Category Archives: Upcoming Events

Better lines, great line-up awaits Meijer Gardens summer concerts fans this season

3-bottom, Local Entertainment, Upcoming Events
A probably sold-out crowd that comes to Meijer Gardens Summer Concert series. (Supplied Meijer Gardens/Tony Norkus)

By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org

The most-anticipated aspect of the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park’s summer concert series is the quality and varied line-up but usually the least-anticipated aspect of the concerts was the lines to get in and after: the crush when the gates open, the lack of a (shall we say) ‘nearby’ line to the rest rooms, and the lines for the concessions.

This season, The Fifth Third Bank Summer Concerts at Meijer Gardens 2019 lineup will continue its great musical line-up featuring 30 shows ranging from the every-season sell-out of Lyle Lovett (whose summer concert streak will now be at 14 years) to the ‘Who is that?’ Garden’s debut of Mandolin Orange.

But Gardens upgrades will ease the other three issues, with more entry points due to extra gates in an expanded plaza area, an expanded and modernized concession area, and access to new and expanded restrooms first from the outside for those lined up and then from the inside.

The physical changes conclude a two-year effort of significant expansion and improvement of the venue while maintaining the intimacy of the venue, including the renovated the Steve & Amy Van Andel Terraces for sponsor seating, added new support areas for visiting artists, backstage and loading dock improvements and increased the space — but not capacity — in the 1,900-seat general seating area.

As usual, there will be multiple ways to lay down your money and get your tickets, in various technology forms, and not all of them require standing in lines. For all the details of the ticket options, which is its own separate story, check out The Insider’s Guide on the Meijer Gardens website (scroll down on the page to Insiders Guide to Buying Ticket and follow the link).

And now for the good stuff: who’s coming!

Let’s separate the list into who’s coming back for an encore, who’s into classic rock, and the who’s next in music whom you might want to catch up with — at least in my humble opinion.

Lyle Lovett keeps coming back to Meijer Gardens, and we sure appreciate it. (Supplied)

First the encores, at least a sampling of such: Lake Street Dive + The Wood Brothers, June 12; Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, June 27; An Evening with Lyle Lovett and his Large Band, July 26; Michael Franti & Spearhead, Aug. 23; and The B-52’s + OMD + Berlin, Sept. 11.

Foreigner will strut their stuff on Meijer Gardens’ outdoor stage. (Supplied/Foreigner)

The classic rock (and other classic) bands offering up their classic hits, from about 40 years of such things: Buddy Guy + Kenny Wayne Shepherd, June 10 (ya, I know it’s blues but classic blues.); Steve Miller Band + Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives, June 24; Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles, June 30 (as close as we’ll now ever get to the Fab Four); Three Dog Night, July 11; The Temptations + The Righteous Brothers, July 28 (OK, classic soul); An Evening with The Beach Boys, Aug. 1; An Evening with Styx, Aug. 9; Foreigner, Aug. 11; and Stray Cats, Aug. 15.

And for who’s coming that either you might want to check out or simply should not miss:

Nahko, at left, and his band. (Supplied/Meijer Gardens))

Nahko And Medicine For The People, June 6. Describing his latest release, “My Name is Bear”, Nahko says on his website: “So many dear people helped me write and live these stories. The two summers I spent in Alaska, half the winter in Louisiana and the other half holed up in my van in Portland, and then the first year in Hawaii were transformational.” Sounds to me like someone worth a listen.

Andrew Bird (Supplied/Meijer Gardens)

Andrew Bird, July 18. Bird has been around but if you missed his 2016 solo release “Are You Serious”, and the single “Capsized”, which got the most airplay, you missed a great multi-leveled, alt-whole bunch of things, collection which featured guest vocals from Fiona Apple and some fine shredding on his electric violin. His visit last year to Meijer Garden with Esperanza Spalding was, arguably, the hippest night of the season. More recently, Bird has released a series of site-specific improvisational short films and recordings called Echolocations, recorded in remote and acoustically interesting spaces including a reverberant stone-covered aqueduct in Lisbon. Ya, someone to definitely check out.
 

Los Lobos (Meijer Gardens)

The Mavericks + Los Lobos, July 25. I’ve yet to hear The Mavericks but they had me at Los Lobos. The hard working, constantly touring band – led by David Hidalgo, Louie Perez, Cesar Rosas, Conrad Lozano and Steve Berlin – rolled into their fifth decade with 2015’s “Gates of Gold”, their first full length studio album since 2010’s “Tin Can Trust”, the band’s outstanding Grammy nominated (for Best Americana Album) release that is constantly in my personal setlist. Can’t wait.

Mandolin Orange is singer-songwriter Andrew Marlin and multi-instrumentalist Emily Frantz. (Meijer Gardens)

Mandolin Orange, Sept. 4. Don’t know much about the the North Carolina duo of singer-songwriter Andrew Marlin and multi-instrumentalist Emily Frantz, but I really like what I’ve heard of their just released “Tides of a Teardrop” — described by one listener as “the duo’s fullest, richest, and most personal effort. You can hear the air between them — the taut space of shared understanding, as palpable as a magnetic field, that makes their music sound like two halves of an endlessly completing thought.”

The rest, and no offense to fans of, include: Rodrigo y Gabriela with Justin Townes Earle, June 9; Big Head Todd and The Monsters + Toad the Wet Sprocket, June 20; Old Crow Medicine Show, June 21; The Mighty O.A.R. Summer Tour 2019 with American Authors, June 26; Amos Lee, July 15; Gipsy Kings with Simi, July 21; Dawes + Margo Price, July 31 (Margo’s alt-country is worth the price of admission by herself); An Evening with CAKE, Aug. 7; Sarah McLachlan with Orchestra, Aug. 8; JJ Grey & Mofro + Jonny Lang, Aug. 14 (Same thing I said about Margo applies to Jonny); Tash Sultana with Leo James Conroy, Sept. 8; and Calexico and Iron & Wine, Sept. 18.

And a few details that remain the same

The Frederik Meijer Gardens Amphitheater tickets are general admission. Concertgoers are welcome to bring a blanket or low-rise chair to sit on. Low-rise chairs are defined as 12-inch maximum from ground to front of seat bottom and 32-inch maximum to top of chair back in highest position. These rules are strictly enforced. No other chairs will be permitted in the venue. A limited number of standard-height chairs will be available to rent for $10 (located in designated area-may not be removed) on a first-come, first-served basis.

All concerts take place rain or shine (weather delays possible). Concertgoers are also welcomed to bring their own food, sealed bottled water and non-alcoholic beverages in their original sealed containers.

Harmonious Darlingside to re-visit Spring Lake’s Save Steps Up on Monday, April 15

Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Upcoming Events,
Darlingside is bassist Dave Senft, guitarist and banjo player Don Mitchell, classical violinist and folk mandolinist Auyon Mukharji, and cellist and guitarist Harris Paseltiner. (supplied/Gaelle Beri)

WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org

If you haven’t seen and heard the harmonic perfection of the quartet Darlingside — maybe the best alt-folk band you may have never heard of — your missing something special if you can’t snag some tickets to the group’s performance at Seven Steps Up, Monday, April 15, in-between gigs at Toronto and Chicago.

The group, which visited the venue last year and hit the Meijer Gardens summer concert stage a couple years ago, are buzzing through West Michigan in support of their new EP Look Up & Fly Away, as well as their outstanding 2018 album Extralife. (And if you haven’t heard Extralife, you missed one of last year’s most best and original releases.)

Released on Feb. 22, Look Up & Fly Away is comprised of six songs selected from a handful of outtakes from Extralife and, according to supplied material, has the band “exploring the different stages of life and death and continuing to spotlight the group’s poetic and timeless ability to capture complex, ecumenical topics.

“Stretching the boundaries of traditional folk, chamber pop, baroque, progressive and indie rock, Darlingside melds various styles together to create something not easily categorized and very much their own.”

Like Extralife, the EP will undoubtedly feature Darlingside’s signature hypnotic harmonies — often using a single mic for the four voices, sparse instrumentation, and almost mystic songwriting — think space music that does not put you to sleep.

Darlingside, especially on Extralife, was said to be reminiscent of The Beach Boys, Fleet Foxes and Simon & Garfunkel. Rolling Stone Country said the album is, “…both fresh and familiar, like some throwback piece of orchestral folk-pop recently removed from the vault.”

The Extralife single “Hold Your Head Up High” was recently nominated for the 2019 “International Song of the Year” UK Americana Award.

Seven Steps Up, by the way, is a great small concert venue in Spring Lake, at 116 S. Jackson Street. While the concert is officially listed as a sold-out, it does not hurt to check, call 616-930-4755 or visit sevenstepsup.com . And there are plenty of great acts coming to the venue in the near future.

Kentwood to celebrate senior health and fitness at annual expo

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, Community Health, Going Local, Health, Senior Living, Upcoming Events
Kentwood’s annual Senior Expo is coming later this month. (Courtesy/Vista Springs Assisted Living)


By City of Kentwood

The Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department will host the 20th Annual Spotlight on Seniors Health & Fitness Expo in partnership with Georgetown Seniors on Tuesday, April 23 — an event which will include more than 70 vendors, free health screenings and lunch.

All are invited to connect with others, learn about local services, and enjoy free snacks, lunch, and giveaways at the free-to-attend event, which will take place from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Kentwood Activities Center, located at 355 48th St. SE.

“Our annual Spotlight on Seniors expo is about celebrating our seniors and connecting them with resources to promote healthy living,” said Lorraine Beloncis, Kentwood Parks and Recreation assistant director. “We are grateful for the opportunity to create a valuable and enriching experience for both familiar faces and new folks each year thanks to the support of our sponsors, vendors and the Georgetown Seniors.”

Attendees will be able to visit more than 70 vendors from a variety of senior-oriented businesses and receive free health screenings for balance, blood pressure, hearing and more. Door prizes, free snacks and a boxed lunch will also be offered.

“The strong partnership between Georgetown and Kentwood Seniors has allowed us to provide a truly resourceful event for both communities,” said Pam Haverdink, director of the Georgetown Senior Center. “This expo is a great opportunity for seniors to learn more about their health, inspire movement and fitness, and mingle with friends.”

Participating vendors include the Kentwood Police Department, AARP, Area Agency on Aging, Kent District Library and the Michigan Attorney General.  Others participating include professionals knowledgeable in everything from physical therapy and assisted living, to home improvement and legal aid.

“We are so thankful for our vendors,” said Haverdink. “They make the expo a fun and exciting event that seniors can look forward to every year.”

The gold sponsors of the 20th Annual Spotlight on Seniors Health & Fitness Expo are Sheldon Meadows Assisted Living Center, Health Bridge Post-Acute Rehabilitation and Ready Ride Transportation. Silver sponsors are Vista Springs Assisted Living Memory Care and We Care 4 U @ Home.

Expo organizers always welcome volunteers. Those interested should contact Beloncis at 616-656-5278 or beloncisl@kentwood.us.

Snapshots: Wyoming and Kentwood things to do this weekend, beyond

3-bottom, Local Entertainment, Recreation, Upcoming Events

By WKTV Staff
Ken@wktv.org

Quote of the Day

“I am going to keep having fun every day I have left, because there is no other way of life. You just have to decide whether you are a Tigger or an Eeyore.”
 
                                              ― Randy Pausch
Thompson Square is the husband-and-wife duo Keifer and Shawna Thompson. (Supplied)

A little Friday night music

The country duo Thompson Square makes at stop at the college’s Covenant Fine Arts Center, on Friday, April 5, at 8 p.m., for an acoustic — and tickets are just $25. For the complete story, visit here.



The poster for the film fest.

Catch the next ‘Roma’?

The Grand Rapids Latin American Film Festival will run this weekend, April 5-7, at the Wealthy Theatre, 1130 Wealthy St SE, Grand Rapids, with free admission but donations are appreciated. For the complete story, visit here.


Grammy Award winning country-swing band Asleep at the Wheel. (Supplied)

Roadtrippin’ Asleep at the Wheel

St. Cecilia Music Center’s Acoustic Café Folk series will present Asleep at the Wheel, 10 GRAMMY Award winners with more than 25 studio and live albums to their 48-year history, onThursday, April 11. For the complete story, visit here.



Fun fact:

50.88 Billion

Country amassed 50.88 billion streams in 2018, a 46 percent inflation over the 2017 numbers. That performance slightly outpaced the overall industry, which counted 901 billion streams, a 43 percent increase. (Source)

GoT — If you don’t get it, you don’t get it — premiere party at 20 Monroe Live

Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Movie Review, Upcoming Events
Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) will be playing out their final scenes in the final season of Game of Thrones. (Supplied/Helen Sloane/HBO)

By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org

There are few “sure things” about HBO’s Game of Thrones: somebody’s gonna die in every episode — and usually not in a nice way; even avid fans have been, shall we say, getting a little winterized as the series dragged on the last couple of years; and, finally, the series’ final season will be a monster. Or maybe a dragon.

So there will be plenty of anticipation, and a some shedding of blood if not tears, when 20 Monroe Live presents a Game of Thrones (GoT) Season 8 Premiere Watch Party on Sunday, April 14, with complimentary tickets available.

The all-ages party will include watching the episode on a really big screen, raffle giveaways, a LARP (Live Action Role Playing) Battle of the Living vs. Dead, a cosplay costume contest, GoT-themed drinks and wine, and a photo booth for those not fully comfortable with the selfie thing.

The doors will open at 7:30 p.m., with the GoT Season 8 Episode 1 set to air at 9 p.m. Those attending are urged to bring their own seat (camping chairs, bean bags, blankets, etc.) as, according to supplied material, “Our floor is concrete.”

While there has been an almost wartime blackout of info about the final season of Game of Thrones, HBO has announced that there will be a six-episode, 8th and final season, airing at 9 p.m. (ET) Sundays, April 14-May 19, exclusively on HBO.

An interesting thing about the planned episodes are that they are not uniform in length. The premier and second episodes will be 54 and 58 minutes long, respectively. But the final four will be about 1 hour and 20 minutes each. Haven’t read anything as to why the abnormalities.

Of course, GoT has made a habit of not really being normal.

Quick ‘catch up’, which I am sure is flawed

The epic fantasy series, based on an adaptation of “A Song of Ice and Fire”, George R. R. Martin’s series of fantasy novels, the first of which is “A Game of Thrones”, premiered on HBO in 2011.

Just in case you haven’t been a fan and plan to catch up as the creators wrap up the series’ many loose ends in the final season, Mr. Martin’s world includes the fictional continent of Westeros, where most of the action takes place.

It also has a huge — though often short-lived — cast of mostly great actors/actresses ( Diana Rigg and Max von Sydow have both paid their time in fantasyland) and more storylines than you can shake a big, ol’ sword at.

But, basically, it has three main “story arcs.” The first arc is about the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, and the open and secret battles to control it — hint, there are few good guys trying to sit on the throne. The second focuses on the dragon lady —er, Daenerys Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons (Emilia Clarke) — descendant of the realm’s deposed ruling dynasty. And, the third, the Night’s Watch, a group of soldiers guarding a huge wall against “wildlings” and the undead — and, no, it is not some metaphor for current American politics. I don’t think …

Anyway, the show has a ton of characters who come and go with some degree of regularity and violence — although at least two, maybe more, have died and come back got life.

Samwell Tarly (John Bradley) (Supplied/Helen Sloane/HBO)
Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) (Supplied/Helen Sloane/HBO)

And that brings us to a key question for the premiere episode of the final season: just which character is going to die?

I think the early favorite is the brainy but not very sexy Samwell Tarly (John Bradley), but my money is on the sexy but not very brainy “Kingslayer” Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau); he has done his final real task, impregnating his twin sister and current ruler of Westeros to continue the Lannister dynasty.

Oh, did I mention the nudity and sex? Remember, its HBO.

The details, should you need them

20 Monroe Live is located at 11 Ottawa Ave NW, Grand Rapids (attached to The BoB). To get your complimentary ticket (and a gift, we are told, as well as an extra raffle entry) visit here. To simply reserve your ticket from 20 Monroe, visit here or email RSVP20MonroeLive@LiveNation.com .

GVSU professor to talk on ‘belief change’ and its impact at Wealthy Theater

Area Education, Community Health, Education, Entertainment, Health, Non-Profits, Upcoming Events,
Dr. Michael Wolfe (Supplied/GVSU)

By WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org

Grand Valley State University professor of psychology Dr. Michael Wolfe will present a lecture “Are we aware of our belief changes, and does it matter?” at the Wealthy Theater Annex front studio on Wednesday, April 10, at 7 p.m., in an event hosted by the Center for Inquiry (CFI) Michigan.

This event is free and open to the public. Suggested donation of $5. The Wealthy Theatre Annex is located at 1110 Wealthy Street SE, Grand Rapids. For more information, visit here, and to learn about CFI Michigan, visit cfimichigan.org.

According to supplied information, Dr. Wolfe will describe recent research on belief change and the extent to which we are aware of changes to our beliefs.

A belief is defined as a statement about the truth value of something. Participants rate their beliefs on a subject. Later they read a one-sided text that is either consistent with or inconsistent with those beliefs, then are asked to try and remember how they rated those beliefs earlier. Awareness of belief change is found if subjects change their beliefs as a result of reading, and then can accurately report that they believed something different before the experiment.

 
The researchers also examine individual variation in people’s awareness of their belief changes to see if it relates to performance on other tasks. In particular, is it the case that people who are more aware of changes to their own beliefs are also more willing to seek out new information about the topic, while people who are less aware of their belief changes are less willing to seek out new information?

Dr. Wolfe will describe new research on people’s awareness of changes to their health status. Patients who participated in a longitudinal study of bariatric (weight loss) surgery rated their health every year for several years. They also rated how they perceived their health to have changed over the past year. The combination of these ratings makes it possible to examine the accuracy of their perceived changes in their health.

 
Dr. Wolfe is professor of psychology at Grand Valley State University and incoming chair of the Psychology Department. Dr. Wolfe received his PhD in cognitive psychology from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Much of his research involves studies on reading comprehension and memory. In recent years, he has studied how and when beliefs may change as a result of reading, and the extent to which people are aware of these changes.

 
According to supplied information, the Center for Inquiry (CFI) Michigan is an Educational 501(c)3 Nonprofit that promotes and defends reason, science and freedom of inquiry in all areas of human endeavor.

On Tap: ‘Beer City Eats’ on WKTV, a party in Cedar Springs, artful pours in Muskegon

3-bottom, Beer, Going Local, Local Entertainment, Local Food, Upcoming Events
Local beer and food pairings are the focus of “Beer City Eats.” (Supplied/Beer City USA)

By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
 
‘Beer City Eats’, an eight-episode video series launched last month as part of Experience Grand Rapids’ Beer Month GR, is now running on WKTV Community Media’s cable television channels.

DJ Adrian “AB” Butler (Supplied)

Grand Rapids designer, musician and DJ Adrian “AB” Butler is your tour guide for Beer City Eats, according to supplied information. The series focuses on how Grand Rapids’ beer reputation has elevated the food scene to a nationally-recognized level. In each episode, “AB” interviews local brewmasters, chefs, and owners to highlight the unique and delicious dishes available at local breweries, unveiling what makes each spot a favorite among locals.

“It’s awesome to see how every brewery approaches their food in completely different ways,” Butler said in supplied information. “It’s clear that the food (in Grand Rapids) is just as important as the beer. At the highest level, they are passionate about the quality of both the beer and the food.”

The short-form video programs began on WKTV recently, after our Golden Gloves boxing coverage, but is now in regular random rotation. To see the videos on-demand, visit experiencegr.com/beer-city-eats .


Cedar Springs Brewing to host ‘Starkbierfest’, sausage party

Cedar Springs Brewing Company will host its 4th annual Starkbierfest — its “strong beer festival” — on Saturday, April 6, from 3-9 p.m., with live music, and beer, and food, and beer, and a sausage party, and beer … you get the idea.

The rain-or-shine event will have a heated tent (although latest weather reports say it may not be needed) with live music headlined by Jimmie Stagger, limited beer releases, and — because (wo)man does not live by beer alone — a sausage party.

Besides the famous Oktoberfest, Starkbierfest (“Strong Beer Festival”) is the second biggest German beer festival time during the year, according to supplied information. Historically, monks brewed strong beer, or Bockbier, which was higher in calories and a bit stronger to substitute for food during Lenten fasting.

If you not into the Bockbier, Cedar Springs has its usual assortment of good pours, including the Küsterer Pale Bock (Bavarian pale lager bock), Buffalo Trace Bourbon Barrel Aged Märzen, Buffalo Trace Bourbon Barrel Aged Küsterer (amber lager) as well as cask releases including a Küsterer Bohemian Pilsner and … my favorite when I swing by the brewery which I’m an original member of … the Küsterer original Weissbier.

The sausage party will include Dearborn Kielbasa and a Fontanini Italian sausage, we are told.

The music will have Dave Slivinski’s German/folk sounds from 2-4 p.m., the Aaron Dussing Duo playing German/folk from 4:30-6:30 p.m., and great Bluesman Jimmie Stagger from 7-9 p.m. or until the place runs out of beer.

For more information on the Cedar Springs Brewing and its Starkbierfest, or visit csbrew.com .

Muskegon Museum of Art goes on-tap and uncorked

The Muskegon Museum of Art will hold its annual On Tap & Uncorked fundraiser night at the museum — a Michigan beer, wine and food tasting event — on Friday, April 12, from 6-9 p.m. (By the way, I know from experience that only a limited number of tickets are sold to keep the crowd manageable.)

According to supplied information, the local breweries involved include Big Hart, Cellar, Fetch, Grand Armory, Pigeon Hill, Stormcloud and Unruly. (I can personally vouch for the beers of Sparta’s Cellar Brewing Co. and Muskegon’s own Unruly Brewing Co.) Wineries include Lemon Creek, St. Julian and Twisted Creek; and hard cider will be present from Ridge Cider Co. Restaurants bringing their food include Applebees, Dr. Rolf’s Barbeque, Hank’s Tavern, Hearthstone, Se4sons Gastro Pub and Village Baker.

Advance tickets are $35, or $40 at the door (if it is not sold out).

For more information on MMA events, and/or tickets for the On Tap & Uncorked night, visit the MMA museum store at 296 W. Webster Ave., call 231-720-2580, or visit the museum’s website.

By the way, there are a pair of concerts planned at the museum. On Saturday, April 27, at 7 p.m., the folk duo of Kane & Gellert will take the stage. Kieran Kane has been referred to as “the godfather of Americana music”. Then later in the spring, two-time Grammy winner Laurence Juber will take the stage on Friday, June 14, at 7 p.m. Juber was first recognized internationally as lead guitarist in Paul McCartney’s band Wings, and has since established himself as guitar virtuoso, composer and arranger, and concert performer, according to someone I read somewhere.

‘Ralph W. Hauenstein: A Life of Leadership’ extended to April 14 at GRPM

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Faces, Local History, Non-Profits, Upcoming Events, ,


By Grand Rapids Public Museum


A Life of Leadership explores the extraordinary life of Grand Rapidian Ralph W. Hauenstein. COL Hauenstein was a leader in the West Michigan community, remembered for his role as a journalist, his military and intelligence service, his dedication to the Catholic faith, his entrepreneurship, and his philanthropy in Grand Rapids. Hauenstein left a lasting legacy in the United States and around the world.


Born in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1912, Hauenstein’s family moved to Grand Rapids when he was 12 years old and he graduated from Central High School in 1931. He was a public servant from his early years starting as a boy scout. Hauenstein was curious, inquisitive, and an exceptional storyteller, which led him to his first job as a police reporter for the Grand Rapids Press and later as a city editor with the Grand Rapids Herald.


Hauenstein joined the U.S. Army in 1935, serving first with the Civilian Conservation Corps. In 1941 he began working as an intelligence officer in Iceland and rose to the rank of colonel. During World War II, he was promoted to Chief of Intelligence for the European Theater of Operations under General Dwight D. Eisenhower. An important part of his experience was the liberation of the German concentration camp at Dachau. His WWII experiences opened his eyes to the need for ethical, effective world leaders.


Hauenstein saw first-hand that many countries face food shortages. After the war he returned to Grand Rapids and became an entrepreneur in international trade and food equipment manufacturing, designing equipment to make Goldfish Crackers. His success in business allowed for substantial philanthropic contributions in Grand Rapids. He gave generously to many local causes and established the Grace Hauenstein Library at Aquinas College, Mercy Health Hauenstein Neuroscience Center and the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies at Grand Valley State University.


The exhibition highlights Hauenstein’s extraordinary life, his contributions to our nation and community, and his legacy of leadership. Interactives allow visitors to test out writing a headline for the newspaper on an antique typewriter and try their hand at cracking a secret code. Photography from around the world brings visitors face-to-face with Hauenstein’s impact globally.


Ralph W. Hauenstein: A Life of Leadership is included with general admission to the Museum, and located on the Museum’s third floor.


This exhibition is made possible through the generous support of: The Hauenstein Family and The Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies at Grand Valley State University. Images and objects on loan courtesy of Brian Hauenstein unless otherwise stated. The images in this exhibition were first digitized for public display by the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies at Grand Valley State University. Thank you also to the National Cryptologic Museum, NSA, Washington D.C.
E

Scott Moreau returns for Johnny Cash concert April 12 & 13

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Upcoming Events, ,
Scott Moreau (photo supplied)

By Courtney Sheffer, West Michigan Tourist Association


Farmers Alley Theatre welcomes Scott Moreau back to West Michigan for a special, one-weekend only concert event: LATE & ALONE: An Intimate Portrait of Johnny Cash April 12th & 13th.


Farmers Alley audiences will remember Scott from the record-breaking production of Million Dollar Quartet at the Little Theatre on Oakland Drive in December of 2016. Scott directed that sold-out run and pulled double duty as he portrayed the Man in Black himself, Johnny Cash.


Moreau comes to Kalamazoo direct from his sold-out performance at New York City’s famed 54 Below. Using anecdotes from his autobiography, multiple interviews, and live concerts, Scott tells Johnny’s story with his own words and songs. Featuring more than 20 songs from Johnny’s 40+ years in the music business, Moreau creates a stripped down look into the life of this American icon.

“Moreau channels the Man in Black and then some. He unleashes a voice that possesses not just Cash’s deep, rumbling, sepulchral timbre but also an astonishing power. This guy seems like he could knock down a brick wall just by singing at it.”

Boston Globe


LATE & ALONE: An Intimate Portrait of Johnny Cash has just two performances, April 12th & 13th at 8pm. Seating will be limited at the original black-box space at 221 Farmers Alley, so make your ticket reservations quickly by calling our Box Office at (269) 343-2727 or visiting www.farmersalleytheatre.com. Tickets are $30 general admission and $10 for students.

Alternatives in Motion ‘Wheel Run Together’ 5k at GVSU this weekend

3-bottom, Community Health, Kids Activities, Non-Profits, Sports, Upcoming Events
Alternatives in Motion’s Wheel Run Together 5K Run/Walk fundraiser from a previous year. (Supplied/Alternatives in Motion)

By WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org

The local non-profit Alternatives in Motion — whose mission state is to “enhance independence through access to mobility equipment — invites the public to run, walk or hand cycle your way through Grand Valley State University’s campus in Allendale this Saturday, April 6, for its Wheel Run Together 5K Run/Walk fundraiser.

All proceeds go directly to support the organization, which aids in donating and refurbishing wheelchairs to individuals and families in need.

For a late 2017 WKTV In Focus video interview with the group, see this YouTube link.

“Nothing is more powerful than the gift of independence and mobility, so come out to support a wonderful cause put on by students in the physical therapy program at GVSU,” states a supplied press release.

The event will take place at 1110 Kirkhof Center, 1 Campus Drive, on GVSU’s Allendale campus. In addition to the run, there will be raffles, prizes, music, snacks, drinks, and more. The cost is $25 per person with events starting at 10 a.m. and ending at 1 p.m. Online registration ends April 5.

Registration and additional race information can be found at the following Facebook link.

For more information on Alternatives in Motion, visit their website here.

Whitecaps open season, plan Hispanic/Latino fan engagement games

3-bottom, Kids Activities, Local Entertainment, Recreation, Sports, Upcoming Events,
The West Michigan Whitecaps will soon begin play at Fifth Third Ballpark. (Supplied/West Michigan Whitecaps)

By WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org

The Detroit Tigers have already throw out the first pitch of the 2019 season, with the local West Michigan Whitecaps ready to do so Thursday, with their first pitch at home on Saturday, April 6. But the Whitecaps have a little something special planned for their Saturday, May 11, home game — a little lanzamiento descontrolado (wild pitch, in the Spanish).

The West Michigan Whitecaps will become “Las Calaveras de West Michigan” —The Skulls of West Michigan — for three games during the 2019 season, all on Saturdays: May 11, July 13, and Aug. 17.

These games will be centered on “celebrating the Hispanic/Latino culture and the influence it has had on America’s pastime,” according to supplied material.

“Our desire is to reflect the community, whether it’s our game-day employees, our front office or our fans,” Whitecaps President Steve McCarthy said in supplied material. “The core values of this community reflect the core values of Minor League Baseball – family, community, entertainment and tradition. This is an opportunity for us to grow.”

At the games, fans will enjoy sugar skull decorating, face painting, authentic food and music, games and more when Las Calaveras de West Michigan take the field in alternative uniforms focused on the Calaveras.

Calaveras, or skulls, are an important part of Hispanic culture. Skulls made out of sugar are decorated and used during Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a festive and colorful Latin holiday that originated in Mexico thousands of years ago, during which families celebrate the lives and legacies of deceased relatives. The uplifting holiday recognizes death as something to celebrate as part of the cycle of life.

The Calaveras logo is a unique take on a sugar skull, viewed at an angle to suggest motion and competitiveness as the team swings for the fences. Inside the decorative skull logo are subtle references to the Whitecaps and West Michigan. The eyes are baseballs inside the 616 West Michigan area code; also look for baseball bats, home plate, a W and M, the team’s original logo from the 1990s, and seagulls and waves representing the Lake Michigan shoreline.

 
With its Las Calaveras de West Michigan nights, the Whitecaps will be one of 72 minor league teams participating in the 2019 “Copa de la Diversion,” or “Fun Cup,” an Hispanic/Latino fan engagement initiative.

“This program is aimed at connecting the teams to their communities,” McCarthy said. “For the Whitecaps, it’s allowing us to both demonstrate our commitment to diversity and provide a wide selection of fan engagement offerings.”

 
The Copa de la Diversion initiative seeks to connect MiLB teams with their diverse communities, embracing the culture and values that resonate most with Hispanics and Latinos. The initiative launched with 33 participating teams in 2018 to great success and overwhelmingly positive feedback, and the program is more than doubling in size to 72 teams for its second season.

For more information about Calaveras de West Michigan, or to buy tickets or merchandise, please visit this link.

The Whitecaps open their 26th season on Thursday, April 4 at 7:05 p.m. at the South Bend Cubs. The home opener is set for Saturday, April 6 at 4 p.m. also against the Cubs. Complete ticket information, including season and group ticket prices and perks, is available at this link.

Tune in for a special NASA launch, April 17

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Hard News, Upcoming Events, , ,
Roger B. Chaffee (photo supplied)

By Kelly Taylor, WKTV


Tune in to WKTV Government 26 for our upcoming Special Programming Events from NASA TV! On Wednesday, April 17, we will be featuring the launch of the newest Northrup Grumman Cygnus Cargo Craft, the S.S. Roger Chaffee, to the International Space Station.

 
Named after hometown hero Roger B. Chaffee, who died in the Apollo 1 spacecraft fire, the space station resupply craft will deliver several tons of cargo, including food, supplies and live mice for scientific experiments.


Coverage begins at 4:15pm, with the launch scheduled for 4:46pm from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

S.S. Roger Chaffee (photo supplied)

Then be watching Friday, April 19, for the rendezvous and capture of the S.S. Roger Chaffee to the ISS. Coverage begins at 4am, with the capture scheduled at 5:30am. Installation of the craft to the Unity Module of the Space Station starts at 7am.


For more information on NASA TV or the International Space Station, log on to www.nasa.gov. NASA TV can be seen on the WKTV 26 Government Channelon Comcast and AT&T U-verse 99 Government Channel 99.

Breakfast with the Easter Bunny coming to Kentwood Activities Center 

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, Holidays, Kids Activities, Recreation, Upcoming Events
The Easter bunny will be making a return visit to Kentwood on April 20. (WKTV File Photo)

By City of Kentwood

The Easter Bunny will make an early appearance in the City of Kentwood this year to meet and enjoy breakfast with families on Saturday, April 20, at the Kentwood Activities Center.

A pancake breakfast with juice and coffee will be served from 9-11 a.m. When families arrive, there will be music to enjoy and an art project for children.

An opportunity to take meet and take photos with the bunny will be offered from 10-11 a.m. Guests are asked to bring their own camera for pictures.
 

“We are delighted to welcome spring with our ‘Breakfast with the Bunny’ event this year,” said Val Romeo, director of Kentwood Parks and Recreation. “All are invited to enjoy hot cakes and activities with Peter Cottontail.”

Tickets are $5 in advance or $7 at the door. Breakfast is free for kids age 5 or younger.

The Kentwood Activities Center is located at 355 48th St. SE. More information about the event is available online at this link.

Snapshots: Wyoming, Kentwood news you ought to know — weekend edition

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Kids Activities, Local Faces, Non-Profits, Our Cities, Pets/Animals, Upcoming Events, , ,

By WKTV Staff

victoria@wktv.org

Quote of the Day

“Do not put all your eggs in one basket.”

― Warren Buffet

Hop to it!

Make them funny bunny photos
(and why not?)

Sheesh. Was that a long winter or what? Time to get out and celebrate — and here are some fun ideas. The Mad Hatter Tea Party, an Enchanted Spring Party with Mermaids and Unicorns and family pet photos with the bunny are all in store at Woodland Mall — and the fun starts this weekend. Shoppers will also find the latest spring fashion trends to freshen their wardrobes. Read more here.



Expande tus horizontes

Mark your calendar for April 4-5 — and get down to Wealthy Theatre for Grand Rapids Latin American Film Festival (GRLAFF). This year, GRLAFF will showcase eight feature-length films from Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay and the Dominican Republic, plus​ Una mujer fantástica (​A Fantastic Woman), a 2018 Oscar-winning film from Chile. More info here. En español aqui.



Give the kids a break

Rock climbing, art, bounce houses, swimming, and fitness are just a few of the family–friendly activity options available at The Salvation Army Kroc Center during Spring Break 2019. More here.


Fun fact:

1904

The first year scientific literature described fainting goats.





‘Sheets of Sand’ premieres in Traverse City April 29th

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Upcoming Events, , ,

By Rich Brauer


The world premiere of Sheets of Sand, based on Northville native Natalie Lomske’s winning screenplay, hits the big screen Monday, April 29th at the State Theatre in Traverse City. The story centers on a young woman with mild Cerebral Palsy and her emerging self-confidence in a world of prejudice and judgment.


Lomske’s script was jury-selected by 19 film professionals from a field of 34 entries in ProjectCinemaMI.org‘s competition. She received $500 and the opportunity to have her script crafted into a short film by Brauer Productions, Inc. Project Cinema MI created the competition to offer writers the chance to share their work and compete in this unique project.


During production, six professional film department heads mentored nine interns from the TBA Career Tech Center, NMC Audio Technology Department and other enthusiastic individuals. Interns learned the physical, mental, creative and social skills required to produce a dramatic film.


In addition to the film, there will be a screening of a short behind-the-scenes video created by UpNorth TV. A lively Q & A will follow with the producers.

  • When: Monday, April 29, 2019, 6-7pm
  • Where: State Theatre, Traverse City
  • Tickets are $5

All proceeds will be divided between:

  • Disability Network Northern Michigan
  • PCMI for future projects.
  • The State Theatre

ProjectCinemaMI.org is non-profit community filmmaking project that focuses on a hands-on experience that teaches the filmmaking process to all ages and skill levels. The goal is to promote cultural/art enrichment and professional development through an active learning environment run by professional filmmakers and is made possible from generous contributions from supportive Traverse City individuals and businesses.


For more information about this non-profit project, visit: www.ProjectCinemaMI.org.

GR Latin American Film Festival offers ‘Cinema Without Borders’

Citizen Journalism, Local Faces, Upcoming Events, , , ,

By Emily Hunsberger, Tertulia


Maybe you’re looking for a break from scrolling through tiny images and social media posts on your smartphone screen. Maybe you watched Roma on Netflix and have some lingering questions.


We’re more connected to the world than ever, but we consume foreign media in isolation; what’s missing is context. Enter the Grand Rapids Latin American Film Festival (GRLAFF) — ‘Cinema Without Borders’


Winner of the 2018 Grandy for Outstanding Art Event (Judge’s Choice), GRLAFF is returning for its ninth season to provide opportunities for dialogue across cultures and to enrich the social fabric of our community. GRAFF offers the West Michigan community a platform in which to engage with some of the most recent, award-winning films from Latin America — through striking imagery and long-form storytelling on the big screen, and also face-to-face interactions with film directors, local speakers, and fellow Festival attendees.


“I’m excited to see how audiences will respond to what we have planned for 2019,” said Mayra Fortes, a Grand Valley State University professor and co-chair of the GRLAFF Organizing Committee.


“Every year, more and more people from the community attend the Festival, and the organizers love to hear how much they enjoy the event — from the films themselves to the discussions and the food,” Fortes added.


This year, GRLAFF will showcase eight feature-length films from Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay and the Dominican Republic, plus​ Una mujer fantástica (​A Fantastic Woman), a 2018 Oscar-winning film from Chile.

Friday evening, festival-goers can interact with Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias, a director from the Dominican Republic, after the showing of his film ​Cocote. Cocote is the story of Alberto, a kind-hearted gardener who returns home to attend his father’s funeral, but quickly faces a dilemma when he realizes that he’s been summoned by his family to avenge his father’s murder.


On Saturday evening, audience members will meet Daresha Kyi, the co-director of ​Chavela. The award-winning documentary, a co-production between the United States and Mexico, is a portrait of the beloved Costa Rican singer Chavela Vargas, whose interpretations of Mexican ​ranchera songs endeared her to audiences, even as her unconventional life challenged societal norms.

Panel discussions will follow several of the features, and local experts will weigh in on some of the themes brought to light in the films. GRLAFF 2019 will also revive a tradition — screening a selection of award-winning short films from Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, and Venezuela on Saturday at noon in the main auditorium.


Latin American-style refreshments prepared by local restaurants will be available both days, and festival-goes can mingle with directors, speakers, and fellow audience members in the lobby.


The Festival is free and includes kids’ programming — an animated film from Colombia, ​El libro de Lila (​Lila’s Book), on Saturday morning in the main auditorium and a series of live puppet shows both afternoons in the Koning Micro-Cinema.

  • What: Grand Rapids Latin American Film Festival
  • When: April 5-7, 2019
  • Where: Wealthy Theatre, 1130 Wealthy St SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506
  • Admission: Free to the public; donations are appreciated (grlaff.org/donate)
  • See the schedule here

Visit the Festival website and follow the Festival on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for updates, using the handle @GRLAFF and the hashtag #GRLAFF2019.

Woodland Mall brings on spring this weekend with bunny photos, family events

Entertainment, Going Local, Kids Activities, Local Business, Upcoming Events
Woodland Mall will begin their season of the Bunny (photos) this weekend. (Supplied Graphic)

By Woodland Mall

Woodland Mall is preparing for the arrival of spring by hosting a series of events to help shoppers welcome spring with beautiful displays, special events, fashion, dining and entertainment options for those looking to celebrate with family or friends, and even pets.

The Mad Hatter Tea Party, an Enchanted Spring Party with Mermaids and Unicorns and family pet photos with the bunny are all in store at Woodland Mall in the coming weeks. Shoppers will also find the latest spring fashion trends to freshen their wardrobes.

“After an especially harsh end of winter, the arrival of spring could not be more welcome,” said Cecily McCabe, Woodland Mall marketing director. “Woodland Mall is pleased to provide fashion trends and family-friendly events that are fitting for the holidays year-round.”

Bunny photos begin Saturday, March 30, with two new fresh photo options and will be available for photos in Macy’s Court through Saturday, April 20. New this year, a second photo backdrop will be available for spring family photos in addition to traditional bunny photos. Pets are welcome to take part in family photos all day Mondays. For photo hours and pricing, please visit shopwoodlandmall.com.

For the more whimsical at heart, families can also attend the Mad Hatter Tea Party on Saturday, March 30, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event takes a fun and interactive twist on the Lewis Carroll classic story, to make photos with the bunny even more magical.

The Alice in Wonderland-themed tea party will include a special story time event presented by Barnes & Noble, sing-a-long songs, spring-themed crafts and coloring activities. Guests will receive a free gift with purchase of bunny photo. Tickets for the event are free but spots do fill up quickly, so those interested are asked to reserve a ticket online.

Members of the mall’s rewards program, PREIT Perks, receive an exclusive treat during the event: face painting. To sign up for PREIT Perks, find a kiosk in Woodland Mall or visit Woodland Mall online.

Also, for little ones who love mermaids and unicorns, be sure to mark the calendar for the Enchanted Spring Party on Saturday, April 13. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Macy’s Court, children will have the opportunity to meet a real mermaid and pose for an under-the-sea-themed photo, ride a unicorn and create a craft to take home.

The Bunny will also be available for photos during the event. Attendees who purchase a bunny or mermaid photo will receive a free gift. More information can be found online.

Festival de Cine trae un poco de Latino América al oeste de Michigan por un fin de semana

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Upcoming Events, ,

Por Emily Hunsberger, Tertulia


Es difícil evitar el tema de las fronteras, ya que está en las noticias, las redes sociales y las mentes y bocas del público. A veces parecería que las divisiones sociales son grietas que se hacen cada vez más profundas, y los puentes brillan por su ausencia. Si al leer esto usted está asintiendo con la cabeza, le invitamos a marcar en su calendario las fechas del próximo Festival de Cine Latinoamericano de Grand Rapids (GRLAFF, por sus siglas en inglés), que tendrá lugar del 5 al 7 de abril del 2019. 


Ganador del Premio Grandy 2018 al mejor evento artístico del año, el GRLAFF anuncia su novena temporada con un nuevo lema: “Cine Sin Fronteras”. Los organizadores eligieron esta frase porque refleja el deseo de propiciar el diálogo entre culturas y enriquecer el tejido social de la comunidad. Con esto en mente, el GRLAFF le presenta a la comunidad del Oeste de Michigan la oportunidad de vivir una experiencia inolvidable, no solo a través de imágenes impresionantes e historias singulares proyectadas en la pantalla gigante, sino también mediante la interacción personal con directores de películas, panelistas locales y otros miembros del público que asiste al Festival.


Durante el primer fin de semana de abril, el Festival inundará el Wealthy Theatre en Grand Rapids con figuras, sonidos y sabores de América Latina. “Estoy ansiosa por ver cómo responde el público a lo que tenemos planeado para 2019”, dice Mayra Fortes, profesora de Grand Valley State University y co-presidenta del Comité Organizador del GRLAFF. “Cada año, más personas de la comunidad asisten al Festival, y a los organizadores nos encanta escuchar cuánto disfrutaron el evento – desde las propias películas hasta los diálogos y la comida”. En el auditorio principal del teatro, a lo largo de tres días el Festival presentará ocho largometrajes, elegidos con mucho cuidado, de Brasil, Colombia, Ecuador, México, Paraguay y la República Dominicana, además del filme chileno Una mujer fantástica, que ganó el Oscar a la mejor película extranjera en el 2018.


Varios de los filmes este año serán seguidos por paneles con expertos locales sobre los temas puestos de relieve en las películas. El GRLAFF 2019 también revivirá una tradición de temporadas anteriores al presentar una selección de cortometrajes galardonados de Argentina, México, Chile, Colombia y Venezuela, el sábado a mediodía en el auditorio principal. Cada día habrá una oportunidad de probar bocadillos latinoamericanos preparados por restaurantes locales y de dialogar con directores, panelistas y otros miembros del público en el área de recepción del teatro.


No se pierda la oportunidad de conocer al director dominicano Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias, quien presentará su película Cocote el viernes por la tarde. Cocote cuenta la historia de Alberto, un jardinero evangélico que regresa a su pueblo natal para asistir al entierro de su padre, pero que dentro de poco cae en cuenta de que éste fue asesinado y su familia lo ha llamado para vengar su muerte. El sábado por la tarde, el Festival contará con la presencia de Daresha Kyi, co-directora de Chavela. El documental, una coproducción entre Estados Unidos y México, es un retrato de la cantante costarricense Chavela Vargas, querida primero en México y más tarde en todo el mundo por su interpretación de rancheras tradicionales, a pesar de que su estilo de vida y su apariencia no encajaban con las normas sociales del día.


Estas oportunidades especiales de dialogar con directores visitantes son una de las cosas que más valoran los miembros de la comunidad que año tras año asisten al GRLAFF. “El Festival es importante porque es muy raro que veamos películas hechas por y para latinoamericanos”, dice Erika Carolina VanDyke, Coordinadora de Comunicaciones del Latino Community Coalition, una coalición de organizaciones basada en Grand Rapids. El año pasado, VanDyke asistió a la presentación de la película colombiana Jericó, y disfrutó de la sesión de preguntas y respuestas con la directora, Catalina Mesa. “El poder escuchar a la señorita Mesa, una paisana mía, y conocerla después, fue una experiencia que no olvidaré. Su película y su presencia hicieron que Colombia se sintiera un poco más cerca de Grand Rapids”, añade.


Si busca entretener a sus chiquillos y ofrecerles una conexión con la cultura latinoamericana, pues ¿por qué no traerlos al GRLAFF 2019? La asistencia al estreno de eventos para niños en el 2018 superó las expectativas de los organizadores, y un asistente al Festival comentó que “la programación para niños fue genial”. A petición del público, el Festival ha ampliado su programación para familias y la ofrecerá tanto el sábado como el domingo. Se presentará una película colombiana de dibujos animados, El libro de Lila, el sábado por la mañana en el auditorio principal, y un espectáculo de títeres en vivo, ambos días por la tarde en el micro-cine.


Como es de costumbre, el Festival es gratuito para toda la comunidad, gracias a la generosidad de los socios y patrocinadores de GRLAFF, y a las donaciones de parte del público. Los interesados pueden hacer su donación en persona durante el Festival, o por internet en grlaff.org/donate. La cantidad sugerida es de $5.00.


¿Qué? Festival de Cine Latinoamericano de Grand Rapids

¿Cuándo? 5-7 de abril de 2019

¿Dónde? Wealthy Theatre, 1130 Wealthy St SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506

Costo de entrada: Gratis

Más información: www.grlaff.org.


Asegúrese de visitar el sitio web del Festival para planear su visita y de seguir al Festival en Twitter, Facebook y Instagram para mantenerse al día con las novedades, siempre con el nombre de usuario @GRLAFF y el hashtag #GRLAFF2019.

Tigers world champions to be guests at local sports commission luncheon

Non-Profits, Sports, Upcoming Events
Alan Trammell (Supplied)

By WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org

The Detroit Tigers regular season baseball schedule starts this week on the road at Toronto, and the West Michigan Whitecaps will throw out their home first pitch on April 6, but it will take a while for the local baseball frenzy to be in full swing — say about mid-May.

While the 2019 Tigers will likely still be in their rebuilding mode, West Michigan fans can relive a World Series winning season when Alan Trammell, Baseball Hall of Famer and 1984 World Series MVP, along with fellow series veteran Kirk Gibson, will be the featured guests at the 13th Annual West Michigan Sports Commission Luncheon on Tuesday, May 21.

This season’s annual sports must-attend event will be held in downtown Gran Rapids, in the International Ballroom of the JW Marriott Hotel, 235 Louis Campau Promenade NW, starting at noon.

 
While it has been 35 years since the 1984 Detroit Tigers World Championship season, and six seasons since Michigan’s home team last played in the World Series — alas, a 4-0 sweep by San Francisco Giants in 2012 — the WMSC luncheon will bring the two ’84 championship teammates and close friends back together to share their storied championship season with local fans.

Kirk Gibson (Supplied)

According to supplied information, Gibson has several stories from when he first met Trammel, from Gibson’s draft year in 1978, “through the early ‘80’s as beloved Tigers Coach Sparky Anderson recognized the nucleus of a work-hard, ‘play-hard’ group of all-stars.”

 
Gibson, who was the commission luncheon’s featured speaker at its 10th annual luncheon, will introduce this year’s featured speaker Trammel.

 
As with past years, this luncheon serves as a fundraiser as well as a progress report for the West Michigan Sports Commission non-profit organization, which promotes and hosts youth and amateur sporting events in the region “for economic enhancement, healthy living and creating a vibrant community through sport,” according to supplied material.

 
Reservations can be made by contacting Angie Cena at 616-608-1842 or acena@westmisports.com.  A table of eight is $750, and single tickets are $100 per person. Luncheon information is also available online by visiting this link.

Get your tickets now for ‘Asleep at the Wheel’, April 11th at St. Cecilia

Entertainment, Non-Profits, Upcoming Events,

Asleep at the Wheel’s current line-up is a mix o f founding members and new faces. (Supplied)

By St. Cecilia Music Center

St. Cecilia Music Center (SCMC) has added another concert to their 2018-19 Acoustic Café Folk series. Asleep at the Wheel, 10 GRAMMY Award winners with more than 25 studio and live albums to their 48-year history, will perform on April 11, 2019. Don’t miss out — get your tickets today.

The band will return to St. Cecilia with a new recording in their playlist. New Routes marks both a new path forward and a nod to the freewheeling roots of one of Texas’ most beloved bands.

After a decade of collaborating on records with friends, including Willie Nelson on 2009’s Willie and the Wheel, and paying ongoing tribute to the groundbreaking music of Western Swing pioneer Bob Wills, the Wheel is marking 2018 with their first album of new material in a decade.

With a fresh lineup, a bracing blend of original songs and vibrant cover material and some unanticipated new musical tangents, Asleep at the Wheel demonstrates convincingly it’s more relevant, enjoyable and musically nimble than any time in its 45-year history.

“It took me 60 years, but I’m doing what I’m meant to do—singing and playing and writing better than I ever have. A bandleader is just someone who gathers people around them to play the best music they can play. The idea is to feature everyone in the band,” founder Ray Benson says.

SCMC Executive Director Cathy Holbrook added, “We are so happy to bring Asleep at the Wheel back to Grand Rapids. They have a great loyal following and their new music will be highly anticipated by an eager crowd.”

Concert tickets for Asleep at the Wheel are $43 and $38. All concert tickets can be purchased by calling St. Cecilia Music Center at 616-459-2224 or visiting the box office at 24 Ransom Ave. NE. Tickets can also be purchased online here.

A post-concert “Meet-the-artist” party, with complimentary wine and beer from the folk series sponsor Greyline Brewing, will be offered to all ticket-holders giving the audience the opportunity to meet the artists and to obtain signed CDs of their releases.

Coming up: Guitarist Leo Kottke will return to SCMC on April 18, 2019. Over his many years of writing and performing, Kottke has composed scores for film soundtracks, children’s shows, and a symphony, as well as, released many albums. Focusing primarily on instrumental composition and playing, Kottke also sings sporadically, in an unconventional yet expressive baritone. In concert, Kottke intersperses humorous and monologues with vocal and instrumental selections played solo on his 6- and 12-string guitars.

Here’s the Lowell Showboat Sizzlin’ Summer Concerts 2019 lineup

Entertainment, Upcoming Events, , , , ,
Courtesy LowellArts

By Jeremy Witt, West Michigan Tourist Association


The Lowell Showboat Sizzlin’ Summer Concerts are presented by LowellArts and the Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce. This outdoor concert series runs June 13 to Aug. 22, 2019. Thursday evening concerts begin at 7pm along the Flat River, 113 Riverwalk Plaza, in downtown Lowell, MI.

Event Website Link: lowellartsmi.org/sizzlin-summer-concerts


Food and spirits are available for purchase. Admission to the concerts and parking are free. The concerts draw upwards of 1,000 visitors each week. The concert venue is wheelchair-accessible. Bleacher seating is available or attendees can bring their own folding chair.



Dedicated family, friends of missing Allegan man continue effort with fundraising dinner

3-bottom, Crime Prevention, Hard News, Local Faces, Upcoming Events

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

It has been more than 28 years since the December night Richard “Richie” Hitchcock disappeared after an evening out at the Riverfront Lounge in Allegan. Despite an extensive initial search, and a dogged effort by family and friends to find out what happened to Richie, there has been no clues as to his fate.

Over the years, individuals and groups, usually led by Richie’s cousin, Kellie (Yunginger) Boers, and Richie’s brothers Steve and Andy, have tried many things to get information, only starting with a current $5,000 reward for information on the case. Over the years, they have posted flyers, painted information on rocks for people to find and inquire about, they have hooked up with the stock car racing community to keep the effort alive — despite knowing that Richie is most likely no longer alive.

Continuing that effort, on Saturday, March 23, Boers and others will hold a fundraising dinner to raise another $5,000 for the reward, pushing it to $10,000 total, at the Allegan Eagles (#2315) 110 Chestnut St., Allegan. The dinner will run 1-5 p.m., with include a chicken dinner with fixings, with live music, silent auction and raffles.

After almost three decades, the effort continues to give Richie’s family and friends a little peace by finding and putting Richie to peaceful rest.

“The reason we have never given up on searching for Richie is because we love him. He deserves to be looked for … He deserves to be found,” Boers said to WKTV. “We don’t deserve to suffer this loss nor grieve a family member whom we cannot find, but Rich didn’t deserve to serve out 28 years of his family not knowing where his final resting place is.”

Boers, in fact, has turned her lessons learned, skills and passion for right to becoming a advocate for all missing persons.
 

Richie “is the reason I became an advocate,” she said. “When I started investigating and searching for him, others saw what I was doing and referred people to me to ask how they could do the same for their families. … I am blessed that they think that highly of the work I do. I do it from my heart and soul.”

But front and center in her efforts, in her mind and heart — in the heart and mind of many — is always finding Richie.

“He is the reason we team up together, his brothers Steve and Andy and I, to help others who have missing loved ones,” Boers said. “We don’t want them to have to wait 28 plus years like we have.”

The group’s efforts over the years, while always continuing, have had some notable ideas.

There was an effort last spring to put pictures and information of his, along with other missing persons, on rocks, an effort called “Allegan Sticks and Stones.” The stones are left in random places for people to find and enquire about.

There are also race cars owned and driven by Boer’s local friends who race at “local tracks like Kalamazoo, Springport, Galesburg, New Paris, all over the state now … even up to Onaway … It’s gained momentum over the last about 4 years so we just keep printing them if they are willing to put them on their cars,” she said.

There was even a billboard effort last year, led by a Facebook fundraising campaign.

And on March 23, the effort to get more community support to find Richie will continue with the dinner fundraiser.

For more information on the dinner and the effort, visit the @helpusfindRichardHitchcockpage on Facebook.

Tickets for Oct. 8 Black Keys concert go on sale March 22

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Upcoming Events, , , , , , ,
Photo credit: Alysse
Gafkjen

By Mike Klompstra, SMG


The Black Keys have confirmed their extensive, thirty-one-date arena tour of North America — and the “Let’s Rock” Tour will hit Grand Rapids at SMG-managed Van Andel Arena on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019, at 7pm. Special guests Modest Mouse will provide support on all dates, and Jessy Wilson will also open the Grand Rapids show.


Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, March 22 at 10am. Tickets will be available at the Van Andel Arena and DeVos Place® box offices and online at Ticketmaster.com. A purchase limit of eight (8) tickets will apply to every order.


Citi is the official presale credit card of The Black Keys — “Let’s Rock” Tour. As such, Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase presale tickets beginning Tuesday, March 19 at 11am local time until Thursday, March 21 at 10pm local time through Citi’s Private Pass program. For complete presale details visit www.citiprivatepass.com/.


Fans on Van Andel Arena’s email list will also have access to a presale beginning Thursday, March 21. To gain access, sign up to the arena’s email list here by Wednesday, March 20 at 3pm local time.


Formed in Akron, Ohio in 2001, The Black Keys have released eight studio albums: their debut The Big Come Up (2002), followed by Thickfreakness (2003) and Rubber Factory (2004), along with their releases on Nonesuch Records, Magic Potion (2006), Attack & Release (2008), Brothers (2010), El Camino (2011), and, most recently, Turn Blue (2014). The band has won six Grammy Awards and headlined festivals including Coachella, Lollapalooza, and Governors Ball.

St. Cecilia honoring Helen DeVos, this Women’s History Month and into the future

3-bottom, Upcoming Events

By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org

March is Women’s History Month, and St. Cecilia Music Center is, itself, a huge part of the history of women in Grand Rapids.

Dating from 1883 when several musically talented women, led by Ella Matthews Peirce, formed a society to “promote the study and appreciation of music in all its branches, and to encourage the development of music in the community”, St. Cecilia has been offering music education and performance.

When asked, current St. Cecilia executive director Cathy Holbrook will gladly talk in great depth about the history of the society, or the beautiful building it built and which continues to host world-class concerts as well as community and youth musicians.

But when Holbrook is asked about the Center’s biggest March event, the first annual Helen DeVos Legacy Award dinner on March 23, she has a little extra spark in her words.

St. Cecilia Music Center executive director Cathy Holbrook. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

“At this inaugural event we will honor the late Helen DeVos for all of her efforts promoting the cultural life in Grand Rapids — really, helping to create the cultural life in Grand Rapids,” Holbrook said to WKTV. “In subsequent years we’ll choose a different woman in West Michigan who has had positive impact on the arts … to get the Helen DeVos Legacy Award.”

Tickets are still available for the Helen DeVos Legacy Award dinner.

Holbrook stressed that this award is not only to honor Helen DeVos this year, but for many years to come — to help, in St. Cecilia’s way, to remember her caring and giving ways.

“The DeVos family has been very supportive of St. Cecilia, but really supportive of the cultural life of Grand Rapids,” she said. “It is funny, because Mr. DeVos made it very clear that (supporting cultural life) was really Helen’s bailiwick. So it is really so important for us to honor her, and everything she did. …

“But we knew that it would be important to her and the family that we were honoring other people as well. … She would not have wanted it to be about her, but about other people.”

Initially, though, it is more than fitting that St. Cecilia’s new award will first honor the late Helen DeVos, who was a lifelong benefactor and supporter of many arts organizations in the community, including St. Cecilia.

After all, St. Cecilia’s stated mission is “to promote the study, appreciation and performance of music in order to enrich the lives of West Michigan residents.”

It could be argued that it was a mission of Helen DeVos to “enrich the lives of West Michigan residents” as well.

Just as those women back in 1883 envisioned.

For more information about the history of St. Cecilia Music Center, follow this link. For more information on the Helen DeVos Legacy Award dinner and tickets, visit scmc-online.org .

Snapshots: Wyoming and Kentwood news you need to know

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Health, Local Business, Recreation, Senior Living, Upcoming Events

By WKTV Staff
Ken@wktv.org

Quote of the Day

“Eating good food is, too me, one of life's favorite joys, and I will never punish myself for it.”
 
                                                   ― Miriam Shor
A scene from a previous Taste of Kentwood. (WKTV)

Taste of Kentwood this week

The community is invited to explore a smorgasbord of local cuisine during the 18th annual Taste of Kentwood event on Thursday, March 14. Held at the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE, a variety of local restaurants will offer food and desserts during two sessions: one from 4:30 to 6 p.m., and another from 6:30 to 8 p.m. For the complete story, visit here.


Kent County Land for planned Sustainable Business Park, aerial shot that includes the property adjacent to the landfill, with the landfill in the background. (Supplied/Kent County)

Plans developing on business park

The Kent County Department of Public Works (DPW) and The Right Place, Inc. have announced a multi-year strategic partnership for the planning and development of the Kent County Sustainable Business Park. In October 2018, the Kent County Board of Public Works (BPW) approved the Sustainable Business Park Master Plan for 250 acres adjacent to the South Kent Landfill in Byron Center. For the complete story, visit here.

Dr. John Mulder. (Supplied)

Local doctor earns national honor

Holland Home recently announce that John Mulder, MD, has been recognized by the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) with the 2019 Project on Death In America (PDIA) Palliative Medicine Community Leadership Award. Dr. Mulder is Medical Director of the Trillium Institute, an affiliate of Holland Home. For the complete story, visit here.



Fun fact:

0.0173 percent

Today only 0.0173% of Americans live to 100. The population of the United States in 2010 Census was approximately 309 million. (Source)

St. Cecilia’s chamber music series continues with Rachmaninov, ‘Russian Mastery’

Entertainment, Upcoming Events,
Pianist Wu Han, violinists Arnaud Sussman and Alexander Sitkovetsky, and cellist Nicholas Canellakis. (Supplied/St. Cecilia)

By WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org

The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center returns to St. Cecilia Music Center on Thursday, March 14, in a program entitled “Russian Mastery” and featuring works by Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev and Arensky. The Chamber Music Society artists who will perform include co-artistic director and pianist Wu Han, violinists Arnaud Sussman and Alexander Sitkovetsky, and cellist Nicholas Canellakis.
 
 
“Every concert at SCMC performed by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center is amazing to watch with artistry that is always flawless,” SCMC executive director Cathy Holbrook said in supplied material. “We are so lucky to have these brilliant musicians take the stage in Royce Auditorium. … We are also very excited to have Wu Han … back to provide background on some of the wonderful music they will be performing.”

According to supplied material, “Russia’s vastly expressive music over time has told the story of its country and people, painting a picture through music of its turbulent historical landscape. Specifically, the Prokofiev Two Violin Sonata, written in 1932, stands apart as an audaciously creative work from the period between World War I and World War II, while the remaining works will be glorious musical outpourings of the age of the Tsars and the Russian Empire.”
 
 
The selections to be performed include: Trio élégiaque in G minor for Piano, Violin, and Cello — Sergei Rachmaninov, composer; Souvenir d’un lieu cherfor Violin and Piano, Op. 42 — Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, composer; Sonata in C major for Two Violins, Op. 56 — Sergei Prokofiev, composer; Romance and Oriental Dance for Cello and Piano — Sergei Rachmaninov, composer; and Trio No. 1 in D minor for Piano, Violin, and Cello, Op. 32 — Anton Arensky, composer.

The final CMS of Lincoln Center concert for this season will take place April 25, titled From Mendelssohn” will feature works by Mendelssohn, Schumann, Brahms and Tchaikovsky.

Tickets for the March 14 and April 25 concerts are $45 and $40 and can be purchased by calling St. Cecilia Music Center at 616-459-2224 or visiting the box office at 24 Ransom Ave. NE. Tickets can also be purchased online at scmc-online.org.
 

A post-concert “Meet-the-artist” party, with complimentary wine will be offered to all ticket-holders giving the audience the opportunity to meet the artists and to obtain signed CDs of their releases.

Snapshots: Wyoming and Kentwood news you ought to know — weekend edition

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Upcoming Events, , , ,

By WKTV Staff

victoria@wktv.org

Quote of the Day

“If people did not love one another, I really don’t see what use there would be in having any spring.”

― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

Spring forward!

Yup, it’s time to change your clocks this weekend.

Spring is right around the corner. Really, it is, and the City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department points to its Spring Activities Calendar as proof. Check out all the fun things you can do here.

The best things in life are free

The Grand Rapids Public Museum offers free admission March 10.


The Grand Rapids Public Museum offers fun, hands-on learning opportunities for all ages through a variety of core and traveling exhibits. Visitor favorites include the Streets of Old Grand Rapids, an immersive exhibit that transports visitors back to 19th century of downtown Grand Rapids, and West Michigan Habitats, that showcases the vast wildlife found in West Michigan. More info here.



Live and let live

That’s it, in a nutshell.

Domestic violence abuse attorney Kinza Khan

A presentation on Monday, March 11 at Grand Valley State University will explore the importance of encouraging young people to grow in their interfaith understanding in order to become positive religious leaders of the 21st century. Kinza Khan, a domestic violence attorney, will be the featured speaker during the 2019 Rabbi Phillip Sigal Memorial Lecture. More info here.



Fun fact:

85%

The percentage reduction in the number of children named ‘Katrina’ after Hurricane Katrina.

Snapshots: Fun happenings for Wyoming and Kentwood

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Going Local, Kids Activities, Upcoming Events

By WKTV Staff
Ken@wktv.org

Quote of the Day

“My theory on housework is, if the item doesn't multiply, smell, catch fire or block the refrigerator door, let it be.”
 
                                                  ― Erma Bombeck
Michael Jr. (Supplied)

Clean and funny, comedy

Grand Rapids very own comedian Michael, Jr. will be coming home to perform on March 3 at Grand Rapids First Church for his “In the Moment Tour.” His comedy is fresh, funny and has no foul language. For the complete story, visit here.

Wyoming High School will host a District final game Friday. (Supplied)

High school teams in big games

Wyoming, South Christian and Tri-unity Christian high schools will each host boys basketball state playoff District championship games on Friday, March 1 — with each host team playing for a title. WKTV’s featured high school sports coverage team will be at South Christian on Friday, but you can catch any of the games live. For the complete story, visit here.

One local resident enjoys his food at a pst year’s Taste of Kentwood event.

And, oh the Taste of Kentwood

The 18th annual Taste of Kentwood event is coming on Thursday, March 14, coming to the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE, with two sessions: one from 4:30 to 6 p.m., and another from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The event will also include live music from Just Cuz, an acoustic duo that performs an eclectic mix of cover tunes from a variety of genres. For the complete story, visit here



Fun fact:

Five tastes, maybe

Five basic tastes are recognized today: salty, sweet, bitter, sour, and umami. (Umami is a category of taste in food corresponding to the flavor of glutamates, especially monosodium glutamate.) (Source)

LUNAFEST 2019 celebrates women filmmakers March 7th & 14th

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Upcoming Events, , ,
‘The Final Show’ production still (photo supplied)

By Elizabeth McEwen, Girls on the Run of Kent and Muskegon Counties


Did you know as recently as 2014, only about 20% of leads or co-leads in major movie entertainment were female?


There are 2.13 male directors for every 1 female. This is hugely problematic for our girls, as the stories they are seeing aren’t theirs. The narratives they are hearing aren’t theirs. We do a huge disservice to our girls by filling the airwaves with depictions that are not only absent of the female voice, but sometimes (and even more detrimentally) misrepresenting the female voice.


That’s where LUNAFEST comes in — this traveling film festival was started in 2000 by the makers of LUNA bars to help elevate women’s voices and our stories.


Join us in celebrating women behind the camera at LUNAFEST 2019. This traveling short film festival by, for, and about women is brought to you by LUNA to benefit Muskegon Girls on the Run on March 7th, and Kent County Girls on the Run on March 14th.


We’ll be holding a screening at 5:30pm on Thursday evening, March 7th, at The Block, 360 W. Western Ave, Muskegon, MI. On Thursday, March 14th at 5pm, we’re holding a screening at Wealthy Theater, 1130 Wealthy St SE, Grand Rapids, MI. Join us for food and drinks, friends and fun! 


Earlybird tickets are only $18, and include heavy appetizers! Go here to purchase tickets. Contact Elizabeth.mcewen@girlsontherun.org for more information. Download a pdf of the film lineup here.


LUNAFEST was the first all-women travelling film festival to hit the screens and amplify the voices of strong women everywhere. The first event was small, but hopeful, screening in California. Today, there are screenings in more than 175 cities across the nation where the work of talented women filmmakers are showcased.




St. Cecilia wraps up jazz series hosting Benny Green Trio, singer Veronica Swift

Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Upcoming Events
The Benny Green Trio, with singer Veronica Swift, will be at St. Cecilia Music Center. (Supplied)

By WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org

  
The St. Cecilia Music Center will feature the Benny Green Trio with “rising star” jazz singer Veronica Swift on March 7 as the final Jazz Series concert of the center’s 135th Anniversary season.

Benny Green, a veteran of the jazz world combines a mastery of keyboard technique with decades of playing with the most celebrated artists of the last half century including Betty Carter, Art Blakey, Freddie Hubbard, Ray Brown, Diana Krall and Christian McBride. Swift is being recognized as one of the top new young jazz singers on the scene.

Veronica Swift, singing with the Benny Green Trio, will be at St. Cecilia Music Center. (Supplied)

The 24-year-old Swift will be releasing her next album on Mac Avenue Records in early 2019, which will feature the great pianist Benny Green and his trio as well the Emmet Cohen Trio.
 
 
“It will be exciting to see Veronica Swift in this point in her career performing from the new album with esteemed Jazz pianist Benny Green and his trio,” Cathy Holbrook, St. Cecilia executive director, said in supplied material. “Those who love great jazz will be blown away by this concert. It’s really a double bill because either of these artists would be big enough to feature in their own concert, so it’s a two-for-one night!”

Green began classical piano studies at the age of seven, according to supplied material. Influenced by his father, a tenor saxophonist, his attention soon turned to Jazz: “I began trying to improvise on the piano, imitating the records I’d been hearing from my father’s collection, which included a lot of Monk and Bird … it was a gradual process of teaching myself.”

Swift grew up on tour with her parents, renowned jazz pianist Hod O’Brien and celebrated jazz singer and educator/author Stephanie Nakasian, according to supplied material. It was with them where she first appeared at The Jazz Standard, and Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola. She recorded two CDs as a child – one at age 9 with Richie Cole and her father’s rhythm section and her mother, and one at age 13 with saxophonist Harry Allen. Her 2015 Album “Lonely Woman” features some of the hottest young jazz players on the scene including Emmet Cohen, Benny Bennack III, Daryl Johns (with whom she shared a Grammy Choir/Band experience), Matt Wigler, and Scott Lowrie. In addition to performing the Great American Songbook and Bebop and vocalese classics, she is also a passionate devotee of 1920s and ’30s music and has sung with Vince Giordano, Terry Waldo, and Drew Nugent.

 
Concert tickets for Veronica Swift with the Benny Green Trio are $40 and $45 and can be purchased by calling St. Cecilia Music Center at 616-459-2224 or visiting the box office at 24 Ransom Ave. NE. Tickets can also be purchased online at scmc-online.org.

A pre-concert reception for $15 at 6:30 pm, with wine and hors d’oeuvres, is available by reservation in advance. A post-concert party with dessert, coffee and wine is open to all ticket-holders to meet the artists, obtain autographs and CD purchases.
 

World Affairs Council lecture schedule continues with discussion on nuclear threats

Education, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Non-Profits, Upcoming Events
U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer at a Republic of Korea airbase in 2016. The U.S. long-range bomber is one of the major deterrents to North Korean military actions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jonathan Steffen)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 
So far this year the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan’s 2019 Great Decisions global discussion series has informed the public on the “State of the State Department”, dangers to democracy around the world, and America’s immigration policies — or lack there of.

The next discussion, Feb. 25 and 26, will be “A New Nuclear Arms Race?”, with Kelsey Davenport, of the Arms Control Association, discussing Russia, North Korea, Iran and “What’s our nuclear future?”

For the past 50 years, the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) has played a critical role in preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and reducing nuclear arsenals, according to the Arms Control Association website. Yet prospects for additional progress on U.S.-Russian arms control remain bleak as President Donald Trump’s administration has split from key allies over the nuclear deal with Iran, and the denuclearization of North Korea remains uncertain, according to supplied information on the lecture.

Davenport is the Director for Nonproliferation Policy at the Arms Control Association, where she provides research and analysis on the nuclear and missile programs in Iran, North Korea, India, and Pakistan and on nuclear security issues, accord to the ACA website. Her areas of expertise include nuclear nonproliferation, nuclear and missile programs in Iran and North Korea, and nuclear security. Kelsey also reports on developments in these areas for Arms Control Today and is the author of the P5+1 and Iran Nuclear Deal Alerts.

Davenport’s discussion fits in with the overall goal of the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan.

“To change the world — or to even begin to understand global issues — one first must know about the world, and that’s what we attempt to do with Great Decisions,” Michael Van Denend, executive director of the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan, previously said to WKTV.

The annual series, which bring leaders in international theory and action to Grand Rapids for lectures, will offer two options to attend: Mondays, 6-7:15 p.m., at Aquinas College Performing Arts Center; and Tuesdays, noon-1 p.m. at the Recital Hall in the Covenant Fine Arts Center at Calvin College.

There is a $10 general-public admission fee per discussion, with no reservations needed and free parking.

The series will continue through March 25-26.

The Great Decisions format features a world-class expert leading each conversation, followed by an extensive question-answer session.

 
The reminder of the 2019 series will feature:

Mar. 4 and 5: “China-U.S. Trade War”, with Amy Celico, Albright Stonebridge Group (ASG), discussing “How will we handle the most important bilateral relationship of the 21st century?”

Mar. 11 and 12: “Life After the Arab Uprisings and the Islamic State”, a ground-level report from a brave Lebanese journalist, Rania Abouzeid, author of “No Turning Back: Life, Loss, and Hope in Wartime Syria”, a New York Times 2018 Notable Book.

Mar. 18 and 19: “Global Cyber Threats” with FBI Special Agent Peter Jolliffe
discussing “Cyber risks are on the rise — can we thwart them?”

And finally, on Mar. 25 and 26: “Mexico and the U.S.: The Economic Ties that Bind”, Carlos Capistran, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, New York City, discussing “What must we do to make certain both countries thrive?”

The Aquinas College Performing Arts Center is located at 1703 Robinson Road S.E., Grand Rapids. The Covenant Fine Arts Center at Calvin College is located at 1795 Knollcrest Cir SE, Grand Rapids.

 
The World Affairs Council of Western Michigan is located at 1700 Fulton Street E., Grand Rapids, For more information on sessions, dates and times, as well as detailed information on speakers, visit worldmichigan.org .

St. Cecilia ends folky month of concerts with Milk Carton Kids, War and Treaty

Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Upcoming Events
The War and Treaty, featuring Michael and Tanya Trotter, will be at the St. Cecilia Acoustic Café Folk Series Feb. 24. (Supplied/The Artists)

By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org

 
St. Cecilia Music Center’s Acoustic Café Folk Series started off the month of February with a sell-out return of Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn on Feb. 9, and things will end strong on the folk front with the duo of Michael and Tanya Trotter (aka The War and Treaty) as well as Milk Carton Kids coming to town.

The War and Treaty will hit the intimate 630-seat Royce Auditorium stage for an unusual Sunday concert on Feb. 24, and Milk Carton Kids — Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale, this time with a full band backing — for a more usual Thursday night show at St. Cecilia on Feb. 28.

Tickets remain available for both shows.

The War and Treaty “are quickly rising on the National scene … (their) upbeat emotional sound, with soul and folk roots, is sure to ignite a bright fire within our audience’s hearts,” Cathy Holbrook, St. Cecilia executive director, said in supplied material.

“We are (also) so happy to bring The Milk Carton Kids with their band to St. Cecilia Music Center this month to perform from their newest album,” Holbrook said. “It will be a great experience for all to see and hear as these two talented performers and their full band perform together.”

The War and Treaty

The War and Treaty may be familiar to some in the Grand Rapids area as they opened for Bob Seger’s Van Andel Arena concert in November 2018.

According to supplied information, they draw inspiration from different artists and genres including Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Cash and Nina Simone — ya, that Johnny Cash and that Nina Simone.

And their music has been described as a blend of roots, folk, gospel, and soul, “reaching back through their deep-rooted history to conjure up the strength of their ancestors.”

The buzz here is all good.
 

The Milk Carton Kids

The Milk Carton Kids, you may remember as I do, had a brief appearance on the concert film “Another Day, Another Time: Celebrating the Music of Inside Llewyn Davis”, which was led by producer T-Bone Burnett. And their latest release —  All the Things That I Did and All the Things That I Didn’t Do, which came out in June of last year — was produced by Joe Henry. Both producers are great, and the music they produce is usually also great.

“The Kids”, an American indie folk duo consisting of Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale, will be at St. Cecilia Feb. 28. (Supplied/The Artists)

“The Kids” music, which for lack of a better tune is often called American indie folk, has earned the usually solo-duo of Ryan and Pattengale a Grammy nomination in 2015 for Best American Roots Performance, another for Best Folk Album of the year in 2013, and they were the Americana Music Association’s Best Duo/Group of the year in 2014.

The Kids have proven in-demand collaborators, including musical partnerships with Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Dar Williams, and Chris Hillman, as well as teaming with T-Bone Burnett for “Another Day, Another Time: Celebrating the Music of Inside Llewyn Davis” — the concert documentary derived from the Coen Brothers film “Insider Llewyn Davis”. (A great movie with great early 1960s music, BTW.)

Two concerts in April will finish up the 2018-19 Acoustic Café Folk Series, both returning favorites: Asleep at the Wheel will return to SCMC on April 11, and Guitarist Leo Kottke will return to SCMC on April 18.
 
 
Tickets for The War and Treaty are $30 and $35; tickets for The Milk Carton Kids are $40 and $45. All tickets can be purchased by calling St. Cecilia Music Center at 616-459-2224 or visiting the box office at 24 Ransom Ave. NE. Tickets can also be purchased online at scmc-online.org.

WKTV Journal previews annual Taste of Kentwood food fest

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, Food, Going Local, Kids Activities, Local Business, Local Entertainment, Newscast, Upcoming Events

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

As part of the February WKTV Journal Newscast, we previewed the 18th annual Taste of Kentwood event on Thursday, March 14, coming to the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE, with two sessions: one from 4:30 to 6 p.m., and another from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

The event will also include live music from Just Cuz, an acoustic duo that performs an eclectic mix of cover tunes from a variety of genres.

Participating restaurants include: Boardwalk Subs, City Barbeque, PJ’s Pizza, Coffee & Ice Cream, Underground Cookie Club, The Candied Yam, Daddy Pete’s BBQ, Loco Taco Taqueria, Desi Spice, Peppino’s South Kentwood, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Thai Express, Jet’s Pizza, YoChef’s Catering Company and Le Kebob.

The event is open to everyone in the community. Tickets cost $6 and can be purchased online in advance, $8 on the day of event. Kids 5 and younger are free.

Forget the groundhog, Meijer Gardens announcements means spring is coming

Entertainment, Kids Activities, Upcoming Events
The Fred & Dorothy Fichter Butterflies Are Blooming exhibition, with some 7,000 tropical butterflies dancing around the Lena Meijer Tropical Conservatory, will begin March 1. (Supplied/Meijer Gardens)

By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org

We know all about Punxsutawney Phil and that shadow thing on Groundhog Day earlier this month — and yes, the ranchers of that rodent do predict an early spring this year.

But in Western Michigan there are two more reliable bits of evidence of spring coming, and summer not far behind: Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park announcing the dates of its annual Butterflies Are Blooming exhibit and their annual mouth-watering taste of the summer concert series.

Meijer Gardens announced recently that Fred & Dorothy Fichter Butterflies Are Blooming exhibition, with some 7,000 or so tropical butterflies dancing around the Lena Meijer Tropical Conservatory, will begin March 1 and run through late April. Also last week the Gardens teased us with the announcement of three of its 2019 Fifth Third Bank Summer Concerts at Meijer Gardens.

The Decemberists at Meijer Gardens in 2018. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

With Fifth Third Bank renewing its title sponsorship of the concert series this season, and the expansion of the outdoor amphitheater and its facilities expected to be complete, the 2019 season of alternative, indie, blues and rock music will include Nahko And Medicine For The People on June 6, Rodrigo y Gabriela on June 9, and The Gipsy Kings on July 21. The complete lineup will be announced in mid-April.

But first there will be all those butterflies.

The 2019 “exhibition explores light and shadow and how these elements influence both the activity of the butterflies and the natural environment in which they flourish,” Steve LaWarre, Director of Horticulture, said in supplied material. “This annual exhibition provides a wonderful opportunity for our guests to experience the diverse beauty of these creatures up close and in person.”

By the way, the best time to get up-close and personal with the butterflies are late in the afternoon or when the gardens and the exhibition are open in the early evening, every Tuesday. We are told that visitors will also find a new and redesigned Observation Station, with its chrysalide and cocoon emergence area.

Butterflies will be flying around Meijer Gardens’ tropical conservatory starting March 1. (Supplied)

Approximately 60 colorful species of butterflies and moths journey from butterfly-rich regions of Costa Rica, Ecuador, the Philippines and Kenya to fly freely in the five-story tall, 15,000 square-foot conservatory— oh, ya, and at 85 degrees and 70 percent humidity, the environment not only mimics the tropical regions that the butterflies call home but just feels like spring, if not summer, in the air.

Even before the real butterflies arrive, the fun will begin with “Who Am I?” (A Butterfly Ballet) on Saturday, Feb. 23, and Sunday, Feb. 24, choreographed by Attila Mosolygo, performed by members of the Grand Rapids Ballet Junior Company, and narrated by Errol Shewman.

For a complete list of events associated with the Butterflies Are Blooming exhibition, visit meijergardens.org . (And volunteers are “Wanted. Needed. Appreciated.” Various jobs and shifts mid-February through mid-May. Contact Amber Oudsema at aoudsema@meijergardens.org or 616-974-5221.)

Oh, can’t you just hear the music now? (Supplied/Meijer Gardens)

Can’t you just hear the music now?

What will be new and what will be the same at 2019 Fifth Third Bank Summer Concerts at Meijer Gardens concert series? The title will be the same, the concerts will be familiarly diverse, and the construction is expected to be done.

Meijer Gardens is “enormously grateful for (the Fifth Third Bank’s) support as it allows us to present a diverse group of truly world class artists,” David Hooker, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park’s President and CEO, said in supplied material.

The Frederik Meijer Gardens Amphitheater has undergone significant expansion and improvement over the past two seasons, all, according to supplied material, while maintaining the intimacy of the venue. Last season saw the completion of renovated seating terraces for sponsor seating, added new support areas for visiting artists, backstage and loading dock improvements, and increased-in-size general seating area.

This season, a new concessions building has been added to allow for quicker food and beverage service and increased capacity, as well as convenient new restrooms for guests waiting in line to enter the venue. An expanded plaza area within the gates will help shorten lines and wait times as well. Also, they say, an improved point-of-sale system with quick chip technology will speed up purchases at the new concessions building.

What hasn’t changed is the 1,900 general admission tickets available for each concert of the 2019 season. As far as the first three announced concerts — Nahko And Medicine For The People, Rodrigo y Gabriela and The Gipsy Kings, you can follow the links or just wait for the complete lineup in April.

Nahko and Medicine for the People. (Supplied by the artist)

The most interesting of three, on first glance, would be Nahko. Describing his latest release, “My Name is Bear”, he says on his website: “So many dear people helped me write and live these stories. The two summers I spent in Alaska, half the winter in Louisiana and the other half holed up in my van in Portland, and then the first year in Hawaii were transformational.” Sounds like someone to check out to me.

Members of Meijer Gardens a members-only presale, April 27 through May 10. (To become a member or renew a membership before April 27, visit MeijerGardens.org/Membership.) General public tickets go on sale May 11.

Community invited to explore local cuisine at Taste of Kentwood

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, Going Local, Kids Activities, Local Business, Local Entertainment, Local Food, Recreation, Upcoming Events
From a previous year, the Taste of Kentwood brings out the community and families for fun and food. (WKTV)

By City of Kentwood

 
The community is invited to explore a smorgasbord of local cuisine during the 18th annual Taste of Kentwood event on Thursday, March 14.

Held at the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE, a variety of local restaurants will offer food and desserts during two sessions: one from 4:30 to 6 p.m., and another from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

The event will also include live music from Just Cuz, an acoustic duo that performs an eclectic mix of cover tunes from a variety of genres.

“Taste of Kentwood is a great opportunity to experience the diversity of Kentwood while supporting local businesses,” said Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley. “Everyone is welcome to come connect with neighbors, enjoy live music, and discover what deliciousness awaits around the corner.”

Participating restaurants include: Boardwalk Subs, City Barbeque, PJ’s Pizza, Coffee & Ice Cream, Underground Cookie Club, The Candied Yam, Daddy Pete’s BBQ, Loco Taco Taqueria, Desi Spice, Peppino’s South Kentwood, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Thai Express, Jet’s Pizza, YoChef’s Catering Company and Le Kebob.

The event is open to everyone in the community. Tickets cost $6 and can be purchased online in advance, $8 on the day of event. Kids 5 and younger are free.