Category Archives: Upcoming Events

Big trucks and hotdogs: It’s National Public Works Week

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Kids Activities, Our Cities, Upcoming Events, , ,
Kentwood Public Works Department oversees the city's recycling center.
Kentwood Public Works Department oversees the city’s recycling center.

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

 

It’s the kid in all of us that watches those big machines that build and plow our roads in wonderment and a little bit of awe. Next week, thanks to two local Public Works Departments, we will all get the chance to let our inner child out.

 

In celebration of National Public Works Week, May 15 – 21, both the Kentwood and Wyoming Public Works Departments will be hosting open houses, giving area residents a chance to discover all that these departments do for the city and its residents.

 

“Road, water, sewer, recycling, household hazardous waste,” said Kentwood Public Works Director John Gordy as he listed off just some of the items area Public Works Departments take care of on a daily basis.

 

In 1960 the American Public Works Association established National Public Works Week to create a better understand of the various responsibilities of a Public Works facility in maintaining the infrastructure of its community. This includes such areas as ground maintenance, sewer and water, potholes and road maintenance, and snowplowing to list a few of the many services provided by these departments.

 

Having hosted a Public Works Week Open House for the past 22 years, the event has become one of the City of Wyoming’s most anticipated activities for families..

 

The City of Wyoming will have various equipment out at its Public Works Open House set for May 16.
The City of Wyoming will have various equipment pieces out at its Public Works Open House set for May 16.

“It has become a tradition,” said Wyoming’s Public Works Assistant Director Aaron Vis. “We have been doing it so long that people have just come to expect that we will be hosting it.”

 

Because there are several entrances into the event, its hard for staff to take attendance, Vis said, adding they estimate attendance by the number of hotdogs served.

 

Last year, the Wyoming Public Works Department went through about 1,800 hotdogs with staff estimating about 1,500 people attended the event. Vis said he expects about the same for this year’s open house which is set for Monday, May 16, from 5 – 8 p.m. at the Wyoming Public Works building, 2660 Burlingame Ave. SW. Various Public Works Department equipment will be on hand for people to explore along with a police cruiser and fire truck. Staff will be on hand to talk to visitors about equipment and projects as well as serving free beverages, chips, and, of course, hotdogs.

 

Kentwood’s Public Works Department will host its first Public Works Week Family Event with the Kent County Road Commission Wednesday, May 18 from 4 – 7 p.m. at the Kentwood Public Works building, 5068 Breton Rd. SE. Road plow trucks and construction equipment will be on hand for visitors to explore along with 20 different displays on various Public Works topics. Gorney said there also will be live demonstrations on maintenance and repair of water and sewer systems and discussions on how and why different improvements are made on roads. Kent County Public Works officials will be there to discuss household hazardous waste and how to properly dispose of such items. There also will be giveaways for children, free snacks, and yes, hotdogs.

 

According to APWA’s website, National Public Works Week has been growing with more and more municipalities participating. Besides Wyoming and Kentwood observing the week, the City of Grandville will have a display at its library as part of Michgian Week BBQ, the City of Grand Rapids will mark the entire week with a display of Grand Rapids Public Works equipment on Market Street, and the City of East Grand Rapids will host a “Touch a Truck” event starting at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 18.

 

 

WKTV celebrates Heritage Hill Home Tour with a rebroadcast of popular film series

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Exterior shot of the Meyer May House from the home's porch.
Exterior shot of the Meyer May House from the home’s porch.

The annual Heritage Hill Tour of Homes is set to kick off in a couple of weeks and to whet your appetite WKTV will rebroadcast the award-winning “Grand Homes of Heritage Hill.”

 

“Grand Homes of Heritage Hill” will air Wednesday, May 18, at noon featuring the 2007 Telly Award winning episode “The Voigt House.” Friday, May 20, at 11:30 a.m., all three episodes will air, “The Voigt House,” “The Meyer May House,” and “Connors House.” Hegewald also received a Festival of the Arts film award in the documentary category in 2007 for his work on the series.

 

“The homes of Heritage Hill have fascinated me all of my life – from their varied architectural styles to their unabashed grandeur,” said Thomas Hegewald in an 2014 WKTV article about the series. Hegewald is the producer, videographer, and writer behind the series. “On every occasion that I have driven through this area, I have gawked at the homes and picked my favorites. I had been volunteering at WKTV for a few months when Tom Norton, the station manager, suggested that I produce a series on these homes. It seemed like an ideal match.”

 

"The Grand Homes of Heritage Hill" episode feature The Voigt House won a Telly Award.
“The Grand Homes of Heritage Hill” episode feature The Voigt House won a Telly Award.

In 2009, the Grand Rapids Public Museum discontinued the public hours for the Voigt House, making Hegewald’s video the about the only way to peek inside the 19th century home. Built in 1895-96 for the prominent merchant and businessman Carl Voigt, the Voigt family lived in the house continually for nearly 76 years until Voigt’s youngest son, Ralph, died in 1971. In 1974, the Kent County Council for Historic Preservation purchased the home and donated the structure to the City of Grand Rapids. One of the most noted features of the facility is that since it was a one-owner house, the first floor was redecorated in 1907 and never update again with the original silk wall coverings and carpeting remaining.

 

Hegewald said he selected the Voigt House and the Meyer May House because they both showcased how the original owners had once lived. “The Voigt house featured not only the original furnishings, but the décor as well,” he said. “The only restoration came in replacing an item, and only when completely necessary. Since there had been an addition to the Meyer May House, followed years later by it being broken up into apartments, a complete restoration had to take place to bring it back to its original state.”

 

Even the details of the Meyer May House were well planned.
Even the details of the Meyer May House were well planned.

The Meyer May House originally was built for a Grand Rapids clothier and purchased and restored in 1987 by Steelcase. The home was opened to the public in 1987 and provides the opportunity to se a Prairie house exactly as Frank Lloyd Wright intended. Along with being part of this year’s Heritage Hill Home Tour, the Meyer May House is open to the public Sundays from 1 – 4 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursday from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

 

The third home in the series is the Connors House, which is privately owned. While the home was owned by one family, it needed to be brought up to code for electrical and plumbing. “With extensive renovations underway, much thought was also put into the décor of the home to reflect its past, but with a contemporary feel as well,” Hegewald said.

 

“In the end, I came away with an appreciation for this area in our city – from the original owners who built the homes to those who fought to save them from destruction during the days of urban renewal,” he said. “I also applaud the efforts of the homeowners today who strive to keep up with the amount of work it must take to keep these homes in good repair.”

 

A greater appreciation of these historic homes and the district they are in is one of the reasons Heritage Hill started its annual Tour of Homes 47 years ago. This year’s tour, which is Saturday, May 21, from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday, May 22, from noon – 6 p.m., features six restored private houses, three historic buildings and two recent additions that demonstrate how new construction can fit into the fabric of a historic district. The tour includes the 1886 Queen Anne-style home built for the Davis family of Stow & Davis Furniture Co.; a 1916 Georgian Manor, a 1906 American foursquare and a 1912 Tudor Revival.

 

Advance tickets for the tour are $15 and available at the Heritage Hill Association Office, 126 College SE or at www.heritagehillweb.org. Tickets the weekend of the tour are $20. All proceeds go to the Heritage Hill Association and the organization’s historic preservation efforts. A free shuttle bus for the tour is provided between featured properties. For more information on the tour, call 616-459-8950.

Wyoming student surprises herself with a win from countywide poetry contest

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, Entertainment, Upcoming Events, ,
San Juan Diego Academy Seventh Grader Nurit Gonzalez with her winning poetry piece "April."
San Juan Diego Academy Seventh Grader Nurit Gonzalez with her winning poetry piece “April.”

Every student is bound to get that school assignment where you write a story or poem and then have to submit it to a local writing competition.

 

At least that was the assignment for Nurit Gonzalez, a seventh grader at Wyoming’s San Juan Diego Academy, and her classmates. The 23-member class was just wrapping up its poetry unit when their teacher, Molly Pelak, announced the students would each need to select one poem from their collection to enter the Dyer Ives Kent County Poetry Competition.

 

“I had never done something like the before,” Pelak said, admitting she had never heard of Dyer Ives until her principal had forwarded her information about the annual competition. “I have a classroom with many of whom write pretty well and I thought this was a great way to end the unit.”

 

Gonzalez looked over her poems that covered various topics from rain to her favorite sport, soccer. She decided to select “April” because she liked the way it had come together and “because it is the month my birthday is in.”

 

She submitted it and from there, really did not give the poetry competition much thought. “I really didn’t think it was going to go anywhere,” she said.

 

This year the Dyer Ives Kent County Poetry Contest had a huge increase with nearly 400 entries, due in part to area teachers sending in student work, according to coordinator Christine Stephens Krieger. “More first-time poets are entering and winning the competition alongside more experienced local poets, so we end up with a mix of voices to represent Kent County,” Krieger said. “Poetry is alive and well in Kent County, thanks in part to efforts like this competition and teachers who prompt students to write a poem and send it in.”

 

Nurit Gonzalez's poem "April."
Nurit Gonzalez’s poem “April.”

The Dyer Ives Kent County Poetry Contest is a free poetry competition started by the Dyer Ives Foundation in 1968 to encourage excellence in writing and to provide recognition for local work of high quality. The contest is open to Kent County residents of all ages. There are three divisions: kindergarten – eighth grade; high school – undergraduate; and graduate – adult.

 

The standards are high for the competition as every year there is a panel of judges alone with a national judge. This year’s national judge was Maria Mazziotti Gillan, who has published 20 books, been on NPR and CBS, is the founder/executive director of the Poetry Center at Passaic County Community College, editor of Paterson Literary Review, director of the Binghamton Center for Writers and professor of English at Binghamton University-SUNY.

 

Gillan said because there were so many good poems, it was “difficult to choose” the winners. With that spirit, the Dyer Ives Foundation decided to add an Honorable Mention category to celebrate more Kent County poets in this year’s publication of “Voices,” which features all the winners of the 2016 competition. Gonzalez’s poem “April” was one of five to receive an honorable mention in the kindergarten – eighth grade division. Along with being published, she will read it June 4 at 1 p.m. at the Ryerson Auditorium at the Grand Rapids Main Library, 111 Library St. NE. The reading is part of the Festival of the Arts, a celebration of the local arts that takes place June 3 – 5 in downtown Grand Rapids.

 

“Our teacher announced that one of us had made it in and then she was like, ‘Drumroll please,’” Gonzalez, the daughter of Maria Martinez and Josè Gonzalez, said of the day she found out about her winning piece. And how did it make her feel? “I can actually do something,” she said.

 

Besides playing soccer for a travel team, writing is another passion for Gonzalez. “I do enjoy writing a lot,” she said. “I mostly write fiction as I like to make up stories as I go.”

 

Poetry was a new challenge and one that Gonzalez said she enjoyed, however; her goal is to write a book, something that the Dyer Ives has given her the confidence to get started. “I love writing that makes people think,” she said. “So the reader can ask questions and think.”

 

In five years, she is hoping to have that book written as she heads off to college maybe for sports medicine since she loves soccer so much, Gonzalez said.

 

She also has some advice for those students facing that assignment to enter a piece of writing into a contest.

 

“Try to do the best on what they are writing and stop thinking those negative thoughts that yours isn’t good enough,” Gonzalez said. “There is always that one chance that you can.”

The Hunt for Michigan’s Mighty Morels…and other Wild Edibles

3-bottom, Food, Upcoming Events, , , , , ,

MorelsBy: Dianna Higgs-Stampfler

 

When you live in Pure Michigan, the spring season means the return of golf, fishing, biking and hunting—not necessarily for animals, but for wild edibles such as morels, asparagus, fiddleheads, leeks (also known as ramps) and more. Early- to mid-May is the typical timeframe for these spring edibles, although Mother Nature makes the final determination.

 

As winter succumbs to spring and the snow melts away, an amazing growth begins to take place on forest floors across Michigan. The moist ground is warmed by the sunshine and sprouts begin to push up through the dirt and dead leaves, alongside fallen Elm, Ash, Poplar, Aspen and Maple trees.

 

There are three common varieties of morels found throughout Michigan. Black morels usually appear in late April and make a three-week appearance, before the white and yellow morels come in for their run in May (of course, all are weather dependent).

 

Camouflaged by the fallen leaves from the previous autumn, morels are not easy to spot. It takes a trained eye to catch them peeking out from beneath the groundcover. However, after you spot one…it becomes easier to find the others (much like searching for Petoskey Stones along the Lake Michigan shoreline – your eyes are just drawn to them).

 

There is a system – or rules one would say – to the actual act of harvesting and cleaning morels.

  • Never just “pull” or “pluck” a morel from the ground as it destroys the mycelium which affects the crop in future years. Pinch the stem just above the ground or even use a small knife or scissors to cut it.
  • Use a mesh bag – similar to what onions are sold in – to carry your morels. This allows the spores to redeposit on the ground (something that won’t happen if you use a paper or plastic bag).
  • Carry a mushroom guidebook for identification purposes, unless you’re a seasoned hunter. There are countless imposters out there, many of which are poisonous. If in doubt, throw it out.
  • Take time when cleaning morels. Their hollow centers often collect dirt and the occasional insect so its recommend to slice them in half the long way and soak them in salt water to remove the grit and critters.

 

Morels make a great addition to hollandaise sauce atop Eggs Benedict or folded into an omelet. Stems, or the less-than-perfect morels, can be cooked into a delicious creamy bisque. Of course, dipping morels in an egg-wash and flour and frying them into a salty, crispy treat is also a favorite recipe. Consider an aioli dipping sauce – made with eggs, Dijon mustard, olive oil, white vinegar and lemon – to compliment them.

 

RampsOften where there are morels, there are other wild edibles – such as wild leeks – or ramps as they’re often referred to. A member of the lily family (just like the asparagus), ramps carpet the forest floor with their sweet garlic-onion scent between April and June.

 

The plant itself is green, with two or three elongated smooth leaves – almost feather-like in appearance – with a burgundy tone to the stem. Earlier in the season, the bulbs of the ramps are more slender and as they grow and mature, they become more bulbous.

 

There are a few differences in foraging for ramps, including:

 

Hunting for ramps on state and federal grounds is legally off limits and there are fines and penalties enforced on those who do.

 

When digging ramps, be sure to go all the way down to the root and harvest the entire plant. It’s often easier to use a small shovel or scoop shovel to guarantee a clean harvest.

 

Use a plastic bag to transport ramps, as they can fall through the mesh bags used to gather morels.

 

All parts of the ramp can be used in recipes. The tender fresh spring leaves can be used in salads, quiche and omelets. Ramps make a great base for pesto, combined with olive oil, kosher salt, pine nuts and parmesan cheese. Blend ramps with vinegar for dressings, marinades and sauces. Ramps can be eaten raw, grilled, roasted or sautéed, but remember they have a strong flavor – much more intense than scallions – and should be used more sparingly.

 

FiddleheadsFiddlehead greens are the premium – and lesser known – wild forage vegetable of spring. Their appearance coincides with that of wild morels and ramps. The fiddlehead resembles the curled ornamentation of a stringed instrument (such as a fiddle) and thus the name.

 

They should be harvested early in the season, before the frond has opened because once they open and start to grow, they become inedible. Look for a tight, dark green coil and snip it off, with scissors, just an inch or two down the stem beyond the coil.

 

Boasting a deliciously intense flavor, fiddleheads are reminiscent of asparagus, with an added nutty-bite. The flavor of fiddleheads goes well with cheeses, tomato sauce and oriental cuisine. They’re excellent with Hollandaise sauce or marinated in oil and vinegar. Cooked to crunchy tenderness, like fried morels, they are a flavorful and versatile treat. Sautéed with garlic and bacon (everything’s better with a little pork fat) they develop a more complex flavor and make a decadent side-dish.

 

AsparagusAsparagus is another widely-popular spring edible. In addition to sprouting wild, it’s also grown on farms across West Michigan – particularly along the shoreline where the sandy soil provides ideal growing conditions.

 

In fact, Michigan is the #3 producing asparagus state in the country – producing up to 25 million pounds annually on approximately 11,000 acres. Only 25% of the harvest is sold fresh at retail outlets and roadside markets; most is sold to processors to be frozen or canned. Oceana County itself is known as the “Asparagus Capital of the World.” This region is even featured in the award-winning PBS documentary called “Asparagus: Stalking the American Life.”

 

Other wild spring edibles worth researching include the long spiky leaves of Stinging Nettles – comparable to spinach or wheat grass, great for soups, purees or even pasta and dandelions – a bitter weed that can be cooked like greens, used in raw salads, added to oil and vinegar for dressings or turned into beverages such as tea or even wine.

 

If you have trouble finding wild edibles yourself, check out the Michigan-based Earthy Delights. As America’s premier supplier of specialty foods, they’re the leaders in offering wild-harvested and hand-crafted foods from small harvesters and growers. Their website also includes a wealth of recipes which inspire beginner foodies to gourmet chefs.

 

Once the harvest is complete (or after you’ve received your shipment from Earthy.com), it’s time to head to the kitchen to whip up an impressive gourmet menu fit for a five-diamond restaurant.

 

For specific recipes, look to local chefs for inspiration.

 

  • In his award-winning cookbook “Fork in the Road,” PBS-broadcasting Chef Eric Villegas features a Stinging Nettle Soup (pg. 26), Wild Ramp Quiche with Raw Milk Cheddar and Roasted Garlic (p. 28) and Strozzapreti Pasta with Morel Mushrooms and Asparagus (p. 49).
  • In Matt Sutherland’s cookbook “Savor Michigan,” you’ll find a half dozen morel recipes including two from The Rowe Inn in Ellsworth: Morel Mushroom, Wild Rice Bisque (pg. 199) and Morel & Leek Pierogi (pg. 202).
  • In the “Cook’s House: the art and soul of local, sustainable cuisine,” Chefs Jennifer Blakeslee and Eric Patterson feature a Stinging Nettle Soup with Horseradish Dumplings (pg. 124) and Tatsoi and Sorrel Salad with Pickled Ramps, Boiled Eggs & Tarragon (pg. 134).

 

Michigan’s Spring Edible Festivals & Events

 

May 11-15
National Morel Mushroom Festival – Boyne City

 

May 20-22
Empire Asparagus Festival

 

June 10-12
National Asparagus Festival – Oceana County

 

This article was republished with permission from Dianna at Promote Michigan. We do our best to help with the promotion of the great State of Michigan!

Tulip Time celebrates its 87th year May 7-14 in Holland, Mich

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tulip time

 

Holland, Michigan’s Tulip Time 2016 is May 7-14
By Pure Michigan

 

The beautiful beach town of Holland has been celebrating its Dutch heritage and culture since 1929 and the festivities continue this year. May 7-14, 2016 the Tulip Time Festival will feature parades, traditional Dutch Dance performances, concerts, theatre, Dutch attractions, Dutch food and more. More than 500,000 people from 40 countries travel to the Holland Tulip Time Festival each year.

tulip time dutch dance

 

During your visit at the Tulip Time Festival, you’ll see more than four million tulips decorating city parks, public attractions and city streets. Drive the six miles of Tulip Lanes through Holland’s historic neighborhoods. For more of nature’s beauty, explore Windmill Island Gardens, home to manicured gardens with more than 115,000 tulips, a 250 year-old working Dutch windmill and an antique Dutch carousel. For a more adventurous day, take your family to the Midway Carnival, or have a blast at the Nelis’ Dutch Village Family Theme Park, where the history of the Dutch culture comes to life. Continue the Dutch experience at Dutch Marktplaats, a marketplace where you can delight in the tastes, sights, sounds and crafts of 19th century Holland.

tulip time map

 

The Tulip Time Festival features three spectacular parades. See the traditional Volksparade, led by thousands of locals in traditional Dutch costumes. Participants gather at the beginning of the parade for the official Street Scrubbing, which includes an appearance by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder. The Johnson Controls Kinderparade, or “children’s parade,” is the largest parade of children in the state. The parade series finishes with GMB Muziekparade “music parade,” one of the most spectacular parades in the state, featuring 4,000 participants including floats, dancers, and bands along Michigan’s longest parade route.

 

For a relaxed way to experience the tulips, book a Tulip City Tour. The tours are offered daily; purchase your same-day tour tickets at the booth at Centennial Park The hop-on, hop-off tour allows easy access through beautiful Tulip Lanes, Holland’s Historic District, city parks and downtown, and includes admission to Windmill Island Gardens and the Holland Museum, Cappon House and Settler’s House.

Top20-all-R

 

While visiting Holland, make sure to take in beautiful Lake Michigan. Visit Holland State Park to view Big Red Lighthouse or Tunnel Park beach to watch a sunset. For a little more adventure, climb the 230 steps to the top of Mt. Pisgah, a 157 foot sand dune. Here, enjoy a panoramic view of Lake Michigan and Lake Macatawa.

 

Downtown Holland is a great destinations for unique, first-class shopping and dining. For Holland travel information and suggestions, click here. To purchase tickets and to peruse the entertainment opportunities, go here.

 

Images courtesy of Pure Michigan and Tulip Time

Kentwood has the urge to purge, too

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, Community Health, Upcoming Events, , , ,

City of KentwoodBy: Mike DeWitt

mike.dewitt@wktv.org

 

As certain mammals hibernate through the winter, us humans treat winter as a time to become a pack rat. Whether it’s your house, car, or garage, no one likes tidying things up in the cold. However, once the weather turns and the sun peaks out over the horizon, suddenly cleaning becomes a lot more manageable. The warmth, coupled with the excessive amount of junk accumulated throughout the winter, gives people a reason to take pride in their surroundings and start spring fresh.

 

Spring cleaning doesn’t always have to be greeted with sighs a groans!

 

On Saturday, May 7, from 8:00am – 2:00pm, the City of Kentwood will host their annual Pride Day for the citizens of Kentwood to take pride in their community. The community wide cleanup will be held at the Kentwood Recycling Center (5068 Breton Avenue) and is limited to Kentwood residents with proof by picture identification.

 

“The cleanups originally started with dumpsters in neighborhoods, but it was more difficult to dispose of everything,” said John Gorney, Kentwood’s Director of Public Works. “Having the community cleanup at a central location makes everything run smoother for everybody.”

 

Gorney has been an advocate for community cleanup days since he started working with the City of Kentwood 9 years ago. He was quick to point out that the city has been offering cleanups well before he arrived.

 

“I’ve been here for nine years, but our community cleanups have been going on for much longer. It’s a great way for the city and the community to work together to properly dispose of big, and potentially dangerous, items that are accumulated throughout the year,” said Gorney.

 

While most items will be accepted, latex paint, medical waste, pharmaceuticals, ammunition, fireworks, tires, and yard waste will not be accepted. The Kent County Department of Public Works will be available to accept household hazardous waste items.

 

Joining in on the cleanup will be the Salvation Army and Comprenew. The Salvation Army will be on hand to accept gently used items for donations. Comprenew will also be present to receive electronic waste (mobile phones, computers, fax machines, and other items will be accepted at no charge. CRT screens will not be accepted, but they can be dropped off directly at any Comprenew commercial location for a small fee.

 

Those planning to attend Kentwood’s Pride Day are asked to enter the drive off Breton Avenue. Volunteers will be checking for valid residence identification and approved items for disposal.

 

If you have any further questions, or are seeking more information, please call the City switchboard during business hours at 698-9610.

Kentwood Pride Day

Star Wars Day

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Editorial, Upcoming Events, , , ,
Star Wars Day
Here are a few from Star Wars Weekends. Top: Jake Lloyd, Daniel Logan. Bottom Jeremy Bulloch, Davie Prowse, and Ray Park

By: Katelyn Kohane

 

Today is Star Wars Day, May the Fourth be with you.

 

When I sat down to write this article, I was curious as to where the saying came from and how it got started. While doing my initial research, all signs pointed to Margaret Thatcher being the first to say it. The day she found out that she had become Prime Minister she said, “May the Fourth be with you,” in celebration of her victory. Star Wars fans immediately fell in love with the saying and henceforth it became known as Star Wars Day.

 

While “May the Fourth be with you” seems like an interesting, but random, Star Wars tidbit in the month of May, it’s actually just the icing on the cake. Most of the movies were released in May and George Lucas’ birthday also happens to fall in the month of May. It’s like it was all planned out a long, long time ago…

 

The relationship between Star Wars and the month of May continues from the silver screen to Star Tours at Walt Disney World. Star Tours is a Star Wars simulator at the Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida. Every weekend throughout May is dedicated as “Star Wars Weekends.”

 

I actually worked on the ride for many years and my vast Star Wars knowledge came in handy when working there. During my time there I made many great friends and enjoyed being a part of Star Wars Weekends! They were so fun. I would camp in line with friends to meet the celebrities that would come and hold talk shows, walk in parades, and sign autographs.

 

This year, to celebrate Star Wars Day in all its glory, I will certainly wear a Star Wars shirt. Hopefully, if I’m not too busy, I will carve out some time to watch a Star Wars movie. So to all the Star Wars fans out there… May the Fourth be with you!

 

Katie works in the film industry as a camera operator and has worked on films like ‘All You Can Dream’, ‘Set Up’ and a TV show called ‘American Fallen Soldier.’ She loves helping WKTV with the Citizen Journalism team and working as a tech at Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. Katie loves working in the film industry and loves watching movies just as much!

Calling all writers: WKTV News presents a writing workshop with Tom Rademacher

Area Education, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Local Faces, Upcoming Events, , , ,

Tom Rademacher Update: Due to an unforeseen conflict, the writing workshop will be postponed to a later date!

 

By: Mike DeWitt

 

Every artist has a palette full of basic building blocks in which to create their masterpiece. Painters have a palette full of individual colors, sculptors start with a slab of stone, and writers are privileged to the 26 letters of the alphabet and a story at every turn.

 

This Wednesday, May 4, Tom Rademacher – national award-winning author and former columnist for the Grand Rapids Press – will host a writing workshop at the Kent District Library’s Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch to help teach and inspire writers to utilize their full palette.

 

The writing workshop is one in a series of workshops put on by WKTV News to reach out to potential citizen reporters in the community. The stories in our communities are engaging, endearing, and endless, we just have to tell them!

 

The workshop is an opportunity to learn from one of the best storytellers around. Tom Rademacher made his mark writing about everyday individuals whose impact ripples throughout the community.

 

Following the presentation, there will be time for a question-and-answer segment. The writing workshop is free and open to the public.

 

Details Below:

 

Who: Tom Rademacher and WKTV News
What: Writing Workshop and Q&A
When: May 4, 6:30 – 8:00pm
Where: KDL Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch – 4950 Breton Rd. SE, Kentwood
Why: To sharpen you storytelling skills and learn from the best!

 

RSVP with your name to news@wktv.org

Catchin’ the vibe: Kentwood shines spotlight on its adaptive sports program

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, Entertainment, Upcoming Events
Garrett Bazany in Kentwood's adapted water ski clinic.
Garrett Bazany in Kentwood’s adapted water ski clinic. (Photos provided by Garrett Bazany)

Garrett Bazany has always been active, participating in track, cross country and skiing. So when a trampoline accident left him paralyzed from the chest down, it is no surprise that the accident didn’t change his resolve to stay active.

 

“I think I was down in the dumps for a little while,” said Bazany, who is a student at Calvin College. “It was during my recovery when I was starting therapy that I resolved to be as independent as possible.”

 

After making that commitment, the toughest obstacle Bazany faced was waiting the mandatory year from the time of his accident – to prevent further injury – before he could pursue the world of adaptive sports. And the Grand Haven resident didn’t have to look too far to enter that world since  Kentwood Parks & Recreation Department is one of the few places in West Michigan that offers a variety of adaptive sports programs.

 

Kentwood’s adaptive sports program is the focus of this year’s The Vibe, a Kentwood Parks & Recreation Gala fundraiser event, set for May 13, from 6 – 10 p.m .at the Bluff Banquet & Conference Center, 2035 St. SE.  Bazany is the featured speaker for the event.

 

“Kentwood has always been a very inclusive community and extremely diverse,” said Kentwood’s Recreation Program Coordinator Katelyn Bush, who oversees the adaptive sports program. “Even within its regular programs, the city has worked to be very inclusive and accessible.”

 

The adaptive programs are specifically designed for those with physical or cognitive limitations. The program which has been around for more than 25 years, is run by a certified therapeutic recreation specialist, which Bush is. The programs include a golf league, bowling league, adaptive swim, archery club, bocce league, canoe, kayak, and rock climbing.

 

An action shot from Garrett Bazany's GoPro camera.
An action shot from Garrett Bazany’s GoPro camera. (Photo provided by Garrett Bazany.)

“We will host our first ever adaptive track and field event at Grand Valley State University,” Bush said, adding that the event is scheduled for June 18.

 

Perhaps the most popular program is the adapted water skiing.

 

“Inevitably, someone always says ‘oh is that why we have a boat in the garage,’ when they find out about the water ski program,” Bush said with a chuckle.

 

There is a an adapted water ski clinic and private lessons all of which are run through a cooperative with East Grand Rapids at EGR’s Reeds Lake. The water ski clinic was the first  adaptive program Bazany participated in.

 

“You kind of sit in this cage structure and are strapped in,” Bazany said. ” I remember the water being cold. There this is rope that pulls you and if you feel comfortable, you can hang on to the rope and start to control the ski.”

 

Within just a couple of rides, Bazany was able to control the ski. He enjoyed it so  much that he began taking private lessons in water skiing and now does both water and snow skiing.

 

“I was use to doing these things before my accident and was facing that I couldn’t do them anymore,” Bazany said. “These programs challenged me to let go, be free and be active.”

 

“It’s a great thing to give people who are facing a tough time. It really gives them the opportunity to explore something new and enjoy what they are doing.”

 

Individual fees cover most of the cost of the adaptive programs, Bush said, adding that while The Vibe event is a fundraiser for the Parks & Recreation Department, the purpose for focusing on the adaptive program is to create more awareness about the different programs Kentwood’s Park & Recreation Department offers.

 

“This year it is the adaptive program,” Bush said. “We also have kids and family programs. We coordinate senior enrichment programs and special events. The Vibe is to educate people that there is always something going on.”

 

Tickets for this year’s The Vibe program are $75 per person and available at www.kentwoodvibe.com or call 616-656-5270. For more information on the programs offered by the Kentwood Parks & Recreation, such as the adaptive programs, visit www.yourkprd.org.

 

 

 

 

 

AT&T lauches “Puede Esperar” campaign to combat smartphone use while driving

3-bottom, Area Education, Citizen Journalism, Tech Trends, Upcoming Events, , , ,

Texting While DrivingBy: Mike DeWitt

 

It only takes one second, one glance down at your phone, to completely change a life. As technology and social networks continually innovate the way we communicate, they constantly vie for our attention throughout the day. Even when driving a car, a metal box hurling down the freeway at deadly speeds, it can be tempting to stay engaged to our social circles around us.

 

Back in 2010, AT&T created the It Can Wait campaign: a strong and simple message to put down your cell phone while driving. Now, in response to a recent findings on distracted driving, AT&T has shifted their campaign to reach U.S. Hispanics – Puede Esperar.

 

Puede Esperar is a direct response to new research that found 83 percent of Hispanics admitting to using their smartphone behind the wheel. That number is higher than an already staggering 71 percent of Americans as a whole that admit to distracted driving. Of that 83 percent, half admit to using their smartphone to social network while driving, more than a quarter (28%) take selfies or photos, and nearly 70 percent send texts messages.

 

The Puede Esperar campaign focuses on education and practical tools to help combat distracted driving. The campaign includes:

•    The AT&T DriveMode app is now available in Spanish and open to all carriers. The app helps curb the urge to text and drive by silencing incoming text messages once the car reaches 15 MPH.

•    A 360-degree video experience that simulates the potentially deadly consequences of glancing at your phone while driving. The video can be viewed on your smartphone.

•    A coast-to-coast virtual reality tour visiting local high schools and community events in more than a dozen cities by year-end.

•    A website to help share information and resources.

 

While the most recent campaign focuses on reaching the Hispanic population, it’s a problem that everyone needs to address.

 

“Now more than ever we need to focus on those who put themselves at high risk behind the wheel,” said Sandra Howard of AT&T. “We want them to know the dangers and take the pledge. Ultimately, we want them to keep their eyes on the road, not on their phones.”

 

Since the original campaign launched in 2010, It Can Wait has helped grow awareness of the dangers of distracted driving, inspired more than 8 million pledges to keep their eyes off their phones and on the road, and collaborated with AT&T data scientists on research that shows the impact statewide anti-texting laws have on the rates of texting while driving.

 

Remember, that text, snapchat, photo, tweet, and instagram post isn’t worth a life. Put away your cell phones and focus on the road ahead.

WKTV airs Saugatuck Short Film Festival in support of this year’s call for entries

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Last year's Saugatuck xxxxxxxx
Last year’s Saugatuck Short Film Festival will be aired on WKTV this week.

The Saugatuck Center for the Arts, 400 Culver St., Saugatuck, is calling all filmmakers to submit their short films to the fourth annual Saugatuck Shorts Film Competition.

 

This year marks the fourth year of the Saugatuck Center for the Arts’ (SCA) film competition, where professional and student filmmakers will compete for $2,500 worth of cash prizes for their short films—five minutes or less—that feature some sort of Michigan flavor. Student submissions (high school students and younger) are free, and adults (college and up) are $20 per entry. Video projects by schools, clubs, and religious organizations are encouraged to enter. Registration for Saugatuck Shorts is open now until Oct, 9, and can be completed at sc4a.org.

 

“Over the past three years, the SCA’s Saugatuck Shorts competition has brought in filmmakers from across the state for a wonderful night of engaging entertainment on the big screen,” said SCA Executive Director Kristin Armstrong. “The competition is a great way for students and professionals alike to get their work in front of the community. We are very excited to bring this special competition back!”

 

Saugatuck Shorts is the only film competition in West Michigan that offers a cash prize for film submissions in a juried category and an audience favorite. Similar to ArtPrize, a panel of judges will choose the top ten shorts to be shown on screening night. Of those top ten, a winner from the student and from the adult category will be chosen. The student winner will be awarded $500 and the adult winner, $1,000. On screening night, after the audience has viewed all ten shorts, they will cast their votes for the “Audience Favorite” which will be awarded another $1,000.

 

This year’s competition also marks the second year that the SCA will partner with Wyoming-Kentwood Television (WKTV) to promote Saugatuck Shorts. In addition to the station coming to the event to broadcast it live, WKTV will also feature the top ten juried films on their station.

WKTV will be airing last year’s 3rd Annual Saugatuck Shorts Film Festival Tuesday, April 26, at 9 p.m. and again Saturday, April 30 at 10 p.m. on Comcast, channel 25.

 

WKTV is a community television station located at 5261 Clyde Park Ave. SW. WKTV is one of the oldest community television stations in the country that is still in operation, celebrating 40 years in 2014. More information about WKTV can be found here.

Black April event at WKTV

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Local Faces, Non-Profits, Upcoming Events, , ,

[huge_it_slider id=”49″]

By: Adrian Dang

 

On April 30, WKTV will host an evening to commemorate, through the lenses of music, the fateful Black Friday April event in Vietnam 41 years ago.

 

The event starts promptly at 7 p.m. Admission is free and please be on time.

Code Red Robotics moving on to World Finals

3-bottom, Area Education, Education, Non-Profits, Tech Trends, Upcoming Events, ,

By: Mike DeWitt

 

After a strong showing at the FIRST in Michigan State Championship, Kentwood’s own Code Red Robotics has earned a bid to the World Finals in St. Louis from April 27-30.

 

The State Championship at the DeltaPlex saw Code Red Robotics finish 11th in the qualifying rounds before eventually bowing out in the quarterfinals.

 

WKTV News will be sure to keep up on their journey!

A tutorial on how to get your hands on those Frederik Meijer Garden concert tickets

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Upcoming Events, , ,
Complicated Animals performs at the Frederik Meijer Gardens.
Complicated Animals performs at the Frederik Meijer Gardens.

The Greater Grand Rapids area was all a buzz last week. Not only did Garth Brooks tickets go on sale  – with 60,000 tickets sold for six-concerts in one day – but the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park released its 2016 summer concert series line-up as well.

 

And it is quite the line-up with a mixture of returning favorites, Grace Potter, Gavin DeGraw,  and The Beach Boys, and some who have never performed at the Gardens’ outdoor amphitheater such as opener Tears for Fears and Motown’s darling Diana Ross.

 

“We brought back some such as Jackson Browne because his show sold out so quickly last year and so now those who didn’t get to see him might have the chance to do so,” said Andrea Wolschleger, whose last task as public relations manager for the Frederik Meijer Gardens was promoting the summer concert series. “It really is a nice mix of returning favorites and new faces.”

 

While tickets are a hot item, with the Gardens at about 95 percent sold for the 2015 summer series, Wolschleger said there is a misnomer that all the concerts sellout right away during the members-only preview sale.

 

“Actually during the member sale, we might have five or six of the concerts sellout,” Wolschleger said.  There are around 30 concerts in the series starting with Tears for Fears on June 6 and ending with Gavin DeGraw and Andy Grammar on Sept. 7.

 

Of course, If you are really hoping to snag those tickets for Diana Ross, the best chance is to be a member of the Gardens since the member-only sale starts at 9 a.m. April 30.

 

“I would recommend becoming a member before April 30,” Wolschleger said. “You are going to want to be able to get online right away at 9 a.m. If you try to get your membership done that same day you might have problems getting online for the members’ sale.”

 

Becoming a Gardens member – which starts at $50 for an individual ($30 for a student) – now or even a few days before means any problems can be resolved before the sale starts, Wolschleger said. Members also save $2 a ticket. There is an $8 per order handling fee through StarTickets. For the general public, there is a $3.50 handling fee per order plus a $5.25 convenience fee per ticket. There are no fees for tickets purchased through the Meijer Gardens Admission desk during normal business hours.

 

Members have until midnight May 13 to order tickets. Starting at 9 a.m. May 14, tickets are released to the general public. For a complete list of performers, dates and times, click here.

 

The amphitheater seats 1,900 and is general admission. Blankets and low-rise chairs that are 32 inches maximum from ground to highest position of the chair are allowed. A limited number of standard-height chairs will be available to rent for $5 on a first-come, first-serve basis.  Concertgoers may bring their own food, bottled water and non-alcoholic beverages. For complete guidelines, click here.

5th Annual GRJazzFest announces line-up April 27

3-bottom, Beer, Entertainment, Food, Kids Activities, Local Entertainment, Local Faces, Local Food, Non-Profits, Upcoming Events, , , , , , , , ,

grand-jazz-logo

By GRandJazzFest

 

Summer’s still quite a way off, but it’s never too early to get excited about good jazz!

 

GRandJazzFest presented by DTE Energy Foundation returns to Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids, Mich., this Aug. 20 and 21, for the fifth annual festival. The popular family-friendly festival, which attracted more than 10,000 people last year, is West Michigan’s only free, weekend-long jazz festival. The two-day festival will again be free because of Presenting Sponsor DTE Energy Foundation, the City of Grand Rapids and other sponsoring organizations and individuals.

 

Edye-Evans-Hyde
Edye Evans Hyde performed last year

“Grand Rapids and West Michigan have embraced GRandJazzFest,” founder Audrey Sundstrom said. “We’re proud to say GRandJazzFest is one of the most diverse, community-oriented festivals for people who live here, who travel here, and who want to enjoy two days of great live music in a vibrant downtown setting. THIS is what community is all about.”

 

Each year, GRandJazzFest has been held at Rosa Parks Circle in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids to enable festival-goers to take in all that downtown has to offer: restaurants, clubs, museums, microbreweries and shops. The festival typically occurs during Restaurant Week in Grand Rapids. The festival’s location provides easy access to those who ride the bus, walk or bike, and is also close to parking.

 

The 2016 festival lineup will be announced on April 27 at the House of Entertainment and Music (H.O.M.E.) at The B.O.B. That night at H.O.M.E., the band Evidence led by saxophonist Michael Doyle takes the stage. Evidence performed at the 2014 GRandJazzFest.

 

Like last year’s reveal, festival organizers will coordinate with leaders at International Jazz Day to include GRandJazzFest’s reveal announcement as a sanctioned International Jazz Day event.

 

At the 2016 festival in August, 11 diverse jazz artists and bands will perform, including a student jazz band and two major headline acts.

Walt-Gutowski1
Walt Gutowski performed last year

 

Free face painting by Fancy Faces will be available for kids and, if lines aren’t too long, for “kids at heart.”

 

GR and Jazz (the non-profit, all-volunteer-run producer of GRandJazzFest) is pleased to announce a special collaboration with the Grand Rapids Art Museum: Under an agreement with GRAM, the festival’s VIP area will be located on the GRAM front terrace where refreshments and snacks will be provided. The VIP area is for sponsors of GRandJazzFest. Additionally, GRAM will have an outdoor bar area set up at the base of its front steps adjoining Rosa Parks Circle for attendees who would like to purchase and consume refreshments and enjoy the festival.

 

Grand Rapids city commissioners approved GRandJazzFest as one of 24 events that it will co-sponsor in 2016, a distinction only given to events that have proven to be successful and enrich the community. GRandJazzFest 2015 received distinction as a Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. Signature Event along with two other festivals, ArtPrize and LaughFest.

 

In addition to DTE Energy Foundation, the City of Grand Rapids, and GRAM, sponsors for the 2016 event to date include GR and Jazz, IntentPR, Gilmore Collection, Comcast, Hilger Hammond, Amway Hotel Corporation, Experience Grand Rapids, ICON Sign, Meijer, Moxie Men Incorporated, Hungerford Nichols, WGVU, Steelcase and Clark Hill. Sponsorship opportunities are here.

Grupo-Aye
Grupo Aye performed last year

 

“We are so grateful to all of our sponsors for their support – we could not do it without them,” Sundstrom said. “We’re seeking additional sponsors to help us bring a full weekend of FREE, family-friendly live jazz performances to West Michigan!”

 

Get a taste of past GRandJazzFests by viewing the “recap” videos here.

 

More information on the 5th annual GRandJazzFest presented by DTE Energy Foundation can be found here and at the festival’s Facebook and Twitter sites.

Why “Giỗ Tổ Hùng Vương” and an abbreviated Overview of Vietnam History

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Our Cities, Upcoming Events, ,

VietnamBy: Adrian Ɖặng Bảo Oánh

 

The Hung Vuong Era, which spanned 28 generations, is officially recognized and accredited as the founding forefathers of Vietnam. Prehistoric Vietnam dates back much further.  The Association of Senior Vietnamese-Americans in the Grand Rapids Metro Area is organizing a commemorative event to honor the founding forefathers of Vietnam. This year, the formal event will take place on April 16th, 2016 at the Little Saigon Plaza on 28th Street, beginning at 2:00 PM.

 

It is the most appropriate time to recite on the ancient history of Vietnam so we could have some basic understanding of another culture in our diverse community, and also to potentially share with our friends who have Vietnamese heritage the sentiments of one of their important days.

 

Prehistoric information, according to historians and archeologists, shows evidence of human dwelling and activities as early as the Paleolithic Age. Evidence of Homo Erectus presence dating back to 500,000 BC were found in caves around the Lạng Sơn and Nghệ An provinces of Northern Vietnam in 1965. There have also been human fossils from the middle and late Pleistocene Age discovered in other unfrequented caves in Vietnam. Fossilized homo-sapiens teeth help calculate the timeframe of the findings through archeological excavations.

 

Legend has it that the Vietnamese “breed” of people derived from an ancient couple – Lạc Long Quân and Âu Cơ – much like Adam and Eve of the Western world. The man was a descendant of the dragon, and the woman was a fairy. The legendary couple gave birth to a large sac of 100 eggs. The eggs hatched and gave life to 100 children. Fifty of the children went to live toward the ocean and explored the coastal areas while the other fifty offspring went toward the mountains to explore land. The developments and multiplications gave rise to the people of Vietnam, and later, their nation.

 

Vietnam has been recognized as a nation for about 4,900 years. This small country started in the Ɖộng Ɖình Hồ region among numerous other non-Chinese groups who inhabited in the southern part of China known as the Bach Viet group, where “Bach” means 100.

 

The first kings of Vietnam belonged to the Hùng Vương Era which lasted twenty-eight generations. This period is called the Hồng Bàng Period in history. During these generations, the kings and the people mostly kept adding richness to the Vietnamese culture in different facets. They also added population and expanded their homeland border southward. There were no specific recordings of the dynasty’s specific achievements or accomplishments, yet there were plenty legends told to explain of how certain customs and habits came about throughout the millenniums. But without the Hùng Vương Era, the country of Vietnam would not have started and become of what it is today.

 

Ɖại Cồ Việt Imperial Palace at Hoa LưThe Vietnamese throughout the world commemorate the Hùng Vương’s day annually. This date falls on the 10th day of the 3rd month on the eastern lunar calendar. Since the lunar calendar does not coincide with the Julian-solar calendar, this historic celebration date changes from year to year. This year, per the solar calendar, the celebration occurs on April 16th.

 

After the Hùng Vương Era, the history has been recorded more accurately and completely. The country of Vietnam was monarchically ruled by several dynasties with the kingdom passed down from one king to another within the family names. The 6 main dynasties proceeded in order as: Ɖinh, Lê, Lý, Trần, Lê, Nguyễn. The Đinh dynasty started with Ɖinh Bộ Lĩnh who later became Ɖinh Tiên Hoàng, the founding monarch of the Ɖinh dynasty in 968 AD. He named the country Ɖại Cồ Việt and set up the capital in Hoa Lư. The name lasted through the Lê Dynasty until the second king of the Lý Dynasty, Lý Thánh Tông, changed it to Ɖại Việt in 1054. The first king under the Lý family name was Lý Thái Tổ, who then moved the capital of the country to Thăng Long from Hoa Lư, but he never changed the name of the nation. Thăng Long is now known as Hanoi, the current capital of Vietnam.

 

King Gia Long of the Nguyễn DynastyThis little country in Southeast Asia underwent several name changes until king Gia Long (Nguyễn Phúc Ánh) of the Nguyễn Dynasty changed it to Việt Nam, and it stands to this date. It was also during the Nguyen Dynasty that the capital was moved to Huế for the entire duration under the ruling of the Nguyễns.

 

Vietnam is a relatively small country lining the southeastern coast of the South China Sea. Vietnam occupies approximately 331,211.6 square kilometers and has a population of  91,700,000 according to the 2015 official estimation. Although small in size, Vietnam has been targeted for invasion by other countries. Vietnam was under Chinese control for four different periods of time totaling about 1,000 years. The French made Vietnam one of its colonies for approximately 100 years starting in the mid 1800’s. The Japanese also dominated Vietnam in the 1940s. There were several other attempts to invade and seize Vietnam by other countries throughout history.

 

Why is it that this little country is always pestered by others?

 

Geographically, Vietnam’s whereabouts offers an advantage in military operations and trading. It is also rich in natural resources ranging from mines of precious metals to fertile land which yields bountiful harvests to rich sea resources off the reef that runs the length of the entire country. The Vietnamese people mostly are pleasant, amiable looking, intelligent, ambitious, and hard-working. Many nations wanted Vietnam to be a part of their own countries; perhaps, there exists some nations who still harbor these obsolete and morally wrong ideas.

 

Courtest of Vivi for Hung Vuong Commemoration
Courtest of Vivi for Hung Vuong Commemoration

We touched slightly on a couple of the country name changes that Vietnam underwent.  Actually, there were many more names that defined this country at one time or another. Some were significant, some were not, and sometimes certain names re-appeared at later times.

 

The main names Vietnam wore throughout history were: Xích Quỷ, Văn Lang, Âu Lạc, Nam Việt, Giao Chỉ, Lĩnh Nam, Giao Chỉ, Giao Châu, Vạn Xuân, Giao Châu/An Nam, An Nam, Trấn Nam, An Nam, Tĩnh Hải Quân, Ɖai Cồ Việt, Ɖại Việt, Ɖại Ngu, Giao Chỉ, Ɖại Việt, Việt Nam, Ɖại Nam, Việt Nam.

 

During the French domination, the French government strategically divided Vietnam into three parts with three different names that fell under different rules for easier control and management. The North was named Tonkin which was totally placed under French rules. The central part of Vietnam was named Annam which was – on the surface – left in the hands of the Vietnamese people and the Vietnamese king. In reality, it was under French supervision. The South was called Cochinchina, and it was French-cultured with the most freedom. The southern Vietnamese were most influenced by the French. Consequently, many of them were well-versed in the French language.

 

The French were driven out of Vietnam by the Việt Minh in the early 1950s resulting in the Geneva Conference that divided the country into two parts: Communist North Vietnam and  the Republic of South Vietnam. The capital of North Vietnam became Hanoi and the capital of South Vietnam became Saigon. The civil war then began between the south and the north of Vietnam until 1975. It ended on April 30th of Year 1975.

 

Vietnam history in its entirety is in no way possible to present in the confinement of these pages and the limited knowledge of one person. The intention of this article was to present an abbreviated overview of the history of Vietnam through April 1975. And the author hopes that it helps ignite interest on the event that The Association of Senior Vietnamese-Americans in the Grand Rapids Metro Area is going to hold on Saturday April 16th, 2016.  If you are curious and or have time, please do not hesitate to attend at 2:00 PM at the Little Saigon Plaza on 28th Street, just East of Division Street.

 

God bless America and God bless us all.

Local resident climbs a mountain in search of Noah’s Ark

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Upcoming Events, , , , ,
Kevin DeVries, the lead mountaineer for the "Finding Noah" exhibition, will be at the KDL Wyoming branch April 21.
Kevin DeVries, the lead mountaineer for the “Finding Noah” exhibition, will be at the KDL Wyoming branch April 21.

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

In 2013, something rare happened in Turkey: after decades of bloody conflict, there was a cease fire between the Kurdistan Workers’ Party and the Turkish Government/Army.

 

For a professional film crew, directed by Brent Braum, it was iconic in it meant the group of Ark Explorers Inc., with lead mountaineer and Byron Center resident Kevin DeVries, would be able to make its last attempt to discover if Noah’s Ark made its final resting place on Turkey’s Mt. Ararat’s nearly 17,000-foot Eastern Plateau. Released last year, the independent film, “Finding Noah,” became something of a phenomenon with more than 500,000 views on its trailer, more than 65,000 likes on its Facebook page and more than 30,000 theater tickets sold on its limited release. The film also garnered several awards from the Montreal World Film Festival, Napa Valley Film Festival, Twin Cities Filmfest and the Sun & San: The Mississippi Film & Music Festival.

 

It also helped launch a speaking career for DeVries who is scheduled to be at the Kent District Library’s Wyoming Branch, 3350 Michael Ave. SW, Thursday, April 21, for a private, free screening of the film at 5:45 p.m. along with a Q&A with DeVries to follow.

 

“We were there to prove scientifically that the ark was there,” said DeVries, who formed a connection with KDL while working on his four-part book series “Explorers of the Lost Ark.” The book series recounts the five summers (2009-2013) Ark Search LLC, explored Mt. Ararat in search of Noah’s Ark.

 

DeVries was a travel agent when he reached out to the group offering his services and expertise in mountain climbing. He had climbed five of the seven continental summits, skied to the North Pole, kayaked all five of the Great Lakes and is a 2013 Boston Marathon Qualifier and Finisher, so DeVries knew what was needed to survive the rugged conditions of Mt. Ararat. A devout Christian, DeVries admitted he had an interest in the story of the ark especially since similar tales appear in cultures around the world.

 

“It’s kind of one of those holy grails from the Bible,” DeVries said of searching for Noah’s Ark. “If you can prove it one way or another, it would have tremendous ramifications.”

 

Proving the ark’s existence and location, which according to the Bible “…came to rest on the mountains of Ararat” (Genesis 8:4), could rewrite textbooks in such fields as zoology, geology, and anthropology, to name a few. A flood of that proportions certainly would have had an impact on land formations, DeVries said.

 

But in the end, as the film points out, it is not so much the destination, but, as DeVries noted sounds a little clichè, the journey.

 

“It is really about the brotherhood,” DeVries said. “I made friendships with these people that will last a lifetime.”

 

The adventure certainly impacted DeVries life who is an inspirational speaker travelling the United States to talk about the film and his personal experience in several faith-based programs and events. He continues to climb with his goal of completing The Explorers Grand Slam – Climb the Seven Summits and Ski to the North and South Pole. For the record, he needs to climb Mt. Everest and Mt. Vinson – the tallest peaks in Asia and Antarctic respectfully – along with skiing to the South Pole.

 

At the April 21 event, DeVries said the film, which is now out on DVD, will be shown with the audience having an opportunity to ask questions afterwards. The film, DeVries said, does an excellent job in telling the story of the search, not only for Noah’s Ark, but in finding yourself. Or, as a quote from DeVrie’s own website puts it “Sometimes we have to travel the ends of the earth to reach the end of ourselves and find a new beginning in God that never ends.”

 

For more about the showing, visit the KDL website. For more about DeVries, visit his Grace Explorations website.

 

In full bloom: Kent Garden Club beautifies Grand Rapids with cherry trees

3-bottom, Our Cities, Upcoming Events, , , ,
Members of the Kent Garden Club will help to plant nine Kwanzan Cherry Trees this Saturday. (Photos provided by Cynthia Larson Burden of Photos by Bur'den.
Members of the Kent Garden Club will help to plant nine Kwanzan Cherry Trees this Saturday. (Photos provided by Cynthia Larson Burden of Photos by Bur’den.)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

Think of the last time you took a stroll along the west bank of the Grand River near the Grand Rapids Public Museum –  a very picturesque scene of the water and beautifully landscaped grounds. Hard to imagine it could be even more picture perfect, right? How about the addition of some flowering trees like Kwanzan Cherry Trees?

 

If you eyes just got wider and a smile slipped on your face at that thought then you are right in tune to the reaction of the members of the Kent Garden Club which will be planting those cherry trees this Saturday, April 16, along the west bank of the Grand River.

 

“The fact that it is Global Youth Service Day on Friday and then you have Earth Day on April 22 and Arbor Day April 29, it just seemed like the perfect project to do during the month of April,” said Adele Krhovsky, who is the Kent Garden Club president.

 

More than 100 years old, the Kent Garden Club, as part of its mission to encourage active interest in civic beautification, has for about 75 years helped oversee the planting and maintaining of the landscape at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. The committee, Gardening on the Grand, is currently chaired by Kent Garden Club member Barb Hoogeboom.

 

“Once a month we come out and plant, prune and weed,” Krhovsky said, adding that the group has planted 500 daffodil bulbs.  Some of the members have focused on specific areas such as Kent Garden Club member Mary Block who takes care of all the urns at the Public Museum.

 

Kent Garden Club members get ready to plant and prune at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. (Photos by Cynthia Larson Burden of Photos by Bur'den.)
Kent Garden Club members get ready to plant and prune at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. (Photos provided by Cynthia Larson Burden of Photos by Bur’den.)

It was during one of the monthly Public Museum gatherings last year that the idea for the Kwanzan Cherry Trees was planted with the members and from there bloomed into a plan of action. The Kent Garden Club proposed the idea of adding the trees to the Public Museum, but due to the river restoration project, had to put the plan on hold until this March, Krhovsky said.

 

When it was determined that where the trees would be placed would not be impacted by the Grand River project, the membership moved into action, raising more than $2,500 for the trees and to have a tree specialist available on planting day. Scotts Miracle-Gro is providing fertilizer and mulch with a representative also scheduled to be there on Saturday as well.

 

More than 40 volunteers are expected on Saturday to help with the planting. There will be nine trees planted. The Kwanzan Cherry Tree, also called the Japanese Flowering Cherry, is  a popular selection because of its huge carnation-like pink cluster of flowers in the spring and for its green leaves, tinted with red, that turn a brilliant orange in the fall. It is planted in Washington D.C. along with the Yoshiko Cherry for the area’s annual Cherry Blossom Festival. The Kwanzan Cherry Tree is ornamental and does not bear fruit.

 

The trees being planted on Saturday are six to eight feet in height and will grow to 30 to 40 feet in maturity. The trees will blossom in full approximately one year after being planted, but some blossoming may occur this season. The tree’s lifespan is about 15 to 25 years.

 

The Public Museum is one of five gardens that the Kent Garden Club cultivates and maintains. The club coordinates volunteers to help with the gardening and those interested in participating or learning more about the Kent Garden Club should visit the group’s website at kentgardenclub.org or check out the group’s Facebook page.

 

The Kent Garden Club is part of The National Garden Clubs, Inc., which on May 2, the City of Grand Rapids will be home to The National Gardens Clubs’ 87th Annual Garden Club Convention, “Blooming on the Grand.” The convention will highlight what the Kent Garden Club has done for the city including the Museum’s grounds. For more on the convention, click here.

 

 

‘Kids Simmer Camp’ stirs up kids’ imaginations and cooking skills

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simmer camp 5By Downtown Market

 

Kids Simmer Camp, for ages 6-11, is a great way to get your kids excited about preparing meals. Fun and educational, these three-day camps explore adventurous weekly themes. From discoveries in the Greenhouse to hands-on cooking in the Teaching Kitchen, “Simmer” Camp cultivates growth and bakes up excitement. Each activity and recipe will pair with the inspiring weekly theme and stimulate inventive imagination and creativity.

 

Everything needed for class is provided: ingredients, the aprons, and the fun! If you shop prior to class and need to put any perishable food purchases in the cooler, please let the sous chef know on your way into class.

 

If your child has an allergy, simply indicate during the registration process if there are any dietary restrictions that our chef should be aware of. We will make the appropriate accommodations to ensure an excellent culinary experience.

 

Please include ages on registration so our chef can prepare ahead for all ages.

 

These classes fill quickly.

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simmer camp 2

 

Week 1: Baking 101-Oven Science
June 28, 29, and 30, 10a-2p • $125

From savory to sweet, to sneaking in a few secret ingredients, kids will learn the science behind baking, and how to incorporate greenhouse fresh ingredients into their baked goods.

 

This week’s kids’ creations include:

Buttermilk biscuits, homemade baked chicken tenders, nutty chocolate chip quinoa cupcakes, mini seasonal fruit tarts, savory supper pie, black bean brownies, pizza with vegetable pizza sauce, and monkey bread.
REGISTER HERE

 

Week 2: Roadtrip USA
July 12, 13, and 14, 10a-2p • $125

From the Southwest, to Creole country, to New England, and back, kids will take a culinary road trip throughout the US!

 

simmer camp 4This week’s kids’ creations include:

Mexican enchiladas, southwestern slaw, Tex-Mex style chocolate pudding, hopping John rice and beans, pimento cheese spread, lemon parfaits, New England crab cakes, rhubarb tea, and hasty pudding.

Kids will also learn about water resources, plant adaptation, rice farming, food preservation, and other important agricultural facts from around the country.
REGISTER HERE

 

 

Week 3: SOLD OUT!

 

 

Week 4: Movie Meal Mayhem
July 26, 27, and 28, 10a-2p • $125

Ever wondered how to make a real Ratatouille or what would happen if Minecraft food was served at your dinner table? What would happen if food took over Grand Rapids like it does in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs? Join us as we explore the food, farming, and environment related to these popular movies.

 

This week’s kids’ creations include:

Sausage meatballs, giant pancakes, peach sauce, fresh fruit juice, pixelated fruits and veggies with homemade sauces and dips, vegetable ratatouille, French chocolate mousse, and homemade bread sticks.
REGISTER HERE

 

simmer camp 3

Week 5: Modern City Homesteading
July 19, 20, and 21, 10a-2p • $125

Kids will learn the ten basic concepts of urban homesteading and align them with practical skills, such as growing potted plants, making sauces from scratch, designing your own reusable snack sack, and using dry ice to create a fun dessert. Kids will also learn about rain barrels and worm bins (vermiculture) and how they add value to any urban yard.

 

This week’s kids’ creations include:

Cucumber salad, black bean quesadillas, banana pudding vegetable pancakes with homemade ketchup, carrot slaw, ice cream, deviled eggs, seasonal veggie soup and homemade soft pretzels with honey mustard dip.
REGISTER HERE

 

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Questions?  Email classes@downtownmarketgr.com or call 616.805.5308 ext 217.

Code Red: A Robotics Takeover by Area Students

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, Kids Activities, Non-Profits, Upcoming Events, , ,

By Mike DeWitt

Mike.DeWitt@wktv.org

 

The outside fortifications of the castle have taken serious damage as the opposing forces lick their chops readying for a takeover. Three valiant knights, bonded by an alliance, are all the castle has left. They band together and strike back, strategically battering the opposing stronghold with a flawlessly executed counterattack that places victory within reach.

 

Now all that’s left is to bring down the tower, and time is running out.

 

It’s a battle scene playing out straight from a movie. However, these knights aren’t people, they’re robots, and they’re built and operated by high school students on a quest for a state championship at the DeltaPlex from April 14-16..

 

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in Michigan is an organization and robotics competition that gives students an opportunity to build their own robots and compete against other teams. It’s a way for students to discover how rewarding a career in engineering or technology can be.

 

Code Red Robotics, a local program based in Kentwood, recently qualified for the Michigan FIRST Robotics State Championship that will be held this weekend at the DeltaPlex Arena. Code Red enters the competition with the highest district score in West Michigan, highest scoring regular season match in the country, and as a winner of the Chairman’s Award, the top award in FIRST.

 

The competition theme for this year is “FIRST Stronghold” and creates alliances of three robots on a quest to breach their opponents’ fortifications, weaken the opponents’ tower with foam boulders, and ultimately capture the tower. Students were given six weeks to create a robot from scratch that could best handle all the obstacles. In all, the outermost line of fortification had more than 18,000 possible field configurations.

 

Code Red“Robotics is a great opportunity for the kids to learn teamwork. It truly is a team sport,” said Code Red director Ken Orzechowski.

 

Code Red Robotics started in 2008 and hasn’t looked back. Since the team started competing in 2009, Code Red has qualified for the state championship every year but one and has qualified for the world championship twice.

 

While most robotics teams are affiliated with a school, Code Red Robotics runs separately and relies on students from surrounding area schools to bolster the team. It’s the most challenging obstacle for the program.

 

“We have to constantly reach out to kids to join,” said Orzechowski. “It’s difficult, but having a team represented by 10 different schools only adds to our team dynamic. Plus, once they get in, they don’t leave. It’s too much fun!”

 

The schools represented at Code Red include Byron Center, Caledonia, Calvin Christian, Forest Hills Central, Grandville, Kenowa Hills, NorthPointe Christian, South Christian, Well Spring Academy, and home schools. On top of bringing kids in from other schools to learn robotics and be a part of a team, Code Red has been active in starting up robotics programs across the area.

 

In order to get a new program off of the ground, Code Red meets with school and community leaders, recruits mentors to help the students, and aids in finding sponsors and developing business plans. Their efforts have succeeded in getting six programs off the ground and rebooting another: the Forest Hills Comets, East Kentwood Red Storm, the Altobots, West Mi Aviation Spitfires, Harper Creek Robo Beavers, and the Petoskey Paladins. Code Red was also instrumental in finding mentors and sponsors to revive the Wyoming Demons after they folded in 2012. The Demons also qualified for the state championship this year.

 

Code Red“Starting some of these programs has cut into our own pool of kids, but that’s okay. It’s all about spreading the positives that come with FIRST,” said Orzechowski.

 

Orzechowski touched on those positives that spread well beyond the technical skills learned.

 

“It forces kids to articulate what they know and share ideas. We have a lot of smart kids; at one point we had five valedictorians, but they don’t always know how to share their ideas. If you can’t articulate your idea, it’s as bad as not knowing it. The teamwork that is required for FIRST helps build those skills.”

 

Code Red Robotics will compete in the state championship at the DeltaPlex, April 14-16. For further information on the competition, visit FIRST in Michigan. For more information on Code Red Robotics, visit their website.

Local spoken word poets featured at upcoming KDL Kentwood advance

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, Local Entertainment, Recreation, Upcoming Events, , ,
Local spoken word group The Diatribe will be at the KDL Kentwood (Richard L. Root) branch April 21.
Local spoken word group The Diatribe will be at the KDL Kentwood (Richard L. Root) branch April 21.

Marcel Price, better known as Fable the Poet, understands how powerful words can be. When strung together, they can be hurtful, he acknowledges, but they can also be liberating.

 

“Recently, I was working with students [at a local high school] and we were talking about domestic violence and this boy in the class offered to share up one of his poems,” said Fable the Poet, who is one of the founding members of the local spoken work poet group The Diatribe. The Diatribe will be at the KDL Kentwood (Richard L. Root) branch April 21. “I was like, ‘OK, everybody, let’s clap him up, he is going to share with us.”

 

As the young man stood there telling his story, and tears, about knowing and facing domestic violence, the room became quiet.

 

“Afterwards, students came up and gave him a hug and that in the end is what it is about,” Fable the Poet said. “It is teaching that there are a lot of issues but that many are facing the same issues and through those issues there is a feeling of unity.”

 

For the past several years, The Diatribe, which includes Fable the Poet, Kelsey May, Rachel Gleason, Shawn Moore and G Foster II, have been working with area high schools and students, showing them how spoken word poetry can be used as a catalyst to talk about the issues going on in a person’s life.

 

“We focus on trust,” Fable the Poet said about getting students to standup and openly share their poetry with a group of their peers. “We tell them that we are going to be vulnerable  with them and that they need to be vulnerable with us. We make sure they understand that everything we do is transparent.”

 

The spoken word poetry movement has certainly taken a foothold within the United States  punctuated by Sarah Kay’s “If I Should Have A Daughter” at a 2011 TEDx. The spoken word art form can include hip-hop, jazz poetry, poetry slams, traditional poetry readings, some comedy routines and prose monologues.

 

Because of its popularity, the Kent District Library added a spoken word component to its annual teen poetry contest. Students in grades 6 -12 can enter up to three poems by April 30. Judges will select 10 winners with all entrants eligible for the spoken word competition on May 17 at the KDL Kentwood Branch, 4950 Breton Rd. SE. Ten winners will be selected from the spoken word competition with all winners receiving a $50 gift card from Schuler Books & Music. For complete details, click here.

 

As part of the spoken word contest, The Diabrite has partnered up with KDL, hosting workshops in about 12 to 14 area schools which included Kentwood’s Pinewood Elementary School and Kelloggsville Discovery Alternative High School. The partnership culminates with the KDL Reads: Spring into Poetry with The Diatribe Thursday, April 21 from 7 – 8 p.m. at the KDL Kentwood (Richard L. Root) branch, 4950 Breton SE.

 

“This is the first time we have partnered with KDL,” Fable the Poet said, adding that the collaboration has been amazing with hopes of expanding the project to more schools next year.

 

For more about the KDL’s 2016 Find Your Voice Teen Poetry Contest and Spoken Word Competition, visit KDL’s website.  The April 21 event with The Diatribe is free and open to the public.

 

 

Movies in the Park start June 3

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movie-rMark your calendar for Movies in the Park this summer. Pre-movie entertainment typically begins at 6 pm and movies begin at dusk.  A list of movies will be out later this month. Meanwhile, the dates are as follows:

 

  • June 3
  • June 17
  • July 8
  • July 22
  • August 5
  • August 19

 

Movies in the Park is the premier outdoor film series in Grand Rapids. DGRI and partners present films–free of charge–on a giant screen in Ah-Nab-Awen Park on the banks of the Grand River every other Friday from June thru August. Guests are invited to treat the evening like a picnic and bring your own blanket, chairs, beer, wine and snacks for a special night under the stars. Pre-movie entertainment begins at 6 pm. Films start at dusk.

 

Movies in the Park stems from a 2013 community idea to expand the portfolio of free, outdoor urban recreation activities in Downtown Grand Rapids. The film series has quickly become a signature event in Downtown. The 2015 series of six movie nights attracted more than 31,000 people and stimulated an estimated $664,000 in total consumer spending. Overall, the series leveraged approximately $441 in economic return to downtown and participating businesses for every public dollar invested to produce the events.

 

Go here for more info.

Aldo Leopold Festival 2016 – Celebrating the North Huron Birding Trail

3-bottom, Area Education, Citizen Journalism, Recreation, Upcoming Events, , ,

Aldo LeopoldBy: LesCheneaux.org

 

Les Cheneaux welcomes you to celebrate the legacy of Aldo Leopold— one of America’s most influential naturalists— by visiting a place he spent summers in his youth. Les Cheneaux is now home to a historical marker honoring Leopold’s time in Les Cheneaux. See the woods and water that surely formed Leopold’s early impressions of the natural world.

 

Les Cheneaux IslandsThe 2nd Annual Aldo Leopold Festival is scheduled for May 13-15 in the Les Cheneaux Islands, centered around the communities of Cedarville and Hessel.

 

Who Was Aldo Leopold & Why Do We Care?

 

Aldo Leopold and his family spent several months a year in Les Cheneaux at their cottage on Marquette Island. There, young Leopold spent his days in the woods and on the water, where he developed an appreciation for the environment and wildlife on the island while mapping trails and listing the flora and fauna he found.

 

Beginning in the early 1890s, the Leopold family made annual treks from their Burlington, Iowa home to their cottage, first by steam ferry from Chicago to Mackinac Island, and later by rail. As a young adult, Leopold continued to visit the Les Cheneaux area until about 1919, according to family photographs of Leopold in the area.

 

Aldo LeopoldIf one believes that our love of the land begins in childhood, it can be said that those summers spent roaming the islands, by foot or by canoe, were instrumental in helping to shape Leopold’s own land ethic. His brother, Frederick, wrote of their summers on Marquette describing Aldo’s explorations: “Aldo knew most of the island intimately. He produced several handmade maps artistically decorated and illustrated with typical trees, animals, and birds in appropriate places. All of the trails were shown including some newer trails which he himself created.”

 

While in the Les Cheneaux Islands, Leopold met the headmaster of the Lawrenceville School, a preparatory school that eventually took him to Yale, the only school in the country at that time that offered a forestry degree. Graduating from the Yale Forest School in 1909, he eagerly pursued a career with the newly established U.S. Forest Service in Arizona and New Mexico.

 

By the age of 24, he had been promoted to the post of Supervisor for the Carson National Forest in New Mexico. In 1922, he was instrumental in developing the proposal to manage the Gila National Forest as a wilderness area, which became the first such official designation in 1924.

 

Following a transfer to Madison, Wisconsin in 1924, Leopold continued his investigations into ecology and the philosophy of conservation, and in 1933 published the first textbook in the field of wildlife management. Later that year he accepted a new chair in game management – a first for the University of Wisconsin and the nation. In 1935, he and his family initiated their own ecological restoration experiment on a worn-out farm along the Wisconsin River outside of Baraboo, Wisconsin.

 

Planting thousands of pine trees, restoring prairies, and documenting the ensuing changes in the flora and fauna further informed and inspired Leopold. When Aldo Leopold wrote about considering the natural world “as a community to which we belong,” the world was a different place than it is now. The simple idea of leaving a few trees behind to seed the next generation of forest was a wild idea in a time when it was thought the American landscape offered unlimited resources that were ripe for the taking. Leopold’s influence on modern land ethics, land and wildlife conservation, and on American love of the land, is still felt today.

 

Aldo Leopold Festival – Program at a Glance

 

A Sand County AlmanacAll weekend: Follow the Birdie – Berry Hunt
Location: Hessel School (Scavenger hunt maps and programs available here)

 

Friday, May 13:

 

9:30 am – Wings of Wonder raptor program
Location: DeTour Elementary School, DeTour – Open to public

 

1:30 pm- Wings of Wonder raptor program
Location: Les Cheneaux Community School, Cedarville – Open to public

 

6-9 pm – The Historic Waters of Aldo Leopold Kayak Outing
Location: Woods & Water Ecotours, 20 S. Pickford Ave., Hessel

 

7 pm – “Native Orchids of the Eastern U.P. and Tip of the Mitt” by Dr. Steve Baker
Location: Hessel School, 3206 W. Cedar Road, Hessel

 

8 pm – “Beautiful Birds of the Eastern U.P.” – by Paul Rossi
Location: Hessel School, 3206 W. Cedar Road, Hessel

 

Saturday, May 14:

 

7 am – Bird Walk at Gerstacker Preserve with Dave Ewert of The Nature Conservancy
Location: Hessel School, 3206 W. Cedar Road, Hessel

 

7am – Birding for Warblers at Search Bay with Elliot Nelson
Location: Hessel School, 3206 W. Cedar Road, Hessel

 

9am – Wildflower Walk with Pat Wilson
Location: Hessel School, 3206 W. Cedar Road, Hessel

 

10 am – Aldo Leopold Festival “ALF” Triathlon
Location: Begins at Hessel Beach

 

10-4 pm – “Green Bird” Bird Houses Family Workshop
Location: Pickle Point, 138 Pickford Ave., Hessel

 

12 pm – Birding Trail Opening Celebration
Location: Hessel School, 3206 W. Cedar Road, Hessel

 

1 pm – Wildflower Walk with Pat Wilson
Location: Hessel School, 3206 W. Cedar Road, Hessel

 

1:30 pm – Birding Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands with Elliot Nelson
Location: Hessel School, 3206 W. Cedar Road, Hessel

 

3 pm – “Cold Love” Documentary Film Screening
Location: Hessel School, 3206 W. Cedar Road, Hessel

 

7 pm – “Migration of land birds in the Great Lakes region: Natural history and conservation”
by Dave Ewert
Location: Hessel School, 3206 W. Cedar Road, Hessel

 

8:30 pm – “The Storyteller’s Night Sky” by Mary Stewart Adams
Location: Hessel School, 3206 W. Cedar Road, Hessel

 

Sunday, May 15:

 

Little Traverse Conservancy7 am – Bird Walk at Gerstacker Preserve with Dave Ewert of The Nature Conservancy
Location: Hessel School, 3206 W. Cedar Road, Hessel

 

7 am – Birding for Warblers at Woollam Preserve with Elliot Nelson
Location: Hessel School, 3206 W. Cedar Road, Hessel

 

9 am – Drummond Island Alvar Tour
Location: Drummond Island (Participants should arrive in DeTour at 8:20 am to catch the 8:40 ferry to Drummond Island)

 

10 am – The Historic Waters of Aldo Leopold Kayak Outing
Location: Woods & Water Ecotours, 20 S. Pickford Ave., Hessel

 

1-3 pm – Lions Club Community Picnic
Location: Snows Heritage Park, 267 Blindline Rd., Cedarville

 

This article was republished with permission from Dianna at Promote Michigan. We do our best to help with the promotion of the great State of Michigan!

Kent District Library Hosts International “Disability Rights” Dignitaries

3-bottom, Our Cities, Upcoming Events, , ,

wyoming library

By: Andrea Mantakounis

The Wyoming Branch of Kent District Library will host a tour of international leaders to discover how the library offers an inclusive environment and accessible spaces for disabled community members.

 

The group of eight visitors represent disability rights organizations in seven countries: Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Sudan. They will tour KDL’s Wyoming Branch on Monday, April 11 from 1-3 p.m. The visit is part of an international professional development project that stems from a partnership between Colleagues International (CI) – a non-profit organization based in Kalamazoo, Michigan – and the U.S. Department of State.

 

In 2015, Kent District Library was awarded the Community Champions Award by Disability Advocates of Kent County for assessing all 18 KDL branches and the service center headquarters for accessibility. Kent District Library operates the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped for residents in Kent, Ionia, and Montcalm Counties

 

“We are so humbled to see this recognition for our accomplishments in serving the disabled community. We have learned so much from our partners at Disability Advocates of Kent County and their assistance has helped us become the best library we can be for all members of our community,” says Lance Werner, KDL’s Executive Director.

 

The Department of State has outlined the following specific objectives for the project:

 

·         Examine federal, state, and local laws and programs intended to improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA);
·         Explore government and private sector funding of services and programs for persons with disabilities;
·         Discuss how various organizations, associations, and NGOs influence policy and raise awareness of disability issues through advocacy, media and grassroots organizing; and
·         Provide professional networking opportunities that facilitate long‑term dialogue among the visitors and their American counterparts.

 

The Department of State specifically requested these guests have a tour and meeting with Kent District Library. This event will include KDL staff and community members, including those with disabilities, highlighting how the library has created an inclusive environment and accessible spaces for the community.

UN.EARTH showcases KCAD students’ imaginative, captivating work

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Un_Earth LogoBy KCAD

 

The most imaginative and captivating work from students in Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University’s (KCAD) Pamella Roland DeVos School of Fashion will be presented to the public at their annual fashion show, to be held inside the Grand Rapids Downtown Market on April 13 from 7:30-10 pm.

 

“It’s fitting that all of the hard work and dedication the students in our Fashion Studies program have displayed throughout the year culminates in an event that they have the freedom to make their own,” said Interim Dean of the College Ron Riksen. “The KCAD community looks forward to celebrating their accomplishments.”Chelsey Sawallich

 

Titled UN.EARTH, the event will feature work from all class levels of the Fashion Studies program that ties into the event’s theme of nature and personal growth. The theme is based on the earth’s terrain and includes three subcategories: peak, valley, and coast. Specific color schemes and key words associated with each subcategory informed class projects in Fashion Studies courses throughout the spring semester of the 2015-2016 academic year.

 

Underclassmen will be displaying individual garments, selected through a juried process, that were designed within the parameters of different class projects. Graduating seniors, on the other hand, will be displaying their full capstone collections, multiple garments that have been designed with much more creative freedom at the students’ disposal. A number of fashion illustrations will also be on display.

 

“We chose to call the fashion show UN•EARTH specifically for its definition and connotation,” said Fashion Studies senior Audrey Langejans, one of the event’s lead organizers. “The word ‘earth’ got us thinking a lot about incorporating the nature-inspired trends that are so relevant in the fashion industry right now – trends that would give the underclassmen a chance to be extra creative in their interpretation of the theme. The definition of the word ‘unearth’ itself felt like the perfect summation of the senior experience. We seniors have spent three years working on class projects and learning different techniques, and now we have been able to unearth our own aesthetics and identities as designers through our capstone collections.”Maria Tenhave-Chapman

 

Fashion Studies Program Chair Lori Faulkner added, “In our Capstone course, senior students use all the technical skills and knowledge they have gained through their years of study at KCAD to create an individual collection that specifically reveals their individual vision. Up until their senior year, they have been designing with certain guidelines in mind, but for this project they are given complete creative freedom. Regardless of their class level, I am consistently amazed by the unique designs that my students are able to take from concept to finished product.”

 

UN.EARTH will be held at the Grand Rapids Downtown Market on April 13, 2016 from 7:30-10 pm. Appetizers and refreshments will be provided by Martha’s Vineyard. Admission to the event is free, and the public is warmly welcomed to attend. Attendees are asked to please RSVP through Eventbrite to reserve their free tickets. Space is limited.

Wintry weather forces Wyoming to delay the opening of its Spring Carnival

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Upcoming Events, , ,
Wyoming's Spring Carnival, located in the former Studio 28 parking lot, will officially open Monday, April 11.
Wyoming’s Spring Carnival, located in the former Studio 28 parking lot, will officially open Monday, April 11.

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.com

 

With the forecast of possible snow on Friday, officials from the City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department announced today that due to the weather, it would be delaying the opening of its Spring Carnival to Monday, April 11.

 

“With today’s weather and reviewing the pending forecast for the rest of the week, safety during the carnival set up and for attendees has required us to delay opening,” officials stated in a press release sent to WKTV. The Weather Channel is reporting snow for Thursday and Friday with break on Saturday and snow again on Sunday. It is supposed to rain on Monday with the weather clearing by Tuesday.

 

Due to schedules, the Spring Carnival will be shorten from ten days to seven. City of Wyoming Community Services Director Rebecca Rynbrandt said the decision to delay start was mutual one made by both city officials and the carnival vendor.

 

The annual event, which was scheduled to start on Friday, is now scheduled to run from 4 – 10 p.m. Monday – Thursday, April 11 – 15; noon – 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 15 – 16; and 1 – 10 p.m. Sunday, April 17. The carnival is located in the parking lot of the former Studio 28 theaters, 1400 28th St. SW.

 

A staple in the city for more than 30 years, proceeds from the carnival will be split between the Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department and the Greater Wyoming Community Resource Alliance (GWCRA). GWRCA funds support youth scholarships and youth and family programming through the Parks and Recreation Department. The GWCRA will also distribute funds to the community through its annual grant making process.

 

The Parks and Recreation Department will use its funds to help with park needs such as updating playground equipment, ball field matts and bases and tennis court nets.

 

“It really is a great opportunity to go out and enjoy the carnival while at the same time giving back to your community,” Rynbrandt said.

 

Last year, the event raised $26,000. The goal for this year is $30,000. Of course events like these are weather dependent and the shortening of the event could impact the goal, but the overall safety of the carnival workers and those attending is the city’s first priority, Rynbrandt said.

 

“The carnival will be open in the evenings and on the weekend of April 15, 16, and 17,” Rynbrandt said. “If we have four really great days, we can still meet our goal.”

 

The admission cost is $15 Monday—Thursday and $20 Friday—Sunday. The Parks and Recreation Department has $3-off coupons available on its Facebook page.

 

This year’s sponsors are the City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department, T.J. Schmidt & Co. and Loeks Theatres Inc.

 

For more information on the carnival, contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 530-3164.

Jim Carrey might be a no, but Garth Brook is a yes for performing in GR

3-bottom, Local Entertainment, Upcoming Events, , ,
Garth Brooks performs at the We Belong: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Center
Garth Brooks performs at the We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Center

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

Earlier this week, the management arm of the Van Andel Arena, SMG, announced that country legend Garth Brooks and the Garth Brooks World Tour will make its first ever appearance and only show in Michigan for 2016 in Grand Rapids on May 14.

 

Tickets, which are  $74.98 and include at $2.50 facility fee and $6.25 service charge, for the show go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, April 15 at Ticketmaster.com/GarthBrooks or Ticketmaster.com. There will be no sales at the venue box office or TicketMaster outlets on April 15, according to an SMG press release. Calls for tickets can be made at 1-866-448-7849 or 1-800-745-3000.

 

Brooks exploded on the scene in 1989 with his self-named first album, which featured the song “Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old),”  that was followed by No Fences that included “Friends in Low Places,” “The Thunder Rolls,” and “Unanswered Prayers.” Brooks would continue with a string of albums, each with chart topping songs such as “The River,” “What She’s Doing Now,” “Somewhere Other Than the Night,” “In Pieces,” and “Standing Outside the Fire.” In 2000, he announced his retirement from performing and left to focus on his family, making brief performances such as for We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Center and at Las Vegas. In 2014, he made his announcement of signing with Sony Music Nashville, his new tour and the release of his latest album Man Against Machine. In 2012, Brooks was inducted into the County Music Hall of Fame.

 

“We are just really excited about being able to bring Brooks to Grand Rapids,” said Mike Klompstra, SMG marketing assistant.

 

The show includes Garths’ wife Trisha Yearwood, a country star in her own right who broke out in 1991 with the song “She’s In Love With a Boy.” Yearwood was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 2000 and has won a number of awards including three Grammy Awards, one for her signature song “How Do I Live” from the soundtrack of Con Air.

 

Marking its 20th year, the Van Andel has hosted a number of high profile names including most recently Elton John along with Kate Perry, Taylor Swift, Zac Brown Band, Aerosmith (several times), Marilyn Manson, and Rush.

 

Because of Brooks popularity, he is the best-selling solo albums artist in U.S history with more than 136 million albums sold, demand for the tickets is expected to be high. Klompstra said having worked with a number of high profile performers in the past, SMG is not anticipating any problems.

 

TicketMaster will be the only authorized seller. Tickets will be available at 10 a.m. sharp and a personal recommendation is to start checking before the start time. There will be an eight ticket limit and timers will be set to keep people moving through.

 

Some other tips from Ticketmaster’s “On Sale Tips” section: if you don’t have one, create an online account now and mark the concert for an alert; sign in ahead of time; split up the number of tickets you are requesting – the fewer the number makes it easier to find seats; keep checking back as tickets do get released; and only buy verified resale tickets.

 

Lastly, if you miss you chance to snag tickets for Brooks at the Van Andel Arena’s May show, he will be returning to Michigan in 2017. The tour is scheduled to come to Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena Feb. 20 – 21 and 27 – 28, according to the Garth Brooks World Tour official website.

 

 

 

 

WKTV readies to air Golden Gloves for the 32nd straight year

3-bottom, Sports, Upcoming Events, WKTV Projects, , , , ,

michigan golden glovesThe Golden Gloves have a long, outstanding history throughout the country in the sport of boxing. What started in New York in 1927 as an amateur boxing tournament has morphed into The National Golden Gloves, a boxing program with affiliates in all 50 states who focus in training young people for success.

 

Grand Rapids started their involvement in 1932 under the sponsorship of the Grand Rapids Press and the Furniture City Post of the American Legion to foster competing teams in Grand Rapids. In 2008, Grand Rapids and the Michigan Golden Gloves Association hosted the 2008 National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions.

 

Back in 1985, the Michigan Golden Gloves Association and WKTV formed a partnership to film the state championship boxing bouts. When the partnership began, the tournament was held at Stadium Arena (now known as the DeltaPlex). When Stadium Arena was no longer suitable, the tournament was moved to the Grand Valley National Guard Armory on 44th street.

 

2016 marks a return to the DeltaPlex and the 32nd year of WKTV’s coverage of the Golden Gloves Boxing Championship. Catch all the action on Live Wire Comcast Channel 24 with a tape delayed airing of each evenings bouts the following day at noon.

 

West Michigan Championships
Saturday, April 9
Wednesday, April 20 (airing at 8:30pm)

 

State Championships
Saturday, April 23
Friday, April 29
Saturday, April 30

West Michigan Design Week kicks off April 9 at the Pyramid Scheme

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By WMDW

 

West Michigan has a long history of design, and it’s becoming an even stronger and more vital part of our community. From graphic design to industrial design, architecture, interior design, packaging design, and UX design, an incredible amount of innovative, world-class work is happening here, and we want the world to know about it!

 

In its second year, West Michigan Design Week is a week-long series of programs aimed to inspire designers from all disciplines and demonstrate the strategic and economic advantages of design thinking to the rest of the community. The hope is that this event will spotlight West Michigan design increasing opportunities for local designers, attracting new ones, and building connections between designers and our cultural, educational and business communities.

Speakers
Mimi Valdés, The Multimedia Maker

 

From April 6-11, a lineup of tours, speakers and workshops is scheduled in the area to showcase what has been accomplished in the region as well as to develop connections in the design industry. Go here for the calendar of events.

 

The Pyramid Scheme, 68 Commerce Ave. SW, Grand Rapids, kicks things off on April 9 with music and good company. Get your 2016 West Michigan Design Week t-shirts screen printed by Ambrose live on stage. Glitter Booth will capture the action.

 

Saturday, April 9th  |  9pm – 2am
9:00 – 10:30 | Tom Engelsman from Scintillate
10:30 – 12:30 | AJPASCHKA
12:30 – 1:30 | AB

 

$8 / 21+
Get tickets here.

 

Sponsors:
Glitter Booth

 

Several design industry organizations have collaborated to make this event possible, including (in alphabetical order):  AIGA West Michigan, American Institute of Architects Grand Rapids,  American Society of Interior Designers and Interaction Design Association, Design West Michigan, Industrial Designers of America, International Interior Design Association, and Kendall College of Art and Design.

 

 

 

Robots, rocks and more are all part of this year’s Spring Break activities

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Robots rule – at least for Spring Break 2016 as several area organizations have programs around robots and science.

Leading off the robot mania is Kent District Library’s Wyoming Branch, 3350 Michael Ave. SW, with the KDL LAB Maker Break April 4 – 7 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. According to the KDL’s press materials “If robots and smashing and rebuilding things is your kid’s idea of a great time, then do we have the event for you!”

The Grand Rapids Community College Manufacturing Trailer will be at the branch Monday through Thursday with a 3D printer, virtual welder and more to explore. Also on Monday, there will be 11 different STEAM-based activities including Snap Circuits, LittleBits Electronics, Robot Rumble as well as demonstrations from local robotics groups.

Thursday, Spanish-speaking staff from Grandville Avenue Arts and Humanities will be on hand as Maker Break week wraps up.

The Grand Rapids Public Library also focuses on robots and programming with its spring break program Teen [Tech]Knowledgy Spring Workshop from 2 – 4 p.m. April 4 at the Grand Rapids Main Library, 111 Library St. NE. Participants will be able to create and program a robot using the Lego Mindstorm Education EV3 base set and software. This program is for grades 7 – 12. For more information, visit grpl.org.

And then there is The Robot Zoo at the Grand Rapids Public Museum, the basis for the Museum’s Spring Break programs. The Museum’s Galleria will be filled with hands-on crafts and activities that are free with general admission. Create your own robotic creature to take home and play with oversized games. Activities will take place in the Museum’s Galleria Monday, April 4 through – Saturday, April 10, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Robot Zoo will be open extended hours until 8 p.m. all during Spring Break and the Chaffee Planetarium features the new original show Starlight Safari and Breaking News from Outer Space and the return of Dark Side: The Light Show. For more information, visit grpm.org.

Not to be left out on the robots theme, the Second Annual FIRST Robotics Competition returns to the East Kentwood High School, 6230 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Friday and Saturday, April 1 and 2. This high-tech sporting event will produce excitement and energy for participants and spectators alike, as teams compete for honors and recognition that reward design excellence, sportsmanship, teamwork and more.

The 41st Annual Gem and Mineral Show will take place at Rogers Place April 7 - 9.
The 41st Annual Gem and Mineral Show will take place at Rogers Place April 7 – 9. (Courtesy of Grand Rapids Public Museum)

Also taking place and in the realm of the world of science is the 41st Annual Gem & Mineral Show, which this year returns to Rogers Plaza, 972 28th St. SW. The event is from 9:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. April 7 and 8 and from 9:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. Saturday, April 9, and features an array of mineral specimens, crystals, fossils, beads, and more. Demonstrations will be taking place along with rock and mineral identification, displays and exhibits and children’s activities. For more information, visit www.indianmoundsrockclub.com

The City of Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department will host a Spring Break Fun Club April 4 – 8 at the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE. Hours are 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily. Activities include sports, games, arts and crafts, gym and outdoor fun. Cost is $25 per day or $85 per week. Contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 656-5270 to register.

Some other spring break activities:

The Grand Rapids Art Museum opens "Maurice Sendak: Where the Wild Things Are" on April 9.
The Grand Rapids Art Museum opens “Maurice Sendak: Where the Wild Things Are” on April 9. (Courtesy of Grand Rapids Art Museum)

The Grand Rapids Art Museum, 101 Monroe Center NW, opens on April 9. The six-week exhibition, which closes May 22, features original drawings, prints and posters by the children’s book author in celebration of book’s 50th anniversary. For more information, visit artmuseumgr.org.

Craig’s Crusisers, 5730 Clyde Park SW, hosts unlimited fun every Wednesday with $25 wristbands from 4 – 9 p.m. For more information, visit craigscruisers.com

John Ball Park Zoo, 1300 W. Fulton St., will be having a Zoobilee during spring break, April 4 – 8. Activities include special animal feeding times, an opportunity to meet the animal keepers and learn more about the animals at the zoo. For specific activities and days, visit jbzoo.org.

John Ball Zoo also offers Spring Break Day Camps for kindergarten through 5th grade. April 4 and 5 is Just Zoo It! and April 6 and 7 is Who Dung It? There is also the Spring Break overnight, Starlight Safari, April 8 to April 9, for students in third through sixth grades. Visit the website to register.

The Salvation Army KROC Center, 2500 S. Division Ave., will be offering special activities and entertainment such as extended open swim hours and sports tournaments April 4 – 8. Sponsored by the National Heritage Academies, the Spring Break activities are free for members. Non-members can purchase a day pass which is $5.50 for ages 11 and younger and $7.50 for ages 12 and up. Visit grkroccenter.org for more information.

The Grand Rapids Children’s Museum, 11 Sheldon Ave. NW, will have all kinds of Spring Break activities from April 2 – 10. There will be interactive dance, magic shows, and storyteller Kevin Kammeraad. For a complete list of events, visit grcm.org.

Shows:

"Alvin & the Chipmunks: Road Chip" runs April 1 - 7 as Flick's Family Film
“Alvin & the Chipmunks: Road Chip” runs April 1 – 7 as Flick’s Family Film Fest. (Photo courtesy of Flick’s Family Film Fest)

Flick’s Family Film Fest is currently running at all Celebration! Cinemas, including Celebration! South Cinema, 1506 Eastport Dr. SE (across from the East Kentwood High School).  Alvin & the Chipmunks: Road Chip runs April 1 – 7 and Kung Fu Panda 3 is April 8 – 14. Movies are free for children ages 12 and under and $5 for ages 13 and older.

The Grand Rapids Ballet brings back its popular Spring Break for Kids program April 5 – 7. With two performances each day of a half-hour, family-friendly ballet with the fun starting at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. each day. Tickets for these shows do sell out, so if possible purchase early. For more information, visit grballet.com.

For those comic book lovers, Marvel Universe Live! comes to Van Andel Arena, 130 W. Fulton St. Spidy, Hulk and even Thor will battle those dastardly villains tonight at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 11:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1 and 5 p.m. Tickets start at $27.50. Visit vanandelarena.com for more information.

Art.Downtown. – Grand Rapids is April 9

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art.downtown_trolley

400 Artists, 30+ Destinations, 3 Trolleys, 1 Night

 

By Avenue for the Arts

 

This spring, Art.Downtown. will captivate Grand Rapids on Saturday, April 9, 2016 from 12-9 pm. Grand Rapids’ ultimate local art experience will feature several hundred artists in dozens of galleries, businesses, and studio spaces around downtown GR. Expanding from the Avenue for the Arts corridor in the Heartside Neighborhood to Kendall College of Art and Design and Devos Place in central downtown, this one-night event features several hundred artists in dozens of galleries, businesses, and studio spaces around downtown Grand Rapids.

art.downtown._3

Here’s some of what to expect, rain or shine: artists and musicians exhibiting and performing at a variety of unexpected locations from U-haul trailers, the art museum, parking lots and private studios. Come early and stay late, for a night on the town with family and friends.

 

Grand Rapids Trolley will provide free transportation to all the major areas of Art.Downtown. Volunteers and maps will be on-site to help guide you to various sites, restaurants, and parking locations. Meet and speak with artists, curators, and shop owners about everything from artistic methods to collective movements. Join the excitement and see what our downtown arts community has to offer!

art.downtown_4

Stay updated on Art.Downtown. information by attending planning meetings at 307 S. Division Ave, and by visiting our website. Follow @AveForTheArtsGR on Twitter, and join the event conversation by using #ArtDowntown. Connect with Avenue on Facebook for detailed updates about Art.Downtown. and special event postings.

 

For more info, call 616.914.8463.

 

Photos courtesy of Avenue for the Arts

Applications being accepted for the Festival of the Arts Regional Arts Exhibiton

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Entries being accepted for the 2012 Regional Arts Exhibition.
Entries being accepted for the 2012 Regional Arts Exhibition.

There have been a few changes to this year’s Regional Arts Exhibition, which is part of the annual Festival of the Arts, a celebration of the arts community that runs the first full weekend in June in downtown Grand Rapids.

 

This year, organizers have announced they would only be accepting online registration from those interested in participating in the event. Artists may go to http://festivalgr.org/regional-arts to preregister. Printed entry forms will not be provided this year.

 

Entries will still have to be brought to the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts, 2 W. Fulton St., May 12 – 14. According to Fred Bivins, the chair for the Regional Arts Exhibition, the change gives artists several options. Artists can  go to the website and print the labels that go on the back and pay online if they wish. If an artist does do that, the bar codes that are included for each work will minimize handling of works and reduce the number of hours volunteers have to put in to track every entry, Bivins said.

 

Artists can enter one, two, or three pieces through the online system and when he/she complete the simple form he/she will receive an email with the labels included as a pdf. Just print the sheet and affix the labels. Bivins did note that if an artist does bring in his/her works and has not preregistered, volunteers will go through the same process and print out the labels at that time, which will take a little more time than those who preregister.

 

Parking will be limited this year as the city of Grand Rapids has informed organizers it has leased most of the parking spaces in the gallery ramp located next to the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts, where the exhibition will be this year. For that reason, Bivins said Festival will not be using the fourth floor ramp. Take in will be from UICA’s Commerce Avenue entrance. Meters will be hooded and there will be signs to direct people.

 

Because artwork will have to be transported through several doors and hallways this year, the size allowed has changed. Artists are encouraged to visit the website to check on what sizes are being accepted.

 

This year’s jurors are: 2-D, Matt Schenk, who was the Regional Arts recipient of the UICA’s annual solo award; 3-D, potter Rita Shields; and photography, Filippo Tagliati, an associate professor of photography and video at Grand Rapids Community College.

 

Here are the important dates.

Take In of Entries:

  • Thursday, May 12, noon – 5 p.m.
  • Friday, May 13, 4  – 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, May 14, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

 

Jurying, Saturday, May 14

Give back of non-selected Entries: 

  • Thursday, May 19, Noon – 5 pm
  • Friday, May 20, 4 pm – 7 pm
  • Saturday, May 21, 10 am – 2 pm

 

Hanging  Schedule – May 19 – May 27

 

Awards Selection – May 23 – May 26

 

Purchase Awards – May 25

 

Opening Reception – May 27

 

Closing Reception – June 26

 

Pick Up Selected entries after the show ends:

  • Sunday, June 26, 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. (after the Opening Reception)
  • Monday, June 27, noon – 5 p.m.

Festival of the Arts will take place June 3 – 5 in downtown Grand Rapids and along with the Regional Arts Exhibition, includes an array of activities with performances, a youth art exhibition, children and adult art activities and much more. Visit festivalgr.org for more information.

Broadway Grand Rapids opens the curtain on its new season

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Broadway Grand RapidsBroadway Grand Rapids announced its new season with a four-show slate sure to pique the curiosity of every generation.

 

“A majority of the shows we bring in are musicals and we’re always looking to bring in something different, something new to Grand Rapids. It’s a combination of new and traditional to reach a multi-generational audience,” said Meghan Distel, Director of Marketing for Broadway Grand Rapids.

 

The planning required to create a new season at Broadway Grand Rapids is quite extensive. Booking a show requires finding shows that will play well with the Grand Rapids audience, planning and scheduling around open dates at the DeVos Performance Hall, and also finding dates that work with the shows themselves and their tour locations. It’s a process that can take over a year, but it’s all worth it.

 

It’s also important to bring in variety. “They’re all very different. Cinderella and the Sound of Music are classics. Motown should bring in a new crowd because it’s new and features over 40 classic hits,” said Distel.

 

What exactly does the new season look like? Take a look:

•    Cinderella (September 27 – October 2, 2016)
•    The Sound of Music (February 21-26. 2017)
•    Motown the Musical (May 2 – 7, 2017)
•    Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage (June 6 – 11, 2017)

The season kicks off with Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, an updated version of the classic family favorite with new twists and musical numbers.

 

Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the beloved film The Sound of Music, which starred Julia Andrews. A stage adaption is coming to Grand Rapids directed by three-time Tony Award winner Jack O’Brien.

 

Motown the Musical features more than 40 classic hits and tells the story behind the hits as Diana, Smokey, Berry and the whole Motown family fight against the odds to create the soundtrack of change in America. The Michigan roots make it a great show to bring to Grand Rapids.

 

The season finishes off with an unprecedented live experience of Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage. Based off the 1987 iconic film, this performance is full of heart-pounding music, passionate romance, and sensational dancing.

 

On top of the four featured shows, Broadway Grand Rapids will premier two special event performances. These performances are scheduled to a limited number of shows.

 

•    A Christmas Story The Musical  (December 27 – 30, 2016)
•    Rent 20th Anniversary Tour (March 14 – 16, 2017)

 

While the 2016-2017 season is currently generating buzz, Broadway Grand Rapids has already reeled in a big fish for the fall of the 2017-2018 season and it’s something quite Wicked. That’s right, Wicked the Musical will be coming to the DeVos Performance Hall.

 

To purchase tickets for the upcoming season, visit broadwaygrandrapids.com.

Tri-Unity Christian falters in the fourth at the Breslin Center

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MHSAABy: Mike DeWitt
Mike.DeWitt@wktv.org

 

Tri-Unity Christian entered the Breslin Center for the 10th time under Coach Mark Keeler looking for another state championship. When the clock hit zero, the dream ended.

Boys Recap

Class D – State Semifinals

 

Tri-Unity Christian BasketballWaterford Our Lady – 64
Tri-Unity Christian – 53

 

Tri-Unity Christian was looking for its first state championship since 2011, but ended up falling in the semifinals due to an uncharacteristic fourth quarter that saw the game end on a 17-3 run.

 

The first three-quarters went back and forth with neither team holding more than a six-point lead. The Defenders were being badly outrebounded – final tally ended 37-17 in favor of Waterford Our Lady – but held things together with strong outside shooting and a tenacious defense that forced 15 turnovers on the night.

 

The well would eventually run dry.

 

With Tri-Unity up 50-47 in the final stanza, the Lakers of Waterford responded with a big three-pointer to tie things up. Another three just a few possessions later put the Lakers up 55-53 and put a final nail in the coffin.

 

Collin Rosendall led the Defenders with 17 points and senior Javi Cuevas added another 12. In all, the Defenders hit 7 three-pointers.

 

Tri-Unity only graduates two seniors, Cuevas and Willie Otol, and is poised to make another deep run in 2017.

 

Wyoming-Kentwood Area Teams and Final Results

Girls

Class A

East Kentwood
February 29
District First Round – W (58-39) Middleville Thornapple Kellogg
March 2
District Semifinal – W (53-51) East Grand Rapids
March 4
District Final – L (39-54) Grand Rapids Christian

 

Wyoming
March 2
District Semifinal – W (53-47) Jenison
March 4
District Final – L (28-50) Hudsonville

Class B

Godwin Heights
February 29
District First Round – L (38-60) South Christian

 

Grand River Prep
March 2
District Semifinal – L (15-67) Wayland Union

 

Kelloggsville
March 2
District Semifinal – L (7-79) South Christian

 

South Christian
February 29
District First Round – W (60-38) Godwin Heights
March 2
District Semifinal – W (79-7) Kelloggsville
March 4
District Final – W (63-42) Wayland Union
March 8
Regional Semifinal – W (59-53) Williamston
March 10
Regional Final – W (62-49) Portland
March 15
State Quarterfinals – W (67-51) Dearborn Heights Robichaud
March 18
State Semifinals – W (57-46) Detroit Country Day
March 19
State Finals – L (42-51) Marshall

Class D

Potter’s House
March 2
District Semifinal – W (62-55) West Michigan Lutheran
March 4
District Final – L (38-54) Tri-Unity Christian

 

Tri-Unity Christian
February 29
District First Round – W (50-40) Zion Christian
March 2
District Semifinal – W (72-36) Holland Calvary
March 4
District Final – W (54-38) Potter’s House
March 8
Regional Semifinal – W (46-44) Athens
March 10
Regional Final – W (58-46) Climax-Scotts
March 15
State Quarterfinals – L (30-71) Pittsford

 

West Michigan Lutheran
March 2
District Semifinal – L (55-62) Potter’s House

Boys

Class A

East Kentwood – District 5
March 7
District First Round – L (56-58) Ottawa Hills

 

Wyoming – District 6
March 7
District First Round – W (60-58) West Ottawa
March 9
District Semifinal – L (52-55 OT) Hudsonville

Class B

Godwin Heights – District 48
March 7
District First Round – W (65-52) Wayland Union
March 9
District Semifinal – W (64-43) South Christian
March 11
District Final – W (88-46) Kelloggsville
March 14
Regional Semifinal – L (55-57 OT) Williamston

 

Grand River Prep – District 48
March 7
District First Round – W (65-44) West Michigan Aviation Academy
March 9
District Semifinal – L (60-65) Kelloggsville

 

Kelloggsville – District 48
March 9
District Semifinal – W (65-60) Grand River Prep
March 11
District Final – L (46-88) Godwin Heights

 

South Christian – District 48
March 9
District Semifinal – L (43-64) Godwin Heights

 

West Michigan Aviation Academy – District 48
March 7
District First Round – L (44-65) Grand River Prep

 

Wyoming Lee – District 51
March 9
District Semifinal – L (24-70) Grand Rapids Catholic Central

Class D

Potter’s House – District 110
March 7
District First Round – W (81-6) West Michigan Lutheran
March 9
District Semifinal – L (60-65) Tri-Unity Christian

 

Tri-Unity Christian – District 110
March 9
District Semifinal – W (65-60) Potter’s House
March 11
District Final – W (61-47) Holland Calvary
March 14
Regional Semifinal – W (52-38) Marcellus Howardsville
March 16
Regional Final – W (73-52) Benton Harbor Countryside
March 22
State Quarterfinals – W (54-43) Adrian Lenawee Christian
March 24
State Semifinals – L (53 – 64) Waterford Our Lady

 

West Michigan Lutheran – District 110
March 7
District First Round – L (6-81) Potter’s House

Chicago’s Young Lord founder helps document the history of Grand Rapids southeast, southwest areas

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By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

When Anita Christopher, the director of senior programs at the United Methodist Community House, met Jose “Cha Cha” Jiménez, she had no idea he was the man behind Chicago’s legendary Young Lords of Lincoln Park.

 

And Jiménez did not know any of Christopher’s past which included being a member of Western Michigan University’s Black Action Movement, which shutdown WMU’s Student Center in the late sixties, shortly after Martin Luther King Jr. had died.

 

However, the two quickly learned they had a lot in common. Both lived in Kentwood. Both had been active with civil rights movements and both shared a passion of preserving their culture’s past.

 

That passion lead to Jiménez extending his current project of documenting the Young Lords in Lincoln Park through oral histories to residents living on the southeast and southwest sides of Grand Rapids.

 

In celebration of the two projects is “A Neighborhood Affair to Preserve Community” Tuesday, March 29, from 4 – 8:30 p.m. at Grand Valley State University’s Kirkhof Center, Pere Marquette Room 2204, on the Allendale Campus at 1 Campus Drive. The event features the Young Lords of Lincoln Park oral history project, including a clip from the upcoming documentary, and the release of 46 oral histories from residents living on Grand Rapids southeast and southwest side. The Grand Rapids oral histories will be available through Kent District Library and the Young Lords of Lincoln Park are available at gvsu.edu/younglords.

 

Cha Cha Jiménez and Anita Christopher
Cha Cha Jiménez and Anita Christopher

In 1980, Jiménez had moved to Grand Rapids to take a break from the pressures of the Young Lords, a gang based in Chicago’s Lincoln Park that he helped transform into a civil rights group for the Puerto Rican community. Jiménez eventually enrolled at Grand Valley State University where he decided, as an undergraduate project, to document the Young Lords in Lincoln Park.

 

When Jiménez began helping at the United Methodist Community House, he saw the same thing that had happened in the Lincoln Park area was happening to those on the southwest and southeast sides of Grand Rapids. The residents – especially the older ones – were being displaced by urban renewal.

 

“We talk about walkable communities,” Jiménez said. “How can residents walk to the stores or the businesses if they are being pushed further and further to the outer fringes where they have to take a bus to get anywhere?”

 

In an effort to develop a conversation on how to best accomplish renewal while meeting the needs of those who live in the neighborhood, Jiménez began to record the oral histories of area residents.

 

The histories provide a view into a portion of history that does not always make it to the school textbooks, Christopher said. To provide a connection to the youth with their elders and to give students of various backgrounds a sense of who they are and where they came from. Both Jiménez and Christopher agreed that having that connection, builds a sense of pride.

 

“It is like a tree with no roots,” Christopher said of youth without a sense of history. “It is not very stable and with a strong wind, could blow down.”

 

The oral histories also provide something else – that no matter your background, everyone has faced struggles and challenges that connect cultures and people together. Jiménez and Christopher discovered that as Christopher, who was interviewed for the project, told her story of BAM’s occupation of the Student Center.

 

The interviews are as diverse as the people. Christopher said she learned from a woman who had been coming to the Community House for the past 10 to 15 years that she had been involved in the march at Montgomery and helped stage a boycott with Rosa Parks. Jiménez admitted he learned some new things as well. “I interviewed one woman who is Anglo-Saxon and she talked about how she was a sharecropper. To be honest, I always thought sharecroppers were mostly Latino families.”

 

Jiménez added the interviewee said “she had always wanted to write book about her life and I told her that now she had through telling her story here.”

 

“A Neighborhood Affair to Preserve Community” is free and open to the public. Reservations are requested by Friday, March 25. To reserve a spot, email, younglordsmail@yahoo.com.