Category Archives: Citizen Journalism

Get ready for a whale of a party at the Grand Rapids Public Museum

October 7, 20163-bottom, Area Education, Citizen Journalism, Education, Entertainment, Kids Activities, Local Entertainment, Upcoming EventsEducation, entertainment, exhibit, Grand Rapids Public Museum, interactive, kids activities, opening party, whales: giants of the deepJoanne

Before the advent of humankind, whales roamed the oceans unfettered by humans and dangerous, man-made noises. It is said that back then, a whale in the Pacific Ocean could hear a whale singing in the Atlantic Ocean. What a world that must have been.

Sadly, those days are long gone and we have become far removed from our huge mammal friends. But the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) wants to change that. The GRPM’s Whales: Giants of the Deep exhibition’s unique blend of science, storytelling, and innovative interactivity gives visitors the opportunity to discover more about the world of whales.

Featuring two fully-articulated sperm whale skeletons, including an impressive 58-foot male, Whales showcases amazing and rare specimens from New Zealand’s Te Papa Museum’s whale collection, one of the largest in the world. Visitors will see life-size and scale models of whales common to the South Pacific as well as contemporary whalebone treasures such as weapons and chiefly adornments.

They’ll also learn about whale biology, the extraordinary evolutionary journey of whales from land to sea, and the history of whaling in New Zealand.

Children can even crawl through a life-size replica of the heart of a blue whale, the Earth’s largest living creature.

Interactive, immersive, and featuring the latest in international cetacean research, Whales: Giants of the Deep is an experience that brings adults and children eye to eye with some of the world’s most elusive creatures.

Here are some of the exhibition highlights:

See life-size and scale models of whales common to the South Pacific, including a beaked whale skull and a massive 58-foot, fully-articulated sperm whale skeleton.
Learn about the intricacies of whale biology, the history of whaling in New Zealand, and efforts being made by scientists and others to protect whales from threats of entanglement, shipping and sonar use, and the continuation of whaling practices in some parts of the world.
View casts of fossil whale ancestors, which show the evolutionary journey of whales from land to sea, as well as contemporary whalebone treasures such as weapons and chiefly adornments.
Encounter whales through video portholes, be transported into their underwaterworld via two immersive projections, and enjoy a moving film experience that tells the stories of three whale-riding traditions in New Zealand, including the famous story of Paikea featured in Whale Rider.
See ancient and contemporary works of art and hear stories from people of the South Pacific illustrating the powerful influence these creatures have had on human culture.
Tune in to a range of whale sounds and discover how scientists and amateur trackers identify individual whales on their migration through the Pacific Ocean.
Gain a true appreciation of the physical and behavioral traits that enable whales to make a living in the challenging and dynamic marine environment.
Walk among the giant—and not-so-giant—articulated skeletons of an astoundingly diverse collection of whale specimens, and then explore the evolutionary paths that gave rise to this unique group of mammals.

Beginning at 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 22, Whales: Giants of the Deep tickets will be $2 for member adults and children, and $13 for non-member adults and $8 for non-member children. Admission to Whales: Giants of the Deep includes general admission to the Museum. Get tickets here.

Come to the Special Opening Party, Saturday, Oct. 22 from 9 am to 2 pm.

Visitors of all ages will have first access to the exhibit at this party coming eye to eye with some of the world’s most elusive creatures. Featuring two fully-articulated sperm whale skeletons, visitors are able to see life-size and scale models of whales common to the South Pacific, discover how scientists identify whales on their migration process and interact with a life-size replica of a blue whale, the world’s largest living creature.

Tickets to this event will include admission to the exhibit, as well as hands-on activities and performances including live animals from the John Ball Zoo, performances by traditional Maori dancers, admission to Dynamic Earth in the Museum’s Chaffee Planetarium and lunch.

Use your ticket for lunch between 11 am and 1:30 pm to eat lunch at the Museum. Lunch will include hot dogs, chips, fruit with a drink and dessert.

TICKETS FOR THE PARTY ARE ON SALE NOW! Go here.

Non-members: Receive incredible savings for the Opening Party! Purchase a one year family membership plus 4 tickets to the event for only $80 (saving $57). To purchase a membership package call 616.456.3977.

Members are $10 for adults and FREE for member children. Non-member event-only tickets are $18 for adults and $13 for children. Limited tickets available.

A day on the Isle of Capri

October 6, 20163-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Travelbeaches, capri, isle of capri, italy, Lynn Strough, sorrento, TravelJoanne

By Lynn Strough

Travelynn Tales

The Isle of Capri — even the name sounds romantic!

To stay on the island would be lovely (and cost a king’s ransom), but for a much smaller sum, you can take an all-day tour. The driver met me in the lobby of my hostel and brought me to the harbor in Sorrento, where the boat captain and the rest of the guests were waiting. We climbed aboard Blu Toy, a medium-sized dark blue powerboat, and whizzed off across the azure sea. I sat out on the large cushioned bow next to a young Irish couple on their honeymoon, a happy synchronicity, as that’s my next country destination when I leave Italy.

We motored for about 15 minutes, then Captain Sebastian and his first mate Piero dropped anchor, handed us foam noodles and sent us off into the sea for a swim, which was great, as at 10 am it was already hot. The cool sea water felt superb. When we climbed back aboard, we headed for Capri, past Mt. Vesuvius and the isle of Ischia, swinging into a couple of caves near the shore, and then up to and through the two famous giant rocks, an icon for Capri.

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We wound around several giant yachts and anchored in Marina Piccola, the little harbor, which apparently is much more quaint and scenic than the larger main harbor. A small beach stretched out along the shore, densely populated with bikini-clad bodies, bright umbrella and rainbow blow-up rafts. We motored in to shore in a rubber dinghy, and climbed the stairs to a restaurant for lunch. It’s Italy, so of course we eat pizza.

The town of Capri is up a hill, so we took a little bus. It was standing room only, on a very zig-zagging road about one lane wide, so it was interesting to see how two buses going in opposite directions pass each other (barely). Disgorged onto a busy street full of souvenir shops and tourists (in August, the busiest month of the year), across from a drop-dead gorgeous view of the bay dotted with yachts. I spied a stand selling lemon ice in fresh squeezed orange juice and ordered one up. It was the most refreshing drink I’ve ever tasted, all sweet and sour and cold.

I wandered down the street, which soon narrowed into passageways lined with the more upscale designer shops, fun to look in the windows though I didn’t go in – white linen dresses and suit coats, $150 Dolce & Gabbana baby shoes, sparkling jewelry which probably sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars, shops for celebrity budgets.

Flowers blossomed everywhere, bright pink against the blue, blue ocean and blue, blue sky. I wandered past 5-star hotels, knowing I could live and travel for a month on what people pay to stay there for two nights. Would I mind staying there? Um, no. But do I need to, in order to be a happy traveler. Not at all.

We had four hours to explore the island, or we could go back to the beach or boat to swim; I had planned to go back after about three hours but took a wrong turn — a good one it turns out — as I ended up by some stairs where for 1 euro you could enter a garden with the best views on the island (or so the sign said) but it turned out to be true. The gardens were edged with an iron fence overlooking the cliffs leading down to the bay, where you could see the iconic rocks and tons of boats speckled around them. Breathtaking!

It’s fun to take your time and wander away from the crowded spots, up stairs, down paths. Sometimes you see the inner workings of a place that way, like how packages are delivered.

When I got back to the harbor, the dingy took me out to the boat, where most of the other people were already swimming or drinking beer, and I immediately doffed my tank top and skirt and jumped into the sea to cool off. Aaaahhh!! Soooo nice!!! The only thing that got me out was an ice cold drink.

On our way back, we stopped to see another couple of grottos — there’s a green grotto, a white grotto and a blue grotto, and we also stopped to swim again, and snorkel. Then we headed to Sorrento, the sun still hot on our backs, and said our farewells. As I’ve mentioned, I don’t go on a lot of tours, but this one was totally worthwhile.

My driver back to my hostel had a bus instead of a car, and I was the only passenger. He spoke English and we chatted — he gave me a restaurant recommendation, and he also told me I should get a job as a tour guide and meet an Italian man, that they’re very romantic.

I love Italy!

About Lynn Strough

Lynn is a 50+ free spirit whose incarnations in this life have included graphic designer, children’s book author and illustrator, public speaker, teacher, fine art painter, wine educator in the Napa Valley, and world traveler. Through current circumstances, she has found herself single, without a job or a home, and poised for a great adventure.

“You could consider me homeless and unemployed, but I prefer nomad and self-employed, as I pack up my skills and head off with my small backpack and even smaller savings to circumnavigate the globe (or at least go until the money runs out). Get ready to tag along for the ride…starting now!”

All images copyright Lynn Strough and Travelynn Tales

Reprinted with permission

Legacy matters, says GVSU keynote speaker

October 6, 20163-bottom, Area Education, Citizen Journalism, Education, Hard News, Local Faces, Our Cities, PoliticsBlack Lives Matter, Civic Assembly, Ferguson, Grand Valley State University, GVSU, keynote speaker, legacy matters, Leighton Walton, Leighton Watson, politics, President Obama, Victoria Mullen, White HouseJoanne

howardsprotest — The photo that helped launch a legacy – ‘Hands Up’

By Victoria Mullen

WKTV

At the age of 23, Grand Rapids native Leighton Watson is striving to leave a legacy that matters, and he is confident that his life path is on target to achieve that goal.

Watson was in Grand Rapids Sept. 26 to share with Grand Valley State University students the importance of finding solutions to social injustice within each community. The former student body president of Howard University was the keynote speaker for a presentation called ‘The Power of Student Voices,’ a component of GVSU’s Student Assembly Week. The purpose of the assembly was to encourage students to actively engage in conversation about social and political issues and have their voices heard.

Leighton Watson

Although he is active in addressing the issues of Civil Rights and social injustice, Watson says he doesn’t think of himself as an ‘activist.’

“I’d rather be called a human being,” he said. “Everyone wants to put you in a box and label you. I’m an American.”

Watson’s current life path crystallized during his senior year of college, around the time of the Ferguson riots. Deeply disturbed by the increasing civil unrest and injustice, he gathered fellow students for a photo, ‘Hands Up’ (as in ‘don’t shoot’). He also traveled to Ferguson to see the situation firsthand.

“You can’t prescribe a remedy for a situation you don’t know about,” Watson said.

Meanwhile, the ‘Hands Up’ image rapidly went viral on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and CNN took notice. The station invited him to the studio to share his views and possible remedies for civic unrest.

“We don’t have to wait until we get to the point of Ferguson,” he said. “A lot of the same symptoms are happening now in other cities, but people don’t realize it until things blow up. If America was what it’s supposed to be, what it says on paper, you’d never have the movement, women’s rights, etc. I still think that there is a gap and that means there’s work for me and us to close that gap.”

After seeing Watson’s CNN appearance — and impressed with his proactive approach to identifying solutions (rather than simply pointing out the problems) — the White House invited him to Washington to be a part of a task force on policing.

“The President asked me what I wanted him to do about Ferguson,” said Watson. “There is no national solution to this issue. It’s something that must be addressed state by state, local government by local government — it has to happen on a local level.”

Since then, Watson has kept busy visiting communities across the country to talk to school children and organizations, discussng concerns and organizing movements. He stresses the importance of preparation and solution-finding, even at the middle school level.

“And I say to middle-schoolers, ‘You have to be prepared to answer the question. Preparation is an ongoing process; you must be prepared to meet the president in that moment.'”

gvsu-talk-leighton — Watson addressing GVSU students (Photo courtesy of GVSU

Watson learned the importance of legacy from his grandfather, who started the Section 8 Housing Authority in South Bend, Indiana. Years after his death, people remember and speak very highly of him.

“I was about four years old when he died,” said Watson. “My grandpa taught me that achievement is not a resting place, it’s a trampoline.

“Fifty years from now, history will have written about this time, that these police shootings happened. The question I’ll have to answer my grandchildren is, ‘Grandpa, where were you when this happened?’ And I’ll want to answer that question confidently, that I did do something about it.

“Legacy is important. What you do with your time is important,” said Watson. “I want to look back on my life and be confident about what I did with my time.”

Public Museum kicks off organ series with a ‘spooky’ twist

October 6, 20163-bottom, Citizen JournalismBuster Keaton, Grand Rapids Public Museum, Halloween, Mighty Wurlitzer Organ, organ, silent film, The Haunted HouseJoanne

Join the Grand Rapids Public Museum for the first Mighty Wurlitzer Organ Concert of the 2016 series with performances by Scott Smith on Friday, Oct. 14 and Saturday, Oct. 15. Titled “Fall, Fun and Flicks,” Smith will play a variety of genres including a special spooky twist.

Just in time for Halloween, Smith’s performance on the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ will be accompanied by the short, 20-minute silent film “The Haunted House” starring Buster Keaton. Other selections will be a patchwork of eras and genres.

Born and raised in Lansing, Michigan, Smith began performing on the Barton organ as a teenager at the old Michigan Theatre. While the theater was demolished in 1980, Smith, who at the time was seventeen, saved and restored the organ. He later opened his own business, Scott Smith Pipe Organs, LLC, a full-service pipe organ business that restores both church and classical pipe organs. Today, Smith performs many concerts accompanying silent films, gives lectures on the history of pipe organs, and has published several articles in various pipe organ journals.

Shows will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14, and at 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 15, in the Meijer Theater at the GRPM.

Tickets for individual concerts are $10/general, $8/Museum members and $5/children 17 and under. Tickets bought in blocks of 10 or more are $8 each. Season Ticket packages are $50 each for the general public and $45 for Museum members. Tickets are available by visiting www.grpm.org/Organ or by calling 616.456.3977.

The second concert of the series will be “Broadway to Big Band” performed by Lance Luce on Friday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Nov.19, at 2 p.m. Luce’s performance will include a variety of musical styles.

The third and final concert of the series will be Holiday Classics on Friday, Dec. 16, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 17, at 2 p.m. by Dave Wickerham. This holiday classic is a sellout show, great for the entire family. Tickets are recommended to be purchased early.

The Mighty Wurlitzer Organ

The Wurlitzer Company of North Tonawanda, New York, manufactured and shipped Opus #1836, a “3 manual special,” to the Stanley Theater of Jersey City, New Jersey, on Feb. 9, 1928. The Mighty Wurlitzer Organ spent two decades entertaining customers at the Roaring 20’s Pizza Parlor on 28^th Street in Grand Rapids, before it was moved to its current location at the Grand Rapids Public Museum.

The Grand Rapids Public Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, with its main location in downtown Grand Rapids, MI at 272 Pearl Street, NW. For additional information including hours of operation, admission fees and exhibit/event listings, please visit www.grpm.org.

The Weekend Edition: Things to do Oct. 6 – 9

October 6, 20163-bottom, Citizen Journalism, EntertainmentCare Ballet, Farmers Market, Grand Rapids Ballet, GVSU, Harvest Celebration, Pumpkin Path, Shakespeare, Van Andel ArenaJoanne

Ease on down the path

The area’s witches and warlocks, princesses and ninjas will be heading down the City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation’s annual Pumpkin Path Saturday, Oct. 8 at Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St. SW. The event runs from 4 – 6 p.m. and features area businesses and organizations handing out treats and items to those who come by. The event is free to the public. For more, check out the story.

Celebrating the harvest

The City of Kentwood wraps up its famers market season with a very special event this Saturday, Oct. 8, a Harvest Celebration. Music and games will be part of the activities with the market’s usual vendors in attendance as well. Produce, flowers and homemade goods are some of the items you can expect to find. The event is from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. in the parking lot of the Kent District Library Kentwood (Richard L. Root) branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE. The event is free to the public.

Me and My Brother

Care Ballet kicks off its season with the Brothers Grimm classic “Hansel & Gretel.” No more than an hour in length, Care Ballet’s productions are a perfect way to introduce youngsters into the world of dance. The fall production is Saturday, Oct. 8, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 9, at 3 p.m. with all shows at the East Grand Rapids Performing Arts Center, 2211 Lake Dr. SE. Tickets are $10/students and $15/adults and can be purchased through www.careballet.org.

Madame Overdone (Ariana Martineau) discusses her call girls with Lucio (Liam Purtle) in Shakespeare's "Measure for Measure." Photo courtesy of GVSU University Communications. — Madame Overdone (Ariana Martineau) discusses her call girls with Lucio (Liam Purtle) in Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure.” Photo courtesy of GVSU University Communications.

For Good Measure

The production for this year’s Grand Valley State University’s Shakespeare Festival is the Bard’s darkest comedy “Measure for Measure.” The story tackles the twin evils of power and corruption with outrageous humor, giving hope to the hopeless and courage to the powerless. His city caught in a moral free-fall, the Duke of Vienna hands over power to Lord Angelo, who enforces long-dormant codes of chastity with zealous fervor. When Isabella, a pious young nun, pleads for the life of her condemned brother, Angelo’s response is surprisingly sensual — revealing a web of desire, deception, and hypocrisy that infects every corner of society. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Oct. 6 and 7 and at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 8 and 9 at GVSU’s Louis Armstrong Theatre, located on the Allendale Campus at 1 Campus Drive. Tickets are $14/adults, $12/alumni/seniors/faculty/staff, $6 students/groups. Call 616-331-2300.

Gerald Arpino’s “Light Rain” will be one of three works presented Oct. 7-9 by the Grand Rapids Ballet as part of its MoveMedia; Made in America program. (Supplied photo)

Two for the Money

Two other performances highlighted earlier this week are the “I Love the 90s” show set for Saturday, Oct. 8, at Van Andel Arena, 130 W. Fulton. The show is in celebration of the Van Andel’s 20th year with ticket prices at $35 and $20. The show is at 7:30 p.m. For more, click here.

Also the Grand Rapids Ballet kicks off its season with “MoveMedia: Made in America,” Friday- Sunday, Oct. 7 – 9, at the Peter Martin Wege Theatre, 341 Ellsworth Ave. SW. Showtimes re 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. For more, click here for the story.

Meijer Gardens ArtPrize exhibit allows visitors to take their time at ‘Home’

October 5, 20163-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Upcoming EventsAlmost Home: Grand Rapids in Focus, Anna Campbell, ArtPrize, Ditch Lily Drawing, Frederik Meijer Gardens, Meijer Gardens, Nathan LareauJoanne

"Ditch Lily Drawing," by Nathan Lareau, is in the ArtPrize 8 Top 20. It is under the installation category. — “Ditch Lily Drawing,” by Nathan Lareau, is in the ArtPrize 8 Top 20. It is under the installation category. (Supplied photo.)

ArtPrize can often seem overwhelming, with 170 venues and almost 1,500 entries, sometimes it seems as though viewers can only run a quick hand over individual works as so many more beckon during the three-week run.

But the Frederik Meijer Garden & Sculpture Park’s always unique, often astounding, contribution to Grand Rapids’ annual explosion of art is not only a “must see” venue of the event, but it also has a longevity not offered by many of the venues – the show will continue through the end of the year, making it a “must see again, at leisure” opportunity.

Meijer Gardens’ exhibition, “Almost Home: Grand Rapids in Focus,” continues free to the public through the run of ArtPrize 8, Sunday, Oct. 9. It will then continue on display through Dec. 31, available with admission.

In recent years, the Gardens have offered an international snapshot of the modern art world brought home to Grand Rapids. This year’s exhibit still offers a closely curated spectrum – 13 artists and artistic visions – but there is a consistent theme of homemade, homegrown familiarity in the milieu.

“Each artist has a special connection to the city and has offered an original reflection on it,” Joseph Becherer, chief curator and vice president of exhibitions and collections, said in supplied material. “All sculptures and installations were created specifically for this exhibition, reflecting the social and historical, industries and enterprises, the natural and the creative forces that helped shape Grand Rapids.”

The artists in the exhibit include married couples, fathers and sons, longtime local artistic forces and relatively newcomers to Grand Rapids’ artistic home front.

Anna Campbell’s “Chosen Family, Chosen Name, Separatist, Safe Space, Ex-Pat, Invert, Homophile, Homestead”, part of the “Almost Home: Grand Rapids in Focus” ArtPrize 8 exhibit at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. (Supplied Photo.) — Anna Campbell’s “Chosen Family, Chosen Name, Separatist, Safe Space, Ex-Pat, Invert, Homophile, Homestead.” (Supplied photo.)

Two that attracted my attention in my first – all too rushed – sweep through the gallery were Nathan Lareau’s simple yet exquisitely complex “Ditch Lily Drawing” and Anna Campbell’s complex yet exquisitely simple “Chosen Family, Chosen Name, Separatist, Safe Space, Ex-Pat, Invert, Homophile, Homestead”.

For “Ditch Lily Drawing,” Lareau uses the clean, simple lines of dried daylily stalks in all-white mosaic that, when carefully illuminated by shadow-inducing spotlights, ceases to be individual objects from nature and becomes a single, textured objets d’art which somehow reminds one of both Michigan’s cornfields in winter and some distant, cold, almost barren, otherworld.

Lareau, born and raised in rural Michigan where the lifecycle of daylilies are familiar, studied and now teaches at Aquinas College. In his artist’s statement he says: “My background in percussion has cultivated a fascination for rhythm and pattern and leads me to seek out examples of such in the physical world. The daylily possesses these elements not only through its time-measuring name, but also the visual rhythm of its growth.”

Campbell’s mixed media installation “Chosen Family, Chosen Name, Separatist, Safe Space, Ex-Pat, Invert, Homophile, Homestead,” in contrast, uses a variety of seemingly incongruent if not conflicting objects – a polished tabletop with a seemingly random spread of small glasses, a piece of children’s clothing hanging lifeless, roped gateways usually associated with entry or rejection at a nightclub.

Campbell, who is new to Grand Rapids and teaches art and design at Grand Valley State University, says in her artist’s statement that “this work is an assemblage of diverse strategies and terms that LGBT and other marginalized people have used over generations to mark the labor of making and naming home.”

My first impression, at first glance, sees the focal point as the glasses: most are grouped together or at least in some pattern (a family, or group, at home?), while several are separate, either seeking entry to the whole or willingly accepting a different path.

I look forward to spending more time with the work, at leisure, after ArtPrize’s run and finding other nuances.

— K.D. Norris

What’s Next:

Artist in Conversation talks on Tuesday, Oct. 11, at 6 p.m. with Ron Pederson and Campbell; Sunday, Oct. 23, at 2 p.m. with Darlene Kaczmarczyk and Lareau; and Sunday, Oct. 30 at p.m. with Norwood Viviano and Joyce Recker. There will be a gallery walk and talk Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. with Becherer.

State continues move to phaseout driver responsibility fees

October 5, 20163-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Hard News, Our Citiesdriver responsibility fee, elimination, Hope Network, Joe Haveman, Judge William Kelly, Oct 1, phaseoutJoanne

Former 90th District State House Rep. Bill Haveman and Kentwood District Court Judge William Kelly mark the second phase of the elimination of the driver responsibility fees. — Former 90th District State House Rep. Joe Haveman and Kentwood District Court Judge William Kelly mark the second phase of the elimination of the driver responsibility fees.

You are pulled over by the police for a headlight being out on your vehicle. You receive a defective equipment ticket and you forget to pay the ticket, so your driver’s license gets suspended. You get pulled over again and this time you are cited for a suspended driver’s license and not only end up paying fines for the suspended driver’s license, but also, a few weeks later, receive a $500 driver’s responsibility fee. Then a year later, you receive another notice from the State of Michigan for a second $500 driver responsibility fee.

Now those fees are only one year as the second wave of phasing out the driver responsibility fees took effect on Oct. 1, 2016.

“A lot of people were calling the state and asking what the second bill was for,” said Kentwood District Court Judge William Kelly, who with former 90th District House Representative Joe Haveman, lead the charge to abolish the state’s driver responsibility fee.

“People would say “Didn’t I already pay this?’ and “Why I am getting hit again with this fee?’ It really became a punishment on a group of people who really could not afford it.”

On Monday, Kelly hosted a small celebration marking the second phase of the gradual elimination of these fees.

“When we brought this before the state government, there was some hesitation because it is such a revenue generator for the state,” Kelly said. Enacted in 2003 when the state was in an economic recession, the fines generate about $100 million for the state treasury. However, about $600 million in fees have gone delinquent or unpaid since the fees were put in place.

Kentwood District Court Judge William Kelly cuts the cake as former State House Rep. Bill Haveman watches. — Kentwood District Court Judge William Kelly cuts the cake as former State House Rep. Joe Haveman watches.

“I have a woman who has come into this court and because of the vicious cycle the fees create, now has 56 driver responsibility fees,” Kelly said. This is because if a person does not pay the fee, his/her license can be suspended. If the person gets caught driving with a suspended license, they will get another driver responsibility fee and so the cycle goes.

“They can’t pay the fines unless they work, yet they can’t work because they have no way to get there since their license has been suspended,” Kelly said. “In the end, for many, the only way to get out from under these fines is to declare bankruptcy.”

Gov. Rick Snyder signed the driver responsibility fee reduction in 2014. Both Judge Kelly and Haveman were on hand for the event. (Supplied photo.)

In 2013, Kelly meet Haveman and the two decided to tackle the driver responsibility fees. The following winter, Haveman presented a bill to eliminate the fees and through a compromise, it was agreed that the fees would be gradually eliminated. The first phase took place last year, with fees being 100 percent the first year and 50 percent the second. On Oct. 1, that was reduced to just a one-year fee assessment. On Oct. 1, 2018, the fees will be reduced by 50 percent and on Oct. 1, 2019, the fees will be completely eliminated. Haveman noted that when he introduced the bill, he had the support of the entire house.

“There was some hesitation due to the revenue it generated but most were pretty much saying ‘Heck yes, this is the dumbest thing,’” said Haveman who is now the director of government relations at Hope Network. Haveman was forced out of the State House because of term limits but before leaving, Haveman said he made it clear that this was the one item at the top of his bucket list that he wanted to complete before leaving.

“We are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel,” Kelly said. “We are very, very happy. Obviously, we wish we could have done it sooner, but we realize that a compromise was going to have to be made in order to get it done.”

So pleased is Kelly that he plans to celebrate each phase of the elimination. “So make sure to come back in October 2019. We should have a pretty big celebration then,” he said.

Book Review: World War Z

October 5, 2016Citizen Journalismapoclaypse, Book reviews, Max Brooks, walking dead, World War Z, zombiesJoanne

World War Z

by Max Brooks

If you like history books, if you like apocalyptic scenarios, and especially if you like books about zombies, then “World War Z” by Max Brooks just might be the right book for you. Brooks writes as if he is interviewing various survivors from all over the world 10 years after the end of the Zombie War that almost wiped out humanity. From the mouths of the people who lived through it, we hear about the

first warning signs in China and South Africa, different ways the virus spread and how leaders in all countries refused to believe and then tried to blame everyone but themselves for the mass deaths and re-animations.

The narrator interviews key figures in the war, including such notables as the author of the South African scheme that started to turn things around and the leaders in charge of the ultimate “take back the world” strikes towards the end.

The book – was made into a movie in 2013 starring Brad Pitt – is full of both historically-accurate and invented details covering many countries and cultures and if you ignore the zombie content, reads just like a

collection of oral histories. I especially loved the section on Japan’s homeland evacuations, and the multiple viewpoints of how China, Russia and the

Ukraine all responded to the swarms of living dead.

‘Waiting On Division’ showcases artists’ talents

October 5, 20163-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Education, Hard News, Local Faces, Our Cities, PoliticsHeartside, homelessness, Robin Streeter, tom gunnels, Victoria Mullen, waiting on divisionJoanne

By Victoria Mullen

WKTV

Since our story on Tom Gunnels’s project, Waiting On Division ran on September 6, Gunnels has been keeping busy — visiting and filming people on the streets, setting up art shows at The Collective Artspace on Division and filming musicians jamming at Rocky’s Bar and Grill — all to showcase the talents of the people he has come to know as his friends.

And on Friday, November 18 at 6-9 pm, the public is invited to check out a photography exhibit at The Collective Artspace, 40 Division Ave. S. in Grand Rapids.

The exhibit will showcase Gunnells’s photography from throughout the summer as well as stories of how the photos and friendships came to be.

“I am extremely excited to announce that VAGUE photography will be making a trip up from Kalamazoo to help contribute to this show,” said Gunnels. “He will be doing tintypes of some of our friends and some of the veterans who are currently out on the street.

“Come down, learn more, and maybe meet some cool people along the way,” Gunnels said.

Gunnels does not intend to sell the photos for profit and has limited resources for printing. Anyone with a lead on a resource for discounted printing rates, please message Gunnels on the project page.

Be sure to checkout our previous story about Gunnels and his efforts.

Sara Proaño: Hispanic Center of Western Michigan

October 4, 20163-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Local Faces, Non-ProfitsAlan Headbloom, Feel Like You Belong, Hispanic Center of Western Michigan, Sara ProañoJoanne

By: Alan Headbloom – Feel Like You Belong

The needs of the Hispanic immigrant community are varied and often urgent. Services in demand run the gamut from nutrition education to job mentoring, legal counsel, language services, and domestic violence counseling. Sara Proaño speaks proudly of the rich resource that is the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan.

Alan Headbloom hosts Feel Like You Belong, a show filmed at WKTV focused on sharing the life stories of immigrants, expatriates, and refugees to the United States.

‘Pumpkinfest in Disguise’ takes over Zeeland Oct. 7 & 8

October 3, 20163-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Kids Activities, Upcoming Eventsfun, fun for all, pumpkinfest, zeelandJoanne

The countdown is on for Zeeland’s Pumpkinfest — celebrating community, family fun and fall activities for over 30 years. The theme for 2016 is “Pumpkinfest In Disguise.”

The two-day event features a number of free and low-cost events that can be enjoyed by all ages, and it all happens Friday, Oct. 7 and Saturday, Oct. 8 — a departure from Pumpkinfest’s traditional three-day schedule.

For the second year, Pumpkinfest is partnering with the Holland Area Arts Council to coordinate a community art-centered project called Pumpkinfest Avenue Art, and the community is welcome to join in to express their creative talents.

On Friday, Oct. 7, Dessert on Us — a celebration of community and a complimentary donut and cider — replaces the event formerly known as Dinner on Us. A sweet treat, combined with an evening of family activities, including the Kids Tractor Pull, hayrides and KidzFest events, will make for a see and be seen community event that you won’t want to miss.

Then, on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 3 pm it’s time for the Pumpkinfest Parade featuring marching bands, horses, walking groups, tractors and, of course, floats featuring this year’s theme. The parade route is: West on Main Ave. from Centennial St. to State St., South on State St. to Central Ave., East on Central Ave. ending at Maple St.

Pumpkinfest also features a fun place for kids to be creative, learn and play at KidZfest. Within the KidZfest area, families will discover bounce houses, petting zoos, stage performances, pony rides and more. KidZfest will be located on Church St. just south of Main Ave.

Fans can purchase event merchandise, including collector’s edition longsleeve and short-sleeve Pumpkinfest t-shirts as well as insulated travel mugs at the Pumpkinfest Information Tent, located at 130 E. Main. Profits from merchandise sales are used to support future Pumpkinfest activities.

The complete Pumpkinfest schedule can be found here. For more info, call 616.283.0623 or email zeelandfestivalsinc@gmail.com.

ArtPrize entry comprising 7.3 million dots makes Top 100 list

October 1, 20163-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local EntertainmentArtPrize, brian's dots, entertainmentJoanne

Pennsylvania-based pointillism artist Brian Delozier made the Top 100 for his 2-D ArtPrize Eight entry “Dot Nation” — a 3-by-17-foot banner that consists of 7.3 million colorful dots. The piece took 1,600 hours over the course of eight months to complete. You can see the piece at 99 Monroe Ave. NW.

More than 180,000 votes were cast in the first seven days of ArtPrize Eight.

“I am thrilled to be competing in ArtPrize this year and overjoyed to make the Top 100,” said Delozier. “Dot Nation is an ode to the unexpected events that shape our lives. This piece is my biggest accomplishment to date and no words or pictures can describe how challenging yet rewarding a process it was creating Dot Nation.”

Delozier has limited mobility due to a serious accident that left him paralyzed in 2002. Several years after Delozier’s accident, he went to Hawaii where he discovered pointillism and his passion for creating dots. Since then, Delozier has created dot art that consists of hundreds of thousands of dots, with some of his pictures having more than 600,000 individual dots.

“Instead of allowing my injury to become a barrier between me and pursuing art, I have used it to fuel my passion,” said Delozier. “I’ve met so many amazing people this first week of ArtPrize, and I hope that people who see Dot Nation will become inspired to follow their passions and become excited about art.”

“We are truly honored to have Brian’s work on display at 99 Monroe for this year’s competition,” said Jessica Geerling, Director of Marketing for Vision Real Estate Investment. “Brian has a unique story that I think a lot of people can connect with, and we encourage everyone to stop by 99 Monroe to view this incredible piece and learn about Brian’s story.”
“Dot Nation” will be displayed at 99 Monroe Ave. NW through Oct. 9. Voting ends Saturday, Oct. 1 and his ArtPrize vote code is 62794. Delozier’s work has appeared in art competitions across the country. For more information about Delozier and his work, visit briansdots.com or facebook.com/briansdots

About Brian’s Dots

Brian Delozier, owner and founder of Brian’s Dots, is dedicated to spreading his love for art throughout the world. Brian discovered his passion for pointillism after a serious ski accident in 2002 that left him with limited mobility. Today, Brian’s Dots has appeared in art festivals across the country including the Parallax Art Fair in Manhattan, the Uptown Art Fair in Minneapolis and the Northern Tampa Art Festival. To learn more about Brian’s journey, visit briansdots.com.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra comes to Grand Rapids Dec. 22

October 1, 2016Citizen JournalismJoanne

Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) has announced the dates of its 2016 Winter Tour, once again featuring one of the group’s beloved stories performed in its own renowned audio/visual manner. In its Platinum anniversary year, TSO is bringing back its treasured tale, The Ghosts of Christmas Eve, to Grand Rapids for two shows at Van Andel Arena on Thursday, December 22, 2016 at 3 pm and 8 pm.

Tickets for both shows are on sale now at the Van Andel Arena and DeVos Place® box offices, online at Ticketmaster.com, and charge by phone at 800.745.3000. Ticket prices are $47.50, $57.50, $67.50, and $77.50 with a portion of the proceeds benefitting local charities courtesy of TSO. Prices are subject to change.

Each concert ticket purchased online will include a digital audio copy of The Ghosts of Christmas Eve. This is the first time these songs have been released in an audio package, and the album features a bonus track titled “Music Box Blues (Daryl Pediford Tribute New York 2004).”

Debuted last year to rave critical and fan reviews, and based on TSO’s multi-platinum DVD and long-running PBS fundraiser, The Ghosts of Christmas Eve, follows the journey of a runaway who breaks into an abandoned vaudeville theater on December 24^th. While seeking shelter from the cold, the teen is discovered by the theater’s caretaker who uses the ghosts and spirits from the building’s past to turn her life around. The rock opera features such enduring fan-favorites as “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24,” “O’ Come All Ye Faithful,” “Good King Joy,” “Christmas Canon,” “Music Box Blues,” “Promises To Keep,” and “This Christmas Day.” 2016’s tour will see an all-new second set containing some of TSO’s greatest hits and fan-pleasers.

TSO creator, lyricist and composer Paul O’Neill said, “This show was an experiment, to take something that was conceived for TV and try to express that story live on stage. Integrating segments of the TV show, with a live narrator, and full rock band was something TSO has never done.”

TSO has cemented itself as one of the world’s biggest rock acts, by playing approximately 2,000 shows for nearly 13 million fans, with tour grosses of more than $580 million and selling in excess of 10 million albums and DVDs. In 2009, Billboard magazine placed TSO at No. 25 on its “Top Touring Artists of the Decade.”

As in all previous years, $1 to $2 of every ticket sold benefits select local charities. To date, in excess of $13 million has been distributed to worthy charities all across North America.

Dispute Resolution Center of West Michigan is ‘Thirty & Thriving’ — come celebrate!

September 30, 20163-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Food, Local Business, Non-Profits, Upcoming EventsDispute Resolution Center of West Michigan, DRCWM, restorative justice, thirty & thriving, Victoria MullenJoanne

Dispute Resolution Center of West Michigan (DRCWM) is commemorating its 30th year with a soirée called Thirty & Thriving — Celebrating the Vision, and the community is invited to attend October 20 at 6:30 pm at The B.O.B.-Eve, 20 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503.

DRCWM’s celebration will be hosted by local luminary, the Honorable Sara Smolenski, whose brother Hon. Michael Smolenski served as the first board president of DRCWM. Three individuals, responsible for transforming the idea of a center for conflict resolution into reality, will be honored with Local Peacemaker Awards: Rev. Vernon Hoffman, Calvin College Professor Emeritus, Dr. Henry J. Holstege, Jr. and Dr. Robert Riekse.

judgesmolenski-1-209x300 — Judge Sara Smolenski (photo courtesy of feedwm.org/)

The DRCWM is a non-profit community dispute resolution center serving seven counties in West Michigan. The organization provides mediation services on a sliding scale, mediation training, restorative practitioners, and restorative practices training.

Last year, the DRCWM served 1,302 individuals and mediated 429 cases in a wide variety of areas, 74% of which mediated to full or partial agreement. Mediation helps participants to resolve conflicts on their own timeline, in a private setting, on their own terms. The mediators are volunteers trained pursuant to the Michigan State Court Administrator’s guidelines.

Spearheaded by its executive director, Christine Gilman, DRCWM began its restorative justice program at Lee Middle School in the fall of 2013. The services target students, staff and the community. A recent $50,000 from the Steelcase Foundation enabled the organization to expand its restorative justice program to Lee Middle School in Wyoming, Kelloggsville Middle School and Wyoming High School over the next two years.

Some of the students that have participated in the restorative circles process at Wyoming Public Schools will share their experiences at the celebration, and guests will hear firsthand how effective the program really is.

Noel Webley and his Jazz Friends will keep toes tapping as guests enjoy a scrumptious dinner catered by the B.O.B., a cash bar, an opportunity to mingle and network, and have an opportunity to win exciting prizes in a raffle.

Tickets are available for $45 at drcwm.org. Proceeds will support the organization’s restorative justice school programs which have helped students to avoid hundreds of suspension days through restorative circles.

For more information contact: Christine Gilman, Executive Director DRCWM at 616.774.0121 x 101 or 616.581.3582. Or email her at cgilman@drcwm.org.

Fall foliage and spooktacular Halloween fun highlight October at Crystal Mountain

September 30, 20163-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Travel, Upcoming EventsBicycling, bike classic, Color Tour, Fall, foliage, Halloween, TravelJoanne

Crystal Mountain has a number of events and unique activities for you to enjoy the fall color season, plus the beautiful views of the Betsie Valley and nearby Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore make it one of Fodor’s Travel’s 15 Best US Resorts for Fall Getaways (2015). Michigan’s Gold Coast along M-22 (just 20 minutes from the resort) was the first mention in Travel + Leisure’s list of ‘America’s Best Fall Color Drives.’

And there are plenty of ways to take in the scenery on-mountain, like chairlift rides each Saturday from 11am to 1pm and…

Peak2Peak Mountain Bike Festival, Oct. 15

Now in its 11th year, the Founders Peak2Peak Mountain Bike Classic features a 10.5-mile course through and around the single tracks and slopes of Crystal Mountain with three waves — beginner (1 lap), intermediate (2 laps) and professional/expert (3 laps). Chairlift rides, live entertainment, family fun activities and games, food and Founders beer will be available in the festival area at the base of the slopes throughout the day — admission is free to spectators. Register for the race at endomanpromotions.com.

Crystal Spa Days, Oct. 1– Nov. 6

October is not only a wonderful time to enjoy the crisp autumn air and vibrant colors but special pricing on a menu of 50-minute services at the award-winning Crystal Spa. Nearly a dozen services are available from $69 (Sunday through Friday) and $79 on Saturday.

Spooktacular Saturdays offer a haunted trail and family fun Oct. 15, 22, 29

The last three Saturdays in October you can ride the Loki quad chairlift up the mountain and follow the lanterns back down a Spooky (but family friendly) Trail from 7 pm to 9 pm ($7 per person, kids 6-and-under free). Spooktacular Saturday (2 pm to 6 pm) will lead up to the evening’s haunted hike featuring wagon rides, a petting zoo, caramel apples, pumpkin carving and more.

Farm Market Recipe of the Week: Chicken and Spiced Apples

September 30, 20163-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Food, Non-ProfitsChicken and Spiced Apples, Farmers Market Recipe of the Week, Metro Health, Recipe of the weekJoanne

Chicken and Spiced Apples

Makes: 6 servings
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 apples, preferably Braeburn, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 teaspoons unsalted butter, divided
1 1/8 teaspoons herbes de Provence, (see Note), divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

Directions

1. Toss apple slices with lemon juice and cinnamon in a small bowl. Heat 1 teaspoon oil and 1 teaspoon butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Keep warm.
2. Mix 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence, salt and pepper. Place chicken between sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or the bottom of a small saucepan to a 1/2-inch thickness. Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with the seasoning mixture.
3. Heat 1 teaspoon oil and 1 teaspoon butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add half the chicken and cook until no longer pink in the center, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove to a platter and keep warm. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and 1 teaspoon butter to the pan; heat over high heat. Cook the remaining chicken in the same manner.
4. Add broth, lemon zest, the remaining 1/8 teaspoon herbes and any accumulated juices from the chicken to the pan. Cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits, until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve with the sauteed apples.

Note: Herbes de Provence is a mixture of dried herbs commonly used in the south of France. You can find commercial mixtures in specialty stores, but it is easy to make your own. Mix 1 tablespoon each (or equal proportions) dried thyme, rosemary, oregano, marjoram and savory in a small jar. If desired, add a pinch of dried lavender and crushed aniseed.

Nutritional Information
Per serving: 185 calories; 7 g fat(2 g sat); 1 g fiber; 7 g carbohydrates; 24 g protein; 6 mcg folate; 68 mg cholesterol; 5 g sugars; 0 g added sugars; 119 IU vitamin A; 4 mg vitamin C; 29 mg calcium; 1 mg iron; 341 mg sodium; 276 mg potassium

No need to raise a stink — the bugs are already here

September 29, 20163-bottom, Area Education, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, How-To's, Pets/Animalsmandibles, no cause for worry, stink bug, stinky, Victoria MullenJoanne

The stink bugs are coming! The stink bugs are coming! (Oh, wait. They’re already here.)

Well, just don’t you panic — it’s that time of year (you know, like shedding season for Fluffy and Fido), when the little buggers look for a warm place to hibernate for winter — in your home. Can you blame them?

Wait! Who? What?

Specifically, it’s the brown marmorated stink bugs that are raising such a stink in lower Michigan. Remember last fall, when we were asked to report any sightings of these guys in our homes? Yeah, me neither, but apparently Michigan residents were asked to report sightings, and apparently there were enough sightings to warrant an official decree: marmorated stink bugs are well-established as a nuisance pest in homes in the southern Lower Peninsula of Michigan.

It makes sense when you think about it. The little guys want to stay warm during the cold months and don’t worry, they promise to leave in the spring if they can find their way back out. If they do make it back out, they’ll look for plants to eat and lay their eggs outside.

Seriously, there is no cause for worry. They are not nesting, laying eggs or feeding on you, your pets or anything in your house. I repeat: They are harmless to pets and humans. They just want a warm place to rest their sweet little mandibles.

Who ARE these guys, anyway?

The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Hempitera: Pentato midae), is an invasive insect native to Japan and Asia. It was first discovered in Michigan in 2011. Since then they have been slowly spreading throughout the state. In addition to causing damage to plants and fruit, the little stinkers are a major nuisance because adult stink bugs often seek shelter inside houses and other buildings in the fall. Once inside, they congregate almost anywhere. Although they will not cause structural damage or reproduce in homes or bite people or pets, and although they are not known to transmit disease or cause physical harm, the insect produces a pungent, malodorous chemical and when handling the bug, the odor is transferred readily.

Oh, my! What should I do?

Don’t panic. We said that upfront, but it bears repeating.
Look for gaps around window air conditioners or holes in window screens and block them off — these little stinkers love these easy access points.
The easiest, non-toxic way to dispose of them is with a couple inches of soapy water in a bucket — the soap prevents them from escaping the water. Yup, just sweep ’em into the bucket and they will drown in the soapy water, which you can then dump outside. Or you can do the same with a Shop-Vac — add the soapy water to the canister before vacuuming them up with the Shop-Vac. (You may want to use an old, junker vacuum for this purpose because the bugs may live up to their name and “stink up” your vacuum.)
Report how many you’ve seen at a given location using the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network. If you have trouble entering the information on the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network website, leave a message for Julianna Wilson via email at jkwilson@msu.edu or by phone at 517.432.4766 with your name, address (or nearest crossroads), the date you saw them, and how many you have seen.

The map above shows where reports have been made to the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network of brown marmorated stink bugs in the Lower Peninsula since Sept. 25, 2015.

(Call me crazy, but I posit that if these guys didn’t go around stinking things up, nobody would have been the wiser.)

Roaming Rome, Italy

September 29, 20163-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Holidays, Travelcolosseum, Lynn Strough, rome, Travel, trevi fountainJoanne

By Lynn Strough

Travelynn Tales

Welcome to another chapter in the ongoing series by our world traveler, Lynn Strough. This week, Lynn roams Rome.

Rome, the Eternal City — it was known that way even among the ancient Romans, because the Roman people thought no matter what happened to the world, the brightness of Rome would burn forever.

One of my Travel Angels, Beth, made it burn even brighter, when she booked us into the Waldorf Astoria with her travel points, high up on a hill, a true room with a view. It’s a great city to share with a friend.

There’s so much to see and do in Rome, it’s hard to know where to start. The Trevi Fountain is undergoing restoration, hence it’s dry, but it’s still worth a look. They say if you throw a coin into the fountain, you’ll return to Rome. I threw one in 20 years ago, and here I am, but what does it mean that the fountain isn’t flowing?

Beth was smart and got tickets on line to the Colosseum, so we got in quickly, despite long August lines, and spent an hour or two with an audio tour learning that they don’t really know that Christians were thrown to the lions there, although gladiators did duke it out to the death, and lions and bears and other beasts participated, including 50 bears that came out of a fake whale once. Apparently the Colosseum was a site of many a spectacle, and the elite as well as the lower classes were allowed in, albeit in very different seating positions. Seeing the Colosseum in the rain was a treat, quite atmospheric, like a trip back in time. And then the sun appeared and I got some blue sky shots as well.

From there, we visited the Forum, a busy place in peak season and afterwards, treated ourselves to gelato — you really can’t eat enough gelato in Italy, in my opinion.

On the recommendation of a friend, we toured the Basilica of San Clemente, which is a layer cake of churches (our friend Sue calls it the lasagne church). It’s a church on top of a church on top of a church. Intriguing, although kind of spooky on the bottom layer. Sorry, no photos allowed inside.

We wandered past lines of people waiting to get into the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel — I’d already been there years ago, and Beth decided it wasn’t a priority for her. But if you do go to Rome and want to see them, I highly recommend that you buy tickets ahead on line, especially if you’re there in the summer.

After a peek at the exterior of the buildings we headed for a stroll through Trastevere, a lovely neighborhood full of old buildings glowing in the afternoon sun and we stopped at one of the small trattorias for lunch.

One of my favorite things to do in Rome is to simply walk. Put away your map and wander, up this narrow street, down that alleyway. You’ll see lots of beautiful architectural details and some of the local non-human inhabitants. You’ll spy interesting graffiti and who knows what all else.

Heading back towards our shuttle stop, we passed the Pantheon, so we stopped inside. It’s a place not to miss. The signs all say “silence please,” and a recording announces it in six languages, while hundreds of tourists keep talking. But despite the commotion and crowds, you still get a sense of the grandeur and spirituality of the place.

I’ve only scratched the surface of things to do in Rome — there are countless museums to peruse, gardens to wander, piazzas to linger in, bridges to cross and of course, bargain shopping for the kitsch, as well as high-end haute couture for the rich).

We only had a few days, but spend more time if you can, and enjoy the people, the food, the beauty and the history that is Rome.

About Lynn Strough

All images copyright Lynn Strough and Travelynn Tales

Reprinted with permission

The Weekend Edition: Things to do for Sept. 29 – Oct. 2

September 29, 20163-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Upcoming EventsArtPrize, Broadway Grand Rapids, cinderella, circus, clowns, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, South Kent Community Expo, The SimpsonsJoanne

Community Finds

South Kent Community Expo takes place from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 1, at the East Kentwood High School, 6230 Kalamazoo Ave. SE. More than 80 vendors are expected to be at featuring an array of services and products available in Kentwood, Wyoming, Gaines Township and Cutlerville. There will be fire and rescue demonstrations along with cultural events hosted by the Kentwood Public Schools. The event is free to the public. For more information, click here.

ArtPrizing

The Round 1 voting for Artprize ends at 11:59 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, with the top five entries in each of the four categories – two-dimensional, three-dimensional, time-based, and installation – moving on to the Round 2 voting which starts at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, which is the day the top twenty will be announced. Those interested in learning more about the juror’s selections can do so through the Critical Discourse program at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, at the ArtPrize HUB, 41 Sheldon Blvd. SE. The ArtPrize Eight Grand Prize Jurors—including Michelle Grabner, artist and professor at School of the Art Institute of Chicago; Paul Ha, director at the MIT List Visual Arts Center; and Eric Shiner, senior vice president at Sotheby’s—also will discus the current and future state of contemporary art exhibitions.

The Burns Edition

Actor’s Theatre gets its season underway with Ann Washubrn’s play “Mr. Burns, A Post Electric Play.” After the collapse of civilization, a group of survivors share a campfire and being to piece together the plot of The Simpsons’ episode “Cape Feare.” Explore how pop culture becomes the myths and legends from which new forms of performance are created. The show runs this weekend and next at Grand Rapids Community College’s Spectrum Theater, 160 Fountain St. NE. All shows are 8 p.m. Thursday – Saturday. Tickets are $22 – $28. For more information, visit actorstheatregrandrapids.org.

The Greatest Show on Earth

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus returns to the Van Andel Arena with a show that promises to be “extreme.” Performances includes the Human Cannoball, high wire act The Daring Danguir Troupe, Taba and his Exotic Big Cats, The Mighty Ibarra and the Wheel of Steel and amazing trampoline and bicycle feats from The Incredible Concrete Jungle. Oh, and of course there will be plenty of clowns. Shows are 7 p.m. Thursday – Saturday, Sept. 29 – Oct. 1; 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1; and 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2. Tickets start at $12. For more information, visit, vanandelarena.com.

If the shoe fits

Broadway Grand Rapids currently presents Rogers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” through Sunday at DeVos Performance Hall. The timeless classic features some of the most recognizable Broadway tunes such as “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible/It’s Possible” and “Ten Minutes Ago.” Show times are 7:30 p.m. Thursday – Saturday, Sept. 29 – Oct. 1; 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1; and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2. For more information, visit broadwaygrandrapids.com.

Sept. 29 is National Coffee Day — here’s where to get deals on a cuppa

September 28, 20163-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Foodcoffee, drink up, dunkin donuts, ferris coffee, starbucks, Victoria MullenJoanne

If it’s September 29, then it’s National Coffee Day

(Curiously, there is no information on why or how Sept. 29 became so blessed.)

Your coffee addiction? Well, you can probably thank Baba Budan for that. I say “probably” because there are differing views on the origins of the bean. In one version, back in 1670, Baba Budan strapped seven coffee seeds onto his chest and smuggled them out of the Middle East. (Seeds being beans, really.) He brought seven beans because the number 7 is considered sacred in Islam. The first plants grown from these fateful seeds were planted in Mysore. After that, the bean spread quickly to Italy, to the rest of Europe, to Indonesia and the Americas. The rest is history.

Another version has it that in the 15th century in the Sufi monasteries around Mokha in Yemen (Southern Arabia), coffee seeds (i.e., beans) were first roasted and brewed, very similarly to the way they are prepared today. Yemeni traders brought coffee back to their homeland from Ethiopia and started cultivating the seed (er, bean). Mokha, Yemen would become a large coffee marketplace and where the sought-after Mokha beans, which today we call mocha, were found.

That’s all fine and dandy, but someone had to discover what made the bean so irresistible in the first place, right? So, here’s another legend for you: a 9th-century Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi (yes, he has his own Wikipedia page) noticed that his flock “became energetic after eating the bright red berries.” Of course, he had to try them for himself and was pleasantly surprised by the burst of energy he experienced. He then brought some of the berries to a local monk, who disapproved of their use and threw them into a fire. And thanks to that jerk of a monk, we now know that heat roasts the beans with aromatic results. The roasted bean was plucked from the fire and soaked in hot water. Voila! Coffee.

Cool beans, for sure, but the important thing is that Thursday, September 29 is National Coffee Day, and there are several sources of great deals on coffee in Kentwood, Wyoming and Grand Rapids.

Here’s where you can cop a free — or greatly reduced price on a — cuppa (and other goodies):

Ferris Coffee, 227 Winter Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504, is celebrating with an ArtPrize Latte Art Throwdown on Sept. 29. Baristas from all around the Midwest will compete in this single elimination, bracket-style throwdown. The grand prize? The coveted La Marzocco – Linea Mini. Go here for details.

Krispy Kreme is giving away a free 12-oz cup of coffee and you also get a free Original Glazed Doughnut to go along with it. Click here for a list of locations.

Dunkin’ Donuts is celebrating by offering medium hot coffee for only 66 cents (it’s their 66th year of serving up donuts and coffee) — go here for more info and locations.

Starbucks is celebrating National Coffee Day by donating a coffee tree for every brewed cup of México Chiapas coffee you buy on Thursday, September 29. “Today’s cup can help a farmer’s future.” Go here for a list of locations in the area.

Eight O’Clock Coffee — Log on to www.EightOClock.com to receive a free sample of Coffee Thins, while supplies last. The thins are edible treats crafted from 100% whole coffee beans.

There are probably other hidden gems that have deals, too, so feel free to explore. But you only have Thursday, Sept. 29 to find them.

Brewery Vivant is presenting sponsor for 6th Annual Fork Fest

September 28, 20163-bottom, Beer, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Foodarmhouse ale, Beer, Brewery Vivant, Folk Fest, LocalFirst, Louise Earl Butcher, restaurants, Romence Gardens, samplingsJoanne

Brewery Vivant will be the presenting sponsor at Grand Rapids Fork Fest this year and LocalFirst is excited for the brewery/restaurant to participate in this festival of local food and beverage entrepreneurs.

This year the popular event returns to Romence Gardens, 265 Lakeside Drive, NE. The event is set for Oct. 20 from 5 – 9 p.m.

Brewery Vivant is a great advocate for this event because the owners truly embody what Fork Fest is all about. They believe a great business exists because of the support of its local community and, therefore, has the opportunity to be an active extension of that community.

Fork Fest is a great platform for Vivant to showcase its message: When food and beer are paired together, it can elevate both to a new level of enjoyment. For example, a great pairing at Brewery Vivant can be found in one of the pub’s staple brews, Farm Hand, a French-style farmhouse ale, with the kitchen’s divine duck nachos. The bright acidity of Farm Hand perfectly complements the richness of the duck.

One beer Brewery Vivant owners are particularly excited to bring this year is Pumpkin Tart: a farmhouse pumpkin ale brewed with real pumpkin and spices. Its ability to pair with autumn desserts and entrees will astound Fork Fest attendees.

More than 40 West Michigan’s restaurants, farms, grocers, bakeries, breweries and more will be participating in the 6th Annual Folk Fest. New this year will be an on-site butchering demonstration by Louise Earl Butcher.

All samples are included in the ticket and a cash bar will be available. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 the day of the event. For more information, visit the LocalFirst website.

Ease on down Wyoming’s Pumpkin Path for all kinds of goodies, fun

September 28, 20163-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Upcoming Eventscostumes, Halloween, Kostume Room, Lamar Park, Pumpkin Path, WyomingJoanne

Believe it or not it is almost time for every ghost, goblin, and superhero — big or small — to ready their favorite attire in preparation for one of the City of Wyoming’s most popular events: the Pumpkin Path.

Yes, the annual activity that pretty much kicks of the haunting season in the city is set for Saturday, Oct. 8, at Lamar Park, 2561 Porter SW. The event is from 4 to 6 p.m.

“We have about 70 to 80 businesses attending who hand out a variety of items, candy, trinkets, coupons,” said Wyoming Recreation Programer Valarie Mester. “We encourage them to bring something for the kids as well as the adults because adults like things too.”

Because this event is free and does not require any registration, Mester said the department can only estimate on the number of people in attendance, which in the past has been around 7,000 people with about 2,000 – 3,000 being children.

“Most people do come in costume,” Mester said. “It is not required, but it is an opportunity to wear them earlier in the season.”

And perhaps no one knows costumes better than Gayle Vaartjes of Wyoming’s Kostume Room, 835 36th St. SW.

“Star Wars is going to be big this year,” Vaartjes said, adding that this is because of last Christmas’s release of Star Wars:The Force Awakens. “When there is a movie involved, it usually indicates if the costume is going to be popular.”

Another hit is the recently released Suicide Squad, with Harley Quinn, The Joker, and Deadshot being the most popular, she said.

“I have the Batman from the other moves and the other Jokers from the other movies as well,” Vaartjes said. “We have everything.”

For children, Vaartjes said Star Wars will be big along with the princesses and ninjas as well as the classics such as witches and ghosts.

“There are people who love Halloween,” Vaartjes said. “Just like there are some people who love Christmas and it’s their holiday and it’s a time to be someone else and just be creative.”

With the growth of the Pumpkin Path over the years, it is pretty apparent people do love the Halloween season. The Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department has been hosting the Pumpkin Path for about 13 years. “They used to host a Halloween party and that started to have a decline in attendance, so staff began to think about what else they could do,” Mester said. “Something that was out-of-the-box.”

Or at least down the path as patrons travel a paved loop through Lamar Park lined with various businesses stocked with treats to handout. Participating businesses can compete for such awards as most spirited, best costume, and best decorated pumpkin, which are judged by members of the teen council.

“It’s pretty neat,” Mester said. “We have had some pretty cool costumes over the years.”

A few tips Mester offered for those planning to attend:

The entrance to the free event parking is located on Byron Center Ave near where it intersects with Chicago Drive.

You do not need to arrive at 4 p.m. to participate. Actually, Mester said they have the first group that comes around 4 p.m. and they go through with usually a couple of more waves who come through after that. “So arriving around 5 p.m. is fine.”

The Pumpkin Path opens at 4 p.m. and not a second sooner.

For more information on this and other events hosted by the Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department, visit their website.

‘The Golden Age of Sports Cars, 1949-1967’ at Gilmore Car Museum Oct. 1 through April 2017

September 28, 20163-bottom, Citizen Journalismferrari, Gilmore Car Museum, janis joplin, porscheJoanne

janis-joplin-porsche-356 — Janis Joplin and her psychedelic 1964 Porsche 356

The Golden Age of Sports Cars, 1949-1967 is the title of an all-new special museum exhibition opening at the Gilmore Car Museum on Saturday, October 1st and running until April 2017.

This exhibit showcases nearly two dozen of the rarest and most sought-after sports cars in the world including Nicolas Cage’s 1967 Ferrari 275/GTB 4, the race-inspired 1955 Mercedes Benz Gull Wing, and an authentic Shelby Cobra 427.

For a very short period — only the first 10 days of the exhibit — guests will be also able to see rock legend Janis Joplin’s psychedelic 1964 Porsche 356 that set a world record price paid for a Porsche 356 when it was sold in 2015 by Sotheby’s Auction for $1.76 million, earning nearly triple its high estimate of $600,000.

Joplin purchased the Porsche used in 1968 and had it painted bumper to bumper in a mural which includes psychedelic skull-like faces, mushrooms and floating eyes as well as landscapes, butterflies and birds.

The car became Joplin’s daily driver in the San Francisco Bay area and it’s said that fans would often leave notes for her under the windshield wipers.

While multiple replicas of Carroll Shelby’s famed Cobra 427 have been built by hobbyists, the Gilmore Car Museum’s exhibit features a very rare authentic example. The unaltered 1967 Cobra is one of only 30 “Street” versions produced and was delivered new by Brondes Ford of Toledo, Ohio (and is the 6^th from the last Cobra ever produced). It can reach 0 to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds with a top speed of 163 mph.

What caused the great interest in sports cars during this time period? Just after WWII, many returning American servicemen brought back a variety of sports cars they had discovered in Europe. These small cars were ill-suited for a family and were often uncomfortable, but they offered an exciting experience to drive.

American car manufacturers quickly recognized the enthusiasm and potential market, and by the early 1950s, they had introduced American cars to compete. The Chevrolet Corvette debuted in 1953, the Kaiser Darrin arrived in 1954, and the Ford Thunderbird was introduced in 1955.

The special exhibit is sponsored in part by the Mad Dogs & Englishmen British Car Club and was assembled by guest curators Tom Kayser and John Lacko, both well-known locally and among sports car aficionados.

The Gilmore Car Museum—North America’s largest auto museum—is located just 20 minutes northeast of Kalamazoo on M-43 and Hickory Road. To learn more about the Gilmore Car Museum visit: www.GilmoreCarMuseum.org or call the Museum at 269.671.5089.

‘Bird’ is the word for fall events fun at the W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary

September 28, 20163-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Travel, Upcoming Eventsbirds, kellogg bird sanctuary, october, things to doJoanne

birds-of-prey-at-wk-kellogg — Photo courtesy of W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary website

October is a special month at the W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, with three events designed to be enjoyed by visitors of all ages who want to learn more about birds.

Get to know the Sanctuary’s ambassador birds of prey at Birds of Prey Live on October 1st from 1-2:30 pm. The Sanctuary is home to a number of birds of prey, including owls, hawks, and bald eagles, who are injured and cannot survive in the wild. Visitors of all ages can participate in a variety of games and activities. Admission for members is $5/adult, $4/senior or student and $3/child, and for non-members it is $7/adult, $6/senior or student and $5/child.

On October 12th, from 9-10:30 am, join experts on an autumn morning bird walk to see the birds of the Sanctuary at the monthly Birds and Coffee Walk. Following the walk, participants can enjoy a cup of bird-friendly coffee during a discussion of the morning’s finds. These Birds & Coffee Walks are held every second Wednesday of the month (Upcoming: October 12th, November 9th and December 14th). Admission is free for members, and is $5/adult, $4/senior or student and $3/child for non-members.

As part of the regional Arts & Eats tour, visit the Bird Sanctuary to see beautiful local art on October 15th and 16th. This is a great opportunity to get to know artists in the area, as well as explore the grounds of the Bird Sanctuary. The Sanctuary will be open on October 15th from 9 am to 5 pm, and on October 16th from 11 am to 4 pm. Admission is free.

All of these events will be held at the W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, located at 12685 East C Ave, in Augusta, Mich. To learn more, visit birdsanctuary.kbs.msu.edu, call 269.671.2510 or email birdsanctuary@kbs.msu.edu.

Sensory Friendly Museum Night Oct. 4 at the GRPM

September 28, 20163-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Kids Activities, Local Entertainment, Upcoming Eventsautism, entertainment, Grand Rapids Public Museum, kids activities, sensory friendly museum nightJoanne

The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) will open its doors free of charge to families affected by autism and other sensory-processing challenges on Tuesday, October 4th from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Visitors will receive free general admission on this night to explore the Museum’s three floors of core exhibits at no cost.

Visitors will enjoy a sensory-friendly museum environment, special ArtPrize-themed activities and a free planetarium show. The Museum and the Chaffee Planetarium will adapt sounds, lighting and activities within the current exhibits to create a low-sensory experience for all.

“We are excited to be able to offer a night at the Museum to those with autism and family members to experience our exhibits in an environment comfortable for them. This allows more community members that wouldn’t usually be able to visit the Museum an experience to create lifetime memories from our sensory-friendly exhibits and artifacts,” said Dale Robertson, President & CEO of the GRPM.

The Museum is able to host this Sensory Friendly Museum Night thanks to a sponsorship from Behavioral Health.

The GRPM offers fun, hands-on learning opportunities for all ages through a variety of core and traveling exhibits. Visitor favorites include the Streets of Old Grand Rapids, an immersive exhibit that transports visitors back to 19th century of downtown Grand Rapids; and West Michigan Habitats that showcase the vast wildlife found in West Michigan.

Adventures at San Diego Comic-Con: Warner Brothers at Hall H

September 27, 20163-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, WKTV ProjectsAdventures at comic-con, Comic-Con, Fantastic Beasts, Justice League, Katelyn Kohane, Lego Batman, San Diego Comic Con, Suicide Squad, Wonder WomanJoanne

For the second straight year, Katelyn visited Comic-Con in San Diego. In case you missed it: Wonder Woman had an anniversary, Her Universe had a fashion show, and costumes galore!

Written and photographed by: Katelyn Kohane

“I was brought to life by Zeus.” – Wonder Woman

We finally made it into Hall H a little after 10am after camping out all night on Saturday. I planned on staying in Hall H all day because the line up was capital A-mazing!

Warner Brothers kicked off the day with a lineup that included Wonder Woman, Justice League, Suicide Squad, The Lego Batman, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Kong: Skull Island, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I would expect nothing less than the incredible lineup we got with Warner Brothers.

On top of the great lineup, the morning was hosted by none other than Conan O’Brien!

The presentation began with a fantastic trailer for Wonder Woman that was followed by O’Brien introducing the cast. Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Connie Nielsen, and Director Patty Jenkins were on the panel to talk about the movie. Gal Gadot summed it up nicely when she mentioned that it took “a lot of hard work and patience.”

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After Wonder Woman came a surprise guest, the cast for Justice League. While they couldn’t stay long – they were headed over to the film set – they stayed long enough to show the trailer and talk to the crowd. Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, and Director Zack Snyder were in attendance.

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Suicide Squad, which is currently in theaters, took time on Saturday to pay a visit to Hall H.

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After the Suicide Squad cast made their appearance, we were shown the trailer for The Lego Batman movie and we had the opportunity to see Chris Mckay and Will Arnett. Then we saw the trailer for King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. Charlie Hunnam came and spoke for a little while. When asked how he prepared for such a role, Charlie Hunnam said he tried not to think about it too much.

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Next on tap was Kong: Skull Island! Tom Hiddleston (Loki!), Brie Larson, John Goodman (Roseanne and Speed Racer), Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchel and Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts appeared onstage. The movie was filmed in three countries and we were given the first glimpse of the trailer at Comic-Con.

And to end our morning in Hall H, we were shown the trailer for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The movie is a story inside the universe of Harry Potter. After the trailer, we were introduced to Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, Colin Farrell, and David Yates.

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The first part of the morning certainly had an amazing line up of guests and trailers! “Your mission, should you choose to accept it…” is to stay tuned to see what happens the rest of the day in Hall H! As a spoiler I will mention Star Trek. Until next time…“Live Long and Prosper.”

This all-feline band is the cat’s meow! See them purrform Oct. 16 & 17 in GR

September 27, 20163-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Pets/Animals, Upcoming Eventsacro-cats, Cats, felines, kitties, tuna and the rock catsJoanne

aacircus — The Amazing Acro-Cats are coming to Grand Rapids (photo courtesy of the Acro-Cats website)

By Victoria Mullen

WKTV

Coming to Grand Rapids October 16 and 17 are the Amazing Acro-Cats, a Chicago-based troupe of real rescued house cats. These fabulous felines perform a plethora of feats with their fancy footwork: they jump through hoops, ride on skateboards, ring bells, rolling barrels, walk the high wire, climb on ropes and more. Anyone who has tried herding cats will appreciate the time, love and patience that goes into training these kitty athletes.

But wait! There’s more. The only all-cat band in the entire world — Tuna and the Rock Cats — purrforms as the finale. You don’t want to miss this.

One of the four “cat shows” in the U.S., the Amazing Acro-Cats and their human staff are devoted to promoting cat-training awareness and supporting feline adoption and rescue across the country. Their mission and goal are to show cat lovers how to improve their relationship with their furrever friends through positive reinforcements that yield long-lasting and beneficial behaviors.

See their performance on Animal Planet:

The troupe of former orphans and strays travel from city to city in a custom cat bus and form partnerships that encourage fostering and finding homes for cats and kittens.

Tickets are $22-$32. Get your tickets here.

When: 1 pm & 5 pm Sunday, Oct. 16; 7 pm Monday, Oct. 17

Where: Peter Wege Auditorium, 1130 Wealthy St. SE, Grand Rapids, Mich. 49506

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Photos courtesy of The Acro-Cats website.

Community organizations come together for first South Kent Expo

September 26, 20163-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Upcoming EventsBob O'Callaghan, Cutlerville-Gaines Area Chamber of Commerce, South Kent Community Expo, Wyoming-Kentwood Chamber of CommerceJoanne

Several community organizations — covering four municipalities — have come together to host the first South Kent Community Expo, which is set for this Saturday, Oct. 1.

The Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department, Kentwood Public Schools, the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce and the Cutlerville-Gaines Area Chamber of Commerce are hosting the expo which runs from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the East Kentwood High School, 6230 Kalamazoo Ave. SE. The event is free.

“The Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department hosted a health expo and they were running out of space at the location they were at along with the fact that we at the chamber and Cutlerville-Gaines have hosted expos in the past,”said Bob O’Callaghan, president/CEO of the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, as he talked about how the idea for the South Kent Community Expo came about. “Coming together, we felt that we had more options and a better opportunity to reach a broader range of residents.”

The expo is designed to bring in a representation of businesses and organizations in the Wyoming, Kentwood, Gaines and Cutlerville areas. About 80 different vendors are expected to be at the event representing a variety of groups from health care to financial.

“We do not have a lot of duplicate businesses,” O’Callaghan said. “We have a variety of services along with organizations that provide products. It’s a nice representation and should meet about anyone’s tastes or needs.”

Mixed in will be several local restaurants and food stores that will be providing tastings of some of the items they offer. There also will be outside activities that include demonstrations from fire and rescue.

Kentwood Public Schools will be providing a variety of cultural activities, which O’Callaghan said organizers hope will help draw people to the expo.

Being the first year, O’Callaghan said it is hard to predict how many people will attend. A lot depends on the weather, however; being that the event is free, organizers are expecting somewhere between 2,000 – 3,000 participants.

‘Big Lebowski’ Beer Tour rolls back into Kalamazoo Oct. 1

September 26, 20163-bottom, Beer, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Travel, Upcoming EventsBeer, brewski, the big lebowskiJoanne

In honor of one of the finest and most oft-quoted films of all time, West Michigan Beer Tours is proud to present the return of the Big Lebowski Beer Tour.

In collaboration with Greenbush Brewing Co., Latitude 42 Brewing Co., Airway Fun Center and the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, the Big Lebowski Beer Tour is yours to enjoy on Saturday, October 1st.

The tour includes a trio of specialty beers that reference the film from Greenbush brewer Jake Demski — a unique, tie-dye-laden tour of Latitude 42 Brewing Co.; bowling at Airway Fun Center; and a quote-along of the cult film starring Jeff Bridges. The tour will begin with registration at 3 pm at Central City Tap House and officially conclude with a movie party/screening of The Big Lebowski at 7:30pm at the Alamo Drafthouse.

Garb referencing the film is highly encouraged (and may be rewarded). Hotel discounts are also available on request. Greenbush Brewing Co. will provide these small batch beers as part of the event:

“Obviously You’re Not A Golfer” – 5% ABV Arnold Palmer Ale (available at Central City Tap House; ale with lemonade and ice tea in secondary fermentation)
“The Brew Abides” – 9% ABV White Russian Imperial Stout (available at the Airway Fun Center)
“Who’s Woo?” – 7% ABV Rice IPA (available at Alamo Drafthouse)

Ticket prices are: “The Donny” ($55, ride only, pay rest as you go); “The Walter” ($79, samples, tour and logo pint glass at Latitude 42; one game of bowling and movie ticket); “The Dude” ($99, samples, tour and logo pint glass at Latitude 42; unlimited bowling; West Michigan Beer Tours T-shirt and movie ticket).

Itinerary

Origination: Central City Tap House, registration at 3 pm with 4 pm departure.

Stop 1: Latitude 42 Brewing Co., samples, tour, logo pint glass, 4:15- 5:15 pm.

Stop 2: Airway Fun Center, bowling, full pour, 5:30-6:45 pm.

Termination: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Kalamazoo, The Big Lebowski QuoteAlong, 7 pm with 7:30 pm screening (Central City Tap House is about a block away from Alamo). For more information, go here.

For more details on upcoming tours, click on the “Tours” tab on their website, westmichiganbeertours.com. You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and TripAdvisor.

Guiding Light’s ‘Back to Work’ program a smart, strong solution for financial independence

September 26, 20163-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Local Business, Non-Profitsaddiction recovery, back to work, Employment, guiding light mission, housingJoanne

Finding work can be hard enough, but just imagine how difficult it would be if you had an addiction. This is a fact of life for many folks.

Guiding Light’s Back to Work program provides a short-term stay for men who are employed or seeking full-time employment, allowing them to save money while they look for permanent housing. Other programs assist in addiction recovery, finding full-time employment and affordable housing.

Men in the program sleep in a men’s dorm and eat meals at Guiding Light. They receive job coaching, training in techniques for searches, and daily encouragement and advice. They have use of a computer lab for online job searching, email and résumé preparation. Phones are also available for local calls. As needed, they are provided with transportation and prerequisite necessities to accept a job offer.

The Back to Work program is a smart and strong solution for promoting financial independence through work. Each year, millions of dollars are funneled back into the local economy because of the emphasis Guiding Light has on helping men find and hold steady employment.

Guiding Light receives no government funding or insurance. All programs are funded by individual donors.

Each donation provides a man with the tools and resources to rebuild his life and re-engage with community.

Guiding Light is located at 255 Division Ave. S in Grand Rapids. For more information, call 616.451.0236 or email info@lifeonthestreet.org.

Is ArtPrize the New Christmas?

September 24, 20163-bottom, Citizen JournalismArtPrize, matt gryczan, restaurantsJoanne

By Matt Gryczan

Downtown Grand Rapids restauranteurs say that ArtPrize has eclipsed Christmas as the busiest season for walk-in traffic — and that can be a double-edged sword for a restaurant that isn’t prepared for the people crush.

But the boost in patronage is a welcomed problem, particularly since it smooths out the sometimes feast-or-famine nature of serving food downtown. Another interesting note: the number of new faces entering your door can depend on if there’s a hot entry nearby.

“This is the biggest three weeks of the year for us, hands down,” said Jess McDonald, day manager of the Rockwell half of Rockwell Republic at 45 S. Division Ave. “ArtPrize helps to bring in all sorts of new clients.”

The colorful chalkboard on the sidewalk at Rockwell Republic said it all: “ArtPrize 2016 — Stop in for food & Art.” There was a steady flow of patrons for the arts and dining on Thursday morning, some who lingered to savor Corrine Hudson’s entry in oils, “Abstract Landscape.”

“Do you have any more art?” one visitor asked. There was, on the Republic side of the business that was closed for serving lunch, but open for people to saunter through its temporary gallery of 6 other artworks.

“In all honesty, the traffic of new people can depend on where the pieces are located,” Jess said. “Popular pieces obviously bring in more people.”

San Chez Bistro around the corner from Rockwell Republic on Fulton Street steels its waitstaff for the three-week event where “you work your bones to the core,” said proprietor Cindy Schneider. “ArtPrize can make or break a restaurant for the year, especially if you’re not ready for waves of people. The food has to be tasty, hot and on-time to the table.”

During the 8-year run of ArtPrize, she’s seen two restaurants struggle near her location at 38 W. Fulton St. as they tried to ride the event’s wave. They both opened shortly before ArtPrize and closed only a few weeks later.

“They didn’t show well,” Cindy said. “They were slammed by the crowds, and people didn’t have the type of experience you need to bring them back again. The time to open is just after ArtPrize, and take the year to get ready.”

Like Rockwell Republic, San Chez sees more walk-in traffic during ArtPrize than Christmas or any other season of the year now.

It’s uncertain if ArtPrize trumps Christmas as the busiest season, depending on how you define the season and include outside events such as holiday parties, said Hillary Smith, general manager of Bistro Bella Vita at 44 Grandville Ave. SW, “but it’s 100% certain that ArtPrize is a very important time for us.”

She said the restaurant starts to organize its waitstaff starting in July to make sure everything is up to snuff when ArtPrize starts. “We don’t necessarily need to add staff, because we have a big staff here anyway, but we do need to be organized.”

Story and photo printed with permission from Engine and Matthew Gryczan. All copyrights reserved.

Understanding American Football – A Seminar

September 23, 20163-bottom, Citizen Journalism, EducationAlan Headbloom, Football Seminar, understanding american footballJoanne

Most of the world plays “football” with the feet. They use a round, black-and-white ball. North Americans, on the other hand, use an oblong, brown ball to play “football” but only touch the ball with the feet on 13% of the plays.

If you grew up in the 95% of the world that plays soccer, then North American football is a mystery. The play is hard to follow, and the rules seem confusing. At work on Monday morning, you can’t join the water cooler conversation because you weren’t watching The Big Game over the weekend. Worse yet, at an afternoon sales meeting, someone says they’ll either have to punt or throw up a Hail Mary. Say what?!

Before you throw up your hands and give up, know that help is here: a 90-minute seminar on the rules of American football. We will show you, play-by-play, how the game works and teach you the essential vocabulary for watching a live game. We’ll also go over cultural aspects like rivalries, tailgating, and The Wave. And we’ll talk about the common football expressions that Americans use in everyday life – both at work and at home.

And finally, to help you practice what you’ve learned, we’ll watch a televised game in the adjacent sports bar so you can apply your knowledge while nibbling tasty appetizers and sipping the beverage of your choice. Don’t be left out! Sign up today!

Art.Write.Now.Tour. showcases best student work through Oct. 14 at KCAD

September 23, 20163-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Education, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Local Faces, Upcoming Eventsart.write.now.tour., KCAD, kendall college of art and design, scholastic art & writing awardsJoanne

shirakarni_portrait-1 — “Portrait 1” by Shira Karni, a high school student from Grandville, Mich. is featured in the Art.Write.Now.Tour. Exhibition

Now through October 14, you can see work from some of the most talented young writers and artists in America at Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University (KCAD). The traveling exhibition will feature the work of three students from Michigan: Shira Karni of Grandville; Scott Hanna of Beverly Hills; and Abe Cone of Chelsea.

The Art.Write.Now.Tour. traveling exhibition showcases innovative and inspiring works from national winners in the 2016 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, and it’s on display in the Helen Miller Kendall Gallery (HMK Gallery) on the first floor of KCAD’s 17 Fountain St. NW building.

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards — recognized as the nation’s preeminent and longest-running scholarship and recognition program for students in grades 7-12 — spotlights outstanding original work in a variety of different creative mediums, including writing, illustration, photography, drawing, sculpture and more. Works were first adjudicated regionally, then again on the national level by leading creative professionals. KCAD has played host to the Awards’ West Central Michigan region for a number of years, with support from Howard Miller.

“This selection of teen work is truly remarkable,” said Virginia McEnerney, Executive Director of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. “The visual art and the written pieces delve into themes ranging from the most intimate of human emotions to the current political climate. It’s a privilege to glance into the minds of some of our country’s most talented teens and an honor to have their work on display nationwide in our traveling Tour and in the DC exhibit.”

Approximately 50 visual art works selected from the Art.Write.Now. 2016 National Exhibition which took place in New York City at Parsons School of Design and the Pratt Institute this past June will be on display, as well as The Best Teen Writing of 2016, an annual anthology of selected Gold Medal writing, which will be displayed in the exhibition on iPads.

After Grand Rapids, the exhibition will visit Houston, TX; Bozeman, MT; and Jackson, MS.

For more information on the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, visit artandwriting.org.

Cinque Terre, Italy’s string of gems

September 23, 20163-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Education, Entertainment, Food, Holidays, Travelcinque terre, fun, italy, Lynn Strough, TravelJoanne

By Lynn Strough

Travelynn Tales

Cinque Terre (translated The Five Lands), a Unesco World Heritage Site, is a necklace of five seaside villages strung along the Italian Riviera. It’s some of the most beautiful and dramatic coastal scenery anywhere in the world (my opinion, but also that of countless others).

The colorful villages are linked by hiking trails that wind along the coast, up high through olive groves and vineyards, and down low along the water. The whole trail is known as Sentiero Azzurro, or the Azure Trail, and the part of the trail from Riomaggiore to Manarola is called the Via dell’Amore or the Road of Love. A fence overlooking the sea is embedded with hundreds of padlocks, souvenirs from visitors sealing their love for each other. A train also links the towns, mostly through tunnels, for those who grow footsore or weary, and boats cruise the coastline as well. No cars are allowed.

When I was there the first time, in 2008, you could walk from the first village to the last in a day, albeit a long day. But in October 2011, a flash flood washed out some of the trails, buried streets and homes in mud, and killed nine people. They have recovered relatively quickly, although not all of the trails are open yet. Still, the ones that are give you astonishing views of the villages and sea, and there are plenty of other things to do in this popular tourist destination. (This time I was there in August, but my recommendation is to go in either June or September to avoid the massive crowds.

Stay in one of the villages, if you can, in order to be able to fully enjoy your time in Cinque Terre, especially the peaceful evenings when people head out and stroll through the towns and watch the sun set. Both visits I stayed at Cinqueterre Residence, high up on a hill in Riomaggiore, a small, family-run establishment where they treat you like you’re one of the family. We had great views from our balcony, and they serve a tasty breakfast, including cappuccino with a smile.

Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso are all worth a visit, full of gorgeous architecture, a profusion of flowers, shops galore, and many, many dining establishments, from tiny trattorias to fancier ristorantes, or just pick up snacks along the streets. They’re known for their local limoncello, basil, garlic and pinenut-filled pesto, and anchovies (if you ever thought you didn’t like anchovies, you haven’t tried these!), as well as focaccia in many different variations — rosemary, olive, tomato, cheese. And of course, there’s plenty of gelato.

The main thing to do in Cinque Terre is hike, between the villages, but also in the hills above, where you can get away from some of the tourist crowds. Check your guidebooks, as some of the hikes are relatively easy, but others are quite strenuous, especially in the summer sun. Bring plenty of water, but if you’re lucky, you just might find someone selling fresh-squeezed juice along the way.

You can also hang out at the beach. The longest and busiest beach is in Monterosso, with chairs and umbrellas for rent, and sand that’s soft on your feet. You’ll find other beaches as well, in other villages which are less crowded but tend to be rocky.

Shopping is a pastime for some, and you can certainly pick up lots of souvenirs, but my souvenirs, with my shoestring budget and small backpack, mostly consist of photos, and there are plenty of photo opportunities here.

If you’re in the area for a while, and you want a day trip away from the Cinque Terre, check out Portofino, a short train ride up the coast. It’s full of high-end shops and the yachting crowd. Colorful buildings line the harbor, and you can rub elbows with the rich and famous, although be prepared for prices to match.

Cinque Terre, like many beautiful places, has become perhaps a little too popular, but it’s so beautiful, it’s definitely worth braving the crowds to see.

About Lynn Strough

All images copyright Lynn Strough and Travelynn Tales

Reprinted with permission

Two area graduates receive scholarships from the Grand Rapids Community Foundation

September 22, 20163-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, EducationCheyenne Williams, East Kentwood High School, Grand Rapids Community Foundation, Lee High School, Monica Rivera, scholarship winnersJoanne

2-15 Lee High School graduate Monica Rivera — 2015 Lee High School graduate Monica Rivera

Two area graduates – one from Wyoming and one for Kentwood – were listed as among the 2016 scholarship recipients from the Grand Rapids Community Foundation.

2015 Lee High School graduate Monica Rivera received the Achille & Irene Despres, William & Andrea Scholarship which she will use toward her associate of science degree. She is a sophomore at Grand Rapids Community College.

Rivera recalls a moment in her childhood in San Luis, Mexico, when she developed hives after eating shrimp and had to wait in line for three hours before a physician could attend to her. “I remember thinking, ‘Wow, what are the people with real emergencies doing? There really is a need for physicians,” Rivera said. Fast forward a few years to when one of Rivera’s grandmothers in Michigan took a fall and had to wait two weeks to see a Spanish-speaking physician.

These stories are just two of many reasons why Rivera wants a career in healthcare. She hopes to one day be a bilingual physician and do missionary work in underserved areas in the U.S. and abroad.

For Rivera, this scholarship means she is able to work less and give back to her community even more. According to her, charity and empathy are important values to her family, so this scholarship frees Rivera to continue volunteering with refugee families settling in West Michigan.

2016 East Kentwood High School graduate Cheyenne Williams

2016 East Kentwood graduate Cheyenne Williams received the Donald J. DeYoung Scholarship which she will put toward her study of education and childhood development at Ferris State University, where she is a freshman. This scholarship is given annual to a student who has had contact with the family court. It was created in honor of Donald J. DeYoung, who was a Kent County probate judge.

Williams, who grew up in the foster car system, plans to study childhood development so she can guide other children, whether as a teacher or as a liaison in a hospital helping sick children better communicate with their doctors and families.

“The best thing you do is be a teacher,” Cheyenne said, even though she once thought she’d never want to be a teacher. One day she looked closely at the three-year-old girl she babysat. “I relalized I’d love to do this every day,” Williams said. “I’d love to teach kids right and wrong and be someone they can look up to for guidance.”

For Williams, this scholarship means that “the world still values education and teachers. It still sees people who have gone through hardships as relevant and contributing to society —not just as charity cases.”