This upcoming Tuesday, June 26, the City of Wyoming’s popular WY-FI concert will kick off the area’s annual Fourth of July celebrations.
The event will feature performances by Valentiger and the Kari Lynch Band with fireworks after the concert.
Valentiger
Mainstays of West Michigan’s music scene since 2008, pop-rock veterans Vatentiger most recently played at 20 Monroe Live!, opening for the Gin Blossoms. A good fit for the group of three since the band has a penchant for 50s, 60s, and 70s rock and pop. The group has been performing in and around Grand Rapids for the past decade at various venues including several of the Local Spins series.
Kari Lynch is also a familiar face in Grand Rapids, having performed at several outdoor concerts and venues. Michigan born and raised, and now residing in Nashville, is all country and working to record her next album. Lynch has played thousands of shows across the U.S. and abroad as well, playing to crowds in the tens of thousands and has earned an impressive resume opening for some of country music’s most recognized artists including Miranda aLambert, Little Big Town, Kacey Musgraves, Dierks Bentley, The Band Perry, The Charlie Daniels Band, and Alabama.
The theme for the WY-FI concert is patriotism and those who participate in the theme will be eligible to enter a drawing for a gift card that will be given out at the end the concert.. The fireworks will be after the show.
Also, due to the cancellation of last week’s concert featuring The Adams Family, the Wyoming Concerts in the Parks series has been extended with The Adams Family performing on Aug. 14.
All concerts, unless noted, start at 7 p.m. at Lamar Park, located 2561 Porter St. SW. Free parking is available at Lamar Park. All the concerts will air on WKTV 25 Wednesdays at 5 p.m. and again Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. For all details and up-to-date information, visit www.facebook.com/wyomingcec.
Workshop Spotlight on Job Search Techniques
We recently sat down with Linden, a talent development instructor at West Michigan Works!, to talk about workshops for job seekers. Linden has been teaching workshops for five years and his favorite workshop to teach is Job Search Techniques. Here’s what we learned about what makes this workshop his favorite.
What is Job Search Techniques?
It is a free, hour-long workshop open to the public. It offers an overview of the skills and tools needed to start a successful job search.
Why is this such an important workshop for job seekers?
Prior to applying for a job, you need a strong foundation to prepare for every step of the job search process. This workshop is a great first step. You will walk away with a variety of basic skills to set you up for success, like:
where to find job openings
how to fill out an application
how to write a cover letter
what a professional resume looks like
why networking is important
how to develop your elevator speech
how to dress for an interview
and much more!
Anyone who wants more in-depth training in a specific topic such as resume writing or interviewing, can follow up with one of our other workshops.
What is something job seekers tell you they were surprised to learn in the workshop?
When filling out an application, a lot of people will answer “When can you start?” with “as soon as possible.” I used to do this. You might think it makes you look excited and willing to dive right in, but this can seem desperate to an employer. A different answer can show them you have considered whether or not the job is a good fit for you and aren’t just jumping at the first offer you get. Answering “within two to three days of offer,” indicates you are being thoughtful and more likely to commit to the company long-term.
Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.
In April, the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce awarded its Brent VanderKolk Scholarship to four area high school graduates.
VanderKolk was a chamber member and the chamber’s legal council along with being a freind to many, said Bob O’Callgahan, President/CEO of the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce. VanderKolk passed away in 2011 at the age of 37. The chamber decided to honor VanderKolk by naming the annual scholarship award after him.
This year’s award recipients are: Maria Aguirre from Godwin Heights High School; Adriana Sanchez-Parada from Lee High School; Shontiana Jackson from Wyoming High School; and Allison Biss from East Kentwood High School.
We were able to catch up with two of the students before they walked down the graduation aisle. These students offered a few words of wisdom to those coming into high school and to the Class of 2019.
Adrianna Sanchez
Adrianna Sanchez-Parada
Lee High School
Godfrey Lee Public Schools
Parents: Gallina Parada and Alejo Sanchez
When Adrianna Sanchez learned that one out of three freshmen at her school were failing one to two classes, she decided to do something about it.
“That was a big number of students failing,” Adrianna said. “When I was a freshman, there was a freshman transition class that was helpful to me so I decided to bring that program back.”
Adrianna pulled together members of the upper classes to serve as mentors, offering words of advice and to be there to help guide the freshmen.
“I’ve learned a lot about leadership especially through band,” Adrianna said. “I’ve been a drum major and have gone to a leadership conference where we learned about leadership through service. Through this program, our upper classes were able to show a different type of leadership through service.”
Adrianna has loved being involved at Lee High School and admits her involvement has prevented her from having a job. She has participated in soccer, National Honors Society, Spanish club, drama club, and student council, where she served as president. She plans to attend Western Michigan University in the fall.
Her advice for those entering high school: Try different clubs that you have never thought of and do not be afraid to be different.
Her advice for next year’s seniors: Don’t stress about the little things but also don’t let the assignments slide because it will come back at you. And lastly, watch out for every opportunity that you might have.
Allison Biss with Chamber President/CEO Bob O’Callaghan
Allisson Biss
East Kentwood High School
Kentwood Public Schools
Parents: Cheryl and Brian Biss
“Some people have sports, but I am not the sporty type,” said Allison Biss when thinking about her search for a high school activity that encourage her creativity. She was not a performer and some hobbies she didn’t felt she had started early enough to participate in. But once she discovered film and video, she knew she had found the passion that allowed her creativity to shine.
“You could be given a video and create five clips with the end product being different depending on lighting or how you edit it,” she said.
A WKTV intern, Biss was awarded Central Michigan University’s Lem Tucker Scholarship for broadcasting and journalism, which covers a 100 percent of her tuition, room, and board.
At school, Biss participated in the broadcast program serving as an anchor and primary editor. Outside of broadcasting, Biss has been very active serving as a class officer for three years, on the National Honor Society, Student Council, and JV sideline and competitive cheerleading.
Her advice for those entering high school: It is not as bad as it seems. Always introduce yourself. Be that someone who cracks the joke and eats lunch with new people. Also don’t be afraid to try new things because high school is short.
Her advice for next year’s seniors: Don’t think of the moments as being the last ones, but new beginnings. Enjoy the moments while you have them because it goes by super quickly.
Hunting households often have hunting rifles, if not other guns, in the house. Care needs to be taken with all guns.
By Michigan State Police
Withthirty-three percent of U.S. households having a gun in the house, and half of the gun owning households not properly securing their guns, the Michigan State Police is seeking to educate parents, guardians and gun owners about the simple precautions you can take to keep children safe.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1,337 American children under age 18 died as the result of a gunshot in 2010.
Incidents such as this may be prevented if gun owners take more precautions and parents and guardians talk to children about gun safety.
“Parents and guardians need to educate their children about what to do if they see a gun,” said Community Service Trooper Martin Miller, Rockford Post. “If a child finds a gun they must stop what they’re doing, do not touch the gun, leave the area and tell an adult.”
All parents should talk to their children about the dangers of guns. Children should be told not to touch guns, and to tell an adult if they find a gun. Parents should also ask if guns are safely stored at places their children visit or play.
Additional safety tips for gun owners:
Store firearms in a locked cabinet, safe, gun vault or storage case when not in use, ensuring the gun(s) is in a location inaccessible by children and cannot be handled by anyone without your permission.
Remove ammunition from the firearm and store the ammunition in a locked location separate from the firearm.
Store the key for the firearm case/cabinet and the ammunition in a different area from where you store household keys. Keep the keys out of the reach of children.
Use a gun-locking device that renders the firearm inoperable when not in use. A gun lock should be used as an additional safety precaution and not as a substitute for secure storage.
Gun-cleaning supplies are often poisonous, and should also be locked up to prevent access by children.
Educate everyone in your household about firearms safety.
Kent County Department of Public Works is reminding people that propane tanks should not be placed in trash or recycling carts once empty.
The arrival of summer marks the start of grilling and camping season when people will be using small, portable propane tanks often. Whether using the larger style for barbecue grills, or the small style used for camping lanterns, empty 1-pound and 20-pound propane tanks should never be disposed of in trash or recycling carts.
“For the safety of our facilities and our staff and those of others in the waste and recycling industry, it’s critically important that empty propane tanks be transported directly to an appropriate propane handler,” said Kent County DPW Communications Manager Kristen Wieland. “Even though the propane tanks seem empty, there are always some vapors left inside that can cause an explosion at our facilities or in waste collection vehicles.”
Kent County’s Recycling & Education Center has experienced two explosions in the last two years, both in June, from propane tanks. One staff person was sent for evaluation but no injuries resulted from the explosions. Propane tanks also pose risks to waste collection drivers and vehicles when the waste is collected and then compacted inside the truck.
Empty propane tanks should be taken to a local drop-off center for safe disposal since they still contain explosive vapors. Kent County DPW lists participating locations on their website, www.reimaginetrash.org. Locations include Alto, Wyoming, Grand Rapids, Cedar Springs, Rockford and Byron Center.
A brand new 3D printer sat inside a closet at Wyoming High School. During the fall of his junior year, Bryan Rosello Lizardo noticed it, realizing the possibilities being lost by keeping it in storage.
“I said, ‘No way! I’m involved in Science Olympiad and robotics and this would be so helpful, just for experience and for the events themselves,’” said Bryan, now a graduating senior.
He inquired about the printer and was told if he wanted to use it, he would have to learn to do so on his own. “I happened to appreciate that challenge,” he said with a grin.
Bryan pored over a book about the printer and its potential to create items with countless applications. “I read it in like two days because I was so interested,” he said.
From there, he started a 3D Printing Club, training students at the high school and Wyoming Junior High, as well as the Science Olympiad team adviser, to use the machine. Bryan’s designs, including a claw robotic arm and components of a Rube Goldberg-style machine, helped the team place in competitions.
Bryan graduated Tuesday, May 22 with a stack of Advanced Placement and Middle College credits. He is headed to the University of Michigan in the fall with enough scholarships and financial aid to cover his tuition in full. He plans to major in aerospace engineering and hopes to eventually land an internship at NASA.
“I want to help with the designing and prototyping of more efficient spacecrafts,” he said.
But just a few years ago, Bryan himself may not have predicted his potential.
“I went from failing all my classes to being the Wyoming High School valedictorian of 2018,” he said. His GPA is 4.17.
(Courtesy Photo) Bryan Rosello Lizardo said helping his mother, Mildred Lizardo, is his main motivation
Shy Learner Needed Motivation
Bryan was born in Puerto Rico and moved at age 2 to the Dominican Republic, where his community had limited access to fresh water, and electricity was sporadic. School offered the basics and that was all, he said.
He moved to Michigan at age 9 with his mother, Mildred Lizardo; older sister, Jazmin; and younger brother, Benjamin, and started attending Grand Rapids Public Schools. He enrolled in Wyoming Public Schools in fifth grade.
Shy and and still learning English, Bryan said he struggled and didn’t put much effort into school until eighth grade. It was then that his sister, Jazmin, who was graduating, told him she wished she would have tried harder in school, and encouraged Bryan to do better.
“I had bad habits. I was a (video) gamer full-time. I didn’t care. It was just that childish mentality.”
But Jazmin’s words made something click. “I started realizing this education was worth a lot more than I thought it was,” Bryan said. “I was able to change my habits because my sister motivated me that much.
“The next year my report card was straight A’s. I got involved in Science Olympiad. I kept going and getting involved in as many things as possible.”
Along with starting the 3D Printing Club, he was on the FIRST Robotics team, served as treasurer for National Honor Society, treasurer for Bible Club, and on Key Club, Student Council and Leadership Committee.
“I challenged myself to take classes that were hard for me as a bilingual student,” he said. “With the combination of Middle College and AP, I’ve gotten prepared for college in a way I would have never been prepared before.”
AP Biology teacher Stephanie Rathsack said Bryan is one-of-a-kind, an accepting and nonjudgmental student known at school for helping others with school work and giving back to the community. She was impressed when he volunteered at a fundraising event for an organization that collects clothes, household items, bikes and Christmas decorations for families in need. He stepped up to translate for Spanish-speaking families.
“Bryan has an amazing attitude,” Rathsack said, by email. “He approaches life and learning with vigor. He is a gentle presence, and friendly to everyone. He doesn’t ever think about what he gets out of doing something for others. He’s aware of others and aware of the impact he can make by observing and offering help and understanding as necessary.
(Courtesy Photo) Working for NASA is a dream of Bryan Rosello Lizardo
Working Hard to Help Mom
A huge motivation for Bryan has been his mother, a proud single parent who is proud to work in a factory assembling car parts.
“It makes me happy to think she’s taking pride in her job. But I know at the end of the day she’s getting to the age where she needs rest and economic peace. That’s what I’m trying to work towards, just helping her out financially.”
He said he believes doubling down on school is the best way to make that happen.
“I knew I had to study to support my family. I didn’t understand how valuable school was until eighth grade, so when I started realizing this is potentially money for my mom, that’s what motivated me to take the AP classes and join the clubs. I knew colleges would look at that stuff and give me and my mom money so she doesn’t have to worry about my tuition later on.”
A life-changing moment for Bryan was earning the Alpha Wolf 11 award in 2016. He said the award, given to Wyoming students who exhibit character at an 11 on a scale of 10, reaffirmed what mattered to him most.
“It’s at the top of my achievement list for everything I apply for,” he said. “Because you can have the best grades and best SAT scores and be really involved, but if you don’t have that character you don’t stand out. You’ll be taken care of if you can show up to your workplace, have a positive attitude and get along with everyone. It’s something I will continue to take pride in after high school.”
Bryan Rosello made the most of his high school experience by earning college credits and starting a 3D printing club
Working on a Dream
The award also caught the attention of a couple, both a U of M graduates, who gave Bryan a scholarship because they were impressed with his character.
Most of all, Bryan said he is thankful to be able to work toward his dreams.
“Knowing I come from the background I come from, I’ve had different experiences than people do here in the U.S,” he said. “Just going through those struggles has allowed me to appreciate a lot more what I have and the resources that are available to me. I do not think I would be taking the course I am today if I did not realize this is something I didn’t have in the Dominican Republic.”
What advice would he give other students? “Look around you as often as you can and appreciate your teachers, principals and friends,” he said.
And stay the course, he added.
“Work hard. Fear regret. Be fearful of regretting not doing something.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
While Valentino Savala has gone through the normal rigors of reading writing and math to tally his credits for graduation, he discovered his passion by tinkering inside the Lee High School recording studio when he had time outside of class.
“I try to get in here as much as I can during the day and after school,” said Valentino, while in the studio messing with rhythms and beats to create original recordings.
Valentino is the perfect example of a student who learned a skill and discovered a potential career by being given the space and equipment to experiment, say Lee High School educators. He wants to become a music producer and researched the recording industry and job for his senior capstone project, which all seniors take as preparation for furthering education, training or work.
He said he planned to ask judges during his capstone presentation to write down how his tunes makes them feel, “connecting music to emotion.”
The studio is in a former office within the media center, transformed with all the necessary equipment and software, and painted to serve as an inviting, creative space. The brainchild of former Director of Technology Dan Townsend, the studio has been used by dozens of students since it opened about a year and a half ago.
Senior Valentino Savala and sophomore Elijah Kibbe play some of their recordings
Music As Creative Outlet
Students pop in after school and during lunch, recording song and raps and adjusting beats and bass. They partner up for duets, sing and record songs, and even write tributes. Sophomores Elijah Kibbe and Darvia Beene are producing a song in memory of Elayna Durso, a Spanish teacher who died of breast cancer in December at age 35.
Sarah Wood, technology and media integration specialist, said she loves seeing students create inside the studio without much adult interference. Using music as a creative outlet is meaningful for many teenagers, she said. And while they can use the studio for school work, that’s not its main purpose.
“We never intended this to be used as a class. It was meant to be a place for student passion projects and alternative ways to do assignments. It was really student-led,” Wood said. “It really has spread by word of mouth and students sharing their projects. We don’t monitor everything in here because this is their space, not ours.
Kelly McGee, media specialist and theater director, said students try to stay as late as possible after school to use the room. “The kids know more than we do about any of this stuff,” he said, adding that he’s noticed students improve a lot, through trial and error, in making music.
Elijah, who wants to someday be a software developer, said he goes to the studio to express his emotions.
He first used it to record a rap for a school history assignment, but learned the studio was a great place to hang out and create on his own. He said he works to sound a little like popular rapper Drake.
“A lot of times I use the studio to make beats, Elijah said. “With the software, it’s really easy to do.”
He posts his music on social media. “A lot of my things aren’t school related… I talk about my life, learning how to get better, working to find my voice. I use it to better myself.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
Students gravitate to the Lee High School Recording Studio to use the equipment
Information on how to sign up for MiChildSupport is one of the services of the Kent County Friend of the Court (Kent County Website)
By Kent County
The Kent County Friend of the Court recently announced the opening of the Responsible Parent Program Center, located on the second floor at 82 Ionia Avenue NW, Grand Rapids. This new center makes it easier for participants in the program to meet with their case manager, see updated job postings, and apply for jobs on-line.
Launched in 2016, the Responsible Parent Program has established partnerships with over 30 agencies and employers to assist those who are having difficulties paying their court-ordered child support. Once in the program, a Friend of the Court case manager will meet with the participant to identify any barriers the person may be facing, make appropriate referrals for job placements and searches, determine whether a case qualifies for a support review to ensure the current order is based on ability to pay, and provide information about parenting time issues and services.
The goal of the Responsible Parent Program is to place 75 percent of those who complete the program into jobs. The Responsible Parent Program started in 2016 with 10 partner agencies and employers and has grown to 34 current partners. In its first two years, 53 percent of those accepted into the program reported employment following their initial appointment with the case manager; 41percent met their court-ordered obligation and 67.5 percent made some payment.
“These are cases where little to no payment was being made. Our primary goal is to make sure the children of Kent County are receiving court-ordered support,” said Friend of the Court Director Dan Fojtik. “We are here to help anyone who is sincerely interested in improving their financial position and getting their Friend of the Court case back on track.”
To qualify for the program, a participant must have a Friend of the Court case, no gainful employment, be able to work, have no pending child support related felony warrant, and be interested in participating. Enforcement actions such as show-cause hearings, bench warrants, and license suspensions will be deferred while the participant is in the program. The Responsible Parent Program Center has three designated computer terminals where payers can search for jobs, and the Center holds drop-in times when no appointment is needed on Tuesday mornings and Thursday afternoons.
Anyone who is interested in this special 90-day program may contact the Friend of the Court for more information at 616-632-6888. Case managers are also available to meet in person without an appointment at Michigan Works, Urban Family Ministries, Strong Fathers, Hispanic Center, and Guiding Light Mission; call 616-632-6825 for days and times.
Inside a locker, Charles Travis keeps a pile of books, stories he has collected from Goodwill and labeled by reading level for first-grade teacher Carol Jewell’s students.
Monday through Wednesday mornings, for two hours each day during the school year, Travis, or “Mr. T” as the children call him, pulls out his books and invites two or three students at a time to read to him and play a sight-word game. They eagerly ask, “Do I get to read with you today, Mr. T?”
Le’on Cardona reads, helped along by “Mr. T”
Travis, 83, is a retired General Motors toolmaker who has spent the past six years devoting six hours a week to helping students at the ECC.
He first discovered how much he loved volunteering with children while participating in a city of Wyoming Senior Center program more than a decade ago. He has also volunteered for the after-school program TEAM 21, and at Cesar E. Chavez Elementary School, in Grand Rapids Public Schools.
“I wish I would have started doing this earlier. I really enjoy it,” Travis said. “One of the reasons I enjoy this so much is because it’s like having 22 or 23 little grandchildren. … It wasn’t altruistic on my part.”
The Grandville High School graduate, who has three children and three grandchildren of his own with his wife, Charlene, never thought about becoming a teacher until he started spending time with students. He learned how much he enjoys helping them grow in their reading and English skills. He works with students who struggle in reading two days a week, and with students at grade level and higher one day a week.
“Sometimes I think maybe I missed my calling,” he said. “I get a lot of love from these kids, almost like real grandchildren.”
Charles Travis, better known as “Mr. T,” gives Emma Torrez a big hug
Helping ELL Students
At Godfrey-Lee, about 50 percent of students are English-language learners, a population Travis enjoys serving.
“I like the idea that I am helping them extend their universe in learning English, helping them become better citizens that way,” Travis said. “Seeing them progress, that’s the main thing.”
On a recent Wednesday, first-graders Ulises Aguilar, Faith Belmont and Gabriela Cardona-Mendoza sat down at a table outside their classroom to read for “Mr. T,” showing their skills and listening to each other read.
One of the best things about Mr. T, they said, is the games he plays with them, and the books he shares. “He lets me take the books home with me,” Gabriella said.
“The thing he does is teach students to read better,” said Ulises.
Along with books, he gives them loads of encouragement and is always happy to see them. “I get a lot of hugs from him,” said first-grader Emma Torrez.
Jewell said many of her students are below grade level in reading, but show huge growth. Having a devoted volunteer six hours a week is a major asset, she said.
“They may not all reach grade level, but hey have all already made more than a year’s growth in their reading. He’s a huge part of that,” Jewell said. “He is a huge reason my kids are successful.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan
Did you know that the average person will change careers five to seven times in a lifetime? Not just a new job, but a completely new field. For example, leaving a marketing position for accounting or moving from manufacturing to retail.
If you’re considering a career change, these tips can get you on the right path.
Understand yourself. Take time for self-reflection. What are your passions, strengths and weaknesses? Not sure where to begin? You can find many free, online self-assessments to get started. Check out the 16 Personalities assessment that combines aspects of a few popular personality-type tests into one.
Assess your skills. Do have any transferrable skills? These are skills that were gained in one job that can apply to another one, even in a different industry. They can include time-management, good communication skills and attention to detail. The free online resource, O*Net OnLine, can help you figure out what transferrable skills you have.
Find the right fit. Explore the skills and traits needed for the jobs you are interested in and compare those to your current skills as well as what you’re looking for in a job. Do they match? Pure Michigan Talent Connect offers the Career Explorer tool that matches your interests and skills with the best career for you.
Use the right resume format. A chronological resume focuses on your work history. This format works well when looking for a new job within the same field because it shows you have specific experience in a similar position. A functional resume focuses more on your transferrable skills and abilities. This format will allow you to highlight the skills you can bring into a new career, even if you haven’t worked in that field before.
Network. Do you know anyone who is already working in the field? Would they be willing to provide a reference, or do they know of current job openings? Join a professional network in the field and attend local networking events. Prepare a strong elevator speech to let your new connections know why you want a new career.
Want to learn more? Check out this video to get more in-depth, expert advice from West Michigan Works! career coach, Mark.
The career coaches at any Michigan Works! service center can also help you understand your skills, explore career options, build your resume and much more. Visit a service center near you to get started!
Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.
It is hard to find anything close to reliable numbers as to how many Grand Rapids area persons of the Muslim faith will be celebrating the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan just after sunset on Thursday.
But after being invited into, and sitting quietly through, a mid-day Ramadan prayer and service June 8 at Kentwood’s At-Tawheed Islamic Center and masjid (mosque), with an estimated 500 male and 200 female worshipers of all ages, the community’s quiet local presence is undeniable.
Further consider that the Kentwood masjid also hosted evening daily Ramadan prayers with as many and often more worshipers, and consider At-Tawheed is only one of at least five Muslim religious centers in the Greater Grand Rapids area serving congregations representing dozens of national and ethnic backgrounds ranging from Egyptian to Kashmirian to Bosnian to Somalian.
All Muslims, however, recognize Ramadan; it is, after all, a commandment of God.
Imam Morsy Salem of Masjid At-Tawheed Islamic Center. (Photo courtesy GVSU University Libraries.)
“During the days of Ramadan, from sunrise until sunset time, it is not allowed for them to eat or drink or have relations with their spouses,” Imam Morsy Salem, of the At-Tawheed Islamic Center, said to WKTV. “Our intention is to ask ourselves ‘Are we really willing to get closer to God?’ When we do fast, it is because it is good for our souls.”
Imam Morsy is of Egyptian origin but he proudly says his congregation has more the 35 national and ethnic backgrounds — not surprising give the fact that, according to a 2015 study, adherents of the religion of Islam are the world’s second largest religious group with about 1.8 billion followers, making up about 24 percent of the world’s population. And the followers spread around the world, with the largest Muslim country not being in the Middle East, as many think, but being Indonesia.
The U.S. Census Bureau does not collect religious background data, but looking at the numbers available, the latest Census estimates place the greater Grand Rapids total population at just under 1 million, while a recent study by a group called Muslims for American Progress estimates that 1 percent of the population of the United States is Muslim and about 2.75 percent of Michigan’s population is Muslim. Two other studies place the West Michigan Muslim population at about 1.5 percent, or about 8,000-to-9,000.
Local events planned for end of Ramadan
Whatever the actual local community numbers, a Ramadan prayer event planned at East Kentwood High School’s gym on Friday is expected to draw as many as 5,000 worshipers, according to event organizers.
Then, in the evening, local muslim communities will be celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr, which, depending on who you ask, translates from Arabic as “the breaking of the fast” or “the feast of the breaking of the fast.” The celebrations will be family and community gatherings, some modest and some more grand.
This year, Ramadan began on or around May 16, with its ending, Eid-ul-Fitr, falling on or around June 15. (The Islamic calendar is based on a lunar cycle, so dates are subject to the sighting of the moon and change slightly each year.)
The East Kentwood gathering, and other Muslim community events, will be part of a celebration as Ramadan draws to a close after a month of fasting during the long days, light meals after sunset, and daily religious personal introspection and formal Islamic instruction focused on readings from The Qur’an Islamic holy book as well as imam instruction.
Islam and The Qur’an
Ramadan, in short, is a way for Muslims to become closer to God — which they call “Allah” but which is the same God as in Jewish and Christian beliefs. Muslims accept the Torah, the Psalms and the Gospels as the word of God, but believe that they are incomplete without The Qur’an. They also believe that Islamic prophet Mohammad is the final in a series of God’s prophets which include Adam, David and Jesus Christ — “Peace be upon them,” Muslims will often recite when mentioning their names.
And Ramadan is one of the most unique aspects of Islam.
Dr. Sahibzada (supplied)
“The purpose (of Ramadan) is because a person becomes more righteous, truthful and mindful of God,” Dr. Sahibzada, the director of the Islamic Center of West Michigan and Imam of the center’s masjid, said to WKTV. “When we are fasting, were are listening to the commandment of God — spiritually, materially, bodily, perception. Everything is attached to God. … We have to be close to God. We have to submit to the will of God.”
Dr. Sahibzada, who arrived in Grand Rapids in 2001 — just months before the September 2001 attacks on American — is of Kashmirian background (Kashmir being a region north of India divided and governed by India, Pakistan and China), but he points out that being the first Islamic center in West Michigan, dating from 1985, his congregation has varied over the years as new Muslim communities arrive and, sometimes, form their own masjids.
In addition to the Islamic Center of West Michigan on Burton Street and the At-Tawheed Islamic Center on East Paris Avenue, Dr. Sahibzada pointed out that there is also a Bosnian Cultural Center on Eastern Avenue in Grand Rapids, another Bosnian Muslim community center in Kentwood, also on East Paris and not far from At-Tawheed, and a Somalian Muslim center on Eastern Avenue.
Ramadan is regarded as the holiest month of the year for Muslims as it was the month in which The Qur’an was revealed to Prophet Mohammad on the night of Laylat Al Qadr, one of the last ten nights of Ramadan. The annual observance of Ramadan is considered one of the “Five Pillars of Islam”.
Who fasts, who does not
While all devout adult Muslims are required to fast from dawn to dusk every day throughout Ramadan — which in Grand Rapids is almost 16 hours this year. Those who are ill, elderly, diabetic, pregnant, menstruating, or breast-feeding are not required to fast. Also, those who are “on journey” — on travel or at taxing daytime work — during the period of Ramadan may fast on different days at a later point. Children are not required to fast until they have reached puberty, although many still do out of choice.
“Fasting is only for those who are healthy,” Dr. Sahibzada said. “Those who can afford it, those who can do it. Even if you are healthy, if you can do it, but you are on a journey, you are allowed to not fast. God is merciful.”
Fasting means more than simply food, beverage and smoking, Muslims also refrain from sexual relations as well as “sinful speech and behavior”.
During Ramadan, many Muslims pray every night, ofter reciting or being read different chapters each day until The The Qur’an is completed.
Retiring Superintendent Thomas Reeder spent his career devoted to Wyoming students like these in Maddy Cook’s second-grade class at Gladiola Elementary
Superintendent Thomas Reeder knows how to direct students toward success: remove barriers. He has taken it upon himself to clear pathways, whether it be to get a student to college or teach them to read.
“I’ve tried to implement things to give every kid a shot,” he said. “I feel this huge desire to give back to the community to remove barriers, whatever those are,” said Reeder, who retires June 30 after nine years at the helm of the district.
Superintendent Thomas Reeder hugs goodbye to Yamilet Valentin Poblano, left, and Princess Huff El, saying, ‘I’m going to miss all you guys!’
“When I speak about removing barriers, it is about challenging and ensuring equity and inclusion for all students and families,” he said.
From removing pay-to-play fees for athletics to starting the Wyoming Middle College dual enrollment program so students can earn a tuition-free associate’s degree in high school, Reeder has kept his eye on giving students opportunities they need to thrive. He was instrumental in a region-wide effort to boost reading proficiency and was the grant-writer who made a city-wide after-school program possible.
“Everything in Wyoming for me feels so personal,” said Reeder, from his office in the Wyoming Public Schools Administration Building, just a a street away from the house where he grew up. “I can’t imagine doing anything other than coming here. Our kids are so good…I will miss it tremendously and when good things happen I will watch from the sidelines and cheer.”
Current Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Services Craig Hoekstra will replace Reeder as superintendent July 1. “You have your time and your window. For me, my window has come to an end,” Reeder said. “New leadership, able to to take us to a better place than I could, is necessary. I think Craig will do a wonderful job and has the skill set to do that.”
Superintendent Thomas Reeder passes out a basket of 2-D shapes and shows Yalin Palomino, left, and Christian Pablo-Gomez how to fold them to make a 3-D shape.
Coming Together
Reeder led the district through a time of change, including difficult financial years when he and the Board of Education made tough – though ultimately successful – decisions. He led the consolidation of schools, including:
merging Wyoming Rogers and Wyoming Park high schools into Wyoming High School
consolidating seven elementary schools into four, and two junior highs into one.
adding Wyoming Intermediate School, a fifth- and sixth-grade building, at the former Jackson Park Junior High
adding early-education centers at two of the former elementary schools
closing two alternative education high schools
Blending the maroon of Wyoming Rogers’ colors and the blue of Wyoming Park’s colors, Reeder helped create a unifying mascot, the purple Wyoming Wolves. And he worked tirelessly to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse population of students.
Reeder spent 27 years as a Wyoming educator. He graduated from Wyoming Park High School in 1981 and received his bachelor’s degree at Aquinas College, his master’s at Grand Valley State University and his doctorate at Eastern Michigan University. After starting his career as a math teacher in Mason County Central Schools, he returned to Wyoming for a job as a math consultant in 1991. He went on to become the director of instruction and then assistant superintendent in 2002 until he became superintendent in 2009.
“I have wonderful memories of this community. I didn’t see a reason to ever work anywhere else,” he said. “I enjoy the people I work with; they are wonderful, dedicated staff. I love the community. I love the people.”
Board of Education Trustee Mary Vandewater said Reeder’s heart has always been in Wyoming.
“I’m sure everyone will tell you that Dr. Reeder will be known for being the one to combine our high schools, uniting our community. They will also say he’s the one who finally found a way to pass our bond. He’s a genius in math. He’s incredibly frugal and incredibly generous. I’ve worked with Tom for 17 years. (I knew him before his mustache turned gray). The first thing that impressed me about Tom was his deep love of his family. You can see it in his eyes whenever he talks about them. He also has great love and compassion for the children in our district and the struggles they face,” said Board of Education Secretary Mary Vandewater.
“Through the years I’ve known him to make decisions by asking, ‘What will this do for the kids?’ We could count on Tom to be completely honest and to always do the ‘right thing’ Even when it’s not the popular thing to do. I hope he enjoys retirement and all the great things it will bring, but I’ll miss him.”
Ready to Build
One of Reeder’s major goals was to put the district on solid financial footing. While his tenure included several years of budget-cutting, he is optimistic that Wyoming has weathered the storm. “Now we can start building again instead of surviving and reacting,” he said.
With the successful passage of a $79.7 million bond issue last November, following two failed proposals in 2013, Reeder is ready to watch the district transform through investment. Administrators are designing a major renovation of Wyoming High School, with ground-breaking in spring of 2019. District-wide renovations will continue through 2024-2025.
“I feel very blessed that the community supported the bond, the county millage, and the sinking fund. Those three (sources) put us in excellent shape moving forward to take older facilities and do some really good things for our students and staff.”
Superintendent Tom Reeder shows students what a rectangular prism looks like
Reeder considered the 4,200 students who now call themselves Wolves and reflected on the united district. Not only did consolidating schools allow for the addition and growth of programs like FIRST Robotics, Science Olympiad and many clubs, it brought together a family of students and staff, he said. The district enrolls a diverse population of students, representing many countries and languages.
“Our students embrace each other well enough that they are excellent role models for adults,” he said. “They don’t need all those other barriers that adults put in like religion and race and economic status.”
He’s seen the district’s demographics shift over the years and face the reality of a changing economy for blue-collar workers. In 1991, 8 percent of students qualified for free and reduced priced lunches, compared to more than 80 percent today. The number of English-language learners has increased from 25 to about 1,000.
But he always believed in embracing needed change, and said his staff always put children and families first. “I have seen staff, no matter their positions, step in to help parents and kids who have challenges at home, to assure our kids have the best chance they can get.”
Superintendent Thomas Reeder has a bag full of shapes for students to guess — Kaleah Lacy guesses hers is a cone, and it was!
Oriole Park Principal Jennifer Slanger said she has seen Reeder’s love for Wyoming families many times. “Dr. Reeder is one of the most passionate leaders I know. In the 15 years I have worked with him, he continually puts our students first and advocates for what is best for them. He has led out district through challenging situations and, it’s my opinion, we are better for the challenges we encounter,” she said.
“A few examples that come to mind,” Slanger continued: “the consolidation of our high schools; handling the untimely death of students; and persevering through failed bond attempts. All of these situations have worked to bring our district together; that would not be possible without his support and guidance. He is a man that genuinely cares for the staff, students, and families of Wyoming.
Pathways to Success
Despite closing buildings, Reeder created new opportunities to help shape the lives of students after high school. The Wyoming Middle College allows students to receive associate’s degrees by taking GRCC courses beginning in 10th grade, with a fifth year as a high school student on the GRCC campus. Some students double the courses up with Advanced Placement classes. “We’ve had kids who have left our school with 70 some credits and they have no bill,” he said.
One of the final programs he’s launching is a certification program for commercial construction and manufacturing/welding with GRCC to potentially start next winter at the Leslie E. Tassell M-TEC Center.
Reeder has also worked to remove the barrier of low-reading proficiency in all of West Michigan. He was instrumental in the development of Reading Now Network, a collaborative effort in 20 counties to implement best literacy practices across West Michigan. The goal is to boost proficiency to a minimum of 80 percent of third graders through shared data and knowledge. “Certain things in school we should never compete about. We can raise the bar for every kid,” he said.
He also wrote the 21st Century grant application 15 years ago to secure funding for the after-school program TEAM 21, meeting the educational and recreational needs for hundreds of students each school year.
Reeder goes over his “math talk” about shapes with, from left at table, Oliver Hernandez-Ceja, Isis Fitzgerald and Clay Fischer.
Reeder plans to spend more time with his wife, Maggie Reeder, a retired Byron Center High School teacher, his four children and eight grandchildren, plus focus a little on some other goals. “I want to lose 50 pounds, read 50 books and do 50 things for my community,” he said. He said he has heard many “thank you’s” since announcing his retirement. “No one owes me a thank you, it is I who owes all of them thank you’s…for helping me, supporting me, and challenging me in developing our children to become their very best, academically and so much more.”
While he’s leaving the main office, one can guess Reeder will remain a Wolf on many levels.
“You can not think of Dr. Reeder without the word ‘passion’ attached. The district and our families within are his heartbeat,” said Board of Education Treasurer Lisa Manley, commenting that he approached changes, successes and defeats with passion and compassion. “He lived here; he went to school here; he taught here; he led here. No matter the sacrifice, there was always dedication, loyalty and endless hours of behind-the-scenes work. When I think of Wyoming, I think of Tom Reeder.”
U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-District 2) was the special governmental guest June 11 at the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s Government Matters meeting. (WKTV)
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-District 2) was the special governmental guest Monday, June 11, at the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s Government Matters Committee’s monthly forum at Kentwood City Hall.
The monthly forum is free and open to the public, and allows public questions — which Rep. Huizenga, in the start of a reelection campaign season, faced during his visit.
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 meeting for July 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. Replays are also available online at WKTV’s government meetings on-demand page (wktvondemand.com) and on the chamber’s Facebook page.
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal: In Focus is the now retired Wyoming Director of Police and Fire Services Chief, as well as a candidate for a local state house seat.
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal: In Focus is James Carmody. After an award-winning career spanning more than four decades, Wyoming Director of Police and Fire Services Chief Carmody retired a few weeks ago. Before he did so, WKTV’s Joanne Bailey-Boorsma walked with “The Chief” as he talked about his career and the Wyoming department he led.
Also on the episode, In Focus is Jennifer Antel, currently a Wayland City Councilor who is running in the Republican primary for the 72nd District state representative seat currently held by fellow Republican Steven Johnson. The 72nd district includes parts of Allegan and Kent counties, including the city of Kentwood.
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 will debuted on WKTV cable channels on Tuesday, June 12, and will again air on Thursday, June 14, also at 6:30 p.m., and will continue on the same days and times the week of June 4. But all interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal: In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
Capt. Jim Maguffee (right) with newly appointed Fire Chief Brian Bennett (left)
The City of Wyoming has promoted Lt. James Maguffee to administrative captain in police services. He takes over the position that was vacated by Chief Kim Koster upon her recent promotion. In this role, Maguffee will oversee the department’s administrative processes such as those related to accreditation, annual reporting, internal affairs, public information and grant funding.
Maguffee began his career with the Flint Police Department where he served for seven years before joining the Wyoming Department of Public Safety in January of 1998.
He was promoted to sergeant in 2005 and specialized in patrol operations, investigations and community services. He served as a member of the department’s motorcycle unit and is the current leader of the department’s Honor Guard. In 2012, Maguffee earned a promotion to lieutenant where he worked as a patrol commander, oversaw the department’s community policing efforts, and was eventually assigned as the investigative division commander.
“For the past three-and-a-half years, Jim’s leadership of the Investigative Division has been instrumental in the department’s ability to bring some of our most challenging and intricate cases to a successful conclusion,” Koster said. “I look forward to his contributions to the overall direction of the administration of our Public Safety Department.”
Maguffee is a graduate of Cornerstone University and Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff & Command. He currently serves as an adjunct instructor for both the Grand Rapids Community College and Grand Valley State University police academy programs.
Recently, the City of Wyoming also promoted Brian Bennett to the position of fire chief. Bennett has been with the city since 2015. Bennett has served in fire services for more than 30 years and received his initial certifications from the Rockford Fire Academy. Bennett plans to continue working on the department’s commitment to customer service through the efficient delivery of emergency meeting services. For more on Bennett, click here.
There were a number of new business openings this month with the Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce hosting several ribbon cutting events.
On June 6, Kellogg Community Credit Union celebrated the grand opening of one of its newest branches in the Metro Village at 2355 Health Dr., Wyoming.
Started in 1941, Kellogg Community Credit Union is headquartered in Battle Creek. It is a full-service financial institution serving people who live, work, worship, or attend school in West Michigan. KCCU serves more than 37,000 members in Battle Creek, Marshall, Kalamazoo, Portage, Grand Rapids, and Three Rivers. For more information, visit www.kelloggccu.org.
On June 7, Liberty Mailbox & Shipping marked its grand opening at 4445 Breton Ave. SE., Suite C, Kentwood. Liberty Mailbox & Shipping provides packing, shipping, printing and business services. For more information, visit libertymailboxandshiping.com.
On June 8, Grand River Signs had a grand opening at its new location at 5630 S. Division Ave., Wyoming.
Grand River Signs is a full-service custom-business sign company providing solutions for commercial signs, business signs, vehicle graphics, vehicle wraps, custom signs, indoor signs, window graphics, trade show signs, trade show exhibits, LED digital displays and banners. One of the company’s most recent projects was the signage for the KDL Kelloggsville branch located at the Kelloggsville High School.
Sparklers may be a favorite for families with kids, but care needs to be used with any fireworks.
By Michigan State Police
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, an average of 240 people nationwide go to the emergency room every day with fireworks-related injuries in the month around the Fourth of July holiday. Due to these injuries, the Michigan State Police is reminding citizens to take extra safety precautions if your July Fourth celebration includes fireworks.
“Fireworks pose a serious fire and burn hazard because they are unpredictable,” said Community Service Trooper Martin Miller, Rockford Post. “Even supervised use of legal fireworks can result in devastating injuries.”
If you choose to use fireworks at home, follow these safety precautions:
Read and follow all warnings and instructions included on the packaging.
Never allow children to play with fireworks of any kind.
Only use fireworks outdoors.
Wear protective clothing, including eyewear.
Only ignite devices on smooth, flat surfaces away from residential areas, dry leaves and flammable materials.
Always keep a hose or bucket of water nearby in case of malfunction.
Never try to re-light fireworks that have not fully functioned.
The sale and use of consumer fireworks became legal on Jan. 1, 2012, when the Michigan Fireworks Safety Act, Public Act 256 of 2011, went into effect. Low impact fireworks and ground-based items, such as sparkers, toy snakes, snaps and poppers remain legal for sale and use.
A list of legal consumer fireworks, legal low impact fireworks and novelties is outlined here.
To learn more about fireworks safety, the Michigan Fireworks Safety Act or state-certified fireworks retailers, go to the Bureau of Fire Services website here.
Learning to read words in English is one thing. Understanding phrases like “a friendly sort of darkness” or “amazing photographic memory” is quite another for English-language learners.
But once students begin to comprehend the meaning behind metaphors, poetic phrases or, as freshman Carlos Borregos recently called “bad jokes,” they start to learn the nuances of the language, and in Carlos’ case, have a few chuckles.
He read dialogue in a children’s joke book:
“I can jump higher than a house,” said one character.
“A house can’t jump,” came the punchline.
Carlos stopped to absorb the knee-slapper with an amused Wayne Ondersma, his volunteer tutor. “These are really bad jokes,” Ondersma said.
Kelloggsville teacher Susan Faulk’s high-school English Language Arts for ELL students are benefiting from one-on-one time with tutors who listen to them read books, or from online reading programs. Many have been in the U.S. for from less than a year to up to a few years. Native languages include Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese and Swahili, among others. Their English abilities are developing.
Along with Ondersma, local church member Marlene Bouwkamp, and Kelloggsville Board of Education member Jane Ward, are volunteer readers, each committed to read with students during Faulk’s third-hour class one morning a week. Their help gives students an academic boost by giving them time to practice important skills, Faulk said.
“Most of my students don’t hear English when they go home,” she said. “Their parents don’t speak English. People in their community don’t speak English… They don’t have a lot of opportunities to one-one-one practice speaking and listening to English.”
Tutors ask questions, discuss meaning and help students with pronunciation to improve fluency, comprehension and conversation skills.
“Sometimes it’s just conversation, and that’s important too. It’s just having the opportunity to practice English with a native speaker,” Faulk said. “Any time a kid can have a positive relationship with an adult, it benefits them.”
Freshman Carlos Borregos laughs at what he calls “bad jokes” with volunteer Wayne Ondersma
Reading Impacts Lives
Ondersma is a pastor at The PIER, a church held inside The DOCK, an after-school program that meets in a building located across the street from Kelloggsville Middle School. He has worked with youth for 35 years and directed programs at The DOCK for nine years. He said he loves the Kelloggsville community, and that reading with Faulk’s students over the past four years has been another way to impact lives.
“It’s really fun because you get to know the kids through reading and learn their life stories,” he said. “Reading leads to life. As they are able to read better, they are able to experience more life and grow. Reading is a great foundation for ELL kids.”
Carolyn Garcia has been reading with Ondersma for the past four years, starting as a limited English speaker who spent seven years of her childhood in Mexico. She plans to to attend Grand Rapids Community College this fall for nursing. She and Ondersma have enjoyed reading poems and discussing their meaning.
“She does a really, really good job with that kind of reflection,” Ondersma said. “When we started we struggled with basic communication. Her reading has really improved, but I think, too, her character has changed. She has become stronger… She has great people skills.”
Carolyn said she appreciates having someone to read to and talk with.
“Sometimes I have problems and he tells me to never give up,” she said.
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
Senior Maria Cedillo reads about mermaids with volunteer Wayne Ondersma
Wyoming: Delilah Dewylde’s Rockabilly sounds at Lamar Park on June 12
Delilah DeWylde (Photo by Tyler Steimle)
Delilah DeWylde and her band the Lost Boy brings a high-octane rockabilly sound to the next Wyoming Concerts on Tuesday, June 12, starting at 7 p.m., at Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St. SW. The performance is free.
Kentwood: Adams Family will kick off summer concert series June 14
The Adams Family (Facebook)
The Adams Family will be the first of a summertime full of music as the City of Kentwood’s Summer Concert Series offers free concerts and family entertainment on select Thursday nights from June to August. All concerts will begin at 7 p.m., on the lawn behind Kentwood City Hall, located at 4900 Breton Road SE.
WKTV Voices: You love Marge’s donuts, and you will love her and her sisters stories
The WKTV Voices trailer is at Marge’s Donut Den the second Saturday of each month. In March of this year, Marge and her sister Marilyn sat down to record their oral history. Hear what these marvelously mischievous siblings had to say about the various pranks they pulled during their childhood.
Delilah DeWylde brings her high-octane rockabilly sound to the next Wyoming Concerts Tuesday, June 12.
Starting at 7 p.m. at Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St. SW, DeWylde and her band the Lost Boys will take the stage. The performance is free.
A veteran of the West Michigan music scene and an alumna of rockability institution DangerVille, DeWylde has an out-sized stage presence that is the centerpiece of the show where as one minute she is singing sweetly and the next slapping her bass into submission.
Rounding out the group is Lee Harvey on electric guitar and Johnny HiWatt or F.B. on snare drum.
As part of the fun for this year’s Concerts in the Park, each night will have a theme. Those who participate in the theme will be eligible to enter a drawing for a gift card that will be given out at the end the concert. The June 12 theme is to decorate with flowers.
The Wyoming Concerts in the Park series are put together by the Wyoming Community Enrichment Commission. The concerts are every Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Lamar Park through Aug. 7. The concerts are rebroadcast on WKTV Wednesdays at 5 p.m. and Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 10 p.m.
While society has taken great strides toward acceptance of LGBT citizens, what remains invisible are the issues and challenges that LGBT adults face as they begin to age. Too often, LGBT seniors have felt the need to go back ‘into the closet’ in order to receive services or deny themselves much need care in order to avoid having to do so. The LGBT Initiative, funded by the Michigan Health Endowment grant, is seeking to change that for LGBT seniors throughout the state of Michigan, by creating safe channels for LGBT older adults to seek services.
West Michigan is one of the three regions where this effort is taking place. Kendrick Heinlein, AAAWM Contract Administrator, is heading up this project for Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan.
“Right now, the LGBT initiative is looking at different outreach strategies to reach members of the LGBT community” Heinlein states. Working with the other two regions: the Upper Peninsula and the Bay City/Saginaw region of the state, committee members recognize what works for Grand Rapids doesn’t necessarily work for the U.P., so finding the best methods for each region is the current focus.
Heinlein says, “We want to provide resources and reduce isolation for LGBT seniors and we’re working on the best strategies to go about that.”
There are currently about 1.5 million people age 65+ who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual. There are also many aging LGBT people who live alone, without family to help with the aging process. This puts many LGBT seniors in the position of requiring income-based aging services available in their communities. Needing to ask for help though is often a difficult experience for these seniors.
Older adults who are LGBT don’t often find a warm welcome when they begin to participate in aging services. Sometimes this is due to the discrimination they encounter when seeking services; most times though, it is not hostility but cultural assumptions that can cause LGBT seniors to be reluctant to ask for help. An intake form might ask questions about marriage and children, but not about same-sex partnerships. A senior might be asked about their racial identification or religion, but not gender or sexual orientation.
Many older LGBT seniors carry with them memories of a time when they lost jobs, homes and family for being gay and could be jailed or committed to an asylum for being different. Because many seniors don’t want to “go back into the closet” but fear discrimination, they will avoid asking for help, which can result in a health crisis. This is what the LGBT initiative is working to alleviate. Through outreach to community service providers, AAAWM in partnership with the Grand Rapids Pride Center is in the process of creating a resource guide of senior service providers in West Michigan who are LGBT-friendly.
Anyone can call themselves LGBT-friendly, but what this means in terms of the LGBT initiative is that each provider in the LGBT Senior Resource Guide will be vetted to insure they will provide equal services to LGBT older adults that they would to any other seniors,
“A majority of providers are open to serving LGBT clients,” Heinlein highlights. “A lot of providers have been serving the LGBT community and consider being part of the guide recognition for services they have been providing all along.” By creating this resource guide, the committee hopes to provide safe avenues for LGBT older adults to find the services they need to age gracefully like their peers.
The debut of the LGBT Senior Resource Guide will occur at the Grand Rapids Pride Festival on June 16, 2018, beginning at 12 pm. AAAWM will have the guides available at their vendor table and they encourage people to stop by and take a look.
If you’d like to learn more about this project, contact Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan at (888) 456-5664 or email aaainfo@aaawm.org. To learn about their services, you can visit their website: http://www.aaawm.org.
Jeanette Mukampabuka doesn’t like to talk about what led her to flee Africa as a child refugee. But she will talk about what it’s like to arrive in a foreign country and start school when everything is new and different.
“It’s so hard here. It’s so hard,” Jeanette said. “When you come here you don’t even know the culture or how to approach people. You don’t know where to start from or what you have to to say to people. Most of the time I was quiet.”
Jeanette Mukampabuka had to learn to navigate life in America and complete two years of high school at once
She said things have gotten easier since she arrived in Michigan in 2015 without her parents, whom she also declined to talk about. She’s made friends, gotten help from teachers. She’s also learned that other people are unsure of how to approach her, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to get to know her.
It took a while to get used to verbal and non-verbal cues in English and feel comfortable enough to interact with other students. “Coming here and learning everything new is so challenging,” she said, noting that she came from an African tribe that is very close-knit.
In the fall, Jeanette will begin studying for an engineering or nursing degree at Western Michigan University and wants to eventually pursue her master’s degree.
To get through high school in three years, she completed 10th and 11th grades at the the same time, taking some courses online. She graduates with a 3.3 GPA.
Tish Stevenson, Godwin Heights guidance counselor, said Jeanette has shown amazing perseverance.
“When I first met her everything was difficult and, through time, by doing the right things working really, really hard, she has opened so many doors for herself,” Stevenson said. “I see a spectacularly future because of her hard work and character. Many people who have been through such difficult things would be crushed, but it’s just made her strong and vibrant.”
Jeanette Mukampabuka points to her name on a board celebrating seniors. She’s going to Western Michigan University
Finding Her Way
Jeanette, who lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo until age 9 and then in Kenya for five years, graduated from Godwin Heights High School May 23. It marked a significant milestone for a young woman who came from a troubled homeland.
In the DR Congo, displacement of people has occurred due to widespread militia activities, unrest and violence fueled by ethnic and political conflict affecting many areas. She speaks generally about the conflicts that uprooted families in Africa. “It was a war between tribes,” said Jeanette, who is from a tribe that was being attacked.
She arrived in Michigan three years ago with her sister, older brother and niece. She started ninth grade in Bloomingdale, Michigan, and came to Godwin Heights last year. She was supported by two refugee programs: Refuge Point, formerly Mapendo International, which focuses on saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people; and Heshima Kenya, which specializes in identifying and protecting unaccompanied and separated refugee children and youth, especially girls, young women, and their children living in Nairobi, Kenya.
Jeanette lived in foster care for two years and has lived independently with her sister, Mamy Ganza, 27, for a year.
“I like it here but I still miss my country. I miss it a lot,” said Jeanette, who speaks English, Swahili, Kinyarwanda, and several other tribal languages.
While she has excelled academically, Jeanette said she now sees the benefit in becoming involved in other ways. Advice she gives other newcomers: “Join clubs and sports because then you make friends.”
While her strength in math draws her to a career in engineering, Jeanette said she also is interested in nursing so she can help others.
Stevenson said she sees Jeanette in the future giving back to others, “because that’s just the kind of person she is.”
“I see her having a spectacular life full of friends and love.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
A recent emergency response training, during which Lee Middle School students learned the Heimlich maneuver, paid off when an eighth-grader saved the life of another who was choking.
Shortly after lunch in early May, Arturo Fierros-Cervantes noticed his friend Edgar Vazquez was bent over in the hallway and not breathing. Edgar was choking on a piece of bread for about 30 seconds when Arturo took action, using what he had learned during training to dislodge the food.
“I was I scared I was going to die,” said Edgar, expressing his thanks to Arturo.
“I’m glad because he’s my friend,” Arturo said. “It’s good to save a friend’s life.”
In January and early February, 140 middle school students were trained in emergency response including CPR, response to choking and how to use an automatic external defibrillator, or AED. History teacher Michael Donovan requested the training, which was led by Kevin McGraw, head safety officer at Amway, who started the School Emergency Response Coalition.
Donovan said the incident between Arturo and Edgar happened so seamlessly that few people knew it happened.
“Arturo’s non-assuming personality and belief in doing the right thing without fanfare or recognition also played into the day, and both students went about their business,” Donovan said.
Edgar, however, mentioned it to the school liaison officer, Pam Keen, who let Donovan know about the incident.
“I hope no one ever needs to use the CPR training again, but statistics show that many of our students will use it at some point,” Donovan said. “We may never know the real impact this training had on others, but we know that at least one life may have been saved.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
In Deanne Basse’s classroom, portraits, paintings and drawings – serious, whimsical and thought-provoking – cover the walls. Sculptures rise from desks and countertops.
They were created by students who have learned to go deep with their feelings and experiences, to make art a reflection of themselves and their journeys.
“I encourage them to use art as a vessel for their voice,” said Basse, a 10-year Godwin Heights High School art teacher.
As a result, students sometimes put heavy themes into their work, Basse said, pointing out pieces that express their struggles with education, family, anxiety and other issues. One student used surrealism to express his conflict between going to college in the U.S. or returning to Mexico to reunite with his family.
“I do try to give them a good solid skill base, and then show them how to get out what they’re thinking,” Basse said.
Students, though, say Basse’s method of teaching goes beyond art and into making them feel good about themselves and able to grow their abilities.
“She is joy!” said senior Stephanie Lam. “She will fill your bucket if you are empty.”
Basse sees talent emerge from her students, including how they infuse their work with music and drama, or passion for advocacy or activism. Some have loose, free styles, others are very deliberate. All are reflective, a result of learning to think of art as more than lines, colors or clay.
Art teacher Deanne Basse challenges students to use ‘art as a vessel for their voice’
Perfecting Portfolios
Eighteen seniors, most of whom have had Basse as a teacher since ninth grade, showcased their portfolios recently at the school’s senior art show. They curated their own spaces, gallery-style, to display their work and growth as artists over the years. Though they had already completed final exams, several visited Basse’s classroom every day prior to the show to perfect and polish their work.
Basse is proud of how far her students have come and excited about what they will do next.
“This group in particular has a genuine thirst for more,” she said. “They are unafraid to experiment and they are unafraid to fix and try to reach out of their own comfort zones. Their work ethic is really outstanding.
“I am humbled by how advanced they are, and how much they push themselves and learn on their own by doing and doing and doing.”
At the back of class, two days before the show, senior Dino Celahmetovic worked on a drawing of a villain from Spider-Man. Being creative in Basse’s class always felt natural because of her “encouraging eye,” he said.
Deanne Basse chats with senior Kaitlyn McCourey in front of her work at the senior art show
“With Mrs. Basse, it’s not just about having the tools and environment; as a teacher she gives encouragement and compassion toward art. She helps nurture your art.”
Basse, who earned her bachelor’s degree at Wayne State University and master’s at Western Michigan University, has been an art teacher for 15 years. She taught for three years in Detroit and two in Battle Creek before starting at Godwin Heights.
“I got hired on Friday, married on Saturday and started on Monday,” she said. “So I say Godwin has been my honeymoon ever since.”
She teaches drawing, painting, ceramics, 3-D and calligraphy classes, as well as an introduction to art class. One of her goals is to write and illustrate children’s books.
“Ms. Basse has to be one of the most highly bright, influential teachers,” said senior Paul Kuchnicki, who is working on a graphic novel and hopes to become an animator. “She has very expressed ideas and knows how to lift someone up when they have a stormy cloud above them. She really knows how to brighten the room up… She seems to love her job and she seems to love her students.”
Basse starts assignments with personal-reflection questionnaires. She asks students to focus on vivid memories and feelings, even small things that have somehow shaped perceptions. They write and talk through their thoughts, considering how to symbolize them.
Senior Dino Celahmetovic finishes a drawing, days before the senior art show
Walking the Walk
Her effort to bring students’ experiences into art has spanned the district. She collaborated with other district art teachers last summer for students to create a mural for the annual Grand Rapids art competition, ArtPrize. Their entry was comprised of 70 individually painted shoes in an art piece titled, “You Can’t Know Who We Are If You Don’t Know Where We’ve Been.” Students decorated shoes to share their unique walks through life.
Godwin Heights has a diverse population, with the majority of students coming from economically disadvantaged families. Their stories are filled with hope, grit, heartbreak and everything in between.
“These kids are so full already, and I think it gives them a sensitivity to each other… a sense of family, beyond their immediate family, which is what Godwin becomes,” Basse said. “They genuinely will show they care if you open up. They hold you, just as much as you would hold them.”
Basse shares her own personal stories with her classes, creating a safe place for them to reflect. For example, she had a longtime struggle with infertility. But her students were like her own children, she said. “They fulfilled that part of my family for nine years.”
Then one of them changed her life forever.
Senior Laura Funes adds the finishing touches to a painting of sunflowers
She recalled the day a student came to her and shared that she was pregnant, asking if Basse and her husband would be open to adopting her child. It was an easy yes, she said.
The young woman miscarried, but the situation started Basse and her husband, Matt Basse, on a new path.
“It changed our mindset, and from that day forward we had adoption in our sights. Godwin changed our lives that way.”
They adopted their daughter, Emily, 4, one year ago.
Deanne Basse has helped senior Paul Kuchnicki develop his drawing skills
Along with art, Basse is passionate about baking. Each year, she leads students in an apple pie-making session so they can each have one to take home to their families for Thanksgiving.
“I love to entertain,” she said. “I am happy if people around me are fed, taken care of and healthy.”
While she has endless pride in the seniors who leave school with a portfolio of years’ worth of art, Baase said some of the best moments are reaching the reluctant art students. She finds inspiration when they first walk into her classroom and say they don’t like art and didn’t want to take the class.
She’s ready to encourage them, to open doors, to give them the chance to be successful and take pride in their work, To those students, she has a message:
“I say, ‘You are exactly where you need to be.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
An example of art by senior Paul Kuchnicki at the senior art showDeanne Basse and other district art teachers led a collaborative art project for which students decorated shoes to reflect their identities and journeys
The Wyoming City Council took “the show on the road” by having its first meeting of the summer at the Godfrey Lee Early Childhood Center.
Started last summer, the Wyoming City Council has three of its summer meetings, usually the first meeting in June, July, and August, at a location in the city. The goal is 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. “We want our citizens to feel that we are very approachable and that they can come and talk with us.”
Chief Kim Koster addresses the council
In fact, the seats at the Monday night meeting were full as the council went through the Wyoming Department of Public Safety’s annual report and approved several resolutions which included naming Brain Bennett as the city’s new deputy director of fire services.
“We encourage citizens that when we get around to your community to feel free to come in and see what a council meeting is all about,” Poll said.
The council meets every first and third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. The next “on the road” meeting will be Monday, July 2, at 7 p.m. at Delmar Community Room, near 56th Avenue and Wilson Street. The meetings are broadcast live on WKTV Channel 26 and rebroadcast at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday.
Wyoming: More new faces in public safety as Brian Bennett named as fire chief
The Wyoming Fire Department has a new fire chief.
At its regular Monday meeting, the Wyoming City Council unanimously approved a contact to hire Brian Bennett as the city’s new deputy director of fire services or fire chief. Bennett replaces former Fire Chief Chuck Lark who retired.
Kentwood: Local business an example of energy cost savings program
Rishi’s International Beverage.
One part of a Consumers Energy’s EmPOWERing Kent County package of programs, are efforts to assist small businesses to save money on their energy bills. And one local company, Rishi’s International Beverage, located just across 28th Avenue from Kentwood, is a case in point.
WKTV on YouTube: Meet the City of Wyoming’s newest city councilor
Sheldon DeKryger, the City of Wyoming’s newest city councilor, who talks about his efforts of service to the city was and why becoming a councilor was the right thing for him to do at this time in his life.
A familiar face will be taking over as the City of Wyoming’s new fire chief.
At its regular Monday meeting, the Wyoming City Council unanimously approved a contact to hire Brian Bennett as the city’s new deputy director of fire services or fire chief. Bennett replaces former Fire Chief Chuck Lark who retired.
Bennett came to the department three years ago when Lark was hired to serve as the assistant deputy director of fire operations for the City of Wyoming. Before coming to Wyoming in 2015, Bennett was the fire chief for the Caledonia Fire Department 12 years and before that, served as the deputy chief for that department. Firefighting runs in the family as Bennett’s father was a firefighter for 30 years and his sons,Tony and Brad, are also firefighters with Brad received a unit commendation during the 2017 City of Wyoming Department of Public Safety’s awards ceremony.
“About three years ago we approached Brian Bennett along with Chuck Lark with an idea and asked them if they would come and lead our fire department,” said Wyoming’s Public Safety Chief Kim Koster. “We deploy our fire department in some traditional ways, so we were looking for someone who was willing to think outside of the box and be willing to come in and work hard and provide some excellent leadership. Brian stepped up to the plate along with Chief Lark at the time.
“Lark has since retired and we decided we would like to go in the same direction that we have been going for the last three years and we believe that Brian Bennett will continue the forward movement of the fire department.”
The positive momentum has included opening the Gezon Fire Station 24/7 which has helped to reduce the city’s overall response times to 4 minutes and 27 seconds, which Koster pointed out earlier in the meeting with her presentation of the Department of Public Safety’s annual report.
While response times have gone down, the department has seen a 15 percent increase in calls every year since 2015, Koster said, adding that she credits some of that increase to continue growth of the south side of the city which has had a number of commercial and residential construction projects. The department also added three full-time firefighters, expanded its part-time program and all firefighters are trained to the EMT Level 1.
About 17 parks and public works employees have been cross-trained to help the fire department during structural fires and the department has developed a special response program that includes water, ice, trench, hazmat, and machine rescue.
“We really have been progressive the last three years,” Bennett said after the meeting, pointing out that a combination of full- and part-time firefighters allowed the city to have the Gezon Fire Station operational 24/7. Members of the department also have been involved in a number of community events such as Soups-On, WinterFest, WY-FI Concerts in the Park, Relay for Life, Pumpkin Path and National Night Out.
He said he sees the department continue to build on that progress to provide the best service it can to the city and its residents. This includes continuing the accreditation process for the Wyoming Fire Department.
“We’ve appreciated your service over the last couple of years and trust that the fire department will continue to show great progress and there has been a lot of good continued to happen since Chief Lark and you have been here and we trust that will continue on,” said Mayor Jack Poll at the meeting.
It’s time again to grab a chair, a cooler and head to Lamar Park for the City of Wyoming’s Concerts in the Park.
The annual event is set to kick off at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 5, with its Kids’ Night featuring The Porters. The Grand Rapids-based group, which includes Matt Porter, Lynn Porter, Barbara Weatherhead, and Pete Weatherhead, performs interactive music and movement for children.
As part of the fun for this year’s Concerts in the Park, each night will have a theme. Those who participate in the theme will be eligible to enter a drawing for a gift card that will be given out at the end the concert. The June 5 theme is to dress like your favorite Disney character.
A deaf interpreter will be at the June 5 show as well as the June 19 show which will feature The Adams Family.
The rest of the Wyoming Concert Series’ performers and themes are:
June 12: Delilah DeWylde with the theme of flowers
June 19: the Adams Family with the theme of retro
June 26: the WY-FI concert with Valentiger and Kari Lynch with the theme of patriotism
July 10: Cabildo with the theme of wear your bright colors
July 17: Soul Syndicate with a beach theme
July 24: Blue Soul Express with a Mardi Gras theme
July 31: Matt Gabriel and wear you cowboy hat
Aug. 7: the National Night Out with Yellow Brick Road, Elton John and Billy Joel dueling pianos, with a super hero theme
All concerts, unless noted, start at 7 p.m. at Lamar Park, located 2561 Porter St. SW. Free parking is available at Lamar Park. All the concerts will air on WKTV 25 Wednesdays at 5 p.m. and again Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. For all details and up-to-date information, visit www.facebook.com/wyomingcec.
Kentwood Summer Concert Series
The Kentwood Summer Concert Series kicks off the following week on June 14 with The Adams Family. The Kentwood series is every Thursday (except for June 28 and July 5) through Aug. 2 The event takes place at 7 p.m. on the lawn behind the Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Rd. SE. The series is free with participants encouraged to bring their own lawn chair and drinks. Food trucks will be at each show.
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal: In Focus is Sheldon DeKryger, the City of Wyoming’s newest city councilor, who talks about his efforts of service to the city was and why becoming a councilor was the right thing for him to do at this time in his life.
DeKryger was appointed recently to fill the 1st Ward seat vacated by the resignation of Bill Ver Hulst. The ward covers most of the eastern edge of the city. He is no stranger to the city, or city governance. He and his family have lived in Wyoming for more than 20 years, and he has served on the city’s Construction Board of Appeals for nine years. He studied at Calvin College, and he owns and manages a custom home building company, Sheldon DeKryger Builder.
Also on the episode, In Focus is Dr. John Mulder, M.D., a hospice and palliative care physician, and medical director of the Grand Rapids based Holland Home senior health care provider. He is nationally recognized in his field, so much so that earlier this year he testified before a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee as part of discussions on a national crisis focused on opioid pain medications. He is also the director of the Trillium Institute, a Western Michigan group focused on improving the quality of life, all the way through the end of life.
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 will debuted on WKTV cable channels on Tuesday, May 29, and will again air on Thursday, May 31, also at 6:30 p.m., and will continue on the same days and times the week of June 4. But all interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal: In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
Memorial Day ceremonies planned for both Kentwood, Wyoming
Many communities will be honoring those who have given their lives to serve this Memorial Day, set for May 28, including the communities of Wyoming and Kentwood. More details here.
Woodland Mall’s ongoing redevelopment includes viewing wall, relocations
The redevelopment of Woodland Mall is in full swing, and shoppers will soon be able to get a front-row seat to the construction at a new viewing wall. Read all about it here.
West Michigan Tourist Association offers up a few unique summer camps
Some families probably already have their children’s summer camps selected, but in case you do not, West Michigan Tourist Association Marketing Manager Jeremy Witt offered a few suggestions during a recent visit visit to the WKTV Journal. Learn more here.
Museum school students create new exhibit ‘Revolution: The Story of America’
Check out the new exhibit created by GRPS Museum School students, titled Revolution: The Story of America, at the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM). It opened May 23. (The Museum is closed Monday, May 28th.) More here.
Register now for June 4 Sibling Class at Metro Health
Have kids and expecting a new addition to your family? Register for this class. Children practice caring for a baby using dolls, make a card for their new baby, and have fun with a short tour, which includes a visit to a mom with her real newborn baby. Next class is coming up fast: June 4th. Go here to learn more and where to register.
Many communities will be honoring those who have given their lives to serve this Memorial Day, set for May 28, including the communities of Wyoming and Kentwood.
City of Wyoming
Veterans lay a wreath during Wyoming’s 2017 Memorial Day ceremony.
The City of Wyoming will host its annual Memorial Day Ceremony at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 28, at Veterans Memorial Garden, 2380 DeHoop SW. The community is welcome and encouraged to attend.
The ceremony will feature guest speaker retired Sergeant Brian Gravelyn who served in the Marine Corps Reserves. During his service he was activated twice and deployed once to Iraq. He is the recipient of several distinguished medals and ribbons.
“The City of Wyoming is honored to recognize those who have served and those who continue to serve our country in the armed forces in order to protect our freedoms,” said City of Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll. “The Memorial Day Ceremony is a tribute to that service and protection and we are grateful to continue the tradition of this ceremony in our very own Veterans Memorial Garden.”
The ceremony will feature the Lee High School band led by Kevin Gabrielse and the Wyoming Department of Public Safety Honor Guard who will fire a rifle volley salute. Poll will host. The program will air on WKTV Channel 25 at 8:30 p.m.
City of Kentwood
Wreaths are laid during the Kentwood Memorial Day ceremony.
In Kentwood, the Amvets Post and the American Legion D.W. Cassard Post 208 have shared the responsibilities of hosting the annual parade and service with one group hosting it one year dn the other hosting it the nest. For 2018, the Cassard Post 208 have organized the event.
According to the D.W. Cassard Post’s website, the parade is set for 9 a.m. Monday, May 28. It kicks off from the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), near the corner of 48th Street and Eastern Avenue. From there, it will head west down 48th Street to Kentwood’s Veteran’s Memorial Park located in front of the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE. At the park, there will be a ceremony including the laying of five wreaths, one for each of the branches of the military service: Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard. The service will last about an hour. The Kentwood Memorial Day celebration will air at 12:30 p.m. and again at 8 p.m. on WKTV Channel 25.
WKTV Programming
Throughout Memorial Day, WKTV Channel 25 will be featuring a variety of Memorial Day program. The rest of the day’s schedule includes 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., A Saltue to Honor; 10 a.m., Memorial Day Tribute; 10:15 a.m. and 9 pm. ,The Lost Boat Ceremony; 1 p.m., Lest We Forget; and 6:30 p.m., Vietnam Moving Wall.
One part of a Consumers Energy’s EmPOWERing Kent County package of programs, — which was the focus of a wide-ranging, business-focused discussion Tuesday, May 22 — are efforts to assist businesses big and small to save money on their energy bills.
And one local company, Rishi’s International Beverage, located just across 28th Avenue from Kentwood, was presented as a case-in-point at the discussion, held at downtown Grand Rapids’ JW Marriott.
“We had many light bulbs and the electric bill was outrageous because we have, like, 600 bulbs — the bill was very high, I was concerned about that,” Paul Makkar, Rishi’s owner, said to WKTV.
The company then applied for an energy assessment and energy savings program through Consumers Energy and “we were given a significant amount of money to change to LED lights. So, the very first month after installing all those lights, we got like a $400 difference every month. … which is like $5,000 per year.”
Makkar’s small business took advantage of one of several programs discussed at the morning gathering, which also allowed businesses attending direct access to energy and economic development experts. (The Right Place local economic development group was in attendance.)
Among the programs discussed were energy efficiency, which invited each business to receive a free energy assessment “to help reduce energy use and save money over the long haul,” according to supplied material.
“Part of this program has been designed with you (small businesses) in mind,” Garrick Rochow, senior vice president of operations at Consumers Energy, told the crowd. “The small business programs are driven by our contractors … those contractors will come out to your business, provide an assessment, make some recommendations, break down the costs to you, if any.”
Consumers Energy has several environmentally friendly energy generation efforts, including solar gardens. (Consumers Energy)
Other services offered to small businesses were a rate review, to make sure as businesses grow, other more competitive rate options may be available; how to become a supplier to Consumers Energy — which has made a commitment to Michigan-based small businesses as potential suppliers; as well as renewable energy options for businesses.
As far as Consumers Energy’s renewable energy efforts, also detailed at the meeting was the company’s goals: in the next five years, the company (which has one of its customer service centers in Kentwood) wants to save 1 billion gallons of water, reduce waste to landfills by 35 percent, and enhance and protect 5,000 acres of Michigan land; by the year 2040, it wants to reduce carbon immersions by 80 percent and eliminate the use of coal in energy generation.
For more information on the Consumers Energy small business programs, visit comsumersenergy.com or call 800-805-0490.
It was a little wet and rainy on Monday but it didn’t stop Wyoming residents or employees from enjoying this year’s National Public Works event at the Wyoming Department of Public Works.
“It seems like it has been 20 years that we have been doing this and we haven’t had a night where it has been raining,” said Public Works Director Bill Dooley. “It is uncanny how every single year, even if it was raining earlier in the day by the time it got to this event, the sky would open up and it would be sunny and warm. So, we are a little disappointed that it is rainy but we are probably due for something like this.”
In 1960 the American Public Works Association established National Public Works Week to create a better understand of the various responsibilities of a Public Works facility in maintaining the infrastructure of its community. This includes such areas as ground maintenance, sewer and water, potholes and road maintenance, and snowplowing to list a few of the many services provided by these departments.
Having hosted a Public Works Week Open House for the past 24 years, the event has become one of the City of Wyoming’s most anticipated activities for families.
While the rain did curb this year’s numbers – Dooley estimated the department will only go through about a third of its usually 2,000 hot dogs – many still came out to enjoy the event and learn more the Wyoming Department of Public Works.
“We do this because we want the community to feel really comfortable with who we are,” Dooley said. “We’re the public works organization and we take care of the streets, water system and the sewer system and there is a lot of aspects in doing that. So, we want to make sure that the public feels comfortable with us helping them.”
The event is focused around families with the department sending flyers out to the area schools. With that in mind, the activities are children-focused with the food being hot dogs, balloons and coloring books, and the vehicles Dooley said, adding “little children like to sit in the trucks and be around them…”
“We so look forward to this,” Dooley said. “Unfortunately, the weather isn’t perfect, but even if there was only 10 families here we would be so happy to have them and welcome them and just spend time to get to know them. So, we will do this every year as it is a lot of fun for us.”
The mall has installed a 24-foot by 36-foot graphic wall depicting what the extended wing, which will house destination retailer Von Maur, will look like when it is completed. (Supplied)
By Woodland Mall
The redevelopment of Woodland Mall is in full swing, and shoppers will soon be able to get a front-row seat to the construction at a new viewing wall.
Woodland Mall has begun the installation of viewing windows where shoppers can follow along behind-the-scenes as the remainder of the former Sears store is torn down and the extended wing starts construction. The viewing windows will give shoppers a close-up of construction from inside the mall.
The mall has also installed a 24-foot by 36-foot graphic wall depicting what the extended wing, which will house destination retailer Von Maur, will look like when it is completed. Additionally, shoppers will see relocations and expansions of existing retailers in 2018, as well as new store announcements.
“Shoppers will see a lot of relocations, additions and expansions in the coming months as we enhance our premium shopping experience,” said Lyndsey Hicks, marketing director. “The expansion of longtime retailers is only the beginning of many exciting changes leading into 2019 when Von Maur and other yet-to-be announced retailers will open their doors.”
Throughout 2018, shoppers can expect to see more changes, including new store announcements, as Woodland Mall continues its redevelopment.
Victoria’s Secret will move and expand into an 11,506-square-foot space that is closer to center court. The new store is scheduled to open in September of this year. Victoria’s Secret will temporarily relocate to the Macy’s wing while the new store is built out. The retailer carries fashion-inspired lingerie collections, comfortable sleepwear, athletic wear, beauty products and cosmetics.
Shoe Dept. will also move, rebrand and expand into a larger store by late summer. The new Shoe Dept. Encore will nearly double in size, expanding from 6,500-square-feet to an 11,000-square-foot space, also in the Macy’s wing. The retailer carries popular-price brands of shoes for women, men and children, including Adidas, Converse, Reaction by Kenneth Cole, Nike, Timberland and more. Shoe Dept. Encore also carries handbags, accessories and shoe care products.
Zason Latino Mexican Grill recently opened in the Cafés in the Woods between Sbarro and Suki Hana. The Mexican grill is a local venture offering burritos, tacos, nachos, bowls and salads at all spice levels, along with a special children’s menu.
LUSH, Apple and J.Jill have already completed their expansions and relocations. Vans and Torrid opened in Woodland Mall within the past year.
