At the end of March, Focus on Ferals (FOF) Cat Shelter asked our dedicated readers for help in the article, Cats in Crisis Need Your Help https://www.wktvjournal.org/cats-in-crisis-need-your-help/. Due to FOF’s success and growth, they were in desperate need of a larger facility.
Thanks to the generosity of our readers, dedication of FOF’s volunteers and especially the unwavering faith and energy of the founder and Director, Gina Marvin, a new location has been secured.

Come out for the Grand Opening Party, meet the volunteers and visit the four-legged residents!

Sunday August 17th, 11-5pm
7962 Clyde Park SW
Byron Center MI 49315

Tour our Facility (Adoption Center and TNR/intake!)
Enjoy some refreshments
Meet the Kitties (and take one home!)
Raffle Prizes
Volunteer Opportunities
**August Adoption Special – All kittens/cats $50 kitten adoptions!**

Marvin, FOF’s founder and director, asks if attendees would bring a “housewarming” gift for the kitties or the shelter, if possible. Just one item! Such as:
Food, Litter, Toys, Beds, Cleaning supplies, Catnip grass –Anything that a house needs…they probably need it too!

Available cats: http://www.focusonferals.org/our-kitties/
Follow them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/focusonferals
Adoption application: http://www.focusonferals.org/adoption-application

To her friends and family, former Kentwood City Commissioner Judith Wylie lived her life being more than an inspiration. She was “an energetic inspiration” even after suffering a major stroke four years ago that left her paralyzed and in a care facility. At age 80, Judith died on June 10, 2014 leaving a legacy of public service, goodwill and fond memories to the greater Kentwood community.

“She was a force and quite unique,” says Joanne Monnier, her friend for over 40 years. “The first time I met Judy was at Welcome Wagon. We were both new to Kentwood in the mid 70s,” she recalls. “I was immediately impressed with how intelligent, witty and energetic she was. She brought that energy to everything she did.”

A tireless volunteer, Judith not only raised two sons with her husband of 60 years, Robert,  but also served on the Kentwood City Commission for 20 years from 1981 to 2001. She also co-founded and was president of the Kentwood Women’s Club and a former president and honorary life member of the Sallie Bender Guild of Spectrum Health Butterworth. In all of her life activities, her efforts were committed and consistent.

“Everything she did, she did one hundred percent,” says Nancy Shane, administrative assistant to the Kentwood Fire Chief and a friend and co-worker of Judie’s for 30 years. “To me and others, she was a mentor, always there to help and encourage. She would take new appointees and run them through the ‘tricks-of-the-trade’ of city hall.

“To Judie, the city of Kentwood was her friend and that included all the employees who worked there,” says Shane. She recalls Judie wandering thru the halls during the holidays and wishing every single person a happy holiday. “She really, really cared for city employees. Even when I’d visit her  after her stroke she would ask me, ‘What’s going on at city hall? How is everyone?’ Her caring about the welfare of others was always on her mind,” Shane adds.

“At the funeral, you could see that Judie had friends everywhere because there were big groups of diverse people that had no connections to each other except for Judie. She was special to so many people.”

Both Shane and Monnier were friends with Judie when she organized the Kentwood Women’s Club, a club to enhance cultural, social, educational and civic opportunities for Kentwood area women. The club just celebrated its 30th year.

Judie’s community involvement extended further as a volunteer and former president of the Sallie Bender Guild of Spectrum Health Butterworth. The guild has been in existence for 62 years managing the hospital gift shops on a volunteer basis and turning 100 percent of the profits over to specific projects and programs. According to Monnier, now president of the guild, SBG was responsible for donating $1 million to the DeVos Children’s Hospital and $500,000 to the Meijer Heart Center.

“Judie was a tireless volunteer and supporter of the guild,” says Monnier. “And absolutely one of the best sales people we had at the Butterworth gift shop,” she adds, laughing. “She enjoyed working on the floor, talking to people and helping them pick out gifts. It was really another way she served people.”

Monnier admits that the passing of her dear friend has prompted inner reflection, saying, “As I look over the years, she was an influence in my life. I’m doing things now because of her. Her support and encouragement is what helped me become president of the guild. I never would have tried something like that if it wasn’t for Judie.”

Recently the Kentwood City Commission proclaimed June 17, 2014 as Judith Wylie Day in honor of her 20 years of commitment and service to the city. Bob, her husband of almost 61 years says he was thrilled to receive the honor from Mayor Kepley. Of his wife he says, “She was something special. She was a sweetheart.”

Photos and story by Pat Moll

Nearly 75 people turned out Tuesday evening for the installation of MI-191 South Kent Blue Star Mothers branch. Honored guests included State Senators, Mark Jansen, Tonya Schuitmaker, David Hildenbrand, Representative Winnie Brinks, Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley & Wyoming Chief of Police James Carmody. A flagline was provided by the Patriot Guard Riders.

by Michele Smith-Aversa

Since 2005, Gina Marvin has saved over 900 lives – for free. She is the voice for those who have been abused in ways many of us can’t imagine. She is an invisible hero to what she calls an invisible population.

Gina Marvin is the founder of Focus on Ferals Trap-Neuter-Return and No-Kill Adoption Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan (www.focusonferals.org). She is on a crusade to improve the quality of life for feral cats in West Michigan and humanely reduce and control their population through the process of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR). TNR consists of the humane trapping, sterilization, and return of feral cats to their familiar habitat.

“I love feral cats.” Gina says. “I respect their wild nature. But feral cats breed unwanted kittens, who just breed more unwanted kittens. The way the public has dealt with this issue in the past is to kill the unwanted cats. The methods used are sometimes horrific.” Gina contends that reducing their birth rate is actually more cost effective – and humane. As a community working together, the problem can be eliminated.

A Typical Day

There is no typical day for Gina. “I can spend anywhere between one and five hours per day doing activities for Focus on Ferals (FOF). I like to say things get done in a ‘which fire is burning the hottest right now’ sort of way.”

Gina gets calls every day from people asking for help with anything from a stray cat to an abandoned litter of kittens. Some days she spends more time out in the field trapping feral cats (for TNR), giving them medical attention or food. Some days she is at the No-Kill Adoption Center on Knapp where stray adult cats and feral kittens are brought in, socialized and adopted out. And some days she is at home buried in the paperwork that comes with running a struggling non-profit organization.

 Another Hero

Gina received a distress call on an unusually bitter November evening in 2010. The caller was a soft spoken man who lived in an area hotel known for housing people on parole or probation. However, the hotel did not allow pets. This man, Norm*, told Gina that the management was tired of the feral cat problem around the hotel, had already rounded up 20 of the cats and taken them to an animal shelter – where feral cats do not make it out alive.

Norm spotted two kittens that were caught in a live trap. Worried that after several hours they would freeze to death, he snuck them into his room and called Gina. By the time she arrived, Norm had been forced to move the tiny kittens back outside to his rusted out pick-up truck because management was coming around for room checks. When Gina checked his truck, she saw a shoebox with litter, two tiny dishes with food and water, and even a few toys for the kittens to play with.

Gina was immeasurably moved. Norm had his own problems and very little money. But he rescued the condemned kittens because it was the right thing to do. Gina still smiles when she thinks of his selflessness. “These two kittens were headed for their deaths. But an ordinary person stepped in and changed that course.” The kittens were brought to the shelter, named Tater and Tot, and were eventually adopted out together.

 Rescues Despite Risk

Gina has executed her share of covert rescues to protect and save a cat. In this economy, foreclosures have become a reality for an increasing number of families. When they leave their homes, they abandon their memories, clothing and sometimes even their pets. Gina remembers one cat in particular named Ellie. When the family left, they locked Ellie in the house with broken furniture, trash, moldy food and no useable litter box. An animal cannot survive for long in those hazardous conditions. Gina felt that she had no other choice; she broke a window, climbed into the house and saved Ellie’s life.

Getting a pet is a long-term commitment. Unfortunately, some people do not take the commitment seriously. “As a nation,” Gina says, “we still have the mentality that animals are disposable.” Gina works to change that mentality, but the animals’ safety and welfare always come first.

 No end in sight

If Gina lost everything she owned, she would still continue her crusade. The shelter demands supplies, paperwork, volunteers, building maintenance, public relations – and money. Lots of it. But she will never lose sight of the big picture. Improving the lives of cats and kittens is the mission. She struggles with the knowledge that she can’t save them all. But that makes her more determined to do everything she can for the ones she does save.

There is a sign in the shelter that expresses exactly how Gina feels –

“Saving the life of one animal may not change the world, but the world will surely change for that one animal.”

Visit our website http://www.focusonferals.org/ if you:

Are interested in making a donation/sponsoring a cat or want to obtain an adoption application.

See our available cats and kittens http://www.focusonferals.org/our-kitties/

Visit our No Kill Adoption Center Thursdays 6-8pm and Sundays 12-2pm http://www.focusonferals.org/our-adoption-center/

Like us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/FocusOnFerals where you can read success stories and see photos and videos of the kitties at the Adoption Center!

New book reading and author signing set for Monday

From the looks of her, you’d never guess that local author and Kentwood resident Kristina Riggle is in her late 30s. On the contrary, she appears to be twenty-something. It’s hard to believe she’s a mother of two children, ages 11 and 6, in addition to being an author of five novels. Her latest novel, The Whole Golden World, hit the shelves of Schuler’s, Barnes and Noble, and Target in November.

“I have to credit my mother for the youthful genes,” she says, laughing, “I used to hate it that I didn’t look my age, but the older I get, the more I appreciate it!”

Don’t let her fresh face fool you. Riggle, who’ll be discussing The Whole Golden World Monday evening at Kent District Library, is clear, confident and conscientious about being a novelist.

“Human behavior fascinates me,” Riggle says of her motivation. Her keen observations translate into intriguing and authentic characters living life on the pages of her novels.

“In all of my stories, I like to create characters with different and valid perspectives. I think about telling the same story from each perspective. Each is valid and tells a different story,” explains Riggle.

For example, for writing The Whole Golden World, Riggle says she was inspired by a newspaper article she read several years ago about a male high school teacher with criminal sexual conduct for his affair with a 17 year old female student.

“What got me was the reporter describing the court scene and noting, in the article, that the victim chose to sit behind the defendant and not with her parents. I thought, ‘clearly that’s telling a different story from the victim’s perspective. She supports the defendant.”

Riggles novel unfolds from there with three main characters presenting their perspectives of a controversial relationship that shocks family members and the community. Individually, they take the reader through the delicate phases between childhood and adulthood, challenging love and manipulation, marriage and motherhood, and consent and responsibility.

“I’d like to think it’s my best work yet,” she says modestly, adding that bloggers are saying it is her best work ever. “I’m very grateful for that. It’s my intention to be a better writer with each book I write.”

Recognized as a respected local novelist, Riggle has been invited to speak at the Write Michigan awards ceremony on March 22 and write the Foreword for the 2014 Write Michigan Anthology, a request she says she is “quite honored to do.”

Riggle credits her fifth grade teacher, Janet Dykema, (now retired), for encouraging her in the craft. “She recognized that writing was important to me. She didn’t dismiss that I was serious about it in fifth grade. She gave me writing advice that you’d give an adult. I’ll never forget it.”

A 1992 graduate of East Kentwood High School, Riggle went through the journalism program at Michigan State University. Her first job was as a reporter for the Grand Haven Tribune covering education and school board meetings.

“Yes, those can be time consuming meetings with a lot of material to digest, “she answers, responding only to the expression on my face. “But what I was able to learn was to look at all that information from my reader’s viewpoint and pull out the nuggets of news that would impact them.”

Now years later and after subsequent positions at The Bay City Times and The Grand Rapids Press, Riggle considers herself a “recovering journalist.” Her newspaper career decisively changed directions with the birth of her first child coupled with job burnout.

“You know it’s true how kids change everything,” she says. “I wanted to be home with my baby but I knew I wasn’t good at being domestic or with isolation. So I started freelancing and doing more creative writing.”

As Riggle became more serious about writing a novel, she read books about writing and the publishing process. The result was the publication of her first book, Real Life & Liars, that holds a special place in Riggle’s heart. Now, she manages to raise her young family and produce a new novel every 12 to 15 months, careful not to discuss her work in progress because “it’s just too fragile.”

Kristina Riggle will do a reading from The Whole Golden World at the Kentwood branch of the Kent District Library at 6 p.m. on Monday, January 13. A book-signing will follow.