Just in time for the 80-degree weather, the City of Wyoming announced this morning that its splash pads will open today.
The splash pads are located at Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St SW; Oriole Park, 1380 42nd St. SW; and Southlawn Park, 4125 Jefferson SW. They are open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Labor Day.
The City of Wyoming’s splash pads are one of the many reasons that WOOD TV’s Maranada has kicked off her Park Parties at Wyoming’s Lamar Park for the past several years. According to Maranda, the park also offers excellent parking, wide open space with the park’s splash pad providing a place to help children and families cool off on hot summer days.
Maranda comes to Lamar Park on June 22. She will bring the Park Party to Kentwood July 13 at the East Kentwood High School, 6230 Kalamazoo Ave. SE. The Wyoming and Kentwood events are the only Park Parties scheduled this year for the Greater Grand Rapids area with the rest being in Muskegon, Kalamazoo, and Holland.
Once again, in working with USDA, Michigan Dept. of Ed and local school districts, free lunch will be served to anyone 18 and under starting at 11:30 a.m., while supplies last at all Park Party events. Maranda’s Park Parties have been recognized by the USDA as one of the nation’s largest summer feeding programs.
Park Parties run from noon – 2 p.m. at the dates listed above. Every Park Party also includes free activities, games, entertainment and, prizes.
For more on the Maranda Park Parties, click here. For more about the splash pads and other City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation activities and events, visit wyoming.gov and click the “Living in Wyoming” tab.
Several local girls high school soccer teams will be in action this week.
By Mike Moll
WKTV Sports
The month of June may not have many scheduled events but each of them will be very important as they are all part of their respective MHSAA State tournament leading to the crowning of both individual state championships along with team state championships. The final school sports seasons draw to a close the weekend of June 16-17 when the girls soccer, boys baseball, and girls softball have the final competitions.
All the best to the student-athletes that have graduated and we look forward to seeing the underclassmen returning starting in August as the new year starts up and the fall sports seasons start it all over again.
While July will be an “empty” month as far as the high school sports schedule is concerned, the WKTV truck and crews will be covering various events over the course of the summer, so keep checking the broadcast schedule for more sporting events coming to you.
WKTV sports events will be broadcast on Live Wire Comcast Channel 24 throughout the Grand Rapids Metro Area and repeated later in the week on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 in Wyoming & Kentwood.
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week, and any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, see now.wktv.org/sports/
The complete list of local high school sports events this week is as follows:
Thursday, June 1
Girls soccer
East Kentwood @ FH Central – MHSAA Div. 1 State Districts
West Michigan Aviation vs West Catholic @ Catholic Central – MHSAA Div. 3 State Districts
Godwin Heights @ Catholic Central – MHSAA Div. 3 State Districts
Covenant Christian vs Potter’s House @ NorthPointe Christian – MHSAA Div.4 State Regionals
Calvin Christian vs Tri-Unity Christian @ NorthPointe Christian – MHSAA Div. 4 State Regionals
Buffered between Godfrey-Lee’s Early Education Center and an industrial building is a swath of wilderness complete with trees, brush and a winding creek. It’s the habitat of birds, small mammals and on recent sunny afternoon, kindergartners.
“Forts are our forte,” joked Deb Schuitema, a math coach who joined in the effort with physical education teacher Julie Swanson to design the new Outdoor Learning Lab’s natural play area.
Kindergartners were challenged to make their own shelters after listening to a story called “A House is a House for Me,” by Mary Ann Hoberman. They used branches and colorful pieces of cloth to design their shelters. Some added rocks and leaves turned into decor, and, when finished, they went inside their “houses” and peeked out of the sheer material.
Kindergartners walk along the rock grotto, counting stones as they go.
Around them, another class joined a representative from Blandford Nature Center in exploring the area for bird habitats. A third class spread out on the grassy hill to read.
“We have had five different classes out here at the same time,” said Swanson, who introduces those in her classes to different ways to use their muscles and develop balance by climbing rocks and jumping from stump to stump. “A year ago, nobody would have come out here.”
The lab, planned for two years, now includes a rock grotto and a sandy play space where toy trucks stay busy excavating. And there’s a nearly complete stage made of logs. Plans are to add a slide built into the hill, a teepee surrounded by native plants, a texture garden and a student-designed nature path.
Physical education teacher Julie Swanson checks out a pine cone with kindergartners
“We really want to make this part of the kids’ everyday experience,” Schuitema said.
The City of Wyoming, Dykema Excavators Inc., and Tontin Lumber Co. donated rocks, downed trees, other materials and services. Last fall, Women Who Care of Kent County, a group that supports non-profit groups, donated $12,000 to the district for outdoor education.
Kindergartners hoisted up big sticks, adding another layer to a fort, and wrapped material around it.
“I like making homes,” said Arielly Sanchez. “We can go in them.”
As class ended, Swanson let out a huge, wolf-like howl, signaling to kindergartners that she needed their attention. They howled back, running up from their shelter-building to head back inside.
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
A familiar face has returned to the City of Wyoming this month as Megan Sall stepped into the role of assistant city manager.
In her new role, Sall will serve as the city manager’s principal representative in various administrative affairs with an emphasis on economic development and downtown development. She will also serve as communication director and will be responsible for managing the City’s website, social media platforms and media inquiries. She will also be responsible for directing and monitoring city projects, acting as liaison between the city manager and department heads, community groups, boards and designated government agencies.
“We are excited to have Megan back at the City in this new and expanded role,” said Wyoming City Manger Curtis Holt. “She brings a passion for municipal work, community engagement and the City of Wyoming, along with a strong understanding of who we are.
Megan’s past work with us, along with the expertise and skills she has developed in the interim, will allow her to be a tremendous asset to our continued growth and development.”
Sall comes to the city with experience in economic development and governance in both local and national organizations. She began her career as assistant to the city manager in Wyoming before moving on to work as downtown development authority director and community services coordinator.
Sall then took the role of campaign coordinator and legislative aide for regional political and governing figures and went on to become program manager at International City/County Management Association in Washington, D.C. Returning to Grand Rapids, Sall worked as business development manager for The Right Place and then project and engagement manager at CQL Incorporated.
Sall received her bachelor’s degree in international relations and her masters in public administration from Grand Valley State University.
Sall is an active community member, serving on the board of Grand Valley State University. She also mentors at the Cook Leadership Academy at Grand Valley State University and has worked on the planning committee for the Great Lakes Software Excellence Conference and as a cabinet member of the Gerald R. Ford International Airport Gateway Transformation Campaign.
Softball is just one of several high school sports nearing the end of their season. Catch a game today!
By Mike Moll
WKTV Sports
There are plenty of local high school sports events to check out this week — including the beginnings of state playoffs for tennis and track — but the WKTV truck and crews will not be back covering games until next week.
The final spring game coverage will be:
Wednesday, May 24 – Boys Baseball, Hopkins @ Godwin Heights
Each game will be broadcast that night on Live Wire Comcast Channel 24 at 10:30 p.m. throughout the Grand Rapids Metro Area and repeat later in the week — Wednesday games will be rebroadcast Saturdays at 11 a.m. — on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 in Wyoming & Kentwood.
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week in April, and any changes to the WKTV feature game schedule, see now.wktv.org/sports/
The complete list of local high school sports events this week due to spring break is as follows:
Monday, May 15
Boys baseball
Godwin Heights @ NorthPointe Christian
Kelloggsville @ Belding
South Christian @ Covenant Christian – DH
Tri-Unity Christian @ Potter’sHouse – DH
Calvin Christian @ Wyoming Lee
Girls softball
Godwin Heights @ NorthPointe Cristian – DH
Kelloggsville @ Belding – DH
South Christian @ Covenant Christian – DH
Calvin Christian @ Wyoming Lee – DH
Girls soccer
Godwin Heights @ Covenant Christian
Calvin Christian @ Kelloggsville
Wyoming @ FH Eastern
West Michigan Aviation @ Fruitport Calvary
South Christian @ Christian
Belding @ Wyoming Lee
Boys golf
Comstock Park @ Wyoming
East Kentwood @ Muskegon Mona Shores
Girls tennis
South Christian @ Zeeland East
Tuesday, May 16
Girls Tennis
Western Michigan Christian @ Kelloggsville
North Muskegon @ South Christian
Boys baseball
Wyoming @ Kenowa Hills
Middleville T-K @ South Christian – DH
East Kentwood @ Hudsonville – DH
Girls softball
Wyoming @ Kenowa Hills – DH
Middleville T-K @ South Christian – DH
East Kentwood @ Hudsonville – DH
Girls soccer
Hudsonville Hornets @ West Michigan Aviation
Tri-Unity Christian @ Holland Calvary
Hudsonville @ East Kentwood
Boys golf
Caledonia @ East Kentwood – OK Red Jamboree @ Stone Water
Wednesday, May 17
Girls soccer
Kelloggsville @ Godwin Heights
Wyoming @ Wayland
Wyoming Lee @ Calvin Christian
Boys golf
Kelloggsville – OK Silver Conference Tournament at The Meadows
Wyoming @ FH Eastern – OK Gold Jamboree @ Egypt Valley
South Christian @ FH Eastern – OK Gold Jamboree @ Egypt Valley
Boys baseball
Kelloggsville @ Calvin Christian
Tri-Unity Christian vs Holland Black River @ Fifth Third Ballpark – DH
Belding @ Wyoming Lee
Girls softball
Kelloggsville @ Calvin Christian
Belding @ Wyoming Lee
Thursday, May 18
Boys baseball
Tri-Unity Christian @ Godwin Heights
West Michigan Aviation @ Potter’s House
South Christian @ Middleville T-K
Hudsonville @ East Kentwood
Boys lacrosse
Catholic Central @ South Christian
Girls soccer
East Grand Rapids @ South Christian
Tri-Unity Christian @ Holland Black River
Rockford @ East Kentwood
Girls tennis
East Kentwood vs TBD @ Holland – MHSAA State Regionals
Girls softball
Rockford @ East Kentwood
Friday, May 19
Boys and girls track
Division 1 MHSAA State Regionals @ Kalamazoo-Loy Norrix
Division 2 MHSAA State Regionals @ Houseman Field
Division 3 MHSAA State regionals @ Saugatuck
Division 4 MHSAA State Regionals @ Holton
Girls softball
Godwin Heights @ Comstock Park
Ottawa Hills @ Kelloggsville – DH
Wyoming @ West Ottawa – DH
South Christian @ Zeeland East – DH
Girls soccer
Godwin Heights @ Belding
Kelloggsville @ NorthPointe Christian
South Christian @ Holland Christian
Boys baseball
Godwin Heights @ Union
West Michigan Aviation @ Kelloggsville – DH
Wyoming @ West Ottawa – DH
Girls tennis
Godwin Heights @ Comstock Park
Kelloggsville @ Christian – MHSAA State Regionals
Girls water polo
@ TBA – MHSAA State Regionals
Saturday, May 20
Boys baseball
West Michigan Aviation @ Bloomingdale – DH
Auburn Hills Oakland Christian @ Potter’s House – DH
East Kentwood @ Lakeview – DH
Zion Christian @ Mason County Eastern
Zion Christian @ Western Michigan Christian
Wyoming Lee @ Saranac
Girls soccer
Zion Christian @ West Michigan Aviation
Boys and girls track
Division 1 MHSAA State Regionals @ Kalamazoo-Loy Norrix
Division 2 MHSAA State Regionals @ Houseman Field
Division 4 MHSAA State Regionals @ Holton
Girls water polo
@ TBA – MHSAA State Regionals
Girls softball
Muskegon Reeths-Puffer @ East Kentwood – DH
Wyoming Lee @ Saranac
Boys golf
East Kentwood vs TBA @ The Mines
Monday, May 22
Boys baseball
Kelloggsville @ Godwin Heights
South Christian @ Unity Christian
Kenowa Hills @ East Kentwood
Hopkins @ Wyoming Lee – DH
Girls softball
Kelloggsville @ Godwin Heights – DH
FH Central @ South Christian – DH
East Kentwood @ Kenowa Hills
Hopkins @ Wyoming Lee – DH
Girls soccer
NorthPointe Christian @ Godwin Heights
Belding @ Kelloggsville
West Michigan Aviation @ Barry County Christian
Wyoming Lee @ Hopkins
Boys golf
Wyoming @ Christian – OK Gold Conference Meet @ Thornapple Pointe
South Christian @ Christian – OK Gold Conference Meet @ Thornapple Pointe
The Wyoming Senior Center will host the May 22 seminar on fair housing.
To register, please call 616-530-3164 by May 15.
The City of Wyoming will host a seminar for rental property owners and housing professionals.
Free and open to the public, the City of Wyoming invites residents to learn more about housing-related topics. The seminar will take place in the Wyoming Senior Center Community Room, 2380 DeHoop Ave. SW on Monday, May 22, from 9 am to noon.
Designed for Wyoming landlords, rental agents, property management personnel, real estate agents and residents, the three-hour training seminar will provide practical, up-to-date information to assist housing professionals in their daily compliance with fair housing laws, and provide information on local agencies and resources who address various housing-related needs.
Topics and speakers include:
“Tenant-based rental assistance: How may your clients qualify?” will be presented by Community Rebuilders
“Fair housing practice update: How are you affected and what are your responsibilities?” will be presented by Fair Housing Center of West Michigan
“City of Wyoming rental inspections program update: How is the four-year certification process working?” presented by the City of Wyoming Building Inspections Department
The Rental Property Owners Association and Wyoming Building Inspections Department will be available after the sessions to answer any questions.
A continental breakfast will be served. Seminar completion certificates will be provided upon completion. The educational seminar is sponsored by the Wyoming Community Development Department and the Rental Property Owners Association.
A 9-1-1 dispatcher — a person who is “always there for you, waiting for your call” — is now in need of support from the community. And the annual Kent Area Law Enforcement’s Old Time Hockey Game offers the public the ability to support while watching some fun hockey action.
The Old Time Hockey Game will take place Saturday, May 20, at Byron Center’s Southside Ice Arena, 566 100th St., with the game beginning at 1 p.m. and an open skate to follow.
Proceeds from the event will benefit Michelle Bouwens, an 18-year veteran 9-1-1 dispatcher who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, according to her boss, is currently in the fight of her life.
“They are always there for you, waiting for your call. Now, one of them needs your help,” Matt Groesser, Emergency Communications Center manager for the Kent County Sheriff’s Office, said in an emailed statement. “The men and women of the Kent County Communications Center answer over 140,000 9-1-1 calls per year (that’s one call every 4 minutes on average). They are responsible for emergency communications in a community of over 435,000 people. … Come join us, and hundreds of others from the area, at the 21st annual Kent Area Law Enforcement Charity Hockey Game.”
The charity hockey game is the longest-running law enforcement hockey game in the state. The event is open to the public, with donations accepted.
Bouwens is married and has two sons, ages 9 and 10. She is taking unpaid time off to undergo treatment and surgeries, according to supplied information.
For more information visit the event’s Facebook link.
The Pinery Park Little League’s annual Celebration Day, coming this Saturday, is a celebration of the hundreds of kids involved with about 30 teams playing in the park’s youth baseball and softball program. It is also a celebration of the parents and volunteers who work to make the program a success.
WKTV’s mobile coverage crew will be recording it all, starting at 10 a.m., May 13, and set for broadcast at 6 p.m. that night on WKTV community television Channel 25.
“This is our traditional ‘opening day’ celebration; we have been playing for several weeks but we like to wait until we have a better chance of good weather,” said Joe Gonzalez, president of the Pinery Park Little League. “It is a celebration of the kids, but also all the people who are trying to make the league stronger, to keep it going.”
Gonzalez said the event will have a “parade” of teams of players introduced in their team shirts, and then a carnival and food for the kids starting at 11 a.m. Many of the sponsors of the teams and the league will also be identified at the event.
According to Gonzalez, the league hosts a spectrum of levels of baseball and softball teams, including multiple teams in T-ball, coach pitch, minor and major levels. He said there are usually about 14 players in each baseball team and about 10-to-12 players in each softball team.
Pinery Park is located at 2301 De Hoop Ave. (off 28th Street), in Wyoming.
High school baseball and softball seasons are in full swing. Check out a ball game. (WKTV)
By Mike Moll
WKTV Sports
There are plenty of local high school sports events to check out this week, and the weather is supposed to take a turn for the better.
The WKTV truck and crews continue this week its May schedule of high school sporting event coverage, with the rest of the tentative schedule being:
Monday, May 8 – Boys Baseball, Belding @ Kelloggsville
Tuesday May 9 – Boys Baseball, Caledonia @ East Kentwood
Wednesday, May 24 – Boys Baseball, Hopkins @ Godwin Heights
Each game will be broadcast that night on Live Wire Comcast Channel 24 at 10:30 p.m. throughout the Grand Rapids Metro Area and repeat on later in the week — the Tuesday games will be rebroadcast Wednesdays at 5 p.m., and the Wednesday and Thursday games will be rebroadcast Saturdays at 11 a.m. — on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 in Wyoming & Kentwood.
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week in April, and any changes to the WKTV feature game schedule, see now.wktv.org/sports/
The complete list of local high school sports events this week due to spring break is as follows:
Monday, May 8
Boys Baseball
Belding @ Godwin Heights
NorthPointe Christian @ Kelloggsville
Zion Christian @ West Michigan Aviation
Girls softball
Belding @ Godwin Heights – DH
NorthPointe Christian @ Kelloggsville
Girls soccer
Calvin Christian @ Godwin Heights
Byron Center @ Kelloggsville
South Christian @ Wyoming
West Michigan Aviation @ Algoma Christian
Tri-Unity Christian @ Hudsonville Hornets
FH Central @ East Kentwood
Ravenna @ Zion Christian
Wyoming Lee @ NorthPointe Christian
Boys golf
Kelloggsville @ Belding
Girls tennis
Kelloggsville @ Catholic Central
East Kentwood @ Grandville
Boys Lacrosse
South Christian @ Jenison
Boys/girls track
@ Wyoming Lee – Cornerstone University Showcase
Tuesday, May 9
Boys baseball
Wayland @ Wyoming – DH
South Christian @ East Grand Rapids – DH
GR Crusaders @ Tri-Unity Christian
Caledonia @ East Kentwood – DH
Holland Calvary @ Zion Christian – DH
Girls Softball
Wayland @ Wyoming – DH
South Christian @ East Grand Rapids – DH
Caledonia @ East Kentwood – DH
Girls soccer
Grand River Prep @ Calvary Christian
Potter’s House @ Algoma Christian
Hope Academy @ Tri-Unity Christian
Holland Calvary @ Zion Christian
East Kentwood @ Muskegon Mona Shores
Boys golf
East Kentwood @ Hudsonville – OK Red Jamboree
Girls water polo
East Kentwood @ Grand Ledge
Wednesday, May 10
Boys baseball
Calvin Christian@ Godwin Heights
Rockford @ South Christian – DH
Wyoming Lee @ NorthPointe Christian
Girls softball
Calvin Christian @ Godwin Heights
Rockford @ South Christian – DH
Hudsonville @ East Kentwood
Wyoming Lee @ NorthPointe Christian
Girls soccer
Godwin Heights @ Hopkins
Wyoming Lee @ Kelloggsville
Wyoming @ East Grand Rapids
Wayland @ South Christian
Girls tennis
Kelloggsville @ Coopersville
NorthPointe Christian @ South Christian
Boys golf
Wyoming @ South Christian – OK Gold Jamboree @ Railside
Boys/girls track
Wyoming @ Wayland
South Christian @ Wayland
Thursday, May 11
Girls softball
Godwin Heights @ Plainwell – DH
Tri-County @ Kelloggsville
Hamilton @ Wyoming
West Ottawa @ East Kentwood
Boys baseball
Tri-County @ Kelloggsville
Wyoming @ Wayland
Grand River Prep @ Potter’s House
East Grand Rapids @ South Christian
Kalamazoo Cougars @ Tri-Unity Christian
East Kentwood @ Caledonia
Boys golf
Hamilton @ Wyoming
Boys/girls track
West Michigan Aviation @ Ravenna
Girls soccer
West Michigan Aviation @ Grand River Prep
East Kentwood @ West Ottawa
Girls tennis
Wayland @ East Kentwood
Friday, May 12
Boys/girls track
Godwin Heights @ Belding – OK Silver Conference Tournament
Kelloggsville @ Belding – O Silver Conference Tournament
Wyoming Lee @ Belding – OK Silver Conference Tournament
East Kentwood @ Rockford – OK Red Conference Tournament
Boys baseball
Godwin Heights @ Comstock Park
West Michigan Aviation @ Kalamazoo Cougars – DH
Girls soccer
Zion Christian @ Godwin Heights
Wyoming @ Hudsonville Hornets
South Christian @ Zeeland East
Potter’s House @ Fruitport Calvary Christian
Algoma Christian @ Tri-Unity Christian
Boys golf
Kelloggsville @ Calvin Christian – OK Silver Jamboree @ The Pines
Northview @ Wyoming
Boys lacrosse
South Christian @ Kenowa Hills
Girls water polo
East Kentwood @ TBA – Districts
Saturday, May 13
Boys golf
Kelloggsville @ Hamilton
East Kentwood @ East Lansing
Girls tennis
Kelloggsville @ Spring Lake – OK Silver Conference Tournament
Wyoming @ FH Eastern – OK Gold Conference Meet
South Christian @ FH Eastern – OK Gold Conference Meet
East Kentwood @ Rockford – OK Red Conference Meet
Boys baseball
West Michigan Aviation @ Kelloggsville – Liz Jensen Memorial Tournament
South Christian @ Zeeland East
Tri-Unity Christian @ Zion Christian – DH
East Kentwood @ Jenison – DH
Girls softball
Hastings @ Kelloggsville – Liz Jensen Memorial Tournament
Wyoming Lee @ Kelloggsville – Liz Jensen Memorial Tournament
South Christian @ Hudsonville
Boys/girls track
Wyoming @ Houseman Field – OK Gold Conference Meet
South Christian @ Houseman Field – OK Gold Conference Meet
Fifty-four upper elementary students from Kelloggsville Public Schools traveled to Ideal Park on Arbor Day, April 28, to enjoy the outdoors and learn about the importance of planting more trees in our communities. The students have been working on a tree unit as part of their studies. Their Arbor Day experience brought their learning home – literally, as each went home with a blue spruce sapling to plant in their own yard.
To lend a celebratory tone, the Kelloggsville High School pep band played a collection of upbeat tunes, wrapping up with the Kelloggsville fight song.
The Arbor Day event was hosted by the City of Wyoming Tree Commission, “The Tree Amigos.” A former educator and Kelloggsville district resident, Wyoming Tree Commissioner Jim Ward, planned the event. Volunteer Gordy Rayburn donated the 60 saplings and gave the kids instructions on how to plant and care for them.
Founded as an official city commission in July 2016, The Tree Amigos are off to a good start. Through their efforts, the City of Wyoming was designated a Tree City USA on April 11. And, an April 20 proclamation and tree planting brought a new juneberry tree to City Hall, donated by DeHamer Brothers Landscaping and Garden Center. That makes 61 new trees for our communities.
The City of Wyoming Tree Commission meets at 12:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of the month at City Hall. They are hoping many more volunteers will join them to improve Wyoming’s tree canopy – and its residents’ quality of life. For information, email TreeAmigosWyoming@gmail.com or like “The Tree Amigos” on Facebook.
Four of City of Wyoming’s parks will now have funding for improvements and renovations after voter action Tuesday.
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
City of Wyoming voters on Tuesday, May 2, approved a ballot proposal to allow the city to utilize .16 of its .39 library maintenance millage to put toward some of the $23 million in park needs. The unofficial vote results were 2,982 to 2,214, or about 57 percent in support of the proposal.
Gezon Park is one of four parks in line for improvements and renovations.
According to the city, the nearly $800,000 per year raised can now be used to pay a 15-year bond of $4.4 million. The bond money would be dedicated for park improvements at Ideal, Jackson, Ferrand, and Gezon. The current Parks and Recreation millage of 1.5 mills annually captures $2.9 million, which is used to fund recreation programs, maintenance services and basic facility upkeep.
“We are very pleased that the citizens of Wyoming have given us the flexibility to invest in our park system,” Rynbrandt said. “By allowing us to change the way we spend our dedicated library maintenance millage, we can make significant capital improvements in four parks: Ferrand, Gezon, Ideal and Jackson.
“This will be a multi-year process with an eye to have all projects completed within the next four years. Residents will start to see physical improvements to one or more of the parks as early as next spring.”
Current library maintenance
The request was not an increase in the amount of library millage collected and will not reduce the City’s ability to maintain the Kent District Library branch at 3350 Michael Ave. SW.
The library maintenance millage is only to maintain the actually facility, which is owned by the City of Wyoming. Kent District Library operates the library services and owns the collection. Operations of the library and the collection are funded through a Kent District Library millage, which is a 1.28 mill levy, which covers all 18 branches within the KDL system.
The city recently completed more than $650,000 in renovations to the library facility that includes a new roof and the revamping of the former cafe to a public space. Upon review, city staff determined that there would be no major renovation projects needed for the library facility within the next 10 years, Rynbrandt said prior to the vote.
Park needs and plans
With funding for park work now approved, plans for work can now begin.
“We are eager to begin, as there is much to do,” Rynbrandt said. “Our next steps will include formulating individual project timelines which will range from a public engagement process to update the Gezon Park development plan, to engaging engineers, landscape architects and other consultants in the creation of construction documents and processing of necessary permits for each unique park development.
“We’ll be regularly updating the community through the Parks and Recreation Commission, City Council, the Parks and Recreation brochure and social media.”
Every five years, the City of Wyoming meets with residents and city staff to review needs at its parks. Through that process, the city has recognized more than $23 million in park improvements. In 1994, Wyoming residents did grant a park millage which for the past 20 years the city has been able to invest and maintain the parks without an increase, Rynbrandt said.
However, within four years the city has had several natural disasters — a 2013 flood, and 2014 and 2016 tornados — which has created a greater need, Rynbrandt said. Ideal Park was severally impacted from the 2014 tornado with its playground equipment destroyed. The city was able to remove much of the debris and get the park reopened only to have the 2016 tornado cause more damage.
Jackson Park also was impacted by the tornados but also has a need for better stormwater control along with improved security and safety. Ferrand Park is a small pocket park that has not have any major improvements in a number of years and Gezon Park is surrounded by intense residential growth with the central area of the park needing to be developed.
Baseball will be featured as WKTV’s high school sports coverage enters the final month of the 2016-17 school year.
By Mike Moll
WKTV Sports
Just as the academic school year is quickly coming to an end, especially for seniors with many graduations taking place this month, the spring schedules are following suit as MHSAA tournaments begin near the end of the month — so be sure to get out and watch one of the high school contests while you still can this month and support your local teams.
Likewise, the WKTV truck and crews covering games are winding down as May will bring viewers the last scheduled high school sporting event coverage until the fall when football kicks off again. May’s tentative schedule is:
Tuesday, May 2 – Girls Water Polo, EGR @ East Kentwood
Thursday, May 4 – Girls Softball, East Kentwood @ Grandville
Monday, May 8 – Boys Baseball, Belding @ Kelloggsville
Tuesday May 9 – Boys Baseball, Caledonia @ East Kentwood
Wednesday, May 24 – Boys Baseball, Hopkins @ Godwin Heights
Each game will be broadcast that night on Live Wire Comcast Channel 24 at 10:30 p.m. throughout the Grand Rapids Metro Area and repeat on later in the week — the Tuesday games will be rebroadcast Wednesdays at 5 p.m., and the Wednesday and Thursday games will be rebroadcast Saturdays at 11 a.m. — on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 in Wyoming & Kentwood.
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week in April, and any changes to the WKTV feature game schedule, see now.wktv.org/sports/
The complete list of local high school sports events this week due to spring break is as follows:
Monday, April 24
Boys Golf
South Christian @ Middleville T-K – OK Gold Jamboree @ Yankee Springs
The City of Wyoming’s annual Spring Carnival is on track to open tomorrow at a new location, Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St. SW.
“We are excited to return the carnival to its’ historic home at Lamar Park,” said Rebecca Rynbrandt, director of Community Services for the City of Wyoming. “If you visit 28West Place you’ll see all of the orange barrels. It is wonderful to see the new construction occurring in Wyoming’s downtown area. With the redevelopment occurring of the Village Mall, the spring landscaping and final restoration work on tap for the new street, and more, we did not want the carnival location to delay this economic development in any way.”
Rynbrandt said when city officials evaluated other potential sites for the carnival, they sought an area that would be able to accommodate parking and provide for a larger venue.
“By going back to our roots, Lamar Park fits the bill,” she said.
The carnival will be open through May 7 and feature activities for the entire family.
A staple in the city for more than 30 years, proceeds from the carnival will be split between the Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department and the Greater Wyoming Community Resource Alliance (GWCRA). GWRCA funds support youth scholarships and youth and family programming through the Parks and Recreation Department. The GWCRA will also distribute funds to the community through its annual grant making process.
“We hope that the community will join in supporting these two great causes,” Rynbrandt said. “The Parks and Recreation Department and the GWCRA provides services and funding that benefit children, families and non-profit organizations throughout Wyoming.”
The Spring Carnival runs from April 28 – May 7 with its hours being 4 – 8 p.m. Monday – Thursday; 2 – 8 p.m. Friday, and noon – 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The carnival will feature entertainment for all ages, including games, prizes, and carnival fare favorites. A spectrum of rides will be available for carnival-goers, from crowd pleasers, such as a carousel and Ferris Wheel to the adrenaline-inducing Mega Drop and Wipe Out. Unlimited ride wristbands will be available daily for $20.
The Spring Carnival is made possible through the work of the City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation and TJ Schmidt. For information, contact the Wyoming Parks and Recreation at 616-530-3164.
Metro Health – University of Michigan Health hosts a Drug Take Back Day event Saturday, April 29.
University of Michigan Health, in partnership with the City of Wyoming Environmental Services and the Kent County Safe Meds Program, is hosting a Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“Metro Health – University of Michigan Health is proud to provide this service to the community,” said Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer Floyd Wilson, Jr. “Returning unused or expired medicines is the responsible thing to do. Proper disposal of expired or unused drugs is a matter of public safety and public health.
“When drugs are thrown away or flushed, the chemicals in them can get into our water supply and soil. Additionally, it can be dangerous for individuals to use expired medicines or creams. By providing this service to the West Michigan community, we are all working together to keep our homes and families safe.”
All drugs are accepted at this event. They do not have to be in original containers. If they are in original containers, confidential bins will be used to dispose of those containers. The Wyoming Department of Public Safety participates in the event to ensure the safe disposal of the medicines.
Additionally, the Drug Enforcement Administration requires the presence of law enforcement at events like this. No questions will be asked of anyone bringing in any type of medication at this event. Furthermore, no paperwork is required and no signatures are collected.
“We hope area families will take advantage of this free service,” Wilson said. “We appreciate the support from our partner, the Wyoming Department of Public Safety, who join us in ensuring the proper disposal of medicines.”
Metro Health – University of Michigan Health has hosted Drug Take Back Days since 2011. Since then, more than 3,712 pounds of drugs have been collected from the community. In April 2016, 384.35 pounds of drugs were collected along with 60 pounds of mercury. And, in October 2016, 366 pounds of drugs, along with one pound of mercury thermometers were collected.
The Wyoming Department of Public Safety is pleased to announce the first Citizen’s Academy for the spring of 2017. This academy is specifically designed for clergy and leadership staff from local churches. This series of presentations will describe and provide rationale for several services performed by the City of Wyoming and the Wyoming Department of Public Safety. There will be presentations about Public Safety functions followed by an open forum designed to promote meaningful discussions about community service, outreach and other issues faced by various segments of our community.
Members of the Wyoming Department of Public Safety have a strong desire to form meaningful relationships with the community it serves. Clergy members are important stakeholders in this process as well as valuable allies in creating a vibrant community dynamic. We hope that by working in tandem, we can develop and grow meaningful relationships built on trust based on our respective spheres of influence.
Schedule Week One (May 9)
Welcome by department staff/administration, Department Mission and Accreditation (CALEA), Program goals, Outreach, Community Needs, Service Model, Explanation of Police Services, Investigative Bureau, Patrol Operations, Administrative Operations, Building Tour, Open discussion forum for input from audience.
Week Two (May 16)
TACT/CNT operations, K9 demonstration, Forensics Unit, Open discussion forum for input from audience.
Week Three (May 23)
City Administration, 62A District Court Services, Fire Administration, Firearms Simulator, Open discussion forum for input from audience.
If you are interested in attending, please RSVP with Sgt. Brian Look with the Wyoming Department of Public Safety Community Services Unit and fill out a short application. Sgt. Look can be contacted in person at the Department, at 616-257-9711 or email: lookb@wyomingmi.gov
Kent County will have new voting machines in place by wall of this year. (Supplied)
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
Kent County, and the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood, will have new voting machines in place by later this year as part of a Michigan state-wide upgrade of voting machines — and City of Wyoming clerk Kelli VandenBerg says she is pleased with the selection process and anticipates local voters will be pleased with their new experience.
Voting machines in the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood will look similar to ones the public is used to, but they will be more “user friendly”. (Supplied)
“Any resident who has voted in the precinct will notice that this is new equipment – but that doesn’t mean there will be a steep learning curve or longer lines at the polls,” VandenBerg said in an interview with WKTV. “One of the key aspects in selecting this particular vendor is that the technology is much improved over our old equipment. This equipment is also much more user friendly.”
After a months-long review and selection process, and after the State of Michigan approved three qualified vendors, Kent County Clerk and Register of Deeds Lisa Posthumus Lyons recently announced Dominion Voting Systems, Inc. as the vendor of choice for Kent County’s purchase of new election equipment.
According to a press release from the county clerk’s office , the new voting machines will first be used by all local voting bodies in Kent County starting with the November 2017 election. Some clerks across the state reportedly plan to use their new machines as early as the August 2017 election. All municipalities are required to have the new machines in place by the August 2018 election.
“My priority for Kent County’s new election system is to provide high quality equipment, the assurance of security, and a positive experience for the voter; each of the systems we considered would accomplish this in unique ways,” Lyons said in supplied material. “At the end of the day, my decision came down to the reliability and customer service for which Dominion is known, and its partnership with ElectionSource, an election services provider located right here in Kent County, which also has a proven track record for first class service.”
Lyons said here decision was based on input from local municipal clerks; improved features of the machines and software, including election-night result reporting for the public; high-speed absentee ballot-counting capabilities for local jurisdictions; and overall cost. Working with a local vender was also high on her list.
“We are supporting our local economy by working with a business located in our own back yard,” Lyons said in the press release.
“Kent County is very fortunate that our Elections Director (Susan deSteiguer) was involved in the committee that did the review,” Wyoming clerk VandenBerg told WKTV. “We also have our new County Clerk with Lisa Posthumus Lyons (involved). I understand her process was very thorough — she took a lot of notes and asked a lot of great questions. Kent County was well-represented in the selection process, and I am very comfortable with how we chose the new equipment.”
Girls water polo is on tap for WKTV featured coverage this week.
By Mike Moll
WKTV Sports
The WKTV truck and the crews will continue to bring various events to the airwaves this spring and this week we will be at East Kentwood covering girls water polo — twice!
The tentative April schedule for WKTV coverage concludes with:
Tuesday, April 25 Water polo, Grand Haven @ East Kentwood
Thursday, April 27 Water Polo West Ottawa @ East Kentwood
Each game will be broadcast that night on Live Wire Comcast Channel 24 at 10:30 p.m. throughout the Grand Rapids Metro Area and repeat on later in the week — the Tuesday games will be rebroadcast Wednesdays at 5 p.m., and the Wednesday and Thursday games will be rebroadcast Saturdays at 11 a.m. — on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 in Wyoming & Kentwood.
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week in April, and any changes to the WKTV feature game schedule, see now.wktv.org/sports/
The complete list of local high school sports events this week due to spring break is as follows:
Monday, April 24
Boys Golf
South Christian @ Middleville T-K – OK Gold Jamboree @ Yankee Springs
The City of Wyoming Tree Commission accepts the city’s new Tree USA designation at the Tree City Awards in Lansing earlier this month.
The Arbor Day Foundation named The City of Wyoming a 2016 Tree City USA in honor of its commitment to effective urban forest management. Wyoming achieved Tree City USA recognition by meeting the program’s four requirements: a tree board or department, a tree-care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.
“Tree City USA communities see the impact an urban forest has in a community firsthand,” said Dan Lambe, president of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Additionally, recognition brings residents together and creates a sense of community pride, whether it’s through volunteer engagement or public education.”
Wyoming began its quest to attain Tree City USA status in February 2016 when a group of committed residents formed The Tree Amigos. Wyoming commissioners voted in July 2016 to formally establish them as the Wyoming Tree Commission. The Tree Amigos are celebrating Arbor Day 2017 with three events:
Arbor Day Tree Planting and Proclamation by Mayor Jack Poll at City Hall, 1:30 p.m. Thursday, April 20. DeHamer Brothers Landscaping has donated a ten-foot tall serviceberry tree to commemorate this very special occasion.
Arbor Day Tree Education event with 60 Kellogsville students at Ideal Park, 5843 Crippen Ave SW, 49548 at 1 p.m. Friday, April 28. In addition to educational activities, the Kelloggsville Pep Band will play. The Tree Amigos will present each student a blue spruce sapling – and careful directions for its care.
Presentation of Tree City USA Award and flag to Wyoming City Council at City Hall, 7 p.m. Monday, May 1. The Tree Amigos will make a five-minute presentation and update to the City council.
Trees provide multiple benefits to a community when properly planted and maintained. They improve the visual appeal of a neighborhood, increase property values, reduce home energy costs, remove air pollutants and provide wildlife habitat, among many other benefits.
The Wyoming Tree Commission, nick-named The Tree Amigos, seeks to develop and promote programs that maintain and improve Wyoming’s tree assets in our city’s public and private properties. We strive to foster a healthy, species-diverse tree canopy that meets or exceeds coverage percentages suggested by the Michigan DNR, U.S. Forest Service and National Association of State Foresters.
The high school baseball and softball seasons are starting up on Wyoming and Kentwood area. (WKTV)
By Mike Moll
WKTV Sports
The WKTV truck and the crews will continue to bring various events to the airwaves this spring and this week we will be at South Christian for a baseball game and at Godwin Heights for a softball — and check out next week’s schedule of water polo coverage!
The tentative April schedule for WKTV coverage is:
Tuesday, April 18 Baseball, Wyoming @ South Christian
Thursday, April 20 Softball Union @ Godwin Heights
Tuesday, April 25 Water polo, Grand Haven @ East Kentwood
Thursday, April 27 Water Polo West Ottawa @ East Kentwood
Each game will be broadcast that night on Live Wire Comcast Channel 24 at 10:30 p.m. throughout the Grand Rapids Metro Area and repeat on later in the week — the Tuesday games will be rebroadcast Wednesdays at 5 p.m., and the Wednesday and Thursday games will be rebroadcast Saturdays at 11 a.m. — on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 in Wyoming & Kentwood.
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week in April, and any changes to the WKTV feature game schedule, see now.wktv.org/sports/
The complete list of local high school sports events this week due to spring break is as follows:
Monday, April 17
Boys Golf
South Christian @ Forest Hills Invite – Egypt Valley
East Kentwood @ Forest Hills Invite – Egypt Valley
Girls Tennis
Wyoming @ South Christian
Kelloggsville @ Calvin Christian
East Kentwood @ Byron Center
Boys Lacrosse
Comstock Park @ South Christian
Girls Soccer
South Christian @ Wayland
Kelloggsville @ Wyoming Lee
Hopkins @ Godwin Heights
East Grand Rapids @ Wyoming
Boys Baseball
Godwin Heights @ Calvin Christian
West Michigan Aviation @ Tri-Unity Christian – DH
Potter’s House @ Kelloggsville – DH
NorthPointe Christian @ Wyoming Lee
Girls Softball
Godwin Heights @ Calvin Christian
NorthPointe Christian @ Wyoming Lee – DH
Tuesday April 18
Boys Baseball
Wyoming @ South Christian – DH
Holland Black River @ Potter’s House – DH
Zion Christian @ Saranac – DH
East Kentwood @ West Ottawa – DH
West Michigan Lutheran @ Three Oaks River Valley
Girls Softball
Wyoming @ South Christian – DH
East Kentwood @ West Ottawa – DH
Girls Soccer
Godwin Heights @ Potter’s House
Wellsprings Prep @ Tri-Unity Christian
Union @ West Michigan Aviation
Zion Christian @ Calvary Christian
West Ottawa @ East Kentwood
Boys Golf
East Kentwood @ Grand Haven – OK Red Jamboree
Boys/Girls Track
East Kentwood @ Grandville
Wyoming Lee @ Belding
Girls Water Polo
East Kentwood @ Hudsonville
Wednesday April 19
Boys Golf
South Christian @ Christian – OK Gold Jamboree @ Quail Ridge
Wyoming @ Christian – OK Gold Jamboree @ Quail Ridge
High school baseball and softball seasons are in full swing. Check out a ball game. (WKTV)
By Mike Moll
sports@wktv.org
Spring weather, and spring high school, sports are now in full swing — “Play Ball! So, if you are looking for a Wyoming and Kentwood area high school varsity sports event to get out to, here is your weekly list.
Monday, April 10
Boys baseball
Hopkins @ Kelloggsville
Wyoming Lee @ Godwin Heights
Girls softball
Hopkins @ Kelloggsville – DH
Wyoming Lee @ Godwin Heights – DH
Tuesday, April 11
Girls Tennis
Cookie Invite @ South Christian
Jenison @ Wyoming
Boys Baseball
South Christian @ FH Eastern – DH
Middleville T-K @ Wyoming – DH
Tri-Unity Christian @ Potter’s House – DH
West Michigan Aviation @ Bloomingdale – DH
Grand River Prep @ Zion Christian
Grandville @ East Kentwood – DH
Girls Softball
South Christian @ FH Eastern – DH
Coopersville @ Godwin Heights
Middleville T-K @ Wyoming – DH
Girls Soccer
South Christian @ FH Eastern
Kelloggsville @ Tri-Unity Christian
Middleville T-K @ Wyoming
Hope Academy @ West Michigan Aviation
Potter’s House @ Zion Christian
Caledonia @ East Kentwood
Boys Golf
Kelloggsville @ Hastings – Scrimmage
Boys/Girls Track
Godwin Heights @ Calvin Christian
West Michigan Aviation @ Wyoming Lee
Girls Water Polo
Portage Central @ East Kentwood
Wednesday, April 12
Boys Golf
South Christian @ Calvin Christian
East Kentwood @ Grandville – OK Red Jamboree
Girls Tennis
South Christian @ FH Eastern
Union @ Kelloggsville
Middleville T-K @ Wyoming
Boys/Girls Track
South Christian @ Christian
Boys Lacrosse
South Christian @ Zeeland
Boys Baseball
Kelloggsville @ NorthPointe Christian
Godwin Heights @ Belding
FH Central @ Wyoming
Girls Softball
Kelloggsville @ NorthPointe Christian
Godwin Heights @ Belding
FH Central @ Wyoming – DH
Girls Soccer
Godwin Heights @ Calvin Christian
NorthPointe Christian @ Wyoming Lee
Girls Water Polo
Grandville @ East Kentwood
Thursday, April 13
Boys Golf
South Christian – Kent County Classic @ Thornapple Pointe
East Kentwood – Kent County Classic @ Thornapple Pointe
Boys Baseball
FH Eastern @ South Christian
Wyoming @ Middleville T-K
Covenant Christian @ Tri-Unity Christian
Grand Rapids Crusaders @ Zion Christian
East Kentwood @ Grandville
Holland Calvary @ Wyoming Lee – DH
Girls Softball
Caledonia @ South Christian – DH
Wyoming @ Grandville
Unity Christian @ East Kentwood
Boys Lacrosse
Muskegon Reeths-Puffer @ South Christian
Girls Soccer
Wyoming @ South Christian
Kelloggsville @ Union
Potter’s House @ Tri-Unity Christian
Grand River Prep @ Zion Christian
Boys/Girls Track
Wyoming Lee @ Kelloggsville
Hopkins @ Godwin Heights
East Grand Rapids @ Wyoming
Rockford @ East Kentwood
Girls Tennis
@ East Kentwood – EK Quad
Friday, April 14
Boys Golf
Wyoming @ Kelloggsville
Girls Softball
Western Michigan Christian @ Kelloggsville
Girls Soccer
West Ottawa @ Wyoming
West Michigan Aviation @ Wyoming Lee
Northview @ East Kentwood
Girls Water Polo
East Kentwood @ Jenison
Saturday, April 15
Boys/Girls Track
South Christian @ Unity Christian
Kelloggsville @ Coopersville – Bronco Classic
Wyoming @ Comstock Park
West Michigan Aviation @ Lakewood – Lakewood Invitational
East Kentwood @ Mansfield/Mehock Relays
Boys Baseball
South Christian @ East Kentwood – EK Invite
Kelloggsville @ Wyoming – Wyoming Tournament
Godwin Heights @ Wyoming – Wyoming Tournament-
Wyoming Lee @ Union – DH
Girls Softball
South Christian @ East Kentwood – EK Invite
Girls Tennis
South Christian @ East Kentwood
Kelloggsville @ Wyoming – Wyoming Invitational
Girls Water Polo
East Kentwood @ Jenison
Sunday, April 16
EASTER SUNDAY
Monday, April 17
Boys Golf
South Christian @ Forest Hills Invite – Egypt Valley
East Kentwood @ Forest Hills Invite – Egypt Valley
The City of Wyoming Department of Public Safety honored its police and firefighter personnel, as well as civilians, at an award ceremony late last month. (WKTV)
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
Wyoming Department of Public Safety Director James Carmody, addressing a standing-room-only crowd at the department’s annual award ceremony late last month, made clear his feelings on the role his police and fire personnel have in the Wyoming community.
“Tonight you will hear stories of unselfish acts of bravery, generosity, compassion and guy-wrenching determination,” Carmody said at the Feb. 23 event at the Wyoming Senior Center. “The events we speak of tonight are just a few of the many thousands of times that our men and women step into the breach of danger and work to keep our city a safe and comfortable place to live, work and play.”
While the evening honored all of the long list of winners of Certificates of Merit, Certificates of Achievement, Life Saving Awards and individual and unit commendations, the highlights of the evening were the five personnel who gained special honors. (See complete list here.)
Ofc. Carmen Morales was honored as Officer of the Year, Firefighter Lance Bowman was recognized as Firefighter of the Year, Milt Zaagman was honored as Civilian of the Year, and Det. D.J. VerHage and Firefighter Brad Dornbos each received the Chiefs Award of Professional Excellence.
Each of the five had their stories told and, afterword talking with WKTV, reacted to their awards.
Officer of the Year
Ofc. Morales has been with the department for more than 20 years, serving as a patrol officer, a detective and now in the warrant unit. She has been a long-serving member of the peer support group and awards boards. Carmody, in supplied material, described her as “passionate about bringing justice to the victims of crime and believes in the dignity of all. Her unwavering commitment to professional policing, her fellow officers and the community makes her someone we can all be proud to represent us as our Officer of the Year.”
Ofc. Carmen Morales (WKTV)
The award “means a lot to me,” Ofc. Morales said. “Number One: I was chosen from my peers. … I have been with the city of Wyoming for 25 years, so I have dedicated myself to this department for 25 years, even though I consider them my family. It means a job well done, for me. I have been in so many units in this department, that I have to say I am glad I was chosen for this award and not for one specific thing I have done for the city of Wyoming but for a collaboration of things.”
“Tonight’s special honorees have been recognized by their peers, this is a peer-driven process,” Carmody said of the award process. “The awards you see tonight are recommended and voted on by their peers.”
Firefighter of the Year
Firefighter Lance Bowman (WKTV)
Firefighter Bowman has served as the director of the Wyoming Public Safety Fire Divisions Quarter Master Program since its creation in 2014. He is responsible for providing clothing and equipment for full-time, part-time, dual trained and on call firefighters. Of Bowman, Carmody said, in supplied material: “We commend him for his bravery and thank him for his service. His commitment to the department and his continued display of courage in emergencies serves as an exemplary role model for his peers.”
“I am very pleased to accept this award from my peers that I work with everyday,” Bowman said.
Civilian of the Year
Milt Zaagman is congratulated by Wyoming Department of Public Safety Director James Carmody (WKTV)
Zaagman, a building maintenance worker for the City of Wyoming, has served the community for over 40 years and remains an integral part of keeping the department operating successfully. “Milt defines responsibility,” a release by the Pubic Safety Department stated. “He is often seen before the sunrises and on days off shoveling the sidewalks or sweeping leaves from garages, according to a peer panel evaluation. He is highly respected among his peers. His name is synonymous with kindness, respect, service and selflessness throughout the department.”
“I have 41 years with the City of Wyoming, with the police department,” Zaagman said. “Back in the ’60s, when I was in the military, I understood exactly what a brotherhood and sisterhood was, and I have felt accepted and felt that same thing with all these years with the Wyoming police department.”
Chiefs Awards of Professional Excellence
Firefighter Brad Dornbos (WKTV)
Dornbos, the fire divisions emergency medical technician coordinator, established a mutually supportive relationship with Metro Health. This partnership led to a $10,000 grant, which allowed the department to purchase advanced medical equipment and fund the training of their full-time firefighters as EMTs. “Brads dedication to improved service has been instrumental in enabling our department to save more lives,” Carmody said in supplied material. “The ability to provide improved services to our residents and our community is because of his hard work.”
“It is an honor to receive the award,” Dornbos said. “It’s definitely a team effort amongst my lieutenant, chief, and our crew that we all work together… it’s a reaffirmation that we’re doing the right thing and moving forward to help the citizens of Wyoming and hopefully save more lives with the upgraded licensure and with the future accreditation coming forward.”
Det. D.J. VerHage (WKTV)
VerHage has served on the department for 24 years and has been forefront on many of its most important criminal cases. “Detective VerHage has been a top candidate of this award many times, but this year was his year,” Carmody said in supplied material. “Each day he embodies our values of honor, courage, duty and trust through his determination and dedication.”
“It is very humbling. The chief was very gracious, by what he said,” VerHage said. “I am very thankful and grateful for my coworkers, everybody I get to work with. This is a team effort and anything that I did is only possible because of my coworkers and everybody that helps out with every case. Every complaint, everything that comes into the police department from our civilians, to all of our police officers, detectives, and the admin as well. It’s very nice what he said and very gracious and there’s many many more deserving of this award, so, thank you.”
For more information on the City of Wyoming Department of Public Safety, visit the city’s new website at wyomingmi.gov .
WKTV’s high school sports coverage crew was at Monday night’s tipoff of the opening round of the MHSAA district tournament at Godwin Heights. We will be there for the finals Friday. (WKTV)
WKTV Staff
This week WKTV’s featured Friday night high school sports event will be the finals of the boys MHSAA Basketball Basketball District 50 tournament at Wyoming Godwin Heights.
In Monday opening-round games, tournament host Godwin Heights had an easy time in a 80-32 win over West Michigan Aviation Academy, and (in WKTV’s covered feature game) Wyoming Kellogsville scored a 87-49 win over Kentwood’s Grand River Prep.
Tonight (Thursday, March 9) games will find Kellogsville (now 18-3) trying to avoid the upset by Wyoming-Lee (10-10) in the 6 p.m. game. Then Godwin Heights (20-1) will face off with Grand Rapids South Christian (10-10) at 8 p.m.
The winners of those games will play Friday, with WKTV cameras on hand, for the District title and a berth in the Region 11 Regional Tournament next week.
Th game will be aired that night on Live Wire 24 at 10:30 p.m. and repeat Saturday at 11 a.m. on WKTV 25 and AT&T U-verse 99.
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action in January, see now.wktv.org/sports/
DVDs and Blue-Rays of each game are also available for purchase at $20 including shipping. For more information, visit WKTV.org
The City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department is taking registrations for its spring softball leagues. (WKTV)
WKTV Staff
The deadline is looming for signing up for the City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department’s spring-season adult soft-pitch softball leagues, which includes both coed and men’s leagues.
Registration deadline for adult softball leagues is Thursday, March 16.
The coed league will play Mondays and Fridays while the men’s league will play Mondays and Thursdays. These are both 10-game leagues with a $475 cost per team. An additional men’s league, running Mondays and Tuesdays, will be a 12-game league and with a $525 cost per team. They will all include a single-elimination tournament at the end of regular season.
For more information, or to register your team, please contact recreation programmer Kenny Westrate at 616.530.3164 or westratek@wyomingmi.gov.
For more information about other Parks and Recreation special events or programs, please visit www.wyomingmi.gov.
Hoop Heaven Basketball Academy will be holding introductory events this month and in April. (Supplied)
WKTV Staff
Wyoming’s Hoop Heaven Basketball Academy recently announced several youth basketball programs, including a March 11 trial event of its Travel Ball League Play and the Saturday afternoon Biddy Ball program starting in April.
Hoop Heaven events are held at the Elevation Church, 2141B Porter St. SW. The program’s mission, according to supplied material, is “Pursuing gospel transformation and leadership development in Wyoming area youth through the game of basketball.”
The Travel Ball League Play event on March 11 will start at 1 p.m. and is for both boys and girls grades 3-12. The cost of tryout is $5 per players and you must pre-register. For registration and more information on this event contact Phyllis Harder at 616-498-1128, email her at phyllis@elevationhoopheaven.org or visit their website at elevationhoopheaven.org or visit them on Facebook at /hoopheavenbasketballacademy
The Biddy Ball program will run April 15 through May 13 and is open to both boys and girls K-2nd grade. Both friend (of teams) and entire team requests will be considered. The cost if $55 per child, with partial scholarships available, which includes a t-shirt. For more information contact Eric Vandyke at 616-272-6244, email him at ericvandyke15@gmail.com or visit elevationhoopheaven.com .
Wyoming High School inducted five student athletes, some from Rogers and some from Wyoming Park high schools, into its athletic Hall of Fame. (WKTV)
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
When cross-town athletic rivals Wyoming Park and Rogers high schools combined to form the current Wyoming High School, two athletic traditions were combined and a new one was born.
That shared past and unified present was honored early this month as five one-time students athletes were inducted into the Wyoming High School athletic Hall of Fame.
The ceremony was held Feb. 10, between home boys and girls basketball games. Those inducted included Andy Vavere, Laura Erdmans Readle, Doug Chappell, Kim Blouw Norden and Eric Taylor.
For many of the inductees, it was not only night to be honored but to remember high school athletic careers and experiences still remembered fondly — including one where cross-town athletic competition led to a union of a different kind.
Andy Vavere, Rogers High Class of 1980, was not only a standout football, basketball and baseball athlete — highlighted by the basketball team’s deep runs into the state tournament in 1979 and 1980 — but he also met his future wife during his high school years.
Andy Vavere (WKTV)
“My favorite (athletic) memories were our tournament runs we had in 1979 and 1980. We were regional finalists in ’79 and semifinalists in ’80,” Vavere said. Rogers was 21-4 the first year and 21-5 the second.
During those years, Vavere was an OK Red all-conference baseball player in 1979, an all-conference quarterback in 1980, and a all-conference basketball player in both years. He was also the 1980 Adrian Allen Athlete of the Year Award winner.
But the longest lasting memory was meeting his wife, Margaret, who attended his school’s arch rival.
“I was a senior at Rogers High School in 1980 and she was at Wyoming Park, a competitive school, and we met through competition,” he said. “I started dating Margaret in 1979 and we got married in 1989.”
And, Vavere admitted, it was always a challenge to face Wyoming Park on the field: “Absolutely, those guys were great,” he said.
Running into the Hall of Fame
One of those “great” Wyoming Park athletes was cross country and track runner Kim Blouw, Class of 1990.
Blouw, who later graduated from Central Michigan University, was track all-state each of her four years of high school, and was an all-state cross country runner her junior and senior years. She held school records in the 800, 1,600, 3,200-meter runs as well as in the 2-mile relay run. And she was part of a state champion 2-mile relay team one year.
But, maybe, the highlife of her high school career was spring track practice after a 16-hour bus ride to Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Kim Blouw Norden (WKTV)
“I guess my favorite memories about high school would be my two coaches, Mr. (Frank) Grimm and Mr. (Dick) Locke, and traveling to South Carolina to go to Myrtle Beach, becoming a team, but not only a team but becoming a family,” Blouw said.
She also credits her family, both at home and on the Wyoming Park athletic teams, for keeping her focused and successful in her high school years.
“What made me do that was that I had two great parents who instilled a really good value system in us, myself and my brother,” she said. “I had really great coaches that really emphasized the importance of never giving up. I had a goal, and my goal was to go to college. And I was blessed with the ability to run. … So many people believed in me, encouraged me to excel in my career as a track and cross country runner. I embraced that.”
Three more honored with induction
Eric Taylor, Wyoming Park Class of 1988, had a basketball career that not only brought success to his high school, but to his college and professional teams as a player, and then carried him back nearly to full-circle as a high school basketball coach.
Taylor was an all-conference and all-state player his last two years at Wyoming Park, then played basketball and earned a degree at Oakland University. He went on to play professionally in Europe, winning multiple championships, and earn his masters degree from Grand Valley State University. He now coaches varsity basketball at Grand Rapids Christian High School.
“My passion is giving back to students and to influence their lives in a positive way everyday,” Taylor said in supplied material. “It’s about the legacy to reach, teach, love and support all students and be an example and a role everyday for all students.”
Doug Chappel, Rogers Class of 1979, died in 2012 but left a mark on the basketball record books both at his high school and at University of Detroit. He was a multi-sport athlete but starred on the basketball court in high school — including being all-conference three years, all state two years including being one of the top five players in the state his senior year, and scoring 1,300 points while grabbing more than 700 rebounds. He then played four years of college ball at Detroit, scoring nearly 1,200 points and gaining all-league honors.
Laura Readle, Wyoming Park Class of 1981, was a multi-sport athlete, including all-conference honors multiple years in volleyball, basketball and track. She was a rebounding machine on the basketball court, averaging 29 rebounds a game one year, and a record-braking sprinter on the track. She went on to gain her bachelors and masters degrees from Aquinas College, coached AAU basketball for 10 years and is now the track coach at Tri-County High School.
She also still runs, and runs and runs — including finishing marathons, ½ marathons, triathlons and the 25K River Bank run spread out over 30 years, and recently participated in a 5-hour adventure race. And the track for Wyoming Park, at Godwin High School, is still one of her favorite memories.
She remembers “when the only track that was ‘rubberized’ not cinder, in the late ’70s, at Godwin High School … every track meet all 8 schools in our conference would be there,” Readle said in supplied material. “I met many wonderful friends from all the other schools in our conference and I am still friends with many of them today. It is also where I met my husband. Many, many happy memories!”
Hockey at East Kentwood High School is on tap for Saturday coverage by the WKTV crew.
WKTV Staff
This week in WKTV’s featured high school sport games, the coverage crew will be at East Kentwood for girls basketball game against Hudsonville on Tuesday, Feb. 21, and then at East Kentwood for a hockey game against Forest Hills Central on Saturday, Feb. 25.
WKTV videos and broadcasts several games each week during high school sports season.
Each Tuesday game will be broadcast that night on Live Wire Comcast Channel 24 at 10:30 p.m. throughout the Grand Rapids Metro Area and repeat on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 in Wyoming & Kentwood. Every Friday game will be aired that night on Live Wire 24 at 10:30 p.m. and repeat Saturday at 11 a.m. on WKTV 25 and AT&T U-verse 99.
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action in January, see now.wktv.org/sports/
DVDs and Blue-Rays of each game are also available for purchase at $20 including shipping. For more information, visit WKTV.org
The Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s monthly Government Matters Committee meeting will be Monday, Feb. 13, from 8-9 a.m. at Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St SW, at the corner of 28th and Michael Avenue SW.
The meetings alternate between Wyoming City Hall and Kentwood City Hall.
The meeting, where chamber officials meet with local, county and state government officials, is free and open to the public. It will also be recorded by WKTV community television for viewing.
The Feb. 13 meeting will be delayed broadcast on WKTV community television Channel 26 on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. until the next Government Matters Committee meeting. It is also available on-demand at wktv.viebit.com
For more information on the chamber visit southkent.org.
The mostly empty Site36 industrial area off 36th Street SW in Wyoming, from the marketing material of Franklin Partners. (Supplied)
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
Late last year, the City of Wyoming signed an agreement with Franklin Partners, based in the Chicago area but with an office in Grand Rapids, to ramp-up redevelopment of an abandoned General Motors metal stamping plant, the Site36 industrial area off 36th Street SW just east of Highway 131.
One of the possible layouts of Site36 site off 36th Street SW in Wyoming, from the marketing material of Franklin Partners. (Supplied)
While the company is pushing forward with a marketing campaign, including drawings depicting multiple possible industrial uses and building layouts for possible sales or lease of portions of the about 92-acre property, Wyoming City Manager Curtis Holt says the city’s goals have not changed — they want the land redeveloped into industrial uses to take advantage of already in-place infrastructure.
The city also continues to be motivated to work with businesses looking at the site, including tax incentives and other actions.
Wyoming City Manager Curtis Holt. (WKTV
“We are not looking for leasing options; we are looking for sales,” Holt said this week. “That doesn’t mean the Franklin Partners will not offer that as an option with them holding ownership of a particular site. The purpose of the marketing material is more about showing people what is possible and opening potential owners eyes to ideas that they may not have considered.”
Also according to Franklin Partners marketing materials, “The City of Wyoming is motivated to attract new jobs and can offer significant state and local tax incentives to attract large users to the site. … The City has also indicated that it is willing to provide an industrial facilities tax abatement (IFT) for future industrial development. This allows for a nearly 50% abatement of future property taxes on new buildings for up to twelve (12) years. The existence of both a brownfield plan and the City’s expressed willingness to work with future owners/tenants on these and other incentives sets this site apart from others.”
Holt says the incentives are also nothing new, as far as the city’s efforts to redevelop the site.
“This city has a track record of being very supportive of our business community,” Holt said. “We all have maintained the same principles about Site 36 from the very beginning. Our main goal is jobs, specifically quality jobs available to our residents. With jobs, other indirect benefits will be realized by the city.”
The site, with about 80 acres of “contiguous, shovel ready, manufacturing infrastructure,” according to Franklin Partners, is between Clay and Buchanan avenues south of 36th. According to multiple sources, it was purchased by the city’s Brownfield Redevelopment Authority in 2010, after GM closed the plant in 2006 ending nearly 70 years of operation.
According to Holt, the City Council has had no additional discussion with Franklin Partners “since the agreement was executed to work with them as the developer of the site,” but “I know that Franklin Partners is continuing to work on marketing, site preparation and generating potential contacts as they begin to market the site.”
Franklin reportedly plans to remove a pedestrian bridge over 36th Street, built to connect the GM plant to a parking lot north of 36th Street, as well as to clean up the site after years of accumulated undergrowth and debris.
One of the possible layouts of Site36 site off 36th Street SW in Wyoming, from the marketing material of Franklin Partners. (Supplied)
According to Franklin Partners marketing materials, the site — in addition to its access to US-131 and the Grand Elk Railroad yard — has its own Consumers Energy sub-station with up to 41 megawatt of dedicated power at T-1 rates, and can accommodate new facilities from 100,000 square feet up to 1,000,000 square feet. High-pressure natural gas and municipal water and sewer are also available on-site.
The city had been working with local entries The Right Place and NAI Wisinski, but, after being on the market for about four years, leaders expect that bringing Franklin Partners into the mix will get the effort moving once again.
“Franklin Partners’ history and reputation in West Michigan are very good,” Holt said. “We have worked with Franklin Partners on several projects and found them to be professional, knowledgeable and well connected. They have experience working with us and the projects we have worked together on have been extremely successful. We believe that relationship will assist us in redevelopment of the site.”
Is was cold in Bloomington, Minn., in 2013 when people lined up outside a soon-to-open Chick-fil-A; it likely will be cold in Gaines Twp. when a new store opens this week. (Supplied)
WKTV Staff
A Chick-fil-A restaurant will be coming to Wyoming soon, but those who want their first taste of the menu can sample it this week as the first of several West Michigan franchises opens on Thursday, Jan. 12.
This week’s opening is at 1545 Edgeknoll Dr., S.E., off the M-6 and Kalamazoo Avenue exit, just south of Wyoming city line in Gaines Township. The City of Wyoming store, located at 700 54th St., S.W, is currently scheduled for a February opening.
As with other store openings nationwide, the Gaines Township store will also provide an opportunity for 100 people to win free meals for a year, as well as the ability for the community to donate books to a local youth organization, according to supplied material.
According to supplied material, the “First 100” party is a “family friendly” event where people will line up — even camp out overnight — to earn a meal a week for a year. The event is open to persons residing in specific zip codes surrounding the restaurant. (Eligible zip codes and rules are available at www.chick-fil-a.com/Locations/Openings).
The donated books will be place in a “Book House” built from reclaimed wood, and will serve as a free library exchange. Chick-fil-A has collected more than 27,000 children’s books which have been donated to 162 local organizations since 2014, according to supplied material.
Just in time for the 80-degree weather, the City of Wyoming announced this morning that its splash pads will open today.
