Tag Archives: Kent Garden Club

Kent Garden Club helps honor those who serve with markers at the Michigan Veterans Home

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By Aaron Robins
WKTV Community Contributor

Gold Star father, John Burri, of Wyoming, poses in front of the Blue Star and Gold Star memorials. (WKTV/Aaron Robins)

More than 100 people gathered at the Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids this past Saturday for the Dedication Ceremony of Blue Star and Gold Star Memorial Markers to honor servicemen and women along with families that have lost loved ones who served.

In addition to hosting the event, the Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids and the Kent Garden Club worked together on the project. U.S. Army and Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids Member Council President Corporal Robert Troost and former Kent Garden Club President Kathy Wolverton played vital roles in bringing it all together. The two star memorials, one blue and one gold, were placed in a new memorial garden space to give veterans and visitors a place to reflect and meditate.

  

“I thought the display was a beautiful gathering of people coming together to not only honor those who have served but to dedicate this special place,” said Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss. “You know this home, the veterans home, has a rich history here in our city and to see this addition is just really special.”

  • The Blue Star and Gold Star Memorials at the Grand Rapids’ Home for Veterans (WKTV/Aaron Robins)
  • Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss next to the new memorials. (WKTV/Aaron Robins)
  • Kent Garden Club member and program co-chair Joan Tolley
  • Veterans and the community came out for the dedication. (WKTV/Aaron Robins)
  • Community members came out to celebrate the new Blue Star and Gold Star memorials. (WKTV/Aaron Robins)
  • Union High School JROTC Color Guard retiring colors. (WKTV/Aaron Robins)

Mayor Bliss delivered remarks from a stage in front of veterans and Gold Star families. She was joined by representatives for Congressman Peter Meijer and State Senator Winnie Brinks, Kent Garden Club organizers and retired military officers. Congressman Peter Meijer detonated an American flag that was flown over the U.S. Capitol building on September 11, 2021. District Director of Senator Winnie Brinks office Kate Kooyman revealed that the Grand Rapids Veterans Home will receive nearly $6.5 million for operating costs and $200,000 for upgraded security as a part of a budget passed by the Senate for the first phase of the upcoming fiscal year.

The ceremony also included Soloist Brandon Harris and the Northview High School Band giving a rendition of the national anthem, in addition to playing taps, and the Union High School JROTC Color Guard presenting and retiring colors.

Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce member Kristin Ruther serves as the first vice president of the Kent Garden Club. (WKTV/Aaron Robins)

“I say congratulations to the Blue Star and Gold Star garden club, to all the family members, to all the leadership,” said (retired) Major General Gregory Vadnais. “Thank you for what you do, it’s important work. It keeps it in the conscious of American communities, that’s what we need to do.”

Gold Star father and Wyoming resident John Burri, who lost his son Eric Todd Burri on June 7, 2005, while serving in Iraq, couldn’t help but be brought to tears during the ceremony. Burri shared that as a parent, Gold Star families, which are families who have lost an immediate family member while in active service, are always worried about our heroes being forgotten, adding that the dedication of the Gold Star reaffirms that they will not be. Blue Star represents those families with active members in service.

Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids provides long-term skilled nursing care for veterans and eligible family members. The Kent Garden Club is an organization that focuses on gardening education. To learn more about both organizations visit www.michigan.gov/mvh and kentgardenclub.org.

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

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Members of the Kent Garden Club will help to plant nine Kwanzan Cherry Trees this Saturday. (Photos provided by Cynthia Larson Burden of Photos by Bur'den.
Members of the Kent Garden Club will help to plant nine Kwanzan Cherry Trees this Saturday. (Photos provided by Cynthia Larson Burden of Photos by Bur’den.)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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