Tag Archives: Rogers Plaza

Popular outlet store moves two doors down at Rogers Plaza to bigger location

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, Local Business, Our Cities, , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

It was only 8:30 a.m. and customers already were lined up outside the new B2 location at Rogers Plaza on the chilly morning of Thursday, Feb. 24.

Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber President Keith Morgan (right) presents B2 co-owner Duane Smith a recognition certificate before the ribbon cutting ceremony for the store’s new Wyoming location. (WKTV)

The outlet store recently moved from a few spots down from 968 to 962, the former OfficeMax location. The space is three times more than its former location allowing the store to add furniture to the Wyoming location.

“This was something that we would not be able to have had in the old location,” said Rebecca Smith, who is the marketing and public relations manager for the B2 Outlet Stores.

Started in 2014, the B2 stores are designed around the concept of providing good deals to its customers while giving back to the community, said Duane Smith who along with his son Matt are co-owners of the stores.

“Hence the name B2,” Smith said. “It is to provide a benefit to customers while benefiting the community as well.”

Each B2 store partners with a local charitable organization. The Wyoming store has partnered with Lifeline Church. The stores also host a Mission of the Month program for nonprofit organizations that are aiming to help their communities locally and internationally. During a specific month that local organization is featured guests are asked if they would like to round up their purchase to support the organization.

B2 has donated back $1.25 million to local and global causes since 2014, helping more than 250 local organizations.

Shoppers finally get their chance to check out the new B2 Outlet Wyoming store. (WKTV)

There are now 23 B2 Outlet stores in Michigan and one in Illinois. The store sells clothing, home decor, gifts, food, toys, tools, household items, linens and pillows, cleaning supplies, back-to-school supplies, recreation goods, and seasonal items.

For more about B2, visit www.shopb2oulets.com.

Woodland Mall to be second main event site for 28th Street Metro Cruise

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The 28th Street Metro Cruise draws nearly 250,000 people to the annual event. This year, the event will have a second location at Woodland Mall. (Supplied)

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

The 28th Street Metro Cruise® organizers announced the expansion of the popular summertime event to include a second main event site at Kentwood’s Woodland Mall. 

Rogers Plaza has been the sole “official” site of Metro Cruise® for the past 10 years.  Attracting nearly 100,000 people in two days, the main site has grown significantly during the past few years. It now features more than 25 food vendors, 400 collector cars, kid’s entertainment area, Community Awards ceremony, Miss Metro Cruise® competition finale, five top area bands, and the popular Dynamometer car testing area where cars rev to 160 mph.

The new second main event site which will be located in the large southwest parking lot of the Woodland Mall, 3195 28thSt. SE, will be open Aug. 22 from 11 a.m to 8 p.m.  The Woodland Mall location will feature a wide array of collector, sports, and antique cars. It will also have multiple food vendors including popular local food trucks, entertainment for kid’s, and three local bands. A new feature unique to this site will be the Safe City elements – which will include an impaired driving course, jaws of life demonstration, and a distracted driving simulator.

Overall, Metro Cruise® draws nearly 250,000 people city-wide to dozens of events along 28thSt. With the expansion on the east side, those numbers are expected to be exceeded this year.

“We are very excited to increase the reach and footprint of Metro Cruise®”, said Bob O’Callaghan, President and CEO of the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce. “Our group has been researching this expansion for the past couple years, and the time is now right. This move allows us to have an official presence on the east side of 28th Street, while easing the very high attendance at the Rogers Plaza location.”

The partnership with the immediately recognizable location of the Woodland Mall was a major factor in this new partnership. “Our top choice for a site was the Woodland Mall,” O’Callagha said. “They are a major player along 28th Street.”

The Rogers Plaza site will remain the largest site of Metro Cruise®, with all elements returning for this year’s event, including a free shuttle service courtesy of the Rapid partnership. The famous Collector Car Row, the lineup of 200-plus show cars along 28th Street, will be featured each day. The Main Event at Rogers Plaza (972 28thStreet SW) will be Friday, Aug. 21 from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturday, Aug. 22 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The next big event for the Metro Cruise will be the annual Dust-Off which will take place May 4 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Wyoming Moose Lodge, 2630 Burlingame Ave. SW.

 

For more information and schedule of events visit www.28thstreetmetrocruise.com.  Follow the Metro Cruise on Facebook (f/metrocruise) and Instagram (@metrocruise). The 28th Street Metro Cruise® is owned and managed by the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce.

Residents, business owners ‘give back’ at annual City of Wyoming event

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, , , , ,
At last year’s Wyoming Gives Back, more than 700 toys were collected. (Photo by WKTV)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

It was a record breaking year for  Wyoming Gives Back in 2018 with the annual fundraising collecting more than 700 toys for the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree.

“It was awesome,” said City of Wyoming Administrative Assistant Jennifer Stowell, who helps to organize the annual event which this year will be Thursday, Dec. 5, from 6 – 8 p.m. at Rogers Plaza. “Because its our eighth year and people are aware of the event, attendees will go the day after Christmas to purchase the toys that are on sale and then they bring in garbage bags of toys to the event.”

Each year the City of Wyoming partners with local businesses to celebrate the holiday season and collect toys for the Salvation Army Angel Tree. Event attendees who bring a new, unwrapped toy as a donation to the Salvation Army Angel Tree will receive a raffle ticket in exchange for a chance to win prize packs that contain hundreds of dollars of gifts donated by Wyoming businesses.

Last year, local businesses donated about $4,000 in gift certificates and/or items to be raffled off as prize packages.

The jazz band from the Wyoming High School will once again close out the Wyoming Gives Back event. (Photo by WKTV)

“The businesses are extremely generous,” Stowell said. About 1,800 letters are sent out to Wyoming businesses in July and once again the businesses have put together some amazing prize packages for this year’s event, such as a tool chest full of tools donated by Rogers Plaza and a 40-inch TV donated Car City.

About 20 local businesses and organizations will be at the event. WKTV will be providing an opportunity for residents to record a free Holiday Greeting that will be available on the station’s YouTube channel, WKTV Videos.

 

Hosting this year’s event is Mayor Jack Poll who will be joined by Mayor Pro-Tem Sam Bolt and WOOD TV’s Eva Aguirre Cooper and, of course, Santa and Mrs. Claus will be stopping in for a visit. Also on hand will be firefighters and police officers from the Wyoming Department of Public Safety along with other city officials and staff.

Several school choirs and bands will be performing during the event. The Salvation Army Band will kick things off followed by the San Juan Academy. The Godwin Heights High School Choir will take the stage next, followed by the Kelloggsville High School Choir and then the Lee High School Varsity Voices Choir. Wrapping up the evening will be the Wyoming High School Jazz Band.

Cookies and hot chocolate will be provided by the Salvation Army Kroc Center.

The Dec. 5 event is free and open to the public. Rogers Plaza is located at 972 28th St. SW, along 28th Street between DeHoop and Clyde Park avenues.

All about those Green Stamps, one of the first loyalty shopping programs

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, , ,


By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

Loyalty programs, such as Meijer’s MPerks and Hallmark’s Gold Crown Rewards, have been around for a long time. In fact, you can trace the roots of these programs back to about 1896, when Sperry & Hutchinson started to offer its loyalty retail program to supermarkets, gas stations and stores in the form of small green stamps.

S&H Green Stamps were a common commodity with shoppers sometimes selecting a store based on if it offered the stamps or not.

“Back in the days of the 1950s and 1960s, I think the new homemakers of the day were attracted to this idea of getting some extra value to their purchases,” said Bill Branz, from the Wyoming Historical Commission and who oversees the Wyoming History Room at the KDL Wyoming Branch. “I remember my mother saving stamps and one of the most popular were S&H Green Stamps.”

Retailers would purchased the stamps from S&H and then give them away at a rate determined by the merchant. Stamps had values of one, 10, and 50 points. Shoppers would stick the stamps in books that had 24 pages. Filling a page required 50 points and a full book contained 1,200 points. Shoppers would then exchange filled books for premiums, including housewares and other items from a local Green Stamps store or catalog.

S&H Green Stamps would come in one, 10 and 50 point stamps. It took 50 points to fill a page in one souvenir book. It took 1,200 points to fill the 24-page book.

“You would take your books of Green Stamps, and hopefully they would not be falling out, and you would come in there and you would pick out maybe a toaster or something like that,” Branz said. 

One of the most well-known local Green Stamps provider was Rogers Department Store, which operated from 1955 to 2005, much of the time at 1001 28th St. SW, Wyoming. It is now where Advantage Solutions is located. Across the street, in the Rogers Plaza was a redemption center. 

“So it was a unique part of our local history,” Brantz said as he looks over a few books of Green Stamps along with other similar loyalty program products.

The recessions of the 1970s are credited to the decline of collecting stamps like these.

The recessions of the 1970s is credited to the decline of the stamps, which has pretty much disappeared in the 1980s. At one point, after the redemption center closed in Rogers Plaza, Rogers Department Store started redeeming the books of stamps for Rogers Cash to be used in the store. 

S&H Green Stamps still exist, online as S&H Greenpoints. The website is greenpoints.com, where you can still redeem the S&H Green Stamps, as long as you have 60 books or more.

If you would like to view the S&H Green Stamps or other Wyoming historical items, visit the Wyoming Historical Room at the KDL Wyoming Branch, 3300 Michael Ave. SW. The room is open the first and third Saturdays of the month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and by appointment. The Wyoming Historical Commission is always looking for items related to the history of Wyoming. If you have something you would like to donate or if you are interested in volunteering, call 616-261-3508 or visit Wyoming Michigan History Room’s Facebook page.

For some, holiday memories, traditions centered around the mall

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org


There is that nostalgic Christmas image of people walking through downtown looking at the beautifully decorated store windows. But for many who were born in the late 1960s, their holiday memories and traditions centered around visiting Santa at the mall.

The Woodland Mall in the 1970s.

“I grew up in Grand Rapids,” said Cecily McCabe, who earlier this year became the Woodland Mall’s marketing manager. “So it was always a big deal to be able to come here with my family and go Christmas shopping and see all the Christmas décor. We liked to go see Santa every year. So Christmas here was a special time of year.”

In 1954, Northland Mall opened in Southfield, Mich., with a radically new concept: a regional shopping center where people could shop several different stores in one location. Seven years later, the regional shopping concept would come to the Greater Grand Rapids area with Rogers Plaza opening in Wyoming in 1961 followed by Woodland Mall in 1968. What municipality Woodland Mall’s land would be in became such a concern the residents of Paris Township voted to become the City of Kentwood in 1967, keeping the mall in Kentwood.

Construction of Woodland Mall in the 1960s.

By the end of the 1960s, malls had become a staple in American life. This changed holiday traditions that instead of downtown department stores competing to having the best St. Nick and the most lavish decorations to local malls offering an array of holiday experiences. There were indoor ice rinks to a New Jersey mall with a 48-foot Santa. In fact, that Santa was remembered so fondly, the mall brought it out of retirement for this holiday season.

Decorations at Woodland Mall also were special, noted Ann Schlink who has worked at Woodland for 21 years.

The Arctic Forest decorations at Woodland Mall.

“The first one was very elaborate,” Schlink said. “It was throughout the mall, the plaids…There was a big Christmas tree in the mall and then after the redevelopment it got moved down to the Macy’s wing which was nice because it was Hudson’s at the time and it tied into the the Hudson’s theme a lot.”

Eventually those decorations were retired to the Grand Rapids Public Museum. The former mall decorations are now used in the museum’s Streets of Old Grand Rapids.

Woodland also had a Santas around the world display and Schlink said most people will remember the Christmas tree from a couple of years ago, which now stands in the mall’s outside plaza. The current Arctic Forest decorations, which was unveiled in 2017, includes 12 decorated trees and a 12-foot lighted polar bear known as Ursa. Even the Woodland Mall stores get into the holiday spirit with decorated windows just like what the department stores use to do.

Children visit the Rogers Plaza Santa. Picture is from the 1970s. (Courtesy, personal collection.)

Besides having Santa, Malls also hosted a variety of activities. Rogers Plaza has had the Wyoming Gives Back for the past 12 years. After first opening, Woodland Mall had a production of “A Christmas Carol.” Today, Woodland hosts a holiday concert series and RiverTown Crossings, which opened in 1999, has had pop up shops featuring an array of vendors.

“We use to really like Marshall Fields because they had frozen yogurt upstairs so it was a big deal for us to get our frozen yogurt everytime we came to the mall,” McCabe said. “So we had these little family traditions based around our shopping habits as a kid. It was fun.’’

Schlink said she always enjoyed the piano player at Hudson’s with McCabe adding Woodland is excited about having Von Maur open next year as the store will be bringing the tradition of a piano back to Woodland Mall.

Hudson’s, a Detroit-based company, became Chicago-based Marshall Fields, which later was taken over by New York City’s Macy’s.

With the passage of time, things change. Hudson’s became Marshall Fields which became Macy’s. Other stores, such as Gantos, Kinney Shoes, Disney Stores, Florsheim Shoes, and Anchor Blue, and even some malls — Northland Mall was torn down in 2017 — have since faded from the landscape. The places are remembered fondly with sites dedicated to past malls and stores. Geoffrey Hudson talks of visits to the former North Kent Mall, which was located on Plainfield Avenue from 1971 – 2000, in his blog GR Retro.

“I used to go to North Kent almost exclusively to hang out at Aladdin’s Castle, one of the last great old-school game arcades,” Hudson writes on the site. “…Another thing I remember is for a while, NK was the home to the only old-style photo booths. Not the sort that are around today where you can be superimposed in front of the backgrounds and such, but the type where it fires off four takes and you get a strip of (black & white!) photos at the end.”

Along with changing photo booths, technology has changed shopping patterns, but malls like Woodland remain a focal point for many especially during the holidays.

A choral performance at Woodland Mall during the 1980s.

“It’s so busy and full of families excited to see Santa Claus and enjoying all our decor and special events,” McCabe said. “So it’s just really fun to see families gathering here and shopping and enjoying this special time of the year.”

“The people that I have worked with over the years and met through the mall over the years, they comeback at Christmas,” Schlink said. “It’s like a reunion of the people and it’s magical because now they are bringing their children to see Santa Claus and to do  shopping and it just feels like home.”

Santa makes his entrance at Woodland Mall.


Cars are the stars at the 14th annual 28th Street Metro Cruise

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, Dream Wheels, , , , , , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

For your traffic report this weekend, expect 28th Street to be packed full of hot rods, classic and vintage cars as the 2018 28th Street Metro Cruise takes place this Friday and Saturday.

 

The epicenter of the two-day event will once again be Rogers Plaza, where there will be food, vendors, the Pin Up Girl Contest, and of course cars, cars, and more cars. WKTV also will be on site recording the 14th annual event.

 

“The love affair West Michigan, and the entire county, has with the classic and collector cars is still going strong,” said Bob O’Callaghan, the president of the Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, the organization that hosts the annual event. “We know the cars are the stars and always will be. We invite every type of car and car lover to attend our two-day showcase to celebrate these cars.”

 

Started in 2005 as a way to bring business back to 28th Street during the construction of the M-6 bypass, the event has grown to an annual attendance of more than 275,000 visitors in 2017 and more than 15,000 classic cars including hot rods, muscle cars, low riders, antiques and many more. The family-friendly event is 15 miles of cars, fun, and history running from Grandville to Cascade. 

 

Get a pre-look at the cars with the Blessing of the Cars, which takes place Thursday, Aug. 23 from 5 – 9 p.m at Wesley Park United Methodist Church, 1120 32nd St. SW. The lot will be open for cars starting at 5 p.m. Cars should enter off of 32nd Street or Michael Avenue. 

 

The 2018 Metro Cruise kicks off at 4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 24. The alternative Latin rock group Cabildo will be on the main stage at 4:30 p.m., followed by local favorite, Delilah DeWylde at 7:30 p.m. performing a range of hillbilly and blues. Friday closes at 10 p.m.

 

Saturday, Aug. 25, kicks off at 9 a.m. with the opening ceremonies which will include the GM Foundation presentation to local charities. 

 

“We have a few new things this year,” O’Callaghan said.  “Among the activities, we will have the Midwest Mobile Dyno on hand for car owners to test their vehicles.”

 

For us non-motorheads, a dyno or dynamometer is a device for measuring force, torque, or power. Spots for the dyno had to be pre-booked (cost is $30). There is a free spectators viewing area near the test site which will be close to the Jet’s Pizza on the east end of the plaza. The testing will run from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. 

 

There will be a Walk-Up Pinewood Derby Racing event from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Hosted by Boy Scout Troops 354, 312, and 318, visitors can bring a car, build a car, or use one that is available. Derby car kits will be available for purchase on the day of the event. The Pinewood Derby will be in the Metro Square at Rogers Plaza. 

 

The music starts at 11:30 a.m. with the Seventh Son Blues Band and breaks at 2 p.m. for the the 2018 Pin Up Girl Contest. At 3:30 p.m. performing rock hits and covers is Mid-Life Crisis with southern rock country Bourbon Legends performing at 6:30 p.m. 

 

Known as “Mr. Walleye at Night,” Mark Martin will be at Steve’s Antique Auto Repair’s Booth located at Rogers Plaza. Martin is a fishing promoter, who travels extensively throughout the U.S. and Canada for tournaments, tv shows, and other events to teach walleye wisdom and lead children’ fishing clinics. At Metro Cruise, Martin — who will be there both Friday and Saturday — will be displaying his restored 1969 AMX as he talks about fishing, hunting, and cars. 

 

Also at Rogers Plaza will be a relaxation tent and two food courts featuring an arrange of offerings such as barbecue, burgers, pizza, tamales, tacos, burritos, wraps, and ice cream. Shuttle service will be available from and to the KDL Wyoming branch, 3350 Michael Ave. SW, and the Wyoming High School, 1350 Prairie Pkwy SW.

 

Of course the activities will not be just at Rogers Plaza, but local business such as Marge’s Donut Den and many of the Grand Rapids New Car Dealers Association members will be featuring cars and other activities.

 

For example, Harvey Automotive, 2600 28th St. SE, will showcase multiple car clubs with up to 90 classic vehicles in attendance. At Dan Pfeiffer Lincoln Mercury, 2424 28th St. SE, will be featuring Dean (Dino) Arnold, the creator of the sleek 1961 Ford Thunderflite. Dino is the owner of Dinos Rod and Customs, based in Middlevile, Mich. Joining Dino will be registered rat fink artist Kit-Kat, who is known for her paint builds and signature pin stripping which she will be demonstrating at the event.

WKTV Journal: Hugs, Metro Cruise, and Getting Involved

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, , , , , , ,

 

In the latest segment of the WKTV Journal, we sit-down with Kentwood artist Meoshia Thomson who discusses the power of hugs, a key element in her 2018 ArtPrize submission.

 

We also take a sneak peek into the upcoming 28th Street Metro Cruise, which is set for Aug. 24 and 25 at Rogers Plaza and catch up with a group of Wyoming and Kentwood actors who are in one of Agatha Christie’s most famous plays, “And Then There Were None,” set to be performed at the Jension Center for Performing Arts.

 

Wyoming resident Chris Hall visits with us to talk about the Wyoming’s Community Development Committee, which serves as an advisory board to the Wyoming City Council on the federally-funded Community Block Development Grants. The committee has openings for Wyoming residents with Chris noting it is an excellent way to get involved with the Wyoming committee.

 

Lastly, we take a trip down memory lane with Wyoming History Commission member Bill Branz and WKTV Contributor Katey Batey as they talk about S&H Green Stamps.

Planet Fitness moves into former Big Lots location at Rogers Plaza

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PF Michigan Group, LLC (“PFMG”), one of the nation’s largest franchisees of Planet Fitness health clubs, will celebrate the opening of its newest Grand Rapids-area location in Wyoming at 958 28th Street SW on March 20 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

 

The grand opening event, which is being held with the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, is a free event and open to the public. It will kick off at 11 a.m. and include a ribbon cutting ceremony at 11:30 a.m. Immediately following, food and light refreshments will be served. The first 100 guests will receive a giveaway, and each guest will be entered for a chance to win a complimentary one-year PF Black® card membership and brand-new, 49” television.

 

Guests will have an opportunity to tour the new facility and network with other area businesses and residents. In addition, several local lawmakers, including Wyoming Mayor Pro-Tem Sam Bolt, will be present.

 

“We are very excited to be part of the community in Wyoming, giving residents access to our state-of-the-art facilities,” said Bryan Rief, one of the Northville, MI
-based franchise owners responsible for bringing Planet Fitness to Wyoming. In addition to Wyoming, Bryan and Laura Rief own and operate 38 other Planet Fitness locations throughout Southeastern Michigan, Central Michigan, Grand Rapids and Toledo.

 

Planet Fitness has plans to open an additional 12 to 15 Planet Fitness clubs in Michigan in the next 2-3 years, said Rief.

Metro Cruise hits the teens as it marks its 13th year this weekend

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, , , , , ,

The Pin Up Contest takes place at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Main Stage at Rogers Plaza.

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

It’s gonna be cars, cars and more cars this weekend as the 13th Annual Metro Cruise takes place this Friday and Saturday along 28th Street.

 

Once again, the epicenter of it all will be Rogers Plaza with cars, vendors and food along with WKTV on site to record the two-day event.

 

“It has grown into quite a large event,” said Bob O’Callaghan, the president of the Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, which ha hosted the annual event. “The original thought process was to get a few cars and a couple thousand people at Rogers Plaza to highlight 28th Street and last year we have about 250,000 people and about 16,000 collector cars.”

 

New to this year’s event is the Blessing of the Cars which takes place Thursday, Aug. 24, at 7 p.m. at Wesley Park United Methodist Church, 1120 32nd St. SW. The lot will open for cars starting at 6 p.m. Cars should enter off of 32nd Street or Michael Avenue.

 

On the east end of 28th Street will be the Cascade’s Metro Cruise Warm Up from 4:30 – 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24, at the Thornapple Center, 6797 Cascade Rd SE. (near the Cascade Road and 28th Street intersection.) Along with lots of cars, there will be food trucks, live music from the band Decades, kids’ activities, and a dunk tank to benefit the Kent County Sheriff’s Department’s K9 Unit. The event is sponsored by the Cascade DDA, Cascade Community Foundation and the Forest Hills Business Association.

 

Other new additions to this year is expand hours for the event with it running from 4 – 10 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 25, and 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, said O’Callaghan, noting the closing times are about an hour later than in previous years.

 

For Friday, Aug. 25, food and vendors will be at Rogers Plaza along with a variety of cars. Main Stage entertainment will feature Big Boss Band at 4 p.m. followed by local country singer Kari Lynch at 7 p.m.

 

While the event starts on Friday, which O’Callaghan noted organizers have seen increase attendance Friday night over the past several years, the official opening ceremonies take place at 9 a.m. Saturday. During the ceremonies, the GM Foundation presents checks to several local charities.

 

At a 11 a.m., about eight ladies will compete in the annual Pin Up contest, which is an era-type contest with the ladies involved dressing according to the era they represent, O’Callaghan said,

 

“The belief before people get to know Pin Up is that it’s just women perpetuating the old school idea that women should be beautiful and something that men should look at,” said Amanda Miehle, who is Victory Belle and will be competing in this year’s contest. That women can’t be more than a pretty face but Pin Up is so much more than that. It is empowering. Women took something with a stigma and a label that was once almost degrading to women and they reclaimed it. These women are amazing. They are strong. They are empowering. They are uplifting to other women. They are not afraid to get on a stage and show the world they are beautiful.

 

“It’s kind of like taking something and making it our own.”

 

There is more music starting at noon on Saturday with blues group Out of Favor Boys followed by country group Stolen Horses at 3:30 p.m. and JetBeats wrapping up the evening with a performance from 7 – 8:45 p.m.

 

Of course there are activities all along 28th Street at various businesses and car dealerships. One such event that takes place through the entire month of August is the Art Cruise. Similar to ArtPrize, local artists are matched with 18 Wyoming businesses where the artists’ work is featured for the month.

 

For a complete list of the businesses — or for more about this year’s Metro Cruise — make sure to pick up a brochure at the event or visit 28thstreetmetrocruise.com.

DreamWheels!: The man behind ZZ Tops’ famous hot rod comes to Metro Cruise

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, WKTV Projects, , , , , ,

Pete Charpouris from So-Cal Speed Shop
Pete Chapouris from So-Cal Speed Shop

Why does Pete Chapouris, owner of one of the nation’s oldest specialty parts shop for hot rods, So-Cal Speed Shop, enjoy coming all the way from Southern California to Wyoming’s 28th Street Metro Cruise?

 

“Oh, that’s easy,” Chapouris said during a recent phone interview. “The people.”

 

“You can see lot of cars during one of these events and even in a lifetime, but it’s the people that make it interesting,” Chapouris said.

 

Chapouris returns to this year’s Metro Cruise set for Aug. 26 and 27. He will be at the Steve’s Antique Auto Repair display on the west end of Rogers Plaza for both days, signing free autographs and sharing experiences with car lovers.

 

Last year was Chapouris first time being at the Metro Cruise and he said there were a lot of high points such as visiting the area’s most popular bakery, Marge’s Donut Den.

 

“I also give a lot of kudos to the police department,” Chapouris said. “I have been to a lot of big events like this and [the officers] did a nice job of crowd control.” Especially, he noted, since 28th Street was packed with cars and people.

 

But for Chapouris and his wife Carol, the key to any event is the people who become an extended family to them. Steve Sturim, owner of Steve’s Antique Auto Repair which hosts Chapouris’s visit, said last year they were able to meet up with folks from Allendale’s Gas Axe Garage and others.

 

The car that started it all for Pete Chapouris, the 1934 coupe "The California Kid."
The car that started it all for Pete Chapouris, the 1934 coupe “The California Kid.”

“It’s just hanging out with about 20 to 30 people who see it the same way and have similar experiences in remodeling cars,” Strum said.

 

For those who do not follow or not in the world of custom hot rods and classic cars, So-Cal and Chapouris may be an unknown. However, few can forget the ZZ Tops famous hot rod, The Eliminator, which appeared on the 1993 album of the same name. The car was heavily influenced by Chapouris’s 1934 coupe that featured flames and would launch Chapouris’s career as it was not only featured on the cover of “Rod & Custom” magazine but was in the made-for-TV movie “The California Kid” starring Martin Sheen.

 

A leader in the hot rod scene for more than 50 years with such companies as Pete and Jake’s Hot Rod Parts and The Pete Chapouris Group (PC3g), Chapouris took over the So-Cal brand from its founder Alex Zdias in the late 1990s. For Chapouris, it was a no brainer in that So-Cal was a recognized brand that he could build upon with his own talents and background, he said. With a home base in Pomona, Calif., Chapouris and his team have accomplished a lot in the last 20-plus years, with retail outlets across the country and into Canada. In fact, Steve’s Antique Auto is a retail location with Sturim saying that working with Chapouris and So-Cal has given him a lot more than just street cred.

 

“Working with Pete has given me a lot of insight into a different aspect of this business,” Sturim said, adding its nice to be able to share stories and ideas with someone who has such a legacy in the business.

 

Chapouris has won numerous awards for his work, been inducted in to several hall of fames, and been apart of a number of television and radio shows including “Street Rod & Custom Radio,” but at the end of the day, it’s still all about the people and the cars.

 

“When I was asked to come back my wife and I really didn’t have to think much about it,” Chapouris said, adding that it was the West Michigan hospitality that made saying “yes” so easy.

 

Steve Sturim and Pete Chapouris will be part of the DreamWheels! show on Saturday, Aug. 27, which is from 6 – 7:30 p.m. at Rogers Plaza, 972 28th St. SW, and Pal’s Diner, 6503 28th St. SE. Strum and Chapouris will be at the Rogers Plaza location.

DreamWheels!: Pin Up Girl Contest set to take place at Rogers Plaza

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Upcoming Events, , , , , ,

Pin ups
The preliminary round for this year’s 28th Street Metro Cruise Pin Up Girls Contest featured 14 young ladies who were narrowed down to 10 finalist. Those finalists will compete for the title this Saturday.

 

A few years ago, Stacey Davis was walking through the 28th Street Metro Cruise when she happened upon the Pin Up Girl contest at Rogers Plaza.

 

“My dad restores classic cars so I grew up going to car shows like the Metro Cruise every summer,” said Davis, whose stage name is Ginger Snaps. “I grew up seeing the girls in the poodle skirts, the Marilyn Monroe impersonators and I saw the Metro Cruise contest and decided to sign up.”

 

Last year, the former Grand Rapids resident, who recently moved to Midland, was crowned Miss Metro Cruise 2015.

 

“It definitely helped with my confidence to know that I had won that title,” Davis said, adding that it has been a fun time visiting with little girls and meeting new people. “It was a great experience.”

 

This year Davis is joined by Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll and Jeremiah White, owner of Reflections Salon, to judge the 2016 Pin Up Girl Contest which is part of the Metro Cruise fun. The even takes place Saturday, Aug. 27, from 1 – 3 p.m. at Rogers Plaza.

 

ginger snaps
The 2015 28th Street Metro Cruise Pin Up is Stacey Davis a.k.a. Ginger Snaps.

The Pin Up Girl Contest has been a longstanding tradition at Metro Cruise, said Wyoming-Kentwood Chamber of Commerce Bob O’Callaghan. And it makes sense. Flip through any car magazine and within the first few pages you will see a very pretty girl next to a candid apple red street racer or a bright green hotrod.

 

The pin up girl is an interesting American phenomenon which was born in the 1800s through magazines like Life, boomed in the 1930s due to the calendars of Brown and Bigelow, and peaked during World War II. Today, pin up girls remain a fabric of the American cultural and an ode to what many have called “a simpler time.”

 

For the 28th Street Metro Cruise Pin Up Girl Contest,  there was a preliminary contest in July where the number of girls were narrowed down to 10 finalist who will compete for the title on Saturday. The girls come from all over to compete in the contest, which this year is being organized by JA PR Group.

 

Spectators are welcomed to watch and cheer for their favorite.

 

Rogers Plaza serves as the central spot for the Metro Cruise with a host of activities taking place all around the mall. The “DreamWheels!” television program will be broadcasting live from Rogers Plaza as well Cascade’s Pal’s Diner from 6 – 7:30 p.m. Pete Chapouris from So-Cal Speed Shop will be signing autographs at the Rogers Plaza tent for Steve’s Antique Auto Repair.

 

For more, visit 28thstreetmetrocruise.com.

Wyoming approves agreement with Loeks for 28 West Place project

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, Hard News, , , , , ,

Take one last good look at 28 Street and Michael Avenue because it could change in a matter of weeks.

 

Last night, the Wyoming City Council approved the last piece in the 28 West Place project as it accepted a purchase agreement with Loeks Theatres for around $278,000. The agreement was the final piece for the city to construct a new road from the current Wyoming Mall entrance off Michael Avenue to 28th Street across from Hook Avenue where Applebee’s is located.

 

Adopted in 2013, the 28 West Place is a reimagining of the south side of 28th Street between Clyde Park and Burlingame avenues into a mixed-use town center utilizing form-based code. A form-based code provides for flexibility to developers, according to Wyoming Deputy City Manager Heidi Isakson who has been working on the 28 West Place project.

 

The 28 West sign located in front of the former Studio 28 property. Construction for the 28 West project will actually start just east on the Wyoming Mall property.
The 28 West sign located in front of the former Studio 28 property. Construction for the 28 West project will actually start just east on the Wyoming Mall property.

A key element to the 28 West concept is the construction of a curving slip street which would become the center’s new “main street.” The street is proposed to run from the south side of 28th Street across from Hook Avenue to Jenkins Avenue, which runs next to the former Klingman/Rogers Department Store building. Before the city could move forward, it had to have the property owners on board with the project. Earlier this year, owners of the Wyoming Mall approached the city with some redesign plans for its facility and city officials knew now was the time to move forward with the west portion of the street.

 

“It has been a nail biter,” Isakson said as city staff pulled together the several elements that needed to be coordinated for the project. This included working with Wyoming Mall officials and Loek Theatre representatives to acquire the necessary right-of-ways.

 

“We believe that the city investment of public utilities and improving public access combined with the private investment will yield greater results,” said City of Wyoming Assistant City Manager Heidi Isakson.

 

In June, the Wyoming City Council accepted a $1.6 million agreement with Wyoming Mall, LLC. Total cost to the city will be about $1.2 million for the relocation of city services and construction of the road. At its Aug. 1 meeting, the council awarded the construction of 28 West Place street and utility improvements to Kentwood Excavating which had the lowest bid of $1.74 million. The bid, which was one of five, came in about 11.34 percent below the engineer’s estimate. The total cost for the project, which includes right-of-way acquisition, is estimated at $2.8 million.

 

Isakson said Loeks Theater officials plan to have the agreement signed by Wednesday with plans for construction starting soon. Wyoming Mall officials already have begun demolition work and are waiting for the city to being moving utilities, she said.

 

Isakson said she has been in touch with the owners of Rogers Plaza about the project but at this time there are no plans to move forward with the west portion of the new street.

Gem and Mineral Show ‘rocks’ the spring with demos and more

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, Local Entertainment, , ,

 

Don VanDyke looks forward to the annual Gem & Mineral Show at Rogers Plaza every year.

 

“Some people come to sell, some people come to look, me, I come to just share my passion,” said the 82-year-old who calls himself a Rockhound (a nickname for an amateur geologist).

 

In fact, VanDyke lights up the minute a young girl comes to the table and he immediate starts talking about the rocks and minerals sitting in front of him.

 

Rockhound Don VanDyke talks to visitors at the 41st Gem & Mineral Show.
Rockhound Don VanDyke talks to visitors at the 41st Gem & Mineral Show.

“This is chlorastrolite,” VanDyke says as he points to a greenish stone with a turtle back pattern. “It is Michigan’s official gemstone and more commonly referred to as Isle Royal Greenstone.”

 

Turnout for this year’s Gem & Mineral Show, which marks its 41st year, has been high with Rogers Plaza pretty busy on the opening day of the show. The show continues today through 9 p.m. and 9:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. Saturday, April 9.

 

On opening day, the club’s Junior Rock Club Leader LaDonna Siebelink, who oversees all the children’s activities at the show, already was estimating that the group would go through 1,000 mini rock collections and about 500 grab bags.

 

“The bad weather does pretty well for us,” said Indian Mounds Rock and Mineral Club President Kreigh Tomaszewski with a laugh.  Tomaszewski contributed some of the draw from the weather being cold and snowy. The group also has seen an increase in attendance due to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) incentives along with other science-related programs.

 

Part of one of the displays at the 41st Annual Gem & Mineral Show.
Part of one of the displays at the 41st Annual Gem & Mineral Show.

“Geology includes chemistry, physics, meteorology…paleontology – we’ve got the fossils – which touches into biology,” Tomaszewski said.

 

A must-see at this year’s show, according to Tomaszewski, is the rock and mineral displays put together by Indian Mounds Rock & Mineral Club members. “The members really dug deep into their personal collections and pulled out some amazing specimens,”  he said.

 

The Indian Mounds Rock and Mineral Club meets at 7 p.m. the third Tuesday of the month, September – May at Wesley Park United Methodist Church, near the corner of Michael Avenue and 36th Street in Wyoming. June – August, the group meets at 6:30 p.m. the third Tuesday at Wyoming’s Pinery Park, off of DeHoop Avenue across from the Wyoming Department of Public Safety.

 

For more about the group, visit the website indianmoundsrock.com or the group’s Facebook page.