When someone says Habitat for Humanity, people might think of President Jimmy Carter pounding nails in some far away foreign county, or of volunteers working in low-income urban areas of this country. Habitat for Humanity is that, but it is also so much more — including recent efforts to assist local veterans with their housing.
Habitat for Humanity of Kent County executive director Bri McKee visits the set of WKTV Journal: In Focus to talk with program host Ken Norris. (WKTV)
On the latest WKTV Journal: In Focus, Habitat for Humanity of Kent County executive director Bri McKee talks with program host Ken Norris about her program’s religious foundations, its worldwide scope, but also its local neighborhood results.
Also on this episode, Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce president Bob O’Callaghan, a regular guest to In Focus, talks about the recent grand opening of 28 West Place — a redevelopment on 28th Street that was the result of a focused public-private partnership — but that is just a highpoint in recent and upcoming chamber activities.
The episode will debut Tuesday, Nov. 21, at 6:30 p.m., and will again air on Thursday, and again next week on the same days and times on WKTV channels but all interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal: In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVVideos.
The entire episode of “WKTV Journal: In Focus” airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel.
Sleigh bells are ringing, can you hear them? Well, you certainly will in the next couple off weeks as both the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood host several popular holiday events.
Santa Parade
Kicking things off will be the annual Santa Parade hosted by the Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce. The parade is set for Saturday, Dec. 2, with step off at 10 a.m. The parade runs down S. Division Avenue starting at the 34th Street Mall Parking Lot (formerly Hope Network) to Murray Street (Chase bank).
After the parade, Santa will be available for photos at the Brann’s Sizzlin’ Steaks & Sports Grill, 4132 S. Divison Ave. to meet with families and for photos, so make sure to bring a camera, said Chamber President Bob O’Callaghan.
For the seventh year, the City of Wyoming will come together to host the annual community event Wyoming Gives Back. The event is Thursday, Dec. 7, from 6 – 8 p.m. at Rogers Plaza Mall, 972 28th St. SW.
Participants are encouraged to donate a new, unwrapped toy to the Salvation Army Tree. Last year, more than 400 toys were collected. Each attendee who bring a new, unwrapped toy as a donation will receive a raffle ticket in exchange for a chance to win prizes donated by Wyoming businesses. Last year, the city raffled off nearly $5,000 in prizes.
There will be hot chocolate, music by local choirs and bands, and of course, a visit from Santa.
For more information on the event, visit www.wyomingmi.gov or call 616-530-7272.
Kentwood Tree Lighting Ceremony
As part of its 50th anniversary celebration, the City of Kentwood will host its annual community tree lighting ceremony Friday, Dec. 8. The evening starts with a holiday light parade at 6 p.m. along Breton Avenue followed by caroling and lighting of the tree at 6:30 p.m. lead by Mayor Stephen Kepley. From 6 – 8 p.m., the Elves Express Gift Shop will be inside the KDL Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SW. There will also be hay rides, hot chocolate, cookies, live music, caroling, and of course a visit from Santa.
The entire event has free admission. For more information, visit kentwood50.com.
Wyoming’s Great Candy Cane Hunt
The City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department will host the Great Candy Cane Hunt, Saturday, Dec. 9, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. The event begins outdoors in the front of the Wyoming Police Department, 2300 DeHoop Ave. SW, where Santa Claus will lead kids on a scavenger hunt for the many hidden candy canes outside. Activities will then move indoors to the Wyoming Senior Center, 2380 DeHoop Ave. SW, for lunch, games and crafts.
The event is for children 3- 14 years-old. The cost to participate is $4 resident, $6 non-resident. Additional family members who are 15 or older may attend and have lunch for $2. Pre-registation is required. To register, call 616-530-3164 or www.wyomingmi.gov/PRRegistration.
It is not that the Kent County Clerk’s office, or city clerks in both the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood, were expecting issues with the county’s new election equipment in the system’s debut Nov. 7 — an election dominated by local millage requests and city elections of little controversy.
But the election day did produce the as-expected small voter turnout while also revealing a few issues with the new equipment now easily remedied before elections of more state and national interest, and higher voter volume, come in 2018.
“Any time there is a transition as large as this — the first change in equipment and learned practices and procedures in over a decade — there are going to be challenges and areas to improve upon,” Robert Macomber, Chief Deputy County Clerk, said to WKTV Friday, slightly more than a week after the recent voting day, and after that day’s meeting between the county clerk’s office and local city clerks. “This ‘off-year’ election offered the county a tremendous opportunity to implement the changes when turnout was smaller, but still having elections in a large number of precincts and varying size of municipalities.”
Vote turnout was small, with only 11.2 percent of Wyoming’s 49,658 registered voters doing so, and 12.8 percent of Kentwood’s 35,178 registered voters doing so.
The voting system issues exposed on Nov. 7 were also small, according to Macomber, City of Wyoming City Clerk Kelli VandenBerg, and City of Kentwood City Clerk Dan Kasunic — most notably delays in reporting results from the precinct level to the county level, and inability of some voters to use new “adaptive” ballot marking devices.
Voting machines in the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood looked similar to ones voters were used to. (Supplied)
After more than a year review and selection process, Kent County Clerk and Register of Deeds Lisa Posthumus Lyons early this year selected Dominion Voting Systems, Inc. as the vendor for Kent County’s new election equipment and local firm ElectionSource for associated software. The plan for the new voting machines was to have them used by all voting bodies in Kent County starting with the November election.
Some clerks across the state planned to use their new machines at the August 2017 election, and all municipalities are required to have the new machines in place by the August 2018 election.
Some experiences familiar, some were new
It appears the new machines — which still feature individual manual voting cards and stand-alone tabulators not connected to the internet — worked as expected and it was pretty much the same voter experience as with the old equipment. But a new system by which precinct totals are uploaded to a new county-controlled interactive precinct map experienced some delays, and, at least in Wyoming, special needs voters experienced some issues.
“Anytime you have change, there will be some reconciliation between what you expect to happen and what actually happens,” VandenBerg said to WKTV. “The equipment is new, but the concept or function of the new equipment is essentially the same. I think our poll workers responded very well and I did not receive any complaints from voters.
Kent County’s new voting machines operated much like the ones the public is familiar with — and they are never connected to the internet. (Supplied)
“For the average voter who marks and casts a ballot in the tabulator, I doubt their experience differed from previous elections. For voters using the adaptive equipment — ballot marking device, the difference would have been more notable. I am aware of a couple of instances where the selections made by voters or poll workers did not enable the audio on the adaptive devices. Based on required testing before each election, I know the audio works and so I know this is a topic that we will spend more time on in future trainings.
VandenBerg said she has “shared some recommendations (with the county on the issue) … but also have some training strategies in mind if those recommendations cannot be incorporated.”
In Kentwood, Kasunic also saw and dealt with a few small issues.
“As with any new equipment, it is expected to have some challenges, all of which were dealt with quickly and without any interruption of the election process,” he said to WKTV. “All of these have been addressed with the state, county and vendor.”
Kasunic added that he thought “all of the reporting went better than we thought, with a couple slowdowns because we have new equipment and procedures.”
Those “slowdowns” in reporting are probably getting the most attention by the clerks.
“One area that I thought might be problematic was the transmission of results at the end of election night,” VandenBerg said. “This equipment allows each precinct to modem results directly to Kent County and only 2 of Wyoming’s 26 tabulators were unable to modem results. Neither was the result of equipment failure, but rather an oversight by the poll workers adapting to a new process. In these cases, each (local) clerk has been provided equipment to allow for the transmission of results and I did so within a few minutes of receiving the necessary information from the precinct.”
New county system for rapid reporting of results
The changes to reporting are part of a new county system of quickly getting results out the public as well as to county, state and — eventually — federal officials.
“Election night reporting is the area where we’ve made the most noticeable change to the public,” Macomber said. “In previous elections, Kent County voters would often not have access to complete results in some instances until midnight, and that data was in non-interactive form. With our new equipment, the precincts modem the results to the county and on election night we had our first results within minutes of the polls closing.”
The new reporting system allows for public access through an interactive, map-based reporting feature developed by ElectionSource and accessible via the county’s website: accesskent.com.
“For this past election we unveiled an initial version, with the fully-functional version being ready for 2018’s elections,” Macomber said. “The public response to the faster, user friendly reporting feature has been very positive.”
But, VandenBerg added, it is not just night-of reporting which should be looked at: “I do think there is room for improvement on the reporting side, especially as it relates to canvassing and archival purposes. … I have shared some recommendations on that as well.”
And, Kasunic also advocated for a reporting tweak: “The county is working with the vendor to add features to the reporting to provide percentage of turnout of voters on election night.”
The lessons learned from the Nov. 7 election, and the results of the meeting with local clerks, will likely lead to some changes at the county level.
“This election provided the county and local clerks the ability to implement and identify the ways our internal procedures and controls conform to — or are challenged by — the new system,” Macomber said. “Where there were challenges, we’ll be working with our vendors, the state elections bureau, and our local clerks to implement changes that ensure consistency, security, and transparency.”
It will have about the same number of attendees as the Super Bowl. It has its own Snapchat filer, and is perhaps rarer than the Olympics being hosted in the United States. It is tomorrow’s beatification mass for the Venerable Father Solanus Casey.
More than 400 area residents will be part of the 70,000 expected to attend the Catholic Church’s beatification mass at 4 p.m. at Detroit’s Ford Field. The event, which is free, sold out in minutes, but area residents can still see the entire mass live on Eternal World Television (EWTN) Network (click here for a channel finder) or may go to http://solanuscasey.org/beatification-live or the Father Solanus Casey Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/FatherSolanusCasey.
Bishop David J. Walkowiak
“With great joy, we join the Capuchins, the people and clergy of the Archdiocese of Detroit, and Catholics around the world in celebrating this historic moment,” said Bishop David J. Walkowiak of the Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids in a released statement. Bishop Walkowiak will be participating in tomorrow’s beatification mass. “Father Solanus lived the Gospel message through the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. He spent time counseling the doubtful, comforting the sorrowful, feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, and caring for the poor. His life’s work embodies the mission we are all called to as disciples – a life of service to others.”
Father Casey was born in 1870 to an Irish immigrant family in Oak Grove, Wis.. He spent 20 years in Detroit as a member of the Capuchin Franciscan Order of St. Joseph. The Capuchin priest was known as the “friar at the door of the monastery, who welcomes your spiritual need but also answers to your physical needs or material difficulties,” according to Father Carlo Calloni in a Catholic News Agency article. Because of his humility and good counsel, people began to seek out Father Casey for spiritual guidance.
An emoji of Father Solanus Casey that is available through the Solanus Casey Center. Click here.
“There are a lot of people in our community who have some sort of connection to Father Casey,” said Annalise Laumeyer, Director of Communication for the Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids. “Whether it was grandparents who visited him in Detroit or grandparents who have prayed to Father Casey and passed that down through generations.”
Parishioners from Kentwood’s St. Mary Magdalen and Wyoming’s St. John Vianney and Holy Name of Jesus will be among officials from the Vatican to Father Casey’s family members from Ireland who will make the trip for the beatification. In fact, the expected attendance to the beatification mass is just shy of the number who attended the 2017 Super Bowl.
The reason being is that a beatification is not common.
Before a person can be beatified, the Catholic Church has to investigate and make sure that all of the person’s writings show “purity of doctrine” and that all of the person’s actions were motivated by virtue. If the person passes through those stages, he or she is called “venerable.” To be beatified, the Church also has to prove that either you were martyred or that you caused a miracle after your death. In the case of Father Casey, it was determined a woman who prayed at his gravesite was cured of a genetic skin disease. Father Casey died in 1957 of the skin disease erysipelas.
Another emoji of Father Casey available through the Solunas Casey Center. Click here.
Beatification is a step toward sainthood in the Catholic Church. To become a saint, a miracle must be attributed to him after being beatified. While the Catholic Church has made 11 people saints for their work in what is now the United States, only one other American-born male has been beatified, the Blessed Father Stanley Rother, who was martyred in Guatemala. Rother’s beatification mass took place earlier this year.
There is also the potential for another beatification as the Diocese of Marquette has been working toward this for the Venerable Bishop Frederic Baraga. Baraga actually has a connection to Grand Rapids. According to Laumeyer and the Diocese of Marquette’s website, Bishop Baraga was in the Grand Rapids area from 1833 – 1835 before moving his mission to the Marquette area.
“As we commemorate this step along Father Solanus’ journey to sainthood, let us reflect on his life and how we can live the Gospel of mercy in our own lives,” said Bishop Walkowiak. “We pray for the intercession of Father Solanus and the blessing of his grace and wisdom.”
Kira Alsum is very familiar with the show “Annie” as it is one of her favorites. In fact, she loves it so much, that when the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre opens its production of the world’s most famous red-headed orphan this weekend, it will be Alsum’s third time in an “Annie” show.
“It is such a different show for its time, and now,” Alsum said of the musical based on Harold Gray’s comic strip “Little Orphan Annie.” “She is such an optimist in a very dark time, the Depression, and I think everyone needs a little ‘the sun will come out’ at some point, especially right now.”
From the Kentwood area, Alsum portrays Grace Farrell, a part she first performed at her high school alma mater Grand Rapids Christian.
“Not only do I love the music of ‘Annie,’ I love Grace Farrell,” Alsum said, adding she really became familiar with the character during her Grand Rapids Christian performance. “She is a strong woman and is one of the few in musical theater.”
It is Grace Farrell who comes to the orphanage run by Miss Hannigan for the purpose of selecting an orphan who will be the guest of billionaire businessman Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks for the holidays. It is Grace Farrell who stands up against Miss Hannigan to take Annie and against Warbucks who was expecting a boy orphan. And finally, it is Grace Farrell who helps Warbucks open his heart to Annie and Annie to find a place to call home.
“The Civic production of ‘Annie’ has all of the songs and moments that you love and remember from childhood, but updated technology in our building – including projections and LED lights – have given this production a fresh new energy,” said Director Allyson Paris.” It is a charming show – the thing Holiday memories are made of.”
The musical is peppered with familiar songs such as a “Hard Knock Life,” “Little Girls,” “Easy Street,” “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile,” and of course “Tomorrow.”
“While working on this production, I’ve heard so many people –neighbors, friends, family members – say that they grew up watching and listening to ‘Annie,’” Parsons said. “They always say this with a wistful smile, and I’m sure that’s because the message of optimism and hope resonates with people of all ages and from all walks of life.”
Alsum encourages everyone to come just to see the orphans.
“I am amazed at how talented the orphans are,” she said, adding that the adult cast is incredible too but you expect adults to have a certain level of professionalism. That level can be seen in even the youngest cast members of the show she said, adding, “They are amazing singers and actors.”
Alsum, who graduated from Hope College with a degree in theater and vocal music, said she credits the encouragement of young talent to the strong support of theater at local high schools such as Grand Rapids Christian and East Kentwood and programs like the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s School of Theatre Arts, where she got her start.
Alsum’s interested in theater began in third grade and by high school “it had deep roots as I knew it was something I did not want to stop doing.” She has volunteered with Civic Theater over the years and was in the past production of “Holes.” She also has volunteered with other companies such as Circle Theater and was part of Circle’s “Annie” crew. She most recently completed a marketing internship at a professional theater company in Rhode Island and has performed with Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company. Her next great production after “Annie” will be getting married.
But first comes the 27 performances for the show, which being that it is Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s holiday offering, tickets are selling quickly.
“So ask me after the 27 performances if I still love the show,” Alsum said with a laugh. Leapin’ lizards, we’re betting just as the sun will come out tomorrow, she sure will.
“Annie” runs Nov. 17 – Dec. 17 at Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, 30 N. Division Ave. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m .Wednesdays – Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. (There is no matinee performance on Nov. 18.) Tickets are $18-$37. There is a give thanks special not eh Wednesday, Nov. 22, before Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving, Nov. 23, performances with tickets being $15/students and $27/adults. For more information, call 616-222-6650 or visit grct.org.
State Rep. Steven Johnson, left, talks with WKTV Journal: In Focus host Ken Norris during a recent interview. (WKTV)
K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
First-term State Representative Steven Johnson, whose district includes the City of Kentwood, wears the title of being a Christian conservative with pride — both because he was elected to a conservative state house district because of his views and because, when you talk with him, that is who he is.
Rep. Johnson (R-District 72) recently visited WKTV Journal: In Focus, WKTV’s public affairs show and talked with its host about his first month’s in Lansing, his views on what he calls “corporate welfare” — state and local government incentives to attract businesses — as well as his effort to introduce a bill which would strip funding from the state’s abortion clinics.
And on the issue of his right-to-life politics, Johnson says even if his efforts fail he will have done what he and a majority of his constituents believe is right.
“Obviously we want to see it pass, that is number one,” he said. “For me, I believe abortion is a terrible evil. And I believe, at the very least, what I don’t want to be doing, when I get done here and go home, I don’t want to say ‘I did not do anything.’ I want to be able to say, ‘Look, I tried’. You lose the fight, but at least you fought. The battles that will be won or lost, that is in God’s hands.”
Rep. Johnson district includes much of Allegan County and portions of Kent County.
Also on this episode, Kent County director of Veterans Services, Carrie Anderson, about the problems faced by our region’s veterans and the county, state and federal efforts to provide possible solutions.
As part of the discussion with Anderson, a veteran herself, she discusses the alarming statistic that each day 20 veterans commit suicide in this country, available services — including help for homeless vets — and why her job is more than just a job.
The entire episode of “WKTV Journal: In Focus” airs Tuesdays and Thursdays, at 6:30 p.m., on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel. This episode will have a special airing on Wednesday, Nov, 15, at noon on Comcast Channel 25.
Two members of the Kent County Board of Commissioners were present at the October’s Wyoming-Kentwood Chamber of Commerce’s monthly Government Matters meetings Monday — and if you think the county’s budget planning process is not big news consider that its proposed 2018 budget will total nearly half of a billion dollars.
The monthly meeting brings together government leaders of all levels to discuss issues of importance and presents those discussions through WKTV’s live, delayed and on-demand broadcasts.
At the Monday, Nov. 14, meeting at Kentwood City Hall, commissioners Harold Voorhees (District 8/City of Wyoming) and Harold Mast (District 12/Wyoming and Kentwood) both discussed aspects of the county’s $417.6 million budget, set to be approved at a board meeting Thursday, Nov. 30. at 8:30 a.m. The Kent County Board of Commissioners govern a huge range of programs and expenditures ranging the sheriff’s office, to the county’s elections, to veterans services.
Among the other multi-level government discussions topics at the meeting were the the status of federal tax reform — including two local businessmen voicing support for the lowering of business tax rates, as well as continued upgrades at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport and state efforts to combat opioid addiction and abuse.
The Chamber’s Government Matters meetings include representatives of the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming, Kent County, local Michigan House of Representatives and Senate, and, often, representatives of other regional, State of Michigan and Federal elected officials. The next meeting will be Dec. 11 at Kentwood City Hall.
The meetings are on the second Monday of each month, starting at 8 a.m. WKTV Journal will produce a highlight story after the meeting. But WKTV also offers replays of the Monday meetings on the following Wednesday at 7 p.m. on Comcast Cable Government Channel 26. Replays are also available online at WKTV’s government meetings on-demand page (wktv.viebit.com) and on the chamber’s Facebook page.
A welcome home for West Michigan troops and other festivities are on tap for the Thanksgiving holiday, and one of the busiest days of the year at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA).
On Wednesday, Nov. 22, airport volunteers including therapy dog teams, and the Patriot Guard Riders will participate in “Operation Handshake,” an event to welcome home returning military members and veterans, and to thank them for their service.
Volunteers will staff both airport concourses from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m., and airport staff will be passing out treats and trinkets to thank passengers for utilizing the airport during the busy time of year.
“We appreciate our military year-round, but around the holidays we are extra thankful for their service knowing that many of them don’t get to make it home for a warm turkey dinner or spend time with their families,” said GFIA President & CEO Jim Gill.
“We appreciate the partnership with the Patriot Guard Riders of West Michigan, and their loyalty to serving our community through events like Operation Handshake. We hope we can give returning military a special welcome home to West Michigan.”
The media is also encouraged to put a call out to the community, asking family members to notify the Patriot Guard Riders of returning military members’ arrival times and flight information. Information can be sent to michigan@patriotguard.org or Tony VanGessel at 616-862-1984.
“This is what Thanksgiving is really all about,” said VanGessel, Captain of the Patriot Guard Riders of West Michigan. “What we see each year is an inspiration. We get a thank you from the military members, but it’s also heartwarming for the general traveling public around us to see what transpires.”
Because the Thanksgiving holiday is one of the busier times of the year, GFIA encourages passengers to arrive at least 90-120 minutes before their flight. TSA also encourages passengers to stay up-to-date on the latest travel notices and information about what you can or cannot bring on your flight by visiting: www.tsa.gov.
A goal at the high school is for every student to receive college credit from at least one class before they graduate, said Evan Hordyk, the district’s executive director for secondary education. Well-established Advanced Placement (AP) opportunities, plus a middle college launching next fall, will make that possible.
East Kentwood students are already tallying up college credits by choosing from a slate of 21 AP classes. Soon they will be able to earn a free associate degree from Grand Rapids Community College by completing a fifth year of high school while dually enrolled as a college student.
It’s a way to give students a head start, in a setting where they feel comfortable. “We offer a very supportive family environment here, so taking a college class where they have those supports can help them be more successful,” Hordyk said.
From left, East Kentwood High School students Nisa Brooks and Adilene Garcia are earning credit in AP art
Adding a Fifth Year = Associate’s Degree
The district will begin the Middle College with its first cohort of 10th graders next fall. Students will take college courses at East Kentwood along with high school courses, and then finish a fifth year on the GRCC campus. Successfully completing the program will earn them a general associate degree with credits transferable to most four-year colleges and universities. Other Middle College programs established through GRCC partnerships include Wyoming High School, Cedar Springs High School and Ottawa Hills High School. Kenowa Hills High School has a partnership with Davenport University.
“The most obvious and biggest benefit for students and parents is that the tuition is covered,” Hordyk said. Considering a student entering a four-year university right after senior year pays an average of more than $20,000 including room and board, the savings is potentially huge and places students a year ahead of schedule.
“We have an opportunity for students, whether they have an economic need or not to walk out of here with an associate’s degree,” said Principal Omar Bakri.
For several years, East Kentwood students have pursued dual-enrollment opportunities with GRCC, Kendall and Davenport, with more than 100 students participating last school year.
Dan Clark, dean of academic outreach for Grand Rapids Community College, said this partnership is their sixth middle college partnership. Programs are filling a need, especially for economically disadvantaged students and those who are the first in their families to attend college.
“It definitely allows and provides greater opportunity for access and success for particular students who, it was probably a foregone conclusion, weren’t going to go to college,” he said.
Programs have also led to increased collaboration between high schools and GRCC. “If institutions can partner in a way to benefit students, families and the community, it’s a win-win-win all around,” Clark said.
A Reputable AP Program
East Kentwood has also built one of the most comprehensive AP programs possible, with 21 classes including AP courses in science, English, math, economics government and art. The high school last year earned a silver medal from U.S. News and World Report for achievements including having 35 percent of students take AP tests and, of those, 73 percent pass them.
These courses give students college-level opportunities they otherwise might not have. They aren’t just for the highest achieving students, Hordyk said.
“One of the things we are quite proud of is that in 2017, 1,000 AP exams were taken. If you go back five years, just under 600 were taken, so we’ve almost doubled that number.” The success rate of a passing score, a 3, 4 or 5 on the AP exam, has remained high. “We’ve added a lot of kids and they are still very successful.”
East Kentwood is the most diverse school in the state (as ranked by Niche, a data organization) with students from more than 60 countries represented. Much of the increase in AP enrollment is from students of various ethnicities, “groups that haven’t traditionally been part of AP,” Hordyk said.
Graduate Justin Lai, a University of Michigan freshman pursuing a degree in computer science engineering, recently stopped in to visit his AP physics teacher Laura Sloma. He took nine AP classes before graduating last spring and said he was glad to have the head start. “As far as preparation goes, it was nice to have a harder workload to prepare me for college.”
A bank was robbed. Fifteen suspects – all middle-school staff members – had their mugshots taken, each holding a dollar bill up to their forehead. Algebra students were notified.
The CSI team was waiting on video surveillance to confirm the perpetrator’s height, and once known, they would be able to quickly and easily identify the culprit using data collected by students.
“The CSI team is calling on you, the mathematics experts, to use your knowledge of scale factor to find the actual heights of each of the subjects,” assigned math teacher Heather Richards.
Antonio Valenzuela and Brianna Morris work to win points during math Jeopardy!
Over two class periods, eighth-graders used math to figure out the height of each suspect by calculating the true dimensions of a dollar bill, translating it to the photo-sized dollar and relating it to the height of the suspect in each photo. They eventually learned – Richards announced the conclusion made from video surveillance – the robber was 5 feet 10 inches.
From there, they used a slate of clues to pinpoint… dun-dun-dun… English teacher Jacob Deubner as the thief.
The CSI investigation was the brainchild of Richards, who has taught at Kelloggsville Middle School for nine years. She said she wanted to teach scale factor in an interesting way, and crime-scene sleuthing is one of many approaches she uses to engage her students.
Known to jolt young teens’ attention with scavenger hunts, her old-school rap savviness or trivia knowledge of obscura such as how frequently the average human being flatulates in one day (14 times), Richards brings liveliness to teaching, funneling positive energy into every coefficient, quotient and sum. She describes her school day as “hours of endless mathematical fun,” a statement that contains no sarcasm.
With dry erase pen on whiteboard, she demonstrates an alternate way to solve an algebraic equation, her face lighting up with delight. “Isn’t that cool?” she asks, her giddiness growing exponentially.
Richards earned her bachelor’s degree from Grand Valley State University and her master’s from Marygrove College in Detroit. She taught in Belleville Public Schools for three years before being hired in Kelloggsville.
She said she likes to spice up the subject she loves and pass it on to her students. “I like teaching in general. I like being able to influence kids and kind of run the show in here and be a positive role model on top of teaching. I love teaching math. I’ve always been good at math. I have a math brain.”
She also makes sure her students always have access to instruction, through video lessons on her website and YouTube.
Kelloggsville Middle School teacher Heather Richards smiles as she shows how to solve an algebra problem using a chart
Teaching Deep in Simple Ways
Master mathematicians-investigators Pablo Vicario and Matt Zaiger were the first students to name the robber in the CSI activity. They said the activity shed light on the “When are we going to use this question?” often posed in algebra class.
“It was a really fun activity,” Matt said. “We were able to use our clues and math skills to figure out who the robber was.”
The woman behind the activity was not lost to them. “I would say math is my favorite subject… I like Mrs. Richards,” Matt said. “She teaches us ways to make math a lot easier than other ways that make it confusing.”
Added Pablo: “Before, math was an OK subject for me. I did it, I was good at it, but then with Mrs. Richards, it was really fun. She explains it way better. She’s the best teacher.”
Where did that ability come from?
In 10th grade, Richards, a Wyoming native who graduated from Wyoming Rogers High School in 2001, had a math teacher who presented different ways to solve equations through various activities. She showed that traditional algorithms didn’t have to be the automatic go-to. That gave Richards a sense of what kind of math teacher she could be.
“I always try to come up with alternative methods of learning stuff,” she said. “The idea has always been to give students the deeper conceptual-type understanding. Then I show them another way, and another way, and another way.”
Principal Jim Alston said Richards’ love for learning is contagious.
“Her personality is very energetic, very much like that of a middle-school student. They respond well to her and the enthusiasm she brings to her classroom. Her interest is so high for the subject that it rubs off on the students,” he said. “They see her excited about what they are doing for the day and all of a sudden they are excited, and sometimes they don’t even realize it. Her love for math and teaching math is what the students see and appreciate every day.”
From left to right: Ayanna Thompson, Alexis Shoemaker, Lacy Sleet and Loida Benavidas work to rack up the points
To the Final Jeopardy! Round
Pop into Richards’ class and there’s likely to be motion, discussion and students engaged in math. To prepare for a test, Richards recently hosted a Jeopardy!-style game show, with students in groups of four who answered questions that ranged in difficulty to amass points.
“Scientific notation, c’mon!” Richards shouted, as they worked to come up with the right expressions.
“You can’t just sit with a textbook and grasp it,” she said. “They have to be able to experience math.”
Her annual scavenger hunt is another example: The hunt is based on using clues with coordinates on them to find the location of math problems.
“She interacts with us. It makes it easier to comprehend,” said eighth-grader Antonio Valenzuela.
“She’s fun. She teaches well and she makes us understand it and goes over it and over it until we get it,” said Stephane Garcia-Palacios.
Richards is also likely to be stopped in the hallway by a student with a math question, and she’s ready to walk them through it.
Principal Alston said students have a comfort level with Richards that helps them learn.
“On top of her love for math, she builds such good relationships with her students,” he said. “She does this by letting students know who she is as a person. She has a great sense of humor and she uses that to her advantage to reach her students on a more personal level. Her students love being in her classroom because they never know what to expect in there. They know that she will hold them responsible for their work, but that she will help them along in any way she can.”
Meanwhile, the Jeopardy! game proceeded, and students jotted down expressions and calculations as fast as possible, throwing up their answers on mini-whiteboards. Somehow, a question about rapper Jay-Z was thrown in. Points racked up and students showed they were ready for the next day’s big test. They knew they could do math.
And it’s a safe bet that if host Alex Trebek ever states: “This teacher was known as the best middle-school math teacher,” Kelloggsville students will answer “Who is Heather Richards?”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
The Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA) welcomes thousands of military members and veterans each year, and now there is a special place at the airport for them to call their own. GFIA and SpartanNash officials opened the Military Welcome Center today with a ribbon-cutting celebration and open house. The private space is located pre-security near the Concourse A exit, and is open for active military, veterans, and their families.
“We are proud to offer a quiet space dedicated for our military where they can relax, refresh, and find some comfort before traveling to wherever their next mission or duty station calls,” said GFIA President & CEO Jim Gill. “We are thankful to have a partner like SpartanNash that not only accommodates our military in numerous supporting roles, but a company that understands the need for this welcome center in West Michigan.”
As the leading distributor of grocery products to U.S. military commissaries, SpartanNash was a natural fit to present the space and continue its legacy of supporting current and veteran members of the Armed Forces. SpartanNash is a grocery retailer and food distributor headquartered in West Michigan, serving customers in Michigan and throughout the Midwest for more than 100 years.
SpartanNash is also a veteran-friendly employer, with nearly 800 veterans working for the company – in addition to many associates with military affiliation.
“At SpartanNash, we are deeply committed to serving our military heroes and their families, both at home and abroad,” said Dave Staples, SpartanNash President and Chief Executive Officer. “We are honored to present the Military Welcome Center, because it allows us to be a part of the journey of those who served and continue to serve.”
The Military Welcome Center is open to military members, veterans, and their families 24 hours a day. The center offers refreshments, charging stations, an airport arrival/departure monitor, and lounging spaces, as well as veteran profiles and programming offered by WGVU and PBS. There are also interactive maps and murals where military personnel and veterans can pinpoint where they have been stationed or deployed. The new space is part of the airport’s overall Gateway Transformation Project.
Thanks to a large part to overwhelming support in the cities of Grand Rapids and East Grand Rapids, The Rapid transit system will continue to collect a property tax millage for 12 more years after the current one expires in 2018. Wyoming and Kentwood city voters also approved the millage request, but both by much closer margins.
Voters in Grandville also approved the millage request, but City of Walker voters turned it down.
The final numbers had the six-city total, according to the Kent County Clerk’s office, were 22,146 yes and 13,937 no. The City of Wyoming was 2,838 yes and 1,695 no. The City of Kentwood was 1,559 yes and 1,258 no. In contrast, Grand Rapids was 13,150 yes and 6,598 no; East Grand Rapids was 1,667 yes and 520 no; and Walker was 1,811 no and 1,581 yes.
“We are very pleased that voters have once again supported a vibrant public transit system in our region,” Michael Bulthuis, marketing & communications manager for The Rapid, said to WKTV Wednesday. “This renewal will allow us to maintain the outstanding service we provide to residents, businesses and visitors in the greater Grand Rapids area and continue to innovate to meet the needs of our community. It’s also a vote of confidence from taxpayers who clearly value a well-run, financially-responsible public transit system.”
The Rapid, which is directed by the Interurban Transit Partnership Board, will continue to collect a 1.47-mill tax until 2029. That millage is expected to total about $15 million in 2018. The millage will be used for operating service costs including labor (wages), fuel, tires, utilities, etc., essentially variable or day-to-day costs.
The tax revenue accounts for about one-third of The Rapid’s operational budget. Its other income includes Michigan Department of Transportation funds (about 33 percent), passenger fares (about 16 percent), contracts for service (about 14.5 percent) and other revenue (about 2 percent)
The millage will neither raise nor lower the current approved millage. The current millage of 1.47 mils is set to expire July 2018. The approved millage of 1.47 will run 2018-29. According to The Rapid, the cost to property tax payers will be $73.50 per year for a $100,000 home with a taxable value of $50,000.
For a more detailed story on the The Rapid, its millage renewal request, and its services, see a WKTV Journal story here.
“I am a man who likes to cross the t’s and dot the i’s,” said Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley as he watched the poll numbers roll in from the 2017 election results at his evening campaign headquaters at Kentwood’s Paris Cafe & Desserts.
By 8:30 p.m., Kepley had a secure lead of 3 to 1 to his challenger Scott Urbanowski. It was a lead that Kepley never relinquished with him winning his bid for a second term with 2,116 votes to Urbanowski’s 696.
“I am really excited about the next four years,”Kepley said. “I truly love serving the citizens. I love the city, the residents and the neighbors.”
Kepley said he believes it is a team effort of the city managers and department heads who have made the positive decisions to push the city forward and he is excited about seeing the “positive changes we can make in Kentwood” over the next four years.
“Ultimately, I did not convince enough people that Kentwood needed change in the Mayor’s Office and that I was in the best position to make that change,” Urbanowski said in a released statement. “Nevertheless, I’m grateful to everyone who voted, volunteered, or donated in support of this young person with no elected experience or establishment support.
“I am glad that I was able to spark conversations about issues that matter; to help boost interest in local government; and to get to know Kentwood and its people even better.”
1st Ward City Commission Candidate Emily Bridson takes photos with supporters.
Challenger Emily Bridson had to wait a little longer before celebrating her victory last night. Bridson held a 2-to-1 lead over incumbent Gerald DeMaagd for most of the night with her winning the 1st Ward City Commission seat with 890 votes to DeMaagd’s 451.
“I am really excited about this opportunity,” Bridson said from her campaign celebration at Peppino’s South. “I have met so many people and made a lot of new friends. I have a greater understanding of a lot of priorities from what they love about our city and what they would like to see changed. I am going to work on a strategic plan to address those changes.”
Bridson said she is very honored to have gone through this process. “I want to thank Jerry for his service,” Bridson said. “I am excited and looking forward to to working with Mayor Kepley and the commission.”
In statement released this morning, incumbent DeMaagd said:
“Emily Bridson has won the Kentwood 1st Ward City Commission seat by substantial margins. She conducted a textbook campaign, and executed well. She is smart, capable, and deserves the win based on her efforts.
“I think there is a further story here though, given the level of outside influence on both the mayoral and commission races which are officially non-partisan. The pre-election campaign reports filed with Kent County show that 53 of Bridson’s contributors were from other cities outside Kentwood, and only 5 from Kentwood (plus herself). Post-election campaign reports aren’t due until Dec. 7. Allegedly she was endorsed by the UAW (United Auto Workers), although she did not advertise it. On the other hand, the mayoral candidate, Scott Urbanowski’s campaign literature does state that he was ‘ENDORSEDby the Kent County Democratic Party’.
“Although these actions are perfectly legal, it does show the amount of outside interest in what is essentially a local race.
“As a candidate, I received several calls from voters about my position relative to national issues. They say all politics is local… but I think that for Kentwood it’s actually the reverse: All local politics is now national!“
With its wealth of botanical diversity, the Midwest provides an abundance of healing herbs accessible to all. Michigan food expert Lisa M. Rose will be visiting Schuler Books & Music to discuss how to forge and identify those plants.
Rose will be at Schuler Books & Music, 2660 28thSt. SE, on Friday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m. Author of the popular book “Midwest Foraging,” Rose will be discussing her newest title, “Midwest Medicinal Plants: Identify, Harves, and Use 109 Wild Herbs for Heath and Wellness.” The book is designed for all levels to help them find, identify, harvest, and safely use wild medicinal plants.
Lisa M. Rose
The author is a herbalist, forager, urban farmer, and writer. Rose’s interest in ethnobotany and herbal medicine has taken her across the United States and into the Yucatan Peninsula, mainland Mexico, Nicaragua, and Brazil to study plants, people, health, and their connection to place. Rose leads foraging plant walks and teaches classes on edible and medicinal wild plants.
For more information about this program or other events at Schuler Books & Music, visit schulerbooks.com.
Kent County director of Veterans Services Carrie Anderson on the set of WKTV Journal: In Focus. (WKTV)
WKTV Staff
news@wktv.org
With Veterans Day coming this week, and veterans issues important every day, the latest episode of WKTV Journal: In Focus, WKTV’s public affairs show, finds program host Ken Norris talking with the Kent County director of Veterans Services, Carrie Anderson, about the problems faced by our region’s veterans and the county, state and federal efforts to provide possible solutions.
Also on this episode, first-term State Representative Steven Johnson talks about his busy first year in Lansing.
Kent County director of Veterans Services Carrie Anderson. (WKTV)
As part of the discussion with Anderson, a veteran herself, she discusses the alarming statistic that each day 20 veterans commit suicide in this country, available services — including help for homeless vets — and why her job is more than just a job.
The episode will debut this Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., and will again air on Thursday, and again next week on the same days and times on WKTV channels but all interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal: In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVVideos.
The entire episode of “WKTV Journal: In Focus” airs Tuesdays and Thursdays, at 6:30 p.m., on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel. This episode will have a special airing on Wednesday, Nov, 15, at noon on Comcast Channel 25.
Girls high school basketball starts this month with a limited schedule late in the month. (The West Michigan Lutheran girls basketball team is shown here from last season). (WKTV)
By Mike Moll
sports@wktv.org
November will not only bring the Thanksgiving holiday, but also a closeout of the high school sports fall seasons.
The boys and girls cross country finals will be held on Saturday, Nov. 4, at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. Girls volleyball is working their way through Regionals and are heading to the state semi-finals and finals at the Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek on Thursday, Nov. 16, and Saturday, Nov. 18, for all four classes. Boys soccer state finals are also on the fourth at Rochester Hills Stoney Creek for divisions 1 and 3 and divisions 2 and 4 will be at Comstock Park. Girls swimming and diving will also conclude with state finals on Nov. 17–18 at Oakland University, Holland Aquatic Center, and Eastern Michigan University. The last championships will be handed out on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving with football finals being played at Ford Field in Detroit.
The winter seasons also start up this month with boys hockey dropping the puck for the first time mid-month and WKTV will be there as East Kentwood entertains East Grand Rapids on Nov. 17. Girls basketball tips off their season the last week of the month.
The 12th Annual Stubby Overmire Card Show and Auction will once again be at the Wyoming Lee High School Gymnasium on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 18-19. As always, the highlight guest will be baseball’s last 30 game winner Denny McLain who compiled a 31-6 record as he was part of the 1968 World Championship Detroit Tigers team. He will be joined by two other members of that world championship team as Mickey Stanley will once again appear along with first timer Tom Mathchick.
WKTV will again be bringing boys and girls basketball along with boys hockey to the viewers once again so be sure to check the weekly schedule for broadcast dates and times.
Currently, WKTV sports events will be broadcast the night of the game on Comcast Channel 25, usually at 11 p.m., and repeated on Saturday at 11 a.m. on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 in Wyoming & Kentwood.
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week, any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and features on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/
Local high school sports events this week are as follows:
By Paul Haan, Healthy Homes Coalition of West Michigan
After a decade of decline, the number of lead-poisoned children in Kent County is rising. Recent data shows a 40 percent increase in lead-poisoned children in the 49507 zip code during the past two years. This Grand Rapids neighborhood leads the state in numbers of lead-poisoned children. In fact, more children were lead poisoned in 49507 than all seven Flint zip codes combined — before, during, and after the Flint water crisis.
According to data provided by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), 615 Kent County children had elevated blood-lead levels in 2016 — the year for which most recent data is available. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has established 5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL) as the reference level at which the CDC recommends public health actions be initiated.
Two out of every three lead poisoned-children in Kent County live in zip codes 49507, 49504 or 49503. These are high-poverty, high-minority neighborhoods in Grand Rapids. African-American children were lead-poisoned at twice the rate of white children in Grand Rapids in 2015, according to MDHHS data.
“Many people are unaware that lead exposure from dust in the house and soil in the yard is the culprit,” said Paul Haan, executive director of the Healthy Homes Coalition of West Michigan and gubernatorial appointee to the state of Michigan’s Child Lead Exposure Elimination Commission.
It should be noted that lead in the water is not the cause here: The city of Grand Rapids water testing under the federal Lead and Copper Rule demonstrates that Grand Rapids has been in compliance since 2001. The amount of lead in Grand Rapids water is far below federal thresholds and is among the safest in the state.
Currently, houses in Kent County aren’t required to be tested for lead. A property owner can sell, rent or remodel a home without checking it for lead or lead hazards. The city of Grand Rapids last updated its housing codes in regards to lead in 2005.
“Many property owners and property dwellers may have no idea that dangerous lead exists in their home,” Haan said. “Even well-intentioned remodelers might not be dealing properly with lead and actually making the problem worse.”
Haan also said there is a correlation between the current housing crisis and the increase in lead poisoning. “With West Michigan’s robust real estate market, it’s harder now to find healthy homes to live in. The seller’s market is great for sellers but not necessarily good for buyers and renters.”
Last fall, Grand Rapids was awarded $2.9 million in HUD funding to fix homes with lead-based paint hazards. Typical “fixes” include new windows and exterior painting or siding. The HUD funding is available to eligible homeowners, landlords and tenants.
The city of Grand Rapidsadministers the funding locally. In September of this year, the city expanded program eligibility, making funding available to even more people.
Anyone who owns or rents a home in the city of Grand Rapids built before 1978 is encouraged to learn about funding eligibility. For more information, please call the Healthy Homes Coalition of West Michigan at 616.241.3300 or visit www.GetTheLeadOutGR.org. Or, contact the city of Grand Rapids Community Development Department at 616.456.3030.
For the past 15 years of Kentwood’s 50-year history, Comcast has been proud to serve the city’s residents and businesses with internet, TV and voice service. Like Kentwood, which prioritizes investing in services that matter most to the community, we also continuously invest in our network as well as new products and services so our customers can rely on the technology in their homes and businesses.
Most recently, we’ve introduced Xfinity Mobile, which combines the nation’s largest 4G LTE network with our expansive national WiFi hotspot network so that you can stay connected virtually everywhere you go in Kentwood, Michigan and across the nation.
We have been a proud supporter of many Kentwood community initiatives, including the city’s 50th anniversary celebration, the Summer Series and the Kentwood-Wyoming Chamber.
Comcast Cares Day
In addition to financial support, as a company we are deeply committed to volunteering in the communities where our employees and customers live and work. One example of our focus on volunteerism is our annual Comcast Cares Day where hundreds of thousands of Comcast employees and other community members come together to make change happen across Michigan and the nation. Started in 2001, Comcast Cares Day is Comcast NBCUniversal’s annual celebration of our year-round commitment to service. Comcast Cares day is the largest single-day corporate volunteer event in the nation, with more than 900,000 volunteers having given more than 5 million hours of service at nearly 9,000 project sites since 2001.
Another key philanthropic focus is our commitment to bridging the digital divide. Through the Internet Essentials program, we have connected more than 500,000 low-income families, or more than 2 million Americans, to the power of the Internet in their homes. Internet has the ability to transform lives, strengthen communities, and inspire a new generation of leaders. It levels the playing field by creating greater access to education, health care, employment opportunities, news, information, and entertainment.
As Kentwood continues to grow and thrive, we look forward to being a part of the community’s ongoing success as a reliable technology provider. We’ll keep investing in our network, products and services, and our people who serve Kentwood residents and businesses so that you can continue relying on us for many of your technology needs. We also know that a superior customer experience at every touchpoint – in person, over the phone and online – is important to Kentwood residents and business owners. We’ll continue to work to make customer service our best product.
Tomorrow, Nov. 7, is election day and residents in both the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming have items on the ballot.
City of Kentwood
In the City of Kentwood, residents will be electing their city officials for the next four years. Of the six city positions up for election in Kentwood, only two are contested.
The first race is for the office of mayor, featuring incumbent Stephen Kepley who will be facing challenger Scott Urbanowski. Kepley was elected to the mayoral position in 2013 having served as a city engineer. Urbanowski is president and founder of Humanoid Digital, a digital media company.
The other contested race in the City of Kentwood is a 1st Ward City Commissioner seat with incumbent Jerry DeMaagd facing challenger Emily Bridson. For more on the candidates, see the We the People 1st Ward Commissioner article or view the September 1st Ward Commissioner candidate forum hosted by the Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce.
There are also four races in Kentwood that are unopposed. Those are Dan Kasunic, for clerk, Laurie Sheldon, for treasurer, Betsy Artz, for commissioner at large, and Tom McKelvey, for 2nd Ward city commissioner.
City of Wyoming
Those in the Wyoming Public School District, the largest district in the City of Wyoming, will be voting on an extension of the district’s millage for $79.5 million to be used on infrastructure projects. For a detail look at the extension and what the money will be used for, check out the WKTV Journal article by K.D. Norris.
Cities of the Kentwood and Wyoming: The Rapid Millage
The Rapid is seeking a renewal of 1.47 mills. The millage, which has been active for the past seven years, is about a third of The Rapid’s total budget of $44 million, covering about $15.5 million. For more about the millage, see The Rapid millage story by WKTV Editorial Assistant Hannah Haviland.
The House of Representatives defeated an overhaul of Michigan’s no-fault auto insurance system on a 45-63 vote Thursday night after 90 minutes of debate on the House floor but months of political bickering and conflicting advertising efforts.
The Nov. 2 defeat of the house bill also brought conflicting reactions from local and statewide officials.
Wyoming- and Kentwood-area representatives Tommy Brann (R-77th District) and Steve Johnson (R-72nd) split their votes on the issue, with Johnson voting in support and Brann in opposition.
“Tonight, I voted in support of reforming Michigan’s no-fault insurance system,” Johnson wrote in a supplied Facebook post explaining his vote. “Michigan drivers pay the highest rates in the nation for car insurance, which is why this is one of the top issues many of you discuss with me all across the district. While the proposed plan wasn’t perfect, it was a step in the right direction to provide coverage choice, reign in fraud, and lower rates for Michigan drivers. Unfortunately, a majority of my colleagues did not vote in support … (however, I) … look forward to seeing the conversation on this important and meaningful topic continue in the future.”
State Rep. Tommy Brann
While Brann said he thought “90 percent of the bill was good” he said the three-tiered approach to medical coverage limits was just not something he could go along with. “I have the obligation to my constituents,” Brann said to WKTV Friday. “An obligation to protect them and make the right decisions for them.”
He said he thought that if some families chose the lower medical limits and then were in an accident, it could be disastrous. “I’m thinking about the parent with a little girl, and they are in an accident and that little 10-year-old girl needs rehabilitation for the rest of her life.”
“This is important, and I hope we will continue to work on this,” he said. “But I just do not think it (this bill) would protect my constituents.”
Michigan’s high insurance rates in the nation, according to most critics, are because of the current no-fault insurance system’s unlimited medical benefits for people injured in car accidents, as well as insurance companies’ ability to charge different rates based on where people live — a particular problem for urban areas such as Detroit.
Few believed the packages of changes, House Bill 5013, was a complete fix for the many problems of the existing system, but some viewed it as a start in providing rate-payer relief from the highest auto insurance rates in the nation.
Supporters of the bill, including the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, said the bill “could” save motorists and businesses as much as $1 billion a year by allowing persons buying insurance choices on what amount of medical coverage they need buy. It also would have imposed price limits on medical providers who care for auto accident victims.
In general, the bill was also supported by auto insurance providers, but opponents often pointed out that there were not guarantees that insurance rates would go down — something one local insurance agent did not agree with.
“While there are no guarantees, anytime you install a reimbursement schedule that caps charges at a lower rate than today it would seem a good thing” for rate payers, Pat Curran, managing agent of Wyoming’s Precision Insurance Agency, said to WKTV. “One of the hardest parts in insurance pricing is knowing what your costs are going to be. Under the current system there is no such pricing structure.”
In general, the bill was opposed by the state’s medical providers and trial lawyers, but it also was opposed by lawmakers and others who pointed out that there was no guarantee that insurance providers would lower rates as a result of the changes.
“The Michigan Health & Hospital Association has been adamantly opposed to House Bill 5013 throughout deliberations on the bill, and we are encouraged by the fact that the Michigan House of Representatives opted to vote down what was simply a bad bill,” Brian Peters, CEO at the MHA, said in a statement released on their website Thursday night.
“We know that Michigan drivers want lower rates when it comes to their auto insurance premiums, and we would welcome the opportunity to work with legislators if and when they decide to go back to the drawing board when it comes to meaningful rate relief for drivers that protects benefits available to those seriously injured in auto accidents.”
The Michigan Chamber of Commerce also reacted to the defeat of the bill, saying in a statement that it was disappointed in the “63 of the 110 members of the Michigan House who turned their backs on Michigan drivers today and voted ‘no’ on reforms to the state’s broken and costly auto insurance system.”
“Lawmakers had a real opportunity today to drive down Michigan’s highest-in-the-nation auto insurance premiums,” Rich Studley, chamber president & CEO, said in the statement. “Unfortunately, 63 members of the Michigan House chose to turn their backs on their constituents and the state’s 7.1 million drivers and side with a handful of greedy ambulance-chasing personal injury attorneys and hospitals that profit from the status quo.”
“Even though the vote today failed, these lawmakers will need to explain their no vote to their constituents,” Jim Holcomb, general counsel for the chamber, said in the statement. “We remain confident that the drivers of our state won’t find these lawmakers’ excuses acceptable and force them back to the table to tackle the very real problem of Michigan’s highest-in-the-nation auto insurance costs and its primary cost-drivers.”
It’s time to pair your running shoes with your favorite ugly sweater for Kentwood’s Ugly Sweater 5K Cross Country Run.
The race will begin at noon on Saturday, Nov. 18 at Stormy Creek Golf Course, 3460 36th St., Kentwood. The course will wind through the golf course, making for a fun and challenging run. The City, which is celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2017, is inviting runners and walkers to join this unique type of race.
“This is the first time the City has offered a cross country race. Participants will get to run on grass and gravel, cross bridges and even be challenged with a couple of hills,” said Laura Barbrick, marketing and events coordinator of Kentwood’s Parks and Recreation Department. “The ugly sweater aspect adds a fun twist that the whole family can enjoy.”
Runners and spectators are encouraged to dress up for this fun 5k and show off their ugliest sweater. After the race, there will be an awards ceremony for both runners and the ugliest sweaters.
Registration is $35 and includes a knit beanie. For more registration information, visit www.kentwood50.com.
Michigan author Jim C. Hines returns to Schuler Books & Music this month to kick off his new sci-fi series, “Janitors of the Post-Apocalypse.”
The first book in the series, “Terminal Alliance,” introduces the audience to some unlikely heroes who may just save the galaxy: a crew of space janitors. Marion “Mops” Adamopoulos is surprisingly bright (for a human). As a Lieutenant on the Earth Mercenary Corps Ship Pufferfish, she’s in charge of the Shipboard Hygiene and Sanitation team. When a bioweapon attack by an alien race wipes out the command crew and reverts the rest of the humans to a feral state, only Mops and her team are left with their minds intact.
Escaping the attacking aliens—not to mention her shambling crewmates—is only the beginning. Sure, Mops and her assortment of space janitors and plumbers can clean the ship, but flying the thing is another matter. As they struggle to keep the Pufferfish functioning and find a cure for their crew, they stumble onto a conspiracy that could threaten the entire alliance of all the sentient species.
Hines, who is known for his humorous fantasy “Jig the Goblin” novels and the “Magic ex Libris” series, will be at Schuler Books & Music, 2660 28th St. SE, Monday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m.
Hines is an active blogger and won the 2012 Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer. He lives in mid-Michigan with his family.
For more information about this program or any other Schuler Boos & Music events, visit schulerbooks.com.
Wyoming Public Schools, shown here in a photo supplied by the district. (Supplied)
WKTV Staff
news@wktv.org
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal: In Focus, WKTV’s public affairs show, program host Ken Norris talks with Wyoming Public Schools Superintendent Tom Reeder about a Nov. 7 local ballot measure that would modernize district infrastructure and radically alter the high school. Then a representative of The Rapid public transition system talks about the importance of his organization’s request for continued public support.
Wyoming Public Schools superintendent Thomas Reeder’s district is seeking to modernize its buildings and other infrastructure. (WKTV)
Reeder’s district is asking for voter support for what will eventually be an investment of about $79.5 million into district infrastructure. The current approved millage would not increase or decrease, but passage of the request would extend the current millage rate for 18 more years — and would “set up the district for the next two decades,” Reeder says.
Michael Bulthuis of The Rapid public transit system. The Rapid is seeking a renewal of the system’s current 1.47 mil local property tax millage. (WKTV)
Michael Bulthuis, Marketing and Communication Manager for The Rapid public transit system, talks about the request to voters in Wyoming and Kentwood for renewal of the system’s current 1.47 mil local property tax millage. Wyoming and Kentwood are two of the six greater Grand Rapids community which are provided public transit and which would pay the millage. Mr. Bulthuis talks about his organization’s current services provided, its funding sources, and to give us some details on the renewal request.
The episode will air twice this week on WKTV channels but all interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal: In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVVideos.
The entire episode of “WKTV Journal: In Focus” airs Tuesdays and Thursdays, at 6:30 p.m., on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel.
A series of home invasions in the area of 52nd Street and Eastern Avenue have the Kentwood Police Department asking for the community’s help to identify and locate the suspect(s) who may be responsible.
According to a recently released police report, the suspect is an unknown male who may be wearing the jacket seen in the accompanying photos.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Kentwood Police Department at 616-698-6580 or Silent Observer at 800-774-2345.
In addition, the Kentwood Police Department is also reminding its citizens to keep their doors locked, exterior lights on and their garage doors shut at night and to call the local police department if they see or hear anything suspicious.
WKTV takes seriously its role as a communications provider. We want our community to be well-informed and more involved in local matters.
In the city of Kentwood, residents will be heading to the polls on Nov. 7 to elect new city officers and city commission members. Of the six positions up for election, only two are contested, the Mayor position and a 1st Ward City Commission seat. Below are the candidates for the 1st Ward Commission seat.
Emily Bridson
Name: Emily Bridson
Challenger for the First Ward City Commission Seat
Why did you decide to run for election to this office? [After attending several city commission meetings, Bridson said] Mayor Kepley approached me after a city commission meeting and said, “You know, if you keep showing up, we’ll give you a job to do.” It was back then that I decided to part of the solution. I seized the opportunity to become a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission and also the Planning Commission. It was one of the best decisions I have made: I have learned a tremendous amount about how the city works with other municipalities, and the importance of being an effective member of a committee, of listening to my neighbor’s input, and of serving our city. I’ve learned that all of us, by getting involved with local government, can have a positive impact on our families, neighborhoods, parks and the future of our city.
As you are aware, the City of Kentwood just recently marked its 50th anniversary. What challenges/issues do you believe the city will need to address to continue to build upon its success? Based on the many conversations I have had with residents, my vision for our city includes: investing in education – so that every child has a well-funded, effective education; promoting equity and inclusion – Kentwood’s boards and commissions should reflect our community. When inclusivity connects our community, we all win; improving our public places – investing in parks and recreation enhances our residents’ lives through activities and green spaces; prioritizing public safety – for everyone…for a safer community.
Gerald DeMaagd
Name: Gerald DeMaagd,
Incumbent for the First Ward City Commission Seat
Current position: I retired from Steelcase in 2001 after 27 years. I was a data security team leader.
Why did you decide to run for election/re-election to this office? I decided to run for re-election to continue working on improving governance at the commission level. Governance describes how the commission itself is organized.
As you are aware, the City of Kentwood just recently marked its 50th anniversary. What challenges/issues do you believe the city will need to address to continue to build upon its success? The challenge for Kentwood in the coming years will be long-term fiscal sustainability after the city is fully developed. Currently our tax base is expanding as new commercial, industrial, and housing development occurs…providing a growth dividend. When fully built out, this revenue increase will plateau.
Those seeking re-election in uncontested City of Kentwood races are Dan Kasunic for City Clerk; Laurie Sheldon for City Treasurer; and Betsy Artz for City Commissioner-at-Large. Tom McKelvy is running unopposed as well for a 2nd Ward Commission seat currently held by Erwin Haas who is not seeking re-election.
WKTV takes seriously its role as a communications provider. We want our community to be well-informed and more involved in local matters.
In the city of Kentwood, residents will be heading to the polls on Nov. 7 to elect new city officers and city commission members. Of the six positions up for election, only two are contested: the Mayor position and a 1st Ward City Commission seat. Below are the candidates running for mayor.
Stephen Kepley
Name: Stephen Kepley
Incumbent
Current position: Mayor of the City of Kentwood
Why did you decide to run for election/re-election to this office? I believe it is a calling in my life and that there are definitely goals I want to accomplish in the coming years such as continuing the work on the Kentwood Community Foundation. This was a private foundation which we have worked to make public and are now focused on building an endowment.
As you are aware, the City of Kentwood just recently marked its 50th anniversary. What challenges/issues do you believe the city will need to address to continue to build upon its success? We have been celebrating our past this year and through that we have learned that our residents look to our city to have some of these special city events through our Parks and Recreation Department. These include the farmers market, the Ugly Sweater 5k run, and the outdoor concerts. The residents see added value to keeping these type of events going. We still have a strong work climate, and jobs where people can work remain important which is why Kentwood will always be “open for business.” Kentwood also has a lot of open space and there are needs for housing. We are planning that infrastructure, and while Kentwood still has room to grow, we need to be planning for long-term sustainability of revenue income.
Scott Urbanowski
Name: Scott Urbanowski
Challenger
Current position: President and founder of Humanoid Digital, a digital media company
Why did you decide to run for election/re-election to this office? Originally I had considered the city commission; however, there was a push for me to run for mayor because of my leadership and managerial experience. I know what it is like to struggle with economic difficulties, and having lived through that I feel I understand the needs of all the residents of our community.
As you are aware, the City of Kentwood just recently marked its 50th anniversary. What challenges/issues do you believe the city will need to address to continue to build upon its success? I have a platform of safer, stronger, more engaged and better-managed safety. I would like to see more police patrols and more Neighborhood Watch groups in areas of high crime. Budget sustainability is another key component. Also, I would like to focus on the process of appointments to city boards, making it a more formalized process along with increasing awareness and communication of the positions available within the city.
Those seeking re-election in uncontested City of Kentwood races are Dan Kasunic for City Clerk; Laurie Sheldon for City Treasurer; and Betsy Artz for City Commissioner-at-Large. Tom McKelvy is running unopposed as well for a 2nd Ward Commission seat currently held by Erwin Haas, who is not seeking re-election.
On Saturday, Oct. 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Kentwood Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration will give the public its 14th opportunity in seven years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.
Bring pills for disposal to Kentwood Police Department, located at 4742 Walma Ave. SE. The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles or other sharp objects, only pills or patches. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
Last April, Americans turned in 450 tons (900,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at almost 5,500 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,200 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 13 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in more than 8.1 million pounds—more than 4,050 tons—of pills. This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue.
Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.
For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the Take Back Day event, please contact Vicki Highland at highlandv@ci.kentwood.mi.us or 616-656-6571.
For needles or sharp objects visit recyclekent.org for its SHARPS program or click here.
In Focus today is Michael Bulthuis of The Rapid public transit system. The Rapid, on November 7, will be asking for renewal of the system’s current 1.47 mil local property tax millage. (WKTV)
By Hannah Haviland, WKTV Editorial Assistant
news@wktv.org
At the upcoming Nov. 7 election, residents of the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood are being asked to consider a 1.47 millage rate so that The Rapid can continue serving these cities along with four other municipalities in the greater Grand Rapids area.
The millage request, which is listed as the Interurban Transit Partnership Board Transit Millage Ballot Proposal 2018-2019 on the Nov. 7 ballot, is not an increase, but rather would replace the current Rapid millage of 1.47 mills which is set to expire in July of 2018.
According to information supplied by The Rapid, for a $100,000 home with a taxable value of $50,000, the homeowner would continue to pay around $73.50 a year for the millage. The millage, which has been active for the past seven years, is about a third of The Rapid’s total budget of $44 million, covering about $15.5 million. The majority of the rest of the budget comes from the Michigan Department of Transportation’s local bus operating assistance and passenger fares.
Because the millage makes up such a large percentage of The Rapids’ operational expenses, without the renewal, most of the fixed route services that the millage helps fund would not be be able to operate, according to The Rapid Marketing and Communications Director Michael Bulthuis, who sat down to talk about the millage in a recent WKTV Journal: In Focus segment.
“Most of our riders are using the bus at least once a week, if not every day, for a work related activity,” Bulthuis said. “If you consider that we have between 11 to 12 million rides every year, 80 percent of those rides are work related trips.”
Each of the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood have nine Rapid routes not counting the Silver Line. These are among the 22 routes that would potentially be shut down if the millage doesn’t pass.
“You would start to see service cuts, frankly, because you’re not getting that $15.5 million in millage funding,” Bulthuis said. “That millage funding also helps leverage state funding so you’re losing millions of dollars in state funding as well.”
The millage has been active for the last seven years, and if it passes, will continue at the same rate of 1.47 for twelve more years. If, however, it doesn’t pass, all of The Rapids’ normal bus routes would cease. The Rapid would only be able to operate on a contractual basis for entities that would entirely cover the cost of its service. Go!Bus, the service for the elderly and disabled, would also be drastically decreased, putting people in that demographic at risk of missing doctor’s appointments or other needed services.
The millage funds are only used for everyday expenses such as wages for employees, fuel, tires, and other essential needs. It is not used for other projects such as new buses, buildings, or project construction. The Silver Line, which operates along Division Avenue connecting downtown Grand Rapids to the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming, would also not be affected since it is funded by state and federal grants.
The WKTV Journal: In Focus episode including the discussion about The Rapid millage, and a discussion with Wyoming Public Schools Superintendent Thomas Reeder on his district’s millage request, will air twice this week on WKTV channels but all interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal: In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVVideos.
“WKTV Journal: In Focus” will air on Tuesdays and Thursdays, at 6:30 p.m., on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel.
Wyoming Public Schools, shown here in a photo supplied by the district, saw its number of students drop in the recent “Count Day” state survey of students. (Supplied)
Some local school leaders were braced for bad news, some confident of good news, as Wyoming and Kentwood area school districts held their public school “Count Day” early this month — a day when the number of students attending their schools directly relates to how much funding they will receive from the state.
The fall count, held Oct. 4, is worth 90 percent of the state per-pupil funding. The spring semester count, from the previous school year, is 10 percent of funding. This school year’s spring count date is scheduled for Feb. 8, 2018.
“We are still in the period where we identify the final number, but that is the formula that is used,” Wyoming’s Godfrey-Lee Public Schools Superintendent Kevin Polston said to WKTV journal. The “count impacts this years funding. We do not receive state aid in September, and begin receiving it in October after fall count. (So) this impacts our current budget.”
The local public school districts, as well as charters, are to receive $7,631 per-pupil for the 2017-18 school year. Godwin Heights Public Schools receives slightly more per student due to a historic loss of a substantial commercial tax base.
Godfrey-Lee counted 1,878 students for the fall count day, 72 below projections and down 84 students for the 2016-17 school year. So, if preliminary numbers hold, Godfrey-Lee would receive less state funding this year than last. But Polston says the district is prepared.
“This is the reason why it is important to have fund balances that can account for shortfalls like this,” said Polston, who is in his first year as superintendent. “We will maintain all current positions and programs, but immediately take a close look at all areas of the budget for both short and long term savings. We are fortunate to have a fund balance that can absorb a shortfall for this year.
“Our Board of Education has a policy of maintaining at least a 10 percent fund balance for times like this. We will need to backfill this deficit with next year’s budget. I’m confident in our team’s ability to strategically prioritize spending with a constant focus on keeping dollars in the classroom.”
His district will also look at the reasons why enrollment dropped.
“We have had a strong growth trend over the past few years, but that didn’t hold this year,” he said. “We are analyzing the areas where we fell short to identify contributing factors. We believe our best solution is to promote our district to our current residents to retain as many as we can in our strong, local, neighborhood schools.”
According to an analysis published on MLive, Michigan has more than 1.6 million kindergarten through 12th grade students in the 2016-17 school year, with about 1 million attending their local public schools. The other half million, or so, attended private or charter schools, or crossed home district lines to enroll in other public school districts.
Kentwood Public Schools is one of the districts gaining students, some from out of the district boundaries.
“We are up 136 — 9,121 total non-audited — students from last Fall count day,” Kentwood Public Schools Superintendent Michael Zoerhoff told WKTV. “The last three years we have seen an upward trend of our enrollment count. We are excited to see that Kentwood Public Schools continues to be a destination district for many families because of the great opportunities provided.”
Godwin Heights Public Schools, according to Superintendent William Fetterhoff, counted 2,166 students after budgeting for 2,145, so 21 over projection and 39 below last year. Fetterhoff told WKTV the trend is not unusual for his district, or across the nation for that matter, and he pointed to a decline in kindergarten through 3rd grade students as one reason.
Wyoming Public Schools, according to the district, counted 4,250, down 70 from last year.
Wyoming Public Schools students. (Supplied)
“4,250 is an appropriate estimate for our fall count … We anticipated a decrease this year,” Matt Lewis, Assistant Superintendent for Finance & Administrative Services for Wyoming Public Schools said to WKTV. “We budgeted to be down 75, and we’re on track to be down between 75 and 80.
“We’re approximately 70 down from last year which is right on projection. … I can’t give you a final number because there are 30 days from the count day during which students can still be counted if they were absent.”
The decline in enrollment is also not surprising to Lewis.
“Wyoming has averaged a loss of 108 students per year since the fall of 2004,” he said. “We’ve done many, many things to address the decline, cutting millions from our operating budget. We’ve become extremely efficient from an administrative perspective, closed buildings when necessary, including the consolidation of our high schools for 2012/13, and made countless adjustments to our contractual obligations and benefit costs. Our employees have (also) taken on a substantial portion of their healthcare costs over this period of enrollment decline.”
In other initial, unaudited numbers from local public districts, detailed in published reports, Kelloggsville Public Schools counted 2,327 students, 102 above projections and 79 more than last year.
The high school football season has moved into playoff mode and so has WKTV’s featured football coverage — this week will be a rematch matchup as Wyoming Godwin Heights (7-2) again travels to Wyoming Kelloggsville (9-0) for an opening-round Division 4 game on Friday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m..
Other local teams in the football playoffs include Grand Rapids South Christian (7-2) hosting Plainwell (7-2), also Friday at 7 p.m., at Byron Center High School. And Wyoming Tri-unity Christian (6-3) will be traveling north to Suttons Bay (6-3) for an 8-Man Division 1 playoff game Saturday, Oct. 28, at 2 p.m.
Currently, WKTV sports events will be broadcast the night of the game on Comcast Channel 25, usually at 11 p.m., and repeated on Saturday at 11 a.m. on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 in Wyoming & Kentwood.
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week, any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and features on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/
Local high school sports events this week are as follows:
Tuesday, Oct. 24
Girls Volleyball
Wyoming @ Christian
Wyoming Lee @ Algoma Christian
Kelloggsville @ Muskegon Orchard View
Zion Christian @ Grand River Prep
TBD @ Tri-Unity Christian – Rivertown/Crossroads Tri
Boys Soccer
TBD – MHSAA Regionals
Wednesday, Oct. 25
Girls Volleyball
O-K Red Conference Meet @ East Kentwood
Thursday, Oct. 26
Girls Volleyball
South Christian @ FH Eastern
Middleville T-K @ Wyoming – Senior Night
WMAES @ Wyoming Lee – Senior Night
Boys Soccer
TBD – MHSAA Regionals
Friday, Oct, 27
Boys Water Polo
@ East Kentwood – MHSAA Regionals
Football
Wyoming Godwin Heights at Wyoming Kelloggsville (playoffs)
Plainwell at South Christian (at Byron Center High School) (playoffs)
Saturday, Oct. 28
Boys/girls Cross Country
Wyoming @ Allendale – MHSAA Regionals
Wyoming Lee @ Allendale – MHSAA Regionals
Godwin Heights @ Allendale – MHSAA Regionals
Tri-Unity Christian @ Allendale – MHSAA Regionals
TBD – MHSAA Regionals
Boys Water Polo
@ East Kentwood – MHSAA Regionals
8-Man Football
Tri-unity Christian at Suttons Bay (playoff)
Monday, Oct. 30
Girls Volleyball
Wyoming vs TBD @ Christian – MHSAA Districts
Wyoming Lee vs TBD @ South Christian – MHSAA Districts
Godwin Heights vs Kelloggsville @ South Christian – MHSAA Districts
@ East Kentwood – MHSAA Districts
Tuesday, Oct. 31
Halloween
Girls Volleyball
Zion Christian vs Holland Calvary @ Tri-Unity Christian – MHSAA Districts
East Kentwood High School will host its annual marching band competition this weekend. (Photo by Jim Swoboda)
By Kelly Arganbright
Kentwood Band and Orchestra Boosters
The competition will be intense down on the football field, with a stadium full of cheering fans, at East Kentwood High School Saturday, Oct. 21. Uniformed players will be suited up in their school colors, every movement planned, with the sole focus of trying for the best performance of the season. It’ll be a lot like the games you see in every stadium across America, except for one thing, there will be no football.
In fact, this is no game at all. This event is the East Kentwood High School Falcon Marching Band Invitational, a marching band competition, and it’s happening from 2:30-10 p.m.
It is a musical extravaganza and one of the biggest marching band shows in West Michigan, with 20 high school bands from around West Michigan slated to compete for top honors.
People who have never been to a marching band competition, can liken the experience to watching twenty, football game, halftime shows. Bands are classified according to school size and compete in their respective classes. Each band’s performance has its own chosen theme with related music that they perform with synchronized, choreographed movements. This is no small task, when you consider some of these bands are in excess of 200 members. That’s a lot of moving parts and instruments! The result is a performance that is impressive to hear and watch.
And, the view should be spectacular. East Kentwood boasts the highest vantage point of any high school stadium in West Michigan. A very important detail, considering when it comes to marching bands, the higher a person is in the stadium, the better the view of the performance they will have.
People should plan to come out and spend the day. There will be a plenty of food and drinks available at the concession stand, so spectators will not have to miss a single performance.
Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for students and seniors and age 5 and under are free. All proceeds benefit the EKHS instrumental music programs.
Here is the performance line up:
Class D
2:30 PM Brandywine High School
2:45 PM Bridgman High School
3:00 PM Pewamo-Westphalia High School
3:15 PM Gobles High School
3:30 PM Break
Class C
3:45 PM Freemont High School
4:00 PM Oakridge High School
4:15 PM Parchment High School
4:30 PM Whitehall High School
4:45 PM Dowagiac High School
5:00 PM Lakewood High School
5:15 PM Break
Class B
5:45 PM Kenowa Hills High School
6:00 PM Ionia High School
6:15 PM Charlotte High School
6:30 PM Vicksburg High School
6:45 PM Spring Lake High School
7:00 PM Break
Class A
7:30 PM Wyoming High School
7:45 PM Kalamazoo Central High School
8:00 PM Olivet High School A
8:15 PM Portage Central High School
Exhibition
8:30 PM East Kentwood High School
9:00 PM Awards Ceremony
(Photos attached to file. Photo credit to Jim Swoboda.)
Paul Haan, of the Health Homes Coalition of West Michigan, on the set of WKTV Journal: In Focus/ (WKTV)
WKTV Staff
news@wktv.org
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal: In Focus, WKTV’s public affairs show, program host Ken Norris talks with Paul Haan of Healthy Homes Coalition of West Michigan, a group which works to identify and address environmental health hazards in homes with young children, including lead poisoning.
“We were founded 11 years ago this summer and really grew out of a community response to the number of kids who were exposed to lead poisoning here in Kent County,” Haan said. “Our mission at that point was to end lead poisoning in Kent County — we are well on our way, we have more work to do, but that is what we were after. … the Health Homes Coalition grew out of that effort.”
Also on the new program is a discussion with Ethan Anderson, a local financial advisor with a common sense approach to retirement planning. The discussion focuses on retirement planning for the today’s young working families, and it just begins with why company pensions are almost a thing of the past.
The episode will air twice this week on WKTV channels but all interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal: In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVVideos.
“WKTV Journal: In Focus” will air on Tuesdays and Thursdays, at 6:30 p.m., on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel.
The high school football season has gone past way too quickly, and we are already to the final week of the regular season week, but once again WKTV’s featured coverage will have a great matchup as South Christian travels to East Grand Rapids.
South Christian and Grand Rapids Christian each are just a game behind EGR, which is trying to complete a perfect season. With a win though South will get a share of what could be “tri-champions in the OK Gold.”
Elsewhere in the area, Kelloggsville, with their big win over Belding last week, assured themselves of at least a share of the OK Silver championship. The team can clinch the sole championship with a final week victory against Hopkins, which will come into the game with a 4-4 overall record.
With the Godwin Heights victory last week over NorthPointe Christian, the team guaranteed themselves of being a part of the MHSAA playoffs by getting to the 6-win mark.
East Kentwood needs to get a final week victory at home against Caledonia to make it into the playoffs after their defeat last week at Rockford. The Falcons record is 5-3 but they have yet to defeat a team with a winning record so they might not make it as an “at-large” team with only the five wins.
The playoff matchups for all eight divisions will be announced Sunday evening, after the final Friday of games.
Planned WKTV featured coverage this month includes:
Friday, Oct. 20, football — South Christian at East Grand Rapids
Friday, Oct. 27, football – Playoffs TBD (after games of Oct. 20)
Currently, WKTV sports events will be broadcast the night of the game on Comcast Channel 25, usually at 11 p.m., and repeated on Saturday at 11 a.m. on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 in Wyoming & Kentwood.
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week, any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and features on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/
Local high school sports events this week are as follows:
Monday, Oct. 16
Boys/girls Cross Country
South Christian @ East Grand Rapids
Boys Soccer
Everett @ Wyoming – MHSAA Districts
Wyoming Lee vs TBD – MHSAA Districts
Godwin Heights vs TBD @ Christian – MHSAA Districts
TBD @ East Kentwood – MHSAA Districts
Tuesday, Oct. 17
Girls Volleyball
South Christian @ East Grand Rapids
Wayland @ Wyoming – Dig Pink
Wellsprings Prep @ Zion Christian
East Kentwood @ Grandville
Holland Calvary @ Tri-Unity Christian
Boys/girls Cross Country
Wyoming @ East Grand Rapids
Wyoming Lee @ Calvin Christian
Godwin @ Calvin Christian
Kelloggsville @ Calvin Christian
Boys Soccer
Zion Christian @ Calvin Christian – MHSAA Districts
Wednesday, Oct. 18
Boys Soccer
Godwin Heights vs TBD @ Christian – MHSAA Districts
East Kentwood vs TBD @ FH Central – MHSAA Districts
Thursday, Oct. 19
Girls Swimming
South Christian @ Wayland
East Kentwood @ Rockford
Girls Volleyball
Middleville T-K @ South Christian
Wyoming Lee @ NorthPointe Christian
Union @ Kelloggsville
Zion Christian @ West Michigan Aviation
Calvin Christian @ Godwin Heights
East Kentwood @ West Ottawa
Holland Black River @ Tri-Unity Christian
Boys/girls Cross Country
East Kentwood @ Rockford
Friday, Oct. 20
Boys Football
South Christian @ East Grand Rapids – WKTV Featured Game
Forest Hills Eastern @ Wyoming – Community Night
Godwin Heights @ Wyoming Lee
Hopkins @ Kelloggsville
Caledonia @ East Kentwood
Belding @ Potter’s House/Calvin Christian
Boys Water Polo
East Kentwood vs TBD @ West Ottawa – MHSAA Districts
Saturday, Oct. 21
Boys/girls Cross Country
South Christian @ Kalamazoo Christian
Kelloggsville @ Gobles
Girls Volleyball
Wyoming @ Hesperia
Wyoming Lee @ Belding
Godwin Heights @ Belding
Kelloggsville @ Belding
Zion Christian – Alliance League Tournament @ Davenport
Tri-Unity Christian – Alliance League Tournament @ Davenport
Boys Soccer
Godwin vs TBD @ Christian – MHSAA Districts
East Kentwood vs TBD @ FH Central – MHSAA Districts
Boys Water Polo
East Kentwood vs TBD @ West Ottawa – MHSAA Districts
Kentwood Public School’s fifth graduating class came together recently to celebrate their 50th anniversary. The year: 1967, when Aretha Franklin was singing for respect, the first Boeing 737 rolled out, and Paris township became the City of Kentwood.
Steve Barnes with classmate Russ Bullis Russ’s wife Betsy.
“They incorporated all the schools that were connected and became part of Kentwood Public Schools which eventually lead into the City of Kentwood,” said Clare Harrington.
The old classmates were eager to recount stories from their time at Kentwood schools. These memories backtrack to a time before Kentwood was even a city.
“The high school was actually in the Townline building at the same time we were in the middle school before the actual high school was built on 44th Street,” Russ Bullis said.
The Class of 1967 had its 50th Class Reunion at the 84th Street Pub &Grille.
Later, the students would move from the Townline Elementary School to the new high school, today’s Crestwood Middle School located on 44th Street near Walma Avenue. Crestwood, which opened in 1960, housed students in grades 7th – 12th grade. The first Kentwood Public Schools graduating class was in 1963. East Kentwood High School, located on Kalamazoo Avenue, was built in 1969 and even through the Class of 1967 had graduated by the time the high school was built, many of the students could recall special events that took place at East Kentwood High School.
“I remember when the football field went in and the track, and they named it after Patterson,” said Steve Barnes, whose mother is credited in naming the City of Kentwood and whose father, Clifford, was on the Kentwood Public Schools Board of Education. Clifford Barnes served as the first board president. “And that was something big because we didn’t even have that.”
“We were a country school, bottom line,” Harrington said. “It was because of the country setting that we had there for Kentwood High School, they used to call us ‘silo high.'”
But nobody would call Kentwood Schools “silo high” now. The population of this city is 50,000 and growing. And much of that growth can be credited to former Kentwood students who chose to stay and build their lives in their home city.
“I’m just glad that I was a part of it because it’s kinda unique to see it happen,” Harrington said. “Now look at Kentwood today, it’s one of the industrial giants that we have around the whole Grand Rapids area.”
Russ Bullis looks over some of the Class of 1967 memorabilia.
Many have probably seen the animated ad with the house running away from its owner. The ad is for the state run program Step Forward Michigan, a federally funded program designed to help homeowners facing foreclosure. A program, Kent County Treasurer Kenneth Parrish strongly supports.
“I’m a big supporter of the Step Forward Michigan program,” Parrish said during a recent news conference that brought together county treasurers for Kent, Ottawa and Kalamazoo counties along with representatives from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. THE MSHDA oversees the Step Forward Michigan program in collaboration with the Michigan Homeowner Assistance nonprofit Housing Corporation.
“Since 2010, the program has helped nearly 1,700 Kent County residents with over $15 million in loans making us the fourth largest user of the program,” Parrish said, adding that of that about $13.9 million was used to cover mortgage payments, $1.2 million for unpaid property taxes and another $15,000 for condominium payments.
From the Step Forward Michigan video.
Federal funded with $500 million, almost 35,000 Michigan homeowners have qualified for around $308 million in loans since the program started seven years ago. There is about $40 million left to help eligible households but the clock is ticking as the deadline to apply is 2020.
“The Step Forward Program offers great opportunities for families to stabilize their situation and to save their homes,” Parrish said. “We take no pleasure on foreclosing on homes here in Kent County. If you have fallen behind in your property tax, mortgage or condominium payments, I urge you to check out the Step Forward Michigan Program and see if you can get a load that will ultimately help you keep your home.”
Those who have been hit with a hardship – medical event, job loss or underemployment, death, divorce, one-time critical out-of-pocket expense – can get up to a $30,000 interest-free loan to get caught up on property tax, mortgage or condo payments. If the homeowner stays in the home for five years, the loan is forgiven and they do not have to pay back the loan, according to MSHDA Executive Director Earl Poleski.
Kent County Treasurer Kenneth Parrish talks about the Step Forward Michigan program at a recent news conference.
To qualify for assistance, a homeowner must be a Michigan resident, have an ownership interest in the property and be able to sign a new mortgage lien on property, occupy property as his or her primary resident, have enough income to cover the mortgage, condo association fees, and/or property tax payments going forward, and have cash reserves no greater than $10,000.
Any homeowner convicted in the past 10 years on a financial-related felony, including larceny, theft, fraud, forgery, money laundering and/or tax evasion, is not eligible for the program.
A homeowner can receive a loan only once from the program. The average loan amount has been $7,383. Loan payments go directly to the county treasurers office, mortgage lender or condominium association, not to the homeowner
According to state officials, the process to find out if a home owner is eligible is easier than filling out a full mortgage application. Those interested can go to StepForwardMichigan.org and fill out the questions to see if they are eligible or call 866-946-7432.
Kent County residents can also reach out to the Inner City Christian Federation or ICCF at 616-336-9333 or the Home Repair Services of Kent County at 616-241-2601.
