my own time and have a space to hide when I need to be alone. I do enjoy playing with people, especially with wand toys once I have warmed up. Please come meet me at Humane Society of West Michigan!
More about Chessy:
Animal ID: 31798714
Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age: 5 years
Gender: Female
Size: Small
Color: Grey
Spayed
Not declawed
A gorgeous girl sitting pretty — that’s Esmeralda!
Esmeralda — Female Pit Bull mix
I am a loving and laid-back, 2-year-old dog! I’m very sweet and social, and I love people. I would do best with respectful older children. I love going for walks and walk well on a leash. I’m a happy girl with a lot of love to give. If I sound like the right fit for you, please come meet me at Humane Society of West Michigan!
More about Esmeralda:
Animal ID: 36916972
Breed: Terrier, American Pit Bull/Mix
Age: 2 years
Gender: Female
Size: Large
Color: Grey/White
Spayed
Sweet, shy Diamond needs a home where she can shine!
Diamond — Female Domestic Short Hair
I am a 4-year-old cat looking for my forever home! I can be shy at first, but I’m also very sweet and enjoy the company of people. I need an environment where I can approach people on my own terms and have a space to hide when I need to be alone. Please come meet me at Humane Society of West Michigan!
More about Diamond:
Animal ID: 36365449
Breed: Domestic Shorthair/Mix
Age: 4 years
Gender: Female
Size: Small
Color: White/Brown
Spayed
Not declawed
The Humane Society of West Michigan automatically microchips all adoptable animals using 24PetWatch microchips, which include FREE registration into the 24PetWatch pet recovery service. For more information visit www.24petwatch.com or call 1-866-597-2424. This pet is also provided with 30 days of FREE ShelterCare Pet Health Insurance with a valid email address. For more information visit www.sheltercare.com or call 1-866-375-7387 (PETS).
Humane Society of West Michigan is open Tues-Fri 12-7, Sat & Sun 11-4.
A few weeks ago, I came home to an envelope on my kitchen counter and a note from my mother-in-law, stating “I received this bill. I will pay it tomorrow.” It was a bill for $179.00. I called her immediately and told her not to pay the bill. Her response, “Well, I already put a check in the mail.”
My mother-in-law didn’t owe anyone $179.00. She knew there was something wrong with the bill, which is why she brought it to my house and left a note. In the two hours between the time she left my house and I returned her call though, she convinced herself it was something she must owe, wrote out a check and put it in the mail. It took several phone calls, a check cancellation fee, and three days to resolve the issue. At the end of it, my mother-in-law exclaimed, “Why I’ve never gotten into so much trouble for paying a bill!”
Of the many scams out there right now, one of them involves ‘fake bills’. Scammers produce mailings pretending to be companies like Consumers Energy, AT&T, and even the IRS — companies with whom most people would likely have an account. These mailings claim that there is a past-due amount and the bill needs to be paid immediately to avoid legal action.
These scams prey on values like stewardship, responsibility, trustworthiness, and honesty. They also prey on fear. People like my mother-in-law would be troubled to think they owe a utility company money and inclined to pay it immediately. When people pay these fake bills though, they lose more than money. In the process of paying, whether by check or credit card, they are releasing even more personal information to these criminals. In addition, because they fell for the scam, their information is sold to other unscrupulous people for future scams. An innocent person can become stuck in a terrible web of fraud.
It’s important that we begin to develop behaviors to protect ourselves from those who want to take advantage of us. There are actions we can take to avoid becoming their prey when we encounter these scams.
Don’t Panic. Even if something says, “Pay Immediately!” you can allow yourself 3-5 days to make sure the bill is legitimate. It is much more difficult to unpay a bill than it is to pay it.
Be skeptical. Did the bill come in a different envelope than your usual bill? Does the account information match your current account information? Do you owe this company money? Nancy Kropiewnicki, AAAWM Contract Administrator and Coordinator of the Kent County Elder Abuse Coalition, advises, “Being skeptical needs to be our first response when we receive these requests and we need to take the time to make sure it is legitimate before we send anyone our money.”
Check your records. Confirm the accuracy of the bill. Whether we write it down, keep a file of previous bills, use our bank’s bill pay service, or sign up for an online account with companies we do business with, we should be able to find out rather quickly whether we owe money.
If you’re questioning a bill, compare account numbers. Often the fake bill has a completely different account number than your actual account. Additionally, Kropiewnicki warns, “Do not call the phone number listed on the bill as it is most likely fraudulent. Look up the company’s phone number on a previous bill, the phone book or Google and call to verify the authenticity of the bill.” Calling the number listed on the bill could result in more scams coming your way.
Get another set of eyes on it. Do you have a friend or family member who would agree to be your go-to person for questionable bills/requests for payment? If you don’t have someone, you could ask your bank teller to review it, a staff person at your senior center, or trusted member of your church. It’s important to have another person look at it who might be able to notice oddities about the bill that you did not.
Educate yourself. The Michigan State Attorney General website has a page dedicated to consumer alerts. You can also access help and resources from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
The bottom line is take your time. Kropiewnicki states, “Scammers use fear tactics to frighten people into paying phantom bills. They threaten legal action and arrest. Don’t fall for it!”
If you believe you have been a victim of fraud, contact your local law enforcement agency for help. Financial exploitation can also be reported to Adult Protective Services at (855) 444-3911. If you’re not sure where to turn, you can also call Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan at (888) 456-5664 or email us aaainfo@aaawm.org.
By Benjamin Boss, Grand Rapids Public Library, Main Branch
I was born anxious and angry, my sinuses and digestive system didn’t work as they should have. However, dad was a doctor. He knew what to do. Dad prescribed the medicines for my frequent bouts with this and that. Dad gave me shots. And enemas. Dad put me on his treatment table and “cracked my neck,” our family nickname for the osteopathic manipulations he had learned in medical school. And it was dad the radiologist who gave me the many x-rays that were supposed to cure my sinus problems.
And so we are introduced to the terrifying childhood of Michigan author and children’s book illustrator David Small. In this illustrated memoir, Small tells and draws us the story of growing up in a household where he is subjected to his father’s scientific experimentations and his mother’s emotional manipulations. Eventually, due to excessive exposure to radiation, he develops a tumor and is diagnosed with throat cancer and left speechless. The young boy is helpless, alone, and silent. However, in his drawings and art he finds refuge.
With the simple lines of his drawings, Small takes his reader’s eyes through a roller coaster of memories and emotions. Furrowed brows, creased frowns, and skewed glances speak volumes. So much is told in so few words. This book will break your heart. Small’s memoir is a touching look at the silences many endure among people called family.
Stitches appeals to readers of character driven fiction and memoirs, and is also a worthwhile recommendation for teenagers who enjoy graphic novels.
By Paul Haan, Healthy Homes Coalition of West Michigan
After a decade of decline, the number of lead-poisoned children in Kent County is rising. Recent data shows a 40 percent increase in lead-poisoned children in the 49507 zip code during the past two years. This Grand Rapids neighborhood leads the state in numbers of lead-poisoned children. In fact, more children were lead poisoned in 49507 than all seven Flint zip codes combined — before, during, and after the Flint water crisis.
According to data provided by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), 615 Kent County children had elevated blood-lead levels in 2016 — the year for which most recent data is available. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has established 5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL) as the reference level at which the CDC recommends public health actions be initiated.
Two out of every three lead poisoned-children in Kent County live in zip codes 49507, 49504 or 49503. These are high-poverty, high-minority neighborhoods in Grand Rapids. African-American children were lead-poisoned at twice the rate of white children in Grand Rapids in 2015, according to MDHHS data.
“Many people are unaware that lead exposure from dust in the house and soil in the yard is the culprit,” said Paul Haan, executive director of the Healthy Homes Coalition of West Michigan and gubernatorial appointee to the state of Michigan’s Child Lead Exposure Elimination Commission.
It should be noted that lead in the water is not the cause here: The city of Grand Rapids water testing under the federal Lead and Copper Rule demonstrates that Grand Rapids has been in compliance since 2001. The amount of lead in Grand Rapids water is far below federal thresholds and is among the safest in the state.
Currently, houses in Kent County aren’t required to be tested for lead. A property owner can sell, rent or remodel a home without checking it for lead or lead hazards. The city of Grand Rapids last updated its housing codes in regards to lead in 2005.
“Many property owners and property dwellers may have no idea that dangerous lead exists in their home,” Haan said. “Even well-intentioned remodelers might not be dealing properly with lead and actually making the problem worse.”
Haan also said there is a correlation between the current housing crisis and the increase in lead poisoning. “With West Michigan’s robust real estate market, it’s harder now to find healthy homes to live in. The seller’s market is great for sellers but not necessarily good for buyers and renters.”
Last fall, Grand Rapids was awarded $2.9 million in HUD funding to fix homes with lead-based paint hazards. Typical “fixes” include new windows and exterior painting or siding. The HUD funding is available to eligible homeowners, landlords and tenants.
The city of Grand Rapidsadministers the funding locally. In September of this year, the city expanded program eligibility, making funding available to even more people.
Anyone who owns or rents a home in the city of Grand Rapids built before 1978 is encouraged to learn about funding eligibility. For more information, please call the Healthy Homes Coalition of West Michigan at 616.241.3300 or visit www.GetTheLeadOutGR.org. Or, contact the city of Grand Rapids Community Development Department at 616.456.3030.
For the past 15 years of Kentwood’s 50-year history, Comcast has been proud to serve the city’s residents and businesses with internet, TV and voice service. Like Kentwood, which prioritizes investing in services that matter most to the community, we also continuously invest in our network as well as new products and services so our customers can rely on the technology in their homes and businesses.
Most recently, we’ve introduced Xfinity Mobile, which combines the nation’s largest 4G LTE network with our expansive national WiFi hotspot network so that you can stay connected virtually everywhere you go in Kentwood, Michigan and across the nation.
We have been a proud supporter of many Kentwood community initiatives, including the city’s 50th anniversary celebration, the Summer Series and the Kentwood-Wyoming Chamber.
Comcast Cares Day
In addition to financial support, as a company we are deeply committed to volunteering in the communities where our employees and customers live and work. One example of our focus on volunteerism is our annual Comcast Cares Day where hundreds of thousands of Comcast employees and other community members come together to make change happen across Michigan and the nation. Started in 2001, Comcast Cares Day is Comcast NBCUniversal’s annual celebration of our year-round commitment to service. Comcast Cares day is the largest single-day corporate volunteer event in the nation, with more than 900,000 volunteers having given more than 5 million hours of service at nearly 9,000 project sites since 2001.
Another key philanthropic focus is our commitment to bridging the digital divide. Through the Internet Essentials program, we have connected more than 500,000 low-income families, or more than 2 million Americans, to the power of the Internet in their homes. Internet has the ability to transform lives, strengthen communities, and inspire a new generation of leaders. It levels the playing field by creating greater access to education, health care, employment opportunities, news, information, and entertainment.
As Kentwood continues to grow and thrive, we look forward to being a part of the community’s ongoing success as a reliable technology provider. We’ll keep investing in our network, products and services, and our people who serve Kentwood residents and businesses so that you can continue relying on us for many of your technology needs. We also know that a superior customer experience at every touchpoint – in person, over the phone and online – is important to Kentwood residents and business owners. We’ll continue to work to make customer service our best product.
Tomorrow, Nov. 7, is election day and residents in both the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming have items on the ballot.
City of Kentwood
In the City of Kentwood, residents will be electing their city officials for the next four years. Of the six city positions up for election in Kentwood, only two are contested.
The first race is for the office of mayor, featuring incumbent Stephen Kepley who will be facing challenger Scott Urbanowski. Kepley was elected to the mayoral position in 2013 having served as a city engineer. Urbanowski is president and founder of Humanoid Digital, a digital media company.
The other contested race in the City of Kentwood is a 1st Ward City Commissioner seat with incumbent Jerry DeMaagd facing challenger Emily Bridson. For more on the candidates, see the We the People 1st Ward Commissioner article or view the September 1st Ward Commissioner candidate forum hosted by the Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce.
There are also four races in Kentwood that are unopposed. Those are Dan Kasunic, for clerk, Laurie Sheldon, for treasurer, Betsy Artz, for commissioner at large, and Tom McKelvey, for 2nd Ward city commissioner.
City of Wyoming
Those in the Wyoming Public School District, the largest district in the City of Wyoming, will be voting on an extension of the district’s millage for $79.5 million to be used on infrastructure projects. For a detail look at the extension and what the money will be used for, check out the WKTV Journal article by K.D. Norris.
Cities of the Kentwood and Wyoming: The Rapid Millage
The Rapid is seeking a renewal of 1.47 mills. The millage, which has been active for the past seven years, is about a third of The Rapid’s total budget of $44 million, covering about $15.5 million. For more about the millage, see The Rapid millage story by WKTV Editorial Assistant Hannah Haviland.
Part manual part memoir, Roadie serves as a personal introduction to the world of bike racing. Because the author is a self-proclaimed roadie, the information and advice he provides not only feels sound, but includes enough of a mix of personal anecdote and humor to come across as honest and genuine.
Readers will learn everything there is to know about bike racing, from the reasons why roadies shave their legs to the physics of drafting properly. The chapters on bicycles, training rides, and road racing are enough to motivate anyone to get out, purchase a road bike, and start pedaling. This book is an obvious fit for several different types of readers including those who are interested in getting started in the sport of bike racing, those who are already roadies, or those who live with a roadie and want to better understand their lifestyle and idiosyncrasies.
But, because of its lighthearted tone and the author’s individual voice and narrative, this book has wide appeal and is a great read for anyone who enjoys peeking into the secret world of others.
Hector Rodriguez sat with his daughters, Jocelyn, a kindergartner, and Aaliyah, a fifth-grader, munching on breakfast sandwiches and sipping juice.
“I wish Pappi was here for us all day!”Jocelyn said.
Rodriguez said he, too, wished he could stay all day at Southwood Elementary School, because attending the annual Bring Your Fathers to School Day is a special time. “It’s something I love doing for them,” he said. “I like coming to these things to be there for my kids. I like to be there for them as much as possible.”
Marcus Patterson arrives with his daughter Naomi, a kindergartner
The fourth annual event brought more than 1,000 dads, uncles, grandfathers and other male role models to the district’s 10 elementary schools to enjoy breakfast with their children, listen to speakers and celebrate paternal involvement. At Southwood alone, more than 200 male guests attended.
Principal Jeff Overkleeft said involved fathers have a huge positive impact on children’s lives, including behavior, attendance and grades. “It directly impacts their academic success,” he said.
“I think the message that we continue to hear and see is it’s important to have parents and fathers engaged in students’ education,” said Michael Pickard, the district’s executive director of elementary instruction and federal programs.
This year’s theme was leaving a legacy for your child. Speakers were local business owners whose lives were impacted by parents, teachers or other role models.
Before the event, dad Michael Parks walked into school with his daughter, Mya, a fifth-grader.
“It’s just fun to spend time with him,” Mya said.
Michael and Mya Parks arrive for Bring Your Fathers to School Day
The rezoning request for the proposed Reserve at Rivertown PUD has been pulled from the Nov. 6 meeting.
Per the request of the developer, a proposed rezoning for the 56th Street and Wilson Avenue area has been taken off the Wyoming City Council’s agenda for the upcoming Monday night meeting.
The Granger Group had been seeking a rezoning of an an additional 98 acres to a development on Wilson Avenue and 56th Street. The additional acreage would have been combined with an approved 2001 current planned unit development (PUD) for that area bringing the PUD to a total of 211.2 acres.
Granger spokesperson David Jackiewicz, with First & Main Corporate, confirmed last week that Granger was requesting the city council postpone the hearing on the rezoning so as “to allow the Planning Commission to review an updated PUD plan we recently submitted…” Jackiewicz confirmed that on Oct. 19, Granger Group did submit an amendment to its original 2001 PUD that would include a mix of condominiums, townhouses, and single family homes.
Granger started the rezoning process in August. In that proposal of the 211.2 acres, there would have been zero office space but about 3.57 acres of retail space and 686 total housing units. Those units would be 316 single family lots and 370 apartments with no multi-family housing. The Planning Commission had recommended denial of the rezoning request to the Wyoming City Council, which has the final decision on rezoning.
The rezoning request had meet with much opposition from residents currently living in and around the development. At a Sept. 5 City Council meeting, at the Granger Group’s request, the council decided to delay a decision until its Nov. 6 meeting. Company officials stated at the meeting that it was their desire to work through the issues and come up with a plan that would have a mutually satisfying conclusion.
Some of the concerns expressed by residents were:
decrease value to existing homes
density too high in one spot
increase traffic along 56th Street
violation of current property owners’ rights
developer does not need to max out the density on the PUD
residents should have input on changes
growth assumptions of 1 percent are too low
putting a strain on local police and fire services
there already are lots of other options for luxury apartments
other developments such as The Haven have not open and the full impact of those on school and community resources remain an unknown
“It [was] higher right now with M-6, I get that,” said Wyoming resident Jason Gillette, who was discussing the traffic on 56th Street. “Even without that, it is very high traffic in the area. In the evening, I’ll be coming and have to wait 20 minutes…depending on what time you come through.”
Gordon VanMeulen, who is with the Wyoming Citizens for Planned Progress, said everyone understands that there will be development in the area, but it needs to be sensible and balance.
“The 2020 Land Use Plan and Wilson Corridor Report recommended multi-family housing on the northland as a buffer to the RiverTown Crossing and single family homes on the southend,” VanMeulen said. He stated his group is not in favor of the rezoning because of current issues with the Granger Group’s Rivertown Valley, density and number of multi-family units and the failure to follow the 2020 Land Use Plan and the Wilson Corridor Report.
In a staff report presented to city officials, staff said that the proposed rezoning does comply with the 2020 Land Use Plan falling under the 4 units per acre overall density. The proposal called for 3.66 units per acre.
“When you buy some property next to some vacant land you should really understand can and might be done there,” said 3rd Ward Council Member Robert Postema at the Sept. 5 City Council meeting. “And when we have a PUD in place that is exactly what has been done. Those homeowners have a right to expect what was going to be built behind them. It was all planned out in the PUD. The exact nature of the building may not have been built as it was but the idea that they would have some condominiums behind them, some open space, and then apartments way up by Wilson that was pretty well established.”
By Matthew Makowski, Grand Valley State University
Vu Tran
Vu Tran’s first novel, Dragonfish, was a New York Times Notable Book and one of the San Francisco Chronicle’s Best Books of the Year. His short fiction has appeared in O. Henry Prize Stories, Best American Mystery Stories, and many other publications.He is the winner of a Whiting Writers’ Award and has received fellowships from Bread Loaf, the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, Vermont Studio Center, and the MacDowell Colony.
Born in Vietnam and raised in Oklahoma, Vu received his MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and a doctoral degree from the Black Mountain Institute at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He is currently an assistant professor of practice in English and creative writing at the University of Chicago.
What: Craft talk
When: November 14, 2:30-3:45 pm
Where: Kirkhof Center, room 2266 (Allendale Campus)
What: Reading and book signing
When: November 14, 6-7:30 pm
Where: Cook-DeWitt Center (Allendale Campus)
Authors from around the world will visit Grand Valley State University’s Allendale Campus as part of the 2017-18 Grand Valley Writers Series. The series has a rich history of bringing distinguished and emerging writers to campus to read work, visit classrooms and interact with students. For more information about the GV Writers Series, visit gvsu.edu/writing.
Veterans leave the military with a set of skills valuable to employers. Here are five skills essential to every job-seeking veteran’s resume:
Strong work habits —Veterans in the workplace are known for completing projects in a timely, efficient manner. These work habits are a result of maturity, integrity and self-confidence learned during the service.
Flexibility and adaptability —Individuals in the service are trained to meet the changing needs of their environment and are quick to adapt to the new working environment.
Initiative — Veterans bring with them the ability to create a plan of action that translates into the ability to solve problems quickly and independently.
Ability to work under pressure and to meet deadlines —Military service requires a job done right the first time. Service members can prioritize, adjust and deal with stress in a positive manner.
Ability to give and follow directions — People in the military understand accountability and how to work well with others. They’re respectful yet direct when making sure a job is well done.
Veteran Appreciation Week
All ten service centers in West Michigan are celebrating veterans and their spouses during Veteran Week from Nov. 6-9.
Events include:
Veteran Priority Day: receive on-demand services such as resume development, career exploration, interviewing skills. Appointment not needed.
Early Veteran access Hiring Events: meet with employers looking for new talent before everyone else.
Photos and article by Katelyn Kohane, a WKTV community contributor
“Your mission should you choose to accept it…” is to follow me through the 2017 Grand Rapids Comic-Con.
“This deal is getting worse all the time.”- Lando Calrissian
Oct. 20-22 was Grand Rapids Comic-Con. I attended Friday and Saturday this year and was pleased to see that the event has been getting bigger and better since I attended a few years ago. It seems to have a lot more booths and better-known celebrities in attendance this time around, and there were also a lot more people as well.
Both days I was able to see one of my favorite actors Billy Dee Williams, who is well known for his roll as Lando Calrissian in “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi.” Another roll of his was Harvey Dent in the 1989 “Batman.” I waited a few hours in line Friday to see Williams. I always find it fun waiting because you get to talk to a lot of cool people who also are waiting and you get to hear some of their stories. I actually first met Williams seven years ago while I was working at Areosmith Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster during “Star Wars” weekends at Walt Disney World. So fast forward to last weekend and I saw him and his manager again and his manager remembered me from Areosmith Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster. That was pretty cool he remembered me!
Williams’ line at the Grand Rapids Com-Con was as long as the last time I saw him and when It was finally time to see Williams, he was just as nice as I remembered him to be. It was great to see him again.
Above, the author with Billy Dee Williams. Below, a signed photo from Williams.
The Grand Rapids Com-Con had a number of other celebrities too. Those also in attendance were Gates McFadden from “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” Kane Hooder from “Jason X,” Julian Glover from “Star Wars,” “Indiana Jones,” and “James Bond,” and Catherine Sutherland from “Turbo: A Power Ranger Movie. Friday” I also walked around and checked out some of the booths and cool costumes.
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Saturday, I sat in on three panels in the main hall. The panels I attended were Jim Sterarko, “Batman,” and one featuring Williams.
The “Batman” panel was for the animated series, which of course I had watched. In attendance for the panel was Adrienne Barbeau who played Catwoman. Loren Lester who played Robin. Diane Pershing who played Poison Ivy and Clive Revill who played Alfred. It was a reunion for them since most of them had not seen each other in 20 years.
One of the questions I remember them being asked was “what where their favorite episodes?” Lester mentioned the episode “Sub Zero,” while Pershing mentioned “Home and Garden.”
Adrienne Barbeau, Diane Pershing, Loren Lester, and Clive Revill during a panel discussion at the 2017 Grand Rapids Com Con.
In between the panel discussions, the 501st Legion gave an award to Julian Glover to honor his participation in The Star Wars Saga all these years, which was cool to see.
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Then it was finally time to attend the program featuring Williams. It started with a few clips from his greatest performances to get the crowed pumped up to see him. His manager came on stage to introduce Williams and also served as host. They started a question-and-answer discussion right away.
The first person in line mentioned that during his wedding his wife and he had an argument over whether or not the gentleman in a bridal magazine was Williams. Williams confirmed it was indeed him. His manager then had the gentleman call his wife on the phone and she spoke with Williams so he could tell her too. Later in the discussion, Williams’ manager found the photo from the magazine and put it up on the screen so everyone could see it.
A few people asked him if he thought race was ever an influence in whether or not he got a roll, and his answer, which I thought great, was he really had never thought how that affected him at all.
A few people asked him about any new and upcoming part for the “Star Wars” franchise. He did not say too much about the franchise but did mention that he had had lunch with Donald Glover, who plays young Lando Calrissian in an upcoming Hans Solo film set to be released next year. He also mentioned that he gets along well with the entire “Star Wars” cast.
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I actually had to leave about 15 minutes early so I could go to my photo op with Williams. When he was finished with the panel, he came over to the photo op. It was so nice to see him again.
After the photo op, I walked the booths and took a few photos. Overall, it was a great weekend at the 2017 Grand Rapids Comic-Con
Cliff Bloom and Jeff Sluggett from Bloom Sluggett PC
Kentwood City Attorney Jeff Sluggett has some understanding of what Kentwood’s founding fathers — especially then-attorney Walter Freihofer — went through in facilitating Paris Township incorporation as a city. He faced similar challenges in helping Kentwood get a revised charter approved in the mid-1990s.
“It was initially defeated,” Sluggett said of the revised charter. “I had never gone through something like that. The charter commission did make some changes to the charter and it eventually was approved by the voters.”
The passion and commitment the residents and city leaders have for improving their city and maximizing city dollars is something that still impresses Sluggett, who has served as the Kentwood City attorney for more than 15 years.
“I like working in the public sector,” said Sluggett. “It is interesting to me, and often you are working with volunteers who have an energy and a passion to help make their home, their community, better.”
His firm, Bloom Sluggett, PC, located at 15 Ionia SW, is one of very few in the state specializing in public sector law. With a total of five attorneys, including former 61st District Judge Mike Christensen, the firm serves as general counsel to roughly 50 different municipalities which includes cities, villages, and townships and also does specialized work for about a dozen more.
“You have firms that have attorneys who focus on public sector law, but the entire firm is not dedicated to that,” said Cliff Bloom, Sluggett’s partner. Public sector law covers a broad spectrum of law from drafting ordinances to bankruptcies, Bloom said with Sluggett adding that it is focused on a very limited pool of clients, specifically municipalities.
Bloom, as well, has deep roots in public sector law. He worked alongside Freihofer, who was considered the dean of municipal attorneys.
“He was well loved,” Bloom said of Freihofer. “He would comment a lot on how much the area had changed. It has changed some from when I worked with Freihofer in the 1980s, but my impression is that it changed significantly during the 1960s and 70s, going from rural to suburb.”
While working with Freihofer, Bloom served as the prosecuting attorney for Kentwood in the mid-1980s and he also worked alongside Kentwood’s second city attorney, Robert Cooper. Several years later, Cooper would eventually work with Sluggett, with Sluggett becoming Kentwood’s third city attorney upon Cooper’s retirement in the early 2000s.
Sluggett said they have seen Kentwood grow and prosper through the years. “I think the reason for that is, first, Kentwood has had some very good people running it,” he said. “They have some of the best department heads we have worked with throughout the state.
“Second, they are willing to take risks and anticipate what is coming. It is very much a team approach. For a city that size — more than 50,000 — they are not afraid of moving forward.”
And with that leadership and passion, Sluggett said he believes Kentwood will continue down that path of growth and prosperity.
Holland Home will host world-renowned dementia expert and educator, Teepa Snow, for a free seminar on dementia on Wednesday, Nov. 8. ‘Dementia 360°:Seeing it from all Directions’, will cover dementia from a variety of perspectives, and is ideal for caregivers, family members and healthcare professionals.
Snow will provide a comprehensive analysis and care perspective on dementia, including its impact on the person living with it.She will discuss the disease process, how a person experiences a change in brain ability and the effects on the family and support networks.Snow is an advocate for those living with dementia and has made it her personal mission to help families and professionals better understand how it feels to live with various forms of dementia.The seminar aims to help participants gain a deeper knowledge of dementia and learn key strategies for how to best relate to and provide care for those suffering with the disease.
“Dementia has a profound impact on each person it touches,” said Mina Breuker, CEO & President of Holland Home. “Holland Home is a leader in memory care and we want to equip caregivers and family members with information and tools to provide compassionate care for individuals living with the disease. We’re excited to host Teepa Snow, and learn from her personal experience with and professional expertise on dementia.”
Snow’s philosophy and education reflect her lifelong journey with dementia.Her person-centered approach has evolved to meet the complex and unique needs of individuals with the disease.Snow strives to grow an appreciation of differences with seminar participants that will lead to better care and support of those living with changing abilities.
The seminar will be held at Covenant Fine Arts Center at Calvin College, 1795 Knollcrest Circle SE in Grand Rapids, from 7 to 9 pm.No RSVP is necessary.More information can be found at hollandhome.org/events or by calling 616.235.5000.
Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet — or few — from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Crash’s Landing. Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary rescue organizations were founded by Jennifer Denyes, DVM (Dr. Jen), who is on staff at Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic (4245 Clyde Park Ave SW).
On July 11th, 2016, Dr. Jen received this email from a wonderful gal, Kate, who is doing her part to help out the homeless cats in her neighborhood:
“Hi, Dr Jen, I feed a feral colony and end up attracting friendly strays from time to time. I’ve brought some to you in the past and I swear the minute I bring in one, another one appears. I always wait to see if they hang around or seem to have a home, but for the past 6 weeks this grey female has been basically living on my porch. At first she was scared but now she is very friendly; she has been looking more and more sickly with her fur very unkempt, and also she’s getting skinnier … she’s not doing well and she is not comfortable in my house. …”
It took a few weeks before we had an opening, but in the meantime, Kate combed an entire cat’s worth of matted fur off of her 3-year-old rescue (born in the summer of 2013) and managed to fatten her up a bit. Dr. Jen discovered the reason why kitty wasn’t eating or grooming herself that well was because she had two bad teeth that needed to be extracted AND she was also losing weight from having chronic diarrhea. Tests revealed she was internal parasite-free, so Dr. Jen suspected the loose stools were from the fact that kitty was eating more soupy canned food versus dry kibble. In any case, Dr. Jen was able to get the kitty’s medical issues under control, and a few days after her arrival, this incredibly sweet but painfully shy girl made her way down to Crash’s.
Nigella has a soft, gentle purr and is quick to roll over for belly rubs once she feels comfy, but as soon as anything startles her she high-tails it back to her safe place. It goes without saying that Nigella will need a very quiet, stable home environment to flourish in; she will require a person with patience to allow her to come into her own at the pace she sets for herself. She will need a room to herself, at least initially, as Nigella is all about taking baby steps towards her goal of becoming a brave soul.
Nigella, after a good brushing
After a month at the shelter, she still wasn’t ready to leave the cozy confines of our intake suite, so we let her guide us as to when she was ready to roam. The nice thing about our facility is that there are no time limits or constraints, and every single cat can acclimate and adjust according to his or her own comfort level.
We strive to make the Crash’s experience a positive one for everyone, tailoring it to meet individual needs. It doesn’t matter to us how long it takes.
Can’t adopt, but still want to help? Find out how you can sponsor a cat!
Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary have a common mission: To take at-risk stray cats off the streets of the Greater Grand Rapids area, provide them with veterinary care and house them in free-roaming, no-kill facilities until dedicated, loving, permanent homes can be found.
By Matthew Makowski, Grand Valley State University
Cabaret takes place in Berlin, Germany, in 1930. American novelist, Cliff, is searching for inspiration when he finds lodging at Frau Schneider’s residence above the notorious Kit Kat Club. Led by a saucy emcee and Sally Bowles, a sassy showgirl, the free-wheeling performers at the club turn Cliff’s world upside down. Can Cliff and Sally find happiness as anti-Semitism and homophobia are on the rise?
When: November 16, 17, 18, 29, 30, and December 1, 2, at 7:30 pm; November 19 and December 3, at 2 pm.
Where: Linn Maxwell Keller Black Box Theatre, Thomas J. and Marcia J. Haas Center for Performing Arts, Allendale Campus
Tickets: $12 adults, $10 seniors and GVSU alumni, faculty and staff, $6 students and groups
Sue Bender has written a timeless book.Five years after her New York Times bestseller Plain and Simple, Bender admits she drifted away from what she had learned living with the Amish.In Everyday Sacred she chronicles how she got back on track again.
Bender, a deeply spiritual person, draws on various religious traditions to light her path away from her internal harsh judge to her gentle “enough”. Her journey begins with a phrase everyday sacred and an image, a begging bowl.She does not know what either mean; yet from the beginning of the book the reader understands that she is going to trust the process of finding their meanings.
“All I knew about a begging bowl was that each day a monk goes out with his empty bowl in his hands.Whatever is placed in the bowl will be his nourishment for the day.I didn’t know whether I was the monk or the bowl or the things that would fill the bowl, or all three but I trusted the words and the image completely.”
She had hoped to find a straight path but hers led in circles.
“So it helps if you listen in circles,” said a Jewish friend.And listen Bender does.She listens to “the opening ceremony of my day”—the smiley face her barista swirls into her cappuccino.She listens as a friend with a hurt knee tells her all the things she discovered on her walk because she had to walk slowly.When feeling overwhelmed, she remembered a friend telling her to “phase things in.” She pondered her physical therapist’s statement that she had “self-corrected in the wrong direction.”Her friend Helen, who lost everything in a house fire, said the fire “fine-tunes my attitude about the remainder of my life.” Bender listened, watched and acted her way back to her center.
Each day Bender presented her empty begging bowl and daily an experience, or a statement, or a feeling appeared in the bowl.By the end of the book Bender has slowed.
“Being empty is a beginning.”
“Good deeds have echoes.”
Instead of judging her inabilities and flaws, clarity dawns.
“Our imperfections are a gift, the very qualities that make us unique.If we make the shift to see them that way—we can value ourselves… just as we are.”
‘Kunnnby’ – Bush Lolly Dreaming, Michael Nelson Tjakamarra, Acrylic on Canvas
By Matthew Makowski, Grand Valley State University
From 1940-1960, the Australian government forced Aboriginal groups off their lands and into organized communities of the Central Desert region and along the northern coast. Papunya, located about 150 miles northwest of Alice Springs, was the final community established to collect these displaced groups, and where the contemporary Australian Aboriginal art movement began. This exhibition is drawn out of a recent gift of Australian Aboriginal paintings to Grand Valley State University, created by artists from Papunya and the surrounding region. It features artwork that provides insight into Aboriginal life, retellings of important ancient stories and symbols, and the sacred sites of this vast and arid landscape.
Look & See revolves around the divergent stories of several residents of Henry County, Kentucky who each face difficult choices that will dramatically reshape their relationship with the land and their community.
In 1965, Wendell Berry returned home to Henry County, where he bought a small farm house and began a life of farming, writing and teaching. This lifelong relationship with the land and community would come to form the core of his prolific writings. A half-century later, Henry County, like many rural communities across America, has become a place of quiet ideological struggle.
In the span of a generation, the agrarian virtues of simplicity, land stewardship, sustainable farming, local economies and rootedness to place have been replaced by a capital-intensive model of industrial agriculture characterized by machine labor, chemical fertilizers, soil erosion and debt — all of which have frayed the fabric of rural communities. Writing from a long wooden desk beneath a forty-paned window, Berry has watched this struggle unfold, becoming one of its most passionate and eloquent voices in defense of agrarian life.
Filmed across four seasons in the farming cycle, Look & See blends observational scenes of farming life, interviews with farmers and community members with evocative, carefully framed shots of the surrounding landscape. Thus, in the spirit of Berry’s agrarian philosophy, Henry County itself will emerge as a character in the film — a place and a landscape that is deeply interdependent with the people that inhabit it.
Directed By: Laura Dunn | Jef Sewel
Genre: Documentary
Run Time: 82 min
MPAA Rating: NA
Origin: USA
A film showing and panel in partnership with Plainsong Farm, Local First, and the UICA, this documentary delves into the life of Wendell Berry as well as the interdependence of land and community.
