Tag Archives: Saturday

Public Museum hosts new line-up of Saturday investigation programs

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Recreation, ,

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

Saturday Investigation Classes at the Grand Rapids Public Museum in March. (Courtesy, Grand Rapids Public Museum)

The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM)’s Saturday Investigation Classes will return during the month of March 2023, allowing curious minds to immerse themselves in exciting and educational labs and activities led by Museum educators.

Visitors aged 8 and older are encouraged to sign up for these small-group, hands-on educational classes to investigate history, science, and culture. Saturday Investigations transform the Museum into a learning lab, giving the public an exclusive experience through behind-the-scenes exhibit exploration, artifact investigation, engaging activities, and more. This experience is great for younger children to attend with their parents or guardians to work together, or for older kids to attend on their own.

Classes will take place on Saturdays from March 4 – 25 from 10:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the GRPM. The registration cost for Saturday Investigations is just $2 with the purchase of a general admission ticket or $7 to attend the class only. As always, Kent County kids aged 17 and under enjoy free general admission to the Museum! Classes are limited to 24 registrants per session; registration is required. Once classes conclude, visitors who purchase the general admission option can also explore the Museum’s three floors of exhibits. For more information on Saturday Investigation Classes and to register today, visit grpm.org/EduClasses.

“Our popular Saturday investigations are back this spring to give learners of all ages the opportunity to dive deeper into the city’s science and history, through fun, hands-on artifact labs and brand new technology-rich experiences,” said Erin Koren, the GRPM’s Director of Education. “These small classes allow participants to fully engage with our educators and with hands-on activities to explore what piques their curiosity.”

Class offerings include The Paradox of Poison, Sustainable Fashion, Solar System Discovery & Sturgeon Excursion. Registrants can explore fascinating facts of poisons and their role in nature, human health, literature, and myth, find ways to innovate and reduce the harmful impacts of the fashion industry, choose their own adventure as they travel the solar system to visit planets and asteroids, or
play an exclusive augmented reality game that integrates with Museum exhibits and become environmental scientists while learning about the Grand River.

Saturday Investigations Classes are sponsored by Great Lakes Fishery Trust.

 

See The Power of Poison and the GRPM original exhibit Fashion + Nature for a limited time! Enjoy all three floors of the GRPM’s exhibits with the purchase of a general admission ticket to the Museum. Don’t miss this opportunity to catch The Power of Poisonbefore it’s gone, open only through April 16.  

How do you feel about Wyoming? City leaders want to know

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Local Business, Our Cities, Recreation, Upcoming Events, , , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
WKTV Managing Editor
joanne@wktv.org

Pinery Park will be the place to be this Saturday as there will be several activities including the city’s second summer market, the Chalk the Park event, and an opportunity to engage in the city’s branding project.

The city’s second summer market is scheduled to take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Pinery Park, 2301 DeHoop Ave. SW.

“The first event went really well,” said Brianna Peña, communications specialist for the City of Wyoming. “At this event we will be having yard games, live music, engagement opportunities with our branding team and then the Chalk the Park will be going on as well.

“It will be just a great time for family and community to come out.”

The City of Wyoming is planning four summer markets this year, one in each month from June through September. At each of the markets there will be food trucks and artisan vendors offering an array of items such as handmade clothing, jewelry, keychains, and art.

This Saturday’s event will feature several food trucks Irish Rover, Mapocho LLC, Street Frites, Curry In a Hurry, Tastefull Vegan, Equinox, and Runyon House Roasts.

READ: New vegan shop means all can enjoy sweet tweets

Creating a brand for the city

The Saturday’s market has been coupled with an opportunity to meet with the city’s branding team, CivicBrand. For the past couple of months, CivicBrand has been meeting with residents, business leaders, and city officials to develop a community-wide brand that supports and elevates all city organizations, entities, businesses and residents.

 “This is an opportunity for residents to share what they like to see in the city, what their thoughts are about the city, and how they see the city in the future,” Peña said.

While first there is a visual component, the branding project goes beyond just a logo design. Equally important is brand messaging, economic development strategies, how residents experience the brand in the environment and more. The goal is to capture the true identity that exists in the City of Wyoming and develop a brand platform and tools to help tell that story.

As a result, the key component in this process is engagement. The CivicBrand team has spent this week meeting with area residents and is cultivating its activities at the Summer Market to connect with residents, visitors and others to discuss such questions as:

What does Wyoming have to offer visitors?

What are the issues facing Wyoming in the next few years?

How do residents feel about living there?

What three words would you use to describe Wyoming?

Residents also can engage in the branding process at wearewyomingmi.com. At the site, community members may share thoughts through an online survey and/or recording a video responding to three questions.

Chalk the Walk

In addition to the market, from Friday through Sunday will be the Chalk the Park event at Pinery Park. Families and individuals are encouraged to come out and create masterpieces one the park walkways.

For those who sign up, supplies will be provided. To sign up, click here.

Future events

Additionally, the city will be hosting two more Summer Markets. Those markets are:

Aug 19, 3-7 p.m., 28 West Parking lot, 1345 28 West Place, (near the former Lindo restaurant)

Sept. 16, 3-7 p.m., Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW

Heritage Hill to host colorful garden tour this Saturday

3-bottom, architecture, Citizen Journalism, design, Non-Profits, Our Cities, Recreation, Senior Living, Upcoming Events, , ,

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

Heritage Hill Garden Tour will feature 10 private gardens and two organization gardens in this year’s event. (Supplied)

Ten private gardens and two organizational gardens will be part of the 2022 Heritage Hill Garden Tour, which is set for Saturday, June 18, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

 

Each garden is a unique reflection of the creative, nature-loving gardeners who tend them. From showy displays in front gardens bursting with color to hidden gems waiting behind a home to warmly welcome guests, the possibilities of what a garden can be will inspire.

 

Some of the gardens included on this self-guided tour are:

  1. President Gerald Ford’s boyhood back yard now filled with statuary and rare plantings.
  2. Wonderland over 40 years in the making that surrounds an enchanting home. 
  3. A serene and elegant backyard setting that includes a complete outdoor kitchen.
  4. A stately brick home perfectly surrounded by beautiful plantings.  
  5. A small but artfully designed garden that makes wise use of every space.
  6. A front yard garden that catches the eye of everyone who passes by.
  7. Free-flowing flower garden on Prospect Ave. that wears new colors for every season.
  8. Formal fountains galore surrounding a home on College.
  9. Peaceful natural water feature that accents a shade garden. 
  10. A sweet little garden on Paris Ave.
  11.  Vibrant annuals and perennials at the Voigt House tended by volunteers.
  12.  Formal gardens at the Meyer May House that are reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright’s organic architecture.

Individual tickets are $12 in advance, $15 on the day of the tour. Group tickets may be purchased in advance for $8 each for 20 or more tickets, $5 each for 50 or more tickets. Group pricing is not available on the day of the tour.

Tickets are available for pre-sale through midnight on June 17 via our website, www.heritagehillweb.org or contact the office during operating hours at 616-459-8950.

Tickets can be purchased at the ticket booth at the Child Discovery Center, 409 Lafayette Ave. SE. on the day of tour. Pre-sold tickets may be picked up at will call on the day of the tour.

The tour occurs rain or shine. Refunds are not available. Masks are welcomed for the safety of garden hosts and visitors.

Parking will be available at:

  • Child Discovery Center at 409 Lafayette Ave. SE
  • Elders Helpers at 500 Cherry St. S.E.
  • On-street parking is often available. Please adhere to posted parking restrictions.

Boston Square hosts Dec. 4 Christmas tree lighting ceremony

Entertainment, Local Entertainment, ,
Photo from Pxhere.com

Eight Boston Square area organizations and businesses are hosting a free, family-friendly Christmas tree lighting party at Boston Square Community Parklet Saturday, Dec. 4, at 4:30 p.m.

 

The idea is based on the annual downtown Grand Rapids event, but organizers wanted to create an event that better reflects the diverse cultures found within the Boston Square area. 

The inaugural event, formally titled “Boston Square Community Christmas Tree Lighting,” will include the ceremonial ‘flipping of the switch’, as well as music, food and talent from the neighborhood. The festivities kick off at 4:30 p.m., with a 6 p.m. lighting ceremony, at the Boston Square Community Parklet, located at 1505 Kalamazoo Avenue SE.

Kentwood Police plans annual Drug Take Back day for Saturday

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

On Saturday, April 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Kentwood Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public another opportunity to prevent drug abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your medications for disposal to the Kentwood Police Department at 4742 Walma Ave SE. Liquids, needles, inhalers or medical equipment cannot be accepted, only pills and patches. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

 

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and health issue. Medications that are forgotten in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards by drug residues appearing in surface water, such as rivers and lakes.

 

Please take advantage of this free program that allows you to properly dispose of your unused and unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications. For more information, contact Vicki Highland at 616-656-6571.

 

As mentioned, needles, or sharps will not be accepted at during the Take Back day. The Kent County Department of Public Works and the Kent County Health Department do offer a safe disposal of needles through a program called SafeSharps.

 

“Sharps” is the term for medical devices with sharp points or edges the can puncture or cut the skin. Kent County residents may request a free container from any KCHD facility. After completing a brief registration form, KCHD will issue a sterile approved container that users make take home. Once the container is full, it can be returned to any KCHD facility and exchanged for a new one.

 

Containers will be accepted at the Kent County Health Department, 700 Fuller Ave. NE; Sheldon Clinic, 121 Franklin SE; South Clinic, 4700 Kalamazoo Ave. SE.; and North County Clinic, 4388 14 Mile Road NE. Hours for all the sites are 8 – 11:30 a.m. and 12:45 – 4:45 p.m. Monday – Wednesday and Friday; 12:45 – 4:45 p.m. the first, third and fifth Thursdays of the month; 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and 1:45 – 6:45 p.m the second and fourth Thursdays of the month. For more information on the SafeSharps program, visit recyclekent.org.