The business community of Wyoming and Kentwood has held strong together during the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, and in celebration of them working together they are preparing for a community event, Team Up Tuesday, on Tuesday, Sept. 15.
Hosted by Wyoming/Kentwood Chamber of Commerce, Family Network of Wyoming, and The Candied Yam, the outdoor event is open to the public to “hang out and connect with each other.” Light refreshmentswill be served by The Candied Yam.
The event will take place from 4:30-6 p.m., at Family Network of Wyoming on 44th street. Small group tours of the Family Network lending closet and food pantry will be part of the event as well.
Residents will be asked to follow social distancing/safety protocols and wear masks for this fun-filled evening. To find out more about the event, visit southkent.org.
The West Michigan Whitecaps and Milk Means More are bringing fans family friendly fun from Fifth-Third Ballpark once again, this time with a month full of ‘Moovies from the Mound” — all with safety at the forefront.
“Once our baseball season was cancelled on June 30th, we began working on ways to energize the event side of our business,” and came up with the idea of showing movies, Steve VanWagoner, Whitecaps director of marketing and media relations, said to WKTV.
Movies from the Mound will continue throughout September starting Friday, Sept. 11, with the first of two films starting at 6 p.m. There will also be films continuing on select Fridays and Saturdays, at various times. Fifth Third Ballpark is located at 4500 West River Dr., Comstock Park.
“We put together a safety plan and got advice from local health officials,” he said. “The plan included painted 120 12-foot by 12-foot plots in the outfield, distanced and will hold six people with lots of room. We check temperatures of everyone entering the ballpark and everyone (even children) wear masks when around in the park and take them off when in their plots.”
During the month of September showings will include “Pets 2”, “Remember the Titans”, “Frozen 2”, “Onward”, “The Mighty Ducks”, “Incredibles 2”, “Aladdin”, “The Greatest Showman”, “Harry Potter”, and “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Each screening will begin with a 10-minute presentation from Milk Means More to educate viewers on the importance of dairy farmers and dairy products.
Plots are $35 per plot, but to see both movies in a night a plot must be purchased for each movie. Each plot is socially distanced and includes six tickets per plot in the outfield.
Outfield restrooms will be open. Standard Fifth Third Ballpark Policy for prohibited items will apply — no outside food and beverage, glass bottles/containers, coolers, alcoholic drinks, smoking including E-Cigs, backpacks, bug spray, pets/animals (except certified assistance dogs) or weapons.
Woodland Mall’s expanding line-up of retailers and restaurants has or will gain nine new arrivals this fall including the opening of Sephora and White House Black Market. And while you are shopping, a stop at the new WOW Sushi for lunch might be in order.
In addition, also now open at Woodland Mall are Jamba, Tempur-Pedic, Bath Planet and FunShop. WOW Sushi, The Zon3 and Windsor are set to open later this fall.
“We are delighted to welcome so many new arrivals to our growing portfolio of retailers and restaurants,” Cecily McCabe, Woodland Mall marketing director, said in supplied material. “We are looking forward to offering guests an expanded selection of shopping and dining options and a premium experience under our rigorous safety protocols.”
Sephora, now open in the Von Maur wing, debuted in North America more than 20 years ago, and “has been a leader in prestige omni-retail with the purpose of creating an inviting beauty shopping experience and inspiring fearlessness in its community,” according to supplied material.
Also in the Von Maur wing, White House Black Market will open next to Bath & Body Works in early October. WHBM offers “polished black and white women’s clothing with pops of color and patterns for tailored dresses, tops, pants and accessories.”
WOW Sushi opened in the Café in the Woods Food Court at Woodland Mall Sept. 1. Men’s streetwear clothing store The Zon3 will open in the JCPenney wing near H&M in early October. In the Macy’s wing, Windsor will open near Shoe Encore across from Ann Taylor in early November.
Also on the list of new retailers and restaurants that recently opened is Jamba, located in the mall’s center court next to Starbucks. Jamba serves on-the-go freshly blended fruit and vegetable smoothies, made-to-order bowls, fresh-squeezed juices and shots, boosts and bites.
Shoppers will also discover FunShop, a new video arcade, in the Macy’s wing near Spencer’s. The space features a popular combination of the latest video and redemption games. Sanitizing wipes are available for customer use on high-touch areas.
Nearly 100 retailers and restaurants have reopened since June 1. A complete list can be viewed on Woodland Mall’s website.
In order to comply with Michigan requirements, occupancy numbers remain limited as the mall operates on reduced hours, Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. Some stores modify those hours further.
Woodland Mall asks guests to follow CDC recommendations, make use of the several hand sanitizer stations located throughout the mall, wear masks and practice physical distancing. Common area furniture and other elements where physical distancing cannot be enforced have been removed. While the play area remains closed indefinitely, food court seating is now available at reduced capacity.
Also, many retailers at the mall are currently hiring. Job seekers are encouraged to explore the list of openings here.
With the City of Kentwood planning and approval process complete after more than a year, a developer plans to break ground in early September on a 240-unit affordable workforce housing development.
CityLine Apartments will be located on nearly 12 acres of now vacant property touching Division Avenue and 52nd Street, on land most recently used as a used car sales lot and as a golf driving range. It does not include two existing business locations directly on the corner of Division and 52nd.
The CityLine Apartments project, led by developer Herman & Kittle Prop. Inc., of Indianapolis, Ind., will be a “first” in several ways.
It will be the first Grand Rapids area project for a developer which is no stranger to Michigan. It is the first Kentwood development approved using Form Based Code planning changes recently enacted by both the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming to aid redevelopment of the Division Avenue corridor. And it is the first major affordable workforce housing project focused on taking advantage of the Sliver Line bus route intended to move workers to and from downtown but also supporting businesses near the corridor in both Kentwood and Wyoming.
“West Michigan knows that Kentwood is open for business and is successful by meeting our businesses’ needs on a daily basis,” Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley said to WKTV this week. “Vibrant communities like Kentwood know that offering a range of housing opportunities is critical to the success of our businesses. This project will help expand our workforce capacity and serve as a catalyst for development along the Division Avenue corridor.”
That city’s goal of aiding development of workforce housing and redevelopment — some would say economic “revitalization” — of the Division Avenue corridor was echoed by city staff in Kentwood.
Division Avenue, looking north from 52nd Street, showing two vacant lots planned for the CityLIne Apartments. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“The development of CityLine Apartments will likely represent the largest private investment ever made along the Kentwood portion of the corridor,” Lisa Golder, City of Kentwood Economic Development Planner, said to WKTV. “The development of housing along Division fits perfectly into the city’s plans for the area, as residential development supports both the Bus Rapid Transit (Silver Line) and the business community.
“Since the apartments are located directly on the Silver Line route, residents will be able to use transit to get to work, shop and recreate. With 240 housing units being introduced to the area, businesses will likely see an increase in demand for goods and services.”
And recent changes to Kentwood and Wyoming development codes, specifically the so-called Form Based Code, was essential for the development to be approved.
“The CityLine Apartments could not have been developed without the new Form Based Code,” Golder said. “With the Form Based Code, residential development is allowed for the first time along Division Avenue.”
CityLine Apartments development layout (north at top). (Supplied/City of Kentwood)
The developer and the development
The CityLine Apartments is currently planned to be eight residential buildings including one, two and three-bedroom apartments, as well as a clubhouse, accessory garage/storage buildings, a pool and playground, and even a dog park for residents of the “pet friendly” complex, according to Caroline Kimmel, CityLine development director for Herman & Kittle Prop. Inc. (HKP).
“The development has been in process since July 2019, HKP needed to rezone a portion of the site, as well as work through the rest of the development and site planning process with the city,” Kimmel said to WKTV. “This development is about a two-year construction period, but the first units will be available in about 16 months, or January/February of 2022.”
The planning approval process “took several meetings with the City as well as multiple public hearings to be finalized,” she said.
CityLine is HKP’s first development in Grand Rapids, Kimmel said, but the company has developments in Kalamazoo, Jackson, Niles, Lansing, and Benton Harbor, “as well as over 130 additional properties in 16 other states.”
And Kimmel said the reason for her company’s interest in the Kentwood development was simply good business.
“The Grand Rapids area is still one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the Midwest, and HKP is very excited to be a part of that growth,” Kimmel said. “Our internal and external demand analysis showed that rents are growing faster than incomes, and that we might be able to help balance out that growth with a development geared toward workforce housing.
52nd Street looking West to Division Avenue, with road infrastructure work being done not directly a part of the CityLine Apartments project. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“The commuter bus line is a highly desirable amenity, especially for residents who may not have the financial means to live in downtown Grand Rapids, but want the ease of access that the Silver Line offers,” she said.
According to information supplied by HKP and City of Kentwood planning documents, the Kentwood development will include 72 one-bedroom units, 120 two-bedroom units, and 48 three-bedroom units. Twelve of the units are designated for people with disabilities.
The larger buildings will have 36 units while the smaller will have 24 units. Three garage buildings will be provided with 18 stalls, including one handicap stall. In total there will be 357 parking spaces provided including 325 standard spaces, 14 handicap parking spaces, and the 18 garage spaces.
“HKP believes this development will attract a mix of one and two parent households with children, as well as single persons who work downtown, but the property is not age restricted,” Kimmel said. “A close proximity to schools will attract families as well, especially with the walkability this location offers.”
Finances for the project; costs for renters
The development is financed through a combination of sources, according to Kimmel, including tax-exempt bonds for construction, a mortgage, and Tax Credit Equity from Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA).
“The MSHDA Tax Credits provide equity to the development, which allows a reduced mortgage, enabling rents to remain affordable for Kent County residents,” she said.
Residents will be subject to a rent-history screening and criminal background check and other compliance requirements set forth by MSHDA, Kimmel said. Income limits will range from $33,720 for a one-person household, $38,520 for two persons, $43,320 for three persons, $48,120 for four persons, and $52,020 for five persons.
“Lease-up will likely begin in late 2021 or early 2022,” she added. “A leasing trailer will be on site with contact information as soon as we are accepting applications.”
Traffic generation to be monitored
While CityLine’s location on the Silver Line bus route is expected to mitigate the usual vehicular traffic issues a development of this size might normally produce, city documents state that a detailed Traffic Impact Assessment may yet be needed.
“Using Institute of Traffic Engineers trip generation data, a 240-unit apartment development generates 1,317 daily trips and 117-129 peak hour trips,” according to a city planning department report. “If this many trips are anticipated, a Traffic Study would be required. However, the data does not take into account the existence and use of the Silverline BRT, which may reduce the trip generation. The applicant should provide a best estimate of vehicle trips anticipated based on other locations in communities adjacent to a BRT line or light rail.”
Kent County and the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, on Aug. 18, announced the current status of the Kent County Small Business Recovery Grants fund, a program which intends to use $25 million in federal CARES Act funds to provide grants — not loans — to county small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
During a Zoom press conference, it was announced that the program has received 2,112 applications and 1,318 businesses have qualified for short-term economic relief grants ranging from $5,000 to $20,000. Qualifying businesses are those which have suffered lost business and income due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In June, the Kent County Board of Commissioners approved a plan to disperse the $25 million CARES Act dollars — a portion of the $94.2 million approved for allocation from the $114.6 the county has received for pandemic relief — to small businesses in the form of grants and technical assistance. The board also selected the Grand Rapids chamber to be the application, review and selection recommendation organization for the small business grants.
To date, 721 grant checks totaling $5.9 million have been mailed to small businesses throughout Kent County, according to information supplied during the Zoom press conference. Another $4.4 million will be distributed to approximately 597 businesses as soon as the required paperwork is complete. So less than half the total $25 million has been distributed or earmarked for distribution.
“Our small businesses are struggling through no fault of their own as a result of the pandemic,” Mandy Bolter, Kent County Board of Commissioner Chair, said in supplied material. “We worked quickly to get aid into their hands to help keep the economy moving and protect the jobs of our friends, families and neighbors. While we have more work to do, I’m thankful for the efforts of my fellow commissioners, business groups, community members, and county staff who successfully implemented the first round of grants.”
According to information compiled and released by the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, overall and using the chamber designations, the list of 1,318 awardees is comprised of 36.6 percent White/Caucasian, 12.9 percent Hispanic/Latino, 21.4 percent African American/Black, 13.3 percent Asian, 1.4 percent Middle Eastern, 8 percent multi-racial, and .2 percent Native American businesses. Additionally, 6.3 percent of applicants did not indicate their racial or ethnic classification.
The fund is designed to support for-profit businesses with 0 to 25 full-time equivalent employees located in Kent County. It is also focused on businesses that have not been able to access to, or have been declined for, other local, state, or federal relief funds, or “need additional support to weather this crisis,” according to the chamber’s website.
“Our team at the Grand Rapids Chamber has worked purposefully to provide assistance to applicants to ensure business owners have a smooth application process,” Dante Villarreal, vice president of business and talent development at the chamber, said in supplied material. “The need for this relief is critical, and we are working to ensure this funding is allocated quickly and efficiently.”
During the Aug. 17 Zoom press conference, Villarreal said there are about 5-6 weeks remaining in program, and that the chamber is now focused on bars and restaurants to reach out to with information. He also said the average award was about $8,000, and that service based industry is largest grant recipients, at about 49 percent.
Villarreal also emphasized that not only is grant funding still available, but qualification verification and application assistance from chamber staff is available as well.
One local small business which has benefited from the grant program, and the assistance of the chamber, is Mod Bettie Portrait Boutique.
Elise Kutt, of Mod Bettie Portrait Studio, discussed the value of her gaining a grant from the Kent County Small Business Recovery Grants program. (from a GR Area Chamber of Commerce video)
“At the beginning, when COVID struck, I had no idea what we were going to do,” Elise Kutt, founder of Mod Bettie, said in a chamber-produced video. “Receiving this grant, for my business, allowed me the ability to take care of business … The unknown is the scariest part, and now I feel so much relief and I am able to put my time and energy back into what I am really good at.”
Villarreal also said chamber staff is available to provide technical assistance, including cost-cutting measures, six-month cashflow projection, analysis with a business consultant, creditor recommendation review, and connections to other critical resources.
The parent company of Kentwood’s Woodland Mall, PREIT, announced this week the launch of “sMALL Surprises”, a “first-of-its-kind curated shopping program from a mall owner/operator for the 2020 back-to-school season.”
Launched timed for the second busiest shopping season of the year, the curated packs will be customized for individual students — handpicking items from PREIT malls — to help students in grades K-8 prepare for school. The program is similar to subscription-based boxes from stand-alone retailers, according to the announcement.
“Woodland Mall is excited to offer this first-of-its-kind shopping program just in time for the back-to-school season,” Cecily McCabe, Woodland Mall marketing director, said to WKTV. “Each pack includes a delightful element of surprise with hand-selected products students need for whatever their schooling situation may be, making back-to-school shopping fun and easy for time-strapped families from the comfort of their home.”
The initiative offers shoppers the benefit of Woodland Mall’s collection of brands without going to the mall.
According to the announcement, sMALL Surprises marks PREIT’s first foray into the e-commerce space, “bridging online and offline shopping channels to better support both its customers and tenants.
“The blending of physical and digital in the modern retail environment has been critical to success, particularly as the industry continues to evolve and navigates the COVID-19 pandemic. While the 2020 back-to-school season may look different throughout the country, these curated packs are designed to offer goodies customized for any child — whether they’re in the classroom or learning from home.”
Each sMALL Surprise pack will contain a mix of items, according to the announcement, including “a selection of sensory toys/games, trendy accessories, sanitizing necessities, activity cards, stickers, and a few cool school supplies.”
Shoppers will visit SmallSurprises.Shop to select from two different pack options and then a short quiz that will help a professional stylist create a curated surprise pack. Once customized, the pack will be delivered direct-to-consumer anywhere in the United States.
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services this week issued an emergency order requiring COVID-19 testing for agricultural and food processing employees.
The order, according to an Aug. 4 statement from the state, “makes Michigan a national leader in COVID-19 safety protections for agricultural and migrant workers, building on Executive Orders from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer requiring workplace safety measures in meat and poultry processing plans and safe housing for COVID positive migrant workers.”
“The men and women who work in our fields and food processing plants are at particular risk for COVID-19, and they need and deserve protection,” Robert Gordon, MDHHS director, said in supplied material. “Today’s order will help to reduce the spread of COVID in communities across Michigan and reduce the pandemic’s disparate impact on Latinos.”
In recent weeks, there have been 11 identified outbreaks in farms and food processing plants in Michigan, according to the state. In addition, Latinos are 5 percent of Michigan’s population but represent 11 percent of COVID cases in which the individual’s ethnicity is identified.
“The department will work with employers and housing operators to ensure timely reporting of testing data and access to PPE so that together we can prevent further viral spread,” Gordon said.
The order makes several requirements for migrant housing camp operators to provide COVID-19 testing, including testing of all new residents with 48 hours of arrival, with separate housing for newly arriving residents for 14 days and a second test 10 to 14 days after arrival.
In addition, employers of migrant or seasonal workers, meat, poultry and egg processing facilities and greenhouses with over 20 employees on-site at a time to are ordered to provide COVID-19 testing.
“Ensuring the health and safety of Michigan’s essential food and agriculture workers is paramount to keeping our food supply chain moving,” Gary McDowell, director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said in supplied material. “These workers are our frontline staff who are a vital part of bringing our food from farm to plate.”
Employers and housing operators have several options for completing the required testing, including requesting state assistance. And the MDHHS also released a guidance document for employers providing step-by-step information on how employers can complete testing and highlighting resources like grant funding and insurance coverage through Medicaid that can provide financial support for testing.
COVID positive and exposed residents would be required to isolate or quarantine until meeting the return-to-work criteria from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. MDHHS will be partnering with Community Action Agencies in impacted communities in order to provide food, housing, and economic support for workers who lose income due to testing.
“It is critical that we keep our workers and their families across the food and agriculture industry safe and healthy,” John Cakmakci, president of UFCW Local 951, said in supplied material. “I applaud Directors Gordon and McDowell for their efforts to protect the people of Michigan and our economy.”
Late last month, Kent County allocated $9.5 million in federal CARES Act dollars to create the Kent County Non-Profit Organization COVID-19 Grant Fund. The group chosen to administer the grant applications and awards is, appropriately, the Heart of West Michigan United Way.
Heart of West Michigan United Way’s Shannon Blackmon-Gardner, vice president of community impact. (HWMUW/Adam Bird)
On the latest WKTV Journal In Focus, we talk with a Heart of West Michigan United Way’s Shannon Blackmon-Gardner, vice president of community impact, about the fund, how they were selected to administer the grant process, some of the qualifications and application process — and most importantly, why the grant fund is important to non-profits and to the community.
WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
U.S. Sen. Gary Peters will be in Wyoming this week to visit a local business. This photo is from a visit to another business in Traverse City this year. (Supplied)
U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) will visit City of Wyoming business Total Plastics International Friday, July 24, in a non-public event to “highlight work to support businesses adapting to challenges posed by COVID-19”, according to a July 22 statement form the senator’s office.
The senator, currently running for re-election, will also “discuss efforts to strengthen domestic medical supply manufacturing and production in Michigan, (and) reduce dependence on foreign countries,” including China, according to the statement.
Total Plastics International received a loan from the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) as part of the federal CARES Act. More recently, Sen. Peters helped pass legislation that gave small businesses with PPP loans — such as Total Plastics International — more “flexibility in using the forgivable loans to maintain operations,” according to the statement.
Total Plastics International is a distributor and manufacturer of plastic sheet, rod, tube, film and tape that has operated in Michigan for over four decades, according to supplied material. Since the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic, Total Plastics International has altered their business model to produce personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline health care professionals and essential workers throughout the country.
West Michigan venues associated with the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), which was formed to try to save independent venues and promoters across the country, issued a call this week that they needed fan support of a federal bill which is hoped would rescue what has been a “first to close and last to open” industry.
The Restart Act — U.S. Senate Bill 3814 and U.S. House of Representatives House Resolution 7481 — “would ensure the survival of independent (music) venues, festivals and promoters across the nation,” according to a local NIVA statement.
Among other actions, both bills would allow small venues to apply for federal small business loans, something they are unable to do under current federal CARES Act provisions.
“The Restart Act needs your voice. This is it. For our industry it’s the last opportunity we will have to survive,” the management of Spring Lake’s Seven Steps Up posted on their Facebook page this week. “If Seven Steps Up is the only survivor or even one of a handful, there is no music industry.
“Please contact your senators and representatives today!! Please. TODAY!! This isn’t about us. THIS IS ABOUT THE ENTIRE LIVE MUSIC INDUSTRY. Yes, we are shouting. We are begging. We are pleading for your help!!” (Punctuation directly from the Facebook post.)
Among the other local NIVA member venues are The Pyramid Scheme and the Wealthy Theatre. (For an early COVID-19 shutdown report on Seven Steps and The Pyramid Scheme, see a WKTV story here.)
Without support from Congress, 90 percent of NIVA’s independent venues, festivals, and promoters across America say they will be forced to close their doors forever, according to the local NIVA statement.
“Without inclusion in the next stimulus bill, this might be the last chance for your favorite independent venues, festivals, and promoters,” the statement continues. “Tell your reps that life support for independent venues and promoters must be included.”
The NIVA also urges that “even if you’ve written once, please make your voices heard now. It’s quick, easy, and free. Ask your legislators to support and co-sponsor S. 3814/H.R. 7481, the RESTART Act, introduced by Senators (Todd) Young and (Michael) Bennet in the Senate and Representatives (Jared) Golden and (Mike) Kelly in the House.”
In each case, the co-sponsors of the Senate and House bills are bipartisan, meaning of each Democratic and Republican parties.
To get involved and to contact local federal legislative leaders, go to SaveOurStages.com.
“The form for the letter is already filled in, you just have to add your name. It takes less than 30 seconds,” according to the localNIVA statement. “This link will automatically populate with your Senators and Congressional Representative based on your zip code.”
For more information on the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) visit NIVAssoc.org. For more information on Seven Steps Up, located at 116 S. Jackson., Spring Lake, visit sevenstepsup.com. for more information on Pyramid Scheme, located at 68 Commerce SW, Grand Rapids, visit pyramidschemebar.com.
It seems like every year the City of Kentwood gets praise for several things — its livability, its governance and particularly its support of business. And the city has an impressive lineup of manufacturing and other large businesses within its boundaries.
But it also is proud of its support of what many economists state is the engine that drives our economy — small businesses. Kentwood was, in fact, recently given special notice on the national scene as Verizon named the city as Michigan’s best small city for small businesses. (See the listing here.)
WKTV Journal In Focus last week talked to City of Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley about the city being “open for business” large and small, the recent national notice, and why and how the city support small business — during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic and all the time.
WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
Meals on Wheels of West Michigan received a grant from the Consumers Energy Foundation. Shown is an undated photo of a Meals on Wheels prep kitchen. (Meals on Wheel)
The Consumers Energy Foundation today announced $135,000 in grants to assist 14 Michigan nonprofit organizations, including several in West Michigan which serve Wyoming and Kentwood, to help the organizations “meet critical needs as they serve residents the COVID-19 pandemic has affected.”
The latest round of grants is part of more than $3.6 million in donations made since March, according to a July 13 statement from Consumers Energy.
Among the local groups to benefit from the grants are the Meals on Wheels Western Michigan of Grandville, the Boys & Girls Club of Grand Rapids Youth Commonwealth of Grand Rapids, and the Women’s Resource Center of Grand Rapids.
“We want to do our part to help people, businesses and communities that will continue to feel the pandemic’s effects for months,” Brandon Hofmeister, president of the Consumers Energy Foundation, said in supplied material. “These nonprofits are meeting some of the most critical and urgent needs of Michigan’s people and communities hit hardest by the impact of COVID-19.”
The new grants will help nonprofit organizations in various ways, allowing them to “provide food and personal supplies to clients, buy cleaning supplies, and meet equipment and furniture needs as organizations change how they serve the public,” according to the statement.
Among the other statewide organizations gaining Foundation grants are: Family & Children’s Services of Mid-Michigan of Midland, Housing Resources Inc. of Kalamazoo, the Foundation for Mott Community College of Flint, Bethesda Lutheran Communities of Frankenmuth, Charitable Union of Battle Creek, Muskegon Rescue Mission of Muskegon, Clothing INC of Mount Pleasant, Ministry with Community of Kalamazoo, Eastside Community Action Center of Lansing, Family Counseling & Children’s Services of Lenawee County/Catherine Cobb Safe House of Adrian, and Love Thy Neighbor Grand Traverse Region of Traverse City.
The Consumers Energy Foundation is the charitable arm of Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest energy provider. For more information about the Consumers Energy Foundation visit ConsumersEnergy.com/foundation.
When the State of Michigan allowed local craft brewing establishments — along with most Lower Peninsula restaurants — to reopen to inside seating in June, there were and still are some “socially distant” capacity limitations which make sit-down business hard to turn a profit on.
Thank God for beer gardens.
And, in some cases, thanks to various city leaders allowing parking areas and other outdoor spaces to become beer gardens, outside seating has become very important part of local businesses’ recovery plans.
WKTV visited three local craft brewers — Two Guys Brewing, Broad Leaf Local Beer and Railtown Brewing Company — to see how they were making the move outside.
Railtown Brewing is located at 3595 68th St. SE, in Dutton but just across the border with Kentwood. (WKTV)
For Railtown Brewing, an existing wrap-around deck area was already in place and required very little changes. For TwoGuys Brewing, they worked with the City of Wyoming to be able to use parking spaces until a new back deck area is finished and approved.
For Broad Leaf Local Beer, working with Kentwood city leaders allowed them to expand into a grassy area onsite and into their parking lot — but that is just the beginning of a cooperative effort, including making the place a little more dog friendly.
(For a video report on Broad Leaf Local Beer’s outdoor spaces, doggie-friendly attitude — and the assistance they have received from the City of Kentwood — see the WKTV YouTube video at the top of this story.)
Railtown andTwoGuys
Railtown’s fairy new facility was perfectly suited for the new rules, and both have continued to garner community/customer support in changing conditions.
“We’re not expanding our space in any way. We’re actually in a fairly unique position to have a lot of space as it is,” Railtown Brewing Company’s Justin Buiter said to WKTV in June. “Inside, we’ve removed many tables, chairs and bar seats to get everyone spaced out appropriately. Outside, our tables were already socially distant, so there wasn’t much change necessary out there.
“In general, the support has continued to be amazing. As most folks are experiencing, face masks are the hot button issue. We really haven’t had any issues to speak of and folks have been generally understanding.”
Two Guys is actually working to offer permanent outside seating while it utilizes temporary outside seating.
Two Guys Brewing is located at 2356 Porter St. SW, Wyoming. (WKTV)
“We have taken advantage of the ‘Temporary Outdoor Space’ and are able to use part of our front parking lot until October 31,” TwoGuys Brewing’s Amy Payne said to WKTV. “We have a permanent patio space in the back that is in the works and will, hopefully, have approval soon for that. … Inside we have reduced our number of tables by half and bar stools by just over half, making sure that all guests are a minimum of 6 feet from the next guest.
“Folks have been very understanding and have followed the rules fairly well. Support has been amazing with many of our neighbors and regulars making sure they come in at least once a week. They want us to be around when this is all over!”
Two Guys Brewing is located at 2356 Porter St. SW, Wyoming. For more information visit twoguys-brewing.com.
Railtown is located at 3595 68th St. SE, in Dutton but just across the border with Kentwood. For more information visit railtownbrewing.com.
Broad Leaf Local Beer is located at 2885 Lake Eastbrook Blvd., Kentwood. For more informant visit broadleafbeer.com.
Bell’s Brewery to join Black is Beautiful initiative
Bell’s Brewery recently announced it has joined the Black is Beautiful initiative, an effort to help “bring awareness to the injustices many people of color face daily,” with the planned August release of a special brew.
The Black is Beautiful initiative originated with Marcus Baskerville, founder and head brewer at Weathered Souls Brewing based in San Antonio, according to supplied material. Originally planned as a Weathered Souls-only release, Baskerville was encouraged to expand his reach and make the recipe and label artwork available to more craft brewers — and so Bell’s plans to step up to the bar.
“We all have some work to do, Bell’s included, and we are committed to that,” Larry Bell, president and founder of Bell’s Brewery, said in supplied material. “It starts on an individual level. We all have a responsibility to do what we can to continue this conversation and help drive real change.”
There are currently more than 700 breweries from across the globe committed to this initiative.
Bell’s version of the Weathered Souls Imperial Stout recipe will be released in 6-pack bottles exclusively at Bell’s General Store in downtown Kalamazoo and Upper Hand Brewery Taproom in August. Upper Hand Brewery is a division of Bell’s Brewery and is located in Escanaba.
As part of this initiative, Bell’s will make donations to two local Black-led organizations, the Kalamazoo NAACP and Face Off Theatre.
This collaboration brew, “while sharing some of the same values,” is not part of Bell’s Celebration Series, according the Bell’s statement. That series, which empowers different groups within the company that makes Bell’s what it is, will continue later this year with another beer designed and brewed by Bell’s employees. That next release, which will come from and celebrate Bell’s Black and African American employees, will be released in the fall.
Previous brews have celebrated International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day, the LGBTQ+ community and veterans.
For more information on Bell’s Brewery visit bellsbeer.com.
Brian Long is a local business forecaster. Credit: GVSU
With many West Michigan production facilities resuming marginal operations, the pent-up demand has brought economic statistics back closer to break-even, said Brian G. Long, director of Supply Management Research in Grand Valley State University’s Seidman College of Business.
Long surveyed local business leaders and his findings below are based on data collected during the last two weeks of June.
The survey’s index of business improvement (new orders) came in at -7, considerably better than the -32 reported in May. In a similar move, the production index rallied to -11 from -35. The index of purchases recovered to -13 from -32, and the employment index rose to -13 from -38.
Long said many local manufacturing firms have resumed partial production schedules. He said statewide unemployment improved modesty to 21.2 percent from 24 percent, the third highest in the nation.
It appears the West Michigan automotive industry stands the best chance for recovery over the short term, compared to the office furniture and aerospace industries, said Long.
“The office furniture industry is still shipping orders that were placed before the crisis, so we don’t know what the October order books will look like,” he said. “Home offices will become a bigger market in the future, but our local firms do not seem to have many entries for this market.”
Long added the implementation of face masks and social distancing can allow for much of the manufacturing industry to reopen.
The Institute for Supply Management survey is a monthly survey of business conditions that includes 45 purchasing managers in the greater Grand Rapids area and 25 in Kalamazoo. The respondents are from the region’s major industrial manufacturers, distributors and industrial service organizations. It is patterned after a nationwide survey conducted by the Institute for Supply Management. Each month, the respondents are asked to rate eight factors as “same,” “up” or “down.”
A group of 86 Michigan restaurant and bar owners last week announced the launch of “Michigan Restaurant Promise”, a new initiative to ensure the health and safety of their employees, customers and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“COVID-19 has had a significant impact on West Michigan and many businesses — particularly bars and restaurants — have suffered,” Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss said in supplied material. “It’s great to see this group rally together to protect the health and safety of their employees, customers and our community.”
Among the local restaurants and craft breweries involved are Mitten Brewing, Brewery Vivant (parent company of Kentwood’s Broad Leaf Beer) and Long Road Distillery.
“As restaurant owners and managers, we feel a sense of responsibility for the health and well-being of our employees, our guests and the community at large,” Kris Spaulding, owner of Brewery Vivant, said in supplied material. “That’s why we started this initiative — to show our communities we are taking this seriously and are committed to protecting their health and safety.”
There is also a concern about those establishments not as committed as others.
“It’s frustrating to see bars and restaurants not enforcing the health and safety guidelines laid out to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our communities,” Chris Andrus, owner of Mitten Brewing, said in supplied material. “Those establishments threaten to undo the many sacrifices our community and industry have made and undermine the hard work of establishments like mine committed to keeping the public safe.”
The effort could also serve as a model for the state.
“Small businesses are the heart of West Michigan and it’s great to see this group of local restaurant and bar owners be leaders in putting people first,” Hanna Schulze, president of Local First, said in supplied material. “The Michigan Restaurant Promise can serve as a model for other communities to hold their local businesses accountable and encourage them to prioritize the health and wellbeing of their employees and customers above all else.”
The City of Kentwood announced July 1 that beginning Tuesday, July 7, Breton Avenue will be closed for at least two days between 29th and 32nd streets while CSX Railroad repairs a railroad crossing.
Drivers are asked to plan ahead as the work will require a full closure with a posted detour from 29th Street to Shaffer Avenue to 32nd Street and back, according to the city’s statement.
Due to the deterioration of the crossing, CSX will be replacing the entire concrete crossing, ties and repaving the asphalt at that intersection.
The work is expected to be completed within two days with the road reopening on the evening of Thursday, July 9, but a third day of work may be necessary for unforeseen circumstances, according to the city.
Woodland Mall recently welcomed the reopening of the Apple Store, joining the Macy’s, J.C. Penney and Von Maur anchor stores and dozens of other stores and restaurants.
And while the customer experience is now a little different from the time before the COVID-19 shutdown, the efforts of Woodland Mall management company PREIT make clear that safety and cleanliness is now an important part of that experience.
WKTV talked with Cecily McCabe, Woodland Mall marketing director, to detail some of those measures.
For the latest WKTV Journal story on the re-opening of Woodland Mall, including the Apple Store, visit here. (The Apple Store is now asking customers to make appointments for service at the store at apple.com/retail/woodland.)
Safety, cleanliness at the Mall
In order to comply with Michigan requirements, occupancy numbers are limited as the mall operates on reduced hours — Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. (Some stores may limit those hours.)
Woodland Mall asks guests to follow CDC recommendations, make use of the several hand sanitizer stations located throughout the mall, wear masks and practice physical distancing.
In addition to Woodland Mall carefully reviewing policies and procedures, and thoroughly cleaning the mall using CDC-recommended disinfectant, common area furniture and other elements where physical distancing cannot be enforced have been removed. While the play area also remains closed indefinitely, food court seating is now available at reduced capacity.
A complete list of venues open at the mall, as well as updates on safety and cleanliness protocols, can be viewed on Woodland Mall’s website.
Woodland Mall’s Apple Store reopened this week, joining the three anchors and dozens of other stores and restaurants in again welcoming shoppers and diners. (Supplied)
Woodland Mall’s Apple Store reopened this week, joining the three anchor stores and dozens of other stores and restaurants in again welcoming shoppers and diners while still maintaining safety and cleanliness protocols, according to a statement from the mall management.
Apple, Macy’s, J.C. Penney and Von Maur are among the 80 retailers and restaurants that have reopened since June 1. A complete list of venue open at the mall, as well as updates on safety and cleanliness protocols, can be viewed on Woodland Mall’s website.
“We are so pleased that much of the mall has reopened and is ready to serve West Michigan again safely,” Cecily McCabe, Woodland Mall marketing director, said in supplied material. “It’s a true pleasure to again welcome shoppers and diners from across to region back to Woodland Mall. The response over the first few weeks has been very positive, and we are delighted to welcome back more of our community.”
In order to comply with Michigan requirements, occupancy numbers remain limited as the mall operates on reduced hours — Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. (Some stores may limit those hours.)
Woodland Mall asks guests to follow CDC recommendations, make use of the several hand sanitizer stations located throughout the mall, wear masks and practice physical distancing.
Guests will notice some changes for their safety, as well as the safety of employees, according to the statement. In addition to its rigorous cleaning and sanitizing schedule, Woodland Mall managment company, PREIT, has carefully reviewed policies and procedures and thoroughly cleaned the mall using CDC-recommended disinfectant. Common area furniture and other elements where physical distancing cannot be enforced have been removed. While the play area remains closed indefinitely, food court seating is now available at reduced capacity.
Woodland Mall recommends shoppers visit individual retail or restaurant websites for the most current information and services including curbside pick-up, appointments and reservations. Retailers participating in the mall’s Mall2Go: Contact-Free Pickup program can be found on its website.
The West Michigan Jazz Society is partnering with Amore Trattoria Italiana and Kaczmarski Hearing Services to present a “Jazz in the Park(ing Lot)” music festival on Friday, June 19, from 4-7 p.m.
Clif Metcalf Organ Trio (Supplied)
Jazz fans will be able to order one of Amore Trattoria Italiana’s dinners — and even a bottle of wine — for takeout with curbside service, while you wait in your car and hear live jazz in the parking lot.
“Since we cannot host our traditional Monday night summer series, ‘Jazz in the Park’, we will be sponsoring local musicians and jazz venues in West Michigan to host safe and socially distant outdoor concerts,” according to a WMJS statement.
The schedule of bands include GR Groove (4-5 p.m.), Clif Metcalf Organ Trio (5-6 p.m.), and In The Blue Jazz Ensemble (6-7 p.m.)
In The Blue Jazz Ensemble (Suppied)
“This event is going to be a great event, primarily focused on the music, but also it will be serving as our WMJS membership drive. We are encouraging attendees to purchase a meal from Amore, watch (and listen to the jazz) for a brief time slot while they enjoy their meal … and then to leave the event to allow for social distancing and to limit the size of the crowd.”
A portion of restaurant sales and musicians’ “earplugs” profit during the event will be donated back to WMJS from both Amore and Kaczmarski Hearing Services. Dr. Beckie Kaczmarski will be onsite for walk-up appointments and will be fitting for custom musicians’ earplugs, according to supplied material.
The event will also be live streamed from the WMJS Facebook page, if you are not comfortable with attending in person, according to the statement. A digital donation jar to show your support for WMJS is also available here securely through PayPal.
The City of Kentwood’s Master Plan update, which WKTV has covered in detail over the last year and which is nearing completion, is revisited on the latest episode of WKTV Journal In Focus.
Through a series of community engagement efforts called “Plan Kentwood”, the city has gained public input to help shape a long-range vision for growth, land use, development and open space conservation in the city. High on the list of areas to have updated plans are development near and along the extension of Breton Avenue south of 52nd Street, as well as the Division Avenue and 28th and 29th streets business districts.
With us to catch us up on the process from the City of Kentwood are Terry Schweitzer, Community Development Director, and Lisa Golder, Economic Development Planner.
WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (see our Weekly On-air Schedule for dates and times). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
Brian Long is a local business forecaster. Credit: GVSU
Although local economic statistics for May are negative, it now appears the worst of the COVID-19 driven recession is over and the recovery has begun, said Brian G. Long, director of Supply Management Research in Grand Valley State University’s Seidman College of Business.
Long surveyed local business leaders and his findings below are based on data collected during the last two weeks of May.
The survey’s index of business improvement (new orders) edged up to -32 from -45. In a similar move, the production index recovered to -35 from -48. The index of purchases reduced its loss to -32 from -44, and the employment index edged up to -38 from -41.
“Many of our survey participants are still working from home or working on a reduced office-sharing schedule,” said Long. “Many of our supply chains have been shaken, and restarting production will not be easy. As businesses around West Michigan continue to reopen, we can expect next month’s statistics to continue to slowly improve.”
Long said many analysts are thanking internet sales for saving the auto industry from total ruin; he said although May sales are significantly lower than in May 2019, the drop was not nearly as steep as some had expected.
Unemployment stats statewide are among the worst ever recorded, said Long. Of the 83 counties in Michigan, the estimated unemployment rate ranged from 14.5 percent to 41.2 percent. Ottawa County, which often boasts the lowest rate in the state, came in at 21.2 percent. Kent County was close behind at 21.6 percent.
Long said barring a relapse in the fall, history will record either March or April as the bottom of the 2020 Recession.
“We can expect some additional improvement in next month’s report,” he said. “We do not consider a recession to be over until we return to full employment, which took about seven years for the complete recovery from the Great Recession.”
The Institute for Supply Management survey is a monthly survey of business conditions that includes 45 purchasing managers in the greater Grand Rapids area and 25 in Kalamazoo. The respondents are from the region’s major industrial manufacturers, distributors and industrial service organizations. It is patterned after a nationwide survey conducted by the Institute for Supply Management. Each month, the respondents are asked to rate eight factors as “same,” “up” or “down.”
As area theater companies began to cancel productions due to gathering restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic, Theatricks owners David Johnson and Kateri Kline-Johnson went from making costumes to making masks.
“It was an easy switch,” said David Johnson during an interview at his costume shop Theatricks, 2136 Plainfield Ave. SE. “As theaters closed, we just went from making costumes to making masks. We didn’t think much of it. We figured we would probably make about 100 to 200 masks.”
About ten weeks and more than 2,000 masks later, Johnson said the shop has been able to make enough masks to stay open during the pandemic, keep the three employees — himself, his wife, and another employee — employed, plus cover all the building’s utility costs as well as the supply cost for the masks. Johnson owns the building that his business is located in.
Some of the masks available at Theatricks. (WKTV)
“We have not had to take out any government loans or layoff any employees,” Johnson said.
The group decided to offer up a basic mask, made of two pieces of 100 percent cotton with non-adjustable elastic straps. This mask comes in small, for children 2-11, and adult regular and large. They also make a mask with a pocket to place a filter and adjustable elastic straps.
As surgical and N95 masks became harder to find along with the Michigan guidelines that residents should wear a mask while in public places, cloth masks became the answer. According to the Mayo Clinic, cloth masks can help reduce the spread of the coronavirus by people who have COVID-19 but don’t realize it.
“One of the hardest things we ran into was getting the supplies needed to make the masks,” Johnson said. With only word-of-mouth and social media as advertising for the store’s masks, Theatriks was inundated with requests.
This coupled with the fact that many had taken up making homemade masks, made getting the needed elastic for the masks tough. So the Johnsons innovated and started making masks with a tie made from corset lacing.
Theatricks owner David Johnson with some the masks that are available at the Plainfield Avenue store. (WKTV)
Johnson said they listened to customers about specific needs such as how the elastic on a mask could start to hurt the ears after long periods of use. So they designed a mask with the elastic going over the head instead of around the ears.
Then a customer came in with the suggestion of making a headband with buttons on either side for the mask’s elastic band, which the store started making as well.
While costs for materials have gone up, Johsnon said the couple made the decision early on to keep the price for the masks low, which start at $3 for a basic mask and goes up for the speciality masks.
“We honestly, really did not think that it would take off as much as it did,” Johnson said, adding that they have had individuals come in to buy a few masks to churches and organizations ordering more than 100.
Having been in business for 39 years, Theatricks is known for building and providing costumes to community, college, and high school theater productions. The store staff also makes period pieces for those who participate in Civil War reenactments and Renaissance festivals.
“We actually have had a few people coming in to have costumes made for the Renaissance fairs for when they start back up again,” Johnson said, adding he usually has a booth at the fairs for costumes and other related items. Johnson said he is hoping that the Michigan Renaissance Festival in Holly, Mich., will still take place in late August.
Also over the past few weeks, local theater companies have been reaching out as well as they look ahead to their upcoming productions and the possibility of being able to open in the fall, Johnson said.
Still it is quiet in the store with Johnson spending a portion of his time cutting elastic in the north corner of the shop that is filled with costumes, masks, wigs, make up and jewelry. The actually sewing area is a clean room with only those making the masks allowed in.
“It’s all done by hand,” he said with a laugh as he measured out the elastic strips. We chat for a few minutes and then I gather up my prize — five brand new masks.
Kent County Health Department’s Wyoming location, The Potter’s House school, is a “walk-through” testing site is available Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to noon., until Aug. 1. (KCHD)
The Kent County Health Department’s efforts to make COVID-19 testing more widely available to specific segments of the public has expanded by the opening of community testing sites, including ones at the Wyoming’s The Potter’s House school, and in Kentwood at the Kent County Health Department South Clinic.
According to a June 3 statement, testing is available to individuals over the age of six months who live in a community impacted by COVID-19, have a known exposure to a person with confirmed COVID-19 or symptoms of COVID-19, or work in a job that puts them at high risk for exposure (jail, homeless shelters, nursing homes or assisted living facilities, food processing facilities, or any business that limits the ability to practice social distancing, or has repeated close contact with the public).
“Expanding COVID-19 testing in Kent County is important,” Christopher Bendekgey, the department’s community clinical services director, said in supplied material. “We wanted to establish sites in the geographic areas where we are seeing the highest incidents of positive cases and where individuals have less access to transportation.”
Federal CDC-privided Coronavirus test kit. (Kent County Health)
The Potter’s House “walk-through” testing site is located at 810 Van Raalte Dr. SW, and available Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to noon., until Aug. 1. The Kentwood “drive through” site is located at Kent County Health Department South Clinic, 4700 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Mondays and Wednesdays, 9 a.m. noon, until Sept. 1.
Other sites in the county which offer the tests include the drive-through Kent County Health Department Main Clinic, 700 Fuller Ave. NE, Mondays and Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to noon, until Sept. 1; and the walk-through Baxter Community Health Center, 958 Baxter SE, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., until Sept. 1.
Registration for the testing is “strongly encouraged” and can be done by visiting accesskent.com/health or by calling 616-632-7200.
No insurance or identification is needed to receive the free test. However, people who have health insurance are asked to bring their insurance cards.
Individuals must wear a mask when arriving at a testing location. The test is administered by inserting a small swab into the nose and gently collecting nasal secretions from the back of the nose and throat. “It can cause mild discomfort but is a quick procedure,” according to the county statement.
Results should be available within three to five business days. If positive, individuals will receive further information from KCHD.
Part of the goal of the increased testing availability is “so we can get more accurate idea of the spread of COVID-19 in our community,” Bendekgey said. “It will not only protect individuals and their families but is an essential part of our overall strategy towards recovery.”
The Kentwood City Commission recently passed a resolution reducing regulations and expediting the site plan review process some local businesses. (WKTV)
The City of Kentwood announced today that “in an effort to support Kentwood businesses and jumpstart the local economy,” the Kentwood City Commission recently passed a resolution reducing regulations and expediting the site plan review process for temporary outdoor retail, food, beverage and personal service uses.
Effective immediately and through Nov. 1, the resolution suspends time limits on temporary sign display and waives business license fees, according to a Wednesday, June 3, statement.
Retailers, restaurants and personal service businesses, such as training facilities, wanting to add expanded outdoor spaces for customers now have the opportunity to apply for such allowances through a streamlined administrative review process, the statement continues.
“It goes without saying — COVID-19 and shelter-in-place requirements over the past three months have had tremendous impacts on our local businesses,” Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley said in supplied material. “As we look to restart the local economy, the City of Kentwood remains committed to being a help and not a hindrance for our business community, and has implemented a number of measures to assist.
“The resolution passed is intended to ease and expedite businesses’ abilities to serve customers in a manner that’s consistent with evolving public health recommendations.”
The review and approval of site plans for general retail sales, food, beverage and personal service establishments in the city seeking to utilize outdoor areas, such as exterior building aprons or parking areas, will be conducted through the Planning Department. Interested businesses are asked to complete the online application at kentwood.us/businessrestart for consideration.
Under the temporary sign moratorium, one temporary sign of up to 32 square feet in area is allowed per business. Other restrictions in the Zoning Ordinance applicable to temporary signs, such as sign placement and similar matters, remain in effect.
For the licensing year, city business license fees for all businesses located in the city will be waived with the exception of the following: transient, waste hauler, door-to-door, and snowplowing licenses, or hazardous material fees.
As part of the City Commission resolution, the city’s Economic Development Corporation and two members of the Planning Commission were tasked to review city ordinances and regulations and propose to the City Commission changes to enhance the local business environment during the state of emergency and to submit those recommendations to the City Commission for its consideration in an ongoing fashion until Nov. 1 or as further extended by the City Commission, according to the city.
Deposit bottles and cans can be simply recycled as glass or metal, but with the return process being phased back in, there is probably some cash to be made. (Public Domain)
The State of Michigan Department of Treasury, this week, issued a Notice Regarding Phased Reestablishment of Michigan’s Bottle Deposit Return Program, which includes instructions that beginning June 15 some retailers must reopen their bottle return facilities and resume the collection of returnable beverage containers and refund of customer bottle deposits.
The collection of returnable beverage containers was temporarily suspended by an Executive Order issued by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on March 23.
According to supplied material, this applies to retailers “with bottle return facilities located at the front of the store or housed in a separate area and serviced exclusively by reverse vending machines requiring minimal or no person-to-person contact.”
Retailers reopening their bottle return facilities must ensure those facilities comply with all state-mandated safety protocols and restrictions, the statement continues.
In addition, retailers may take any or all of the following steps:
— Limit the number of beverage containers that may be returned by a single individual per day to a deposit refund amount of $25.
— Establish special or limited hours of operation for bottle return facilities.
— Limit the number of available and operating reverse vending machines.
— Periodically close bottle deposit facilities as needed for cleaning and supply management.
— Implement such other procedures or restrictions as each retailer may determine are necessary or advisable to promote safety and/or efficiency.
The statement also points out that consumers have the option of recycling their returnable beverage containers if they choose not to return them to a bottle deposit redemption facility.
Stylist Lindsey Williams admits she cringing when she saw the pictures of home haircuts and coloring coming across her social media.
After months of waiting, people had just had enough, and like CNN’s Anderson Cooper, taking scissors to their bangs and seeking out at-home color kits. Hair salons had seemingly become the speakeasies of 2020 with a few people sneaking off to a hairstylist working out of his/her home or having one swing by and cut their hair on the back porch.
When Williams, owner of East Grand Rapids’ Bang Blow Dry Bar and Salon, 2180 Wealthy St. SE, received a call from a customer asking about over-the-counter color kits, she knew she had to come up with a new way to help meet the needs of her customers.
“I offered to put together a color kit, drop it off, and then have a virtual session with her to talk her through applying the color,” Williams said. And bam, Williams’ had joined the growing list of virtual hair stylists.
As noted by NPR, in several major cities, such as New York and Los Angeles, virtual haircuts and styling have become increasingly popular as people seek relief from their hair. In fact, tech entrepreneur Greg Isenberg recently launched the app You Probably Need a Haircut, where customers are paired with freelance hair stylists who, for a fee, will talk the client through on cutting his/her hair.
Williams said during Michigan’s state of emergency, she has done several virtual counseling on bang trims and blow drying for customers. She also has a package where she will put together a color kit, deliver it, and schedule a time to meet the customer on FaceTime or Google Meet to walk the customer through the steps. The average session length is between 20 – 30 minutes with totally time depending on the customer.
“One of the biggest feedbacks I get from doing these is that it allows people to connect with someone, “Williams said. “It is kind of hair therapy, where you get to sit and talk to someone who is outside of your family.”
Stylist Lindsey Williams talks to her daughter, Willa, about hair care during a Google Meet virtual meeting. (WKTV)
While Williams has not been charging for her services, except for the color kits, as most of her virtual clients have been regulars. However, as word-of-mouth has spread, Williams said she probably will need to determine price structure for the virtual services.
While most stylists in the Greater Grand Rapids area have made their hair products available online, Williams appears to be one of the few people the area to offer virtual hair services, but she suspects that some salons or hair stylists may include it in their offerings to clients.
“Hair salons were one of the first businesses to close,” Williams said. Many hair salons started shutting down about a week before the Stay Home, Stay Safe order went into effect on March 24. Because of the close contact to clients, having to touch a person’s head and hair, Williams said the styling business probably will be one of the last to reopen.
Williams is hoping she will be able to reopen her salon on May 28, when Michigan’s state of emergency ends. This week, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that sections of the state would reopen with Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and northern Michigan set to open this Friday. The governor has not put any restrictions on specific businesses opening in those areas.
Even with reopening, Williams said her team will need to clean all the surfaces. The salon has three chairs and Williams said they will be making sure that the chairs are at least six feet apart along with complying with other social distancing guidelines.
“We are going to try and make customers as comfortable as possible,” Williams said, but she acknowledges that there will be some not willing to come to a salon for a haircut. Coupled with the facts that there are many people who hope their first venture out is to a salon and once you open the Pandora box on a new idea it tends to stay, Williams said her future plans may include offering virtual cuts and styles for a while.
“Life is going in a different direction,” Williams said. “I’ve always tried to be forward thinking in what we can offer our customers and this is an opportunity to provide a service that could meet the needs of some of them.”
“Good news is rare these days, and every glittering ounce of it should be cherished and hoarded and worshiped and fondled like a priceless diamond.”
Hunter S. Thompson
Good News — ‘Small Victories’ in dark days
WKTV recently hosted Kentwood Commissioner Emily Bridson and her guests for a casual conversation over Saturday morning coffee to “Celebrate the Small Victories” during the global pandemic. The discussion included insights from community leaders who have a broad perspective of local businesses, non-profits and our thriving New American community. Go here (and scroll down a little) for the video podcast on WKTV’s The Whole Picture podcast page, and here for the WKTV In Focus audio only podcast.
Good News — Arts Festival’s virtual weekend
While we are not yet able to gather for concerts, go to the ballet, or walk through art galleries, Festival of the Arts and the other 20 cultural organizations that make up the Grand Rapids Arts Working Group are working together to host a Virtual Arts Festival. Go here for the story.
Good News — Farmers Markets are open/opening
Get out in the sun and find the bounty of spring farm produce and so much more, as many area farmers markets such as the Metro Health Farm Market and the City of Kentwood Farmers Market are or will soon be open. Go here for the story.
Fun fact:
2.3 billion
The number of people who are active daily on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp or Messenger, sharing news good and bad. (That compares to about 2.2 million watching Fox News (average in April 2020). Source.
Data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau shows nationwide sales of newly built, single-family homes rose 0.6 percent in April. (Supplied)
In the wake of COVID-19,newly-released data shows an increase in new single-family homes, suburban development and millennial home buyers in West Michigan – a sign that the local economy is on the rebound.
Data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau shows nationwide sales of newly built, single-family homes rose 0.6 percent in April, according to the National Association of Home Builders. More positive signs for West Michigan’s housing market: Improvenet.com earlier this week cited Grand Rapids as the second-highest market for millennials, and today, USA Today reported a growing number of new homes sales are happening in less crowded communities.
John Bitely, president of Rockford-based Sable Homes, West Michigan region’s third largest home builder, said internal data closely tracking the local home purchasing market is in line with these national and demographic home-buying trends.
“Throughout the past couple years, we’ve seen a continuing trend among new home buyers who want to build homes in areas outside the city of Grand Rapids,” he said. “Communities like Sparta, Byron Center, Newaygo, Caledonia and Cedar Springs are becoming the new hot spots for young home buyers. As we look ahead to the future, I think we’re going to see that continue.”
A survey by the National Association of Realtors found that 5 percent of members said the coronavirus pandemic was causing their clients to shift their sights away from cities to the suburbs, USA Today reported.
According to John Bitely, president of Rockford-based Sable Homes, areas outside of the City of Grand Rapids, such as Sparta, Byron Center, Newaygo, Caledonia and Cedar Springs, are becoming the new hot spots for young home buyers. (Supplied)
Sable Homes’ Country Meadows neighborhood in Sparta and developer North Ritchie LLC’s phase one of the new Genevieve Plat in Sand Lake, which Sable Homes will be the builder, are prime examples.
“We’ve had a great response from potential home buyers as they look for affordable housing in suburban neighborhoods, like Country Meadows in Sparta and the Genevieve Plat in Sand Lake,” Bitely said. “As more and more people continue to work out of their home, there is going to be a greater interest to live in suburban and rural areas.”
Karin Kay, sales manager at Sable Homes, said they are seeing another home buying trend: An increase in millennial home buyers.
Improvenet.com, an online resource for homeowners, cited metro Grand Rapids as the second-highest market for millennials with 19.5 percent of homes owned by those between the millennial age group (26-40 years old). Clarksville, Tennessee, led the pack with 23 percent of millennial home owners, while Sioux Falls, South Dakota, trailed behind Grand Rapids with 18.2 percent.
“Even as COVID-19 hit West Michigan, several of our 42 home purchases were by millennials,” Kay said. “There is a new housing demand throughout the country for young home buyers and we are definitely seeing that here in West Michigan.”
Additionally, Grand Rapids was found to be the seventh city having the most single millennial homeowners with 3.8 percent. Larger metropolitan cities like Atlanta, Washington D.C., and Boston were the top areas for single millennial home buyers. On average, this demographic group makes up about 2 percent of homeowners nationwide, according to Improvenet.
Kentwood’s Woodland Mall announced May 27 that it plans to reopen Monday, June 1, for shopping appointments with new sanitation protocols in place “to enhance the safety of all and to promote physical distance.”
The reopening, City of Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley points out, continues the promise of local economic recovery from COVID-19 caused retail business restrictions.
“The mall and (Woodland Mall management) PREIT have made a significant investment in Kentwood with the redevelopment (of the mall), which has resonated with our residents and the broader community,” Mayor Kepley said in supplied material. “We wish the mall continued success as we work collectively to jumpstart our local economy.”
While several mall retailers and restaurants have offered limited curbside pickup since March, the mall itself closed March 23. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s recent executive order permits Michigan retailers to offer shopping appointments.
Visitors will be encouraged to use hand sanitizer stations located throughout the mall, and it is recommended shoppers wear masks for the safety of all.
In order to comply with State of Michigan requirements, access and total mall occupancy numbers will be limited initially. The mall will be operating on reduced hours: Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. Some stores may modify those hours further.
Given the limited occupancy allowance, the mall will temporarily ask all guests under the age of 18 to be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
According to supplied material, Woodland expects many of its retailers to join Von Maur and Urban Outfitters in offering appointments to up to 10 shoppers at a time, although smaller stores may choose to limit the maximum number of shoppers further.
“To say we are excited about Monday’s reopening is an understatement,” Tony DeLuccia, Woodland Mall general manager, said in supplied material. “Our retailers are eager to welcome back customers now that shopping by appointment is permissible in Michigan. … We are truly thrilled to be opening our doors again and have spent significant time and energy to ensure we can do so safely.”
Guests will notice other changes when they return to Woodland Mall.
Parent company PREIT has “carefully reviewed policies and procedures and thoroughly cleaned the mall using CDC-recommended disinfectant,” according to supplied material. “Common area furniture and other elements where physical distancing cannot be enforced have been removed. The play area will be closed indefinitely, and food court seating has been eliminated.”
PREIT and its service providers have also established a rigorous cleaning and sanitizing schedule, particularly for high-touch surfaces. All housekeeping, maintenance and security staff will follow CDC and state health guidelines, and will be wearing masks and gloves when working.
Even during the mall’s temporary closure, it has supported West Michigan during this time of COVID-19, including hosting three community food drives, which will continue to operate during the pandemic.
“Woodland Mall has been a gathering spot for our community for more than 50 years,” DeLuccia said in supplied material. “That has not changed, even though we have made some modifications to ensure the safety of all. We are ready to open our doors on Monday and look forward to seeing our friends and neighbors again.”
The City of Kentwood has held several Plan Kentwood community information gathering events as part of the Master Plan update. (Supplied/City of Kentwood)
As a key element of the City of Kentwood’s Master Plan update, the city is seeking public input on its long-range vision for growth, land use, development and open space conservation.
The current Master Plan update has involved numerous public interactions between planning staff and the public. The latest draft plan and associated documents are available for public review on the City’s website at kentwood.us/PlanKentwood. Comments will be accepted through July 31.
“We are nearing the finish line in the Master Plan update process, which is critical for maintaining our community’s vision with thoughtful consideration of future growth,” Terry Schweitzer, Kentwood Community Development Director, said in supplied material. “All the engagement we’ve had so far with residents, businesses and property owners has been vital to the journey, and we look forward to hearing additional feedback as we work toward the plan’s adoption.”
Persons interested in submitting comments may do so online at kentwood.us/PlanKentwood; over the phone by calling 616-554-0707; via email to eplanning@kentwood.us; or by mail to PO Box 8848, Kentwood, MI 49518.
As the plan update nears completion, there will be a work session on Aug. 11, followed by a public hearing to adopt the 2020 Master Plan on Aug. 25. Both opportunities will allow for additional public comment directly to the Planning Commission.
The Master Plan, according to a statement by the Kentwood planning department, is an official public document adopted by the Kentwood Planning Commission.
“The forward-looking development plan considers the long-range goals and desires of residents and property owners, as well as local, regional and market trends,” the statement reads. “The Master Plan features goals, policies and recommended actions to guide land use decision-making for Planning Commissioners and City Commissioners during the next 20 years.”
A Master Plan is reviewed at least every five years but is modified and updated as deemed necessary by the Planning Commission. The most recent update was completed in 2012.
The objective of the update process is to plan for new population growth and redevelopment while protecting key environmental features, creating sustainable economic opportunities and providing public services.
Beginning last summer, the city sought public input on proposed changes through “Plan Kentwood” — a community engagement series that consisted of five opportunities for the community to share their thoughts at different events throughout the city.
Key areas of city under review
Discussions during the community engagement series focused on a few key areas where changes were proposed: Section 13, which consists of 263 acres of open land between 28th and 36th streets, Patterson Avenue and East Paris Avenue; a 480-acre area referred to as Section 34, which is located between 52nd and 60th streets, the Princeton Estates plat and Wing Avenue; the 28th and 29th Street commercial corridor; and the Division Avenue corridor.
Proposed changes from the 2012 plan impact policies and principles for all development in the city, as well as recommendations related to the undeveloped and redeveloping land.
This public comment period allows the Planning and City commissioners, neighboring communities, government agencies, public utilities, transportation and telecommunications providers and the general public to further review and comment on the draft plan.
The Planning Commission will then have the opportunity to make changes to the plan based on the input received. After changes are made, the Planning Commission will seek to adopt the 2020 Master Plan, and then present it to the City Commission for acceptance.
Tired of all the sad, bad news these days? City of Kentwood commissioner Emily Bridson will host a casual conversation to “Celebrate the Small Victories” during the global pandemic via a Facebook Live Event on Saturday, May 23, starting at 10 a.m.
“Let’s focus on the positive, what we’ve learned, how we adapted, and what moving forward looks like,” Bridson said in supplied material. “This will be an uplifting take during this challenging time but will include real stories of pain and struggle and, of course, the small victories.”
In the discussion, Bridson will be “Celebrating the Small Victories” with guests Hanna Schulze of Local First, Tarah Carnahan of Treetops Collective and Sagar Dangal, an activist in the Bhutanese community.
The discussion is expected to include topics such as the local economy, personal growth, practices of local businesses that prioritize people’s safety and needs and facilitating the sense of belonging in our community, according to supplied material.
Also on the agenda are how we will be more adaptable, proactive and action-oriented; job flexibility for working parents and workforce health considerations moving forward; creating more equitable opportunities for caretakers and those with underlying conditions; and, finally, looking to the future.
The discussion guests
Dangal is owner of the local business Everest Tax Services. In addition, he is vice-president of the Bhutanese Community of Michigan and host of the podcast “Bhutanese Talk”.
Carnahan is the executive director and co-founder of Treetops Collective, which has the mission: “To connect refugee women with people and opportunities in their new community so they can flourish for generations to come — standing tall and impacting others.”
Schulze is the executive director at Local First, a group with the vision: “We lead the development of an economy grounded in local ownership that meets the basic need of people, builds local wealth and social capital, functions in harmony with our ecosystem, and encourages joyful community.”
Bridson is a Michigan native, community activist, business professional and retired professional athlete. She serves as a Kentwood city commissioner and serves on Kent County’s City/County Building Authority.
During the discussion, Facebook Live comments and questions may be discussed in real-time.
Frontline workers responding to COVID-19, along with many others who are returning to their jobs, are wearing masks all day long. Some are experiencing irritation, especially around their ears.
Katarina Samardzija, a 2019 graduate of Grand Valley State University and founder of Locker Lifestyle, took notice. Locker Lifestyle produces athletic clothing with storage pouches.
“I had all of these athletic headbands in stock that have been tested for comfort and fit by marathon runners,” said Samardzija. “I recruited my grandmother, who is a seamstress, to help sew buttons on the headbands. The buttons allow you to attach a surgical mask to relieve irritation behind the ears.”
The Pocket Headband for women and men has non-slip gel dots and a pocket in back, secured by Velcro®, to carry money, keys or even a spare mask. In April, Samardzija made a demonstration video, which went viral. She and her work crew, consisting of her mother and grandmother, have shipped about 600 Headband Aids all over the country.
Katarina Samardzija’s grandmother (left) helped Katarina with the design of the Headband Aid. (Supplied)
Samardzija earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Grand Valley with a double major in marketing and entrepreneurship. She was also a member of the GVSU Women’s Tennis team. She was headed to tennis practice in 2016, when she got the idea for Locker Lifestyle.
“I got tired of carrying all of my belongings to the gym. The first product I made, which is our best seller, is the Wrist Wallet. It holds items like an ID, money, keys, lip balm. My friends started knocking on my door wanting one,” she said.
Samardzija connected with Grand Valley’s Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation and began competing for startup funds. She has participated in about 14 competitions to date to help fund patents and to manufacture products.
“Runners World” magazine named Locker Lifestyle products the top gear to have in 2020; in 2019, Samardzija was named one of the Newsmakers of the Year by the “Grand Rapids Business Journal;” and in 2018, she was the FedEx Small Business Grant Contest Bronze Prize Winner.
Samardzija said her education and connections at Grand Valley have proven invaluable.
“The support from the Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation has been a continual resource,” she said. “I connect with Shorouq Almallah and Matthew Larson from CEI on a monthly basis to stay in touch and discuss growth.”
“You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces — just good food from fresh ingredients.”
Julia Child
Local farmer’s markets are open, opening
Among the announcements of cancellations and/or delays in programming comes some good news: many area farmers markets such as the Metro Health Farm Market and the City of Kentwood Farmers Market will open as scheduled. Get the latest news on when and where. Go here for the story.
A customers picks up a delivery from Green Wagon Farms at the Ada location of a local REKO market in early May. (WKTV)
Shop the Finnish way … Go REKO!
There are many models for consumers to “buy local and eat local” — home and community gardens, farmer’s markets, CSAs, farm stands — but a group of small, local producers are giving the European-bred REKO model a try, and doing so for many reasons. Go here for the story.
Eating the Mediterranean Way … wine anyone?
We always hear about the latest fad diet, but don’t we often wonder what really works? The Mediterranean diet, however, isn’t a diet so much as it’s a way of living. Go here for the story.
Fun fact:
8 percent (longer life)
There are several studies that have been associated the Mediterranean diet with a longer life. One review conducted by Italian researchers on an overall population of over 4,000,000 showed that a diet can reduce risk of death by 8 percent. Source.
People who know the local independent music scene know there are not two more different venues than Grand Rapids’ Pyramid Scheme and Spring Lake’s Seven Steps Up — at the first, you’ll likely loose your voice screaming for bands like The Beths or Fruition; at the second, you’ll quietly chill to the sounds of Darlingside.
But both venues, along with more than 1,000 “independent” music clubs and promoters across the county, are trying to find a little power in numbers — and help themselves survive the crippling impact of COVID-19 — by joining the newly established National Independent Venue Association.
While independent venues and promoters are small businesses, nationwide, the estimated direct annual impact they provide to their local communities nears $10 billion, according to the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA). In addition to supporting employees and artists who are dependent upon live music for their livelihoods, the industry serves as a “magnet and financial engine for local economies … for every dollar small venues generate in tickets sales, area restaurants, hotels, and retail establishments realize $12 in revenue.”
But that same group also reports that 90 percent of members informally predict they will not be able to reopen if there is no financial support and the shutdown extends to six months.
To find out what is the current mood, and long term outlook, of the independent music industry, here in West Michgian and across the country, WKTV visited the eerily empty rooms of Pyramid Scheme and Seven Steps up last week.
What we found was a bleak present with stages dark and employees on unemployment, but an unclear future unless venues can get clarity on when and how they can reopen, get some some government help.
The problems started even before the two venue were forced to close their doors to the public, back in mid-March.
Pyramid Scheme co-owner Tami VandenBerg. (WKTV)
“It has been a nightmare couple of months, as you an imagine, sort of cascading from March,” Tami VandenBerg, co-founder and co-owner of Pyramid Scheme, said to WKTV. “The first sign of huge trouble was when we heard South by Southwest (annual independent music festival in Austin) might be cancelled. Myself and other members of my team go down there. That is a massive event for our industry. … That was a big red flag.”
And then came not only musicians cancelling but national and state restrictions on certain businesses where people would congregate.
“It was devastating to layoff all our staff and cancel all our shows,” VandenBerg said, trying to count how many shows were cancelled. “It was brutal. Spring is usually a really busy time for us. … it is clear this is an epic mess.”
Michelle Hanks, who with husband Gary Hanks, own and manger Seven Steps Up, also saw the train wreck coming and could do nothing about it.
Michelle and Gary Hanks, owners and mangers of Seven Steps Up. (WKTV)
“It came to a crashing halt on March 14, that’s when we got the call,” Michelle Hanks said to WKTV. “Our last show was March 8. … Most of the shows have not been cancelled, they have been rescheduled. We just don’t have dates for them. … We are already discussing rescheduling for the third time, in some cases.”
In the case of Seven Step Up, Michelle Hanks said “probably going into the neighborhood of 45 to 50” shoes have been delayed or lost all together. At Pyramid Scheme, VandenBreg simply pointed out a busy spring schedule would usually see bands in four of five nights a week.
“Part of the issue with this industry is that it is not just Seven Steps Up, it’s — I loved one of the ways somebody said it — we are an ecosystem,” Michelle Hanks said. “We are an ecosystem of independent venues and independent artists. … The artists really need to tour across the United States, not just here and there.”
Financial losses mount, but unified action could help
Small music venues, like large concert venues and neighborhood brew pubs, are suffering financial hardship partly due to a “first to close; last to open” scenario — coupled with no concrete date of return.
A crowd at the Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids. (Pyramid Scheme Facebook)
According to supplied material, independent music industry magazine Pollstar estimated a $9 billion loss in ticket sales alone — not counting food and beverage revenue — if venues remain closed through the end of the year.
“We have been hit, already hit, extremely hard,” VandenBerg said. “And we will be one of the last places to reopen, as I have seen in the Governor’s plan. We’ll be able to open our front bar sooner, with limited capacity and protective gear. … but in term of live music, that is one of the last things that is going to open.”
“The big challenge is the uncertainty,” Gary Hanks said. “We are postponing and putting dates put there, after in the fall and winter, but all of us — agents, artists, venues — don’t really know if those are going to happen. … We may be told we can reopen, but we may be told there are going to be so many restrictions on that, in terms of audience size, that it, just financially, can’t work.”
Both VandenBerg and the Hanks agree they see some hope in their joining the NIVA, and the group’s work in Lansing and Washington, D.C., to request emergency governmental relief they can actually use.
In general, the NIVA is seeking modifications to small business loans and the Payroll Protection Program (PPP), tax relief, mortgage and rent forbearance, continued unemployment insurance for employees and “guidance on how to reopen safely when the time comes,” according to supplied material.
NIVA wrote a letter to Congress in late April advocating for “targeted legislative and regulatory assistance.” In part, the letter read:
“Without your help, thousands of independent venues will not survive to the day when our doors can open to the public again. While we have no income, we do have essential employees, employee benefits, debts with personal guarantees, rents or mortgages, utilities, insurance, local, state and federal taxes, and the massive burden of ticket refunds for more than 100,000 canceled shows due to COVID-19.”
One area of advocacy is to have ticket refunds become allowable as business losses — Seven Steps Up has given more than $4,000 in refunds and, “for us, that’s a killer,” Gary Hanks said.
A key group effort is waiving the PPP requirement for loan forgiveness to be contingent on employee retention if companies have no work to offer employees for several months — currently for loan forgiveness business have to bring people back to within a few weeks.
“One of the things that is a challenge for us, and for other small venues like us, is we can’t just bring our employees back for one show,” Michelle Hanks said. “They will loose their unemployment, at least for that week. … We have to be able to get up and do a regular number of shows for it to make any kinds of sense for anyone.”
Darlingside at Seven Steps Up. (Seven Steps Up Facebook)
Seven Steps Up usually has 7-9 part-time employees for 132-seat sold-out shows.
Pyramid Scheme “on a really busy night, a sold-put night, when we’ve got 420 folks in the back (in the concert room) and another 200 up front (in a bar area), those are our capacities, we can have 15 people working, from sound to security to bartenders,” “VandenBerg said. “When I think about when we will be able to get back to that (level of employment), I just don’t know. It’s really heartbreaking.”
A hopeful future, with a little help from their friends
Both VandenBerg and the Hanks said despite their current and short term problems, they are hopeful.
“In the midst of all this depressing uncertainty, the formation of NIVA has at least given us a glimmer of hope that our nine plus years of blood, sweat, and tears will not go down the drain,” Michelle Hanks said. “Out of crises, good things can sprout up.
“Independent venues have been so independent, fiercely independent, of each other. We don’t typically talk about anything,” she said. “So bringing all the venues together, we are talking about developing best practices for how we deal with things like merch areas, green rooms, queuing people into the venues, security. … That’s been really, really great. But in terms of what they are doing nationally, for us, there is a huge campaign going on right now to contact our elected officials.”
But support the community, from small venue music fans — the “scream at the top of your lungs” crowd or the “kick-back and chill” in a listening room crowd — is and will always be essential for such venues, whether it is buying some merch, or buying tickets for shows that may be delayed, or GoFundMe fundraisers.
“If people love live music, there is several great venues in West Michigan alone … If they want to help, find your venue that you love to go to” and support them in anyway you can,” Michelle Hanks said.
For more information on the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) visit NIVAssoc.org. For more information on Seven Steps Up, located at 116 S. Jackson., Spring Lake, visit sevenstepsup.com. for more information on Pyramid Scheme, located at 68 Commerce SW, Grand Rapids, visit pyramidschemebar.com.
There are many models for consumers to “buy local and eat local” — home and community gardens, farmer’s markets, CSAs, farm stands — but a group of small, local producers are giving the European-bred REKO model a try, and doing so for many reasons.
Yes, the direct producer-to-consumer financial model is good for sustainable agriculture businesses. And, yes, there is something about being able to see the fields and greenhouses where your root vegetables, or micro-greens, were grown.
But in the age COVID-19 and other concerns of food safety, of wondering how many hands have touched your food before yours, the Facebook-based sales model developed in Finland and mostly unheard of in the U.S. — pronounced “RA-ko” — also holds a certain attraction.
Karin Uebbing, of Byron Center’s Woodbridge Dairy Farm. (WKTV)
The model’s direct producer-to-consumer ordering and delivery system “shortens the (number of) hands that touch food, there is less of a line to get to your food,” Karin Uebbing, of Byron Center’s Woodbridge Dairy Farm, said to WKTV last week, at the opening day of a weekly delivery location in Ada. (The REKO also has a delivery location in Holland.)
Currently local vendors can be found at rekomarket.com, and the list includes bakeries and a local ice cream producer in addition to farms producing vegetables, meats, eggs, tea, herbs, honey, maple syrup, cornmeal, and even wool and locally-made compost — Jenison’s Wormies Vermicompost is a member.
“We are a pasture-based protein farm … meat and eggs, (our) milk is a heard-share. That’s a little bid different,” Uebbing said of her farm’s offerings.
Rebecca Henderson, farm manager at Ada’s Green Wagon Farms. (WKTV)
The driving force behind the new market concept, Rebecca Henderson, farm manager at Ada’s Green Wagon Farms, explained the system: Each week, small-scale, sustainable farmers and producers post available products to a public Facebook group, managing their own sales from their online stores. Then bags of food are brought to the drop-off locations for pickup.
And unlike many Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) groups, a membership is not required, and consumers can order one week and not the next, depending on what’s available.
“Right now we have a whole lot of leafy greens,” Henderson said to WKTV. “But we are about to get into the summer season, so pretty soon we’ll have summer crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers. But right now we have everything from kale to lettuce (and root crops from) beets to carrots to parsnips.”
History of REKO, in Europe and in Michigan
“Reko is a trade model that started in Finland about seven years ago, it is spread pretty widely across Europe,” Henderson said. “We first heard of REKO at the Northern Michigan Farm Conference in 2019 from Swedish farmer Richard Perkins.
A customers picks up a delivery from Green Wagon Farms at the Ada location of a local REKO market in early May. (WKTV)
“There are so many great things about REKO for the consumer, but for us, the presale market is efficient, eliminates wasted product we might have at the end of a slow day at the farmers market, and requires virtually no setup or tear-down.”
And, echoing Uebbing, there is a “producers’ hands to consumer’s hands” advantage.
“It produces a quick and easy transition between producers and consumers,” Henderson said to WKTV. “We have always enjoyed (a personal relationship between producers and consumers). We go to the farmers market year around. We see weekly, dedicated customers coming to us. We get to build relationships with those people.
“It is great for consumers to build that relationship with their producers. But, also, in light of everything that is going on, people care more and more where their food is coming from. There is a huge surge in local food right now. Consumers want to know their food is being handled safely. We have had this idea, to bring this Reko model to the local market, and there is no better time to do it.”
How the local REKO works
As explained by the local REKO’s promotional material: “For the consumer, (the model) brings market-shopping into the digital age, allows for planning and shopping to be done in the comfort of your own home — and accelerates the actual pickup time to a short weekly errand, instead of a half-day event. In the days of COVID-19, avoiding congested grocery stores, supporting local businesses, and finding a one-stop pickup for a variety of staple goods is particularly meaningful.”
Customers and vendors at the Ada location of a local REKO market in early May. (WKTV)
As witnessed at the Ada drop-off location last week, until further notice, REKO is et up for no-contact pickup, requiring social distancing and masks for all shoppers and producers. Pre-payment options are available, and desired, for most vendors.
Availability from producers will be posted weekly on the Facebook group for each drop-off location (Holland and Ada) as producers may not attend every week and require different order deadlines. Market shoppers must place their orders prior to the deadline and pick up their pre-packed orders within the short pickup window.
The two current REKO markets are Thursdays from 3-3:30 p.m. in Ada, at The Community Church, and from 12-1 p.m. in Holland, at the Holland Town Center and the hope is to continue the markets year-round.
“For us, I’m not trying to feed the world, I’m just trying to feed the community,” Woodbridge Dairy Farm’s Uebbing said. “It’s what allows us, as a farm, to stay in business. We are direct to the end-consumer. If I didn’t have them, we would not be here.”
