The 2018 Metro Cruise kicks off at 4pm Friday, Aug. 24. The alternative Latin rock group Cabildo will be on the main stage at 4:30pm, followed by local favorite, Delilah DeWylde at 7:30pm performing a range of hillbilly and blues. Friday closes at 10pm.
Well, that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but Kent County is on the hunt for a new sheriff. If you have leadership skills and a background in law enforcement, you might want to consider applying for the position. With the announced retirement of Kent County Sheriff Larry Stelma, the county has formed a Kent County Sheriff Appointment Committee and is looking for applicants for the position. The individual appointed by the committee will hold the position through Dec. 31, 2020.
Metro Health Village has a number of walking routes and even a bike trail — all perfect for an afternoon stroll with the kids or a quick, weeknight workout. Download a Walking/Bike Route map here.
Need a little push to get started? Check out the Couch to 5K Training Program. Even if you’re not looking to set any world records, this program will have you up and active in no time!
No, not locusts, but we didn’t have a photo depicting the droves of voters who showed up for the primary election on Aug. 7. Take a good look at this photo — that’s the power inherent in sheer numbers, people. A pat on the back for all who voted.
The Chamber’s WKTV Government Matters committee analyzed the impressive voter turnout during their meeting on Aug. 13. The committee also discussed county staff additions. All in all, pretty important stuff.
Fun Fact:
In Switzerland, it is illegal
to own just one guinea pig.
This is because guinea pigs are social animals, and they are considered victims of abuse if they are alone. Source.
For your traffic report this weekend, expect 28th Street to be packed full of hot rods, classic and vintage cars as the 2018 28th Street Metro Cruise takes place this Friday and Saturday.
The epicenter of the two-day event will once again be Rogers Plaza, where there will be food, vendors, the Pin Up Girl Contest, and of course cars, cars, and more cars. WKTV also will be on site recording the 14th annual event.
“The love affair West Michigan, and the entire county, has with the classic and collector cars is still going strong,” said Bob O’Callaghan, the president of the Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, the organization that hosts the annual event. “We know the cars are the stars and always will be. We invite every type of car and car lover to attend our two-day showcase to celebrate these cars.”
Started in 2005 as a way to bring business back to 28th Street during the construction of the M-6 bypass, the event has grown to an annual attendance of more than 275,000 visitors in 2017 and more than 15,000 classic cars including hot rods, muscle cars, low riders, antiques and many more. The family-friendly event is 15 miles of cars, fun, and history running from Grandville to Cascade.
Get a pre-look at the cars with the Blessing of the Cars, which takes place Thursday, Aug. 23 from 5 – 9 p.m at Wesley Park United Methodist Church, 1120 32nd St. SW. The lot will be open for cars starting at 5 p.m. Cars should enter off of 32nd Street or Michael Avenue.
The 2018 Metro Cruise kicks off at 4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 24. The alternative Latin rock group Cabildo will be on the main stage at 4:30 p.m., followed by local favorite, Delilah DeWylde at 7:30 p.m. performing a range of hillbilly and blues. Friday closes at 10 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 25, kicks off at 9 a.m. with the opening ceremonies which will include the GM Foundation presentation to local charities.
“We have a few new things this year,” O’Callaghan said.“Among the activities, we will have the Midwest Mobile Dyno on hand for car owners to test their vehicles.”
For us non-motorheads, a dyno or dynamometer is a device for measuring force, torque, or power. Spots for the dyno had to be pre-booked (cost is $30). There is a free spectators viewing area near the test site which will be close to the Jet’s Pizza on the east end of the plaza. The testing will run from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
There will be a Walk-Up Pinewood Derby Racing event from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Hosted by Boy Scout Troops 354, 312, and 318, visitors can bring a car, build a car, or use one that is available. Derby car kits will be available for purchase on the day of the event. The Pinewood Derby will be in the Metro Square at Rogers Plaza.
The music starts at 11:30 a.m. with the Seventh Son Blues Band and breaks at 2 p.m. for the the 2018 Pin Up Girl Contest. At 3:30 p.m. performing rock hits and covers is Mid-Life Crisis with southern rock country Bourbon Legends performing at 6:30 p.m.
Known as “Mr. Walleye at Night,” Mark Martin will be at Steve’s Antique Auto Repair’s Booth located at Rogers Plaza. Martin is a fishing promoter, who travels extensively throughout the U.S. and Canada for tournaments, tv shows, and other events to teach walleye wisdom and lead children’ fishing clinics. At Metro Cruise, Martin — who will be there both Friday and Saturday — will be displaying his restored 1969 AMX as he talks about fishing, hunting, and cars.
Also at Rogers Plaza will be a relaxation tent and two food courts featuring an arrange of offerings such as barbecue, burgers, pizza, tamales, tacos, burritos, wraps, and ice cream. Shuttle service will be available from and to the KDL Wyoming branch, 3350 Michael Ave. SW, and the Wyoming High School, 1350 Prairie Pkwy SW.
Of course the activities will not be just at Rogers Plaza, but local business such as Marge’s Donut Den and many of the Grand Rapids New Car Dealers Association members will be featuring cars and other activities.
For example, Harvey Automotive, 2600 28th St. SE, will showcase multiple car clubs with up to 90 classic vehicles in attendance. At Dan Pfeiffer Lincoln Mercury, 2424 28th St. SE, will be featuring Dean (Dino) Arnold, the creator of the sleek 1961 Ford Thunderflite. Dino is the owner of Dinos Rod and Customs, based in Middlevile, Mich. Joining Dino will be registered rat fink artist Kit-Kat, who is known for her paint builds and signature pin stripping which she will be demonstrating at the event.
The Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s Government Matters meeting brings together all levels of government for discussion of current issues. WKTV covers it and offers it on-demand. (WKTV)
WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org
News that Kent County is planning to add about 32 more employees, many in the Sheriff’s Office’s juvenile detention area, was one discussion item of a wide-ranging inter-governmental leaders meeting Monday, Aug. 13, at the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s Government Matters Committee’s monthly forum at Wyoming City Hall.
The monthly forum is free and open to the public, and allows public questions. Another topic discussed was the State Secretary of State’s office report on the results of the Aug. 7 primary election — which saw a record percentage of primary voter turnout.
The meeting is rebroadcast on WKTV’s channels and on-demand website (wktvondemand.com). This month’s meeting is available here.
The Government Matters meeting brings together representatives from the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood, Kent County commissioners, local Michigan state senators and representatives, as well as often representatives of Michigan’s U.S. senators and U.S. congressman who represent the Wyoming and Kentwood area.
The next meeting will be Sept. 10 will be at the Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW, from 8 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.
The intergovernmental discussion hosted by the chamber focuses on issues that effect residents and businesses in the two cities.
For more information about the chamber and Government Matters visit southkent.org .
The meetings are on the second Monday of each month, starting at 8 a.m. WKTV Journal will produce a highlight story after the meeting. But WKTV also offers replays of the Monday meetings on the following Wednesday at 7 p.m. on Comcast Cable Government Channel 26.
Brandon Kimble’s approach to football is simple: “Defense wins championships, offense fills the stands”. Coach Kimble will be starting his first game as head coach of the Godwin Heights varsity football program this week, Thursday at 7 p.m., against Hamilton at Godwin Heights.
Coach Kimble sat down with WKTV’s Ken Norris earlier this summer to talk about what he hopes his team can accomplish this season.
“Defensively, I think they (the fans) can look forward to seeing a team that loves to play defense … They’re going to see athletes that enjoy playing the game and doing it the right way” Kimble said. “Offensively … We’re going to do some exciting things … our plan is to put them in space, put the ball in their hands and let them do some exciting things.”
Although Kimble’s plan for this year is to focus on the defensive side of the game, taking advantage of athletes from last year’s dominant basketball program will help build athleticism on the offensive side. SuSu Davenport, last year’s starting quarterback for the Wolverines and current Davenport University quarterback, helped the Wolverines to a 7-3 record in football and a 21-2 record in basketball, being a dominant force in both sports.
Connecting and recruiting basketball players before this summer was important for Kimble.
“It was one of the first things I wanted to do when I got into the building. ‘I got to get some of those basketball guys to come out…’ It show’s that we have the ability athletically to do some great things. It allows us to do the things we really want to do.” Kimble said. “Putting them in space, taking advantage of different defenses, playing fast, being able to do some creative things. When you have those athletes there’s a lot of things that you can do offensively and defensively.”
These and other sports events are cable broadcast either live, immediately after the event and/or in rebroadcast, on Comcast WKTV Channel 25 and on AT&T U-Verse Community 99.
WKTV’s featured football games are rebroadcast on the night of the game (Thursday or Friday) at 11 p.m. and Saturday starting at 11 a.m. See WKTVjournal.org/sports for complete schedules.
WKTV’s coverage of high school sports and select community events are also available on-demand within a week of the event at wktvondemand.com.
After serving more than a quarter-million passengers in the month of July, the Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA) is continuing its pace as the second fastest growing airport in the country.
July marks the seventh record-breaking month in a row for 2018, and the airport has seen growth in 60 of the last 67 months. July 2018 was the busiest July ever, with passenger numbers up 16.7- percent year-over-year.
Through July 2018, GFIA has already surpassed its annual totals reached in both 2008 and 2009, and the airport has now served over 75-million passengers in its 54-year history.
“Our growth is a collaborative effort between our community, our airline partners, our tenants, and continued economic progression,” said Gerald R. Ford International Airport President & CEO Jim Gill. “With recent announcements like American Airlines adding nonstop service to Miami, and Frontier Airlines adding nonstop service to Phoenix Sky-Harbor, we are continuing to set records and meet the demands and needs of our traveling public. We are not done, and we expect 2018 to not only be another record-setting year but to continue that momentum into 2019.”
Airline Weekly forecasted the Ford Airport as the second fastest-growing airport in the U.S. among the 100 busiest airports for the Q3 summer peak, according to data from Diio, an aviation data, tools, and technology product. The ranking was based upon a projected 21-percent increase in year-over-year growth.
July 2017 saw 249,268 passengers, while July 2018 topped that in serving 291,304 – the second largest increase ever for the month of July.
“Our airline partners continue to invest here and are adding more service with more routes, and larger aircraft to accommodate our growing passenger traffic,” said Gill. “We expect the record numbers and trends to continue as we wrap up summer and continue into fall.”
GFIA has invested in new facilities to accommodate the growing traffic by recently completing Phase One of the Gateway Transformation Project – an upgrade in space, retail, food and beverage, restrooms, finishes, amenities, and customer service offerings. The project’s main feature is the consolidated passenger security checkpoint which centralized and combined security screening to one main checkpoint in the Airport. Construction also included new terrazzo flooring, lighting fixtures, pre and post security business centers, a military welcome center, kids play areas, and much more.
Phase Two of the Gateway Transformation Project is slated to begin in Fall 2018 with construction taking place at the airline ticket counters, baggage claim area, and ‘front of house’ area.
“As we continue to grow in traffic it is imperative that our facilities keep up with our passenger demand,” said Gill. “Our passengers keep coming back because we listen to their wants and needs, and as they do we will continue to do our part to improve our amenities, technology, customer service and infrastructure. We are excited to see what the future holds, and we hope to add more growth in the years to come.”
WKTV’s 2018-19 high school sports coverage starts with prep football season opening night action at Godwin Heights High School as new head coach Brandon Kimble leads the Wolverines onto the field for the first time. (Don’t forget your sunglasses as the sun sets!)
WKTV interviewed Coach Kimble this summer; he talked football, mentoring young people, and more.
WKTV will cover all the local football teams in the first six weeks, including Tri-Unity Christian’s 8-man football team, before we start covering the best game available in October. Next week’s game will be the Thursday, Aug. 30, clash of Ashley at Tri-Unity Christian (8-man football at 5651 Gezon Court Wyoming.)
These and other sports events are cable broadcast either live, immediately after the event and/or in rebroadcast, on Comcast WKTV Channel 25 and on AT&T U-Verse Community 99.
WKTV’s featured football games on the night of the game (Thursday or Friday) at 11 p.m. and Saturday starting at 11 a.m. See WKTVjournal.org/sports weekly for complete feature broadcast schedules.
WKTV’s coverage of high school sports and select community events are also available on-demand within a week of the event at wktvondemand.com.
The complete local high school sports schedule through the end of the month is as follows:
Monday, Aug. 20
Boys / Girls Cross Country
East Kentwood @ Muskegon Orchard View
Boys Tennis
@ Wyoming – David Bentley Tournament
Kelloggsville @ Union
Boys Soccer
Wyoming @ Hudsonville Christian
Hudsonville Hornets @ Tri-Unity Christian
South Christian @ Holland Christian
West Michigan Aviation @ Union
Potter’s House @ Calvin Christian
Tuesday, Aug. 21
Boys Tennis
Catholic Central @ East Kentwood – Quad
Girls Volleyball
Caledonia @ East Kentwood
Wyoming Lee @ Potter’s House
Girls Swimming
East Kentwood@ Jenison
Boys / Girls Cross Country
Godwin Heights @ Kent City
Kelloggsville @ Kent City
South Christian @ St. Joe
Boys Soccer
Ottawa Hills @ Kelloggsville
Tri-County @ Wyoming Lee
Wednesday, Aug. 22
Girls Golf
South Christian @ East Kentwood
Holland @ Wyoming
Boys Soccer
East Kentwood @ Portage Northern
Godwin Heights @ Union
Zeeland West @ Wyoming
Calvin Christian @ South Christian
Zion Christian @ Kalamazoo Christian
Boys Tennis
Wyoming @ Holland
Kelloggsville @ Calvin Christian
Unity Christian @ South Christian
Boys / Girls Cross Country
Wyoming Lee @ Hesperia – Baker Woods Invitational
Thursday, Aug. 23
Girls Volleyball
East Grand Rapids @ South Christian
Tri-Unity Christian @ Godwin Heights
Wellsprings Prep @ Kelloggsville
Wyoming Lee @ West Michigan Aviation
Boys Soccer
East Kentwood @ Holland
Grand River Prep @ Kelloggsville
Wyoming Lee @ West Michigan Aviation
Tri-Unity Christian @ Hope Academy of West Michigan
Muskegon Catholic Central @ Zion Christian
Boys Football
Hamilton @ Godwin Heights – WKTV Featured Event
South Christian @ Greenville
Olivet @ Calvin Christian/Potter’s House
Boys / Girls Cross Country
Grand River Prep @ Kelloggsville – Rocket Invitational
"Being the Queen is not all about singing, and being a diva is not all about singing. It has much to do with your service to people. And your social contributions to your community and your civic contributions as well." _ Aretha Franklin
Making a difference
Having lived in Wyoming all of his life — except for a short time when he was away at college — Chris Hall felt he knew a lot about the community he lives in. Then in 2003, he joined Wyoming’s Community Development Committee and discovered even more about his city. “It is really cool because you hear from folks who have been a part of [the Community Development Committee] and they’ve learned about stuff — me included — of things that I didn’t know existed and ways that I can help out, and I think I am a better resident, a better citizen. Because of my involvement in this committee, I am able to serve my neighbors better.”
Time to Sparkle
The Grand Rapids Ballet will celebrate the arrival of its newest artistic director, James Sofranko with a gala Oct. 18. The Wild Sweet Love Welcome Gala, so named after a ballet that will be performed that event, will start at the L3VEL at The B.O.B. and then head to the company’s Peter Martin Wege Theatre. To find out why “Wild Sweet Love” was selected and how it connects to Sofranko, click here.
The Kent County Board of Commissioners is looking for residents who are interested in serving the community through appointment to various boards, commissions, and committees. Any Kent County resident may apply by completing an online application form on the County’s website at www.accessKent.com/boardappointments. Resumes and cover letters are encouraged and may be attached. The application deadline is Sept 30.
Listed below are the boards, commissions, and committees that have openings for terms effective January 1, 2019 (unless otherwise noted):
Agricultural Preservation Board (openings for agricultural interest representative and conservation representative)
Community Action Agency Advisory Governing Board (openings for consumer and public sector representatives)
Community Corrections Advisory Board (openings for Defense Attorney and Probation Representative)
Community Health Advisory Committee (openings for community-based and faith-based organization representatives and health care providers)
Community Mental Health Authority (Network180) Board – term begins April 1, 2019
County Building Authority
Fire Commission (openings for township elected officials only)
Friend of the Court Citizen’s Advisory Committee (openings for the general public and family law attorney)
Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRFIA) Authority Board
Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority
Housing Commission
Kent County Family & Children’s Coordinating Council (openings for private funding and private agency representatives)
Kent District Library Board (Region 1 – resident of Nelson, Oakfield, Spencer and Tyrone Township; and Region 5 – resident of Ada, Cascade, Grand Rapids Township, and City of East Grand Rapids).Applicants must live in Region 1 or 5.
Land Bank Authority (must be a city elected official – excluding the City of Grand Rapids – to apply)
Millennium Park Architectural Advisory Review Board (opening for business community representative)
Officers’ Compensation Commission
Remonumentation Peer Review Group (must be a professional surveyor to apply)
Kent County’s Veterans Services is focused of veterans issues.
Road Commission Board
Solid Waste Management Planning Committee (openings for general public, environmental interest groups, solid waste industry representatives, and a representative from an industrial waste generator)
Veterans Services Committee (must have served honorably on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces to apply)If you have any questions, please contact Pam VanKeuren in the Board of Commissioners’ Office at 616-632-7580 or Pam.VanKeuren@kentcountymi.gov.
Having lived in Wyoming all of his life — except for a short time when he was away at college — Chris Hall felt he knew a lot about the community he lives in. Then in 2003, he joined Wyoming’s Community Development Committee and discovered even more about his city.
“It is really cool because you hear from folks who have been a part of [the Community Development Committee] and they’ve learned about stuff — me included — of things that I didn’t know existed and ways that I can help out, and I think I am a better resident, a better citizen.
“Because of my involvement in this committee, I am able to serve my neighbors better.”
The Community Development Committee is an advisory board to the Wyoming City Council with its focus on the federally funded Community Block Development Grant program. Enacted by Former President Gerald R. Ford in 1974, the Community Development Block Grant or CDBG is one of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s longest-running programs. It funds local community development activities such as affordable housing, anti-poverty programs and infrastructure development.
The funding is distributed mostly to state and local governments which controls how the funds are used.
“As an advisory panel we kind of get to determine where those dollars should be spent,” Hall said. “So we make recommendations to the city council, usually it is around community development-type work, strengthening neighbors, helping with education with housing, those types of issues.”
Projects funded through the CBDG program have included several park improvements such as the snack area at Pinery Park and a monument at Veteran’s Park. The program has worked with various non-profits that provide affordable housing and home repair services along with helping with other needs such as English is a Second Language programs.
The Community Development Committee is looking to fill some open spots. The person has to be a Wyoming resident and should be engaged in the community. The time comment is not much, about one meeting a month for a couple of hours, according to Hall.
“What you find you are doing is that you are more engaged between the meetings throughout the month looking for opportunities to find a nonprofit who can benefit from this or just be more engaged as a resident,” Hall said. “It’s a great opportunity for a resident of the city to participate and maybe be part of the solution.”
Hall went on to state that “A lot of people like to think of us as the suburbs. We are a pretty diverse city. From one end of the city to the other, there is a lot of different things happening in Wyoming. We have a lot of the same challenges we have in the urban core but the architecture is different. The cool thing is we have the ability to work on those as a community.”
To learn more about the Community Development Committee or the other volunteer committees, commissions and boards at the city, visit the city’s website or contact the city clerk’s office at 616-530-7296.
Dr. Rob Davidson, left, the Democratic challenger to U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga’s 2nd District seat, with speakers Joseph Bradley and Heidi Draft-Peppin, at an event in Wyoming Aug. 14. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
The general election season is barely a week old but Dr. Rob Davidson, the Democratic challenger to U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga’s 2nd District seat, has already paid a visit to the City of Wyoming — and for good reason.
While most of the 2nd District is West Michigan lakeshore areas, the panhandle area of the district extending south of Grand Rapids which includes Wyoming is often seen as more Democratic leaning than much of the district.
And, according to Davidson, it is also an area — and a group of constituents — often ignored by Rep. Huizenga.
“A lot of people in this (part of the) district, of the 2nd, who are probably struggling the most, are probably in the most need of representation from their single connection to the federal government, their U.S. house representative,” Davidson said to WKTV, Tuesday, Aug. 14, at a campaign event at a church near Wyoming Lee High School. “And I feel like campaigns of old and certainly our current representative focuses on the lakeshore, Ottawa County, a little bit of Muskegon, and this part of our district just gets left behind.
“Some people out here do not even know they are in the 2nd District. They don’t know who their representative is because they just haven’t heard from him. So, to me, I think I have a very intentional focus on campaigning here, and then being here, and showing up here once I am elected to office, is essential. I think the place you need to go is the folks who need you the most.”
(For a video of a previous WKTV Journal: In Focus interview with Davidson, see end of this story or visit here.)
The Tuesday event, held at Joy Like a River church (Ministerios Ríos de Agua Viva), 1841 Havana Ave SW, was actually billed as a healthcare forum, one of several put on and planned by Davidson, who is an emergency room physician. The event had a crowd of about two dozen people (the turnout dampened, maybe, by the crowds attending the Godfrey-Lee Public Schools’ sixth grade orientation held at the same time nearby).
Rep. Huizenga was invited to the forum but did not attend. Davidson previously invited Rep. Huizenga to a healthcare forum July 30 in Zeeland — Rep. Huizenga’s hometown — but the congressman also declined to attend an event which had a crowd of about 200 people.
“We were not expecting such a huge turnout for our event in Zeeland, and what that showed us was how important healthcare is to everyone in West Michigan, so that’s why we’re doing a second event for more folks to share their thoughts and concerns,” Davidson said in previously supplied material. “Republicans, Democrats and independents filled every seat and stood along the walls for two hours to discuss healthcare in an honest, spirited yet respectful way. People talked about Congress taking healthcare away from patients with preexisting conditions, raising the prices of prescription drugs, taking away lifesaving services such as mammograms and prenatal and maternity care. I appreciated hearing from people, both those who agree with me as well as those who disagree.
“Congressman Bill Huizenga had an opportunity to join the forum and share information that can help families overcome their healthcare challenges, and unfortunately, he chose to avoid his own constituents.”
Davidson was joined by two speakers at the Wyoming event, both of whom spoke about their and their family’s needs for affordable healthcare and their opposition to Republican-led attack on the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).
One of the speakers was Heidi Draft-Peppin, a healthcare social worker whose husband is battling spina-bifida and whose has a child with autism.
“If the Republicans have their way, and the pre-existing conditions (coverage) of Obamacare is eliminated, it would devastate our family,” she said.
"I would travel only by horse, if I had a choice."- Linda McCartney
Come One, Come All
Patrons visit the GRAM for free during ArtPrize.
The Grand Rapids Art Museum recently announced it would be part of the Museums for All programs, providing free admission, for up to four people, with the presentation of a SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card; commonly known as the Michigan Bridge Card. The GRAM joins the Grand Rapids Children Museum and the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts in offering free and reduce admission. The Grand Rapids Symphony has the Symphony Scorecard program, which provides up to four free tickets to those receiving financial assistance from the State of Michigan and/or are active, reserve or guard military families.
A horse is a horse, of course, of course…
Bill catches up with an old friend at Lee’s Summit Equestrian.
WKTV volunteers Bill and Charlotte Rinderknecht have hit the road in search of stories about horses and the people who work with them for their documentary series “Horses and Their People.” Follow the couple as they journey through the United States, visiting ranches and exploring the local culture of the communities they visit.
Feeding the Mind and the Body
Snatching up the snacks
During the summer, Kent District Library’s newest branch, the Kelloggsville branch, has been participating in The Meet Up and Eat Up program. Sponsored by the state, the program is designed to bring nutritious meals to lower income areas. Set to wrap up this week on Aug. 17, the KDL Kelloggsville Meet Up and Eat Up served students living near the high school, where the facility is located. As KDL Executive Director stated “Feeding the minds, imaginations and spirits is something that we have always done at KDL, but now we are literally feeding hungry people.”
Murder She Wrote
The cast of the upcoming production of “And Then There Were None”
At first, no one wanted to produce the play version of Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” because they insisted that the storyline wouldn’t work on stage and that people would laugh at it. In 2015, it was voted the World’s Favorite Christie having been made into several movies with such groups as the Superman comics and “Family Guy” making parodies of it. This weekend you can catch several local residents as they perform the murder mystery at the Jenison Theater of the Arts, which has productions running Aug. 17-19 and 24-26. If you can’t make that production, Grand Rapids Civic Theatre will be offering a production in January. In between the two productions, you can always read the book.
Fun Fact:
17 hours
That is how long it took to make all the costumes and puppets for the Broadway production of Disney's The Lion King. It took 750 pounds of silicone rubber with the tallest animal being the 18-foot giraffes and the smallest being a five-inch trick mouse on Scar's cane. You can see it all next year as Broadway Grand Rapids recently announced that Disney's The Lion King will be part of its 2019-2020 season.
The cast of the upcoming production of “And Then There Were None.”
By Josh Kennedy
WKTV Intern
Decades before Gillian Flynn wrote “Gone Girl” and long before Dennis Lehane penned “Shutter Island,” Agatha Christie wrote “And Then There Were None,” one of the best selling murder mysteries in history.
This story will be brought to stage Aug. 17-19 and 24-26 at the Shadblow Theater at the Jension Center for the Performing Arts, with many of the actors hail from Wyoming and Kentwood.
“And Then Where None,” original written in 1939, is a murder mystery that will keep the audience guessing until the final act. This psychological thriller follows a group of seemingly normal people who are invited to an island retreat by an eccentric millionaire. Once a gramophone announces the group’s sins to all the other occupants things start to get interesting and people start to disappear.
“I think to be able write like Agatha Christie, you would have to draw on the people around you in life,” said Director Kristin Tomlin. “And the characters in here, some of them are so much large than life, that you must think, she must know someone like that.”
Cathy Van Lopek portrays Emily Caroline Brent
This is fairly evident as the various cast members describe their characters. After all, who hasn’t run into someone like the fanatically religious spinster Emily Caroline Brent, portrayed by Wyoming resident Cathy Van Lopek.
“She is very judgmental about everybody she comes across,” Van Lopek said. “I don’t think there is a human being living on the Earth who meets her standards.”
Then there is the action-first, think-later Capt. Philip Lomard, played by David Cobb.
David Cope is Capt. Philip Lomard
“He’s the adventurer,” Cobb said. “The man of action. I think he is the first one who gets a little suspicious about everything.”
Also among the guests is former detective William Henry Blore. “He is not a very good detective,” said William Cope who plays Blore. “He is kind of incompetent and bites at every single red herring that is offered.”
The storyline itself — which is based off an old children’s rhyme — is a difficult one that very much intrigued the author.
“One thing she said about this play is that the idea of it was so challenging and so difficult to her she just had to do it,” Tomlin said. “She just had to try and write it.”
William Cope (right) is William Henry Blore
In fact, at first, no one wanted to produce the play version of Christie’s “And Then There Were None” because they insisted that the storyline wouldn’t work on stage and that people would laugh at it. In 2015, it was voted the World’s Favorite Christie story having been made into several movies with such groups as the Superman comics and “Family Guy” making parodies of it.
Who’s pulling the strings and who is just trying to stay alive? You’ll just have to catch the show, Aug. 17-26, to find out. Show times are 7:30 p.m Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays at the Jension Center for the Performing Arts, 8375 20th Ave., Jenison. Tickets are $16.50/adult, $13/seniors who are 60 and older, and $8/students under 18.
In the latest segment of the WKTV Journal, we sit-down with Kentwood artist Meoshia Thomson who discusses the power of hugs, a key element in her 2018 ArtPrize submission.
We also take a sneak peek into the upcoming 28th Street Metro Cruise, which is set for Aug. 24 and 25 at Rogers Plaza and catch up with a group of Wyoming and Kentwood actors who are in one of Agatha Christie’s most famous plays, “And Then There Were None,” set to be performed at the Jension Center for Performing Arts.
Wyoming resident Chris Hall visits with us to talk about the Wyoming’s Community Development Committee, which serves as an advisory board to the Wyoming City Council on the federally-funded Community Block Development Grants. The committee has openings for Wyoming residents with Chris noting it is an excellent way to get involved with the Wyoming committee.
Lastly, we take a trip down memory lane with Wyoming History Commission member Bill Branz and WKTV Contributor Katey Batey as they talk about S&H Green Stamps.
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal: In Focus, WKTV talks with Dr. Erwin Haas, a Kentwood resident and retired local medical internist. Haas is the Libertarian Party candidate for the Michigan State Senate’s 26th District seat. This November, Haas will face off with Republican primary winner Aric Nesbitt and Democrat Garnet Lewis. Haas ran campaigns for U.S. Congress in 2016 and 2014, as well as for Lieutenant Governor in 2010.
We will talk with him about what the Libertarian party is all about and why he continues to seek elected office.
Also on the episode, In Focus is Thomas Sinas, a partner in West Michigan’s Sinas Dramis Law Firm and an advocate for the Kent County Legal Assistance Center. Sinas has tried both civil and criminal cases, and has also lectured and authored numerous articles on trial practice and substantive law. We talk with him about the Legal Assistance Center, and misconceptions about legal services available in civil and criminal cases.
The entire episode of “WKTV Journal: In Focus” airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel.
The episode debuted on WKTV cable channels on Tuesday, Aug. 7, and aired again on Thursday, Aug. 7, also at 6:30 p.m., and will continue on the same days and times the week of Aug. 13. But all interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal: In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
“Lighten up, just enjoy life, smile more, laugh more, and don’t get so worked up about things.” — Kenneth Branagh, British actor
Celebrate Kentwood with all sorts of talent
Hannah Rose and the GravesTones. (Supplied)
Kentwood City Hall and the surrounding area will be buzzing with activity on Aug. 11 as the community’s Celebrate Kentwood event returns for a day of fun and celebration and music from both professionals and amateurs, as also returning to the annual festival will be Kentwood’s Got Talent. Modeled after the popular TV show, the talent competition will feature singers, dancers and other performers from the community. Show time is set for 7p.m. For more information, click here.
Tourist Association seeks help in photo contest judging
The West Michigan Tourist Association is inviting the public to vote on the Top 50 finalist photos in the West Michigan Photo Contest. The 2018 West Michigan Photo Contest received over 900 photo submissions showcasing West Michigan during the month of July, and WMTA has narrowed the entries down to the top 50 photos, which the public is invited to vote on to help select the winning photographs. To get the details, click here.
Go ahead; go all rubber ducky
The 31st Annual Rubber Ducky festival kicks off on Monday, Aug. 13 in Downtown Bellaire and runs through Sunday, Aug. 19. The festival features several week-long events, including Bay Area Big Band, Community Paddle Event, Commission on Aging Picnic and Car Show, Duck and Glow 5k Run/Walk and 1 Mile Kiddie Dash, Corn Hole Tournament, Kids Activities, and Rubber Ducky Parade and Race. For more on the event, click here.
And today’s fun fact:
2,583
The total number of rubber ducks included in the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest collection of rubber ducks, as awarded to one Charlotte Lee in 2007 (according to a 2010 report). It is unclear if Ms. Lee was/is married.
U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, standing, at an event at the Disabled American Veterans — William A. Smith #2 post in Kentwood. With her are, from left, veteran farmer Frank Corrando, DAV post president Steven Pruitt, businessman Mike Hyacinthe and GVSU veterans program director Tim Marroquin. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
Michigan U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, in Kentwood at a Disabled American Veterans post and surrounded by veteran services leaders and advocates, today detailed her past, present and planned future legislative efforts in support of veterans.
Speaking at the DAV William A. Smith Jr. Chapter #2 building on Eastern Avenue, appropriately just a couple blocks from the City of Kentwood’s Veterans Memorial Park on 48th Street SE, she declined to specially name her Republican challenger in the fall, John James — also a veteran — but made clear why she feels she is a better choice for veterans and military members at the polls Nov. 6.
“First of all, I have lived in Michigan my whole life and my record speaks for itself, particularly related to veterans,” Sen. Stabenow said to WKTV. “Coming in (to the senate) in 2001, I made setting up out-patient healthcare clinics throughout the state a top priority. We did not have them in many places, in northern, western Michigan, so on. We now have 10 additional healthcare clinics as a result of that effort.
“I’ve gone on to develop a whole new area of support for our veterans coming home that want to go into farming or go back into farming. We now have a whole movement of farmer veterans in Michigan, the largest chapter in the country, where we are supporting those who want to go into, back into farming, with reduced crop insurance, reduced loans, and other support.”
One of the four persons speaking with Sen. Stabenow at the event was, in fact, Frank Corrado, a blueberry farmer from Bangor and U.S. Army veteran, who echoed the support Michigan’s veteran farmers have received from the senator.
“I have (also) been very involved with the G.I. Bill,” Sen. Stabenow continued. “And changing that to now include not only active duty (personal) but our (National) Guard and reserves. And to strengthen that. And now, with my legislation (in work), going forward even farther.”
Sen. Stabenow has recently co-introduced legislation to reform the veterans Transition Assistance Program.
Two of the other speakers at the event also voiced support of her work: Mike Hyacinthe, a U.S. Navy veteran, and Tim Marroquin, the director of the Veterans Upward Bound program at Grand Valley State University.
“This is a life-long mission for me,” Sen. Stabenow concluded. “It actually started when I was in the (Michigan) State House (of Representatives), when I took on the fight to get Agent Orange recognized, on behalf of Vietnam War veterans. At the time, that was not recognized as an outcome of the war and the healthcare services were not available.”
When pressed about her Republican opponent, James, boasting that his is both a veteran and a political outsider in contrast to Sen. Stabenow, the senator again declined any direct comparison — sort of.
“First of all, we need people who know how to get things done, and that is the bottom line,” she said. “It is not about talk. It is about getting things done, and I’ve gotten things done, and I am going to continue to stay focused on getting things done for the people of Michigan and certainly veterans are at the top of the list.”
The pending return of high school football and just completed local amateur boxing are both available as part of the August WKTV sports coverage offerings.
The high school football season is only a couple weeks away and WKTV’s coverage crew has its initial schedule, starting with opening night action at Godwin Heights High School as new head coach Brandon Kimble leads the Wolverines onto the field for the first time. (Don’t forget your sunglasses as the sun sets!)
WKTV will then be cover all the local football teams in the first six weeks, including Tri-Unity Christian’s 8-man football team, before we start covering the best game available in October.
The August football schedule includes: Thursday, Aug. 23: Hamilton at Godwin Heights; and Thursday, Aug. 30: Ashley at Tri-Unity Christian (8-man football at 5651 Gezon Court Wyoming.)
Youth boxing action was covered by the WKTV sports coverage crew. (Supplied/from previous event)
Until then, however, the recent Saturday Superstar Boxing will air on WKTV 25 on Saturday, Aug. 18, at 5 p.m. with a repeat on Sunday, Aug. 19, at noon.
These and other sports events are cable broadcast either live, immediately after the event and/or in rebroadcast, on Comcast WKTV Channel 25 and on AT&T U-Verse Community 99.
WKTV’s featured football games on the night of the game (Thursday or Friday) at 11 p.m. and Saturday starting at 11 a.m. See WKTVjournal.org/sports weekly for complete feature broadcast schedules.
WKTV’s coverage of high school sports and select community events are also available on-demand within a week of the event at wktvondemand.com.
The complete local high school sports schedule through the end of the month is as follows:
The cities of Wyoming and Kentwood’s representation on the Kent County Commission will likely include a familiar face and a newcomer in the county’s 8th and 12th districts, respectively.
Incumbent 8th District commissioner Harold Voorhees won the Republican primary Tuesday, Aug. 7, and will likely be unopposed in the Nov. 6 general election. (There could be a write-in candidate on the ballot in the fall.)
In the 12th district, Republican Jill Martinez, who ran unopposed in the primary, will face off against Monica Sparks, who won the Democratic primary over a crowd field of candidates seeking to replace Harold Mast, who chose not to seek reelection.
For specific Kent County district borders, visit accesskent.com.
Election results, by the numbers
According to the Kent County election website at accesskent.com, following are the election results for each candidate for their entire voting district:
In the 8th District, which covers most of the City of Wyoming, from its western border, heading east, Voorhees won with 2,324 votes while Benjamin K. Franz gained 726.
In the 12th District, which covers the western portion of the City of Kentwood and the eastern portion of the City of Wyoming, Martinez collected 1,786 votes in the Republican primary, and Sparks won the Democratic primary with 1,154 votes while Katy Steele Barone gained 492, Scott Urbanowski had 307 and Keith Courtade had 182.
Libby Walla, left, shown here with her father, Tom, and a teacher, received excellent services in the early childhood special education program run by GRPS, her mother says, but she feels it makes sense to transfer such programs to Kent ISD
“Libby was never given limits,” Walla said of her daughter’s two years there. “Everybody was just trying to help her work toward her potential.”
But as 19-year teacher in Rockford Public Schools, Walla says it’s a good move to transfer operation of early childhood and other center-based programs to Kent ISD, as the Grand Rapids Board of Education approved Monday, Aug. 6. The change should make program oversight more “cohesive” for students like Libby, who’s entering kindergarten in Rockford’s cognitive impaired program this fall, her mother said.
“The center-based programs are serving all the students in the ISD,” said Walla, a fifth-grade teacher at Lakes Elementary. “It only makes sense to have it be centered around the ISD (and that) responsibility is given to the ISD and all of the districts. It think it helps make every district be a little bit more invested in the center-based programs.”
That’s the aim of Kent ISD leaders who say they are ready to begin a seamless transition to taking over the center programs as of July 2019. The Grand Rapids school board voted 7-1 to discontinue by then operating the programs on behalf of all 20 Kent ISD school districts, currently serving 1,385 students with severe physical, mental and emotional needs. GRPS will continue serving its own special education students who don’t qualify for center programs.
More at the Table
Board members said the time is right to transfer the programs for the benefit of all students in Kent ISD while enabling GRPS to focus more intensively on the needs of its own students. The move makes GRPS part of collective decision-making with other districts rather than the primary overseer, proponents say.
Lincoln School student Olivia Taylor enacts a hand movement with classroom aide Marianne Cool
“GRPS is not walking away from the table, but there will be more people at the table with us,” said board Secretary Kristian Grant. “We’ve all admitted that we need some change. We need more resources, we need more staff for the students, and I’m voting thinking that that means more of that will come to the table when all of the districts are involved.”
Superintendent Teresa Weatherall Neal and board President Wendy Falb have said the idea has long been under discussion and wasn’t specifically prompted by recent criticism of the district’s special education program. The vast majority of intermediate districts around the state run such programs, they point out.
While expressing gratitude to GRPS for the “fantastic job” it has done over several decades, Kent ISD Superintendent Ron Caniff said he and the local superintendents support the decision.
“It was important for us to follow on this, not lead,” Caniff said. “If Grand Rapids Public were not supportive of the move, we would feel otherwise. Given their support and conversations we’ve had with superintendents, it’s something that we’re embracing, and we’re ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work.”
A Time to Listen
They’ll begin by seeking input from parents, staff and others as part of a Kent ISD-funded review of center-based programs, commissioned this spring with consultant Beth Steenwyk. Listening sessions will be held Aug. 29 and Sept. 5 (see box), to help identify questions about the transition “so we can get to work on what those answers are,” Caniff said.
A big question is how the GRPS staff now working at the center programs will be hired by Kent ISD if they want to transfer, and how those who wish to remain with GRPS will be placed.
Of the 425 center program staff this year, 117 are teachers, while others are therapists, paraprofessionals and other specialists. Those who wish to follow their programs to Kent ISD will have the opportunity to apply, but it will not be an “automatic conversion,” Caniff said, acknowledging many questions must be addressed with GRPS officials and employee unions.
“Just generally, those jobs aren’t going away,” Caniff said. “Those are critical positions. We certainly are going to want to have experienced staff if they’re available in those positions and effective staff in those positions.”
While the pay scale for Kent ISD staff is generally higher than that of GRPS, it remains to be seen what that would mean for teachers and others hired by the ISD, said Mary Bouwense, president of the Grand Rapids Education Association. She said she has gotten many questions from members about pay, whether sick days would be honored, insurance and other issues, which the GREA will “demand to bargain over.”
“Those people are still our members and still under our contract,” said Bouwense, a former special education teacher. “We would want to make sure they get the best they can get in the transition.”
“Those (special education) teachers are in short supply. It will be in the ISD’s best interest to retain them,” said board President Wendy Falb.
Concerns about Transition
Bouwense said she hopes the transfer to Kent ISD will address some of the criticisms the GREA and parents have made about GRPS special education, which continued with half a dozen parents and former teachers who complained to the board Monday night.
Lincoln School student Larkadu Pow enjoys a happy moment with classroom aide Andrea Fisher
Board member Jose Flores, who cast the sole dissenting vote against the transfer, said he fears the perception that GRPS has done “a lousy job” contributed to a hasty decision.
“I just think we’re moving too fast. Without appropriate discussion I feel like we’re doing a disservice” to students, Flores said, insisting it would be “devastating” to them if they got different teachers or schools. Superintendent Neal pointed out most of the center program buildings are owned by Kent ISD, and has said GRPS is interested in renting out its own buildings housing center programs to the ISD.
Other board members argued it makes sense for Kent ISD to run the program, and for GRPS to concentrate more resources on preparing its in-district students for graduation, college and careers.
“This is what the ISD is set up to do, the things that individual school districts don’t have the capacity to do,” said trustee Tony Baker.
Program Origins
Board member Maureen Slade was a student at Grand Rapids Junior College in the late 1960s when a group of GRPS parents began a program at the college for children with Down syndrome. Classes were added over time for students with other disabilities, eventually forming the center programs run by GRPS – an exception to how most programs in the state are run, she said.
Slade worked in GRPS special education for 21 years, as a teacher, director and assistant superintendent, before becoming assistant superintendent for special education at the Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency, which ran the intermediate district’s center programs. Having worked under both models, she said it’s “in the best interest of those kids” for Kent ISD to run the program.
“The program’s grown, and it’s just right to put them at the ISD where they belong,” Slade said before Monday’s meeting. “If I hadn’t done it both ways I may not have recommended it. But I saw how well it worked at an ISD level when you’re representing all of the districts.”
GRPS and Kent ISD leaders say they’re committed to making as smooth a transition as possible for students and their relationships with staff.
“These families, these children have had a high-quality service,” Caniff said. “We’re very confident we can continue that high level of service.”
The City of Wyoming’s incumbent State Rep. Tommy Brann (R-77th District) and the City of Kentwood’s incumbent State Rep. Steve Johnson (R-72nd District) each cruised to easy victories in their respective Republican primaries in voting Tuesday, Aug. 7.
In state Senate primary voting, former state representative and ex-Gov. Rick Snyder cabinet member Aric Nesbitt won a three-way battle in the Republican primary for the State Senate 26th District seat, which represents Kentwood. Also, incumbent State Sen. Peter MacGregor (R-28th District), running unopposed for a seat which represents Wyoming, now knows who he will be opposed by on the Democratic side, retired public-school teacher Craig Beech.
Also now set for the Nov. 6 general election ballot is the two local U.S. Congressional races.
Incumbent Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-2nd District) will be opposed by Democrat Dr. Rob Davidson — no surprise as both were unopposed in the primary — in what is expected to be one of the most closely watched federal races in the state.
And incumbent Rep. Justin Amash (R-3rd District) will be opposed by Democrat Cathy Albro, who defeated Fred Wooden in the Democratic primary.
Election results, by the numbers
According to the Kent County election website at accesskent.com, following are the election results for each candidate for their entire voting district:
In the State House of Representatives Republican primary for the 77th District, which covers the City of Wyoming, Byron Township and a portion of Cutlerville (for a district map, click here), incumbent Rep. Brann totaled 8,974 while Jordan T. Oesch had 814. On the Democratic primary side, Dana Knight totaled 3,943 while Robert Van Kirk had 1,996. Unopposed Libertarian candidate Patty Malowney had 74 votes.
In the State House of Representatives Republican primary for the 72nd District, which covers the cities of Kentwood and Wayland, along with a portion of Cutlerville and the community of Dorr (for a district map, click here), Rep. Johnson totaled 5,971 while Jennifer Antel had 1,806. Unopposed Democratic candidate Ron Rraayer had 6,067 votes and Libertarian candidate Jamie Lewis had 52.
In the State Senate Republican primary for the 26th District, which includes the City of Kentwood along with all of Allegan and Van Buren counties (for a district map, click here), Nesbitt totaled 4,041 while Bob Genetski had 2,331 and Don Wickstra had 1,379. Unopposed Democratic candidate Garnet Lewis gained 6,101 votes and Libertarian candidate Erwin Haas gained 49.
In the State Senate Democratic primary for the 28th District, which includes the City of Wyoming as well as the cities of Walker, Rockford and Cedar Springs (for a district map, click here), Beech totaled 7,688 while Gidget Groendyk had 6,444 and Ryan Jeanette had 4,427. Unopposed Republican incumbent Sen. MacGregor had 30,476 votes and Libertarian candidate Nathan Hewer gained 224.
On the Federal election side, in the 2nd District, Rep. Huizenga totaled 14,219 votes while Democratic challenger Davidson had 12,445. In the 3rd District, Rep. Amash totaled 44,304 while Democrats Albro had 30,969 votes and Wooden had 14,808.
As Wyoming Public Safety officers and city leaders visited block parties and participated in activities for the annual National Night Out event last night, residents headed in record numbers to the polls to overwhelmingly approved the permanent renewal of the dedicated 1.25 mills for its public safety department.
A total of 11,432 people voted in Tuesday’s primary election, which determined party candidates for a number of races. That is 22.9 percent of the registered voters in Wyoming coming to the polls. The proposal passed 7,306 to 2,223.
The percentage turnout was one of the highest the city has seen in the past four primary elections, said City Clerk Kelli Vandenberg. In 2010, when Gov. Rick Snyder first ran, the city had a 20.1 percent voter turnout. In 2012, it was 9.26 percent, 2014, it was 13.5 percent and 2016, when President Donald Trump was elected, it was 10.6 percent.
“In talking to several other clerks in the area, the comment was it definitely felt more like a general election than a primary election,” Vandenberg said.
Indication that it could be busy primary election day started with the absentee ballots. The city received 2,261 absentee ballots which was about 600 more than in 2016. As to why the high turnout, VandernBerg said there could be a number of reasons such as the fact that there was a term-limited governor and this was the first time the Libertarian Party was included on the ticket.
As to the city millage renewal request, VandenBerg said it was certainly a nice surprise to see at the end of a very long night. City officials had no indication as to how the millage renewal would go as there was little commenting, except for a few positive posts on the city’s Facebook page, and no formal opposition presented.
This morning, city leadership expressed gratitude for the community’s continual support and stated they look forward to maintaining the excellent public safety programs and initiatives developed since the initial millage was first approved in 2010.
“We are pleased with last evening’s results and want to thank everyone who came out to vote yesterday,” says Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll. “Over the years, we have worked hard to be good stewards of the funding this millage provides, and it is clear our residents recognize we’ve made good on our promises.”
Public Safety Chief Kim Koster concurs with Mayor Poll’s sentiments, remarking the Public Safety Department’s efforts to work more closely with residents are bringing about excellent results for the community as a whole.
“Safety is at the core of the City’s mission, and the public safety millage allows us to maintain funding for critical services and programs,” Koster said. “We are fortunate to have the confidence of our residents and businesses, who continue to support our officers and firefighters. We look forward to working with the entire community to ensure Wyoming remains safe and welcoming.”
Following are some of the Public Safety Department’s accomplishments since the dedicated millage was first approved in 2010:
Achieved and maintained Gold-Standard police accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., putting the department in the top one percent of law enforcement agencies nationwide
Provided a professional public safety response to more than 37,000 calls for service every year
Implemented efforts to visit every school in Wyoming each school day, totaling 5,738 school visits last year
Conducted daily and nightly visits to businesses, making 8,606 contacts and 6,852 closed business checks in 2017
Equipped every police cruiser with an automated external defibrillator, or AED, as well as supplying every officer with Naloxone, which reverses the effects of overdoses
Increased forensic laboratory capabilities providing faster, more comprehensive results which have contributed to a higher success rate in solving crime
Reduced response times with the 24/7 operation of the Gezon Fire Station and the addition of two quick-response vehicles, or QRVs
Added three full-time fire fighters
Utilized part-time employees to implement a peak load staffing model which employs more staff during times of high call volume
Crossed-trained and licensed 22 City employees as fire fighters and utilized paid-on-call staff
Secured grants that allowed staff to become licensed as EMTs and purchase CPR assisted compression device
Tuesday was primary election day in Michigan. (Photo by Jeff Miller/UW-Madison)
WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org
Quote of the (Primary Election) Day
“Trust is not something that’s given because you win an election; it is something you have to earn.” — Tom Perez
Dead people should not vote
Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson, left, with new voting equipment.(Supplied/SOS office)
The Michigan Department of State recently detailed that as part of the state’s election security readiness, Secretary of State Ruth Johnson and the state’s Bureau of Elections have cleared the state’s voting registration rolls of about 1.2 million names since 2011, including more than 500,000 dead people. To get the details, click here.
Some got talent; some …
Asamu Johnson and The Associates of The Blues. (Supplied)
Kentwood City Hall and the surrounding area will be buzzing with activity on Aug. 11 as the community’s Celebrate Kentwood event returns for a day of fun and celebration and music from both professionals and amateurs, as also returning to the annual festival will be Kentwood’s Got Talent. Modeled after the popular TV show, the talent competition will feature singers, dancers and other performers from the community. Show time is set for 7p.m. For more information, click here.
Give the gift of life, give blood
(U.S. Air National Guard photo)
Metro Health-University of Michigan Health will hold a blood drive Tuesday, Aug. 14, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Manistee Community Room of the Metro Health Professional Building at 2122 Health Dr., Wyoming. For more on the drive, click here.
And today’s fun fact(s):
38 and 10
Approximately 38 percent of the national population is eligible to donate, but annually less than 10 percent actually does. Each year, 4.5 million Americans would die without blood transfusions.
As Michigan voters go to the polls this week for primary elections, there will be nearly 200,000 fewer registered voters on the rolls in Kentwood, Wyoming and around the state as there were prior to the 2016 election.
The Michigan Department of State recently detailed that as part of the state’s election security readiness, Secretary of State Ruth Johnson and the state’s Bureau of Elections have cleared the state’s voting registration rolls of about 1.2 million names since 2011, about 200,000 since 2016.
Call it voter “validation” or “scrubbing” or “purging,” the breakdown of the 1.2 million total, according to Johnson’s office, includes about 563,000 once-registered voters who have died, about 500,000 who moved within the state and re-registered, about 134,000 who moved out of state and have registered as voters elsewhere, and — Secretary Johnson specifically points out — “3,512 non-citizens”.
The Secretary of State and the Bureau of Elections Qualified Voter File upgrades are only part of a recent and ongoing voter security effort in the state, and WKTV has been covering those efforts.
Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson, left, with new voting equipment.(Supplied/SOS office)
As part of “continuous voter-list maintenance efforts, the Bureau of Elections and local clerks regularly scrub the voter list to remove ineligible voters,” Johnson has stated a press release from her office and in an op-ed submitted to other media. This includes “an upgraded Qualified Voter File system used by the Bureau of Elections and local clerks to maintain the state’s registered voter list and other election-related data.”
Not everybody gives the state Qualified Voter File system as glowing a review, however.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan questions the claim of the non-citizen voters purged and advocates for another way the state’s system could be made better — by citizen action rather than government action.
“I haven’t seen any proof to substantiate the claim that thousands of non-citizens were purged from the voting rolls,” Sharon Dolente, Voting Rights Strategist for the ACLU of Michigan, said to WKTV. “Between 2013 and the present, the Secretary has offered numbers ranging from 11 to 3,500, but absolutely no proof.
“Michigan (also) needs a failsafe system that allows an eligible voter to re-register if they were improperly purged,” Dolente said. “Same Day Registration would provide that failsafe. Voters will have a chance to implement this policy measure through the Promote the Vote initiative this fall.”
The “non-citizens” total is 0.3 percent of all voters scrubbed from the rolls and 0.05 percent of the total number of registered voters in Michigan, which is 7,387,689 as of July 28, according to Johnson’s office.
In brief, local city and township clerks, including the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood, perform the actual scrubbing of registered voter files, as directed by the Secretary of State and the Bureau of Elections. The Kent County Clerk’s election division is not directly involved.
“Michigan’s Qualified Voter File (QVF) is maintained, and voters can only be added or removed, by the Secretary of State or Michigan’s municipal (280 city or 1,240 township) clerks throughout the state,” Robert J. Macomber, Chief Deputy County Clerk, said to WKTV. “A county clerk does not have the authority to remove voters from the QVF, even despite being the issuer of death certificates.
“While serving as the chief Elections Official of the county voting process, the County Clerk only serve as a pass-through with regards to the voter registration process. An individual may register to vote at their County Clerk’s office, but we forward that paperwork onto the local clerks, as they serve as the maintainer of the voter lists for their respective jurisdiction.”
Removal of voters who have died is a straight-forward process, and occurs if “the clerk receives or obtains information that the voter has died. (From) sources: QVF inbox notification; county clerk; death notices published in newspaper; personal knowledge,” as detailed in the elections manual.
Voters who moved out of state are removed after it is confirmed they have registered to vote using an out-of-state address that is newer than their Michigan home address and/or registration. But the removal of voters from Michigan voter rolls using the Interstate Crosscheck system takes time.
“All people believed to have moved away are sent mailings prior to the registration cancellation,” Fred Woodhams, spokesperson for the Secretary of State’s office, said to WKTV. “The actual cancellation does not happen until two federal election cycles (Novembers in an even year) have occurred. If the person votes or updates their voter information in Michigan before the cancellation occurs, the cancellation process stops.”
The Interstate Crosscheck system is run by the Kansas Secretary of State, according to multiple media reports. Other states send in their voter data and Kansas processes it, then notifies them if there are any possible matches. Matches can occur when people move to a new state and register to vote without cancelling their previous registration. In 2017, 28 states participated and 7.2 million potential matches were identified.
Use of the system recently suffered a legal setback as a federal court in June blocked an Indiana voter registration law which would allow the state to immediately strike voters from the electoral rolls.
Voters who have moved within the state of Michigan and re-register can, however, be removed from old voter rolls immediately.
Removal can and will occur if “a voter who moves to a new jurisdiction within Michigan has his or her voter registration address change along with the address for the person’s driver’s license or state ID card,” Woodhams said. “In this case, we can be certain the person has moved out of one jurisdiction into another.”
The process of determining if a person is not a American citizen was not detailed by the Secretary of State’s office.
Also, Woodhams said there is no statistics kept on how many voters were scrubbed broken down by political party. Michigan does not require voters to choose a party when registering and “only presidential primary ballots ore differentiated by party … August primary voters are all issued one ballot that contains columns of candidates for the Republican, Democratic and Libertarian parties. The voter marks the ballot only in the column for one of the parties.”
Various city leaders and local law enforcement were on hand for the official reading of the National Night Out proclamation at Consumers Energy this morning.
The annual morning event, which was at the Consumers Energy offices, 4000 Clay Ave., have officials and officers from Rockford, Walker, Grandville, Grand Rapids, Kentwood and Wyoming.
Wyoming Chief Kim Koster and Kentwood Chief Thomas Hillen
Kicking off at 5:30 a.m., Consumers Energy had two of its large trucks with buckets extended above U.S. 131 to help draw attention to the annual event. Consumers Energy employees were handing out light bulbs to those traveling down Clay Avenue.
For the 24th consecutive year, Consumers Energy has been recognized by the National Association of Town Watch as the recipient of “National Electric Utility Award” for its participation in National Night Out 2017. National Night Out promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. Area residents are encouraged to turn their porch light on and go out and meet their neighbors.
More activities will be taking place later this afternoon and evening in both the communities of Kentwood and Wyoming.
In Kentwood, the city’s big kick off will be at Woodland Mall from 3— 5 p.m. Residents will have to opportunity to met with Kentwood police and firefighters and get an up-close look at emergency vehicles. There will be a bicycle raffle and a special visit from McGruff the Crime Dog.
There is about 20 different neighborhood events taking place throughout the city, several of which will have a variety of entertainment. Those with special activities are:
• Christ Community Church, 2400 Forest Hill Ave. SE, 5— 7 p.m., will have water slides, games, food and beverages.
• Wingate Apartments, 3151 Wingate Dr. SE, 5— 7 p.m., will have a dunk tank and live music.
• South United Methodist Church, 4500 S. Division Ave., 6— 8 p.m, will have live music, a water slide, games, hot dogs, ice cream, snow cones and punch.
• Faith Church, 1412 44th St. SE, 6— 8 p.m., will have face painting, music, games, hot dogs, and pop.
Walker Mayor Mark Huizenga, Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll, Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley, and Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss.
• Pentecostals of Kentwood, 2627 44th St. SE, 6—8 p.m., will have a bounce house, puppets, live music, games, food and beverages.
• St. Paul’s United Method Church and Forest Pointe Apartments, 3334 Breton Ave. SE, 6—8 p.m., will have lawn games, sidewalk chalk, basketball, food and beverages.
In Wyoming, the city’s big event is the National Night Out Concerts in the Park hosted by the Wyoming Enrichment Commission. The event starts at 6 p.m. with activities and at 7 p.m. Chief Kim Koster will make a short presentation and announcing the Yellow Brick Road, dueling pianos that will feature the music of Billy Joel and Elton John.
The City of Wyoming has about 15 neighborhood parties ranging from small gatherings to those with an arrange of activities. Those open to the public are:
• Oriole Park Neighborhood Watch will host an event at Oriole Park, which is located off of 40th Street, from 6—8 p.m.
• South Godwin Neighborhood Watch will host an event at Southlawn Park, 4125 Jefferson Ave. SE., from 6—8 p.m.
• Grace University, 1011 Aldon St. SW, from 5—7 p.m.
Also near Kentwood Community Church will be the South Kent National Night Out event from 4—8 p.m.The event will include a number of emergency vehicles from several area departments, food and other activities. The event will have demonstrations by the K-9 Unit, vehicle extraction demonstrations, the Kent County Sheriff’s Mounted Unit, children ID packets, a bounce house and dunk tank. The church is located at 1200 60th St. SE.
By Beth Clawson, Michigan State University Extension
Michigan is home to more than 1.3 million onsite wastewater treatment systems. Most are for single family homes that include a septic system. Indeed, the onsite wastewater treatment system including a septic tank and soil absorption field is the most common domestic wastewater treatment system in rural homes in the United States. In Michigan, it is estimated that 10 percent of these systems are in some level of malfunction or have failed.
Malfunctioning and failed onsite waste water systems make our ground and surface waters susceptible to fecal contamination. Several rivers in the Lower Peninsula have been tested during low-flow conditions and were found to contain genetic markers indicating the presence of human fecal matter. This contamination can come from leaky septic systems. Keeping septic systems in good repair can protect Michigan’s water quality.
Rural homes in Michigan include onsite wastewater systems that require regular maintenance. Maintenance and inspection of your system depends upon its size, the number of people that live in the home and what county you live in. Michigan is the last state to still adopt uniform onsite wastewater regulations. Lack of uniform statewide laws leaves regulation and inspection laws up to local officials through county health departments and districts. This means that rules for onside wastewater system laws vary between counties.
Most counties have a sale transfer ordinance requiring septic tank inspections but few have the same or similar size and installation regulations. Most ordinances cite the average of pumping and inspecting recommendation of every three years for a family of four. Many also require inspection of newly installed systems. None return a year or two later to ensure that the system is functioning properly.
An onsite wastewater system typically consists of three basic parts:
The drain waste pipes from the house into a septic tank;
The septic or settling tank, sometimes divided in half with a baffle; and
The dispersion box and soil absorption or drain field.
Waste water flows from the toilets, laundry and sinks in the home through the drain pipes to the septic tank. The septic tank, made of solid cast concrete (in most cases) has an inlet and an outlet for effluent. Once the waste enters the tank the solids settle to the bottom to decompose and become the sludge layer. Effluent water is in the middle and the lighter grease and soaps float to the top to create the scum layer. The effluent water flows out through a pipe to the drain field. Newer tanks sometimes contain a baffle creating a second settling area before water is released to the soil absorption field. Michigan State University Extension’s webpage on Septic systems gives more detail on this topic.
If the sludge is not pumped out on a regular basis then the layer gets thick allowing solids to flow into the drain field. This plugs and compacts in the drain tiles and the soil causing failure. Many times people think that this is a sign that the septic is full, and indeed it is but it is also a failure. Drain field failure requires soil removal and replacement and can become an expensive repair. This is one of the most common failures. Other common causes of septic failure include tanks collapsing from being driven or parked on; tree roots; excessive water from parties or heavy rains; pipes clogged from flushing items other than toilet paper such as, feminine products and personal sanitary wipes; biological processes stopped from over use of chlorine or antibiotic soaps.
If you are experiencing sewage waste backup into your house from your septic tank this may indicate a total blockage of the tank and drain field and could indicate a costly repair or replacement. Regular inspections and pumping can prevent expensive repairs later. Just as it is recommended to regularly inspect our cars and furnaces, we should also inspect and clean out our onsite waste water systems. The average recommendation is every three years for a typical family home with three bedrooms equipped with a 1000 gallon tank. It’s important to know the size of your septic tank.
Older homes may have smaller tanks. Smaller tanks need to be pumped more often. For example, if a three-bedroom home has a 900-gallon septic tank with six people living there, they should schedule their pumping for every one and one half to two years to avoid failure. If a home uses a garbage disposal, consider that they are increasing the amount of solids (pre-digestion) going into the tank. This home will require more frequent pumping.
Concrete, plastic and fiberglass tanks are not infallible, lots of things can cause the material to fail resulting in collapse. Inspectors look at the integrity of your system. Fractures caused by frost/freeze break up, ground heaves, earthquakes, manufacturer defect, burrowing animals, and tree roots all have an impact on our systems. Michigan DEQ does have a guide on subsurface onsite wastewater treatment systems but its recommendations are not enforceable by law. Michigan County Environmental Health departments have laws, consult your County for its recommendations for onsite waste water system maintenance.
For more in depth information the National Environmental Services Center, West Virginia University has a good publication that includes a time table in years for pumping recommendations at http://www.nesc.wvu.edu/pdf/ww/septic/pl_fall04.pdf.
If you want to learn more there are videos available: Click here for a short video (under five minutes) about onsite wastewater septic systems, or click here for a longer training video (about 110 minutes) about onsite wastewater septic systems.
For more information about and water quality contact Beth Clawson, MSU Extension Educator. To learn more about onsite waste water treatment septic tanks, contact Michigan State University Extension Natural Resources educators who are working across Michigan to provide water quality and septic tank maintenance educational programming and assistance. You can contact an educator through MSU Extension’s “Find an Expert” search tool using the keywords “Natural Resources Water Quality.”
The 26th District of the State Senate includes the City of Kentwood along with all of Allegan and Van Buren counties. For a district map, click here.
Three men are running in the Aug. 7 Republican primary. Two of them were term-limited out of State Representative positions then worked in public service at either the county or state level. Also running is a career dentist. The three are looking to replace the also term-limited Republican Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker. The eventual Republican Party primary winner will then face the lone Democratic candidate Garnet Lewis and Libertarian candidate Erwin Haas in the general election Nov. 6.
Note: Primary candidates are show in alphabetical order. Only seats with primary opposition were invited to participate in We The People at this time.
Name: Bob Genetski
Party: Candidate, Republican
Occupation: Allegan County Clerk and Register of Deeds (Former State Representative)
Why did you decide to run for the 26th District State Senate seat?
I was teaching high school in 2008, I was teaching at-risk students, and I saw how they and their families were effected by the terrible economy and the job-killing Michigan business tax, and I wanted to do something to do something to help those families. As I looked at it, Michigan has come a long way and improved greatly. However their is still a long ways to go. Our roads are crumbling, our infrastructure is crumbling and we have an auto insurance burden that forces a lot of our friends and neighbors to drive without auto insurance.
If elected, what issues do you want to focus on?
We’ve got to improve the roads and we’ve got to do it without increasing the gas tax and registration fees. And we need to come up with an affordable automobile insurance solution, one that allows those drivers who are struggling economically to afford some sort of auto insurance so they are not breaking the law every time they get into their car.
Name: Aric Nesbitt
Party: Candidate, Republican
Occupation: Public Service. (Former cabinet member for Gov. Rick Snyder; former State Representative)
Why did you decide to run for the 26th District State Senate seat?
We need to defend Michigan’s comeback. Over the last eight years, through tax reform, through eliminating about 2,300 rules and regulations, eliminating the Michigan business tax, we have come a long way. We have created about 500,000 plus new jobs under Gov. Snyder and Republican leadership. After a lot of prayer with my wife, over the winter months, I decided we still have work to do.
If elected, what issues do you want to focus on?
Protect Michigan’s comeback. Address the cost of car insurance. Double down on rebuilding our roads. We need to pay down our long-term debt — that is huge for our children and grandchildren.
Name: Don Wickstra
Party: Candidate, Republican
Occupation: Dentist
Why did you decide to run for the 26th District State Senate seat?
I read that our current state senator is term limited and I realized that there is an opportunity that would not normally be there. I have not been a political guy my whole life and I’ve not dreamed of this longer than four months. I read that and something clicked in my mind and I said ‘Maybe I could do that and maybe I could make a difference.” … I am not looking for a career. I have a career.
If elected, what issues do you want to focus on?
I am not political and I do not have my own agenda. I have made a point of trying to avoid that (setting legislative priorities). … There are clearly some issues, as I go door-to-door and meet people. The car insurance issue is out there. Roads have been an ongoing issue. Schools are an issue. But I think it might be wrong for the people for me to show up with my agenda.
28th District State Senate
The 28th District of the State Senate includes the City of Wyoming as well as the cities of Walker, Rockford and Cedar Springs. For a district map, click here.
In the 28thDistrict State Senate race, there are three candidates facing off in the primary for the Democratic Party nomination. The winner will then face Republican incumbent Peter MacGregor and Libertarian candidate Nathan Hewer in the general election, Nov. 6.
Note: Primary candidates are show in alphabetical order. Only seats with primary opposition were invited to participate in We The People at this time.
Name: Craig Beech
Party: Challenger, Democrat
Occupation: Retired public-school teacher
Why did you decide to run for the 28thDistrict State Senate seat?
As a public-school teacher, I have been frustrated with government in the treatment of public education, especially the lack of perspective. I want to bring an insight into education, which is what is needed. I believe education is the foundation that provides to our middle class.
After the Parkland Stoneman Douglas High School shootings, I realized I was in the same spot and the same scenario I had been 10 times before and I had nothing to offer. I said to my students, I’m sorry. I failed you. The adults failed you because we have not tackled this problem. That was the straw that determined my future. I needed to take responsibility. America is a great country and the adults should be able to deal with this issue.
If elected, what issues do you want to focus on?
I have four platforms: quality of public education, people before profits, protection of our national resources, and Michigan was recently rated by a non-partisan group as the last for government accountability and transparency and I want to change that.
Name: Gidget Groendyk
Party: Challenger, Democrat
Occupation: Works at Sears
Why did you decide to run for the 28thDistrict State Senate seat?
It started back in the last election. In Plainfield Township, the LGBTQ community didn’t have any rights. Through a series of events, it became apparent that for me to help make a change I needed to be more involved and decided to run for election.
If elected, what issues do you want to focus on?
Transparency through government and government spending. I also want to look at equal pay, due process and legal assistant to immigrants, bullying and gun violence, and elderly rights.
Name: Ryan Jeanette
Party: Challenger, Democrat
Occupation: Student at Grand Rapids Community College
Why did you decide to run for the 28thDistrict State Senate seat?
Over a year ago, I realized there was a fundamental flaw in our government in that government no longer cares about the people it needs to care about the most. Looking around, in the last 30 years, people’s lives have not improved. We are not fighting and fixing the things that need to be fixed and that needs to be changed.
If elected, what issues do you want to focus on?
I would like to look at fixing how we fund education. We need to find innovative ways to fix our infrastructure and this is not just for the highways and roadways, but our railways as well as they are important to our agricultural. I want to look at improving the health care systems and I am looking at several options. We also need to focus on the environment as well. We need to have more coordination between Michigan and other states on protection of our Great Lakes. Also, I want to change how our government is accountable to the people.
Even with a six percent increase in fire and emergency calls in 2017, the City of Wyoming has been able to achieve a 4 minute and 27 second response time throughout the city.
And in some areas of the city, such as the southwest end, those response times have improved to just over three minutes with the re-opening of the Gezon fire station to 24/7 and the addition of two quick response vehicles.
The city plans to maintain those response times and its level of service through the passage of a permanent renewal of its 1.25 mills for public safety, which is on tomorrow’s primary ballot. Chief Kim Koster credits a number of programs that have been developed over the past eight years — when the millage was first approved — that have helped provide more efficiencies within the department so the city could maintain services to its residents.
One of those programs was the training of 22 city employees from the parks and recreation and public works departments as firefighters. This training allowed the department to call upon the employees to help with fires and other emergency calls when needed.
From the Wyoming Department of Public Safety 2017 Annual Report.
“So in a matter of minutes we would have more than the eight or nine firefighters that we had on, but we could have fourteen or fifteen people who are trained in fire to an emergency,” Koster said during a recent interview on WKTV Journal In Focus. “That definitely increased our service to the community and gave us a lot. It also really provided safety for our firefighters as well because they had more (people) on the scene.”
The program is unique and Koster said she is not aware of another city that has trained city employees to be firefighters.
“We do have paid on-call as well, but in today’s society it is more difficult for employers to let a volunteer or a paid on-called firefighter to leave their job to go fight a fire,” Koster said, adding that the paid-on call staff are still important to the department.
“Between the part-time, the paid on-call and those dual-trained employees, we feel we are addressing our staffing issues efficiently and using tax dollars very wisely with that,” Koster said.
The city also purchased two quick response vehicles, medical vehicles that have firefighting capability, Koster said. These vehicles only require two people to man versus an engine which needs three to four.
“So we were able to put two of those machines out along with an engine from our fleet and we would have three vehicles that would respond to emergencies versus the two,” Koster said. “So we increased our response times to our citizens that way.”
Chase, the Wyoming K-9 dog, at a recent public safety open house.
Also in the fire department, three full-time firefighters have been added and a program was instituted to utilized part-time staff during high call volumes to help increase staff.
In the police department, the city has been able to save dollars through consolidations and collaborations with other area departments that included the centralized 911 dispatch, Koster said. The police department is also accredited, which only about one percent in the United States are.
“And that, I believe, really tells the taxpayers that we take our job seriously,” Koster said. “That we are accountable and we are transparent using their tax dollars to the best of our abilities.”
Showing that the city would use the money raised from the public safety to the best of its abilities was a key reason that the city decided to seek only a five-year millage in 2010, according to Major Jack Poll.
“So we went with the five-year millage so that after five years we could go back and say this is what we promised, this is what we accomplished,” he said.
However with costs continuing to climb and state funding shrinking, city officials see a need for those funds in order to maintain the current level of public safety services, which is why the 2018 proposal seeks a permanent renewal, Poll said.
There were a number of new business openings this month with the Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce hosting several ribbon cutting events.
Triune Financial
On July 19, Grand Rapids-based bookkeeping company triune Financial hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house. The business is located at 401 Hall St. SW in the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood and also has received accreditation from the Better Business Bureau. For more information on Triune Financial, visit the company’s website.
Hungerford Nicholas CPAs + Advisors
On July 12, there was a ribbon cutting ceremony for the accounting firm of Hungerford Nicholas CPAs + Advisors for its newly renovated building. The accounting firm has been a part of the Greater Grand Rapids area for more than 75 years and is located at 2910 Lucerne Dr. SW. For more about Hungerford Nicholas CPAs + Advisors, visit the company’s website.
There are still a few days left to help area students get ready for school this fall by donating school supplies to the annual School Supply Santa campaign.
Set to wrap up on Aug. 8, School Supply Santa is actually the idea of Byron Center resident Denise Kooiker. In 2007, Kookier, a hair stylist, decided to hold a drive to collect school supplies when one of her clients told her about numerous families not being able to purchase backpacks, crayons, pencils, notebooks and other items that students need to start the school year.
Eleven years later, the program has grown, helping students in several school districts such as Kelloggsville, Godwin Heights, Wyoming, and Godfrey Lee. Now the organization collects boxes of school supplies that are distributed to the various schools.
There are numerous sites throughout the West Michigan area that are collecting items such at Kellogg Community Credit Union at the Metro Health Village and at its Patterson Avenue location; the YMCA Spartan location on Gezon Parkway; Byron Center’s South Harbor Church; Peach Wave along with several businesses in the Metro Health Village; For the Kids Gymnastics on 44th Street; and several local Starbucks. For a complete list of locations, visit the website, schoolsupplysanta.com.
Items that are needed are backpacks, crayons, colored pencils, dry erase markers, ear buds, folders, glue sticks, Post-it notes, Kleenex, pencils, markers, notebooks three-ring binders, and composition notebooks. Monetary donations also are accepted.
Once again the communities of Kentwood and Wyoming will be participating in National Night Out — this year on Tuesday, Aug. 7 — where residents are encouraged to turn their porch light on and come out and meet their neighbors. Go here for more info.
Wyoming hosts its last on-the-road meeting for the summer on Monday, Aug. 6.
“These are just great opportunities to get out in the community,” said Mayor Jack Poll during the meeting at Del-Mar. “We want our citizens to feel that we are very approachable and that they can come and talk with us.”
On Monday’s agenda are several items that will cover projects for the city’s parks and recreation and public works department along with several bid proposals and ordinance changes.
Michigan has an endless supply of grandchild-friendly activities, meaning long summer days filled with endless smiles and continuous laughter. These are the precious memories that last a lifetime.
The KDL Kelloggsville branch will host a Dot Mandala Painting Workshop Thursday, Aug 9. Go here for more details.
Fun fact:
Octopuses lay 56,000 eggs at a time.
The mother spends six months so devoted to protecting the eggs that she doesn’t eat. The babies are the size of a grain of rice when they’re born. (Source.) Then mom dies. And that's the thanks she gets.
The Wyoming City Council will have its last summer on-the-road meeting this Monday, Aug. 6, at Oriole Park, 1368 42nd St.
There will be a meet-and-greet from 6-7 p.m. with the meeting scheduled to start at 7 p.m. This is the third on-the-road meeting held this year with the first being in June at the Godfrey-Lee Early Education Center and in July at the Del-Mar Farms Community Room. Both of the meetings were well attended.
The on-the-road meetings were started last summer with the main goal being to provide an opportunity for residents to meet with council members in their own neighborhoods while taking part in council meetings.
“These are just great opportunities to get out in the community,” said Mayor Jack Poll during the meeting at Del-Mar. “We want our citizens to feel that we are very approachable and that they can come and talk with us.”
On Monday’s agenda is several items that will cover projects for the city’s parks and recreation and public works department along with several bid proposals and ordinance changes.
The council meets every first and third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. The meetings are broadcast live on WKTV Channel 26 and rebroadcast at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday.
Members of The Salvation Army Kroc Center are encouraged to take advantage of a new offer this fall. All six-week programs in the fine arts will be discounted to only $5 for Kroc members when signing up before the early-bird deadline.
The new campaign is featured in the Kroc’s fall program guide, which is now available at GrKrocCenter.org. Interested non-members can sign up for a new membership for as little as $20 for a family of five (based on household income). Among the qualifying programs are classes in painting, clay sculpting, youth theater, and beginning ballet.
Non-members can enjoy discounts during the month of August as well. The Kroc Center will hold “Fine Art Fridays”on August 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31, where guests can receive 50% off each day pass by donating new, unopened art supplies like scissors, colored pencils, and watercolor paints.
“We are so excited to be expanding our fine arts programming this fall,” said Captain Bill Brutto, senior officer for The Salvation Army Kroc Center. “We know that our schools face many challenges that have reduced fine arts opportunities for kids, so we hope people will take advantage of these programs as we kick off the school year.”
Visit GrKrocCenter.org or call 616-588-7200 for more information.
Once again the communities of Kentwood and Wyoming will be participating in National Night Out — this year on Tuesday, Aug. 7 — where residents are encouraged to turn their porch light on and come out and meet their neighbors.
A nationwide movement started by the National Association of Town Watch in 1984, the annual event promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live.
“The City of Kentwood is committed to fostering a strong sense of community where neighbors look out for neighbors, which is what National Night Out is all about,” Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley said. “The City’s police, firefighters, and entire leadership team encourage all to participate and to become active citizens in their neighborhoods.”
Various activities will be offered at several neighborhood National Night Out event.s
All residents have to do is turn their porch light on between 7— 10 p.m. to participate although many neighborhoods do much more hosting block parties that range from potlucks to an array of activities. Between the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood. there are about 35 different neighborhood parties taking place, most between 5— 8 p.m with local officers and firefighters attempting to make it to as many events as possible.
The day kicks off with Consumers Energy hosting an early morning event with both Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll and Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley there along with Kentwood Police Chief Tom Hilton and Wyoming Police Chief Kim Koster. The event also will be attended by officials from the Walker, Grandville and Grand Rapids communities as well as representatives from the Michigan State Police and the Kent County Sheriff’s Department.
Two large Consumers Energy trucks also will have buckets extended 75 feet above U.S. 131 to help draw attention to the event. which is from 5:30— 8 a.m. with a proclamation read at 7:15 a.m. Police and fire vehicles will line up in front of the Consumer Energy’s building at 4000 Clay Ave. SW.
City of Kentwood National Night Out Activities
The City of Kentwood will get its National Night Out activities started with an event at Woodland Mall from 3— 5 p.m. Residents will have to opportunity to met with Kentwood police and firefighters and get an up-close look at emergency vehicles. There will be a bicycle raffle and a special visit from McGruff the Crime Dog.
There is about 20 different neighborhood events taking place throughout the city, several of which will have a variety of entertainment. Those with special activities are:
• Christ Community Church, 2400 Forest Hill Ave. SE, 5— 7 p.m., will have water slides, games, food and beverages.
• Wingate Apartments, 3151 Wingate Dr. SE, 5— 7 p.m., will have a dunk tank and live music.
• South United Methodist Church, 4500 S. Division Ave., 6— 8 p.m, will have live music, a water slide, games, hot dogs, ice cream, snow cones and punch.
• Faith Church, 1412 44th St. SE, 6— 8 p.m., will have face painting, music, games, hot dogs, and pop.
• Pentecostals of Kentwood, 2627 44th St. SE, 6—8 p.m., will have a bounce house, puppets, live music, games, food and beverages.
• St. Paul’s United Method Church and Forest Pointe Apartments, 3334 Breton Ave. SE, 6—8 p.m., will have lawn games, sidewalk chalk, basketball, food and beverages.
“A strong alliance between citizens and law enforcement is necessary for achieving safer neighborhoods,” said Police Chief Tom Hillen. “Members of our department are always eager to connect with residents during National Night Out as it offers a great opportunity to build positive relationships and promote open communication.”
The City of Wyoming’s biggest National Night Out event is in conjunction with the Concerts in the Park series hosted by the Wyoming Community Enrichment Committee. There will be activities from 6—7 p.m. with Chief Koster making a presentation at 6:55 p.m. Then at 7 p.m. the Yellow Brick Road dueling pianos take over for a night of Billy Joel and Elton John music. The theme for the concert is super hero with everyone encouraged to dress as or where something from their favorite super hero.
The City of Wyoming has about 15 neighborhood parties ranging from small gatherings to those with an arrange of activities. Those open to the public are:
• Oriole Park Neighborhood Watch will host an event at Oriole Park, which is located off of 40th Street, from 6—8 p.m.
• South Godwin Neighborhood Watch will host an event at Southlawn Park, 4125 Jefferson Ave. SE., from 6—8 p.m.
• Grace University, 1011 Aldon St. SW, from 5—7 p.m.
Kent County Sheriff’s National Night Out Activities
The Kent County Sheriff’s Department will be part of the South Kent National Night Out event from 4—8 p.m. at Kentwood Community Church, 1200 60th Ave. SE.The event will include a number of emergency vehicles from several area departments, food and other activities. The event will have demonstrations by the K-9 Unit, vehicle extraction demonstrations, the Kent County Sheriff’s Mounted Unit, children ID packets, a bounce house and dunk tank.
For more on the South Kent National Night Out event visit its Facebook page.
The City of Kentwood announced today that Kalamazoo Avenue from 52nd Street to 60th Street is slated to be closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 2 while the road receives a joint repair treatment.
The MSU Extension Master Gardener Program changes lives. Committed to improving the quality of life in Michigan through horticulture-based volunteerism and beautifying communities throughout the state, the program provides instruction in basic, research-based horticulture science to motivated and active gardeners through an adult (18 years or older) educational program offered by MSU Extension. More info here.
We’ve been fed alternative facts: There is no such thing as multi-tasking. You’re not doing two things at once, you’re switching back and forth. And if you have three or four or five things going, your performance suffers.
At last month’s Board of Commissioners meeting, several community members and representatives of Movimiento Cosecha GR shared concerns about a contract between the Kent County Sheriff’s Office and Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division, commonly known as ICE. Unfortunately, the meeting was temporarily suspended due to an interruption in the public comment process.
Representatives from the Administrator’s Office have invited Movimiento Cosecha GR leaders to meet about their concerns and hope to speak with them directly.
The Commission is committed to hearing public comments as it is an important element of our democracy that allows people to communicate directly with their government officials. In order to make sure all residents have an ability to participate, several years ago various rules were established that apply to everyone.
Since the June meeting of the Board of Commissioners, there have been several questions raised in the community about the ICE Contract with the Kent County Sheriff’s Department, including what the contract entails and the role of the Sheriff and Board of Commissioners. We believe it is important for the public to know the following:
Sheriff policy and practice
Sheriff deputies do not make arrests on civil immigration charges. The Sheriff decided years ago not to seek the required, special authority to make these types of arrests.
Sheriff’s Department staff members working at the jail make no determinations regarding the validity of an arrest or the appropriateness of charges. They work to treat every inmate in a humane manner, with high levels of respect.
When an individual is arrested for an alleged criminal act and taken to Kent County Correctional Facility, fingerprints are submitted to the State and Federal government. Submission of fingerprints is not optional for the Sheriff Department or any local law enforcement agency – with or without an ICE contract. State and Federal laws require correctional facilities to fingerprint all individuals and send those prints to both databases to confirm their identification. When the FBI receives these prints, the Secure Communities Program (www.ice.gov/secure-communities) requires prints be shared with the Department of Homeland Security. It is this interplay between the FBI and Homeland Security that can trigger action by ICE.
In 2017, the Kent County Correctional Facility processed 23,455 people. In less than 0.8 percent of those arrests – 185 individuals – ICE submitted paperwork to detain individuals with immigration infractions that could, upon conviction, result in the individual serving jail time.
The scope of services under the ICE contract signed by the Sheriff in August 2012 is very limited, and includes:
The provision of temporary secure housing for persons who are facing federal immigration charges detained by and under the authority of the federal government at a current rate of $85 per day.
It also limits the housing of individuals held under the authority of the federal government to no more than 72 hours to make sure the federal government either takes custody of the individuals being held or removes the hold, so they can be released.
Board of Commissioners’ role
The Board of Commissioners has no direct oversight of or control over this agreement.
The Sheriff is a Michigan constitutionally-elected official, and pursuant to state law, the Sheriff has the authority to enter into and manage the contract because state law provides the office of County Sheriff with significant latitude in running the jail. The Board is prepared to receive comment on the contract and can facilitate discussion on the topic, but it does not have legal authority to either terminate or renew the agreement.
The concerns expressed by Movimiento Cosecha GR about the separation of families arise from Federal immigration law and the activities of Federal agencies including ICE. Federal immigration law can only be changed by federal lawmakers. Neither the County Board of Commissioners nor the County Sheriff can control or change these laws.
Metro Health Village has a number of walking routes and even a bike trail — all perfect for an afternoon stroll with the kids or a quick, weeknight workout. Download a Walking/Bike Route map here.
No, not locusts, but we didn’t have a photo depicting the droves of voters who showed up for the primary election on Aug. 7. Take a good look at this photo — that’s the power inherent in sheer numbers, people. A pat on the back for all who voted.
