With Metro Cruise upon us and WKTV’s DreamWheels! set to film on Saturday, we take a look back on the stories of the people and cars who make the cruise such a large attraction. From the history surrounding the inception of Metro Cruise to the shops and talents it takes to rejuvenate the beauty of a classic car, and everything in between, our full coverage is below:
DreamWheels! comes to the red carpet
By Lynn Strough
What is a day house and dog sitting in the South of France really like? I thought I’d give you an example of one of mine, as most of them over the course of three weeks were pretty much the same, all wonderful.
About 7 am, I awaken to the sound of doggie nails scratching on glass as the pups let me know it’s time to get up and take them for their walk. They sleep in their beds in the kitchen with a glass-paned door in between them and the hallway that leads to my lovely sun-filled guest bedroom. I roll out of bed, throw on some clothes, brush my teeth and splash cold water on my face to wake up. I need to put capris on rather than shorts, because as soon as they see me, they are so excited they jump up all over my legs vying for my attention. I learn the hard way that their little nails are very sharp.
After chasing them down to put them in their harnesses — pink for Poppy, Blue for Archie — and hooking them up to their ingenious y-shaped lead which keeps them from getting tangled, we head down the driveway, stopping briefly to make sure Hector is in his little wooden tortoise house in the garden, or at least somewhere nearby. He has full run of a very large garden on a steeply sloping hill, and he sometimes goes walkabout, but all I have to do to find him is to go into the garden with Poppy and tell her to “go find Hector,” which she does, with her little black nose sniffing the ground.
There are many choices for walks in and around this small village, on both paved sidewalks in the neighborhoods, as well as dirt or grass paths leading to the more rural surrounding areas. We pass the neighbor’s house with the gorgeous garden, full of a rainbow of blossoms glowing in the early morning light.
We also pass the cat lounging in her usual spot on a cement fence post out front, ignoring the attentions of the two hyper little dogs leaping up to get a sniff of her.
We hang a right onto a long, grassy path which runs next to a ravine, and the dogs are thrilled as they are allowed to be off lead here. Poppy chases her lime-green tennis ball that I throw over and over, each time deciding whether she will bring it back to me to throw again, or trot along carrying it in her mouth like a prize. Sounds of bird calls pierce the air, and the smell of grass and earth is strong.
We head down a short steep hill, through yet another grassy field, and I hook them back up before we get to the paved roads. Besides cars, I have been warned to watch out for runners, bicyclists, men and large black dogs, all triggers for Archie, a rescue dog, to jump into chase mode, and I’m not looking for trouble.
This is my favorite part — once back on a dirt road, we pass field after field of yellow-gold sunflowers, all facing in the same direction, their heads standing out like individual suns against a perfect cerulean sky. The effect is stunning, and I shoot photo after photo on my iPhone. This is when I appreciate the dogs getting me up early, as the light is what makes the scene worth saving.
The dogs are happily off lead again, sniffing at hoof prints of horses, and other things animals have left behind. We play a little more ball, I shoot a few more photos of bees busy pollinating the sunflowers, and then I hook the dogs up as I see the head of a man appear over the next rise. Everything is fine, until I see that he also has with him a big black dog, who is not on a leash. Uh oh, this doesn’t look good. Hopefully the man has control of his beast or he wouldn’t be out walking him loose.
Nope, I was wrong about that. The black monster has fixed his beady eyes on us and is creeping forward in hunting mode. I freeze, my charges on their lead at my side. I know better than to run and trigger the black beast’s chase instinct. I keep hoping the man will take charge of his dog. He does call out to the dog, who blatantly ignores him and keeps heading straight for us.
Eventually he reaches us, does a quick sniff, and goes full into attack mode, growling and snarling and snapping at our legs, which triggers Poppy and Archie to go nuts as well, but they’re tied to me by their leash. The man, still in the distance, is yelling at his dog now, in French, so I have no idea what he’s saying, but he can see the terror on my face as the dogs thrash around in a frenzy of fur and sharp white teeth at my ankles. He catches up and starts trying to grab his dog, but since the dog doesn’t even have a collar on, he has nothing to grab onto.
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In what was probably a minute but felt like 10, he managed to grab the dog and hold onto him long enough for us to start to slowly walk away. I don’t know if he just stood there with the dog or dragged him away. I didn’t look back. Luckily both the dogs and I were all right, no wounds — physical ones, anyway– but Poppy’s prized ball was lost in the process, and I wasn’t about to go back looking for it.
Thankfully, events like that didn’t happen every day.
We head across a tiny bridge over a small creek, and up a steep gravel hill surrounded by woods, filled with annoying little bugs, but worth the shortcut as it’s shady and cool. Most days heat up to the 90s by 10 am. We pass the elementary school, empty now as it’s summer vacation, and pass the little butcher shop, the only store in the whole village. I don’t eat much meat, so this doesn’t do me much good, but if you get there early enough, they do sell crusty baguettes and they have a little deli case with a few things like tabouli and potato salad.
Down the grassy alleyway, we head towards home, past three super-aggressive canines who always come charging full-tilt up to their fence, barking their heads off ferociously, one with his deep growling, heaving bark sounding like a fire-breathing dragon or an angry Darth Vader. Our walks usually take about an hour, sometime a little less, sometimes a lot more, and it’s always pleasant to pass through the lovely French neighborhoods, with their white and blue shuttered houses. It’s such a sleepy village, I hardly ever see anyone, save for a few athletes and occasional dog walkers.
After feeding the dogs, and Hector the tortoise, I grab a bowl of fresh fruit and yogurt, then set to work on my laptop from about 10 am until 4 pm, with a short break for a salad for lunch.
What am I doing for so many hours without an official “job”? I’m working on blog posts to share this lovely adventure with you! And editing photos, and posting on social media, and journaling, and putting together book proposals to hopefully make some kind of living off of my creativity once again. I know I am in the right profession (even though it doesn’t yet earn an income) because it’s like all of those years when I was painting for a living, or before that, writing and illustrating children’s books, or before that, doing graphic design — time seems to disappear and six hours can seem like six minutes. I think the current buzzword for this state is “flow.”
This house offers many pleasant places to work, such as the sun porch, the bright, light-filled living room, the island in the kitchen, my bedroom or out by the pool. Sometimes it’s hard to decide where to sit.
During this time, while I work, the dogs take their naps — long ones, as it’s too hot to do much of anything else. They are allowed up on the sofa, which is covered in a blanket, so this is a favorite spot, but they also like to lie at my feet under the table while I work and sometimes pop up to say hello, or ask for a treat.
At 4:00, I head out to the pool with the pups. They don’t like swimming or the hot sun, so they hang out in the shade under the patio table, coming over to see me once in a while for a pat and a scratch. They are free to go back into the house, as the door is open, but it’s so hot here, close to 100 most days with no AC, so it’s actually cooler outside sometimes.
I alternate reading with dips in the pool for a few laps. There’s a little work involved, as I have to take the pool cover off and put it back on every time I use it, but it’s on a roller so doesn’t take long. And once a week I clean the pool, but that just involves rolling the robot out of the garage and getting him hooked up, then he actually does all of the work.
This is one of my favorite times of the day, a treat, to lounge by a beautiful turquoise pool, listen to the birds chirp, and finally enjoy some of the few books I loaded on my Kindle that I haven’t had the chance to read.
Those two hours fly by, then it’s time to go water all of the plants in the yard, which takes about half an hour. The dogs follow me around, dodging the drops from the hose, and it’s nice to see the plants staying green despite the intense summer heat.
I also hang out my laundry, which dries in a matter of minutes in the hot breeze. When you’re traveling the world with a backpack, there’s not much to wash.
By this time, Archie and Poppy are ready for dinner, and I cook my own as well. I stocked up on groceries, in fact went the whole three weeks without eating out once. Of course, that saves a lot of money, but it’s also nice to have a home to cook and eat in for a change. Plus, there aren’t any restaurants in the village and I don’t have a car. There is one pizza parlor, but I never saw anyone there, so I had my doubts as to how good it was. I cooked a lot of pasta, and ate a lot of salads, quick and easy in the heat. The fresh produce was amazing and the wine was great — at $3-5 a bottle, which would last me two or three days, a nice refreshing glass of chilled French rose or a hearty Bordeaux tasted wonderful with my dinner.
Soon the dogs let me know they were ready for another walk. We left anywhere from 7:30 pm to as late as 9 or 10, depending on when the heat let up. I figured if I’m hot, they must be super hot, with their fuzzy fur coats. We ran into very few people, it was almost like a ghost town, but when we did occasionally cross paths with someone, they always said, “Bon jour,” and I replied in kind, one of the few phrases I know in French.
Only about three times in three weeks, with two dog walks a day, did I hear the sound of parties on the other side of tall green hedges, voices chattering and laughing in French, along with the splash of swimmers in pools, the sound of music on outdoor speakers, and I smelled the smoky scent of meat on a grill. For a moment, I wished I was on the other side of that hedge joining in the fun. But overall, I did not feel lonely and thoroughly enjoyed my solitude. I have to say that three weeks with not talking to people here went by a lot faster than 10 days not talking at the meditation retreat I attended in Thailand, but that may have something to do with sleeping in a queen-sized bed in the South of France, versus on a cement bed in a small cell in the jungle. Both excellent experiences — just very, very different.
There is the question of what does one do with oneself for three weeks alone in a house in a sleepy village where you know no one, and where the few strangers you do meet don’t speak English. I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed my time, not really alone because I had the companionship of Archie, Poppy and Hector, and I felt very productive in a way that you can’t when you’re moving around a lot.
Also, providing a useful service for people so they could go off on their holiday worry-free was a good feeling. I could easily have stayed a lot longer. Guess it’s time to look for another house sit.
About Lynn Strough
Lynn is a 50+ free spirit whose incarnations in this life have included graphic designer, children’s book author and illustrator, public speaker, teacher, fine art painter, wine educator in the Napa Valley, and world traveler. Through current circumstances, she has found herself single, without a job or a home, and poised for a great adventure.
“You could consider me homeless and unemployed, but I prefer nomad and self-employed, as I pack up my skills and head off with my small backpack and even smaller savings to circumnavigate the globe (or at least go until the money runs out). Get ready to tag along for the ride…starting now!”
All images copyright Lynn Strough and Travelynn Tales
Reprinted with permission
By: Mike DeWitt
The new millennium ushered in a stark rise in the use of technology with the internet, cell phones, and social media allowing us to know the intricate details of each others lives. However, the new millennium also brought us another unforeseen phenomenon, obstacle course racing (OCR).
Be it a Tough Mudder, Spartan Race, Warrior Dash, or a BattleFrog, these obstacle courses have latched onto the fitness phenomenon sweeping the country. These races can be done individually or in teams and include fitness (obviously), usually their fair share of mud and grime, and obstacles to make your workout feel fun and exciting.
For the Grand Rapids Mud Run, the excitement and popularity of an OCR is harnessed into an act of charity. The race is an extreme 5K mud run to raise money for a worthy cause. This year, the benefits will help Never The Same, a local faith-based non-profit focused on peer-to-peer youth ministry that organizes the Grand Rapids Mud Run, as they change locations due to a fire last year.
In June 2015, a devastating fire hit the Never The Same headquarters at Eastern and 44th Street in Grand Rapids. The headquarters have since been moved to a new location at 2725 29th Street. Staff moved into the office late last year, just in time to begin preparing for its largest annual fundraiser.
“We were not going to be discouraged,” says Jeff Eckart, CEO and Founder, Never the Same. “We actually became even more motivated to continue our cause, move forward in a new, permanent space and create an even more exciting Grand Rapids Mud Run in 2016.”
Back in 2009, Jeff Eckart came up with the idea for the mud run. Since the first run on August 28, 2010, the Grand Rapids Mud Run has seen a steady increase in participation. Over 1,000 participants are expected to run the brand new course, filled with mud pits, a 60-foot mudslide, tunnel crawls, walls, and slippery hill climbs. With spectators, over 3,000 are expected to attend this year.
The 2016 Grand Rapids Mud Run will be held on August 27 at 1200 60th Street in Kentwood, next to Celebration Cinemas South. Both adults and kids are able to participate. For more information, visit GrandRapidsMudRun.com.
By: Katelyn Kohane
It’s that time of year again! Time for San Diego Comic-Con, a five-day journey that I – Katelyn – was lucky enough to attend for the second straight year. Stay tuned and follow my adventures as a member of the press through the madness that is San Diego Comic-Con.
Last year I was able to attend the San Diego Comic-Con for the first time as a member of the press. This year, my badge was mailed out early so I could attend Preview Night on Wednesday. Getting the badge early was a nice addition and made checking in faster and hassle free, all I had to pick up was my bag and books. I heard the bags had at least 20 different designs and I went in search of a Supergirl bag but ended up finding one with a design of the Big Bang Theory.
Once I checked in and had my bag, I headed up to Ballroom 20. Jeff Tobler from Warner Brothers Television came and introduced what we would be watching for the night. First up was Riverdale, which is a murder mystery TV show based on Archie. It will air on the CW network later this year.
The Second preview shown was called Powerless, a show from DC Comics featuring Vanessa Hudgens. Vanessa Hudgens will play Emily who works in the insurance field runs into her fair share of superheros along the way. This will air on NBC network later this year.
After the Powerless preview, I left Ballroom 20 and went down to the main floor and wound up buying 2 graphic novels.
Then I headed out to a Press Event that I was invited to for the 75th anniversary of Wonder Woman. The event was staged to introduce the new invisible jet and I made sure to get there a little early to have a good view of the big reveal.
A few fun facts about Wonder Woman since it’s her 75th Anniversary: she first appeared in comic world in October 1941 in All-Star Comics #8; many fans know her by her metal bracelets and magic lasso.
With the year-long celebration fans can look forward to finding new comics and graphic novels.
Wonder Woman has been voiced by Rosario Dawson, Lucy Lawless (who I will touch on in a later article), Maggie Q, Susan Eisenberg and many more. Live action we have Lynda Carter and now Gal Gadot (one of my favorite actresses from the Fast and Furious series). Gal Gadot appeared in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and her up coming film Wonder Woman which starts June 2nd 2017. She will also appear in the coming Justice League movies.
Preview night is still as exciting as the first time going, only bigger and better. “Your mission should you choose to accept it…” is to stay tuned for my next article. And as a spoiler I will mention the Her Universe Fashion Show.
“I am Master Skywalker’s Padawan. The name’s Ahsoka Tano.”
Katie works in the film industry as a camera operator and has worked on films like ‘All You Can Dream’, ‘Set Up’ and a TV show called ‘American Fallen Soldier.’ She loves helping WKTV as a Citizen Reporter and working as a tech at Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. Katie loves working in the film industry and loves watching movies just as much!
Southern RegionIf you are a thrill seeker, come to Marshall and take to the skies! Go for a Glider Ride and release 3,000 feet about Marshall lasting 20 to 30 minutes. Or, for an even bigger thrill, skydiving is also available in the area. And if something a little calmer is more your speed, take a ride and see the skies in a hot air balloon. In Marshall, the sky’s the limit… literally.
There’s no feeling like the excitement of experiencing beautiful West Michigan while enjoying live outdoor music. This September, Allegan County Fair has a series of fun concerts lined up:
South Haven is the ideal location for action water sports during the summer months. Rental shops supply everything from jet skis to stand up paddle boards, so all your water adventure needs are covered. The Van Buren State Park has an abundance of dunes and scenic nature trails for travelers to hike or bike through. The state park is located just minutes outside of downtown, making it convenient to travel to.
Additional thrills in South West Michigan:
Central RegionLooking to escape the hustle and bustle of the city? Amtrak may have the solution for you. Something Michiganders and Chicagoans alike have grown to appreciate, the Pere Marquette is the perfect way to travel West Michigan’s breathtaking coastline. Plus, up to two kids ages 2–12 can ride free with each adult rail fare for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday travel between Grand Rapids and Chicago. Leave the traffic and the city behind and have yourself an unforgettable West Michigan adventure.
Take in 10,000 years of Michigan History as you walk along a trail through the woods at Michigan’s Heritage Park in Whitehall. Visit a Native American Wigwam Village, learn about the art of the trade at the Fur Trader’s Post, explore a Civil War Camp and stretch out on a bunk in the lumbering shanty. Park admission is charged: $10 for adults, $8 for 65 and older, and $5 for 2–12. For more information including hours and directions, contact Lakeshore Museum Center.
Muskegon County
is graced with 26 miles of unspoiled Lake Michigan beachfront and many beautiful smaller lakes, which allows for many opportunities for canoeing, kayaking, tubing, paddle boarding, and more! There are numerous kayak, boat and more water adventure rentals available to make the most of your time on the water. And, after you’ve had your fill of natural adventures (if that’s possible!), travelers can still get their adrenaline fix at Michigan’s Adventure Amusement and Water Park and take on over 60 rides and attractions featuring roller coasters, wave pools, rafting rides, and more! Or, head over to Muskegon Winter Sports Complex and check out their new fiberglass luge, the only wheeled luge in North America.
Life is more fun in the trees! Just outside the booming city of Grand Rapids lies Grand Rapids Treetop Adventure Park. For those adrenaline junkies, they offer more than just zip lines, but an aerial high tops adventure course where visitors are taught how to use their gear, full body harness and belay system. With a three-hour climbing experience at heights of 10-40 feet, this is truly a one-of-a-kind adventure opportunity in central West Michigan.
Additional thrills in Central West Michigan:
Northern RegionTraverse City is a top destination for “silent sports” – the kind of outdoor actives where the only sound you make is the rustle of footprints, the swish of skis, or the splash of a paddle cleaving the water. No matter the season, the Grand Traverse area commits itself to that concept, and much of summer recreation is centered on Grand Traverse Bay attracting fishermen, yachtsmen, and more. Hikers and mountain bikers can tackle backwood trails, forests, and dunes, while cyclists can enjoy miles of lightly traveled country roads along the Lake Michigan shoreline. For those who don’t mind getting a little wet, paddlers are drawn to the many rivers, lakes and bays each with their own difficulty. Plus, within an hour of the city limits, anglers can find miles of blue ribbon trout streams and prime areas for lake trout, steelhead, perch, walleye, and more.
Charlevoix offers thrill seekers amazing opportunities to get your adrenaline pumping. Try skydiving over Charlevoix and enjoy a free fall at 120mph and fantastic views of Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Charlevoix, Mackinac Island and Beaver Island — truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Or, enjoy a canopy tour at Michigan’s largest outdoor zip line adventure. With 9 zip lines and 5 sky bridges, an average speed of 40mph and a grand finale of a 1200 feet triple racing zip line, this is one adventure we’re positive you’ll never forget.
Northern Michigan is blessed with umpteen opportunities to enjoy the Great Lakes. Here, you’re invited to turn off your cell phone, set your email on auto-reply and set sail on the inland seas for one of the multi-day excursions aboard the tall ship schooner Manitou. The Traverse City Tall Ship Company is offering a series of educational and entertaining cruises throughout September and October. Enjoy the panoramic views of the Northern Michigan shoreline while reaching ultimate relaxation levels.
In Bellaire, each day a new adventure awaits! Stop at one of their local wineries to enjoy some wine while you hit golf balls at their 130 yard driving range. Plus, get a hole-in-one and win a bottle! Or, experience Torch Lake and its surrounding chain of lakes aboard a beautiful Bennington or Premier tritoon or the day and enjoy the “Caribbean of the North!” And, if you’re looking for somewhere to stay to get the most out of your trip, Shanty Creek Resorts is the ideal place for your family after a day of sunshine and water adventure.
Do you want to be a water sports enthusiast, but need a little help? Now’s your chance. Check out Hotel Walloon:
Additional thrills in Northern West Michigan:
Time to give the creek some love!Registration is now open for the 3rd Annual Buck Creek Cleanup, which will be held this year on Saturday, August 13 from 8 am to noon and includes a free lunch. Check in at Lemery Park (4212 Byron Center Ave. SW in Wyoming) at 8 am.
Spend the morning cleaning up trash along and in Buck Creek while meeting new friends. Start with a Biggby coffee and Marge’s Donut Den breakfast, meet your team leader to get directions and a super cool t-shirt, then head out to various sites along the creek.
Car pool with your neighbors and wear clothing that you don’t mind getting dirty, comfortable shoes, waders, or boots are great. (Flip-flops are poison ivy-friendly.) Bring bug spray and a reusable water bottle (stainless steel is eco-friendly.) Gloves will be provided unless you have a favorite pair. Supervised children are welcome.
All volunteers are invited to an Osgood Brewing lunch, compliments of Grandville Mayor Steve Maas.
Contact Pete Miller 517.420.4003 for more information or to sign up, or go here to register. For more info, go here.
This event is being organized by Schrems Trout Unlimited and the newly formed Friends of Buck Creek. Friends of Buck Creek is a group of concerned residents, businesses and governmental units that are interested in improving Buck Creek. Buck Creek is more than 20 miles long,and has an approximate watershed area of 50 square miles. Currently Buck Creek is a cold water resource that is highly threatened because of its urban nature.
Update – District 9 lost in the first round at the Big League World Series. Their next game is Thursday, July 28 at 7:30pm.
Wyoming District 9 finished the 2016 Central States Regional the way they started it, with a shutout victory over Illinois District 15. With the 2-0 win, the host team completed the four game sweep at DeWitt Field on the Campus of Cornerstone University without giving up a single run.
The shutout was the fourth for District 9 in as many tournament games with the championship clinching victory going to southpaw Cade Cintorino. Cintorino, who had the save in game 3 Tuesday night, needed no relief in the championship as he threw a four-hitter to go with four strikeouts and no walks.
District 9 attempted to get off to the early lead, as they had all tournament, in the first inning when they loaded the bases on a single by second basemen Isaiah House to go with a pair of walks to designated hitter Brendan Oosse and Drew Hernandez. Illinois starting pitcher, Chris Campagna, got himself out of the jam by forcing right fielder Bruce Buurstra to bounce out to second to close the inning.
Campagna was not as fortunate in the second inning, but not entirely by his own doing. He got catcher John Corey to pop the ball into shallow center field where second baseman Isidro DeSantiago, shortstop Rich Kiernicki, and center fielder Robert Chayka all converged only to have the ball glance off DeSantiago’s glove for an error. Third basman Eli Spencer followed with a single to put runners on the corners with no outs.
Following a shallow fly ball to left fielder Jordan Rodgers, leadoff hitter Christian Falicki came through with a single to bring in the first run and move Spencer to second where he was later thrown out as the lead runner in an attempted double steal. House was then hit by the pitch and left fielder Jace Beatty singled to make it 2-0 before Hernandez flew out to deep right center field to close out the inning.
In the fourth inning, with two outs, Illinois put runners in scoring position on second and third after a pair of singles and a double steal. That was as close as Illinois would come to scoring as Cintorino got Chayka to pop out to House to end the inning.
Cintorino was in control the entire game and only saw two innings where he faced over three batters, the fourth and the seventh. Illinois got a single in the seventh with two outs from Chayka, but the potential rally was immediately stifled as right fielder Alanso Ocon grounded out. Once the final out was made, the celebration was on!
District 9 finished with seven hits, three strikeouts, and three walks on the night, and will now make its way to Easley, South Carolina to compete for the World Championship against other USA Regional championship teams from the East, Southeast, Southwest, and West. International Regional championship teams from Asia-Pacific, Canada, Europe-Africa and Latin America will also compete.
The opening game will be Wednesday, July 27 at 4 pm against the winner of the East Region vs West Region. For a complete schedule and coverage of games, you can visit Big League World Series.
Local Wyoming District 9 may be the host for the Central States Region of the 2016 Big League Baseball Tournament, but their pitching staff has been anything but friendly. Bennett Norry and southpaw Cade Cintorino combined to throw another gem in a 2-0 win over Indiana District 10 last night. The shutout marked the third straight for District 9 and earned the host team a spot in the championship on Thursday at 5:30pm.
With Cornerstone University’s DeWitt Field as a backdrop, the semifinal game was a pitchers duel at its finest. Indiana starter Brock Hinton gave up two unearned runs on just four hits over five and two-third innings, but took the loss. In the other dugout, Norry gave up only three hits and struck out seven in his six and two-third innings. The only thing preventing him from a complete game was the 105 pitch count which is the maximum allowed in the tournament.
Cintorino came on to give up a triple to pitcher David Keating, but struck out pinch hitter Deyonne Hunter to get the save and preserve the shutout.
District 9 got off to an early lead by scoring a run in the first inning as lead-off hitter Christian Falicki singled to start the game and advanced to second on a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt by second baseman Austin Anderson. He then scored on a hard hit ball by left fielder Jace Beatty that went through the legs of Indiana first baseman Stephan Walker.
The only other marker came in the fifth inning as third baseman Elijah Spencer reached second base to start the inning when his ground ball deep in the hole to Indiana second baseman Korrie Griggs was thrown wild and into his teams dugout. He advanced to third on another well executed sacrifice bunt by center fielder Jarod Nickel and was brought home on an infield ground out to second by Anderson.
That was more than enough for Norry, as Indiana got runners into scoring position only two times while he was on the mound. Indiana’s best chance to score came in the sixth with runners on first and second and no outs as a result of a hit batsman and a walk, but catcher John Corey gunned down his fellow catcher from Indiana, Bailey Sheldon at third as the lead runner in an attempted double steal. Norry then got Walker to strike out swinging and closed the inning by getting left fielder Kyler Doran to fly out to Nickel.
District 9 gets Wednesday off as they wait to see the results of which team comes out of the losers bracket. Illinois will play Ohio at 5 pm and the winner of that game will play Indiana at 7:30 pm with that winner getting to the championship game on Thursday night against District 9 at 5:30 pm with a game to follow if District 9 were to lose.
The champion will then head to Easley, South Carolina to compete against four other USA regions along with four International regions for the Big League World Series Championship taking place between July 26 and August 2.
This summer, West Michigan teens are learning theatre through a whole new light. Under the keen guidance of Civic Theatre professionals, students are learning the art of performance through specialized dancing, singing, and acting (Intensive) classes. Those with an interest in the technical aspect of theatre are participating in hands on classes in set and costume design, lights and sound, and backstage crewing. Students will showcase their deepening talents with community performances of Sideways Stories from Wayside School and Into the Woods Jr.
“The Intensive is a six week program that opens possibilities for our students. Some will journey to college in this field, while others will flourish in other career choices” stated Allyson Paris, Associate Director, “this program awakens confidence and creativity in each child, and strengthens their life skills for today and as future leaders.” Students meet and learn from theatre professionals from across the nation. Each week a Friday master class is held and led by renowned artists from the likes of Purple Rose Theatre, Looking Glass Theatre, Broadway cast of Book of Mormon and many Collegiate Theatre Programs including Hope College, Columbia College and Western Michigan University.
Paris noted, “We are proud to be one of the only theatres in Michigan to provide this type of Intensive programming for young people. It is filling a void in our community and is just the tipping point of more exciting educational programming taking center stage beginning this fall.”
The performances run from July 29 – August 7 with tickets costing between $10 -$16.
About the Productions
Sideways Stories from Wayside School is an adaption from the book series by Louis Sachar by the same name. Wayside school is many things, not one of them is anywhere near normal. The school is a thirty-story building with one classroom on each floor. The teachers range from being kind and caring to turning kids into apples for giving a wrong answer, some may or may not even exist. As if grade school wasn’t tough enough these zany characters, they must embark on the bizarre classroom journey that is sure to delight audiences.
Into The Woods Jr is James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim’s collaborative adaptation of many intertwined classic fairytales by Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm. This production first hit Broadway in 1987, where it won several Tony Awards. Since then the musical has been produced many times as well as earning itself a Disney film adaptation. This story follows familiar family favorites like Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, the beanstalk climbing Jack, as well as countless other memorable characters in this enchanted tale through a magic wood.
While the 2016 Central States Big League Baseball Regional Tournament may have moved from its usual location of Wyoming’s Pinery Park to DeWitt Field on the campus of Cornerstone University, it showed little effect on the host team from Wyoming District 9.
Behind nine strikeouts, no walks, and only two hits allowed, Christian Falicki led his team to a 9-0 shutout victory over the team from Illinois in the afternoon opener for both.
That put District 9 into Monday’s winners bracket nightcap against Missouri, a team that received a first round bye due to their immense travel distance. District 9 was just as dominant under the lights as they had been in the sun, as they posted their second shutout of the day, 8-0.
Mark Primus got the win as he pitched the first four innings and faced the minimum 12 batters. The only runner to reach base was Dylan Hoelscher with a second inning lead off single, but was thrown out attempting to steal second to end the inning. Primus finished with five strikeouts on the night and no walks. He was replaced by Bruce Buurstra, who had started the game in right field. Buurstra worked two innings and gave up two hits, struck out one, and helped himself out as he picked Hoelscher off first base after he had reached on an error in the fifth. In the sixth inning, he was helped out by his defense when third basemen Eli Spencer and second basemen Isaiah House turned a double play to close out the inning. It was the first time throughout the game that Missouri had two runners on base in the same inning.
Andrew Bojas closed out the game by pitching the seventh inning where he gave up a walk and a base hit. Bojas stranded the runner on third base after his second strikeout of the inning. A diving catch by second baseman House followed to usher in an official end to the game.
Offensively, District 9 was the visiting team in the game and got off to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning as House singled and was pinch run for by Jake Ritsema, who scored on a single by Brendan Oosse after he had reached second on a wild pitch by losing pitcher, Blane Meyer. They added another run in the second as Buurstra and catcher John Corey both singled in the inning. Corey came home as center fielder Jared Nickel grounded out to the shortstop.
They made it 3-0 in the third as designated hitter Oosse scored on a wild pitch. The score stayed there until a five run sixth inning, thanks in large part to two walks and two Missouri errors, was put together by only two hits.
District 9 will play Tuesday night at 7:30pm against Indiana. Indiana defeated Iowa early yesterday and followed it up with a 4-3 victory over Blissfield, the other Michigan team in the tournament. The winner of Tuesday’s game will advance to the championship game on Thursday at 5:30pm. The loser will play at 7:30pm on Wednesday night.
Linda Castillo, the acclaimed author of the internationally bestselling Kate Burkholder mystery series, will hold a talk and signing at Schuler Books & Music, 2660 28th St. SE, Grand Rapids at 7 pm on Wednesday, July 20. Castillo has published 30 books throughout her career and has received numerous industry awards. Her book Sworn to Silence was adapted as the motion picture An Amish Murder, starring Neve Campbell. Castillo is currently touring to promote the release of her newest Kate Burkholder novel, Among the Wicked.
About the Book
In this electrifying thriller, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called upon by the sheriff’s department in rural, upstate New York to assist on a developing situation that involves a reclusive Amish settlement and the death of a young girl. Unable to penetrate the wall of silence between the Amish and “English” communities, the sheriff asks Kate to travel to New York, pose as an Amish woman, and infiltrate the community.
Kate’s long-time love interest, State Agent John Tomasetti, is dead-set against her taking on such an unorthodox assignment, knowing she’ll have limited communication — and even less in the way of backup. But Kate can’t turn her back, especially when she hears there are children in this cult and they may be in danger. She travels to New York where she’s briefed and assumes her new identity as a lone widow seeking a new life.
Kate infiltrates the community and goes deep under cover. In the coming days, she unearths a world built on secrets, a series of shocking crimes and herself, alone… trapped in a fight for her life.
By: Deidre Doezema-Burkholder
Nothing says summer in Michigan quite like enjoying an afternoon on the water. With the sun brightly shinning and the birds gliding through a gentle breeze over head, five friends and I made our way down the Grand River via kayaks.
Months leading up to our kayaking adventure, my husband and I had been talking about things we wanted to try that would get us outside and enjoying our surroundings. During the deliberation, kayaking came up. My husband had some friends who enjoyed it, his son included.
So, my research of local options began and luckily I came across GRPaddling.com and a bevy of options. Did I want to take a lake or a river? How about a moonlight trip? Or maybe something with a dinner or a picnic? The bountiful options left me spinning with glee!
While this was to be our first trip, I thought I would take it easy and keep it simple and close to home. After reviewing many of the available options, I found one on a launch site not far from my own home. Perfect! What could be better than finding something so close to home?
How about being driven to the site of the launch?
GR Paddling picks you up at a location of your choice whether it be home, work, or where ever works best for you. However, I still had reservations about the stability of the kayaks. This would be our first kayaking trip and we had a non-swimmer in our group as well. Jeff from GR Paddling responded quickly and professionally assuring me that everyone would be equipped with life jackets and that the kayaks were quite stable and unlikely to tip over on the Grand River. With that good news, the trip was booked!
The day of our trip, Jeff arrived with a van carrying the six kayaks for us to use that day. Once we were all loaded up, we were off to our launch point in Eastmanville.
Upon arrival, we were given the obligatory legal forms to sign while Jeff unloaded the kayaks and brought out drink options that we could bring on the river with us. We were also given the option of a waterproof case for our phones in case anyone wanted to bring their device along. Jeff explained the different kayaks and their styles. Different colors differentiated between different kayaks:
Blue – the most stable and also the slowest
Yellow – quicker than Blue on the water
Red – Sleek and nimble little number build for gliding quickly through the water
Once we figured out our kayak color, we were given some instructions and reviewed a map of the route.
We formed a train to carried the kayaks down to the launch point. This particular launch site had an assisted launch for canoes and kayaks which made it simpler and safer to launch into the water. Jeff gave a few last instructions on how to use the paddles and then one at a time we glided into the Grand River. Once in the water, we had a chance to get used to the balance and maneuvering of the kayaks. It didn’t take long until we were on our 7 mile trek downriver.
It was a beautiful day, a sunny blue sky lightly dotted with puffy white clouds and a head wind just strong enough to slow us down. As we made our way down river, we were able to enjoy the nature around us and the company we were with. For 2 hours and 45 minutes, no one sent a text message, checked Facebook, or answered an email. Instead, we spotted multiple turtles taking advantage of the sun, a blue heron come in for a landing, and a majestic bald eagle soaring above us.
When we reached our half way point, aka opt out point, Jeff was there with his camera snapping shots and making a point to ask each person in the party how we were doing and feeling so far. Our group all agreed to paddle on and Jeff gave us an update on how far we had yet to go. The last couple of miles were calmer as the wind was no longer slowing us down and we were feeling more confident in our ability. When we arrived at our end point, Jeff once again met us and was there to help guide our kayaks safely onto shore.
Snacks and drinks awaited us on land, which was incredibly nice due to the need for a boost in calories after the trip. Kayaking is a calorie killer! After the kayaks were packed up and we were loaded back into the van everyone discussed what area of their body hurt the most: Shoulders, arms, backs – you name it and someone was hurting there.
While we all had our aches and pains, every one of us wanted to go again. One member of the party said that the trip convinced her to purchase her own kayak. The trip was so enjoyable that we want to turn it into an annual event.
GR Paddling gives us plenty of options to try different areas of the Grand River and other rivers and lakes year after year.
Deidre owns and operates Organisum: Technology Services, a business serving the West Michigan area. In her free time she likes to hike & bike local trails with friends and family when she isn’t pinning, instagram’ing or Netflix’ing.
National Night Out celebrates local heroes and the community
WKTV
Each year on the first Tuesday of August — this year, August 2nd — homeowners across America are encouraged to lock their doors, flip on their outside lights and spend the evening outdoors celebrating with neighbors.
National Association of Town Watch’s (NATW) annual National Night Out program focuses on building relationships between police and community members by offering free family activities, including block parties, cookouts, safety demonstrations and live entertainment. More than 38 million people nationwide are expected to take part this year.
Neighborhood Watch is one of the oldest and most effective crime prevention programs in the country, bringing citizens together with law enforcement to deter crime and make communities safer.
Sponsored by the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA), Neighborhood Watch can trace its roots back to the days of colonial settlements, when night watchmen patrolled the streets. The modern version of Neighborhood Watch was developed in response to requests from sheriffs and police chiefs who were looking for a crime prevention program that would involve citizens and address an increasing number of burglaries.
Launched in 1972, Neighborhood Watch counts on citizens to organize themselves and work with law enforcement to keep a trained eye and ear on their communities, while demonstrating their presence at all times of day and night. (The program took off quickly: in just 10 years, NSA data showed that 12 percent of the population was involved in a Neighborhood Watch.) Neighborhood Watch works because it reduces opportunities for crime to occur; it doesn’t rely on altering or changing the criminal’s behavior or motivation.
National Night Out has been extraordinarily successful in promoting involvement in crime and drug prevention activities, strengthening police-community relations and encouraging neighborhood camaraderie as part of the fight for safer streets. Since 1984, National Night Out — America’s Night Out Against Crime has grown to involve over 30 million people from more than 9,000 communities.
Each year local Police Departments actively participate in the neighborhood Night Out celebrations. Contact Wyoming Staff Sergeant at 616.257.9711 and Kentwood Staff Sergeant at 616.656.6564 for more information.
The day starts out early — 7 am — at the Consumers’ Energy building (4000 Clay Ave. SW in Wyoming), where mayors and dignitaries from Grand Rapids, Kentwood, Wyoming, Grandville and other local municipalities will gather to recite the NNO credo. Here’s a great opportunity to meet your local leaders!
From 10:30 am-2:30 pm, come on out to Woodland Mall near Celebration Cinema and Red Robin for a day of fun, prizes, games, and popcorn! The Kentwood Police Department will have law enforcement vehicles on display so you can get an upfront, close and personal look at the equipment officers use to answer your calls.
South Kent’s 7th National Night Out will feature a Black Hawk fly-in at 2 pm and takeoff at 7:45 pm. The fly-in and landing will be to the west of Peppinos (located at 1515 Eastport Dr. SE), so keep an eye on the sky!
From 5:30-8 pm, join local police, fire and other neighborhood partners as GR Kroc Center (2500 South Division Ave. SW in Grand Rapids) celebrates community safety and togetherness. A giant slip & slide will be open, plus you can test your family’s skills in the Kroc Summer Games. Concessions will be available to purchase and enjoy FREE ice cream from Country Fresh! Sponsored by Molina Healthcare and National Heritage Academies.
The Wyoming Community Enrichment Commission will celebrate from 7-9 pm with demonstrations and appearances by Wyoming PD, K-9 units, a SWAT vehicle and fire ladder truck along with lots of giveaways throughout the night — from kids’ toys up to $50 gift cards. Join in the celebration of local heroes with great local food and entertainment! Don’t miss the last Concert in the Park event of the year — it will be a blast with catchy Conjunto and Tehano music by Grupo Viento de Los Hermanos Valdez. It all happens at Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St. SW in Wyoming. Go here for more info.
Christ Community Church (2400 Forest Hill Ave. SE in Grand Rapids) will celebrate NNO with highlights like face painting, bouncy houses (for the kids, folks), 100-ft-long slip and slides, live music, refreshments, a raffle, lawn games and a dunk tank, with visits from the Kentwood Fire Department, McGruff the Crime Fighting Dog, Kentwood City Police and more. For more info, go here.
There’s so much to see and do, and only a couple short hours to enjoy it! So get involved, join in this evening of easy-breezy fun and create some great memories.
Have a dog? Consider getting involved with Dog Walker Watch! There are dozens, if not hundreds, of dog walkers throughout the community at all times of the day, all days of the week, in all weather conditions, who are often preoccupied with texting, chatting, emailing and listening to music during their neighborhood walks. Dog Walker Watch trains these individuals how to effectively observe and report suspicious activity. Go here for more info.
Strong police and community partnership is a critical component of community-oriented policing and problem-solving model. Over the past few years, Neighborhood Watch groups have surfaced as highly effective tools in the detection, reporting and prevention of crime and criminal activity.
There are many active Neighborhood Watch groups operating throughout our local municipalities. Group participants hold regular meetings that allow you to meet your neighbors and discuss problems which may be occurring in your district and develop strategies and methods for dealing with them. By becoming familiar with your neighborhood, you are better prepared to detect and report suspicious activity or potential problem individuals or vehicles in your area.
The Wyoming Police department provides personal assistance to Wyoming residents interested in establishing new Watch Groups and with the facilitation of existing programs. If you or your neighbors are interested in establishing a Neighborhood Crime Watch Program in your Wyoming neighborhood, please contact Staff Sergeant at 616.257.9711. In Kentwood, contact Staff Sergeant at 616.656.6564.
Have we missed anything? Let us know — email Victoria at victoria@wktv.org.
By: Mike DeWitt
Standing on an unstable wooden pallet suspended twenty feet in the air, I glanced at the forest floor below. Twenty feet feels a lot higher when you’re looking down at the ground than looking up from it.
Only two more pallets to traverse before making it to relative safety. After all, there is another obstacle waiting. As I took the next step, my balance faltered and my body hurled its way towards impending doom.
“Are you okay?” shouted Joanne, my partner in crime for the afternoon, from the platform behind me.
“Yeah! I was just trying to get a good shot with the GoPro,” I quickly answered back after realizing my harness held me safely up amongst the trees at the Grand Rapids Treetop Adventure Park.
New this year, the Grand Rapids Treetop Adventure Park is the only high ropes course in Grand Rapids. Located in the woods behind Celebration Cinema North at 2121 Celebration Dr NE, the Treetop Adventure Park offers obstacles like bridges, cargo nets, swinging logs, rings, skateboards and zip-lines.
“We have stuff for all ages,” said Amy Dyer, a staff member at Grand Rapids Treetop Adventure Park. “We have a small zipline course for the littler kids. As long you have a parent and a really gung-ho kid, no matter what the age you are, you’re going to have a good time.”
The park features six different courses that range in difficulty from easiest to most difficult, much like a ski resort does with green, blue and black runs. For the smaller kids, the Junior Park offers a chance to experience the thrill of being off the ground. For those looking for a challenge, the most difficult courses might cause some hesitation before making the climb.
The park is open seven days a week from 10am to 9pm. Throughout the rest of the summer, the park will host a Glow Night every Friday from 6 to 10pm.
If you plan to make a trip to see what adventures await in the trees, don’t take it lightly and come ready for the challenge.
“Just keep in mind that it’s a lot more physical than people think,” said Dyer. “You’re coming here to challenge yourself more than anything. So, bring water and wear comfortable clothes and shoes.”
While the goal is to challenge yourself, Dyer also reiterated the true reason for the park’s existence.
“It will be a lot of fun regardless of your skill and ability level.”
Filming for the video was done on one of the four GoPro Cameras available at WKTV for checkout. For more information, visit wktv.org or call 616-261-5700.
By Lynn Strough
Hvar is glitzy and high-rolling, and it’s where the yachting crowd comes to see and be seen. On Hvar, you might go for a morning stroll and be so mesmerized by the scenery, that you’re still in the same spot at sunset. The Hula Hula Bar offers comfy lounge chairs for a pittance, with a view to die for.
I stopped for a breakfast orange juice, stayed for a salad for lunch, and found myself sipping a glass of wine watching the sun sink into the sea several hours later, and I wasn’t the only one. I met lots of people from all over the world who were also tethered to their chairs for the day, other than to periodically take a dip in the crystal clear, freezing cold water.
If you prefer to be on the water, rather than in it, there are plenty of opportunities, from ferries to water taxis, power boats to boats powered by wind. Sailing is my preference, so my new friend Roma (from California) and I headed out for a half-day sail. They take up to 10 passengers on this 35′ racing boat modified as a cruiser, but we got lucky as it wasn’t peak season, and had the boat and Captain Bronco all to ourselves.
The gods provided great wind, and at 15 knots we were sailing. It was blowing 30 knots farther out, but Captain B decided to keep it a little less exciting and more comfortable, as it turns out Roma had never sailed before.
We sailed to a nearby tiny island, to Palmizana on San Clemente, for lunch. It’s a gorgeous spot, with a beautiful harbor to protect the yachts, and a few small restaurants. It’s a real life Garden of Eden, where if you look carefully, you might even spot Adam and Eve.
Back on Hvar, we got ambitious and climbed the hill to the fortress for some spectacular views of the harbor and rooftops below. Hvar is a medieval city, with walls started in 1278. There’s a strong Venetian influence in the architecture, as the Venetians ruled here on more than one occasion.
Besides the walled old town and famous harbor, Hvar is also known for its vineyards and wines, olive groves, and especially its lavender fields, and it’s one of the sunniest islands. With a population of over 11,000, it’s the fourth most populated of the islands of Croatia.
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As with all of the water I’ve seen in Croatia — inland lakes, rivers and waterfalls, as well as the sea — it’s crystal clear and the most breathtaking shades of blues and greens.
You can spend a small fortune staying at one of the fancy hotels, or a very affordable $50 per night for a good-sized room that sleeps three, if you’re willing to stay out of town and walk a bit. I stayed at an “apartman,” a room in a guest house, about a 15-minute walk from the center of town, but I didn’t mind as the walk was along the sea with scenic views the whole way.
And this location put me about half-way between the old town in one direction, and another fabulous beach in the other direction, also with a scenic walk to get there.
The town itself is filled with great little restaurants and shops, full of enticing things. Other than food, my one souvenir was a couple of little sachets of fragrant dried lavender to tuck into my well-worn hiking boots, a big improvement in their scent.
There are plenty of night clubs and bars if you want a vibrant night-life. And on Hvar, as in all of Croatia, I felt very safe, even walking around alone after dark, with the moon and stars and lamplight to guide me back to my temporary home.
About Lynn Strough
Lynn is a 50-something-year-old woman whose incarnations in this life have included graphic designer, children’s book author and illustrator, public speaker, teacher, fine art painter, wine educator in the Napa Valley, and world traveler. Through current circumstances, she has found herself single, without a job or a home, and poised for a great adventure.
“You could consider me homeless and unemployed, but I prefer nomad and self-employed, as I pack up my skills and head off with my small backpack and even smaller savings to circumnavigate the globe (or at least go until the money runs out). Get ready to tag along for the ride…starting now!”
All images copyright Lynn Strough and Travelynn Tales
Reprinted with permission
Father’s Day is June 19th — this Sunday! — and the West Michigan Tourist Association has some excellent suggestions for making it the perfect day for any father in your life. Enjoy great meals, fun events, and give gifts DADicated to that special man. Show your appreciation for your dad 365 days a year, but make sure to celebrate in style on June 19th with Father’s Day in West Michigan.
Golf
Here’s just one idea: Take dad for a round of golf at one of the four championship courses at Shanty Creek Resorts. The tight fairways, formidable doglegs, and elevation changes will challenge any golfer. Or if you’re looking for a new unique way to experience golf, why not try FootGolf at Shanty Creek’s Summit Golf Course. This hybrid between soccer and golf has you trying to kick a soccer ball into a 21-inch diameter cup.
The Heatherwoods Course at the Charlevoix Country Club is another ideal place for golfing with dad. Their Father’s Day special includes $29 for 18 holes and $15 for 8 holes. Their Golf & Dine special is perfect for making this an all inclusive day of golf. The dining package is valid at both Sports Grill and the Triple C Clubhouse Dining Room. Book your tee times online at their website.
Family Fun
Enjoy a trip through the countryside on the historic Little River Railroad steam locomotives in Coldwater Country. Dads ride free with purchase of a regular ticket. The round trip train ride lasts an hour and forty five minutes and takes you from Coldwater to Quincy where you’re given the opportunity to see the locomotive switch around for your return trip. For times and reservations, visit their website.
South Haven’s Harborfest falls on Father’s Day weekend. Bring the whole family to enjoy live music by the river, dragon boat races, a classic boat show, and more. If you want to give the gift of relaxation, the beaches of South Haven offer a great “no agenda” day to enjoy with dad.
The Port City Princess in Muskegon will have a special Father’s Day cruise to celebrate dads all over the world. Enjoy a champagne brunch with local microbrew beers and a live bluegrass band. You’ll also be able to watch the powerboat races that are going on all weekend.
St. Ignace is perfect for planning a trip for Father’s Day. Take a day trip to Mackinac Island and enjoy the summer weather. Then spend the day in St. Ignace, enjoying the sights and sounds of the city. Plan a golf or fishing trip during your stay.
Gaylord
offers family fun year-round, and Father’s Day is no exception. Head to Gaylord to experience the Air Show with jaw-dropping aerobatic aerial performances, jets and vintage war birds performing and on display.
The 38th Annual White Lake Area Father’s Day Arts & Crafts Festival will be June 18th and 19th at Goodrich Park in Whitehall. The family favorite festival features 75 talented artists, crafters, food vendors, live entertainment, and children’s activities.
Hit the waters of Mackinac Island with dad at Great Turtle Kayak Tours. Choose between kayaking or standup paddle boarding and explore the waters together. This is a fun and outdoor family activity that everybody can participate in. For more information and reservation options, visit their website.
The Historic Charlton Park hosts their 35th Annual Father’s Day Car Show on Sunday, June 19th. Admire vintage cars and the craftsmanship of yesteryear throughout the park’s 310 acres. You know you’re getting the best of the best when every car is from 1990 or earlier and must be able to drive itself to the park.
The Muskegon CVB also wants you to celebrate Father’s Day with them. On June 19th, dads enjoy a free tour of the Hackley & Hume Historic Site. Explore the grounds and see the beauty that went into this historic location. If powerboats are more your speed, then check out the Chase Charity Powerboat Event from June 17th to the 19th at the Muskegon Yacht Club. You can either race or watch the boats while enjoying refreshments at the club.
Charlevoix is ready to help you create special moments with dad for Father’s Day. Take a hiking trip through their great trail system or golf on one of their five area courses. Kayak or boat on the lakes and rivers where you can go fishing. There is also skydiving, trail biking, and more adventures to be discovered and had.
Lemon Creek Winery’s 32nd Annual Father’s Day Festival features live music, a classic Corvette car show, kids’ games, hayrides and more. Of course, food and wine will play a big part in the celebration. The entry fee is $12 for adults 21 and older and includes free parking, admission to the event, a souvenir wine glass, and three free wine tastings. Those under 21 get in free when accompanied by a family member over 21.
Beer, Dine, & Wine
Head out to the Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula this Father’s Day to try some award-winning wines from nine distinct wineries along the peninsula. Each of the nine wineries has their own distinct tasting rooms, patios, and beautiful decks. Stop by all of them and find which one you like the best.
Journeyman Distillery will be hosting a Father’s Day brunch and Three Oaks Single Malt release on June 19th from 10am to 10pm. There will be both a special steak sandwich that has shaved prime rib and a full brunch menu to choose your meal. The whiskey won’t last long on the shelves, so make sure to check out this special release while you’re at it. For more information on the event and the Three Oaks Single Malt, visit their website.
Food is on the mind of the Marshall Area Economic Development Alliance for Father’s Day weekend. Their farmers market will be open June 18th and is great to get some fresh produce for cooking your Father’s Day feast. If dining out is more your style, Schuler’s Restaurant will have their Father’s Day Brunch on June 19th from 9:30am to 2pm. The dinner menu begins at 1pm if you would rather have an evening meal together.
Arcadia Brewing Company in Kalamazoo celebrates Father’s Day the best way they know how: delicious beer and meat-centric food dishes. All Father’s Day long, dads can enjoy $5 off growler fills of any draft beer. At 5pm, live entertainment will be provided by Roma Ransom who traveled all the way from Colorado to perform.
Gifts
Give dad a membership to Club Mich for Father’s Day. A membership to the Michigan Breweries T-Shirt Club is a perfect gift for dads who love craft beer. As a member, he’ll receive a shirt every month featuring a different Michigan brewery. You can buy it as a monthly plan or purchase the plan in various increments.
The Art Gallery of Algoma will be having a Father’s Day Gallery Shop Sale from June 14th to June 18th. Get dad the perfect gift or get him an AGA Membership which helps support the gallery and its efforts. Or you could visit the gallery and take a tour with your loved ones. Check out the Art Gallery of Algoma when you are out shopping and planning for Father’s Day.
A Little Bit of Everything
Treat dad to the perfect day at Crystal Mountain. If he loves golf, send him to the Callaway Club Fitting from 10am to 3pm on June 18th for a 15-minute fitting. Then, on June 19th, buckets of driving range balls are buy one, get one free! Plus you can golf at Mountain Ridge for $45 and Betsie Valley for $35. If golf isn’t his thing, on Father’s Day, dads get free entrance into the pool, a free Alpine Slide Pass, or free bike rental with purchase of a child pass or rental.
Pierce Cedar Creek has a great Father’s Day dinner, program, and artist’s reception on June 19th. Enjoy dinner at 5pm expertly prepared by Chef Paul. After dinner, artist Laura Christensen will present her photography titled “The Wildlife and Waters of Barry County.” Enjoy a reception and an optional hike out to Cedar Creek afterward for an evening view of the Institute’s wetlands. There is a fee for dinner, but the program, reception, and hike are free and do not require attendance at dinner to be enjoyed.
No matter what you end up doing, you’re sure to have tons of fun!
Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll is looking to have his first bike cruise through Wyoming, and you’re invited!
“The Mayor does a neighborhood walk every summer in the community, so it’s the same concept, just with bikes.” said Jennifer Stowell, administrative assistant to the city manger.
The two-mile bike ride starts at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 16, from the Women at Risk parking lot, 27900 44th St. SW and concludes at 7:30 p.m. at Monelli’s Italian Grill and Sports Bar, 5675 Byron Center Ave. SW. After the ride, all participants are invited to join Mayor Poll for food, drinks, and mingling with other Wyoming residents.
“It will be a leisure bike ride through the neighborhood. The mayor will be stopping throughout the ride, periodically, to talk and greet people,” said Stowell.
Participants are encouraged to bring their own bikes and protection, such as helmets, as there will be no bikes available for rent or borrowing. During the bike ride, there will be limited t-shirts and bike lights given out to those who attend. You must have a bike In order to receive a bike light.
“If it is a successful turnout, it will most likely become an annual event added to the community walks that happen yearly in the community,” Stowell said.
For more information on the bike ride with Mayor Jack Poll event, visit http://wyomingmi.gov/ or call the City of Wyoming’s City Hall at 616-530-7226.
By: Jessie Kooyers
This June, Compass College of Cinematic Arts will open its campus for an action-packed week of filmmaking and acting summer camps. These fast-paced, hands-on camps give high school students a glimpse into the real world of multimedia production.
Both camps run June 20-24, and registration is open to teens ages 13-18. In the film camp, students work with industry professionals and state-of-the art film equipment to write, direct, and edit their own short films. Meanwhile, students in the acting camp are cast in these films, and spend the week refining their on-camera acting skills. At the end of the week, the films are screened for friends and family in the theatre at Compass College.
“Film camp was a great first look at the industry,” said John LeFan, former film camper and 2013 Compass College alumnus. “It’s a great starter program to get your feet wet. I was immediately hooked.”
The camps are designed for students with little to no film and acting experience. The instructors at Compass College work to make the process fun and as similar to a real-life production set as possible.
“It’s a great opportunity,” said Joshua Courtade, film camp instructor and award-winning screenwriter, “The film students get to collaborate with the acting students and the results are some very fun short films.”
Over the years, campers have had the opportunity to Skype with Hollywood actors and producers like Beau Wirick, Mark Clayman, and Ralph Winter who have worked on the sets of shows like NCIS, The Office, and Arrested Development, and produced feature films like, Pursuit of Happyness, X-Men, and X-Men Origins.
Space in the camps is limited so early registration is recommended. For more information, call Compass College at 616-988-1000, or visit online at www.compass.edu.
By: Katelyn Kohane
I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to attend a performance of music of the great John Williams by the Grand Rapids Symphony and the Grand Rapids Choir. As one of my favorite composers, it was magical to hear his work.
The performance centered around his great songs over the years from many different films. In between songs, the conductor mentioned some interesting facts about John Williams. Did you know that John Williams has received the Olympic Order? The Olympic Order is the highest award at the Olympics. Or another one, did you know that John Williams will be receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award this year and that it will be the first time a composer has won the award?
While the newfound knowledge about my favorite composer added to his legacy, it was the performance of his music that solidified why he’s my favorite.
The first act included “March” from Superman, “Anakin’s Theme” from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, “Theme from Schindler’s List”, and “Flight to Neverland” from Hook. Towards the end of “Anakin’s Theme”, Darth Vadar and the Stormtroopers came out and interrupted the show. The conductor followed suit and played the “Imperial March” at the request of the ruler of the galaxy.
Then came the first intermission.
After the break, the Grand Rapids Choir joined in on the fun and performed “Duel of the Fates” from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace – one of my favorites! I could just picture Obi-Want, Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Maul engaged in a life-or-death lightsaber battle on Naboo.
Following “Fuel of the Fates” came “Somewhere in My Memory” from Home Alone, “Dry Your Tears Afrika” from Amistad (one I did not know but loved it.), “Hymn to the Fallen” from Saving Private Ryan, and the main theme from the Olympics, “Call of the Champions.”
After a second intermission, the performances kept on coming! “Harry’s Wondrous World” from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, “Sayuri’s Theme” from Memoirs of a Geisha, Selections from Fiddler on the Roof, and for the first time since Star Wars: The Force Awakens hit theaters, “Rey’s Theme” and “March of the Resistance.”
While listening to all the works of music was special, I was personally hoping to hear Indiana Jones. However, the last song was played and I was left wanting more! Fortunately, the conductor came back out for an encore and satisfied my appetite with a playing of Indiana Jones.
It was an epic performance by the Grand Rapids Symphony and Grand Rapids Choir.
Katie works in the film industry as a camera operator and has worked on films like ‘All You Can Dream’, ‘Set Up’ and a TV show called ‘American Fallen Soldier.’ She loves helping WKTV with the Citizen Journalism team and working as a tech at Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. Katie loves working in the film industry and loves watching movies just as much!
The cat’s out of the bag! Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. (DGRI) has announced the lineup for this summer’s free movie series, Movies in the Park.
Catch the flicks on a 50-foot screen starting at dusk at Ah-Nab-Awen Park in downtown Grand Rapids on six Friday nights starting in June. Here’s the lineup:
Public voting to select the Voter’s Choice film will open June 3.
This summer, DRGI will experiment with three new event innovations to continue growing a more inclusive, welcoming and sustainable event. These innovations include:
By: Barri Tiggle
Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch library is hosting its first live and uncensored spoken word poetry slam competition on Tuesday, May 17 from 7-8 pm.
There were up to 300 entries from Kent county residents between the grades of 6 through 12. The event is free and open to all general public. The event was created based on the original 13th Annual Teen Poetry Contest held at the KDL branch.
“We decided to add a spoken word component in an effort to breathe a little life into the event, and hopefully attract a segment of kids who otherwise have no outlet for their creativity,” said Greg Lewis KDL Teen Paraprofessional.
Poets are supposed to submit their work online in hopes of being selected. “We amped it up to get more teens involved,” said Carlita Gonzalez, KDL Program and Outreach Specialist.
There are two different categories for the competition, which are written and spoken word. Any submissions are automatically added into the competition.
“GF Korreck will be judging the written portion only,” said Kelsey May, a member of The Diatribe Staff. The Diatribe is an organization used to empower individuals through written and spoken word. Their values consist of helping others cope with challenges and struggles, while finding their own voice and story through the use of poetry. The Diatribe will be participating in the KDL poetry slam event as the master of ceremonies, also known as emcees.
Each winner will be given a prize. The prizes given away are centered on a book and music theme and will be provided by Schuler Books. 20 winners will be chosen, ten from the written portion and ten from the spoken word, and given a $50 gift card. All winning entries will be showcased on the KDL website’s Teen page. As of right now the event is not set as an annual event.
“As long as there is interest, we hope to offer this event, we are definitely planning on next year,” said Lewis.
The entire event is in correlation to as well as funded by KDL READS. For more information on the KDL poetry slam event or upcoming events with The Diatribe please visit kdl.org or thediatribe.org.
Marcel Price, better known as Fable the Poet, understands how powerful words can be. When strung together, they can be hurtful, he acknowledges, but they can also be liberating.
“Recently, I was working with students [at a local high school] and we were talking about domestic violence and this boy in the class offered to share up one of his poems,” said Fable the Poet, who is one of the founding members of the local spoken work poet group The Diatribe. The Diatribe will be at the KDL Kentwood (Richard L. Root) branch April 21. “I was like, ‘OK, everybody, let’s clap him up, he is going to share with us.”
As the young man stood there telling his story, and tears, about knowing and facing domestic violence, the room became quiet.
“Afterwards, students came up and gave him a hug and that in the end is what it is about,” Fable the Poet said. “It is teaching that there are a lot of issues but that many are facing the same issues and through those issues there is a feeling of unity.”
For the past several years, The Diatribe, which includes Fable the Poet, Kelsey May, Rachel Gleason, Shawn Moore and G Foster II, have been working with area high schools and students, showing them how spoken word poetry can be used as a catalyst to talk about the issues going on in a person’s life.
“We focus on trust,” Fable the Poet said about getting students to standup and openly share their poetry with a group of their peers. “We tell them that we are going to be vulnerable with them and that they need to be vulnerable with us. We make sure they understand that everything we do is transparent.”
The spoken word poetry movement has certainly taken a foothold within the United States punctuated by Sarah Kay’s “If I Should Have A Daughter” at a 2011 TEDx. The spoken word art form can include hip-hop, jazz poetry, poetry slams, traditional poetry readings, some comedy routines and prose monologues.
Because of its popularity, the Kent District Library added a spoken word component to its annual teen poetry contest. Students in grades 6 -12 can enter up to three poems by April 30. Judges will select 10 winners with all entrants eligible for the spoken word competition on May 17 at the KDL Kentwood Branch, 4950 Breton Rd. SE. Ten winners will be selected from the spoken word competition with all winners receiving a $50 gift card from Schuler Books & Music. For complete details, click here.
As part of the spoken word contest, The Diabrite has partnered up with KDL, hosting workshops in about 12 to 14 area schools which included Kentwood’s Pinewood Elementary School and Kelloggsville Discovery Alternative High School. The partnership culminates with the KDL Reads: Spring into Poetry with The Diatribe Thursday, April 21 from 7 – 8 p.m. at the KDL Kentwood (Richard L. Root) branch, 4950 Breton SE.
“This is the first time we have partnered with KDL,” Fable the Poet said, adding that the collaboration has been amazing with hopes of expanding the project to more schools next year.
For more about the KDL’s 2016 Find Your Voice Teen Poetry Contest and Spoken Word Competition, visit KDL’s website. The April 21 event with The Diatribe is free and open to the public.
By Lynn Strough
Travelynn Tales
Editor’s note: We are excited to share with you the adventures of Lynn Strough, a local artist and writer who’s been traveling the world since November 2014. Lynn’s travels have (so far) taken her to Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Cambodia, Japan, Slovenia, Croatia, Ireland, England, France, Italy… and I’m sure we’re forgetting a few destinations. To learn more about her journey, go here.
In this first installment, Lynn is in Cambodia and shares the art of creating silk.
Just outside Siem Reap in Cambodia is a silk farm, where for free, you can go on a tour and see the whole process. They will even give you a free ride on their shuttle bus. Yes, they have a gift shop at the end, a very lovely one, but there is absolutely no pressure to buy anything, although you might be tempted to! And it’s nice to tip your tour guide. I was amazed at what it takes to go from a worm to a single piece of fabric. I think you will be too!
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About Lynn Strough
Lynn is a 50-something year old woman whose incarnations in this life have included graphic designer, children’s book author and illustrator, public speaker, teacher, fine art painter, wine educator in the Napa V
alley, and world traveler. Through current circumstances, she has found herself single, without a job or a home, and poised for a great adventure.
“You could consider me homeless and unemployed, but I prefer nomad and self-employed, as I pack up my skills and head off with my small backpack and even smaller savings to circumnavigate the globe (or at least go until the money runs out). Get ready to tag along for the ride…starting now!”
All images copyright Lynn Strough and Travelynn Tales
Reprinted with permission
By: LesCheneaux.org
Les Cheneaux welcomes you to celebrate the legacy of Aldo Leopold— one of America’s most influential naturalists— by visiting a place he spent summers in his youth. Les Cheneaux is now home to a historical marker honoring Leopold’s time in Les Cheneaux. See the woods and water that surely formed Leopold’s early impressions of the natural world.
The 2nd Annual Aldo Leopold Festival is scheduled for May 13-15 in the Les Cheneaux Islands, centered around the communities of Cedarville and Hessel.
Who Was Aldo Leopold & Why Do We Care?
Aldo Leopold and his family spent several months a year in Les Cheneaux at their cottage on Marquette Island. There, young Leopold spent his days in the woods and on the water, where he developed an appreciation for the environment and wildlife on the island while mapping trails and listing the flora and fauna he found.
Beginning in the early 1890s, the Leopold family made annual treks from their Burlington, Iowa home to their cottage, first by steam ferry from Chicago to Mackinac Island, and later by rail. As a young adult, Leopold continued to visit the Les Cheneaux area until about 1919, according to family photographs of Leopold in the area.
If one believes that our love of the land begins in childhood, it can be said that those summers spent roaming the islands, by foot or by canoe, were instrumental in helping to shape Leopold’s own land ethic. His brother, Frederick, wrote of their summers on Marquette describing Aldo’s explorations: “Aldo knew most of the island intimately. He produced several handmade maps artistically decorated and illustrated with typical trees, animals, and birds in appropriate places. All of the trails were shown including some newer trails which he himself created.”
While in the Les Cheneaux Islands, Leopold met the headmaster of the Lawrenceville School, a preparatory school that eventually took him to Yale, the only school in the country at that time that offered a forestry degree. Graduating from the Yale Forest School in 1909, he eagerly pursued a career with the newly established U.S. Forest Service in Arizona and New Mexico.
By the age of 24, he had been promoted to the post of Supervisor for the Carson National Forest in New Mexico. In 1922, he was instrumental in developing the proposal to manage the Gila National Forest as a wilderness area, which became the first such official designation in 1924.
Following a transfer to Madison, Wisconsin in 1924, Leopold continued his investigations into ecology and the philosophy of conservation, and in 1933 published the first textbook in the field of wildlife management. Later that year he accepted a new chair in game management – a first for the University of Wisconsin and the nation. In 1935, he and his family initiated their own ecological restoration experiment on a worn-out farm along the Wisconsin River outside of Baraboo, Wisconsin.
Planting thousands of pine trees, restoring prairies, and documenting the ensuing changes in the flora and fauna further informed and inspired Leopold. When Aldo Leopold wrote about considering the natural world “as a community to which we belong,” the world was a different place than it is now. The simple idea of leaving a few trees behind to seed the next generation of forest was a wild idea in a time when it was thought the American landscape offered unlimited resources that were ripe for the taking. Leopold’s influence on modern land ethics, land and wildlife conservation, and on American love of the land, is still felt today.
Aldo Leopold Festival – Program at a Glance
All weekend: Follow the Birdie – Berry Hunt
Location: Hessel School (Scavenger hunt maps and programs available here)
Friday, May 13:
9:30 am – Wings of Wonder raptor program
Location: DeTour Elementary School, DeTour – Open to public
1:30 pm- Wings of Wonder raptor program
Location: Les Cheneaux Community School, Cedarville – Open to public
6-9 pm – The Historic Waters of Aldo Leopold Kayak Outing
Location: Woods & Water Ecotours, 20 S. Pickford Ave., Hessel
7 pm – “Native Orchids of the Eastern U.P. and Tip of the Mitt” by Dr. Steve Baker
Location: Hessel School, 3206 W. Cedar Road, Hessel
8 pm – “Beautiful Birds of the Eastern U.P.” – by Paul Rossi
Location: Hessel School, 3206 W. Cedar Road, Hessel
Saturday, May 14:
7 am – Bird Walk at Gerstacker Preserve with Dave Ewert of The Nature Conservancy
Location: Hessel School, 3206 W. Cedar Road, Hessel
7am – Birding for Warblers at Search Bay with Elliot Nelson
Location: Hessel School, 3206 W. Cedar Road, Hessel
9am – Wildflower Walk with Pat Wilson
Location: Hessel School, 3206 W. Cedar Road, Hessel
10 am – Aldo Leopold Festival “ALF” Triathlon
Location: Begins at Hessel Beach
10-4 pm – “Green Bird” Bird Houses Family Workshop
Location: Pickle Point, 138 Pickford Ave., Hessel
12 pm – Birding Trail Opening Celebration
Location: Hessel School, 3206 W. Cedar Road, Hessel
1 pm – Wildflower Walk with Pat Wilson
Location: Hessel School, 3206 W. Cedar Road, Hessel
1:30 pm – Birding Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands with Elliot Nelson
Location: Hessel School, 3206 W. Cedar Road, Hessel
3 pm – “Cold Love” Documentary Film Screening
Location: Hessel School, 3206 W. Cedar Road, Hessel
7 pm – “Migration of land birds in the Great Lakes region: Natural history and conservation”
by Dave Ewert
Location: Hessel School, 3206 W. Cedar Road, Hessel
8:30 pm – “The Storyteller’s Night Sky” by Mary Stewart Adams
Location: Hessel School, 3206 W. Cedar Road, Hessel
Sunday, May 15:
7 am – Bird Walk at Gerstacker Preserve with Dave Ewert of The Nature Conservancy
Location: Hessel School, 3206 W. Cedar Road, Hessel
7 am – Birding for Warblers at Woollam Preserve with Elliot Nelson
Location: Hessel School, 3206 W. Cedar Road, Hessel
9 am – Drummond Island Alvar Tour
Location: Drummond Island (Participants should arrive in DeTour at 8:20 am to catch the 8:40 ferry to Drummond Island)
10 am – The Historic Waters of Aldo Leopold Kayak Outing
Location: Woods & Water Ecotours, 20 S. Pickford Ave., Hessel
1-3 pm – Lions Club Community Picnic
Location: Snows Heritage Park, 267 Blindline Rd., Cedarville
This article was republished with permission from Dianna at Promote Michigan. We do our best to help with the promotion of the great State of Michigan!
Robots rule – at least for Spring Break 2016 as several area organizations have programs around robots and science.
Leading off the robot mania is Kent District Library’s Wyoming Branch, 3350 Michael Ave. SW, with the KDL LAB Maker Break April 4 – 7 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. According to the KDL’s press materials “If robots and smashing and rebuilding things is your kid’s idea of a great time, then do we have the event for you!”
The Grand Rapids Community College Manufacturing Trailer will be at the branch Monday through Thursday with a 3D printer, virtual welder and more to explore. Also on Monday, there will be 11 different STEAM-based activities including Snap Circuits, LittleBits Electronics, Robot Rumble as well as demonstrations from local robotics groups.
Thursday, Spanish-speaking staff from Grandville Avenue Arts and Humanities will be on hand as Maker Break week wraps up.
The Grand Rapids Public Library also focuses on robots and programming with its spring break program Teen [Tech]Knowledgy Spring Workshop from 2 – 4 p.m. April 4 at the Grand Rapids Main Library, 111 Library St. NE. Participants will be able to create and program a robot using the Lego Mindstorm Education EV3 base set and software. This program is for grades 7 – 12. For more information, visit grpl.org.
And then there is The Robot Zoo at the Grand Rapids Public Museum, the basis for the Museum’s Spring Break programs. The Museum’s Galleria will be filled with hands-on crafts and activities that are free with general admission. Create your own robotic creature to take home and play with oversized games. Activities will take place in the Museum’s Galleria Monday, April 4 through – Saturday, April 10, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Robot Zoo will be open extended hours until 8 p.m. all during Spring Break and the Chaffee Planetarium features the new original show Starlight Safari and Breaking News from Outer Space and the return of Dark Side: The Light Show. For more information, visit grpm.org.
Not to be left out on the robots theme, the Second Annual FIRST Robotics Competition returns to the East Kentwood High School, 6230 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Friday and Saturday, April 1 and 2. This high-tech sporting event will produce excitement and energy for participants and spectators alike, as teams compete for honors and recognition that reward design excellence, sportsmanship, teamwork and more.
Also taking place and in the realm of the world of science is the 41st Annual Gem & Mineral Show, which this year returns to Rogers Plaza, 972 28th St. SW. The event is from 9:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. April 7 and 8 and from 9:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. Saturday, April 9, and features an array of mineral specimens, crystals, fossils, beads, and more. Demonstrations will be taking place along with rock and mineral identification, displays and exhibits and children’s activities. For more information, visit www.indianmoundsrockclub.com
The City of Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department will host a Spring Break Fun Club April 4 – 8 at the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE. Hours are 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily. Activities include sports, games, arts and crafts, gym and outdoor fun. Cost is $25 per day or $85 per week. Contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 656-5270 to register.
Some other spring break activities:
The Grand Rapids Art Museum, 101 Monroe Center NW, opens on April 9. The six-week exhibition, which closes May 22, features original drawings, prints and posters by the children’s book author in celebration of book’s 50th anniversary. For more information, visit artmuseumgr.org.
Craig’s Crusisers, 5730 Clyde Park SW, hosts unlimited fun every Wednesday with $25 wristbands from 4 – 9 p.m. For more information, visit craigscruisers.com
John Ball Park Zoo, 1300 W. Fulton St., will be having a Zoobilee during spring break, April 4 – 8. Activities include special animal feeding times, an opportunity to meet the animal keepers and learn more about the animals at the zoo. For specific activities and days, visit jbzoo.org.
John Ball Zoo also offers Spring Break Day Camps for kindergarten through 5th grade. April 4 and 5 is Just Zoo It! and April 6 and 7 is Who Dung It? There is also the Spring Break overnight, Starlight Safari, April 8 to April 9, for students in third through sixth grades. Visit the website to register.
The Salvation Army KROC Center, 2500 S. Division Ave., will be offering special activities and entertainment such as extended open swim hours and sports tournaments April 4 – 8. Sponsored by the National Heritage Academies, the Spring Break activities are free for members. Non-members can purchase a day pass which is $5.50 for ages 11 and younger and $7.50 for ages 12 and up. Visit grkroccenter.org for more information.
The Grand Rapids Children’s Museum, 11 Sheldon Ave. NW, will have all kinds of Spring Break activities from April 2 – 10. There will be interactive dance, magic shows, and storyteller Kevin Kammeraad. For a complete list of events, visit grcm.org.
Shows:
Flick’s Family Film Fest is currently running at all Celebration! Cinemas, including Celebration! South Cinema, 1506 Eastport Dr. SE (across from the East Kentwood High School). Alvin & the Chipmunks: Road Chip runs April 1 – 7 and Kung Fu Panda 3 is April 8 – 14. Movies are free for children ages 12 and under and $5 for ages 13 and older.
The Grand Rapids Ballet brings back its popular Spring Break for Kids program April 5 – 7. With two performances each day of a half-hour, family-friendly ballet with the fun starting at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. each day. Tickets for these shows do sell out, so if possible purchase early. For more information, visit grballet.com.
For those comic book lovers, Marvel Universe Live! comes to Van Andel Arena, 130 W. Fulton St. Spidy, Hulk and even Thor will battle those dastardly villains tonight at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 11:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1 and 5 p.m. Tickets start at $27.50. Visit vanandelarena.com for more information.
400 Artists, 30+ Destinations, 3 Trolleys, 1 Night
This spring, Art.Downtown. will captivate Grand Rapids on Saturday, April 9, 2016 from 12-9 pm. Grand Rapids’ ultimate local art experience will feature several hundred artists in dozens of galleries, businesses, and studio spaces around downtown GR. Expanding from the Avenue for the Arts corridor in the Heartside Neighborhood to Kendall College of Art and Design and Devos Place in central downtown, this one-night event features several hundred artists in dozens of galleries, businesses, and studio spaces around downtown Grand Rapids.
Here’s some of what to expect, rain or shine: artists and musicians exhibiting and performing at a variety of unexpected locations from U-haul trailers, the art museum, parking lots and private studios. Come early and stay late, for a night on the town with family and friends.
Grand Rapids Trolley will provide free transportation to all the major areas of Art.Downtown. Volunteers and maps will be on-site to help guide you to various sites, restaurants, and parking locations. Meet and speak with artists, curators, and shop owners about everything from artistic methods to collective movements. Join the excitement and see what our downtown arts community has to offer!
Stay updated on Art.Downtown. information by attending planning meetings at 307 S. Division Ave, and by visiting our website. Follow @AveForTheArtsGR on Twitter, and join the event conversation by using #ArtDowntown. Connect with Avenue on Facebook for detailed updates about Art.Downtown. and special event postings.
For more info, call 616.914.8463.
Photos courtesy of Avenue for the Arts
By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
Here comes Peter Cottontail and he’ll be making several appearances in and around Kentwood and Wyoming this weekend and next as Easter marches in.
One of his favorite stops is the Kentwood Activities Center for the annual “Breakfast with the Bunny” Saturday, March 26.
A pancake breakfast will be served from 9 – 11 a.m. at the center, located at 355 48th St. SE. Pictures with the famous Easter Bunny will be from 10 – 11 a.m. There will be other activities including face painting.
Tickets for the event are $5 in advance and $7 at the door. Contact the Kentwood Parks and Recreation for more information. Click here.
Another popular Easter Egg Hunt is the one that takes place in Byron Township. This year’s event starts at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 26, and is for children ages 2-10. The Byron Easter Egg Hunt takes place at Whistlestop Park, 2170 76th St. SW, Byron Center. For more information, click here.
Also in Kentwood, East Paris Christian Reformed Church will host an Easter Egg Hunt from 2 – 3 p.m. Saturday, March 26, There will be a puppet show on the true meaning of Easter followed by the egg hunt. East Paris Christian Reformed Church is located at 3065 East Paris Ave. SE.
On March 27, the Wyoming, Relevant Church will be hosting its 2016 Easter Experience and Carnival from 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. The event includes an Easter service followed by the carnival. The event takes place at the Wyoming Junior High School, 2125 Wrenwood St. SW. Registration is required for this event. Click here.
There are a number of other Easter Hunts and activities in and around the Kentwood and Wyoming areas. Below are a few more that are either located either close to the area or have an unusual theme. Whatever one you choose, make sure to bring your own basket and double check for weather and changes in the schedule.
March 26
Grandville’s Ivanrest Church will be hosting its annual Easter Egg Hunt on the church’s front lawn from 10 – 11 a.m. The event is for children 10 and under. Ivanrest Church is located at 3777 Ivanrest SW, Granville.
Jenison’s Rosewood Church will host an Easter Egg Hunt from 10 a.m. – noon. There will be three separate areas for ages 1-3, 4-6, and 7-10. The Easter Bunny is scheduled to make an appearance along with coloring activities, balloons, face painting and a drawing for prizes. Donuts and coffee will kick off the event at 10 a.m. with the hunt starting at 10:30 a.m. Rosewood Church is located at 2795 Rosewood Ave., Jenison.
Hudsonville’s Hillcrest Christian Reformed Church will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt from 10 – noon. The free event is open to kids of all ages and includes family time with balloon animals, face painting, prizes, popcorn, candy, snacks and videos. Hillcrest CRC is located at 3617 Hillcrest Road, Hudsonville.
The Gymco at 2306 Camelot Ridge Court will be hosting an afternoon Bunny Hop that includes egg hung, snacks, open gym, crafts, face painting, stories, songs and more. Children under 5 must be accompanied by an adult. Children 6 and older can be dropped off. Cost is $12 per child or $25 per family.
The popular Bunny Train is currently running from Coopersville & Marne Railway, located at 311 E. Danforth St., Coopersville. The Easter Bunny and her cast of wacky, musical characters perform in each of the antique passenger coaches. Departures are 11 a.m., 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. Saturdays, March 19 and 26 and 1 and 3 p.m. Sundays, March 13 and 20. Tickets are $17 for adults, $16 for seniors 60 and older, $15 for children ages 2-12 and free for children under 2. Call 616-997-7000, ext. 3 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday – Friday.
For an unusual Easter Egg Hunt adventure, checkout the Holland Community Aquatic Center which will host its Underwater Egg hunt from 1 to 5 p.m. The Holland Community Aquatic Center is located at 550 Maple Ave., Holland.
“Drummunity” Encourages Cooperation Through MusicBy: Erin Albanese – School News Network
The beat of Godfrey-Lee Early Childhood Center students’ drums mixed with jangling tambourines, clanging blocks and sounds made by hitting sticks on household items recycled as instruments.
“Let’s all start a beat. … Here we go. … Let’s all start a beat,” said Lori Fithian, whose program Drummunity gets people pounding, tapping and grinning everywhere she goes.
As part of music class, students at the preschool-through-second-grade school gathered in a circle with Fithian in the middle, to use bongo and hand drums and other percussion instruments and to play simple drum-circle games.
Together, they made music, playing in unison. Later that evening, parents participated in a community drumming event.
Fithian, an Ann Arbor resident and artist who has studied different drumming traditions, said her concept is simple. “I help people make music together,” she said. “We basically just learn how to cooperate and come together. … It’s not really a musical thing. It’s more of a community-cooperation exercise, though we are using music to learn about all of that.”
First-grader Latrese McFerrin said she learned how to “make echoes” using instruments. “We got to switch instruments like drums and a plastic block,” she said.
Everyone Can Drum
Drummunity brings drumming to schools, libraries, community centers and other locations. Fithian’s visit was paid for through a grant from the Michigan Humanities Council.
Every culture has its own drum tradition and all ages can participate, she said. Getting students to drum with her is different from teaching other instruments.
“Everybody knows how to play drums; even babies can play drums. It’s a really natural thing that people can do together,” she said.
Students learn to keep a steady beat, and a whole lot more.
“They get a little bit of everything,” Fithian said. “They get to pound on something, play something, just explore the different sounds or learn what a drum is and how we can make music together.”
With older kids, Fithian teaches the concept of improvisation, creating new beats as they play. “We are not reading any music here; we are able to make something up with our own creativity.”
Tami Nelson, ECC music teacher, said she planned the event for her students to have the chance to make music with other people.
“This is a very good way for them to interact and see what they can do,” Nelson said. “One of the things about percussion instruments is various ability levels can easily access them. … They get to freely experience their music-making.”
Students said it was an experience they enjoyed. “I liked playing the drum,” said first-grader Taclara O’Bryant. “I like the music.”
Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!
By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
The summer months are quickly approaching which means both the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood are looking for seasonal workers for programs run through the individual muncipalties’ parks and recreation departments as well as additional maintenance help.
Both cities are currently accepting applications for seasonal work with positions ranging from umpiring to maintenance in various departments at wages between $9 to $15 an hour.
In the City of Wyoming, there are several positions. The city’s Water Department is looking for seasonal maintenance for a variety of tasks. The Department of Public Works is looking for a seasonal yard waste attendant and maintenance and the city’s Parks and Recreation Department is in need of seasonal maintenance workers along with umpires for softball and kickball.
The Parks and Recreation Department is also looking for T.E.A.M 21 group leaders for its summer program. T.E.A.M. 21 is a cooperative effort between the Parks and Recreation Department, Wyoming Public Schools, Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, Godwin Heights Public Schools and Kelloggsville Public Schools. The program is designed to foster academic, social and emotional growth among students in kindergarten through ninth grade. Last year, the program served nearly 1,600 students in the four school districts. T.E.A.M. 21 group leaders would be responsible for supervising students, planning and implementing educational and recreational activities and mentoring.
Most of the City of Wyoming seasonal positions are part-time. Hours for the different positions vary and some do require weekends. For more information or to apply, visit the City of Wyoming’s website by clicking here.
The City of Kentwood is looking for maintenance workers, which is 40 hours per week and pays around $10 an hour.
Kentwood’s Parks and Recreation Department has several seasonal positions open as well including a farmers market manager and park attendant. The Kentwood Farmer’s Market usually runs Saturday mornings from about June to October.
The Parks and Recreation Department is also looking for Recreation Leaders and REACH staff. The REACH program is a drop-in program in three Kentwood Parks that provides recreational opportunities such as games, sports, and crafts, during the summer months. These positions pay around $10 to $15 per hour.
For more information or an employment application, visit the City of Kentwood’s website by clicking here.
By: Eric Snoek
Who wouldn’t want to laugh, break a world record, and help support an amazing organization within your community? Gilda’s LaughFest does exactly that!
LaughFest is in its sixth year of bringing enjoyment and excitement to the community of Grand Rapids. The festival runs for ten days starting with the Community Kickoff on March 10 at 5:30 pm at the Calder Plaza.
What better way to kick off such an incredible event then breaking a world record?
Gilda’s LaughFest has done an amazing job over the past six years by finding silly ridiculous records that are exciting and fun for the community to achieve together. This year they hope to redeem themselves by taking back the Guinness World record for “largest rubber chicken toss.”
“This will be our sixth attempt to set a world record. We’re hoping to take back our original world record we set tossing rubber chickens in our first year of LaughFest,” said Wendy Wigger, President of Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids and LaughFest. “We’ve broken four out of five world records for most people wearing sunglasses in the dark, wearing false mustaches, wearing animal noses at a single venue and of course, the number of rubber chickens tossed.”
Back in 2011 Gilda’s LaughFest broke the rubber chicken record with 925 rubber chickens tossed. That same year, a church in Ontario, Canada broke the record by tossing 999. LaughFest plans on providing the first 1,200 participants with rubber chickens so they can shatter the previous record.
LaughFest is designed to bring the community of Grand Rapids together for laughter and a bigger cause. There will be 200 different entertainment events throughout the city, many of them free, during the ten-day festival. There are events for all ages.
By attending LaughFest, you are not only helping yourself by adding more laughter to your life but you are always helping many community members in needs. About 15 percent of the profits go towards Gilda’s Club. Gilda’s Club helps support grieving children, adults, families and friends on any kind of cancer journey or those grieving the death due to any cause. The organization runs solely on charitable donations and currently helps more than 10,000 individuals every year.
Make sure to enjoy LaughFest in its entirety! It only comes once a year.
By: Mike DeWitt
Mike.DeWitt@wktv.org
Ten minutes before practice starts and not a voice is heard. The only sounds coming from the Wyoming High School gym are the hard dribbles of basketballs and the sweet sound of the ball touching nylon. Eventually, a word is spoken to put an end to the verbal silence, “Ball!”
It’s all about efficiency. Not a second is wasted.
When you close your eyes and focus solely on the sounds coming from a team’s practice, an accurate picture on the team’s identity begins to take form. After 31 years, Wyoming Head Coach Thom Vander Klay has a keen sense on how his team operates.
“This team is quiet and constantly thinking,” described Vander Klay. “While they may be quiet, they’re extremely aggressive and confident. It’s a quiet confidence, but it’s definitely there. It’s a healthy confidence that doesn’t spill over into being cocky.”
That quiet confidence is taken directly from their head coach. Throughout practice, Vander Klay takes a backseat as players organize themselves into drills for the day. He trusts his system and his players to waste no time getting as many reps in as possible. When a teaching moment is available, the coach steps in with the knowledge and passion that easily commands a room.
“He instilled a very good work ethic, not only in basketball, but in life,” said former player Bob Henning, who played JV ball for Vander Klay at Wyoming Park in 1992. “He never took it easy, not even during the off-season. He taught you that you have to work to get the things you want in life.”
There’s a reason Vander Klay was voted the best basketball coach in Grand Rapids.
Coach Vander Klay has pretty much seen it all in his time roaming the sidelines. He remembers a time when the three-point shot was considered a wasted possession. He coached the JV basketball team at Wyoming Park for 10 years before taking over as the Varsity coach. When Wyoming Park and Rogers merged into what is now Wyoming High School, Vander Klay took the reins of the basketball program and the new challenge of merging red and blue.
“When we merged, we had to rid of everything red and blue. It had to be purple everything,” remembered Vander Klay. The merge has been successful and the student section even hosts “throwback” games where students wear the old uniforms from Park and Rogers. “There’s no more animosity. We’re all wolves.”
For the seniors, the first four-year class to go through Wyoming High School, being a “wolf” is all they know and it’s not something they take lightly.
“It has been pretty special to see how the sports evolved from when everyone was a rival,” explained senior Edwin Martinez looking back on his four years. “It feels great to be a part of the history of the school.”
“We became more of a family,” added senior Brendan Berg.
While the class of 2016 has a lot of history to their name just for entering Wyoming High School at the right time, they have also earned some special history on the court as well. Wyoming has had some extremely talented teams in the past – twice finishing second in the conference – but this season the Wolves were finally able to bring home the O-K Bronze Conference crown.
“Winning that first conference championship for Wyoming [boys basketball] is something we’ve talked about,” Coach Vander Klay said. “It was unfinished business after taking home two second-place finishes [2015 and 2014] and one third-place finish [2013].”
The importance of adding a historical first to a coach with such a prestigious record isn’t lost on the players either. After winning seven conference championships at Wyoming Park, Coach Vander Klay has kept the winning tradition alive at Wyoming.
“It’s very cool to be the first team at Wyoming to win a championship under Coach Vander Klay,” exclaimed senior Zach Mann.
While some coaches may experience burnout after 31 years, Vander Klay, a graduate and former player at Wyoming Park, continues to live his dream, “I just love it. It’s my hobby and something that I personally like to do. I enjoy the kids.”
Update – In the District Semi-Final on Wednesday night, Wyoming fell to Hudsonville 55-52 in overtime. The Wolves came back from down 15-points in the final quarter to force OT.
By Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority
Thanks to overwhelming demand, Def Leppard will return to the road this summer for an extensive tour across North America. The Live Nation-promoted outing will storm through 55 cities across all parts of the U.S. and Canada. It is set to kick off on May 1st in Orlando, FL and stop in Grand Rapids, MI at Van Andel Arena on Saturday, July 9, 2016 at 7:00 pm. Joining Def Leppard on their mighty summer outing are REO Speedwagon and Tesla.
Ticket prices are $29.50, $59.50, $79.50, $99.50 and $125.00. Tickets will be available at the Van Andel Arena and DeVos Place® box offices, all Ticketmaster ticket centers, online at Ticketmaster.com, and by phone at 1.800.745.3000. A purchase limit of eight (8) tickets will apply to each order, and prices are subject to change.
Said Def Leppard front man Joe Elliott, “I’m really looking forward to getting back out there and playing some great music with some great people for some of the most appreciative audiences in the world. It really is always a pleasure.”
Def Leppard—Joe Elliott (vocals), Vivian Campbell (guitar), Phil Collen (guitar), Rick “Sav” Savage (bass) and Rick Allen (drums)—continues to be one of the most important forces in rock music. With 100 million records sold worldwide and two prestigious Diamond Awards to their credit, the group’s spectacular concerts, filled with powerful melodic rock anthems, continue to sell out venues worldwide. For the past thirty years the band’s epic live shows and arsenal of hits have become synonymous with their name, leading Def Leppard to be heralded as an institution in both the music and touring industry.
Def Leppard’s influential career includes numerous hit singles and ground-breaking multi-platinum release’s—including two of the best-selling albums of all time, Pyromania and Hysteria. The band’s 2015 US tour was one of the year’s highest grossing, hitting 70+ cities nationwide. In addition to the tour, Def Leppard debuted their self-titled new album in October 2015. The album secured the #1 slot on Billboard’s Top Rock Albumschart. It features the #1 Classic Rock chart single “Let’s Go” and their new single “Dangerous” out now.
The Wyoming and Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department each hosted a Daddy-Daughter Dance this past Saturday, February 20. Below are some pictures from the magical evenings.
The Wyoming Daddy-Daughter Dance was a smashing hit with 171 participants and 12 volunteers making sure the event ran smoothly. While dancing was the staple of the event, crafts and games were also held in adjoining rooms.
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Those at the Kentwood Daddy Daughter-Dance had the opportunity to experience A Night In Hollywood by walking the red carpet and having their picture taken. 20 couples – 46 participants in all – got to bask in the movie star experience.
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The dances were a hit and a job well done by the Parks and Recreation Departments.
Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org
With a mixture of returning favorites and Grand Rapids Civic Theatre premieres, Civic Theatre offers a season focused on the theme of equality with its 2016 – 2017 lineup.
“We kind of go through the selection process, put together the season and a theme just comes from there,” said Civic Theatre Artistic Director Bruce Tinker.
This year’s lineup ranges from David Lindsay-Abaire’s 2011 Tony Award-winning play “Good People,” about the disparages in class and social economics to the powerful musical “Ragtime,” a look at the equality of justice under the law.
“It’s our 91st season and I really love all of the selections,” Tinker said. “There a lot of first-time productions along with some returning like ‘Ragtime,’ which is one of my favorite musicals. The music is just gorgeous.”
Tinker, who directed Civic’s 2004 production of “Ragtime,” said he looks forward to reacquainting himself with the musical that delves into the hopes, dreams and struggles of the immigrants settling in America in the early 20th Century. The show runs Feb. 24 – March 19.
The season starts with “Good People,” Sept. 9 – 25, a look at class, poverty, wealth and privilege as Lindsay-Abaire contrasts the life of a single mother living paycheck-to-paycheck against her ex-boyfriend who successfully gets out of the neighborhood and becomes a prominent doctor.
“This is an incredibly timely piece,” Tinker said. “Lindsay-Abaire doesn’t write about heroes or villains. He writes about people. No one is great or awful, they are just human trying to make the right choices for them and their family amidst high pressure stakes.”
Civic Theatre then goes big in November with its premiere production of “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.” “It was one of those things we had to wait for the right timing,” Tinker said of the company having never staged a production before. “It’s a great show for celebrating the holidays.” “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast,” which also contains an underlying message of acceptance, runs Nov. 18 – Dec. 18.
Dedicated to featuring a classic in every season, the Civic Theatre’s reading committee discovered the company had never done the 1930s comedy “The Philadelphia Story,” which became a 1940s film starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. This screwball love-triangle comedy, which became the fomula for many other romantic comedies, follows Tracy Lord as she prepares for her second marriage and the antics of her ex-husband who tries to remind her of love lost. The show runs Jan. 13 – 29.
Another classic Civic has never produced is “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” the story of starry-eyed Millie Dillmount of Salina, Kansas, who has come to New York City to make her dream come true. “This is one that we always have just had to have the right mix and this year it just happened,” Tinker said. “We looked at the spring and thought, we need something fun and this show is it. Plus with all the graduations going on [during June], this show is a celebration of new beginnings and independence. It really just fits.”
The two family productions, both based on books, are “Holes,” Oct. 21 – 30 and “Fancy Nancy,” April 21 – 30.
Even the 2017 summer children’s repertory productions contain the theme of equality as the lineup includes the popular fantasy “The Neverending Story,” July 29 – Aug. 6, and “Hairspray Jr.,” July 28 – Aug. 5. “With ‘Hairspray, Jr.,’ even though it is set in the sixties, it offers not only a message of equality, but is about accepting who you are, mind and heart, over what you look like.
“Be who you are as everyone loves who you are as oppose to a certain type of person.”
For information about the upcoming season or for ticket pricing, visit www.grct.org o call 616-222-6650.
After that brief encounter of chilly weather this past week, about everyone’s thoughts have turned to warmer weather. Well here’s something to warm you up: there is only 105 days before Wyoming’s Concerts in the Park returns to Lamar Park.
O.K., so it is a little more than three months, but to put together a 10-week concert series, the planning has to start almost when the last series ended. The Wyoming Community Enrichment Commission, which oversees the series, has been hard at work, lining up the performers for the 2016 Concerts in the Park and even have begun releasing a few teasers as to who is coming on the Wyoming Concerts in the Park Facebook page.
“We like to say that we are continuing the tradition of good entertainment at Lamar Park,” said Brandon Simmons, who is on the Wyoming Community Enrichment Commission. Simmons is referring to Lamar Park’s history of hosting the rodeo at Fort Wyoming which was located at Lamar Park. The site also was host to numerous concerts featuring Bob Hope, The Oakridge Boys, Crystal Gale, and Huey Lewis & the News.
The Concerts in the Park series has done well attracting some of the most popular regional stars with this year’s line-up including the very popular folk/rock band The Crane Wives, Kalamazoo’s Big Boss Blues, Grand Rapids honky tonk group Delilah DeWylde and the Lost Boys, rock ‘n’ roll group Foolish Plezyer, country group Kari Lynch Band, Tejano/Mexican/Conjunto music group Grupo Viento and The Legal Immigrants.
According to Simmons, more than 10,000 people were in attendance to last year’s fireworks show, always the Tuesday before July 4. This year’s fireworks will be on June 28 and feature two bands, one of which is Foolish Plezyer.
A total of 11 groups will perform over the 10 weeks. Simmons said the complete lineup should be available in March and that there is some big news to this year’s concert series, so make sure to be checking the series’ Facebook page and WKTV’s Wyoming/Kentwood NOW.
Also, the Wyoming Community Enrichment Commission hosts the Music & More August event designed to give residents a last summer hurrah with three concerts, food dancing games and activities all in one night. For more on the August event, click here to visit its Facebook page.
Concerts in the Park is free. Lamar Park is located at 2561 Porter St. SW.
