The City of Kentwood prides itself on being business friendly. It’s a city looking for ways to create jobs, generate commerce, and offer opportunities for those looking to open a business in Kentwood.
In a study of 1,268 small-sized cities in America, Kentwood came in at number 51.
Mayor Kepley is focused on keeping Kentwood business friendly
“The City leaders, past and present, have intentionally focused City staff and services to be ‘Open for Business’,” noted Mayor Kepley. “It is exciting to see our efforts result in a national ranking.”
The study compared cities with a population size between 25,000 and 100,000 residents across three different dimensions – business environment, access to resources, and business costs. Those three dimensions where then broken down further into 15 relevant metrics that were weighted accordingly.
Kentwood scored well enough to place itself just outside of the top-50. In fact, Kentwood sits atop the nation when it comes to inexpensive office spaces.
The ranking doesn’t act as validation for the city but instead registers as verification that Kentwood is open and ready for business.
Other rankings of note – Wyoming comes in at 230 and Holland tops the list at number 1.
City of Kentwood has officially paid off its $10 million bond for the Justice Center.
There are a couple of things that 62B District Court Judge William Kelly is proud of when it comes to the City of Kentwood’s Justice Center. One, that it was completed on budget and on time and two, the functionality of the facility.
“I wouldn’t trade this facility for any courthouse in West Michigan,” Kelly said.
And Kelly can add one more thing to that list: the city officially has paid off the $10 million bond issue within its 15-year time frame. To celebrate the achievement, there will be an open house Friday, May 6 at the Justice Center, 4740 Walma Ave. SE, next to Kentwood City Hall.
“The city did it through financial prudence,” Kelly said about paying off the bond, adding that because of that Kentwood has earned AA+ bond rating, which is very rare for a municipality.
It was in the face of overcrowding and the need to add police officers to its city that then Mayor Bill Hardiman went to Kentwood residents and told them that if they approved a millage to add an additional 20 police officers to the current 50-member force, city officials would find a way to build the center that would house the 62B District Court and the Kentwood Police Department, according to Kelly.
The millage was approved and the Kentwood City Commission set about to do what had been promised.
“It was hard for the city commission,” said Kelly, who has served as the district judge for 37 years. “It was the first time the city had ever gone for a bond for a general obligation.”
The commission approved a $10 million bond for 15 years to be paid out of the general fund. Several key city officials were involved in the design of the new Justice Center including Kelly, former police chief Richard Mattice and former public works director Ron Woods, who was in charge of overseeing construction.
Before the Justice Center, the city had to rent trailers to house some staff from the police and finance departments. Within the current city hall, the former district court space became the city commission chambers and the former police department space became the mayor’s offices.
“We are thrilled to make the final payment for Kentwood’s Justice Center,” said Mayor Stephen Kepley. “Our citizens made a significant investment and we have ensured that the facility is paid off on schedule and is adequately maintained for the long-term benefit of the community.”
A couple of years later, the city would take out a $15 million bond for a new fire station and public works facility along with the remodeling of city hall and two other fire stations. In 2008, voters approved a library millage for the construction and maintenance needs of the current library facility, which was the last building within the city complex located off of Breton Avenue.
This is a rendering of the Kelloggsville High School’s new front entrance.
While it is evident that construction has already started at the Kelloggsville High School, school officials and board members made it official with a ground breaking ceremony at the school on Monday, April 25.
About 80 people came out on the bright sunny afternoon to celebrate the start of the construction at the building located at 23 Jean St. SW. School officials again thanked the voters and those involved in getting the $33.9 million bond issue approved in February 2015. The bond issue passed with a two-to-one margin, 334 to 126.
“We are excited to make the high school the center of the district, the way it should be,” said Kelloggsville Superintendent Samuel Wright.
Kelloggsville school officials and representatives “break ground” on the district’s high school renovation project.
“I can only imagine the impact that it will have on the community with all the kids going through this building,” said Frank Stank, president and CEO of Owen-Ames-Kimbell, which has been working with Kelloggsville Public Schools and the community on the project.
The bulk of the bond proposal, according to Wright, has been dedicated to the high school with major changes planned for the building that originally was constructed in the 1920s. There have been several additions to the structure over the years including a remodel of the school’s cafeteria from a 1998 bond issue. The last major construction project for the district was the Kelloggsville Middle School in 1994.
The remainder of the bond money will be used for upgrades, including security cameras, at the district’s other facilities.
Among the changes for the high school includes a revamping of the front of the building which will move the entrance of the school from Jean Street to Division Avenue and allow students to exit with the light at 48th Street and Division Avenue. The new entrance will allow for added security in the building as visitors will only need to enter the front of the building to access the school’s gymnasium, media center and the public areas, said Jim Ward, a resident and media specialist who has been working with the district.
The school also will have a new competition gym which will be able to host varsity games (currently the games are at the middle school), an indoor track facility, and state-of-the-art media center. Kelloggsville Director of Curriculum Tammy Savage said the goal is to have all of these facilities open to the public which includes the library being open possibly two nights a week.
Members of the Kelloggsville High School band perform as people gather for the ground breaking ceremony at Kelloggsville High School.
The rest of the high school project includes renovations and additions of classrooms, the auditorium receiving theater-style seating for 480, technology upgrades, and security and safety improvements including the addition of security cameras and card access along with a new fire alarm system. The entire project is expected to take about two years with completion scheduled for 2017.
“We’ll meet back here in the fall of 2017,” said Kelloggsville School Board President Tim Pomorski in his closing remarks. He adding it will be for the ribbon cutting ceremony for the newly renovated Kelloggsville High School.
Kelloggsville was formed in 1859. It is about four-and-half square miles and straddles the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming.
Both the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming will be hosting drug take back programs on April 30.
April 30 is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day and both the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming are participating with drug take back programs on that day.
The Kentwood Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration will be accepting medications from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 30, at the Kentwood Police Department, 4742 Walma Ave. SE. For specific questions on the Kentwood program, call 656-6571.
The City of Wyoming has once again teamed up with Metro Health Hospital with its program also from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m Saturday, April 30, in the main lobby of Metro Health Hospital, 5900 Byron Center Ave. SW. A pharmacist will be available to answer questions. Also at the Metro Health site, those with mercury thermometers can exchange those items for a new digital thermometer.
Drug take back programs like the ones in Kentwood and Wyoming are designed to help with the environment in that it increases awareness about placing medications in the trash or flushing them down the toilet, a practice that is now strongly discouraged as it can create safety and health hazards.
“The main thing for us is to keep it out of our water system,” said Wyoming’s Environmental Services Supervisor Dave Oostindie. “If it gets in, it ends up going into the Grand River which feeds into Lake Michigan which is where we pull our water supply from and eventually return back to the residents.”
Also, medications that are forgotten 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. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that 44 people a day die from drug overdoses. That number has tripled since 2000. A majority of abused prescription drugs, such as opioid pain relievers found in homes, are obtained from family and friends with Oostindie noting often the meds are stolen right out of people’s medical cabinets.
Residents from both cities are encouraged to bring in unused and expired prescription and over-the-counter medications to their city’s respective drop-off site. Both sites are free and anonymous with no questions asked.
Kentwood officials noted that every year they have a number of people bring items that are not accepted such as needles and medical equipment. You can can check with specific organizations such as the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, but many groups pointed to the Kent County Health Department as a good place to start for information on disposal of medical equipment and supplies. Recyclekent.org offers a number of resources on recycling for a variety of materials including hazardous material and medical equipment and supplies.
Needles: The recyclekent.org website recently added a program called Safe Sharps, where residents can sign up at the Kent County Health Department. For more information, visit recyclekent.org/material/sharps/. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) also has a list places to take needles. Click here for the list.
Medical equipment: Recyclekent.org has a list of places that either recycle or dispose of the equipment or you can donate medical equipment to them. For a complete list, click here. One place that does take medical equipment is Spring Lake’s International Aid. For more about that organization, visit internationalaid.org.
Eye glasses: The Grand Rapids Lions Club has several locations where you can drop off old eyeglasses. For a complete list, click here.
There is also the West Michigan Take Back Meds program. a joint effort between local pharmacies, law enforcement, wastewater treatment facilities and government agencies to provide safe, convenient medicine disposal.
Medications collected in West Michigan are brought to Kent Countys Waste to Energy Facility, where the items are incinerated. Metro Health and the City of Wyoming partner twice a year to provide this service. Last fall’s Wyoming event brought in 169 pounds of medication and 18 thermometers.
The City of Wyoming also offers a prescription drug drop-off service 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday at its Department of Public Safety, 2300 DeHoop Ave. SW.
The outside fortifications of the castle have taken serious damage as the opposing forces lick their chops readying for a takeover. Three valiant knights, bonded by an alliance, are all the castle has left. They band together and strike back, strategically battering the opposing stronghold with a flawlessly executed counterattack that places victory within reach.
Now all that’s left is to bring down the tower, and time is running out.
It’s a battle scene playing out straight from a movie. However, these knights aren’t people, they’re robots, and they’re built and operated by high school students on a quest for a state championship at the DeltaPlex from April 14-16..
FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in Michigan is an organization and robotics competition that gives students an opportunity to build their own robots and compete against other teams. It’s a way for students to discover how rewarding a career in engineering or technology can be.
Code Red Robotics, a local program based in Kentwood, recently qualified for the Michigan FIRST Robotics State Championship that will be held this weekend at the DeltaPlex Arena. Code Red enters the competition with the highest district score in West Michigan, highest scoring regular season match in the country, and as a winner of the Chairman’s Award, the top award in FIRST.
The competition theme for this year is “FIRST Stronghold” and creates alliances of three robots on a quest to breach their opponents’ fortifications, weaken the opponents’ tower with foam boulders, and ultimately capture the tower. Students were given six weeks to create a robot from scratch that could best handle all the obstacles. In all, the outermost line of fortification had more than 18,000 possible field configurations.
“Robotics is a great opportunity for the kids to learn teamwork. It truly is a team sport,” said Code Red director Ken Orzechowski.
Code Red Robotics started in 2008 and hasn’t looked back. Since the team started competing in 2009, Code Red has qualified for the state championship every year but one and has qualified for the world championship twice.
While most robotics teams are affiliated with a school, Code Red Robotics runs separately and relies on students from surrounding area schools to bolster the team. It’s the most challenging obstacle for the program.
“We have to constantly reach out to kids to join,” said Orzechowski. “It’s difficult, but having a team represented by 10 different schools only adds to our team dynamic. Plus, once they get in, they don’t leave. It’s too much fun!”
The schools represented at Code Red include Byron Center, Caledonia, Calvin Christian, Forest Hills Central, Grandville, Kenowa Hills, NorthPointe Christian, South Christian, Well Spring Academy, and home schools. On top of bringing kids in from other schools to learn robotics and be a part of a team, Code Red has been active in starting up robotics programs across the area.
In order to get a new program off of the ground, Code Red meets with school and community leaders, recruits mentors to help the students, and aids in finding sponsors and developing business plans. Their efforts have succeeded in getting six programs off the ground and rebooting another: the Forest Hills Comets, East Kentwood Red Storm, the Altobots, West Mi Aviation Spitfires, Harper Creek Robo Beavers, and the Petoskey Paladins. Code Red was also instrumental in finding mentors and sponsors to revive the Wyoming Demons after they folded in 2012. The Demons also qualified for the state championship this year.
“Starting some of these programs has cut into our own pool of kids, but that’s okay. It’s all about spreading the positives that come with FIRST,” said Orzechowski.
Orzechowski touched on those positives that spread well beyond the technical skills learned.
“It forces kids to articulate what they know and share ideas. We have a lot of smart kids; at one point we had five valedictorians, but they don’t always know how to share their ideas. If you can’t articulate your idea, it’s as bad as not knowing it. The teamwork that is required for FIRST helps build those skills.”
One of the collages by Kathryn Armstrong now on display at the Leep Gallery at the Postman Center on the Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, 300 68th St. SE.
A new photography exhibit, “From the Rising of the Sun” by local artist Kathryn Armstrong opens at the Leep Art Gallery April 7, 2016. The exhibit is at the Postma Center on the Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services main campus in Grand Rapids.
The photography exhibit is in the form of 20 collages with 400 photographs, and is based on Psalm 113:3, “From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord’s name is to be praised.” It reflects Armstong’s lifetime of experiencing the wonder and glory of God’s creative genius around the world. The murals share the heartbeat of one family traveling through one year and one lifetime in a modest lake home here in Grand Rapids.
“I hope it also transcends that perspective to speak for the universal experiences of humans, not only in our American life and culture, but everywhere, through vistas of the intimate and exotic both at home and throughout our magnificent planet,” Armstrong said. “My prayer is that every person who views these collages will feel their spirits lifted and their hearts drawn toward the eternal creator of our universe, who loves us with an everlasting love.”
Armstrong has taught high school, has home schooled her own seven children, and sold photos to the Lighthouse Christian Bookstore in Marquette, Mich. Last fall she had one of her collages on display at Acton Institute, has photographed numerous weddings and has been an avid photographer since receiving a Brownie box camera for her tenth birthday. She has carried a camera with her ever since.
Armstrong’s exhibit will be on display at Pine Rest Postma Center located at 300 68th St. SE, through July 1. The Leep Art Gallery is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and is free and open to the public. For more information, please call 616-222-4530.
With the warmer spring weather and the chance to finally get outside, it seems like everyone starts taking a look at the “stuff” they have accumulated over the winter and that little urge to purge takes over.
And Wyoming City officials say purge away and bring all of your discarded stuff to Wyoming’s fist citywide Community Clean-Up Day set for Saturday, April 23. From 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Godfrey Lee Athletic Complex, 1824 Godfrey Ave. SW, Wyoming residents will be able to drop off trash, household hazardous waste and donations for the Salvation Army.
“In the past, there have been dumpsters placed in certain neighborhoods, but we have never had a citywide clean-up event,” said Nancy Stoddard, who works in the city’s treasurer’s office and is on the organizing committee for the Clean-Up Day event. The event was put together by the Looks Good Committee, one of three strategic planning committees made up of city employees. The other two committees are Feels Good and Sense of Place, both of which are helping with the April 23 event.
“We are excited to do something together,” Stoddard said. “We enjoy working with each other and this is a nice opportunity to be able to volunteer for the community, working to make it a nicer place to live and work.”
More than 30 volunteers will be on hand during the day at the drop-off site to help residents. Residents of Wyoming will need to bring proof of residency such as a picture ID or a tax or water bill with the person’s name and address on it. Only Wyoming residents will be allowed to drop off trash or general household items such as old furniture, appliances, building material scraps, etc. Kent County will be on hand for the collection of household hazardous waste, such as antifreeze, bleach and pesticides, and recycling, such as cardboard, metal cans and plastic shopping bags. For what is accepted in hazardous waste and recycling, visit the Recycle Kent website.
“Kent County officials said they would have one dumpster just dedicated to cardboard because at these type of events, they said they get a lot of cardboard,” Stoddard said.
The Salvation Army will be on site to collect gently-used items (for a list of accepted items, visit the Salvation Army website) and Plummer’s Disposal will be there for mattresses and box springs, which will be $12 each to drop off, and tires, which will be $10. The only item that will not be accepted is electronics, such as old computers and televisions. Stoddard said the organization that planned to help with that had to drop out due to another commitment.
Traffic will enter off of Joosten Street near the Godfrey Lee Early Education Center, curving through the site with various drop points before exiting on to Godfrey Avenue.
Being the first one, Stoddard said they are not sure what attendance will be like. She said she has handed out more than 300 handbills at the treasurer’s office and people have seemed interested.
“We have talked to the city of Kentwood, which has held a community clean-up day in the past and officials there said to expect about 300 vehicles,” Stoddard said. Kentwood’s annual Pride Day Community Clean-Up is May 7 from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Kentwood Recycling Center, 5068 Breton SE.
In addition to the activities taking place at the Godfrey Lee Athletic Complex, the Wyoming Public Service Center Yard Waste Drop-Off site, 2660 Burlingame Ave. SW, will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 223. There are no limits to the size of branches or shrubs, however; residents must unload the yard waste themselves. All containers must be removed from the facility and proof of residency is required.
Also on April 30, the city has partnered with Metro Health for a Drug Take Back program from 10 a.m .to 2 p.m. at Metro Health Hospital, 5900 Byron Center Ave. SW.
For more information, visit the City of Wyoming’s website.
Even though its charter said South Kent, the name Kentwood Jaycees just seemed to fit better when the group original formed in 1966. It certainly described the area that this particular chapter of the United States Junior Chamber covered.
But with recent changes, including absorbing the former Wyoming Jaycees chapter, the name did not seem to fit anymore. So in 2015, the former Kentwood Jaycees chapter rebranded itself as the South Kent Jaycees.
The South Kent Jaycees recently participated in a wish list drive for the Grand Rapids’ Ronald McDonald House.
“It really broadens our horizon not only for the membership but for the communities we are able to help,” said Jen Groom, secretary of the South Kent Jaycees. “By staying Kentwood, we could only help Kentwood.”
A requirement of being part of the Jaycees organization is that you live within the state and are from the area the local chapter represents. Looking at its membership, South Kent Jaycees leaders discovered that many lived or worked outside of the Kentwood area. The name changed also allowed the organization to expand its reach into adjoining communities which include Grandville, Jenison, Byron Center, and Caledonia along with Kentwood and Wyoming.
With that South Kent Jaycees leadership was able to find a larger base of service and leadership opportunities. Most recently, the South Kent Jaycees worked with the Ronald McDonald House with a holiday wish list drive. South Kent Jaycees also have teamed up with the Grand Rapids Jaycees in an effort to bring the Kids Kicking Cancer program to the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. Kids Kicking Cancer, which just expanded to help all children who are in pain, focuses on martial arts therapy.
“It is a really great outlet for the kids while they are in the hospital,” Groom said.
And should anyone fret over the Forest of Fear disappearing, Groom and the other board members confirmed plans are in the works for this year’s haunted attraction and that the popular Breakfast for Santa event also will continue.
The South Kent Jaycees plan to host the Breakfast with Santa event again this year.
Gone is the Kentwood Jaycees Club House, which before being the club house was a Pizza Hut located at 1640 44th St. SE. According to the group’s website, it was sold so the organization could focus more local trainings, community benefit programs and local partnerships.
“I joined the Jaycees to give back to my community, but what I get from it so much more than that,” said Marybeth Schafer, who is the secretary of the Grand Rapids Jaycees and is part of the Grand Rapids and South Kent Jaycees collaboration efforts. “It helps me grow personally and professional and I have made some really close friends.
“You also not only meet people in your area, but across the state and the nation.”
The Jaycees organization was established on January 21, 1920 to provide opportunities, at that time, for young men to develop personal and leadership skills through service to others. The organization included women in 1984 after the U.S. Supreme court ruled that Minnesota could prevent sex discrimination in private organizations. 1985 marked the end of the US Jaycee Women organization. Today, there are numerous Jaycees chapters around the globe. There are about 33 chapters in Michigan with five being in the West Michigan area, Allegan, Greater Muskegon, Lakeview (covering the Montcalm area), Grand Rapids and South Kent.
This year, according to Julia Klein, who is a District 2 Michigan Chairman of the Board and treasurer for the South Kent Jaycees, the Michigan Jaycees chapters will host the National Jaycee Conference which is set for Sept. 22 – 25 in Detroit.
But you do not have to wait until September, or head to Detroit, to learn more or join the Jaycees, said Scott Avery, South Kent Jaycees vice president. The organization has monthly membership meetings where potential members can learn more about events and meet other members. Meetings are rotated through the South Kent Jaycees coverage area. On April 20 at 6:30 p.m., the group will meet at Bigby’s in Wyoming. May 23 at 6:30 p.m., they will be at the Byron Family Restaurant, 2527 84th St. SW, Byron Center. On June 18, they will be meeting at 10 a.m. at EB Coffee and Pub, 8980 Rodgers Court SE, Caledonia.
More information can be found at the South Kent Jaycees’ website or the group’s Facebook page.
Local spoken word group The Diatribe will be at the KDL Kentwood (Richard L. Root) branch April 21.
Marcel Price, better known as Fable the Poet, understands how powerful words can be. When strung together, they can be hurtful, he acknowledges, but they can also be liberating.
“Recently, I was working with students [at a local high school] and we were talking about domestic violence and this boy in the class offered to share up one of his poems,” said Fable the Poet, who is one of the founding members of the local spoken work poet group The Diatribe. The Diatribe will be at the KDL Kentwood (Richard L. Root) branch April 21. “I was like, ‘OK, everybody, let’s clap him up, he is going to share with us.”
As the young man stood there telling his story, and tears, about knowing and facing domestic violence, the room became quiet.
“Afterwards, students came up and gave him a hug and that in the end is what it is about,” Fable the Poet said. “It is teaching that there are a lot of issues but that many are facing the same issues and through those issues there is a feeling of unity.”
For the past several years, The Diatribe, which includes Fable the Poet, Kelsey May, Rachel Gleason, Shawn Moore and G Foster II, have been working with area high schools and students, showing them how spoken word poetry can be used as a catalyst to talk about the issues going on in a person’s life.
“We focus on trust,” Fable the Poet said about getting students to standup and openly share their poetry with a group of their peers. “We tell them that we are going to be vulnerable with them and that they need to be vulnerable with us. We make sure they understand that everything we do is transparent.”
The spoken word poetry movement has certainly taken a foothold within the United States punctuated by Sarah Kay’s “If I Should Have A Daughter” at a 2011 TEDx. The spoken word art form can include hip-hop, jazz poetry, poetry slams, traditional poetry readings, some comedy routines and prose monologues.
Because of its popularity, the Kent District Library added a spoken word component to its annual teen poetry contest. Students in grades 6 -12 can enter up to three poems by April 30. Judges will select 10 winners with all entrants eligible for the spoken word competition on May 17 at the KDL Kentwood Branch, 4950 Breton Rd. SE. Ten winners will be selected from the spoken word competition with all winners receiving a $50 gift card from Schuler Books & Music. For complete details, click here.
As part of the spoken word contest, The Diabrite has partnered up with KDL, hosting workshops in about 12 to 14 area schools which included Kentwood’s Pinewood Elementary School and Kelloggsville Discovery Alternative High School. The partnership culminates with the KDL Reads: Spring into Poetry with The Diatribe Thursday, April 21 from 7 – 8 p.m. at the KDL Kentwood (Richard L. Root) branch, 4950 Breton SE.
“This is the first time we have partnered with KDL,” Fable the Poet said, adding that the collaboration has been amazing with hopes of expanding the project to more schools next year.
For more about the KDL’s 2016 Find Your Voice Teen Poetry Contest and Spoken Word Competition, visit KDL’s website. The April 21 event with The Diatribe is free and open to the public.
Robots rule – at least for Spring Break 2016 as several area organizations have programs around robots and science.
Leading off the robot mania is Kent District Library’s Wyoming Branch, 3350 Michael Ave. SW, with the KDL LAB Maker Break April 4 – 7 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. According to the KDL’s press materials “If robots and smashing and rebuilding things is your kid’s idea of a great time, then do we have the event for you!”
The Grand Rapids Community College Manufacturing Trailer will be at the branch Monday through Thursday with a 3D printer, virtual welder and more to explore. Also on Monday, there will be 11 different STEAM-based activities including Snap Circuits, LittleBits Electronics, Robot Rumble as well as demonstrations from local robotics groups.
Thursday, Spanish-speaking staff from Grandville Avenue Arts and Humanities will be on hand as Maker Break week wraps up.
The Grand Rapids Public Library also focuses on robots and programming with its spring break program Teen [Tech]Knowledgy Spring Workshop from 2 – 4 p.m. April 4 at the Grand Rapids Main Library, 111 Library St. NE. Participants will be able to create and program a robot using the Lego Mindstorm Education EV3 base set and software. This program is for grades 7 – 12. For more information, visit grpl.org.
And then there is The Robot Zoo at the Grand Rapids Public Museum, the basis for the Museum’s Spring Break programs. The Museum’s Galleria will be filled with hands-on crafts and activities that are free with general admission. Create your own robotic creature to take home and play with oversized games. Activities will take place in the Museum’s Galleria Monday, April 4 through – Saturday, April 10, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Robot Zoo will be open extended hours until 8 p.m. all during Spring Break and the Chaffee Planetarium features the new original show Starlight Safari and Breaking News from Outer Space and the return of Dark Side: The Light Show. For more information, visit grpm.org.
Not to be left out on the robots theme, the Second Annual FIRST Robotics Competition returns to the East Kentwood High School, 6230 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Friday and Saturday, April 1 and 2. This high-tech sporting event will produce excitement and energy for participants and spectators alike, as teams compete for honors and recognition that reward design excellence, sportsmanship, teamwork and more.
The 41st Annual Gem and Mineral Show will take place at Rogers Place April 7 – 9. (Courtesy of Grand Rapids Public Museum)
Also taking place and in the realm of the world of science is the 41st Annual Gem & Mineral Show, which this year returns to Rogers Plaza, 972 28th St. SW. The event is from 9:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. April 7 and 8 and from 9:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. Saturday, April 9, and features an array of mineral specimens, crystals, fossils, beads, and more. Demonstrations will be taking place along with rock and mineral identification, displays and exhibits and children’s activities. For more information, visit www.indianmoundsrockclub.com
The City of Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department will host a Spring Break Fun Club April 4 – 8 at the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE. Hours are 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily. Activities include sports, games, arts and crafts, gym and outdoor fun. Cost is $25 per day or $85 per week. Contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 656-5270 to register.
Some other spring break activities:
The Grand Rapids Art Museum opens “Maurice Sendak: Where the Wild Things Are” on April 9. (Courtesy of Grand Rapids Art Museum)
The Grand Rapids Art Museum, 101 Monroe Center NW, opens on April 9. The six-week exhibition, which closes May 22, features original drawings, prints and posters by the children’s book author in celebration of book’s 50th anniversary. For more information, visit artmuseumgr.org.
Craig’s Crusisers, 5730 Clyde Park SW, hosts unlimited fun every Wednesday with $25 wristbands from 4 – 9 p.m. For more information, visit craigscruisers.com
John Ball Park Zoo, 1300 W. Fulton St., will be having a Zoobilee during spring break, April 4 – 8. Activities include special animal feeding times, an opportunity to meet the animal keepers and learn more about the animals at the zoo. For specific activities and days, visit jbzoo.org.
John Ball Zoo also offers Spring Break Day Camps for kindergarten through 5th grade. April 4 and 5 is Just Zoo It! and April 6 and 7 is Who Dung It? There is also the Spring Break overnight, Starlight Safari, April 8 to April 9, for students in third through sixth grades. Visit the website to register.
The Salvation Army KROC Center, 2500 S. Division Ave., will be offering special activities and entertainment such as extended open swim hours and sports tournaments April 4 – 8. Sponsored by the National Heritage Academies, the Spring Break activities are free for members. Non-members can purchase a day pass which is $5.50 for ages 11 and younger and $7.50 for ages 12 and up. Visit grkroccenter.org for more information.
The Grand Rapids Children’s Museum, 11 Sheldon Ave. NW, will have all kinds of Spring Break activities from April 2 – 10. There will be interactive dance, magic shows, and storyteller Kevin Kammeraad. For a complete list of events, visit grcm.org.
Shows:
“Alvin & the Chipmunks: Road Chip” runs April 1 – 7 as Flick’s Family Film Fest. (Photo courtesy of Flick’s Family Film Fest)
Flick’s Family Film Fest is currently running at all Celebration! Cinemas, including Celebration! South Cinema, 1506 Eastport Dr. SE (across from the East Kentwood High School). Alvin & the Chipmunks: Road Chip runs April 1 – 7 and Kung Fu Panda 3 is April 8 – 14. Movies are free for children ages 12 and under and $5 for ages 13 and older.
The Grand Rapids Ballet brings back its popular Spring Break for Kids program April 5 – 7. With two performances each day of a half-hour, family-friendly ballet with the fun starting at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. each day. Tickets for these shows do sell out, so if possible purchase early. For more information, visit grballet.com.
For those comic book lovers, Marvel Universe Live! comes to Van Andel Arena, 130 W. Fulton St. Spidy, Hulk and even Thor will battle those dastardly villains tonight at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 11:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1 and 5 p.m. Tickets start at $27.50. Visit vanandelarena.com for more information.
The summer months are quickly approaching which means both the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood are looking for seasonal workers for programs run through the individual muncipalties’ parks and recreation departments as well as additional maintenance help.
Both cities are currently accepting applications for seasonal work with positions ranging from umpiring to maintenance in various departments at wages between $9 to $15 an hour.
In the City of Wyoming, there are several positions. The city’s Water Department is looking for seasonal maintenance for a variety of tasks. The Department of Public Works is looking for a seasonal yard waste attendant and maintenance and the city’s Parks and Recreation Department is in need of seasonal maintenance workers along with umpires for softball and kickball.
The Parks and Recreation Department is also looking for T.E.A.M 21 group leaders for its summer program. T.E.A.M. 21 is a cooperative effort between the Parks and Recreation Department, Wyoming Public Schools, Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, Godwin Heights Public Schools and Kelloggsville Public Schools. The program is designed to foster academic, social and emotional growth among students in kindergarten through ninth grade. Last year, the program served nearly 1,600 students in the four school districts. T.E.A.M. 21 group leaders would be responsible for supervising students, planning and implementing educational and recreational activities and mentoring.
Most of the City of Wyoming seasonal positions are part-time. Hours for the different positions vary and some do require weekends. For more information or to apply, visit the City of Wyoming’s website by clicking here.
The City of Kentwood is looking for maintenance workers, which is 40 hours per week and pays around $10 an hour.
Kentwood’s Parks and Recreation Department has several seasonal positions open as well including a farmers market manager and park attendant. The Kentwood Farmer’s Market usually runs Saturday mornings from about June to October.
The Parks and Recreation Department is also looking for Recreation Leaders and REACH staff. The REACH program is a drop-in program in three Kentwood Parks that provides recreational opportunities such as games, sports, and crafts, during the summer months. These positions pay around $10 to $15 per hour.
For more information or an employment application, visit the City of Kentwood’s website by clicking here.
By: Mike DeWitt
“Robotics is a great opportunity for the kids to learn teamwork. It truly is a team sport,” said Code Red director Ken Orzechowski.
“Starting some of these programs has cut into our own pool of kids, but that’s okay. It’s all about spreading the positives that come with FIRST,” said Orzechowski.
