If you’re feeling a little cooped-up — and who isn’t? — and longing for a community concert featuring local talent, we have good news and good news.
First, WKTV has been told that the people behind Cutlerville’s Sounds of Summer July concert series are already looking past the current COVID-19 restrictions and planning for 2020 summer series.
The Brena Band. (Supplied)
And if you can’t wait that long for a community concert, WKTV has a bunch of recent concerts in Wyoming and Kentwood covered by WKTV Community Media and available on-demand at WKTVlive.org. For example, check out the great August 2019 City of Kentwood Summer Concert Series concert by Brena. Don’t know the band? Check here for a 2019 WKTV story.
Patty Williams and crew. (Supplied)
“It’s a go,” Patty Williams, of P. Williams Productions, said to WKTV on March 26. Sounds of Summer series “music will fill the park … A variety of bands from country, rock, jazz, and Bluegrass, will be setting the stage to entertain the community.”
Williams, who is a longtime WKTV Community Media volunteer, said the concert series, at Cutlerville’s Cutler Park, has gotten the go-ahead to schedule concerts every Thursday night in July, starting July 2, with concerts starting at 7 p.m.
This popular concert series by P. Williams Productions, and LW Studios, has been entertaining the local community for more than five years at Cutler Park, located at 6701 Cutler Park Drive, just off 68th St., near Division Avenue.
To keep up on news of Sounds of Summer, visit their Facebook page @soundsofsummerculterville, or call P. Williams Productions at 616-818-9874.
The Kent County Recycling Center in Grand Rapids will close to all inbound loads of recyclables at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 27, to limit exposures to COVID-19 to Kent County staff and workers, the Kent County Department of Public Works announced March 26.
“The recycling center employs 40 people who handle the recyclables throughout the sorting process,” the announcement stated. “Due to the proximity of workstations on the processing line, maintaining six feet of separation between workers isn’t possible to maintain operations and minimize worker exposure to the COVID-19 virus. As other manufacturing processors shut down their facilities, Kent County’s ability to transport recyclables to processors and end-users has constricted.”
Beginning 5 p.m. on Friday, March 27, the recycling center will temporarily close to all inbound loads and to all recycling activities. The residential recycling drop-off station at North Kent Recycling & Waste Center will also temporarily close, also beginning at 5 p.m. on March 27. All recyclables normally delivered to these facilities must either be held until the recycling center reopens or placed in a bag for disposal in the trash.
“Kent County’s South Kent Landfill, Waste-to-Energy Facility and North Kent Transfer Station remain open to provide critical solid waste disposal services that sustain and protect public health in our community, as determined by the Department of Homeland Security and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency,” according to the county announcement. “Residents are reminded to bag all trash before placing it at the curb for pickup by a waste hauler to reduce the risk of exposure to waste workers from items like used tissues and other personal hygiene products.”
The Kent County Department of Public Works provides municipal solid waste disposal services to ensure the effective removal, storage and disposal of residential and commercial solid waste. Additionally, Public Works operates the Kent County Waste-to-Energy Facility, an electrical generation facility. More information about service changes at Kent County Department of Public Works facilities is available at reimaginetrash.org.
Grand Rapids Public Museum donated masks and other personal protective equipment to Spectrum Health this week. (Supplied)
Sharing the Supplies
The Grand Rapids Public Museum was one of the first to donate its extra personal protective equipment and throughout the week there have been numerous reports of people sewing face masks and donating PPE supplies. Both Metro Health and Spectrum Health have set up donation areas. For a list of those areas and items being collected, click here.
The Mastodon skeleton at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. (GRPM)
State Fossil: Mastodon Skeletons
Bet you didn’t know that Michigan has a state fossil. One of the most complete mastodon skeletons is showcased at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. Below, Grand Rapids Public Museum Science Curator Dr. Cory Redman discusses the preservation of the Moorland Mastodon found in Ravanna, Mich. For more mastodon-related items, visit the grpmcollections.org.
Metro Health – University of Michigan Health last week announced progressive programs that will help ease the burden of child care and financial restraints for valued staff during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Metro Health Hospital and Metro Health Hospital Foundation have partnered with the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids to provide free and reliable backup child care services for the children of all employees, employed medical providers and contracted staff. Metro Health will be providing these backup child care services on its campus at the SpartanNash YMCA location, and the care will be provided by qualified child care workers.
“We are proud to partner with Metro Health and do our small part to help the medicalcommunity during this challenging and unprecedented time,” said Scott Lewis, President and CEO, YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids. “We believe collaborative efforts like these make us all stronger as we lean in together in support of our community.”
The YMCA has agreed to allow Metro Health to lease space in the building and equipment for this limited purpose of providing emergency backup child care. Extreme measures have been taken to prepare and sanitize the classrooms and staff started utilizing the service on March 16.
Additionally, the Metro Health Hospital Foundation has announced a $1 million needs-based assistance fund for employees who encounter COVID-19-related hardships. Examples of a need include bill payment assistance, support for vehicle repairs to ensure transportation to work or offsetting the costs of care for family members who fall ill or need assistance.
“I want to thank and commend the Metro Health Hospital Foundation for helping to establish this program in such a short time,” said Peter Hahn, President and CEO, Metro Health –University of Michigan Health. “We understand COVID-19 has disrupted many lives and this is why we believe it is essential to support our colleagues through resources such as this needs-based fund and free child care.”
Metro Health employees are also being encouraged to donate back unused paid time off hours to support colleagues who may exhaust their hours due to illness or to care for family. Metro Health will continue efforts in the coming weeks in order to keep the Metro Health team healthy, financially stable and ready to serve the community.
Visit www.metrohealth.net for the most up to date information from the CDC and resources to protect yourself and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Editor’s Note: Make sure to check out KDL’s online resources that include eBooks, movies and more.
Adult
The Need By Helen Philips
“This story is sort of a blend of horror, thriller, and musing on the mundane joy of caring for small children. As a parent of a toddler and a baby, I read it at the perfect time because her language and descriptions of parenting ring so true. But even if you aren’t a parent, the tension around the plot is also very compelling and makes it a fascinating, creepy ride.”
– Anna at East Grand Rapids
Wanna Get Lucky? By Deborah Coonts
“If you’re a fan of Janet Evanovich you may enjoy this series by Deborah Coonts. Lucky O’Toole is head of Customer Relations in a casino and gets in plenty of situations.”
– Loretta at Wyoming
Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death By Caitlin Doughty
“One of my favorite nonfiction author. Answering questions asked by kids. (adult may not ask but equally wondering about them I’m sure …)”
– Yuko at the KDL Service Center
Children’s
Polly Diamond and the Magic Book By Alice Kuipers
“Polly loves writing and learning new words, and when she discovers a magic notebook where anything she writes inside instantly comes true, she’s thrilled to use all her favorite words to make some magical things happen. However, Polly’s about to learn that with great magical power comes great responsibility! Charming illustrations and large text make this an awesome new beginning chapter book series.”
With the governor’s stay-at-home order, the City of Wyoming buildings and offices have closed as of March 23. Only essential staff are reporting to their work sites, according to the city’s website, wyomingmi.gov.
Essential services include police, fire, emergency medical, water, sewer, and public works. The city has implemented aggressive cleaning regimes and eliminated overlapping schedules as protective measures for first responders.
These include: FOIA Requests, Accident Reports, Firearm Permit Applications, and SOR Registration
Much of the city’s remaining staff will continue to work from home if they are able. The city provides a number of online resources and services. Staff will continue to monitor responses to contact forms, emails, and phone calls.
Those unable to find the information they are looking for may use the city’s contact form or call 616-530-7226.
Limited Public Meetings
The City of Wyoming will be limiting public meetings to only take what actions are necessary. Most of the city’s scheduled public meetings have been canceled. Check the city’s website for a specific meeting.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued an executive order allowing public meetings to take place digitally. We encourage everyone to submit written public comments instead of attending meetings to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Bot the City Council and Planning Commission meetings are streamed live on Facebook and WKTV local channels. Members of the public are encouraged to view City Council meetings from home. For the City Council meetings, residents may submit public comments in writing through the City Clerk’s Office webform. For the Planning Commission meetings, residents may submit public comment in writing to planning_info@wyomingmi.gov.
For both meetings, members of the public who are in attendance should follow social distancing and sit away from others. The City Council and the Planning Commission will limit public comments to one and a half (1.5) minutes per person.
62-A District Court and Kent County
Last week, the 62-A District Court announced there would be no in-person, public access to the facility. Residents are encouraged to pay tickets and check records online. Filings may be mailed to the 62-A District Court, 2650 DeHoop Ave. SW, Wyoming MI 49509.
Many of the Kent County buildings have closed to the public including the County Clerk’s Office and the Treasurer’s Office.
For up-to-date information about the City of Wyoming visit wyomingmi.gov. The city also has a page on its website dedicated to coronavirus information www.wyoming.gov/covid.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum donated gloves, face shields, Tyvek suits and personal respiratory mask to Spectrum Health. (Supplied)
By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma joanne@wktv.org
Hearing of the need its “neighbor” was having, the Grand Rapids Public Museum decided to lend a helping hand by donating its extra gloves, face shields, Tyvek suits and personal respiratory masks to Spectrum Health.
The personal protective equipment were supplies that the museum had for everyday work and emergencies. The Grand Rapids Public Museum closed more than a week ago when the governor announced restrictions on gatherings of people.
“The Grand Rapids Public Museum saw a need within our community for personal protective equipment supplies for our healthcare workers on the front lines of this pandemic,” said Kate Kocienski, the Museum’s VP of Marketing. “We keep supplies on hand for everyday work with our Collections and for emergencies. Earlier this week our team gathered those supplies and donated them to Spectrum Health.
“We are proud to be able to help in the community where needed so we can continue to flatten the curve.”
In fact, the outpouring of community inquires and offers of support has both Metro Health – University of Metro Health and Spectrum Health accepting donations of personal protective equipment. Each facility has set up donation sites.
It should be noted that traveling to drop-off sites to donate medical supplies does not violate Michigan’s statewide stay-at-home order, which allows for an exception to the order for providing necessities to “individuals who need assistance as a result of this emergency.”
Metro Health – University of Michigan Health
Metro Health – University of Michigan Health is accepting donations from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Items are to be brought to Metro Health’s System Services and Learning Center, 1980 Metro Court, Wyoming. People should enter using the door on the south side of the building, facing M-6.
Disposal gloves are in demand at local hospitals. The Grand Rapids Public Museum donated these gloves to Spectrum Health. (Supplied)
Items being accepted include:
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
N95 Masks
Isolation masks – children and adult
Face shields
Safety glasses
Goggles
Isolation gowns
Gloves – all sizes
Bouffant caps
Non-Personal Protective Equipment
Bleach wipes
Cards for caregivers
Spectrum Health
Starting today at noon, Spectrum Health will be accepting PPE supplies at 14 different locations such as:
Spectrum Health South Pavilion, 80 68th St. SE, Culterville
Spectrum Health Medical Group Family Medicine, 3152 Port Sheldon St., Suite C, Hudsonville
Spectrum Health Integrated Care Campus – East Beltline, 2750 E. Beltilne Ave. NE, Grand Rapids
Spectrum Health Medical Group Lake Drive, 4100 Lake Dr. SE, Grand Rapids
Spectrum Health Integrated Care Campus – Holland, 588 E. Lakewood Blvd., Holland
Spectrum Health Integrated Care Campus – Rockford, 8501 Meadow Creek Dr., Rockford
There are also locations in Ludington, Muskegon, Ionia, Hastings, Greenville, Grand Haven, Fremont, and Big Rapids. For the complete list, click here. Most locations are open from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.Monday – Friday except for Spectrum Health Medical Group Lake Drive, which is open from 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. Monday – Friday.
According to hospital officials, Spectrum Health continues to maintain a supply of masks and other personal protection equipment for its patients and health care providers. Officials said they are working to stretch its supply and is turning to the community because officials do anticipate the need will continue to grow.
The following items are accepted at the donation sites:
N95 Masks
Isolation masks (adult/child)
Masks with face shield/visor
Handmade or sewn reusable masks
Face shields
Googles/safety glasses
Bouffant caps
Extended extra protection gloves – all sizes
Isolation gowns
Bleach wipesSwabs (flexible min-tip
Pocket-sized sanitizer
Thermometers (digital, disposable, temporal)
To reduce the risk of exposure for all, Spectrum officials are asking donors to place donations in the bins provided at each location while maintaining a distance of at least six feet from others.
Spectrum Health is not currently accepting donations of 3D printed items, other medical equipment, medications or blankets.
If the donation is large and requires special arrangements or if you have a question, email Spectrum Health’s supply chain team at covid19supplies@spectrumhealth.org. Spectrum Health is also accepting monetary donations to its COVID-19 Response Fund.
Grocery stories, pharmacies, gas stations these are will remain open during the statewide stay-at-home order that goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. March 24. The order is scheduled to last three weeks until April 13.
During her address to the state, Governor Gretchen Whitmer made it clear that essentials services and business would remain open.
For many, people understand that essential services would be those in the medical and health field or business that sustain or protects life. In fact, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has issued a list of critical businesses and operations that are considered important to keep the country running. For the complete list, click here.
On CIST list and considered are some of essential services and businesses. Note, the order is to reduce the number of people out, so remember to limit trips as much as possible to these places:
Grocery stores: As the governor put it, no panic buying, the grocery stores will remain open along with farmers markets, farm and produce stands, supermarkets, and convenience stores. Also any business crucial to the supply chain of these business are included. You do not want to go into the store? Well there is always Shipt or most stores such as Meijer and Family Fare offer online order and pick-up service.
Stores that sell medicine: See above, but basically any store that sells medicines, such as a pharmacy, will remain open.
Restaurants: The Schezwan chicken and that favorite pizza joint can still provide you food for take-out or delivery only. Whitmer is encouraging people to take advantage of delivery services such as UberEats which is currently offering free delivery if you order from a local restaurant.
Charitable and social services: Religious and nonprofit organizations like food banks, shelters, social services and other necessities for economically disadvantaged individuals who need assistance as a result of the emergency, people living with disabilities. So yes, the current effort to feed all the students who rely on school lunches will continue. Visit School News Network for a list of schools and schedules.
Gas stations are open. (Wikipedia)
Gas stations and businesses needed for transportation: Gas stations, auto supply, auto repair, farm equipment, construction equipment, boat repair, bicycle shops, and related facilities. Also taxis, buses, trains, planes and Uber and Lyft also are operating.
Financial and insurance institutions: Banks, currency exchanges consumer lenders, consumer installment lenders, sales finance lenders, credit unions, appraisers, title companies, financial markets, trading and futures exchanges, payday lenders, affiliates of financial institutions, entities that issue bonds, institutions selling financial products and related institutions; insurance companies, underwriters, agents, brokers, and related insurance claims and agency services. So yes, your cash is available to you.
Pet stores: Also you will be able to feed your pet, so you need not to run out for that 200-pound bag of dog food or cat food.
Hardware stores and critical trades: If the furnace goes out, you will still be able to get it fixed. Also electrical and plumbing services will be available along with exterminators, cleaning and janitorial staff, security staff and others in the construction trades.
Laundry services: There is no excuse not to stay clean as laundromats, dry cleaners, industrial laundry service and laundry service providers will all be open.
Childcare workers: Those providing childcare services for those who are critical infrastructure workers, such as health care providers, are considered essential.
If you are not sure if you work in an essential service or business, your employer will notify you. According to the order, employers must notify people either in writing or verbally by Mar. 31 at 11:59 p.m. All employers much review staff to determine if each employee is considered necessary for the business to continue. This means some employees who work for essential services or businesses may be asked to stay-at home.
For a review of Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s order, click here. For other updates on the statewide coronavirus efforts, visit www.michigan.gov/coronavirus.
On Wednesday, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-14 extending the redemption deadline on 2017 tax foreclosures from March 31, 2020 to May 29, 2020.
Due to this order and to minimize face-to-face interaction during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kent County Treasurer’s Office is closed to the public until further notice. Taxpayers are encouraged to mail check and money order payments to Kent County Treasurer, P.O. Box Y, Grand Rapids, MI 49501.
The order does not defer nor cancel interest charges. Interest will accrue beyond the original March 31, 2020 deadline until paid. Money orders are available at banks and many retailers. Residents should not mail cash. Staff continues to process mail and is available to take calls at 616-632-7500.
The Treasurer’s office closure follows suit with several other Kent County offices.
Kent County Clerk/Register Office
The Kent County Clerk/Register Office suspended in-person transactions until further notice.
This change, effective until further notice will apply to the Clerk Office (Vital Records), Elections Department, Register of Deeds, and Clerk of the Circuit Court. A listing of how customers can still request or obtain common services, as well as contact information for clarification, is below.
Until further notice, the Kent County Clerk/Register’s Office will be serving customers via online or bymail services only. Below are specifics relating to service changes:
Certified copies of birth, death, marriage, business certificates/licenses/ registrations can be requested online; copies will be mailed via USPS, no in-person pick-up available.
New birth and death certificates received via hospital or funeral home will be processed; copies will be mailed via USPS, no in-person pick-up available. No new home births processed until further notice.
New marriage licenses applications accepted online only, applicants will be contacted
No new CPL applications accepted until further notice; renewals processed online via MSPwebsite
No new notary applications accepted until further notice
No in-person access to records until further notice; call or email for assistanceClerk – Elections:616-632-7650 https://www.accesskent.com/Elections
All candidate filings (Affidavit of Identity, Statement of Organization, campaign finance reports) are to be submitted via email: gerrid.uzarski@kentcountymi.gov. Payments for candidate filings should be mailed. Receipt of filings will be confirmed.
Individuals needing to turn in petitions should contact the Elections office to make an appointment.
No in-person access to records until further notice; call or email for assistanceClerk of the Circuit Court: 616-632-5480 https://www.accesskent.com/Courts/Clerk
Pleadings must be mailed to the court with the appropriate filing fee. Please do not send cash through the mail.
Ex-Parte Pleadings may be submitted to: ccclerksexparte@kentcountymi.gov. Appropriate filing fees must be mailed or waived. More information forthcoming regarding online payments.
Filings received via USPS will be processed uninterrupted. For urgent filings, call or email theoffice.
Searches and recording copies are available online; will be mailed via USPS
No in-person access to records until further notice; call or email for assistance
Courts
Most of the area courts are closed to in-person, public access. For specific details on each court, please click the court below. Due note, that many of the courts do offer an online option to pay tickets and other fines.
Well all the branches of the Kent District Library maybe closed but there is always KDL’s Digital Library. What? You have not –pardon our pun — checked out the Digital Library? Dating back before the coronavirus times, KDL added eBooks, audiobooks, TV, movies, music, magazines, and newspapers all at a click of a button and available 24 hours, seven days a week. There are also many programs going online as well, so visit kdl.org/events.
And for those who prefer to have a book in hand, Schuler Books & Music, 2660 28th St. SE, is offering curbside pick up of books. Call 616-942-2561 or visit www.schulerbooks.com to order and pay for your books, then schedule a pick up time. You can also order carry-out from the store’s Chapbook Café.
Get In Some Exercise
Many of the area’s parks and trails are open and free to the public — just remember to adhere to the social distancing guidelines. Not interested in seeing anybody? The YMCA offers free online exercise videos at ymca360.org. There is tai chi, yoga, bootcamp, and more.
Grab Some Grub
Just in cast you didn’t know, while closed, many restaurants, such as Brann’s at 4157 S. Divisions, have curbside service available. Simply call in, order, and pick up. Chris Freeman, founder of EatGR (pictured above) has put together an incredible list of locally-owned restaurants that are open — for takeout that is. With permission from Chris, we have reposted the list. For addresses, you’ll need to “google it.”
Abacus Alebird Amore Avron Brewing Bagel Beanery Michigan Beltline Bar Bier Distillery Big O’s Boardwalk Subs Bostwick Lake Inn Brandy wine Brann’s Carlucci’s Pizza Carolina Low Country Kitchen Cedar Springs Brewing Cherie Inn Cottage Bar Cousins chicken Cheshire Kitchen Choo Choo Grill Common’s Crazy Horse Dan’s Diner Dog Pit Donkey Downtown Market restaurants El Globo El Granjero Emonae Fatzo’s Ferris Coffee Fratelli’s Fresh Coast Kitchen Ganders Grain Sandwiches Gravel Bottom Brewing Grand Coney (Michigan) Hall of Fame Burgers HancockMatchbox Harmony Brewing Hopcat Irie Kitchen Knickerbocker Licari’s Lindo Mexico Luna New Hotel Mertens Marcona on Lyon Marco New American Bistro Monelli’s Mudpenny Noco Provisions Nonna’s Pantry One Twenty Three Tavern Osta’s Patty Matters Peach wave Peppermill Grill Pickleback Pumphouse Railtown Brewing Rainbow Grill Reserve Rise Bakery Revival Cafe Roam Robinettes Rockford Brewing Roots brew shop Russ’ Restaurants (Multiple) Russo’s Pizza Salted cupcake SanChez Shot’s Social House Sparks BBQ Speak EZ Lounge Swan Inn Sugar Momma’s Terra Third Nature Brewing Three Blondes Brewing Two scotts Uccello’s Uncle Cheetah Vincenzo’s Wing Doozy Yesterdog Winchester Wok and Mortar
Experience GrandRapids also has a list as well, so make sure to head over to experiencegr.com.
A Visual on Viruses
Wonder how the coronavirus stacks up to other worldwide pandemics? Well Visual Capitalist (www.visualcapitalist.com) has put together an interesting visual comparison of the coronavirus to other pandemics. The top three are the Black Death or Bubonic Plague (1347-1351), which has the highest death toll of 200 million; Smallpox (1520), with a death toll of 56 million; and the Spanish Flu (1918-1919), which had a death toll of 40-50 million. Click here for the complete picture.
Do you know what federally mandated program falls under the social distance guidelines and is something you can do while securely in your home?
Filling out the 2020 Census.
From between March 12 – 20, 140 million households across the country will receive their first invitation to participate in the census. Residents are to indicate all people living in the home on April 1.
“We are encouraging everyone to respond online as soon as you receive your invitation with the provided instructions to go online,” according to a recent statement from U.S. Census Bureau officials.
The invitation will include the web address for the online questionnaire in English as well as where to respond online in 12 additional languages. It will also include phone numbers for English and the 12 additional languages. Telephone assistance is available seven days a week form 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Eastern Standard Time for those who prefer to respond by phone. Online and phone respond will be available through July 31.
The currently deadline for response is July 31, however according to the Census Bureau’s website, that date “can and will be adjusted if necessary as the situation evolves in order to achieve a complete and accurate count.”
Some households — in areas less likely to respond online — will receive a paper questionnaire in the first mailing; all households that have not responded online or by phone will receive a paper questionnaire between April 8 and April 16. The paper questionnaire includes a prepaid postage envelope to return it by mail.
To abide by guidelines to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, the 2020 Census find operations will be suspended for two weeks until April 1. This in turn has delayed census takers going out for in-person nonresponse follow-up. That portion of the operation has been delayed to April 23. The mobile questionnaire assistance program also has been delay to April 13.
All census workers will closely follow guidance from public health authorities when conducting the follow-up operations. If there is a need to delay or discontinue follow-up visits in a community, Census Bureau officials said they will adapt the operation to ensure a complete and accurate count.
“We designed our 2020 operations precisely so we could offer multiple ways to respond,” said Charmine Yates, media specialist for the U.S. Census Bureau. For instance, Yates said, the operation which counts people in nursing homes, college dorms, prisons, and other institutional living facilities includes several ways to respond such as via eResponse, paper listing or self-enumeration by the facility.
For college students, per the Census Bureau’s residence criteria, in most cases students living away from home at school should be counted at school, even if they are temporarily elsewhere due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For service providers, such as those that provide services to the homeless, the Census Bureau is contacting them to determine if the provider will be open March 30 and April 1 and whether the provider would be able to provide a paper listing of census response data for each person served or staying at the facility instead.
“In short, where a community, facility or service organization makes a change that would affect any field operation, we will adapt to make sure we are getting the same population counted another way,” Yates said.
As of Wednesday, the Census Bureau reported that more than 11 million households have responded by filling out the 2020 Census.
SpartanNash and its family for retail stores will set aside time twice per week for store guests most at risk of contracting coronavirus (COVID-19), including older adults, pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals.
Reserved hours will be every Tuesday and Thursday from 7 to 9 a.m.
SpartanNash operates more than 150 stores in nine states, under the banners of Family Fare, Martin’s Super Markets, D&W Fresh Market, VG’s Grocery, Dan’s Supermarket, SunMart, Family Fresh Market, ValuLand, Supermercado Nuestra Familia, No Frills, Forest Hills Foods, Ada Fresh Market, Econofoods, Pick’n Save and Dillonvale IGA.
“SpartanNash and our family of retail stores are committed to the well-being and safety of our family of associates, customers and communities, as well as supporting health officials and government leaders to contain the virus,” Executive Vice President and General Manager, Corporate Retail Tom Swanson said. “We are enacting these reserved hours to help protect our most vulnerable store guests, and we are asking our other customers to observe these hours for those most at risk in our local communities.
“We know that many want to keep their neighbors safe and healthy at the same time, and we know that they also are anxious about the availability of many high-demand products. I am extremely proud of our associates, who continue to work diligently to ensure our neighbors have access to the food, medicine and household supplies they need. We are also grateful to our many store guests who have taken the time to thank them personally or share positive experiences on social media. We are honored to have been the trusted food provider our communities have counted on for over 100 years.”
In addition to the reserved store hours, SpartanNash retail stores have also implemented several other changes to store operations, including adjusting operating hours for most stores previously open 24 hours. Effective March 17, operating hours at these locations will be 6 a.m. to midnight daily (check your stores’ website for current store hours).
Stores suspended service at self-serve areas, including salad bars, soup bars and donut cases. These items can be purchased in prepackaged containers, made fresh every day by SpartanNash retail associates with the highest cleanliness and food safety standards. Café areas have also been closed and all sampling has been stopped.
SpartanNash retail locations have instituted even greater cleaning and sanitation measures. In addition to daily cleaning procedures, high-touch surfaces – such as food service counters, checkout lanes, conveyor belts, fuel pump handles, pin pads and touch screens – are being cleaned and sanitized at least every 30 minutes.
How do you manage a remote workforce? How and what to communicate to employees? How do you create an environment that reduces the spread of COVID-19?
These and many more questions are just some of what Express Employment Professionals, with offices in Wyoming, hope to answer during a free webinar Friday, March 20, at 9 a.m. The webinar is open to all business owners and leaders.
“I think at this point we have about 200 people signed up,” said David Robb, director of marketing for Express Employment Professionals. “We certainly are not coronavirus experts but we do want to help inform on some of the best HR practices and some of the legal ramifications.”
Robb said the webinar was a result of many of the questions that the Express Employment associates were hearing from business owners in how to deal with the impacts of the coronavirus. Concerns have included how to best support employees, managing a remote workforce and a workforce that can not be remote, safeguarding the business, and volunteer layoffs versus mandatory layoffs. Other questions have centered around if a company can require self-quarantine and if a company can send an employee home if the person is sick.
“With the number of people who have registered, we will probably be polling to determine what the top five questions are and go from there,” Robb said, adding that Express Employment Professionals plan do some follow up by making this a series of webinars and videos to help answer questions related to business concerns as the coronavirus continues.
“We just want to aid the businesses and our community,” Robb said. “We do offer training here, but due to the situation, people are not coming in. So we wanted to do something that would be helpful to the businesses by discussing topics of how to respond as a leader and handling the potential mental stress from dealing with the coronavirus.”
To learn more about the webinar or to register, click here.
For a single mom whose main income is dependent on her waitressing job, the closure of all the restaurants and bars in Michigan can be devastating. But yesterday, the Kent County Health Department released a video where residents who need food or financial assistance can get help.
The answer: call 211 according to Essential Needs Task Force Director Wende Randall as she talked to Kent County Health Department Director Dr. Adam London.
Started in 2016, the United Way’s 2-1-1 has connected thousands of services in 14 counties such as Kent County. Services include food, shelter, utility assistance, disaster recovery, childcare, transportation, and more.
“They should call if they are in need assistance,” Randall said, adding that another excellent resource is the Heart of West Michigan United Way’s website, hwmuw.org.
Food
“We have several resources that have started to shift operations in terms of how they provide food access to the community,” Randall said.
As reported by School News Network, 20 school districts in the Kent Intermediate School District are making free meals available to students and families during the mandatory statewide school closures. Families are invited to pick up meals of any child ages 18 and under, and students with disabilities ages 18 – 26 with an activity IEP (individualized education program.) For a complete list of the schools and schedule of pick ups, click here.
Randall said that for older adults, Meals on Wheels has continued and many area senior centers are also providing packaged meals to seniors. Area pantries are not allowing the usually shops for food but if contacted will provide a box with food items, Randall said.
Such is the case at United Church Outreach Ministry (UCOM) which according to its website has closed its facility to the public, but food services will continue. Those in need of food services should call and talk to staff for further details, 616-241-4006. Those coming to the UCOM facility are asked to remain in their car in the parking lot and call for service.
The Pantry, now called the Green Apple Pantry, has announced it will be open for food distribution on March 18 on its website. However, neighbors and volunteers will not be allowed to enter the pantry. Instead, boxes will be prepared and set outside for pick up.
Randall noted that the YMCA and Kids Food Basket also are providing meal kits. On the Kids’ Food Basket website, it states that “because a virus will not and cannot stop hunger, we are committed to continuing to pack and distribute nourishing food in a safe, healthy and responsible way.”
Kids’ Food Basket stated that when a partner school is open, such as Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, Kids’ Food Basket staff and volunteers will be there to distribute Sack Suppers to the students that rely on the program.
Utility payments and other needs
“What we anticipating is the need for utility assistance is going to be delayed by a couple of weeks,” Randall said. “People may have the paycheck they’ve been working toward coming up this week or next week but then they will see their hours reduction hit their paycheck.
“So we are anticipating the biggest need for financial support in those areas to come within the next two weeks and beyond because of course we don’t know how long these work shortages are going to continue.”
Randall said that 2-1-1 can help with referrals for rent and utility assistance, adding that there could be some qualifications for those calling.
“Winter and spring are the biggest months for utility needs,” Randall said, adding that this could put financial strains on the organizations who help the community.
“The greatest need right now is going to be financial support for those agencies that are providing direct service to community members,” Randall said, adding that many of these organizations run on fairly thin margins with the coronavirus situation putting a financial strain on them.
Some banks and credit unions also have reached out to members stating if they are having any financial issues, to contact the specific institution that you bank at.
Volunteering
Randall said some agencies may need volunteers to help. For tips on volunteering, visit the Heart of West Michigan United Way website, hwmuw.org or volunteergr.org. Volunteer opportunities will be mostly solo efforts of providing food to people at home. It is recommended if you are bringing food to someone, make sure to practice social distancing by either texting or ringing the door bell after placing the bag on the porch and then move away.
Godfrey-Lee Schools will be providing grab-and-go meals during the coronavirus shutdown. (WKTV)
By WKTV Staff joanne@wktv.org
Beginning today, Godfrey-Lee Public Schools will serve meals to families with children ages 18 and under and for disabled students ages 18-26 with an individualized education plan (I.E.P.). The meals will be served in a “grab and go” fashion via walk up or drive service at three sites in the district Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. – noon. The meals will contain both breakfast and lunch for the day.
The service is open to any member of the community with eligible children, not just Godfrey-Lee Public Schools students. Please check the schedule and locations by clicking here. All food items will be pre-packaged and will not be prepared on site to be as sanitary as possible to limit the spread of the virus. The district is not accepting donated food items or community volunteers at this time. Communication will follow when these restrictions have been canceled.
“It is critical during a time of crisis that our community can count on our local school districts to provide support,” said Godfrey-Lee Public Schools Superintendent Kevin Polston said. “We put out a request for staff to assist with meal service during the closing, and within a matter of hours, all slots were filled. Our staff is always eager to support our students and families, and this is yet another way to demonstrate our role in serving students and families.
“Serving meals to ensure the nutritional wellbeing of our students is the first step of support we will provide. I am grateful for our leadership in our food service department and our contracted provider, Chartwells, for working quickly to prepare for this unprecedented event. More information regarding learning plans and access to support for other basic needs will be forthcoming in the days ahead.”
Godfrey-Lee will also serve as a distribution point for Kids’ Food Basket during the mandatory school shutdown. “We are also thankful for our community partners, such as Kids’ Food Basket, that are rising to the occasion to serve our community. They are a pillar of our community and we are grateful for their unending support. It will take leadership from our entire community to weather this storm and everyone has to do their part.”
“We ask students and families to follow the guidelines for social distancing and hygiene. Schools will not be open during the mandatory shutdown to allow district personnel to conduct a deep cleaning of all school facilities. The administration building will be open during regular hours through Tuesday, March 17, and then will only be open by appointment only. The district will only have essential personnel only from Wednesday, March 18, through the end of the mandatory closing.”
The holidays are a great time for packaging and parties, but there can be a lot of waste to be recycled properly. (Pixabay)
The Kent County Recycling & Education Center at 977 Wealthy St. SW will reopen on March 16 following scheduled equipment upgrades. The recycling drop-off locations in Grand Rapids and Rockford will also reopen on March 16.
Scheduled upgrades have been completed as originally scheduled and equipment has successfully been tested. During the upgrades the facility was closed and unable to accept recyclable materials from both curbside and drop-off locations.
“There were eleven different contractors on site over the last three weeks doing everything from changing conveyor belts and pulleys to installing ten-ton pieces of equipment,” said Nic VanderVinne, Resource Recovery & Recycling Manager for the Kent County Department of PublicWorks. “All the work went very smoothly, and we expect to see improvements to the quality of the recyclables that are sent to market as well as a significant reduction in downtime due to maintenance.”
The Kent County Recycling & Education Center is approaching its 10th year of single-stream recycling. Over the past decade, the center has undergone periodic maintenance and upgrades to adapt to changes in community recycling habits and packaging trends. In 2017, Kent County added equipment to accept paper cartons and improve automation.
Michigan voters are starting a busy election with the just-completed presidential primary, so on the latest episode of WKTV Journal In Focus we offer a review of how the State of Michigan in general — and Kent County in specific — handle elections so that they provide voter accessibility, ballot security and accurate results.
With us is Lisa Posthumus Lyons, Kent County Clerk and Register of Deeds, who was elected to the position in 2016 after serving three terms as a Republican in the Michigan House of Representatives. Also with us is county elections director Gerrid Uzarski, who was appointed by Ms. Lyons in late 2017 and, previously worked for ElectionSource, a local company which, along with Dominion Voting Systems, is contracted by the state to provide election hardware and software.
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 (see our Weekly On-air Schedule for dates and times). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
“So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is … fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Dr. Adam London, Administrative Health Officer for Kent County, right, and Brian Hartl, county epidemiologist. (Supplied/Kent County)
Kent County Health
There is a lot of information flying around the internet and the airwaves — if not in your household — about the COVID-19 virus (coronavirus), so the Kent County Health Department, led by Dr. Adam London, Administrative Health Officer for the county, continues to offer videos with up-to-date information. Go here for the story.
Dr. Afriyie Randle
Dr. Afriyie Randle
In our newest feature, Medical Moments, host Dr. Afriyie Randle, discusses the coronavirus. Such as did you know the first human coronavirus was discovered in the mid-1960s and today there are seven different types of the coronavirus that can infect humans. Go here for the story.
Fact to keep in mind:
The Flu and The Virus
So far, the new coronavirus has led to more than 100,000 illnesses and more than 3,000 deaths worldwide. But that’s nothing compared with the flu, also called influenza. In the U.S. alone, the flu has caused an estimated 34 million illnesses, 350,000 hospitalizations and 20,000 deaths this season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
With the first cases of COVID-19 confirmed this week in the state of Michigan, Metro Health – University of Michigan Health is taking additional measures to limit the spread of respiratory illness and COVID-19. Adjustments have been made to the hospital visitor policy to take effect Friday, March 13.
To protect patients, staff members and fellow visitors, the following restrictions are being put in place at the main hospital, as well as all ambulatory clinics and the outpatient surgical center.
All visitors and family members must be healthy without symptoms of illness
Visitors are limited to one per patient.
Two visitors will be allowed for pediatric and maternity patients.
No children under the age of 12 years will be permitted unless they are a patient.
Anyone who has recently traveled to CDC Level 2 or 3 countries are not permitted to visit.
Metro Health is committed to the health and safety of our patients, staff and the West Michigan community. Please contact your Metro Health provider if you are experiencing the following COVID-19 symptoms or you have been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19.
Fever
Cough
Shortness of breath
Patients can schedule a convenient e-visit through MyChart. Our goal is to prevent the spread of illness by enabling people to remotely seek the information they need. Anyone with severe or life-threatening symptoms should call 911.
Please visit www.metrohealth.net for the most up to date information from the CDC and resources to protect yourself and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The high powered offense of the Wyoming Wolves boys basketball team took a half to get into the gear they are accustomed to, and when they did, they were able to expand a four point halftime lead into a 19 point victory over the East Kentwood Falcons, 77-58 at Middleville Thornapple-Kellogg Wednesday night.
East Kentwood concludes their season with a 12-10 record, while Wyoming ups its record to 20-2 and will face 10-11 Ottawa Hills Friday night in the championship game, after Ottawa Hills upset East Grand Rapids 61-50 in the nightcap game.
East Kentwood’s Ja’moni Jones started the scoring with an early three pointer, but Wyoming proceeded to score 16 of the next 18 points before the Falcons scored 9 of the last 11 to close the first quarter out with Wyoming holding an 18-14 lead. EK was led by Jones and Jordan Jackson with 6 each, while the Wolves were paced by one of the areas highest scorers during the regular season, Menalito McGee, with 10 which included a pair of 3-pointers.
The Falcons scored the first four points of the second quarter to knot the game at 18, but Thom VanderKlay’s Wolves would go on an 8-0 run to take a lead they would never relinquish the remainder of the game. Jy’Air Harris tried to keep his team as close as possible by scoring 6 points in the second quarter to lead Jeff Anama’s team, but the combination of Marion and Monte Parks with 6 points each in the quarter, was enough to keep the lead at four at the break, 34-30.
The third quarter was more to the speed and liking of the Wolves, as they outscored East Kentwood 21-15 to expand the lead to double digits for the first time, 55-45 after Marion Parks hit a left handed 30-footer as the horn sounded to close the quarter. McGee and Diego Ledesma each had seven in the quarter and Jackson had five for the Falcons.
The final quarter continued the late game dominance for Wyoming as they outscored East Kentwood 22-13 in the final stanza, including a 10-0 run in the middle, before late game substitutions were brought in for both teams. In the case of the Falcons, it was a final thank you from its fans as the seniors closed out their high school basketball careers, but ironically enough, it may have been the final time for Wyoming seniors to play in front of a crowd as well, depending upon what the Michigan High School Athletic Association deems necessary to help fight against the coronavirus. Many of the upcoming weekend’s state finals will be played in front of no spectators.
EK was led on the night by Jones with 13, Jackson 11, and Eric Cohill with 8, while the Wolves were led by McGee with 25, Ledesma 19, Monte Parks 14, and Marion Parks with 13.
East Kentwood was 5-for-14 from three-point territory and 13-for-23 from the free throw line while Wyoming was 4-for-10 from outside the arc and were 11-for-15 from the line. The difference could be seen in the turnovers as EK had 14 which were turned into 18 points for Wyoming, while the Wolves committed just 8 on the night.
The 2019-20 Kelloggsville High School girls basketball team. (Supplied)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
In just his second season leading the Kelloggsville High School girls basketball program, Rockets head coach Bilal Muhammad appreciates his 2019-20 team’s 16-4 regular season record and the impressive milestone of the program’s first OK Conference title in more than four decades.
But with his team losing only two seniors — even though one, Trayana Starr-Thurman, was their best player — and a new buzz around the school about his program, Muhammad can’t wait to start working towards the future.
This season’s accomplishments “bode well for our program, just getting that experience, and being there before is going to help tremendously,” coach Muhammad said to WKTV. But “I’m excited to see what this off-season is going to bring … I’m looking forward to what the future brings.”
Kelloggsville tied for first in the OK Silver Conference with Calvin Christian, with a 10-2 record, giving the Rockets a share of their first league title since 1976, when the school competed in the OK White. The team’s season came to an end in a district semifinal game against Wayland.
The Rockets went 12-9, 6-6 in conference, last year, in Muhammad’s first season in charge.
The keys to their successful season, Muhammad said, was not only having two seniors leaders, but also a bunch of underclassmen who stepped up and provided points, toughness and work ethic.
Trayana Starr-Thurman, and her 1,000 point ball. (Supplied)
Starr-Thurman’s contributions were clear: she led the team with an average of 15 points per game and scored her 1,000th point this season. The team’s other senior, Zenaiya Gonzales, will be missed for other reasons.
“Trayana is a student of the game … she’s not afraid to ask questions, and she voices her opinion on certain plays … (she was) able to communicate, and offer that leadership,” Muhammad said. Gonzales “brought leadership as well, and toughness” to the team.
Gonzale “has been hurt all season, literally all season, and she’s been tough enough to tune it out all year. She brought that toughness and leadership in practice — (the team knows) that if she’s here, if she can do it, it makes everybody else’s moral come up and work hard as well.”
The returning players who their coach has so much confidence in includes two juniors — Nariah Collier and Jaden Wade — and super sophomore Brea’Ana Smalley.
Collier and Wade “are going to be important on and off the floor” next season, he said. “Some of the summer stuff we are going to be doing. Getting the girls to come out. …This is their first year actually working together. I’m looking forward to what the future brings.”
Collier, a center, averaged eight points, eight rebounds and four blocks a game this season. Wade, a forward, also gave the Rockets a strong inside force.
And Smalley, who fought through injuries to be the team’s second leading scorer, with 13 points per game, is only going to get better, her coach said.
“She did a great job. She was injured a few games as well this year. We had a lot of injuries this year. But those big, important games, when we needed her, she stepped up,” Muhammad said. “I’m looking forward to her for next year, She’ll work on her game over the summer and be even more dynamic next year.”
Coach also pointed out that junior Jazmine McCaleb will be a returning captain while freshman Malia Fields is a “hard worker, very hard worker,” and sophomore Yarlene Valdez “came to our team the second half of the season, but she is committed and ready to work over the summer.”
And after not having JV and freshman programs this season, having varsity returners who will “help with the new players”, along with work by he and has staff, Bo Garyson and Tiesha Stokes, Muhammad sees a good future for the Kelloggville program as a whole.
“I’m optimistic the number (of players in the program) will increase,” he said, pointing out that he’s been working with the middle school program as well. “I am hopeful and optimistic that we will be able to fill that void that we did not have this year.”
Dr. Adam London, Administrative Health Officer for Kent County, right, and Brian Hartl, county epidemiologist. (Supplied/Kent County)
By WKTV Staff ken@wktv.org
There is a lot of information flying around the internet and the airwaves — if not in your household — about the COVID-19 virus (coronavirus), so the Kent County Health Department, led by Dr. Adam London, Administrative Health Officer for the county, continues to offer videos with up-to-date information.
In today’s video — travel. London and Brian Hartl, county epidemiologist, discuss what you need to know and how COVID-19 may impact your travel plans. To view the latest video, visit here.
For complete information from the Kent County Health Department on the local news dealing with the COVID 19 virus, and to view all the videos visit here.
According to the health department, public information will be distributed “as the situation warrants it.”
According to the county, here are some basic facts:
COVID-19 is caused by a new respiratory virus. In December 2019, the virus began circulating in humans. Health experts are concerned because little is known about this new virus and it has the potential to cause severe illness and pneumonia.
State level information is updated daily at Michigan.gov/coronavirus. Also available are the total number of people who may have been exposed to the virus who are referred to local public health for monitoring or assessment.
Symptoms of COVID-19 may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure to the virus, and they include: fever, cough and shortness of breath Reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death.
Health experts are still learning about how this new coronavirus spreads. Other coronaviruses spread from an infected person to others through the air by coughing and sneezing; close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands; touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose or eyes.
The same steps you would take to prevent spread of flu and the common cold twill also help prevent coronavirus disease, including: wash your hands with soap and water, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or upper sleeve when coughing or sneezing, avoid contact with people who are sick, and stay home if you are sick and contact your healthcare provider.
As part of its commitment to help customers save money and reduce in-store fresh food waste, SpartanNash is piloting a mobile app at five of its West Michigan Family Fare stores. The app was developed by Flashfood® and allows store guests and community nonprofits to purchase food nearing its best-by date at savings of up to 50 percent off. Eligible items include meat, produce, seafood, deli and bakery products.
The five participating Family Fare stores testing the Flashfood app are located at:
2245 84th St., SW in Byron Center
1415 E. Fulton St. in Grand Rapids
2755 Lake Michigan Drive, NW in Grand Rapids
1225 Leonard, NE in Grand Rapids
6127 Kalamazoo Ave., SE in Kentwood
Flashfood is a Toronto-based mobile app that operates in more than 440 grocery locations throughout Canada, Michigan and Wisconsin. The mobile app is free and available on iOS and Android.
After downloading the Flashfood app, customers can select a participating Family Fare store, choose the items they want to purchase and pay for them directly on the app, then pick up their items and confirm their order at the customer service counter. To make it even easier, the purchased food will be stored at the front of each participating Family Fare in refrigerators and on storage racks until the store guest picks them up.
“Customer convenience is key with the app – and so is our ability to reduce food waste while increasing access to lower cost fresh foods,” Director, Retail Consumer Innovation Matt Bennett said. “Our aisles are filled with a variety of perishable foods, and as we get near the best-by dates, we want to make sure customers know about the savings available to them. This app is a win-win for customers and the environment.”
The Flashfood app pilot is another way SpartanNash is fighting food waste and hunger in local communities. SpartanNash also partners with local food banks and food pantries throughout the company’s footprint, donating pantry staples and shelf-stable products as well as fresh dairy, meat and produce. In 2019, these efforts resulted in more than 5 million pounds of food donations, equivalent to more than 4 million meals to families. In addition to feeding families, SpartanNash also diverts food to area zoos, farmers and livestock producers, repurposing the diverted product into feed for animals.
“Reducing food waste and building stronger communities are both important parts of SpartanNash’s corporate responsibility commitment,” Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Communications Meredith Gremel said. “At SpartanNash, we are always looking for positive changes we can drive as we ‘take food places’ in more socially responsible, environmentally sustainable ways, and the Flashfood app is another way we can do that – all while benefitting our store guests and community partners.”
Godwin Heights senior wrestlers Malcom Gowens, right, and Jamykal Lewis, on the mats where the put in all the hard work that led them to the 2020 State Individual Finals. (WKTV)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
Two things about a trip to the Michigan high school wrestling individual finals: it is reward enough for many wrestlers to simply get on the floor of Detroit’s Ford Field, and anything can happen when the action starts.
So for two Godwin Heights High School wrestlers, seniors Malcom Gowens and Jamykal Lewis, there is an excitement to finally be headed to Detroit for this weekend’s tournament to cap off their high school wrestling careers. But, you know, neither are going to be satisfied unless they do a little damage in their brackets.
Lewis, in fact, has a little inside advice on how to do that, given to him by his brother, Eli Southern, who wrestled for Godwin Heights in the state tournament in 2016, and took third place in his weight class.
“One good bit of advice he has given me is to always keep pressure on top, never let your guy get up,” Lewis said this week to WKTV. “And score as many points as possible. Get up and get ahead.”
The pair’s coach, third-year Wolverine coach Kyle Liechty, probably would agree — that its a reward for his seniors to make the state finals March 6-7, that having a big brother who wrestled helps, and that thing about “scoring as many points as possible,” that too.
Godwin Height wrestling coach Kyle Liechty. (WKTV)
“It is an incredible reward for both of them,” Liechty said to WKTV. “They have shown throughout, not just their senior year but the last two years that they have been wrestling under me, ways to continually get better. … They have put in so much hard work. They have gotten so much better. They trusted us coaches to learn the moves and the technique they need to make it to state.”
Those moves and techniques clearly came into play as both made it through their regional tournament last week.
Gowens, who is 36-10 this season and wrestles at 171 pounds, went 3-0 in the tournament, surviving three hard-fought decisions (6-3, 9-6 and the 6-3 in the finals against Trayshon Rinkines of Lansing Sexton).
Lewis (36-7, including his 100th varsity win in districts) had a slightly tougher road to get through the regionals, wining by a fall in his first match but losing a 6-4 decision in the second before battling back in the back-end of the 140-pound bracket with a 3-1 decision and then winning a 7-5 battle with Jared Thelen of Portland.
Multi-sport athletes who put in the work
Both Gowens and Lewis are multi-sport athletes at Godwin Heights, and both also say wrestling has helped them in their other sports. Both have played varsity football, while Lewis is also a track runner and Gowens likes baseball.
Gowens, too, has a brother who wrestled for Godwin before graduating last year. and gained from the experience.
“My brother, Edwin, he’s taught me a lot,” Gowens said to WKTV. “When he was here, we always tried to push each other to be better. Even though he was way heavier than me, and he’d always win, I’d always go back at him. Trying to learn new moves. He was a big man, but it helped me going against different type of wrestlers.”
Both young men also agreed with their coach about the reward of making it to the finals.
“We put in a lot of work to get to this (the state finals), day after day, night after night,” Gowins said. “Having a hurt wrist or something, but coming back to the weight room, to the wrestling room. You go far beyond what you think you can do. Putting in all that work, it fells so good to make it this far.”
“Wrestling is a hard sport, so making it to the state finals is a dream come true,” Lewis said. “I didn’t think I was going to make it this year. But I put all my hard work in. I believed in all my coaches, and they believed in me. Hard work pays off.”
While those two are the only Godwin wrestlers to make the individual finals, coach Liechty said he was proud of two other Wolverines who made the regionals, senior heavyweight Carlos Arroyo and junior Serafin Barranco at 125.
Arroyo was a “first year wrestler … He had 20 wins and did a really good job. He was a staple in our lineup and he gave us some great leadership,” Liechty said. And “I’m excited not only for what (Barranco) did this year but what he can accomplish. I think he can make it to states” as a senior.
And coach does have a track record of such things.
East Kentwood High School girls basketball in January 2020 District action. (WKTV)
By WKTV Sports Staff ken@wktv.org
With the local high school girls basketball regular season completed, WKTV has jumped into our prep March Madness featured game coverage this week as the state playoffs begin with girls District tournaments across the state.
WKTV’s Featured Game crew will be following the Division 2 District tournament at South Christian High School starting Wednesday, March 4, and continuing with that districts final on Friday, March 6. To read about the Monday game at South Christian featuring the Sailors, see Mike Moll’s story here.
But the best Monday, March 2, opening-round game involving area teams was the Division 1 clash with Byron Center at East Kentwood, so WKTV was there.
Byron Center entered the game at 19-1 overall and 12-0 in OK-conference Green with a title in hand. East Kentwood was 17-3, 11-1 in OK Red with a shared title with Hudsonville, and on a 10-game winning streak. The two teams met to open the season; EK won on the road 48-43.
In the Monday game between the two, the Falcons (now 18-3) won by almost the same score — this time winning 50-43 — as three East Kentwood players scored in double figures: sophomore Deyonce Thompson led with 15 points including three 3-pointers, while juniors Alexis McCully and Kabriana Hallman each added 12.
“That was one of the better high school basketball games we’ve seen in a long time,” WKTV Featured Game announcers Ron Schultz said after the game. “These teams … match up really well and the played really well. … Kentwood dropped some threes when they had to have them.”
The East Kentwood game will be available on WKTV Community Television Channel 26 (for complete schedules of programs on WKTV channels, see our Weekly On-air Schedule) and on-demand at WKTVlive.org.
WKTV also has a special video discussion on local teams playing in District tournaments with WKTV Sports Director Mike Moll and WKTV sports announcer Cory Dalton on the inaugural WKTVJournal Sports Connection program. See the YouTube video here.
As East Kentwood game will now travel to Caledonia for the District semifinals, starting March 4, the WKTV Featured Game crew will move to cover a doubleheader at South Christian.
In one game at South Christian, Wayland (13-8, 5-7 OK Gold and the winner of Monday’s game Hopkins) will play Kelloggsville (16-4, 10-2 and a shared title in OK Silver).
In the other game at South Christian, the Sailors (11-10, 7-5 OK Gold and the winner of a Monday game against Kentwood Grand River will play West Michigan Aviation (7-13, 1-6 Alliance).
Other local teams playing in District tournaments
In Division 1, Wyoming (7-14, 3-9 OK Gold) won a Monday opening round game against tournament host Caledonia and now will challenge the tournament top seed, East Grand Rapids (19-1, 12-0 and a title in OK Gold), on Wednesday.
In another Division 2 tournament involving local teams, Godwin Heights (10-11, 4-8 in OK Silver) played Monday at the Forest Hills Eastern District tournament but lost to Grand Rapids Christian (18-3, 9-3 in OK Gold) to end the Wolverines season. On the other side of the same tournament bracket, Wyoming Lee (0-19, 0-12 OK Silver) will open play on Wednesday against Catholic Central (7-14, 4-8 in OK Blue) and the winner of a Monday game with Wellsprings Prep.
In a Division 4 tournament hosted by Wyoming Tri-unity Christian, Wednesday games will have Tri-unity (6-14, 2-5 in Alliance) playing Martin (19-1, 9-1 and a title in Southwestern Athletic Conference Lakeshore), and Wyoming Potter’s House Christian (8-12, 5-2 Alliance) against Byron Center Zion Christian (9-11, 3-4 Alliance). The winners will play for the district title Friday at Tri-unity.
WKTV broadcasts on Wyoming and Kentwood cable channels. On Comcast cable, Channel 25 is the Community Channel, where sports events and other community events are shown; Channel 26 is the Government Channel, where local government meetings and events are shown. The games can also be seen on AT&T U-verse 99.
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week, any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and feature stories on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/.
With the Wyoming City Council’s awarding of a $1.3 million bid, area residents will have a new splashpad, playground, and restroom at Jackson Park.
At last night’s regular council meeting, the Wyoming City Council accepted a bid from Katerberg Verhage, Inc. for the development project at Jackson Park, which is located at 1331 33rd St. SW.
Jackson Park is approximately 22 acres. It resides in a densely populated residential area of the City of Wyoming which is primarily made up of single‐family homes. A large green space in the center of the park provides for storm water storage for the neighborhoods.
A key to the development design was resident input, according to city staff. The City Council approved the design on April 20, 2009. Along with the splashpad, playground and restroom, this phase of the project also features the construction of shelter, security lighting, and new parking lot and access road from Robin Avenue.
“We’re excited to bring the ideas of residents to reality. The redevelopment of Jackson Park has been highly anticipated by area residents in this densely populated area of our community,” said Mayor Jack Poll.
A key element to the redesign of Jackson Park was resident input. (Supplied)
“Our initial goal was to begin Jackson Park’s development in 2015, however the economy and mother nature had different plans,” said the City of Wyoming Director of Community Services Rebecca Rynbrandt. “Project funding was delayed as a result of effects of the foreclosure crisis, and then having to make difficult choices for our park system’s capital and maintenance needs following tornadoes and flooding, required us to prioritize the redevelopment of Ideal Park over Jackson Park. Now, with Ideal Park well under construction, and having obtained funding, we can bring these much sought after improvements to the Jackson Park.”
Funding for the project is being provided through the City’s Capital Projects Revolving Fund, with staff support through the City’s dedicated Parks and Recreation Operational millage.
“We are grateful to our residents for their support as we continue to offer some of the best parks in West Michigan, right in their backyard,” Poll said.
Construction will begin this spring, and the park’s grand opening is planned for the summer of 2021. In the meantime, residents are encouraged to mark their calendars to attend the Ideal Park Grand Opening scheduled for Saturday, June 6.
Federal CDC-privided Coronavirus test kit. (Kent County Health)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
There is a lot of information flying around the internet and the airwaves — if not in your household — about the COVID-19 virus (coronavirus), so the Kent County Health Department late last week began series of videos with Dr. Adam London, Administrative Health Officer for the county.
“I certainly don’t think this is time to panic,” Adam London, Kent County’s Administrative Health Officer, said in the first video. “However, I do think it is responsible to think about thing we can do.”
To view the first video, which includes basic safety tips, in its entirety, visit here.
According to the health department, public information will be distributed “as the situation warrants it,” but “we anticipate 2 to 3 (videos) per week for the foreseeable future … following our daily COVID 19 briefings.”
To view the latest video, in which London discuses both the use of the term “COVID-19” virus instead of “coronavirus,” visit here.
According to the county website, here are some of the latest news and developments:
COVID-19 is caused by a new respiratory virus. In December 2019, the virus began circulating in humans. Health experts are concerned because little is known about this new virus and it has the potential to cause severe illness and pneumonia.
At this time, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Michigan. Information about the number of persons under investigation (PUIs) and specimens tested is updated daily at Michigan.gov/coronavirus. Also available are the total number of people who may have been exposed to the virus who are referred to local public health for monitoring or assessment.
Symptoms of COVID-19 may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure to the virus, and they include: fever, cough and shortness of breath Reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death.
Health experts are still learning about how this new coronavirus spreads. Other coronaviruses spread from an infected person to others through the air by coughing and sneezing; close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands; touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose or eyes.
The same steps you would take to prevent spread of flu and the common cold twill also help prevent coronavirus disease, including: wash your hands with soap and water, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or upper sleeve when coughing or sneezing, avoid contact with people who are sick, and stay home if you are sick and contact your healthcare provider.
This CDC’s laboratory test kit for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is being shipped to laboratories which the CDC has designated as qualified, including U.S. state and local public health laboratories, Department of Defense (DOD) laboratories and select international laboratories.
For complete information from the Kent County Health Department on the local news dealing with the COVID 19 virus, visit here.
Last week, Rapid and City of Wyoming officials collected input on what residents and business owners would like to see along Division Avenue. (Photo by WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
As a YMCA community collaboration director Aly Rickman often talks to residents along Division Avenue about the importance of living healthier and having an active lifestyle by purchasing more fruits and vegetables and walking their community.
“Many times the residents say it’s too difficult because of the traffic and safety issues along Division,” Rickman said.
It was for that reason that Rickman along with several Division Avenue residents and business owners attended a series of Silver Line Transit Oriented Development Study open houses Thursday and Friday (Feb. 27 and 28) that took place at several Division Avenue business such as Wei Wei Palace, New Beginnings, Brann’s Steakhouse, and Supermercado Mexico.
Javier Olvera, President and Co-Owner of Olvera Enterprises, which owns Supermercado Mexico, looks over a survey about Division Avenue. (Photo by WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
“I think it is very important to get the community together to talk about what their vision is for Division,” sad Javier Olvera, President and Co-Owner of Olvera Enterprises, which owns Supermercado Mexico. For Olvera, he said he would love to see more green space with trees and plants along Division Avenue to help make the area a more welcoming place.
Getting input from the people who live and work along Division Avenue is an important element to the study, said Bill Kirk, a business affairs specialist for The Rapid. When the Silver Line was launched in 2014, it was looked at as a catalyst for potential economic ground development leading into the downtown area. The line runs along Division Avenue from 60th Street in Cutlerville to the Medical Mile/Grand Rapids Community College loop.
“The economic investment did not come,” Kirk said, adding that the Silver Line concept, which was the first Bus Rapid Transit system in the state of Michigan, was taken from other cities, such a Cleveland, which had seen economic growth along its Bus Rapid Transit system.
A Federal Transportation Administration grant of about $900,000 along with $25,000 contributions each from the cities of Grand Rapids, Kentwood, and Wyoming, all of which have parts of Division Avenue within their boundaries, are being used to fund a study to find ways to improve affordable housing options, businesses opportunities, and neighborhood conditions in the corridor without losing much of the diversity that is part of Division Avenue, Kirk said.
The study is utilizing two major components: data on land usage and codes and input from residents and business leaders on what they would like to see along the Division Avenue corridor. The Feb. 27 and 28 meetings were the start of the community conversations, Kirk said.
Community members and officials sit on a Rapid bus in the Supermercado Mexico parking lot discussing the vision for Division Avenue. (Photo by WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
Those who came to the open house had the opportunity to take a South Division Corridor Identity Survey to help determine how residents view the corridor. They also could make a Design Workshop Survey which asked a series of questions on what people would like to see along the corridor.
“It made sense to start looking along the corridor because each of the three cities, Grand Rapids, Wyoming and Kentwood, were in various stages of reviewing their master plans,” said City of Wyoming City Planner Nicole Hofert. “The City of Kentwood is wrapping up theirs, the City of Grand Rapids has its Southtown plan and us, the City of Wyoming, is working on our master plan.”
Hofert said the City of Wyoming has not addressed the Division corridor in its master plan because of the Silver Line study and that the city will most likely adopt what comes from that study. Grand Rapids also has not included it in its Southtown Corridor Improvement District plan.
To give the community an idea of what some of those improvements could be, the Oklahoma City-based private urban consultants company Team Better Block will be staging a couple of “pop ups” or temporary use of space.
A community member looks over a map of Division Avenue. (Photo by WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
“This could be a pop up shop, a pop up bike trail, a painted bike lane,” said Daniel Sperle, the Division Avenue project manager for Team Better Block. “It will be a test of what the community would like to see and how it would look within the environment.”
Kirk said the team hopes to wrap up the study by the end of the year. For now, the goal is to get as much input from area residents to help complete the study, he said.
Those interested in taking the survey for the Silver Line Transit Oriented Development Study or keep updated on the progress of the study can visit the website silverlinetod.org.
From left, English teacher Kim-Hang Tran and media specialist Melissa Schneider started the Wyoming chapter of Project Lit with students. (School News Network)
Talking about books while noshing soup and crusty bread can lead to powerful discussions.
Consider the connections Wyoming High School senior Jonelly Macias made at the recent Project Lit meeting between youth mental health and the nonfiction book “Just Mercy” by Bryan Stevenson. She said school counselors and teachers need to be persistent in reaching out to students who are withdrawn and isolated.
Junior Cindy Gomez leads discussion during project
“Don’t leave them alone. That’s when the are most vulnerable and their imaginations run wild and they start thinking about the craziest things,” Jonelly said.
Students and staff members delved into the book, which documents vast inequities in the justice system affecting people of color and the poor.
Participants jotted down thoughts on sticky notes for discussion. Topics included the death penalty, life sentences for juveniles and racial disparities in the prison system and in sentencing.
Equally thought-provoking conversations have taken place during the community book club’s meetings on books such as “Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah and “With the Fire on High” by Elizabeth Acevedo, said media specialist Melissa Schneider. She started the Wyoming chapter of Project Lit with English teacher Kim-Hang Tran and Wyoming High School students, who serve as ambassadors.
The next Project Lit selection is “Shout” by Laurie Halse Anderson.
Junior Vanessa Martinez jots down her thoughts about a topic in the book ‘Just Mercy’
Sharing Books and Conversations
A high school teacher and his class started the original Project Lit in 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee. The goal was to expose students to books they could relate to while bringing the community together. The class began donating books to “book deserts,” areas where students don’t have access to many books.
The Wyoming chapter meets a few times a year to talk about a selected book that represents diverse characters and authors, different cultures and underrepresented populations.
Wyoming High School students are very diverse so the books resonate with them, Tran said. “They can see themselves in the books.”
Added Schneider. “The goal is that the kids see adults reading and we can have conversations together about books. Books aren’t just something assigned in school.”
Ambassadors, including juniors Vanessa Martinez, Deymi Gramajo and Cindy Gomez and senior Jonelly, discussed why they are passionate about the project.
‘I thought the concept behind the whole club was a good (one) and a good thing to spread. I think the community deserves to read these stories,” Vanessa said.
“I would like to spread the love of reading to the community and get more people involved in reading,” Cindy said.
Jonelly said the whole idea is to appreciate books. “They are books that are good for the soul, good for the mind and help us grow as individuals.”
Wyoming’s club also has a community service focus. They will launch Project Lit on Wheels this summer, using a donated van transformed into a mobile library to deliver books to children. Students will facilitate book donations efforts in the community.
For more stories on area schools, visit the School News Network website, schoolnewsnetwork.org.
From left: junior Vanessa Martinez, senior Jonelly Maroas. junior Deymi Gramajo and junior Cindy Gomez discuss juvenile life sentences and juvenile incarceration in adult prisons. (School News Network)
On Feb. 20, the Wyoming Department of Public Safety recognized several of its officers for the work they did in 2019. The 2019 Officer of the Year is Officer Marcus Donker and 2019 Civilian of the Year is Forensic Science Unit Technician Todd Masula. Congratulations to all the officers in both the police and fire departments. For a complete list of who was honored, click here.
Look Who’s Turning 70
City of Kentwood’s AMVETS Post 23, named after 2nd Lt. Lawrence Sybesma, is hosting a party to mark its 70th anniversary. The event is set to take place at 4 p.m. at the Post, located at 98 52nd St. SE. A meal will follow prepared by the Blue Star Mothers and is $7 per plate. To learn more about the post or who 2nd Lt. Lawrence Sybsema was, click here.
Looking Ahead to August
The City of Kentwood announced this week that it would seek a millage of 0.9 mills on the August ballot. The millage would be for a period of 10 years, which would then be reduced to a perpetual millage of 0.65 mills. The tiered millage would be dedicated solely to construct, operate, maintain and acquire parks, trails and recreation improvements and programs. For more about the millage and how it would be used, click here.
Fun Fact: 48222
If you want to send mail to the those operating the boats on Lake Michigan then the zip code you’ll need is 48222. That is the zip code to the J.W. Westcott II, the only floating post office in the United States. Operating out of Detroit for more than 125 years, the J.W. Westcott delivers mail to the freighters that cross the Great Lakes. It service was so important that after sinking in 2001, it was salvage, refurnished and operates today. The J.W. Westcott, so named after the man who founded the company, has a contract with the postal service through 2021.
Marge Wilson has been chosen to receive the Frederik Meijer Service Above Self Award, given by the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids. The award is presented in recognition of Frederik Meijer’s philanthropic acts of selfless service to our community, which left a lasting impact on the lives of others.
“We are pleased and excited to honor Marge Wilson as the 2020 Frederik Meijer Service Above Self Award winner for her contributions to our community. Her generous and gracious spirit embodies the true meaning of this award,” said Hank Meijer, Fred Meijer’s son and Executive Chairman of Meijer, Inc.
Marge is an entrepreneur, community advocate and mentor. She is well-known for her sensitive and compassionate nature. She established Marge’s Donuts in 1975 and as her business grew, she expanded the shop to accommodate private gatherings and space for local organizations and clubs to meet.
Marge Wilson at Marge’s Donut Den. (WKTV)
Marge attended Davenport College and subsequently went on to work at banks in California, Chicago and Grand Rapids for 20 years. She was the first woman chosen to be on the national board of the Retail Bakers Association and served for many years as the Michigan Regional Director. Throughout the years she has collected an impressive number of awards and recognitions for her community service and business expertise. These tokens of recognition span an entire wall in the back of the bakery along with a timeline for her involvement in the community she loves so dearly.
“I am honored to receive an award that bears the name of Fred Meijer. I firmly believe that you should do all you can for others when you can and while you can, not expecting anything in return. I receive many blessings for giving back and I am humbled by this recognition which is truly an honor to me,” said Marge.
Some of Marge’s notable achievements are the establishment of the Samuel Omogo Foundation, a project designed to foster the responsible development of clean water sources for villages in southeastern Nigeria. She received the Inaugural Marge Wilson Community Service Leadership Award from AMBUCS and Distinguished Service Award from the Wyoming-Kentwood Chamber of Commerce.
Previous Frederik Meijer Service Above Self Award winners include Jackie Taylor, PhD, Shelley Irwin, Rick DeVos, Luis Tomatis, MD and John & Nancy Kennedy.
“By honoring such amazing people in a public way, we hope to inspire others to consider how they can extend themselves in the service of others and the community at-large,” said Neil Marchand, president of the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids.
The Rotary Club of Grand Rapids will honor Marge at the Frederik Meijer Service Above Self Award Dinner on Tuesday, April 21, at 6 p.m. at the Cultural Center at St. Nicholas. The community is invited to attend. Tickets are on sale at grrotary.org or by calling 616-429-5640.
It seems like it only takes a keystroke for a television forensic scientist to determine who left that fingerprint on the wall, but Wyoming Department of Public Safety Forensic Science Unit Technician Todd Masula knows better than that.
He has spent countless hours hours putting in latent prints, manually scanning each useable print and carefully marking as many small details with each print as he can find. The more details Masula’s can isolate, the greater the chance of making an identification.
“The computer does not find the match for Todd, but instead gives him a list of candidates that most closely match the latent he entered,” said Wyoming Department of Public Safety Lt. Tim Pols. “This means Todd may have to look at 20 or more candidates for each latent print he enters into the system.”
The number of prints Masula looked at last year alone were in the thousands. In 2019, of the 600 latent prints Masula entered into the new Automated Fingerprint System, 348 were identified to an individual. According to Pols, in the previous three years combined, 550 latent prints were entered, resulting in 281 identifications.
“It is hours of difficult, tedious, and often unnoticed work,” Pols said. “The latent work is in addition to the science work, photography, training and property management still required of Masula.”
It is this reason that the Wyoming Department of Pubic Safety group of civilian employees named Masula as the 2019 Civilian of the Year for the department.
Masula was recognized along with about 60 other Department officers, firefighters, and civilians during the annual Wyoming Department of Public Safety Employees Recognition Ceremony, which was held Feb. 20 at the Wyoming Senior Center. Pols, from police, and Lt. Chris Velzen, from fire, were the master of ceremonies.
Coming in during off hours to help prevent a suicide, returning a teenager safely to her home, noticing a suspicious car that leads to a drug arrest, or even spending countless hours logging latent prints are all part of the job for many of the officers, firefighters, and civilians who work for the department, said Chief Kim Koster.
2019 Officer of the Years: Officer Marcus Donker (Supplied)
“None of these officers seek out the accolades for doing any of this,” Koster said, adding this is a time for the department to recognize just what the team at the Wyoming Department of Public Safety does.
Once such officer is Officer Marcus Donker, who was recognized at the beginning of the hour-and-half event with the first two Individual Commendations for his work that lead to the recover of stolen vehicles. He also was recognized at the end of the program as the 2019 Officer of the Year.
“Since joining the Wyoming team, he has quietly earned a reputation as an outstanding police professional with a keen ability to catch criminals and a heart for serving his community,” Pols said during the ceremony.
Donker has been in law enforcement for 14 years coming from the Constantine Police Department three years ago to serve on the Wyoming Department of Public Safety. He has received praise and accolades across the board from his peers, Pols said.
The Unit Commendation went to Shift B Nights (Photo by WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
A total of 12 awards were given out to about 60 officers, firefighters, and civilians. Those awards and recipients were:
Citation of Valor
Officer Phil Swiercz
Certificate of Merit
Sgt. Cory Walendzik
Officer Erich Staman
Officer Lee Atkinson
Achievement Medal
Officer Daniel Patterson
“Unit” Commendation
B NightsShift
Sgt. Robert Meredith
Officer Aaron Gray
Officer Daniel Patterson
Officer Aaron Brooks
Officer Erich Staman
Officer Michael Nachtegall
Officer Chad Wells
Officer Andrew Koeller
Field training officers who were recognized included Officer Daniel Patterson, Officer Joshua Yancho, Office Antonio Hutchins, Officer Dwayne Holmberg, Firefighter Anthony Bennett, Firefighter Jason Hanlon, Firefighters Jesse May, and Firefighter Mike Updyke. (Photo by WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
Life Saving Award
EO Tom Marsman
EO Steven Boetsma
Inspector Brad Dornbos
Firefighter Daniel Royce
Firefighter Brandon Travis
Lt. Brad Deppe
Firefighters Matt Frazee
EO Lacey Koens
LT. Christopher Velzen
EO Brian Ilbrink
Firefighter Zachary Jones
Firefighter Daniel Rettig
Firefighter Jason Richardson
Firefighter Todd Yonkers
EO Daniel Deppe
Firefighter Jesse May
Firefighter Michele Kelly
Firefighter Matthew Young
Firefighter Jason Hanlon
Officer Ben Hecksel
Individual Commendation
Sgt. Ross Eagan
Officer Marcus Donker
Officer Daniel Patterson
Officer Daniel Sanderson
Officer Chad Wells
Officers Aaron Freeman
Officer Blair Shellenbarger
Officer Antonio Hutchins
Officer Lee Atkinson
Officer Joshua Yancho
Officer Christian Bomer
Officer Jacob Bylsma
Officer Brandon Knowling
Officer Ben Hecksel
2019 Chief’s Award of Professional Excellence: Officer Jennifer Eby (Photo by WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
WKTV offers on-demand viewing of the Wyoming and Kentwood high school sports, community events, and government meetings. (WKTV)
By WKTV Staff ken@wktv.org
WKTV has your weekly high school sports schedule, and our coverage crew will be out twice the week. The Featured Game coverage schedule for the last week of February includes Tuesday, Feb. 25, with girls and boys basketball featuring Tri-unity Christian High School at Grand River Prep; and Friday, Feb. 28, with girls/boys basketball with Tri-unity Christian again on the road at Wyoming Potter’s House.
WKTV’s girls and boys basketball District Tournament coverage to be begin March is still being determined, but should be announced by the end of this week.
Where and when to see the game
Featured games are broadcast the night of the contest and then at least once later in the week.
WKTV broadcasts on Wyoming and Kentwood cable channels. On Comcast cable, Channel 25 is the Community Channel, where sports events and other community events are shown; Channel 26 is the Government Channel, where local government meetings and events are shown. The games can also be seen on AT&T U-verse 99.
All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.org.
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week, any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and feature stories on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/.
Following is this week’s schedule:
Monday, Feb. 24 Girls Basketball Wellsprings Prep @ West Michigan Aviation Boys Basketball Wellsprings Prep @ West Michigan Aviation Boys/Girls Bowling Wyoming Lee @ Potter’s House
Tuesday, Feb. 25 Boys Basketball Tri-Unity Christian @ Grand River Prep — WKTV Featured Event Potter’s House @ Wellsprings Prep Zion Christian @ Muskegon Catholic Central NorthPointe Christian @ Wyoming Lee Godwin Heights @ Calvin Christian South Christian @ FH Eastern Middleville T-K @ Wyoming Kelloggsville @ Holland East Kentwood @ Grand Haven Girls Basketball Tri-Unity Christian @ Grand River Prep — WKTV Featured Event Zion Christian @ West Michigan Lutheran Potter’s House @ Wellsprings Prep Wyoming Lee @ NorthPointe Christian Calvin Christian @ Godwin Heights South Christian @ FH Eastern Middleville T-K @ Wyoming Kelloggsville @ Holland Grand Haven @ East Kentwood
Wednesday, Feb. 26 — no events
Thursday, Feb. 27 Girls Basketball West Michigan Lutheran @ Holland Black River Zion Christian @ West Michigan Aviation Fruitport Calvary Christian @ Grand River Prep Boys Basketball West Michigan Lutheran @ Holland Black River Grand Rapids Adventist @ Grand River Prep Boys Diving East Kentwood @ Hudsonville – Conference Prelims Boys Hockey East Kentwood/West Michigan Aviation @ West Ottawa – MHSAA Regionals
Friday, Feb. 28 Boys/Girls Bowling Tri-Unity Christian @ TBA – MHSAA State Team Regionals – Boys Wyoming Lee – MHSAA State Team Regionals @ Park Center Lanes Godwin Heights – MHSAA State Team Regionals South Christian – MHSAA State Team Regionals @ M-66 Bowl Wyoming- MHSAA State Team Regionals East Kentwood – MHSAA State Team Regionals Boys Basketball Tri-Unity Christian @ Potter’s House — WKTV Featured Event Kalamazoo Phoenix @ West Michigan Lutheran Covenant Christian @ West Michigan Aviation Calvin Christian @ Wyoming Lee Godwin Heights @ Kelloggsville Christian @ South Christian Wyoming @ FH Eastern East Kentwood @ Caledonia Girls Basketball Tri-Unity Christian @ Potter’s House — WKTV Featured Event West Michigan Aviation @ West Michigan Lutheran Calvin Christian @ Wyoming Lee Godwin Heights @ Kelloggsville Christian @ South Christian Wyoming @ FH Eastern East Kentwood @ Caledonia Boys Swimming South Christian @ Hastings East Kentwood @ Hudsonville – Conference Prelims Boys Wrestling MHSAA Team State Finals
Saturday, Feb. 29 Boys/Girls Bowling Tri-Unity Christian @ TBA – MHSAA State Individual Regionals – Boys Wyoming Lee – MHSAA State Individual Regionals- @ Park Center Lanes Godwin Heights – MHSAA State Individual Regionals South Christian – MHSAA State Individual Regionals @ M-66 Bowl East Kentwood – MHSAA Individual Regionals Boys Swimming South Christian @ Hastings East Kentwood @ Hudsonville – Conference Finals Girls Cheer Wyoming – State Regionals
The Hall of Fame ceremony included the induction of, from left, Joslyn Narber, Micah Bell, Craig Chappell, Rich Friberg, Sue Peterson, Paul Agema, players who attended either Wyoming Park or Rogers high schools. Wyoming High School athletic director Ted Hollern is a far right. (Supplied/Wyoming High Athletics)
By WKTV Staff ken@wktv.org
With the anticipation of a huge boys basketball game between Wyoming High School and Grand Rapids Christian on the schedule, the Wolves could not have picked a better backdrop for its annual Hall of Fame Basketball Community Night Friday, Feb. 14, as the Hall of Fame Class of 2020 honored.
Both the earlier girls and later boys basketball games were WKTV Sports Featured Games, and are available on-demand at WKTVlive.org.
The Wolves boys defeated the Eagles, by the way, 62-61, to push their record to 14-1 overall, 8-1 and into art tie for first place in the OK-Conference Gold, as Wyoming avenged their only loss of the season, to Christian. The Wolves trailed by 14 points at halftime but rallied as senior Monte Parks hit a pair of free throws with six seconds remaining. Senior Diego Ledesma scored 18 points, while Parks had 15 and senior Menalito McGee added 13.
The Wolves have also won both of their games since Feb. 14 and now sit at 16-1 overall and 9-1 in conference, still tied with Christian for the conference lead.
The Hall of Fame ceremony included the induction of Joslyn Narber, Micah Bell, Craig Chappell, Rich Friberg, Sue Peterson, Paul Agema, players who attended either Wyoming Park or Rogers high schools.
Narber, according to supplied material, was one of the all-around great athletes at Wyoming Park. She played basketball, softball and track. While participating in track Narber received two varsity letters and was a conference and regional finalist in the discus. In basketball, she was a four-year letter winner, started in 94 consecutive games and was voted team MVP for three years in a row. In college, she excelled at Aquinas College and is a member of the Aquinas College Ring of Honor Hall of Fame.
The Hall of Fame ceremony included the induction of Micah Bell, second from right, with family. (Supplied/Wyoming High Athletics)
Bell was also a graduate of Wyoming Park High School, where he played football and basketball during this time. He was selected All-O.K. Conference in basketball and was All-State Honorable Mention in 1996 and All-State in basketball in 1997. After high School, Bell played college basketball at University of Colorado and Grand Valley State University. After college, he played professional basketball.
The Hall of Fame ceremony included the induction Craig Chappell, center with family. (Supplied/Wyoming High Athletics)
Chappell was a multi sport athlete at Rogers High School, playing football, basketball, baseball, and track. Among his other accomplishments, he played varsity basketball from 1982-84 and was All-Conference all three years, and All-District and All-State for two years. Chappell still holds the Rogers High School school record for 1,462 career points. He went on to play at Ferris State University.
The Hall of Fame ceremony included the induction of Rich Friberg, shown with his wife. (Supplied/Wyoming High Athletics)
Friberg attended Wyoming Rogers High School and graduated in 1982. While attending Rogers, he played four years of football, wrestling, and baseball. He was also a 4-time District wrestling champion, 2-time Regional champion, and 2-time State Champion, in 1981 and in 1982. He continued on his wrestling career at Northern Michigan University.
Peterson graduated from Rogers High School in 1999, and excelled in basketball and softball. In 1999, she led the Rogers High School basketball team to a MHSAA District Championship and was named to the the MHSAA All-State Basketball team. She then graduated from Grand Valley State University and is now an EMT paramedic.
Agema — “Critter” Agema — was a multi-sport star at Wyoming Park High School, playing football, basketball, and baseball. He was the leader of the 1984-85 State Champion football team, and was also was a standout basketball player. He went on to play football at Grand Rapids Community College and Western Michigan.
SpartanNash has been named among the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® in the Nation, according to the National Association for Business Resources.
“At SpartanNash, our family of nearly 19,000 associates is our company’s most important asset,” Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Yvonne Trupiano said. “Whether they are ‘taking food places’ through our highly efficient and versatile supply chain, military resale channel, fresh food manufacturing or corporate-owned retail stores, associates contribute to SpartanNash’s success.
“In turn, we are proud to provide a challenging, exciting and fast-paced work environment for associates, in addition to competitive Total Rewards benefits; training, development and advancement opportunities; and a commitment to cultivate relationships based on respect, integrity, teamwork and trust to build a winning culture.”
The Best and Brightest Companies to Work For identifies and honors organizations that display a commitment to excellence in operations and employee enrichment that lead to increased productivity and financial performance. Nominees are scored based on regional company performance data and a set standard across the nation, evaluating companies on categories including benefits and employee solutions, engagement and retention, education and development, diversity and inclusion, and communication and shared vision. The national program celebrates those companies that are making better business, creating richer lives and building a stronger community as a whole.
“With the war on talent hitting the doorsteps of the Best and Brightest, this achievement means even more than it did a year ago. As we continue to raise the bar, these companies rise to the challenge through cultural innovation, maximizing their workforce potential,” said Jennifer Kluge, President and CEO, Best and Brightest Programs.
In total, the 2019 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For list includes 540 national winning organizations from across the country, selected from 5,000 nominations. Also receiving the honor was the Kent District Library.
SpartanNash offers a robust Total Rewards program, with benefits for eligible associates including medical, dental, life, vacation, 401(k) with company match, employee assistance services and a wellness program. The company also offers associate discounts at its more than 155 owned and operated retail stores, as well as discounts with vendors and tuition reimbursement.
Associate learning and development is also a priority at SpartanNash, with training and development courses tailored to each associate’s business segment and career aspirations.
SpartanNash also offers employee resource groups for its female and veteran associates, as well as companywide volunteering and sustainability programs.
With more than 20 years of experience conducting the Best and Brightest competitions, the National Association for Business Resources has identified numerous best Human Resource practices and provided benchmarking for companies that continue to be leaders in employment standards.
SpartanNash has been named one of the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in the Nation for six consecutive years. The company has also been honored as one of West Michigan’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For since 2013, as well as one of Michigan’s Best and Brightest in Wellness since 2016.
Winning companies will be featured in the February online edition of Corp! Magazine
