The almost week of warm, spring-like weather had about everyone trying to take advantage of the outdoors whether it be hitting a few balls at the golf course or just walking around the neighborhood.
So with spring on the mind, it is only fitting that the Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department announce the second annual Community Health & Wellness Expo is set for Saturday, March 4 at the Wyoming Senior Center, 2380 DeHoop Ave. SW. The event, which is from 1 – 3 p.m., is designed to provide inspiration on how to get active and eat smart.
“We had a good showing from our first event,” said Val Mester, recreation planner of Wyoming Parks and Recreation. “We saw that those businesses who participated were able to network not only with the public but also with each other as well.”
While at the Wyoming Senior Center, the expo programs are not just for seniors but include things for children, adults, and families, Mester said. A variety of local businesses, clubs and organizations will host tables and hand out samples and other great goodies. The first 50 adults through the door will receive a special gift.
Just like last year, there will be demonstrations of several programs including line dancing, yoga, and kickboxing. Healthy snacks will be handed out and those who attend will receive tickets for a raffle.
“It is all designed to encourage people in the community to try new things,” Mester said, adding that the expo will also encourage residents to continue to get outside and exercise.
For more information about the Community Health & Wellness Expo or for other upcoming Parks and Recreation Department activities, contact the Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department at 530-3164 or visit www.wyomingmi.gov.
Wyoming High School inducted five student athletes, some from Rogers and some from Wyoming Park high schools, into its athletic Hall of Fame. (WKTV)
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
When cross-town athletic rivals Wyoming Park and Rogers high schools combined to form the current Wyoming High School, two athletic traditions were combined and a new one was born.
That shared past and unified present was honored early this month as five one-time students athletes were inducted into the Wyoming High School athletic Hall of Fame.
The ceremony was held Feb. 10, between home boys and girls basketball games. Those inducted included Andy Vavere, Laura Erdmans Readle, Doug Chappell, Kim Blouw Norden and Eric Taylor.
For many of the inductees, it was not only night to be honored but to remember high school athletic careers and experiences still remembered fondly — including one where cross-town athletic competition led to a union of a different kind.
Andy Vavere, Rogers High Class of 1980, was not only a standout football, basketball and baseball athlete — highlighted by the basketball team’s deep runs into the state tournament in 1979 and 1980 — but he also met his future wife during his high school years.
Andy Vavere (WKTV)
“My favorite (athletic) memories were our tournament runs we had in 1979 and 1980. We were regional finalists in ’79 and semifinalists in ’80,” Vavere said. Rogers was 21-4 the first year and 21-5 the second.
During those years, Vavere was an OK Red all-conference baseball player in 1979, an all-conference quarterback in 1980, and a all-conference basketball player in both years. He was also the 1980 Adrian Allen Athlete of the Year Award winner.
But the longest lasting memory was meeting his wife, Margaret, who attended his school’s arch rival.
“I was a senior at Rogers High School in 1980 and she was at Wyoming Park, a competitive school, and we met through competition,” he said. “I started dating Margaret in 1979 and we got married in 1989.”
And, Vavere admitted, it was always a challenge to face Wyoming Park on the field: “Absolutely, those guys were great,” he said.
Running into the Hall of Fame
One of those “great” Wyoming Park athletes was cross country and track runner Kim Blouw, Class of 1990.
Blouw, who later graduated from Central Michigan University, was track all-state each of her four years of high school, and was an all-state cross country runner her junior and senior years. She held school records in the 800, 1,600, 3,200-meter runs as well as in the 2-mile relay run. And she was part of a state champion 2-mile relay team one year.
But, maybe, the highlife of her high school career was spring track practice after a 16-hour bus ride to Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Kim Blouw Norden (WKTV)
“I guess my favorite memories about high school would be my two coaches, Mr. (Frank) Grimm and Mr. (Dick) Locke, and traveling to South Carolina to go to Myrtle Beach, becoming a team, but not only a team but becoming a family,” Blouw said.
She also credits her family, both at home and on the Wyoming Park athletic teams, for keeping her focused and successful in her high school years.
“What made me do that was that I had two great parents who instilled a really good value system in us, myself and my brother,” she said. “I had really great coaches that really emphasized the importance of never giving up. I had a goal, and my goal was to go to college. And I was blessed with the ability to run. … So many people believed in me, encouraged me to excel in my career as a track and cross country runner. I embraced that.”
Three more honored with induction
Eric Taylor, Wyoming Park Class of 1988, had a basketball career that not only brought success to his high school, but to his college and professional teams as a player, and then carried him back nearly to full-circle as a high school basketball coach.
Taylor was an all-conference and all-state player his last two years at Wyoming Park, then played basketball and earned a degree at Oakland University. He went on to play professionally in Europe, winning multiple championships, and earn his masters degree from Grand Valley State University. He now coaches varsity basketball at Grand Rapids Christian High School.
“My passion is giving back to students and to influence their lives in a positive way everyday,” Taylor said in supplied material. “It’s about the legacy to reach, teach, love and support all students and be an example and a role everyday for all students.”
Doug Chappel, Rogers Class of 1979, died in 2012 but left a mark on the basketball record books both at his high school and at University of Detroit. He was a multi-sport athlete but starred on the basketball court in high school — including being all-conference three years, all state two years including being one of the top five players in the state his senior year, and scoring 1,300 points while grabbing more than 700 rebounds. He then played four years of college ball at Detroit, scoring nearly 1,200 points and gaining all-league honors.
Laura Readle, Wyoming Park Class of 1981, was a multi-sport athlete, including all-conference honors multiple years in volleyball, basketball and track. She was a rebounding machine on the basketball court, averaging 29 rebounds a game one year, and a record-braking sprinter on the track. She went on to gain her bachelors and masters degrees from Aquinas College, coached AAU basketball for 10 years and is now the track coach at Tri-County High School.
She also still runs, and runs and runs — including finishing marathons, ½ marathons, triathlons and the 25K River Bank run spread out over 30 years, and recently participated in a 5-hour adventure race. And the track for Wyoming Park, at Godwin High School, is still one of her favorite memories.
She remembers “when the only track that was ‘rubberized’ not cinder, in the late ’70s, at Godwin High School … every track meet all 8 schools in our conference would be there,” Readle said in supplied material. “I met many wonderful friends from all the other schools in our conference and I am still friends with many of them today. It is also where I met my husband. Many, many happy memories!”
Though the topic was tied to the American Revolution, discussion among Wyoming Intermediate School fifth-graders was inspired by a robed man with a long beard who did his musing more than two millennia ago: Socrates.
The young philosophers joined the Socratic Seminar discussion panels – desks pushed together into large rectangles –– for deep thinking about a long-debated question: “Who was responsible for inciting the Boston Massacre?”
Taunting colonists, trigger-happy British soldiers, events leading up to the massacre and how it all went down — students talked about such details in teachers Paul Debri and Wendy Kiel’s class. They drew conclusions about who was responsible for the March 5, 1770 event when five colonial residents were shot and killed by British soldiers.
The class discusses The Boston Massacre using the Socratic method (Photo courtesy of School News Network)
“The colonists were fearing the soldiers, so maybe (the soldiers) could fire to start a fight,” said student Emma Parm.
“Colonists were kind of guilty because the mobs were taunting and teasing the British soldiers,” chipped in Regan Mead.
Socratic Seminars, used in several Wyoming Intermediate classrooms, employ the Socratic method, a form of dialogue based on asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking, and to draw out ideas and underlying presumptions.
Socrates, born circa 470 B.C., was known for questioning others, listening to what they had to say and probing for contradictions.
“Socrates wasn’t wanting one true answer,” said teacher Debri. “He had open-ended questions that could be debated, discussed and shared. … It was the whole process of questioning, thinking and rationalizing.
“This is a great way for students to discuss things in a polite way, ask questions, reason, justify answers,” he added. “It’s a great way for them to express their thoughts in a nice, safe environment.”
Quenton Gebben shares his thoughts while Gage Behrenbrinker listens (Photo courtesy of School News Network)
A Method of Questioning and Listening
Socratic Seminars, which work for nearly all subjects, take off with little teacher moderation. Students come prepared with questions, make points and counterpoints, speak only when they are holding a ball, and agree or disagree based on research they’ve done in class.
They start statements with, “I agree because …” or “I disagree because …” or I have a question …” and often end with “What do you think?,” prompting more dialogue as they pass the ball to a classmate.
Language arts department chair and sixth-grade teacher Jayne Bartrand introduced the seminars to staff members last school year. It requires skills used by “the great brains of time,” she said. Teachers tested it, debating the killing of Cecil the Lion in Zimbabwe by an American hunter.
“It addresses so many skills we want kids to have,” Bartrand said. “That’s how we should all function in a workplace really. You sit down, here’s an idea and you discuss it.”
Students offer each other checks and balances, pointing out other perspectives and more information. “They really do have to support their line of thinking,” Bartrand said.
Debri said students use key vocabulary and make intersections between other historical events during the seminars, taking active control of their learning.
Irvin Diaz-Castillo takes his turn talking about the Boston Massacre (Photo courtesy of School News Network)
Thinking Like a Greek
Students said acting like Socrates helps them have an open mind and look at issues and events from different angles. Fifth-graders have also had a seminar on Cecil the Lion. Sixth-graders have discussed stories of courage based on readings; the positives and negatives of being a YouTube star; and what happened to Amelia Earhart.
“I’ve learned everybody has an opinion on things and our opinions are not all going to be the same,” said fifth-grader Yeriel Francis. “You are learning more and more from what other people think.”
“I like it because there’s one person speaking at a time and there’s many different opinions going around,” added Emma Parm. “It helps me personally with understanding what the whole thing is about and what happened if I’m not clear about it.”
Fifth-grader Haley Young said the talks help her learn more than she would in a traditional classroom lesson. She’s also getting more comfortable with public speaking.
Gage Behrenbrinker agreed. “Like Haley said, if you just watch a video and read an article you don’t learn much, but if you really talk about it with other people you start to learn more and you want to get more involved.”
UPDATE: The Kent County’s Recycling & Education Center is now open and processing recycables as of 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 22.
Kent County’s Recycling & Education Center experienced a mechanical malfunction in the baler that caused the facility to shut down. During this time the Recycling Center is unable to accept recyclables placed at the curb for pickup by waste haulers.
“Despite having preventative maintenance programs and dedicated maintenance staff, there are always going to be things that happen to the equipment that are outside of our control. Sorting equipment in these state-of-the-art processing facilities is dependent on all pieces working together,” said Darwin Baas, Director of Kent County’s Department of Public Works, an enterprise fund of Kent County that owns and operates the facility. “The baler is a critical piece of equipment in our system and we are unable to run for any length of time without it.” Residents and businesses are encouraged to hold off placing recycling carts out for service for the next couple of days in anticipation of the facility being able to process recyclables again at the end of the week.
Currently between 1,000 and 1,250 tons of material is awaiting processing on the ‘tipping floor’, where waste haulers dump recyclables that will be processed once the plant is back up and running. Kent County is working closely with two different companies to assess the baler repairs and establish a timeframe.
Haulers that normally deliver recyclables to the Kent County Recycling & Education Center are being redirected to Kent County’s Waste to Energy Facility, about a mile away, as of 2 p.m. today.
“Sending recyclables to the Waste to Energy Facility is not ideal. Sending recyclables to Waste to Energy is a much better alternative than landfilling. We can extract the energy, generate electricity and feed that back into the grid for productive use,” noted Baas.
While the Recycling Center is down the service fee for haulers tipping recyclables will be waived.
Kent County DPW will post updates on the progress of the electrical repairs on its recycling website, www.recyclekent.org.
Hockey at East Kentwood High School is on tap for Saturday coverage by the WKTV crew.
WKTV Staff
This week in WKTV’s featured high school sport games, the coverage crew will be at East Kentwood for girls basketball game against Hudsonville on Tuesday, Feb. 21, and then at East Kentwood for a hockey game against Forest Hills Central on Saturday, Feb. 25.
WKTV videos and broadcasts several games each week during high school sports season.
Each Tuesday game will be broadcast that night on Live Wire Comcast Channel 24 at 10:30 p.m. throughout the Grand Rapids Metro Area and repeat on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 in Wyoming & Kentwood. Every Friday game will be aired that night on Live Wire 24 at 10:30 p.m. and repeat Saturday at 11 a.m. on WKTV 25 and AT&T U-verse 99.
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action in January, see now.wktv.org/sports/
DVDs and Blue-Rays of each game are also available for purchase at $20 including shipping. For more information, visit WKTV.org
The warm temperatures this weekend may have put the kibosh on the Grand Rapids Griffins’ Great Skate Winterfest and other winter activites, but the unseasonably warm weather is bringing good news for golfers.
The Kent County Parks Department announced today that Kaufman Golf Course, which is located in Wyoming at 4807 Clyde Park Ave. SW, announced last week that it would be open for walking play only for the next three days, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, Feb. 18 – 20. Reservations can be made by calling 616-538-5050. Online reservations are not available at this time.
“Kaufman Golf Course has a reputation as a great course among the golfing community,” said Parks Department Director Roger Sabine. “We’ve seen turnout grow in recent years. The staff at Kaufman have really helped keep this course in phenomenal shape and one of the top public courses in the state.”
Rates for these special February dates are $19 for 18 holes, or $13 for nine holes. Seniors can play 18 for $15, nine holes for $10.
Several private courses will be open as well this weekend.
“This is probably about the third time in 20 some years that we have been open in February,” said Mike Boogaard, owner and operator of Pines Golf Course, 5050 Byron Center Ave. SW. This weekend, Pines Golf Course will be open and allowing carts, probably one of the few courses that will be doing so, Boogaard said.
If both weather and course conditions allow it, Boogaard said, then he will open the course. “And the phone has been ringing pretty steady asking if we are going to be open,” he said. For available tee times, call 616-538-8380.
The same holds true about conditions for other courses as well. Maple Hill Golf Course, 5555 Ivanrest SW, has facilities open throughout the year and its course will be open for walking only during the warm weather, according to sources at Maple Hill. For more on Maple Hill, call 616-538-0290.
Several of the golf pros did recommend that if you are interested in taking advantage of the the warm weather by getting in a game that you call the course you are interested in first to check available tee times.
Editor’s Note: Places of Refuge is a series focusing on refugee students and their journeys, their new lives and hopes for a future in West Michigan, and the many ways schools and community organizations are working to meet their needs.
Tito Ekundat, teacher Rebecca Bing, and Toussaint Melchsedek give their Swahili greeting, “Jambo!” (Photo provided by School News Network.)
Sixth grade teacher Rebecca Bing remembers a particularly tough day at school. She walked down the hall, feeling a little tired and pensive. Suddenly, Toussaint Melchsedek passed by, a big smile on his face, and said, “Jambo!”
“All of a sudden I felt so happy,” she told Toussaint, a sixth-grader, and Tito Ekundat, a fifth-grader, of the memory. “Whenever you guys talk to me it reminds me of home, and it makes me feel so thankful that I get to work here and that I get to speak with you guys.”
Toussaint Melchsedek, a refugee student from the Congo, is known around school for his big smile.
At Wyoming Intermediate School, “Jambo!” brings about lots of smiles. Whenever Bing sees Toussaint or Tito, they all wave with two hands and yell the Swahili greeting. Bing often has candy on hand for Tito, who has a sweet tooth.
“It’s candy, hugs and ‘Jambo!'” said Bing, with a laugh.
Toussaint and Tito are refugee children from the Congo region, which is made up of two war-torn countries along the Congo River in Central Africa. They immigrated to the U.S. with their families after living in refugee camps in Rwanda and Tanzania. This is Toussaint’s second year as a Wyoming student and Tito’s first. The boys speak Swahili and tribal languages, and have found a connection with Bing, who was raised in Africa by missionary parents.
Bing, who still calls Africa home, speaks Swahili, recently honing the language she had set aside for 17 years to help Toussaint and Tito. While they all speak different forms of the language, the trio is able to converse about school, sports, family life and much more.
“We make it work, don’t we?” Bing said to the boys.
Tito Ekundat, a refugee student from the Congo, takes notes with his fifth grade class
Bing helps provide communication to the boys’ parents. She led the effort to have the families fill out Christmas wish lists that led to many donations of toys and clothes from staff members. Toussaint, who speaks much more English than Tito, also helps translate for his younger friend.
“She’s so helpful,” said EL teacher Marissa Bliss about Bing’s work with the boys’ parents. “We’ve been able to communicate with the families. Having her experience and background builds the trust with them too. We’ve had a lot of success getting communication to the family. It makes a big difference.”
Bonding Over ‘Home’
Bing, who has taught in Wyoming Public Schools since 2014, was raised in Maryland until sixth grade, when she moved to Africa with her parents, Dale and Carol Linton, missionary teachers at an international school in Ethiopia and Kenya. Africa became Bing’s home until she returned to attend Hope College. “My memories are so rich… I loved the culture; I loved interacting with the people and all the friends I made. I really acclimated well to that being my home.”
Tito and Toussaint are getting used to their new home in the U.S., and share lots of good news with Bing. Toussaint recently learned to ride a bike, a skill he talks about with pride. He also likes being able to take hot showers, the changing seasons and that “we have money,” he said. He has learned to speak English and to read.
“I like America because you always have food and there’s no hunger. In Africa you have hunger,” he said.
Tito loves soccer and his house, and is clearly adored by his classmates, some of whom are also working to learn basic Swahili.
Bing remembers experiencing culture shock when she returned to the U.S. in 2000. She didn’t know what the internet was, hadn’t learned to drive and had forgotten about everyday American particulars, like that stores have automatic doors. “I was so out of tune with my age group,” she said.
At Wyoming Intermediate, Tito and Toussaint’s peers are happy to spend time getting to know the boys. “Students are very welcoming and eager to learn about your culture and to share,” Bing said. “It’s a great place to have that initial school experience…It welcomes that diversity.”
Tito and Toussaint remind Bing of her own childhood and the friends she made across the globe years ago. “I think it is just the biggest blessing to be able to work here and it’s so neat to see how it all comes together. It’s such a joy for me to come to school and see how little bits of that prior life come into my work life. I get to use (a language) I haven’t used in such a long time and interact with people from my homeland.”
This week’s WKTV featured sports coverage includes basketball.
WKTV Staff
This week in WKTV’s featured high school sport games, the coverage crew will be at Wyoming Lee for boys basketball game against Kelloggsville on Tuesday, Feb. 14, and then at East Kentwood for a hockey game against Grandville on Friday, Feb. 17.
WKTV videos and broadcasts several games each week during high school sports season.
Each Tuesday game will be broadcast that night on Live Wire Comcast Channel 24 at 10:30 p.m. throughout the Grand Rapids Metro Area and repeat on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 in Wyoming & Kentwood. Every Friday game will be aired that night on Live Wire 24 at 10:30 p.m. and repeat Saturday at 11 a.m. on WKTV 25 and AT&T U-verse 99.
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action in January, see now.wktv.org/sports/
DVDs and Blue-Rays of each game are also available for purchase at $20 including shipping. For more information, visit WKTV.org
The annual Dyer-Ives Poetry Competition, a program managed by the Grand Rapids Public Library, is now accepting original and unpublished poetry submissions from residents of Kent County and college students attending classes in Kent County.
The competition is free to enter, but only one poem per person is accepted. Submissions begin Feb. 1 and close March 1 at midnight.
The Dyer-Ives Poetry Competition was started in 1968 by poet James Allen at the urging of John Hunting, the founder of the Dyer-Ives Foundation, to “encourage excellence in writing and to provide recognition for local work of high quality,” according to supplied information.
The annual contest is open to poets ages 5 through adult, separated into three categories. Winners selected in three age categories have their poems published in Voices, receive a cash award, and participate in a reading during the Festival of the Arts in June, held at the Grand Rapids Public Library main library.
The judge for this year’s competition is Oliver de la Paz, author of three collections of poetry, Names Above Houses, Furious Lullaby, and Requiem for the Orchard; winner of the Akron Prize for poetry chosen by Martìn Espada. He co-chairs the advisory board of Kundiman, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of Asian American poetry, and teaches at Western Washington University.
Divisions are K-8th grade, high school through undergraduate college, and post-graduate students and adults.
For more information, including the various ways and library locations to submit poems, visit grpl.org/dyer-ives .
The Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s monthly Government Matters Committee meeting will be Monday, Feb. 13, from 8-9 a.m. at Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St SW, at the corner of 28th and Michael Avenue SW.
The meetings alternate between Wyoming City Hall and Kentwood City Hall.
The meeting, where chamber officials meet with local, county and state government officials, is free and open to the public. It will also be recorded by WKTV community television for viewing.
The Feb. 13 meeting will be delayed broadcast on WKTV community television Channel 26 on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. until the next Government Matters Committee meeting. It is also available on-demand at wktv.viebit.com
For more information on the chamber visit southkent.org.
Following the U.S. Senate confirmation of West Michigan’s Betsy DeVos as President Donald Trump’s choice for Secretary of Education, local U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI) and U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) had very different responses.
Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI)
Rep. Huizenga, in a Wednesday, Feb. 8, post on his Facebook account, said: “Congratulations to West Michigan’s own Betsy DeVos on being confirmed by the Senate as the next Secretary of Education. Betsy will work tirelessly and fight to ensure that every child in America, no matter their zip code, has access to a quality education.”
Sen. Stabenow was not quite so congratulatory.
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
In a Feb. 8 supplied statement, Sen. Stabenow said: “I am deeply disappointed that Senate Republicans confirmed Betsy DeVos to lead the Department of Education. I’ve heard from an overwhelming number of Michigan families who have shared their strong concerns about her long record of pushing policies that have seriously undermined public education in Michigan and failed our children. That is why I joined with half of my Senate colleagues, including two Republicans, to oppose her nomination.”
Sen. Peters comments on President’s nomination for Supreme Court
U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D -MI), on Feb. 1, issued the following statement on President Donald Trump’s nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch, who currently serves on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States:
U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI)
“Just as President Obama did, President Trump has a constitutional responsibility to nominate Justices to fill vacancies on the Supreme Court, and the U.S. Senate has a constitutional responsibility to consider those nominees. For 293 days, Senate Republicans failed to fulfill that duty by denying President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland, the same thorough and public consideration process that they are now urging for President Trump’s nominee.
“I take very seriously the Senate’s responsibility to advise and consent on all nominees, and every individual who could be serving on our nation’s highest court deserves to be fully vetted. As President Trump’s nominee moves through the judicial hearing process, I will be carefully reviewing his qualifications to serve on the Supreme Court, which is a pillar of American democracy.”
Sen. Peters introduces Legislation Helps Protect Domestic Violence Victims and Their Pets
U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), along with Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV), on Feb. 8, reintroduced the Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act, legislation to protect victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and dating violence from emotional and psychological trauma caused by violence against their pets.
Multiple studies have shown that domestic abusers often seek to manipulate or intimidate their victims by threatening or harming their pets, but according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), only three percent of domestic violence shelters across the country accept pets. Similar legislation is being introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Abusers often exploit the emotional attachment victims have with their pets, leaving victims of domestic violence stuck choosing between their own safety or leaving a beloved pet in harm’s way,” Sen. Peters said in supplied material. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bipartisan legislation that will help empower victims to leave abusive situations, get a fresh start and keep their pets who are treasured members of their families.”
The completely renovated Kelloggsville High School is taking shape, with the opening of eight spacious new classrooms bordering a large common learning area where students can study, mingle and connect their technology.
A lounge area is a favorite feature of the new commons area.
In the new space, students recently gathered for homework and group work and passed through more quickly from one side of the building to the other. “It is like a college setup,” said Principal Kevin Simmons. Furnishings include a large projector screen, tables and chairs. There’s a lounge area and a platform for students to sit on.
“I personally like it a lot. My favorite part is the comfy chairs and couch,” said freshman Alexandria Demond.
“It’s really cool, the chairs and all the open space we get,” said freshman Tony Cortez.
“If you have extra work, you can do it here and chill with friends,” added senior Terry Michael.
The district started construction last spring on high school improvements, funded by a $33.9 million bond issue passed last February. Of that, $27 million is going into improvements of the high school at 23 Jean St. SW.
The new space is decorated in school colors, blue and orange.
“This is exciting. The most exciting part was coming back from winter break and watching the kids react,” Simmons said.
Still-to-come improvements, to be completed by fall, include a new competitive-sized gymnasium with a second-floor track. The gym will host varsity games, which are currently held at Kelloggsville Middle School, and allow for more practice space. The auditorium will receive theater-style seating for 480; and a media center will serve as a hub for learning and community center. Use of facilities will be open to the public.
Other highlights are a reconfigured parking lot and a new school entrance, relocated from Jean Street to Division Avenue.
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
Ice hockey is on WKTV’s coverage schedule this week.
WKTV Staff
This week in WKTV’s featured high school sport games, the coverage crew will be at East Kentwood for a hockey game against Reeths-Puffer on Wednesday, Feb. 8, and again on Friday, Feb. 10, for another hockey game against Mona Shores.
Reeths-Puffer enters the contest with a 9-9 record according to MHSAA latest records, after defeating Rockford with a 10-7 win last week. East Kentwood enters the week with a 6-12-1 record, after falling to Saline last week in a 3-5 loss. Both teams are looking to improve their records in their OK Conference standings.
In the Friday’s game, Mona Shores enters the week with a 6-12-2 record after losing to Salem. East Kentwood is seeking revenge on Mona Shores after losing to them earlier this season in a 4-2 game.
WKTV videos and broadcasts several games each week during high school sports season.
Each Tuesday game will be broadcast that night on Live Wire Comcast Channel 24 at 10:30 p.m. throughout the Grand Rapids Metro Area and repeat on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 in Wyoming & Kentwood. Every Friday game will be aired that night on Live Wire 24 at 10:30 p.m. and repeat Saturday at 11 a.m. on WKTV 25 and AT&T U-verse 99.
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action in January, see now.wktv.org/sports/
DVDs and Blue-Rays of each game are also available for purchase at $20 including shipping. For more information, visit WKTV.org
The car the suspect is believed to have left the scene in. (Photo courtesy of the Wyoming Department of Public Safety)
Wyoming’s Department of Public Safety is still seeking the public’s help in locating the suspect in a Jan. 26 robbery of Speedway gas station.
At approximately 3:15 a.m. on Jan. 26, the Wyoming Department of Public Safety responded to the report of a robbery in the 1300 block of Burton Street SW. The clerk reported that an approximately 20-year-old black male came into the store and demanded money while pointing a handgun, according to a police report. The suspect was wearing all black, with a hooded sweatshirt pulled up over his head. The suspect left with an undisclosed amount of cash, according to the report.
The report also stated that witnesses reported the suspect left the sense in a white two-door sedan, possibly a Honda Civic and fled westbound on Burton Street.
Photo of suspect in Jan. 26 robbery. (Photo courtesy of Wyoming Department of Public Safety.)
Recently, the Wyoming Department of Public Safety was able to obtain photos from the in-store video system at the gas station and is asking the public’s assistance for information that may lead to the identification of the suspect. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Wyoming Department of Public Safety at 616-530-7300 or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345.
Recently, the public was able to assist in identifying a suspect in a Feb. 4 Marathon gas station robbery. The suspect, Christopher Charles Wood, 39, from Grand Rapids, has been arraigned on an Unarmed Robbery, Supp 4 charge with a preliminary hearing set for Feb. 15.
Second-graders found the beat playing together on tube-like instruments called boomwhackers, tubano drums, glockenspiels and xylophones to the song, “Welcome back! I’m glad you’re here. Come and listen with your ear!”
The new instruments provide the chance for group activities like making sound effects and creating songs to go along with children’s literature, said music teacher Tami Nelson, who is planning many music-making opportunities for her 450 students, including public performances.
“It’s really nice and it’s awesome we get new drums and new stuff to play,” said second-grader Arianna Wheeler. “We were needing some new stuff. It was nice of them to give us new instruments.”
The majority Hispanic district has a large number of students who speak English as a second language. Through music, they can express themselves non-verbally, Nelson said.
Also, many students aren’t exposed to instruments outside of school. Many families in the community do not have access to instruments in their homes or the funds to purchase instruments for their own personal use, Nelson added.
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
The East Kentwood High School’s boys basketball team will be one of the featured team in WKTV’s February coverage plans. (WKTV)
By Mike Moll
WKTV Sports
Some of the regular seasons of the winter schedules conclude in February leading to their respective championships late in the month as well as into March.
Girls Basketball tips off their District play Feb. 27 and into the first several days of March leading to the State Championships at The Breslin Center on the campus of Michigan State on Saturday, March 18.
Boys and Girls bowling are rolling into their Regionals Feb. 24-25, with State Championships March 3-4 at various sites. Girls cheer has Districts Feb. 17-18 followed by Regionals the following weekend, on Feb. 25, and then the championships March 3-4 at The DeltaPlex in Grand Rapids.
Boys ice hockey drops the puck on Regional play between Feb. 27 and March 4. Wrestling will hold both individual and team Districts Feb. 8-11, Regionals on the Feb. 15 and 18, with team finals on Feb. 24 and 25 at Central Michigan University and individual finals at The Palace of Auburn Hills March 2-4.
WKTV will continue to bring two nights of area games each week, with the following schedule, as well as bringing March Madness basketball matchups as games are announced and teams remain in the tournament.
Wednesday, Feb. 8 —Hockey, Reeths-Puffer @ East Kentwood
Friday, Feb. 10 — Hockey, Mona Shores @ East Kentwood
Tuesday, Feb. 14 — Boys basketball, Kelloggsville @ Wyoming Lee
Friday, Feb. 17 — Hockey, Grandville @ East Kentwood
Tuesday, Feb. 21 — Girls basketball, Hudsonville @ East Kentwood
Saturday, Feb. 25 — Hockey, FH Central @ East Kentwood
Tuesday, Feb. 28 — Boys basketball, Grand Rapids Christian @ Godwin Heights
Each Tuesday game will be broadcast that night on Live Wire Comcast Channel 24 at 10:30 p.m. throughout the Grand Rapids Metro Area and repeat on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 in Wyoming & Kentwood. Every Friday game will be aired that night on Live Wire 24 at 10:30 p.m. and repeat Saturday at 11 a.m. on WKTV 25 and AT&T U-verse 99.
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action in February, see now.wktv.org/sports/
The family-friendly overnight First 100 party at the Gaines Township opening on Jan. 9 had 66 people get in line at the 24-hour mark. (Supplied)
WKTV Staff
Chick-fil-A this week will open its second Western Michigan restaurant in the New Year, with a new Wyoming location set to open Thursday, Feb. 9, at 700 54th St. S.W., in front of the Meijer supermarket at 54th and Clyde Park Drive SW. The fast-food chain opened a restaurant in Gaines Township in January.
As with its Gaines Township opening, the Wyoming restaurant will feature a community “First 100” camp out, where people camp out and wait in line to earn one of the 100 prizes of a year of free Chick-fil-A food, as well as an opportunity to donate books to the Boys and Girls Club of Grand Rapids.
The family-friendly overnight First 100 party at the Gaines Township opening had 66 people get in line at the 24-hour mark despite the early evening freezing rain and snow flurries that continued through the next morning, according to supplied material.
This community event is open to guests residing in specific zip codes surrounding the restaurant. A complete listing of eligible zip codes and rules can be found at www.chick-fil-a.com/Locations/Openings
The donated books will be placed in a nearly 3-foot Book House, built from reclaimed wood, to serve as a free library exchange and will be given to the Boys and Girls Club of Grand Rapids. Since 2014, Chick-fil-A has collected more than 33,500 children’s books which have been donated to 213 local organizations in 42 states and Washington, D.C., according to supplied material.
The Wyoming restaurant is the second of three scheduled to open in Western Michigan within six weeks of each other. The first opened Jan. 12, in Gaines Township off the M-6 and Kalamazoo Exit. The third location is opening Feb. 23, in Portage/Kalamazoo at 6202 S. Westnedge Ave.
Godfrey-Lee Public Schools inducted six new members into its Hall of Fame late last month, and while the most Rebel-rousing acceptance speech was given by — no surprise — long-time football coach and educator Thomas DeGennaro, the district’s hall of fame is for more than only athletic personalities.
The induction ceremony, which took place prior to a boys basketball game on Jan. 20 at Lee High School, also included a war hero, a university professor, a long-time school board member, a school band leader and a woman who gave back to the school system almost up to her last day.
Football coach and educator Thomas DeGennaro. (WKTV)
DeGennaro — who has served as teacher, principal and now, again, varsity football coach — was the final of the inductees to speak, and he spoke clearly about what it means to be a Lee High Rebel.
“I have been grateful to work with some of the toughest kids in the United States,” DeGennaro said. “To be a Rebel means you are willing to stand up against the establishment. You have to be willing to put yourself on the line when you stand up. Our kids here do this every day.
“They overcome obstacles that would unimaginable to surrounding districts. Many of our students are immigrants, or children of immigrants, much like my grandparents … These students overcome language, cultural and other challenges that stall most students learning process. Not only do they overcome these obstacles, they excel. … The establishment loves to keep these kids down, but they rebel. They are Rebels.”
DeGennaro’s history in the district includes taking a position on the Lee High faculty in 2002, teaching U.S. History and Geography as well as a variety of other elective social studies courses. But it is on the football field where he did most of his teaching. In 1998, he took over the Rebel football program and coached the first Lee football team ever to make it into the MHSAA playoffs, when his team went 8-2 in the fall of 2006. After an eight-year absence from the sidelines at Lee Field, he returned this past fall and has begun the process of rebuilding a program that has not experience much success since his last season in 2007.
Starting in 2007, the Rebel Hall of Fame selection committee, comprised of members of the Board of Education, district administration, faculty, alumni and the Godfrey-Lee community has selected alumni, staff and other individuals associated with Godfrey-Lee Public Schools in recognition of their achievements and contributions.
The six new members joined forty-two other individuals and one athletic team in the Hall of Fame. David Britten, superintendent of Godfrey-Lee School District, was master of ceremonies of the event.
This year’s inductees also included Staff Sgt. Daniel Hayes, Lee High School class of 2004; Dr. Carl J. Bajema, class of 1955; Dennis E. Groendyke, class of 1979 and Board of Education member from 1999 to 2016; Christine Vettese, district SIG Coordinator for 2010 to 2013; and Robert Hill, high school band director from 1967 to 1981.
Douglas Greenwold, class of 1960, was also selected but requested to delay participation in the induction ceremony until 2018.
Personal stories of dedication
Staff Sgt. Hayes is a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan military operations where, with the 101st Airborne Division, he earned the Purple Heart for injuries sustained in combat in Iraq in 2006. He was later personally awarded the Silver Star, the third highest decoration for valor for gallant actions and devotion to duty, while serving in Afghanistan in 2010. In 2011, he sustained another injury and earned a second Purple Heart. His award was accepted by his aunt.
Dr. Carl J. Bajema, with his wife, Claudia.
Dr. Bajema, after graduating from Lee, earned his Ph.D. in zoology from Michigan State University and retired from Grand Valley State University with the designation of Professor Emeritus in 2007 following a forty-three year teaching and scientific research career. He was also the recipient of the 2009 Distinguished Volunteer Service Award from the Historical Society of Michigan.
And his wife, reading from a statement and speaking for him due to a medical condition that hampers his ability to speak clearly, revealed a little of Dr. Bajema’s own history.
“When I learned I was to receive this Rebel award, I dug into my archives for my report cards, I actually had all my report cards,” Claudia Bajema said, as Carl waved an old report card for the audience to see. “Well, I can assure you that anyone viewing those would not conclude that I would be given one of these prestigious awards.
“I left my mark on the high school in an unconventional way. For several years following my graduation … my lab mate and me were given as an example of how not to do experiments. … we were in a hurry and failed to read all the instructions on how to conduct an experiment … (and) a chemical reaction caused an explosion, a volcano of sorts, leaving a very nasty stain on the ceiling.”
Dennis E. Groendyke
Groendyke, Board of Education member from 1999 to 2016, is a lifelong resident of the district who chose to raise his own family of seven children here and watch them attend Godfrey-Lee schools, according to supplied material. He concluded his service this winter following 17 years, including four-and-one-half years leading the board as president. A strong supporter of athletics, he has provided many hours of volunteer coaching for baseball and softball, including weekend clinics for youth during the school year.
“I love this district, I love the people in it, most of all I love the children,” Groendyke said. “My heart will always be here.”
Robert Hill
Hill was Lee High band director from 1967 to 1981, where he yearly took a “sometimes unruly” group of teen musicians unifying them into well organized marching and concert bands, according to supplied material. A visible teacher and mentor, he could be seen leading his bands at every home football and basketball game, believing that the band was central to inspiring young athletes and building school pride. His musical talents also carried him to perform with the Grand Valley State University faculty orchestra.
“This high school has, and always will, have a very special place in my heart,” Hill said. “I will always remember the joy of teaching students.”
Roberta Burke, sister of Christine Vettese.
Vettese was district SIG coordinator from 2010-13. She died in 2015. When Lee High School needed help with academic improvement to get off a state list of low-performing schools, she came out of retirement from East Grand Rapids schools and applied her many leadership, curriculum, and personal relationship skills to serve as a principle leader in that effort, according to supplied material. Through her advocacy, guidance and dogged persistence, she helped secure grants in excess of $3.5 million dollars over the three years to support the work of teachers, administrators, and students.
Her sister, Roberta Burke, accepted the award.
“I know if she were here today, she would say … its all about the students, and how to get them to be the best they can be,” Burke said, pointing to the heavens. “I know she is looking down right now and saying ‘bravo’ ” for what the district has accomplished.
February has rolled in and with it the opportunity for dads to celebrate the little princesses in their lives as both the Wyoming and Kentwood Parks and Recreation Departments host Daddy-Daughter dances.
The Wyoming Daddy-Daughter Dance is set for Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Wyoming Senior Center, 2380 DeHoop SW. It is set to start at 6 p.m. and run until 8 p.m. The cost to participate is $8 per person for a Wyoming resident and $12 per person for non-residents. The event is open to girls 3 – 15 years of age and their adult date.
To participate you must register by Thursday, Feb. 2. To register, click here or call the Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department at 616-530-3164.
Kentwood’s Daddy Daughter Dance is the following week, Friday, Feb. 10, at the KDL Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton SE. The event is from 6 – 8 p.m.
Since the Kentwood event is so close to Valentine’s Day this year, the Daddy-Daughter Dance theme is a sweetheart dance. Cost is $20 per couple and $5 for each additional person. Pre-registration is required for this dance as well. To register, call the Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department at 616-656-5270.
U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) on Monday, Jan. 30, introduced legislation she states would encourage businesses to bring jobs to America and discourage companies from shipping jobs overseas. It’s fate in a Republican-controlled Senate is uncertain.
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
Stabenow’s “Bring Jobs Home Act” first introduced this legislation in 2012, and in every Congress since, but, she said in supplied material, Senate Republicans have repeatedly blocked it.
“We need to be exporting our products, not our jobs,” Sen. Stabenow in supplied material. “It’s outrageous to ask hard-working Americans and communities to foot the bill for companies that move jobs overseas. If President Trump and Republicans in Congress are serious about bringing jobs back home, they should work with me to pass my legislation right now.”
The “Bring Jobs Home Act of 2017” creates a new tax cut to provide an incentive for U.S. companies to move jobs and business activity from another country back to America. Specifically, her initiative will allow U.S. companies to qualify for a tax credit equal to 20% of the cost associated with bringing jobs and business activity back to the United States. The act also would end a tax deduction for U.S. companies that outsource jobs and business activity.
Rep. Huizenga seeks repeal of part of Dodd-Frank Act
U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI), who is the chairman of the House of Representatives capital markets committee, on Tuesday, Jan. 31, voiced support to efforts to repeal section 1504 of The Dodd-Frank Act — specifically a Securities and Exchange Commission rule — by using the Congressional Review Act.
Rep. Bill Huizenga (R)
“The SEC is tasked by Congress to both protect investors and facilitate capital formation,” Rep. Huizenga said in supplied material. “Despite being instructed in Federal Court, the SEC continues to propose a resource extraction rule that is overly burdensome, puts U.S. companies at a competitive disadvantage, and fails to provide investors with useful information. Transparency is a critical element in governance and I believe there is a way for the SEC to achieve transparency regarding section 1504 however this revised rule falls short and remains deeply flawed.”
Sen. Peters concerned about Presidential order ‘implementing religious test’
U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), on Monday, Jan. 30, joined his colleagues on the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee in a letter requesting a meeting with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary John Kelly about the crafting and implementation of President Donald Trump’s latest Executive Order restricting refugee admissions to the United States.
Sen. Gary Peters
“We are deeply troubled by this unprecedented order and its implementation by the Department of Homeland Security,” Sen. Peters and his Senate Democrat colleagues wrote to Secretary Kelly, according to supplied material. “We urge you to postpone implementation of this Executive Order until these questions have been answered, and, more importantly, you have had an opportunity to ensure that the legal, policy, and practical impacts of President Trump’s order have been fully and thoroughly reviewed.”
The Senators additionally expressed alarm at a proposed religious tests for future immigrants, and questioned Kelly about the method DHS plans to use to collect religious data, after President Trump’s assertion in a recent interview that the United States would give preference to Christians seeking to obtain visas or admission to the country.
Editor’s Note: Hunter Noorman attended the Inauguration of President Donald Trump with his Wyoming High School classmates, and agreed to write about the experience for School News Network. He is in the Wyoming High School wind ensemble as the bass trombonist, captain and driver for the robotics team 858 Demons, and captain of the cross country and track teams. He has worked with the Wyoming City Council to speak on behalf of the younger generation. ” I enjoy helping others and getting new experiences,” he said.
The trip was packed with unforgettable events for Hunter Noorman and other Wyoming High School students (photos courtesy of Hunter Noorman)
As I stepped on the bus at approximately 5:45 a.m. last Thursday morning, I knew this trip to Washington D.C. to witness the Presidential Inauguration, with about 20 of my peers and history teacher John Doyle, was going to be crazy awesome. Sure, the ride seemed to drag on, but it built my excitement up for the days ahead, and it was an experience that lived up to my expectations.
Whether it was standing in front of a jumbotron to see the passing of powers from one president to another, to seeing one of our foreign-exchange students going body surfing at an Inaugural Ball hosted by student travel company WorldStrides, the trip overall had a positive impact on my life. I got to see democracy at its finest and create memories that will last a lifetime.
Wyoming High School joined a group of Flushing High School students who were just as excited as I was to see our nation’s Capitol. After the swearing in of the 45th president, we got to go see the Washington Monument and the National World War II Memorial. They were such amazing sights and I could not have been more impressed with D.C. The weather was dreary but that did very little to dull my excitement for this experience. After a long day of walking about 10 miles and seeing monuments and little shops on the sidewalk, we fell asleep at a Marriott that was by far the best hotel I had ever stayed in.
We visited several monuments, but the one that stuck out the most was the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. It had so many inspirational quotes from a man who wanted to change the world and change the way people thought. I got to visit a couple Smithsonian museums, the National Archives and The United States Marine Corps War Memorial (better known as the Iwo Jima Memorial), as well as the Lincoln Memorial and Ford’s Theatre.
Wyoming High School students stand in front of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.
I went to Arlington National Cemetery, which was a somber place but had a powerful presence. The Changing of the Guard was very powerful, as well as seeing where the Kennedys are buried. I saw my Advanced Placement U.S. History teacher enthused at the sight of a lot of original documents in the National Archives, which changed and shaped the United States into what it is today. The Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and even the Magna Carta were so moving because these documents had a significant influence on the U.S and the meaning of a democracy to me today.
There is so much more that I could explain in detail, but I was so amazed by my trip. From seeing the transition of power to witnessing our First Amendment rights executed through protesting, the memories from these events are ones I will carry with me for life. I made so many friends and met so many cool people, that the trip provided by WorldStrides was spectacular. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I can say I was there.
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
Seeing the origins and the background of the United States was an experience I will be able to pass onto my kids one day. I finished the trip exhausted as one can be, but given the chance to go again I would take it. This is America, and this trip helped my love for history grow.
This week’s WKTV featured sports coverage includes four basketball games.
WKTV Staff
This week in WKTV’s featured high school sports games, the coverage crew will be at Wyoming’s The Potter’s House Christian High School for a doubleheader of girls and boys basketball game against Byron Center Zion Christian on Tuesday Jan. 31, and then traveling to Wyoming Kelloggsville for the girls and boys games against Grandville Calvin Christian on Friday Feb. 3.
In the Tuesday games, Potter’s House girls team enters the week with at 3-6 record, 1-1 in the Alliance League, while the Zion Christian girls team enters with a 6-3 record (0-1 in league). On the boys side, Potter’s House enters with a 5-5 overall record but 2-1 in the Alliance League, while Zion Christian is 5-4 overall and 1-0 in league. (Records are according to MHSAA.)
In the Friday games, The Kellogsville girls team enters this week with a 2-7 overall record, 0-5 in the OK Silver Conference, while Calvin Christian is 8-5 but leading the Silver at 5-0. On the boys side, Kelloggsville enters at 9-2 overall and 5-1 in conference, while Calvin Christian is 9-2 and 4-2.
WKTV videos and broadcasts several games each week during high school sports season.
Each Tuesday game will be broadcast that night on Live Wire Comcast Channel 24 at 10:30 p.m. throughout the Grand Rapids Metro Area and repeat on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 in Wyoming & Kentwood. Every Friday game will be aired that night on Live Wire 24 at 10:30 p.m. and repeat Saturday at 11 a.m. on WKTV 25 and AT&T U-verse 99.
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action in January, see now.wktv.org/sports/
DVDs of each game are also available for purchase at $20 including shipping. For more information, visit WKTV.org
The Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce celebrated its 36th Annual Meeting & Awards Dinner Jan. 27 at Grand Rapids’ Crossroads Conference Center 6569 Clay Ave. SW.
Guests were welcomed by music from the East Kentwood High School Jazz Combo and a slide presentation with pictures from 2016 Chamber Events.
A strolling dinner and silent auction started the evening off. The nights program started with a welcome from President/CEO Bob O’Callaghan. O’Callaghan then introduced State Senators Tonya Schuitmaker, Peter MacGregor, and State Representative Tommy Brann. Mayor Stephen Kepley then updated the guests on activities in the City of Kentwood. City Councilmen Kent Vanderwood shared the accomplishments in the City of Wyoming in 2016.
The Awards portion of the Program started with Lacks Enterprises receiving the Manufacturer of the Year honors. Craig’s Cruisers was selected Retail Business of the Year. The final business award went to the Service Business of the Year Valorous Circle. Each award was preceded by a video of the winning business, prepared by WKTV.
The Daniel McLaren Committee of the Year Award went to the Annual Meeting Committee.
The Daniel Vandyke Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Keith Morgan from All Clean Again.
The Chamber’s final award, The Gerald E. Fessell Distinguished Service Award went to Terry Merriman, owner of PCO Associates, and the 2015 and 2016 Chairman of the Board. The 2017 Board of Directors were introduced and the meeting adjourned.
Long Road Distillers will release a new seasonal gin, “Michigin”, crafted from 100 percent Michigan ingredients, on Monday, Feb. 6. (Supplied)
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
Even in Beer City, men — and women — do not live on beer alone.
Long Road Distillers, based in Grand Rapids, will release a new seasonal gin, “Michigin” — a liquor crafted from 100 percent Michigan ingredients including red winter wheat from Heffron Farms in Belding and juniper harvested by hand on Beaver Island — on Monday, Feb. 6.
The limited-release is the first gin to use all Michigan ingredients, according to supplied material.
“We’ve been planning Michigin since before we opened our doors two years ago, but we were struggling to find a source for Michigan-grown juniper, a non-negotiable ingredient when it comes to gin,” Kyle VanStrien, Long Road Co-owner and Co-Founder, said in supplied material.
Juniper is commonly sourced from Europe or the Pacific Northwest, but last year Long
Road spirits discovered a Michigan source, VanStrien said.
“I mentioned in passing that we were on the hunt for local juniper,” VanStrien said, “and my cousin stopped me and said that it was everywhere on Beaver Island where she grew up!”
Less than a month later, VanStrien and business partner Jon O’Connor were on a small plane headed to Beaver Island, Lake Michigan’s largest island, 30 miles northwest of Charlevoix. After a short scouting visit, it was clear they could find more than enough for a limited production run. During the last week of September 2016, a dozen members of the Long Road staff harvested nearly 200 pounds over a two-day period.
Long Road Distillers is located in Grand Rapids. (Supplied)
Long Road Distillers is located at 537 Leonard St NW. For more information LongRoadDistillers.com.
The loading dock at one of Lacks Enterprises manufacturing facilities. (WKTV)
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
With more than half a century of doing business in the Wyoming-Kentwood area, and more than 2,500 employee as part of the family, Lacks Enterprises, Inc. is the Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2016 Manufacturer of the Year.
Lacks Enterprises will be one of three businesses honored at the chamber’s 36th Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner on Friday, Jan. 27, at the Crossroads Conference Center in Grand Rapids.
Lacks Enterprises, headquartered in Kentwood, was started by John P. Lacks and son Richard Lacks Sr., and is still a family-focused company now led by CEO Richard Lacks Jr. and executive vice president Kurt Lacks.
“We are a privately held company,” Jim Green, Executive Director of Human Resources, said. “We have been in business in the Wyoming and Kentwood area for over 55 years. The third and fourth generation of the Lacks family are still active in the business. We employe approximately 2,700 employees … Approximately $450 million in sales.
“We mold, plate, paint and assemble parts for the automative and appliance industry,” he said. “If you are looking for our real call to fame, we are the best in the world at providing high quality, Class A decorative finishes for the automotive industry.”
Lacks has 19 manufacturing sites in the Kentwood-Wyoming area and 26 total buildings “if you add in our lab, our warehouses, our medical clinics and our corporate offices,” Green said.
Long, productive relationship with chamber
Lacks history not only goes back more than 50 years, its relationship with the chamber also goes back to its beginning as well.
Jim Green, Lacks Enterprises, Inc. Executive Director of Human Resources
“The Kentwood-Wyoming chamber truly is a partnership with manufacturing, they have been partners with us for the 55 years we have been in business,” Green said. “There has been countless times we have needed their assistance, whether it was a tax abatement or dealing with the city on an issue, or dealing with Lansing (state government), and the have always been there.
“They understand the importance of a strong manufacturing community to make your whole community successful. The positive business environment has been instrumental in our continued growth over the last 55 years. If you did not have that kind of support, you couldn’t keep growing your business. The Kentwood community also provides a very high quality and diverse workforce, which is crucial to your success as a business.”
While Lacks is one of West Michigan’s manufacturing success stories, it still is humbled and thankful for the Chamber award and for its place among the leading businesses in the region.
“It is a privilege and an honor” to gain the award, Green said. “There are a lot of high quality manufacturers in the Kentwood-Wyoming area, so for us to be recognized as the manufacturer of the year, it is very meaningful and very important to the Lacks family and to our Lacks employees.
“I think it reinforces the quality of company we have, the contributions we do make to the community,” he said. “We are the fourth largest private employer in West Michigan, so for us to be recognized and for our peers to see us be recognized for what we do, it matters. We are pretty humble as a company, we are privileged and honored to be recognized.”
At the end of each semester, Wyoming High School honors six exemplary students with the Alpha Wolf 11 Champion of CharacterAward. Two sophomores, two juniors and two seniors are chosen by staff and peers. The ceremony takes place in front of the entire student body, special guests from the Wyoming community, Wyoming Public Safety officers, school administration and the Wyoming Board of Education members.
Such was the case on Thursday, Jan. 26. The gymnasium’s stands were filled with students at rapt attention. Wyoming police and fire departments came to show their support and to be honored. Parents and school administrators cheered on and the high school band punctuated the ceremony.
The Alpha Wolf is a rare and special breed — a power unto him or herself. They’re at their strongest when they empower their peers. Proactive in helping others and ever striving to set a high standard for those around them, they lead by example, going the extra mile to help a schoolmate feel welcome, spreading good cheer to all and displaying good character. One need not be an “A” student to attain this goal.
On a scale of 1 to 10, the Alpha Wolf is an 11 in everything they do. Kind, compassionate, gracious, these are 2017’s champions of character and new pillars of our community:
Riley Nguyen, a 17-year-old exchange student from Vietnam, with West Michigan Lutheran girls basketball coach Aaron Cochrill. (WKTV)
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
West Michigan Lutheran, a very small high school in Wyoming, had five players available for its girls basketball team this season — what you call a really thin bench. But that was before an unlikely import from Southeast Asia joined girls basketball Coach Aaron Cochrill’s team.
For Riley Nguyen, a 17-year-old exchange student from Vietnam, playing on the team was just another way for her to fit in at her school and with her West Michigan host family — Darian Blanchard, the junior co-captain of the team, is her “home sister” in America.
For Cochrill, getting Riley to join was part being a basketball coach and part just being a teacher and mentor to students.
“What Riley brings to our team, first, is a bench — she is the sixth player,” Cochrill said. “But she is so intelligent, and she has a willingness, a ‘Whatever you want me to do coach, I’ll do it.’ So, against Aviation Academy, one of our starting point guards got in foul trouble early and we needed big minutes of her. I just said ‘Riley, it is your turn. Get in there.’ That is what she does, I ask her do something and she does it.”
Thing is, though, Riley really does not play basketball much back in Viet Nam, let along play at the level of American players, even at a small high school.
“I really like basketball, but I am a newbie,” she said. “So its takes a while to catch up with them. They are really good. The challenge is the skills I have to learn. That’s a lot. But the thing I enjoy the most is when I am out on the basketball court. I just go for it. Just do it.”
Riley Nguyen, left, with the rest of her West Michigan Lutheran girls basketball, getting some coaching from coach Aaron Cochrill. (WKTV)
Just going for it is also an apt way to describe what brought Riley to Western Michigan.
She is in America as part of the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP). Her real home is Tan An City, outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City, with a four-member family including a father who works as an account/auditor. This is her family’s first experience in America.
Riley Nguyen
“I enjoy the new experiences here, the food, the people here,” she said. “I get to know so many people. There lifestyles is not like ours. I also (get to) know so many things about their cultures, too. I really enjoyed Christmas break here. You have Christmas break and spring break and summer break — actually, I think there are a lot of breaks here. … But I like it.”
There were also some challenges off the basketball court. “Sometimes I miss the food in my country. I am so used to Vietnamese food that, sometimes, I have belly ache. … But that is a minor problem.”
Her new “home sister” has been helping her, though, on and off the court. And they have developed quite a friendship, both say.
“I told Riley it is kind of like having a sleepover with your best friend everyday and I really enjoy it,” Darian said. “We really connected. Even before she came here, we were Skyping back and forth, and we found we had a lot in common, a lot of interests together.
Darian Blanchard
“Back home, Riley had a dance group that she was in, so we play games on the Wii, like ‘Just Dance’, a lot. … One of the fun parts about this is showing her everything. A different perspective, a different life. It has been really fun to see her go ‘This is so cool.’ … the look on her face when she sees food that is new, the look on her face is ‘Oh, my God. I cannot believe I have lived without this.’”
And then there is that Michigan State connection.
“I was so surprised, the first time I came here, and I talked to them,” Riley said. “ My dream college is Michigan State, and they are big fans of Michigan State. I was like ‘Ohhh. Yep, we were meant to be.’ We get along really well. They care about me a lot, little things like food, my sleep and stuff like that. Darian, my home sister, she takes care of me.”
And the relationship might not end with the end of this school year. Riley has applied for acceptance at Michigan State and should hear before the end of this school year.
Her American basketball career most assuredly ends with coming off the bench for the Mustangs, however. But coach Cochrill’s favorite story about Riley does show she has at least a little game.
“Our first game. She got fouled. She got to go to the line,” he said. “She made a free throw and she turns around and looks at me, a kind of look that says ‘Is that for real? Did that just happen?’ She kind of gets this grin on her face. … That is her personality to a tee.”
Astronauts (left to right) Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee, pose in front of Launch Complex 34 which is housing their Saturn 1 launch vehicle. The astronauts died ten days later in a fire on the launch pad. (NASA/photographer unknown – NASA [1] Great Images in NASA Description, Public Domain)By Joanne N. Bailey-Borosma
Whether you have traveled the road, visited the planetarium, or seen the American legion post in your travels through Wyoming, there is a good chance you have seen or heard the name Roger B. Chaffee.
And for some the question during those travels may have been who was Roger B. Chaffee?
Chaffee was one of the first NASA astronauts, who tragically never made it to the stars. On Jan. 27, 1967, there was a fire in the Apollo 1 capsule during a training exercise killing Chaffee and his two crew mates, Virgil “Gus” Grisson and Edward H. White II, who was the first person to perform a space walk.
The inside of the Apollo 1 capsule after the fire. (NASA/photographer unknown – NASA [1] Great Images in NASA Description, Public Domain)This Friday, fifty years to the date of the accident, the Wyoming Roger B. Chaffee American Legion Post 154 will host a dinner and memorial ceremony at the post, 2327 Byron Center Ave. SW. The dinner is at 6 p.m. and the ceremony is at 7 pm.
“From what I know, his father was a member of the post and they asked if they would name it after him,” said Jerry Smith, an adjunct with the post. American Legion posts have a tradition of bringing named after a local veteran.
Chaffee was a Navy officer before being accepted to the NASA program, said Glen Swanson, a Grand Valley State University physics professor who worked for NASA in Houston as the Johnson Space Center’s chief historian. Swanson credits some of his love for space from Chaffee’s parents, Donald and Blanche Chaffee. In their later years, the couple had moved to the city of Wyoming and Swanson would bike over to visit them and talk about NASA and the space program.
A photo of Don and Blanche Chaffee with their daughter after the Apollo 1 accident. The photo is in the ‘Roger That!’ exhibit.
“Don and Blanche were huge supporters of the space program even after their son’s death,” Swanson said, adding the couple would visit area schools to talk about NASA and space and Don Chaffee even wrote a book.
The Chaffee family was from Greenville. Due to Don Chaffee having scarlet fever, Blanche Chaffee was forced to stay with relatives in Grand Rapids until Roger was born. The family later moved to Grand Rapids and Roger attended Central High School.
After graduation, Chaffee would attend Purdue to pursue his passion of flying and earned a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical engineering. He joined the Navy and in 1962 applied for the astronaut training program. He wold be one of 14 out of a pool of more than 1,800 to be chosen for the Astronaut Group 3, all of who would be part of the Apollo program.
In January 1966, Chaffee was selected for the first Apollo mission, which was a surprise, Swanson said, adding that Chaffee had no previous flight experience unlike his crew mates Grissom and White. None would make it into space as the following year, the fire happened.
The accident also happened shortly after the move of the then Kent County Airport, which was located in Wyoming, formerly Paris Township. The landing strip was being paved and it was decided to name the road Roger B. Chaffee Boulevard.
“There was the local connection and since it was the former runway, it probably made sense,” Swanson said, adding that there was some debate on naming the airport after Chaffee but eventually it would be named after the former president and is now called the Gerald R. Ford International Airport.
The ‘Roger That!’ exhibit will be up through Mar. 31 at the GVSU Eberhard Center in downtown Grand Rapids.
Wanting to remember Chaffee’s contributions to the space program, Swanson help put together a photo exhibit, “Roger That!,” on the West Wall Gallery at the GVSU Eberhard Center in downtown Grand Rapids.
“We didn’t want to focus just on the tragedy of what happened, but rather on his life and accomplishments,” Swanson said. The exhibit will be up through Mar. 31.
There was plans to host an event on the actual anniversary, but since family members were booked for the NASA event this week in Florida, GVSU officials instead worked with the Grand Rapids Public Museum to plan a two-day conference and celebration in February, which was Chaffee’s birth month. On Feb. 10, there will be a conference featuring discussions on a variety of space-related topics including science, society, and the arts. The event concludes with a ticketed dinner with Chaffee’s wife and daughter, Martha and Sheryl Chaffee, and the planetarium show “Dark Side: The Light Show.”
On Feb. 11, Brother Guy Consolmagno of the Vatican Observatory and winner of the Carl Sagan Medal for excellence in public communication in planetary sciences will present at 11 a.m. at the Grand Rapids Public Museum, 272 Pearl St. NW. This is a ticketed event. For more on the Roger That! activities, visit www.gvsu.edu/rogerthat.
Swanson said he hopes the activities will not only remind people of who Chaffee was, but encourage others to follow in his footsteps by pursuing their passion whether it be space or something else in the great beyond.
On Thursday, Jan. 26, at around 3:15 a.m., the Wyoming Department of Public Safety responded to the report of a robbery in the 300 block of Burton Street SW, according to a police report.
The clerk reported that a n approximate 20-year-old black male came into the store and demanded money while pointing a handgun. The suspect was wearing all black, with a hooded sweatshirt pulled up over his head. The suspect left with an undisclosed amount of cash, according to the report.
Witnesses reported that the suspect left the scene in a white two-door sedan, possibly a Honda Civic and fled west bound on Burton Street.
Wyoming Public Safety personnel continue with the investigation and ask the public’s assistance for information that may lead to the identification of the suspect. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Wyoming Department of Public Safety at 616-530-7300 or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345.
It’s the place where “the fun never ends,” and this year, that place of fun, Craig’s Cruisers, also is the Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2016 Retailer Business of the Year.
“The community really welcomed us with open arms,” said Cait Thrasher, group sales and marketing manager for Craig’s Cruisers.
After twenty years of the first Craig’s Cruisers opening in Silver Lake, the company began to look for a location in the Greater Grand Rapids area. It already had expanded into the Muskegon location in 1990 and Holland in 1994, and with each expansion, came a new addition. For Muskegon, it was an indoor area to host birthday parties and for Holland, it was a restaurant that served pizzas.
The restaurant at Craig’s Cruisers features a pizza buffet.
When looking in the Greater Grand Rapids area, the owners knew they wanted enough space to be able to grow the business and they found a three-acre parcel on Clyde Park Avenue in Wyoming that fit the bill. In 1999, Craig’s Cruisers opened with outdoor activities that today include two 18-hole mini golf courses, bumper boats, kiddie carts, go-carts, and two large pavilions. A little more than half the building is dedicated to arcade games, including a giant crane game, laser tag, and the first indoor go-cart track that remains very popular today.
“We have a number of team building events utilizing the go-carts,” Thrasher said, adding that the Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce has had events at the facility for its members that have included the go-carts.
The biggest change for the Wyoming Craig’s Cruisers location came 10 years after it opened when a 700-seat capacity restaurant – the largest seating capacity restaurant in Kent County – was added to the facility increasing the building to 85,000 square feet. The restaurant features a pizza buffet that also has salad, pasta, and desserts, which yes, includes dessert pizza. Thrasher said it opened a whole new door for Craig’s Cruisers in allowing the facility to host an array of different groups from corporate team building events to lock-ins for church programs and schools.
More than half the facility at Craig’s Cruisers houses the arcade, laser tag and go-carts.
In fact, Craig’s Cruisers has become a popular place for senior all night parties and hosts a huge New Year’s Eve event for teens. It also remains popular for birthday parties as well as a place to escape for a few hours of fun.
“We are happy that we are helping to make memories and proud to be the place that people do that,” Thrasher said.
Community is important to the owners and staff of Craig’s Cruisers because “without community we wouldn’t be here,” Thrasher said, adding that having community connections and being able to network with others is vital in today’s marketplace, and a key in making those connections has been the Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce.
“It is very exciting – and flattering – to know that what you are doing is so appreciated by the community that you are in,” Thrasher said. This year’s award is extra special in it is the second-time Craig’s Cruisers has received Retail Business of the Year, she said.
“There is so much that brings people here and we are happy to be one of those places that bring them,” Thrasher said. “We also are thankful that the city of Wyoming has allowed us to grow here.”
The West Michigan Military and Veterans Career Expo, which is open to active-duty military, veterans and their spouses, will be held Friday, Jan. 27 at Wyoming’s Grand Valley Armory.
The West Michigan Military and Veterans Career Expo will be held Friday, Jan. 27 at Wyoming’s Grand Valley Armory. (WKTV)
The event will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Grand Valley Armory gymnasium is located at 1200 44th St SW.
A hiring event is for service men and women in all branches of the military, veterans, transitioning service members and their spouses. Attendees must bring DD214 military identification and copies of resume.
More than 50 employers are expected to attend, including Advance Packaging Corporation, Amway, Arconic, Bayer, Buddy to Buddy, Charter Communications, Cintas, Consumers Energy, CROSSMARK, Custom Profile, Dart Container, Davenport University, DeWys Manufacturing, Directions in Research, DK Security, DTE Energy, Effex Management Solutions for Magna Mirrors, Farmers Insurance, Fifth Third Bank, Fusion IT, Gun Lake Casino, Herman Miller, Holland, JBS USA, Jedco, Kent County Sheriff’s Office, Macy’s, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, Meijer, Metal Flow, Metron Integrated Health Systems, Michigan Army National Guard, Peckham, Perrigo, Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, Plasan North America, Shape Corp., SpartanNash, Spectrum Health, Sunset Communities, TEKsystems, The Empire Company, The Home Depot, Tooling Systems Group, Tradesmen International, Trans-Matic Mfg. Company, Trinity Services Group, TST Tooling Software, Tyson Foods, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, World Financial Group, Wynalda Packaging and Yanfeng.
The event is co-sponsored by West Michigan Works! and the New Horizons Computer Learning Center.
Those planning to attend may register at at WMIVETS but registration is not required.
The mostly empty Site36 industrial area off 36th Street SW in Wyoming, from the marketing material of Franklin Partners. (Supplied)
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
Late last year, the City of Wyoming signed an agreement with Franklin Partners, based in the Chicago area but with an office in Grand Rapids, to ramp-up redevelopment of an abandoned General Motors metal stamping plant, the Site36 industrial area off 36th Street SW just east of Highway 131.
One of the possible layouts of Site36 site off 36th Street SW in Wyoming, from the marketing material of Franklin Partners. (Supplied)
While the company is pushing forward with a marketing campaign, including drawings depicting multiple possible industrial uses and building layouts for possible sales or lease of portions of the about 92-acre property, Wyoming City Manager Curtis Holt says the city’s goals have not changed — they want the land redeveloped into industrial uses to take advantage of already in-place infrastructure.
The city also continues to be motivated to work with businesses looking at the site, including tax incentives and other actions.
Wyoming City Manager Curtis Holt. (WKTV
“We are not looking for leasing options; we are looking for sales,” Holt said this week. “That doesn’t mean the Franklin Partners will not offer that as an option with them holding ownership of a particular site. The purpose of the marketing material is more about showing people what is possible and opening potential owners eyes to ideas that they may not have considered.”
Also according to Franklin Partners marketing materials, “The City of Wyoming is motivated to attract new jobs and can offer significant state and local tax incentives to attract large users to the site. … The City has also indicated that it is willing to provide an industrial facilities tax abatement (IFT) for future industrial development. This allows for a nearly 50% abatement of future property taxes on new buildings for up to twelve (12) years. The existence of both a brownfield plan and the City’s expressed willingness to work with future owners/tenants on these and other incentives sets this site apart from others.”
Holt says the incentives are also nothing new, as far as the city’s efforts to redevelop the site.
“This city has a track record of being very supportive of our business community,” Holt said. “We all have maintained the same principles about Site 36 from the very beginning. Our main goal is jobs, specifically quality jobs available to our residents. With jobs, other indirect benefits will be realized by the city.”
The site, with about 80 acres of “contiguous, shovel ready, manufacturing infrastructure,” according to Franklin Partners, is between Clay and Buchanan avenues south of 36th. According to multiple sources, it was purchased by the city’s Brownfield Redevelopment Authority in 2010, after GM closed the plant in 2006 ending nearly 70 years of operation.
According to Holt, the City Council has had no additional discussion with Franklin Partners “since the agreement was executed to work with them as the developer of the site,” but “I know that Franklin Partners is continuing to work on marketing, site preparation and generating potential contacts as they begin to market the site.”
Franklin reportedly plans to remove a pedestrian bridge over 36th Street, built to connect the GM plant to a parking lot north of 36th Street, as well as to clean up the site after years of accumulated undergrowth and debris.
One of the possible layouts of Site36 site off 36th Street SW in Wyoming, from the marketing material of Franklin Partners. (Supplied)
According to Franklin Partners marketing materials, the site — in addition to its access to US-131 and the Grand Elk Railroad yard — has its own Consumers Energy sub-station with up to 41 megawatt of dedicated power at T-1 rates, and can accommodate new facilities from 100,000 square feet up to 1,000,000 square feet. High-pressure natural gas and municipal water and sewer are also available on-site.
The city had been working with local entries The Right Place and NAI Wisinski, but, after being on the market for about four years, leaders expect that bringing Franklin Partners into the mix will get the effort moving once again.
“Franklin Partners’ history and reputation in West Michigan are very good,” Holt said. “We have worked with Franklin Partners on several projects and found them to be professional, knowledgeable and well connected. They have experience working with us and the projects we have worked together on have been extremely successful. We believe that relationship will assist us in redevelopment of the site.”
