The Kent District Library (KDL) Kentwood Branch Library. (WKTV)
By WKTV Staff ken@wktv.org
Kent County may be governed by the elected Board of Commissioners, but a ton of advisory and oversight work is done by various boards, commissions and committees, where members are often ordinary citizens with knowledge and/or interest in various fields and an interest in community service.
The Kent County Board of Commissioners, last week, announced it is seeking residents who are interested in serving the community through appointment to various boards, commissions and committees starting Jan. 1, 2020.
Among the Wyoming and Kentwood residency required positions are a position on the Kent District Library Board for Region 6, including Caledonia of Gaines townships, or City of Kentwood.
Any Kent County resident may apply by completing an online application form on the County’s website at accessKent.com/boardappointments. The application deadline is Sept. 30. Resumes and cover letters are encouraged for positions with specific skill sets required.
Among the boards, commissions and committees that have openings for terms effective Jan. 1, 2020 (unless opening otherwise noted) are:
Agricultural Preservation Board (openings for agricultural interest representative and real estate/development representative)
Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan (Advisory Council and Board of Directors)
City/County Building Authority
Community Corrections Advisory Board (openings for media representative and police chief)
Community Health Advisory Committee (openings for at-large member, community-based organization, and health care provider)
Community Mental Health Authority (Network180) Board — term begins April 1, 2020
County Building Authority
Department of Health and Human Services Board
Foreign Trade Zone Board
Friend of the Court Citizen’s Advisory Committee (openings for mental health professional and non-custodial parent)
Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRFIA) Authority Board
Housing Commission
Jury Commission
Kent County Community Action Advisory Governing Board (openings for consumer, private, and public sector)
Kent County Family & Children’s Coordinating Council (openings for business representative, private agency representative, and private funding representatives)
Kent District Library Board (Region 2 — resident of Algoma, Cannon, Courtland, Grattan townships, or City of Rockford; and Region 6 — resident of Caledonia, Gaines townships, or City of Kentwood. Applicants must live in Region 2 or 6.)
Remonumentation Peer Review Group (must be a professional surveyor to apply)
Road Commission Board
Veterans Services Committee (must have served honorably on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces to apply)
For detailed information on meeting schedules and current board, commission and committee members visit here.
Questions about boards and applications should be directed to Pam VanKeuren in the Board of Commissioners’ Office, at 616-632-7580 or Pam.VanKeuren@kentcountymi.gov.
A girl waves to her brother, who is being shown the inside of a police car at a National Night Out event at Woodland Mall. (WKTV)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
National Night Out, which was held at various locations around the region Aug. 6, is always a chance for City of Kentwood leaders and public service staff to get out and mix with the pubic.
In Kentwood alone there were more than 20 block parties, neighborhood events and other activities with Kentwood police officers, firefighters, city leaders and McGruff the Crime Dog joining residents for the annual community-building night.
The events — held this year at Woodland Mall, The Pentecostals Church and Faith Church on 44th Street SE, and South United Methodist Church on South Division Avenue; to name only a few — may seem routine to some city representatives. But for City of Kentwood Police Chief Thomas Hillen and his police force the routine is always a welcome “opportunity” to mix with the residents they serve and, sometimes, create special moments.
City of Kentwood Police Chief Thomas Hillen. (WKTV)
“This is one more opportunity for us to interact with our community,” Chief Hillen, who toured several locations with Mayor Stephen Kepley, said to WKTV. “At their house or at their church, where there is really no barriers and they can ask us any questions they want.
“If they want to know what is going on in their neighborhood, we can tell them. We get an opportunity to find out what their concerns are. It is just an opportunity for us to, again, engage with the public in one-on-one setting.”
While the Chief Hillen and his police officers were more than welcomed by Pastor Jay Jones at The Pentecostals Church, where WKTV caught up with the Chief, that is not always the case.
In fact, when asked about a special memory of National Night Out, Chief Hillen told a story which exemplifies the dedication of his police force.
“We have 22 events like this throughout the city and it is always amazing to me,” he said. “But there was this one, this large apartment complex that we were trying to outreach to because we had some issues in that (complex). But we could not get a commitment, we could not get assistance, from the apartment facility.
“So, our officers took it upon themselves to throw their own party, because we knew there were a lot of kids in there. We knew there were a lot of people who wanted to talk to us but they were afraid to. So, the officers reached out the business community, who provided bikes and helmets and hotdogs. And we went in the threw our on party for the community, and it was well received. Its the kind of thing that just kind of touches your heart. Its why its different being in Kentwood.”
Dr. Jochen Wierich, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park new Curator of Sculpture and Sculpture Exhibitions. (Supplied/Meijer Gardens)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
Dr. Jochen Wierich, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park new Curator of Sculpture and Sculpture Exhibitions, comes to Grand Rapids with extensive art curatorial experience, having most recently led curated exhibitions at Nashville’s renown Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art including a much admired exhibition “Jaume Plensa: Human Landscape” in 2015-16.
He also has an equally impressive resume as an art historian and teacher, which includes being a lecturer on art history at prestigious institutions of higher education including Vanderbilt University — and he now holds the Lena E. S. Meijer Professorship in Art History at Aquinas College.
But the “American” portion of the German-born Wierich’s art history resume only hints at his depth of knowledge and appreciation of art, and his desire to share his knowledge and appreciation with local students and the general public visiting Meijer Gardens.
During one of his first in-depth interviews after coming to Meijer Gardens in late July, Wierich wore his curatorial jacket as he discussed his admiration for the Meijer Gardens sculptural art collection as well as some works which surprised him on his initial tours of the gardens. (See the following video.)
During the WKTV interview, however, he also discussed his views on the differences between art education in Europe and America, as well as his conviction that understanding history and culture is essential to understanding art.
“I see a number of differences in the role of art and art education in Europe and in the United States,” Wierich said to WKTV. “From my own perspective, in Europe young people grow up understanding that art is a part of a kind of cultural heritage, a part of a kind of patrimony, that we inherit. So even outside the classroom education, that is something that young people in Germany, in Europe, they just bring to their college education.
“I, you, she or he” by Jaume_Plensa. (Supplied/Meijer Gardens by William J Hebert)
“In the United States, I would say that museums have done a great job of helping, educating young people, in the arts. Encouraging them to be creative. And then to appreciate art. But, still, art is not as much imbedded in the broader education sphere in the United States. And so, when the students come to college, they just don’t quite bring that background, that kind of familiarity with the arts, that I see in Germany and in Europe.”
But passing on his passion for art is where Wierich’s passion for education comes into play.
“That is something that, especially as a college teacher, I also want to help with,” he said. “Being part of the Aquinas faculty, and interacting with the students in the classroom, and possibly encouraging them to come out here and explore the sculpture collection, that is going to be part of my job. … And maybe bridge that gap a little bit.”
Another stop in Wierich’s American journey was at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane, Wa. — a place which cemented his belief in the importance of culture and historic context in understanding and appreciating modern art.
“The issue of understanding art within the historic and cultural context, to me, it is something that I think about all the time,” Wierich said. “My background, as you know, is in art history and American studies. So I thrive in museum environments that are multi-disciplinary, if you want (to call it such). And, for example, here at Meijer Gardens, you have art and horticulture, and you have programs that bring music and literature to this institution, and create this conversation across different disciplines.
“At the MAC, the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, you might see in one visit a Native American contemporary artist painting landscapes, you might see additional plateau Indian baskets, and then you might see an exhibition of German and Italian immigrants who came to the inland Northwest as farmers. And so, each of these exhibitions contributes to, in a sense, framing the art.”
When it comes to modern and contemporary art appreciation and art history “I think that learning about the context (is important), that none of these works was created in a vacuum. That each of these works can help us understand what the historical circumstances were that, maybe, inspired the artist,” he said. “Think about the great Picasso painting “Guernica”, without understanding the (Spanish Civil) War, that painting is not quite the same.”
And he brings that idea home to Meijer Gardens.
Iron Tree by Ai Weiwei. (Supplied/Meijer Gardens by PeterMcDaniel)
“Even with the artists here in the sculpture park — Ai Weiwei, Jaume Plensa — you can really understand what an artist like Ai Weiwei is processing in terms of his growing up in contemporary China, and struggling with the changes in China,” Wierich said. “Or Jaume Plensa, somebody who grew up right after the dictatorship of Franco, and when Spain became a democracy. This are all stories that allow us to have a greater appreciation of the modern and contemporary art works.”
Prior to his work at Vanderbilt, Wierich held teaching positions at Whitman College, Free University in Berlin and Belmont University.
He earned a Master of Arts degree from the Universitat Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Universitat Dusseldorf, Dusseldorf, Germany. He has a master’s degree in American Studies from Goethe University of Frankfurt and a Ph.D. in American Studies from the College of William and Mary in Virginia — where his dissertation is titled “The Domestication of History in American Art, 1848-1876”.
Joseph Becherer, who previously held both the Meijer Gardens and Aquinas College positions, was named director of the Snite Museum of Art at the University of Notre Dame last fall.
The City of Kentwood has held two previous Plan Kentwood community information gathering events. (Supplied/City of Kentwood)
By WKTV Staff ken@wktv.org
City of Kentwood staff will be doing double duty Tuesday, Aug. 6, at Woodland Mall as the city will take advantage of the crowd attending National Night Out events to offer information and take comments on the city’s in-work “Plan Kentwood” master plan update.
During the same hours, 3-5 p.m., Kentwood Police Department staff and emergency vehicles will be present both inside and outside at the mall for public viewing and exploration — see a previous WKTV story on the National Night Out events — and city planning staff will be present to discuss planned and possible future planning of the 28th Street and 29th Street commercial corridor.
Kentwood planning staff and leaders such as Mayor Stephen Kepley, shown in middle, at a previous Plan Kentwood event. (Supplied/City of Kentwood)
The August planning community event is the third of four events offered because the city “is updating its long-range vision for growth, land use, development and open space conservation, known as the Master Plan, and is seeking public input on proposed changes through Plan Kentwood, a community engagement series,” the city has previously stated in a press release.
The Master Plan is an official public document adopted by the Kentwood Planning and City Commissions. The current forward-looking development plan considers residents’ and property owners’ long-range goals and desires, as well as local, regional and market trends. It consists of goals, policies and recommended actions to guide land use decision-making for Planning Commissioners and City Commissioners during the next 20 years.
The Plan is reviewed at least every five years but is modified and updated as deemed necessary by the City Commission. The most recent update was completed in 2012.
“The Master Plan is not a law or ordinance, but rather a guide for decisions to support how growth and conservation will take place in the City. We welcome all community members to be a part of the conversation,” Kentwood Community Development Director Terry Schweitzer said previously. “We look forward to engaging with residents, businesses and property owners for community feedback as we plan for Kentwood’s future development.”
At the Aug. 6 event, staff will be inside Woodland Mall at a table to gather input on the future planning of the 28th Street and 29th Street commercial corridor. The corridor consists of a wide range of development – from high-end boutiques, major regional malls and local retailers, to many national dining, service and product franchises. Public input gathered will focus on how to improve its effectiveness as a transportation corridor, and as a business and employment center, according to the city.
The final event, “Designing Division,” will be hosted at Brann’s Steakhouse and Grille from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 12. Community members are encouraged to join for an evening of ice cream and discussions on the future of the Division Avenue corridor with the City of Kentwood, the City of Wyoming and the Division Avenue Business Association. Division Avenue is a key gateway corridor to both the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming, requiring cooperation between the two communities.
More information about the Master Plan update is available at kentwood.us/PlanKentwood. Questions or comments may be directed to Community Development Director Terry Schweitzer at schweitzert@kentwood.us; 616-554-0710, or Economic Development Planner Lisa Golder at golderl@kentwood.us; 616-554-0709.
School starts in just a few weeks and soon after, many of those students will be spending their after school hours building a robot for the annual FIRST Robotics competition.
Saturday, Aug. 3, WKTV will feature a special presentation of the 2019 FIRST Robotics competition that took place at East Kentwood High School in April. The show features highlights of the day’s events along with interviews with local teams, such as East Kentwood’s Red Storm Robotics, and patrons and parents.
The program airs at 2 p.m. on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and WKTV AT&T Channel 99.
It only lasted a few years; from 1961 to 1974, and then it was over. It shouldn’t have been, however. From Christopher Columbus’ tales of a world that was new to Europeans to the unrivaled imagery of American’s driving a car on the moon, very few things, if anything, captures the imagination of the common person and inspires whole nations to dream big, better and sometimes achieve those great big goals.
Such was the Apollo Space Program, given a title here because it has the unique rank of being the biggest non-military effort by a nation in the history of human civilization.
Listen to “The Whole Picture Podcast on WKTV Journal on July 16, in honor of launch day 50 years ago. WKTV Journal Editor Tom Norton speaks with NASA Historian Glen Swanson, and local cultural anthropologist Deana Wiebel about the science, history, and effects of the Apollo mission 50 years later.
Without stepping into bumper sticker hyper-bole, facts lend themselves to the position that The Apollo Space Program was only possible because of the free, democratic society that while being messy, somehow succeed in getting the job done. Scientists argued and yelled with one another, rivalries existed, political factions developed and yet still, the unprecedented-in-human-history-technological-effort rolled slowly on to eventual success. None of it was guaranteed, in fact, much was still unknown and like Columbus, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, the Vikings, and the Chinese, the idea of exploration captured imaginations of everyday people and in the case of Apollo, it became a very serious (and deadly) competition to be the first in what would be known as the race to the moon.
It all took place within nine short years and as much as being propelled by rocket fuel, the Apollo program was propelled by the quest to beat the Soviets to the moon. It was a race for bragging rights of epic proportions. Looking back, one can only marvel at the ability of humankind to collectively focus on such a singular goal in such a short period of time that didn’t involve a national crisis such as World War II.
In the case of Apollo, what drove Americans higher, faster and further was the determination that our arch enemy at the time, Soviet Russia, was reaching for the same goal and we would be damned if they were going to get to the moon before we did. It was more than a contest, however. It was seen at the time, as a deadly serious effort to do everything, everywhere to stop the spread of communism by Russia. The Soviets were using the propaganda of their own successes in space as a tool to promote communism to developing countries both in their hemisphere and the west and the feat of walking on the moon was considered propaganda of the first order.
Mission control monitoring the lunar landing. (Photo courtesy of NASA)
During Apollo, this race and the mandate of an assassinated president contributed to what became known as “go fever.” It drove the American side of the moon race like a type of rocket fuel. Thousands of engineers and scientists took risks, signed off on methods and the push for results that eventually got ahead of safety. “Go fever” culminated in disaster when three astronauts chosen to be the first Apollo mission, Apollo 1; Grand Rapids native Roger Chaffee, Gus Grisholm and Ed White were killed in a fire inside the command module during a launch rehearsal test in January 1967. It set the program back 20 months. Apollo was down, but not out. The resolve of NASA intensified, the resolve of NASA to get it right, beat the Russians and do it within President John F. Kennedy’s deadline of “before the decade is out.”
Today we assume Kennedy’s mandate was an easy decision to make; a no brainer as in “of course we want to walk on the moon!” But it was far from that. The idea of walking on the moon in 1961 was arguably more foreign to the American mind in 1961 than the idea of walking on Mars is today. Nothing outside of science fiction had ever been seriously dreamt of and it was immediately apparent the extent of the technological challenge that lay before any nation that publicly announced such a goal.
Photo of the Earth from the moon taken by Apollo 11 astronauts on 20 June 1969. One of many photos timestamped and organized temporally on apolloinrealtime.org (Photo courtesy of NASA/apolloinrealtime.org)
Science Saves the Day
In 1961, NASA administrator James Webb was certain about one thing.: Going to the moon was going to take years. Years that would outlast political administrations. The drive to outperform the Russians couldn’t and wouldn’t be enough to sustain such a long haul technological effort. At that time, the pace the Russians were setting was impressive. They had already put men in space and now walked in space.
Webb knew that if this was merely about a race, the idea of doing something after the Russians had already done it probably would not sustain the effort. The administrator conveyed the concern of the agency’s technical and scientific community to Jerome Wiesner in May 1961, saying that “the most careful consideration must be given to the scientific and technological components of the total program and how to present the picture to the world and to our own nation of a program that has real value and validity and from which solid additions to knowledge can be made, even if every one of the specific so-called ‘spectacular’ flights or events are done after they have been accomplished by the Russians.” He asked that Wiesner help him “make sure that this component of solid, and yet imaginative, total scientific and technological value is built in.” 1
Here in essence, Webb is warning that the politics of going to moon may not last long enough for NASA to overcome the immense technological hurdles to make it happen. It appears he knew this immense goal required an unending stream of new inventions, systems and skills that heretofore simply didn’t exist. In a way, it’s like Columbus aiming to discover a new world without the first real ship even being developed. In Webb’s view it was vital that NASA capture the public’s imagination of the scientific advancements that will result from going to the moon and of course, beat the Russians while we’re at it.
The Apollo 11 lunar landing mission crew, pictured from left to right, Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, command module pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot. (Photo courtesy of NASA)
The sheer volume of problems that needed to be solved by new inventions and all within a spanse of nine years is staggering. Neil Armstrong in an oral history stated “I was certainly aware that this was a culmination of the work of 300,000 or 400,000 people over a decade and that the nation’s hopes and outward appearance largely rested on how the results came out.” And as the years rolled on, the new inventions and developments that came out of the Gemini to Mercury to Apollo missions in those nine short years began to add up:
1. CAT scanner: this cancer-detecting technology was first used to find imperfections in space components.
2. Computer microchip: modern microchips descend from integrated circuits used in the Apollo Guidance Computer.
3. Cordless tools: power drills and vacuum cleaners use technology designed to drill for moon samples.
4. Ear thermometer: a camera-like lens that detects infrared energy we feel as heat was originally used to monitor the birth of stars.
5. Freeze-dried food: this reduces food weight and increases shelf life without sacrificing nutritional value.
6. Insulation: home insulation uses reflective material that protects spacecraft from radiation.
7. Invisible braces: teeth-straightening is less embarrassing thanks to transparent ceramic brace brackets made from spacecraft materials.
8. Joystick: this computer gaming device was first used on the Apollo Lunar Rover.
9. Memory foam: created for aircraft seats to soften landing, this foam, which returns to its original shape, is found in mattresses and shock absorbing helmets.
10. Satellite television: technology used to fix errors in spacecraft signals helps reduce scrambled pictures and sound in satellite television signals.
11. Scratch resistant lenses: astronaut helmet visor coating makes our spectacles ten times more scratch resistant.
12. Shoe insoles: athletic shoe companies adapted space boot designs to lessen impact by adding spring and ventilation.
13. Smoke detector: Nasa invented the first adjustable smoke detector with sensitivity levels to prevent false alarms.
14. Swimsuit: Nasa used the same principles that reduce drag in space to help create the world’s fastest swimsuit for Speedo, rejected by some professionals for giving an unfair advantage.
15. Water filter: domestic versions borrow a technique NASA pioneered to kill bacteria in water taken into space.
So the next time you hear that America can’t do this, or can’t do that; can’t create cars that don’t pollute, or build roads that last more than a few years; or solve this or that challenge because it will take another 50 years…
Just think of Apollo. America’s shining moment.
Credits: 1. James E. Webb to Jerome B. Wiesner, 2 May 1961, NASA Historical Reference Collection.
Local Apollo 11 events:
Scavenger Hunt: The Grand Rapids Public Museum is hosting a scavenger hunt for four moon rocks. To join the fun, click here.
Remembering Apollo 11 – 50 Years Later: the GRPM and the Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association is hosting this event at 6 p.m. Saturday, July 20 at the Veen Observatory, 3308 Kissing Rock Ave., Lowell. NASA Historian Glen Swanson will be speaking at 6:30 and 8 p.m. on Michigan’s involvement in the great space race. The program is free.
WKTV airs new talk show, “Moments of Vulnerability” starting July 1.
WKTV Staff
Starting on July 1, WKTV 25 will be airing a new show, “Moments of Vulnerability” from ōK Productions.
The show, which is scheduled to air Mondays at 2:30 p.m. and Thursdays at 10:30 p.m., is a 30-minute talk show designed to be a resource for people to gain information on improving various aspects of their lives. Produced by longtime WKTV volunteer Kim Johnson, the show’s focus is to provide individuals with resources to guide through the changing phases of life, from post high-school transition to parenting (single- and dual-parent families) to guiding seasoned parents. “Moments of Vulnerability” is based off a weekly Facebook live spot from co-producer and host Ōrsika Julia.
Host Orsika Julia.
“The purpose of this show is to let you know that you are not alone in this journey of life,” Julia said. “Though the show focuses mainly on single parenting, there is a variety of topics pertaining to many different aspects of life.”
As director and co-producer, Johnson said, “We are both affected by this topic, I was raised by a single mom, and Ōrsika is a single parent of three. So, this is why we have a passion for reaching out to others in the same position.”
The show will also air on YouTube later in the summer.
The International Space Station Expedition 59-60 team. (NASA)
By Kelly Taylor WKTV Program Director
This Sunday, WKTV Government 26 will be featuring live coverage of the International Space Station Expedition 59-60 Change of Command ceremony. The program comes via NASA TV.
At at 3:35 p.m. Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko hands over the command of the ISS to fellow cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin.
Live coverage from the ISS continues Monday, June 24 at 3:30 p.m. for the Expedition 59 farewells and Soyuz MS-11 hatch closure. The hatch closure is scheduled for around 4:10 p.m., with cosmonaut Kononenko, astronaut Anne McClain of NASA and astronaut David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency aboard.
At 10:48 p.m. there will be live coverage of the Soyuz MS-11 landing near Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan.
For more information on NASA TV or the InternationalSpace Station, log on to www.nasa.gov. NASA TV can be seen on the WKTV 26 Government Channel on Comcast and AT&T U-verse 99 Government Channel 99.
The Grand Rapids Chapter of Sweet Adelines presented the highly prestigious award of Sweet Adeline of the Year Award to Rockford resident and former WKTV Editor Colleen Pierson. The singing group is composed of 60 women who sing four-part harmony in acapella style.
The award is given to a member who exemplifies the ideal qualities shown through leadership, successes, progress and dedication.
“To be nominated was extraordinary, to win was a dream come true. I felt like I won an Academy Award,” Pierson said enthusiastically.
Master Director Denise Van Dyken was happy for Pierson. “Colleen brings so much enthusiasm, talents and humor to our group. It is a well-deserved honor.”
The Grand Rapids Chapter of Sweet Adelines are Regional Champions and will compete on the International Stage in New Orleans in September. They perform at community events, concerts, competitions, charity functions and sing the National Anthem at sporting games.
“The only thing better than singing, is more singing,” joked Pierson. “One of my best life decisions was getting involved with this talented group of women.”
The group is always looking for new members who love to sing and perform. They practice every Monday night. For more information, please visit https://www.grsa.net.
Kentwood resident Maria Orr said she is grateful that she at least had the opportunity to tour Notre Dame before the fire that brought down its spiral tower destroyed most of it.
The spiral tower of Notre Dame. (WKTV/2004)
Residents were glued to media outlets today as the world watched the catastrophic blaze ravage the beloved Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.
“I am glad that I got to see it before this happened,” said Orr, who visited the church with her daughter’s art class from East Kentwood High School. “I got to see the history and the windows before that was all destroyed.”
The artist behind the windows at St. Mary Magdalen Parish, which burned in 2012, Orr understands the pain and loss of the stained-glass windows at Notre Dame. Orr was able to recover four sets of the St. Mary Magdalen windows, which now hang in the new church building.
“St. Mary Magdalen at least had me around so when construction started, I was there to help design the windows for the new building,” Orr said. “None of the people who designed the windows for Notre Dame are around anymore to do that.”
Parishioner Luia Ortiz also mourned the loss of the windows. She had visited the church twice and now has a decal of one of the more famous Notre Dame windows on a window in her home.
“I wanted this little replica of the window but they were totally sold out of them when I was there, so I ended up buying a large piece,” Ortiz said, adding that when a friend went a few years later, she was able to get the replica for her.
The outside of Notre Dame (WKTV/2004)
What moves Ortiz more is the historical loss of the church.
“If they rebuild it, I don’t know if they will ever be able to capture the historical aspect,” she said.
At WKTV, we hope to capture some of the historical context along with the memories of those who visited Notre Dame. We encourage area residents to share their photos and stories about their visit to the iconic church. To share photos, go to our Facebook page or email them to joanne@wktv.org.
Tune in to WKTV Government 26 for our upcoming Special Programming Events from NASA TV! On Wednesday, April 17, we will be featuring the launch of the newest Northrup Grumman Cygnus Cargo Craft, the S.S. Roger Chaffee, to the International Space Station.
Named after hometown hero Roger B. Chaffee, who died in the Apollo 1 spacecraft fire, the space station resupply craft will deliver several tons of cargo, including food, supplies and live mice for scientific experiments.
Coverage begins at 4:15pm, with the launch scheduled for 4:46pm from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
S.S. Roger Chaffee (photo supplied)
Then be watching Friday, April 19, for the rendezvous and capture of the S.S. Roger Chaffee to the ISS. Coverage begins at 4am, with the capture scheduled at 5:30am. Installation of the craft to the Unity Module of the Space Station starts at 7am.
For more information on NASA TV or the International Space Station, log on to www.nasa.gov. NASA TV can be seen on the WKTV 26 Government Channelon Comcast and AT&T U-verse 99 Government Channel 99.
WKTV will be featuring the launch of the Expedition 59-60/Soyuz MS-12 Spacecraft to the International Space Station on WKTV Government 26 channel.
NASA astronaut Christian Koch, cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin and NASA astronaut Nick Hague. (NASA)
The launch is set for 3:41 p.m. Thursday, March 14. Coverage will begin at 2 p.m. Coverage will continue at 10:30 p.m. for the Hatch Opening and Welcoming Ceremony. The hatch is scheduled to open at around 11:10 p.m.
NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Christina Koch, and cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin are set to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on a six-hour journey to the International Space Station.
Koch, who was born in Michigan, and astronaut Anne McClain will be part of a the first all-female spacewalk set for March 29 with complete coverage on WKTV. Canadian Space Agency flight controller Kristen Facial will be supporting McClain and Koch on the console at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The spacewalk is part of three planned spacewalks during Expedition 59 to upgrade batteries on the International Space Station.
For more information on NASA TV or the International Space Station, log on to www.nasa.gov.
NASA TV can be seen on the WKTV 26 Government Channel on Comcast and AT&T U-verse 99 Government Channel 99.
The Northrup Grumman Cygnus CRS-10 Cargo Craft will depart for the International Space Station Feb. 8. (NASA)
By Kelly Taylor WKTV
Tune in to WKTV Government 26 for the upcoming special programming events from NASA TV. On Friday, Feb. 8, WKTV will be featuring the departure of the Northrup Grumman Cygnus CRS-10 Cargo Craft from the International Space Station.
Live coverage will begin at 10:45 a.m., with the departure scheduled for 11:10 a.m.
After it’s release from the ISS, the Cygnus Cargo Craft will stay in space for two weeks, deploying various satellites at various altitudes to provide increased commercial access to space and demonstrate technology advancements.
Cygnus is scheduled to deorbit on Monday, Feb. 25, and enter the Earth’s atmosphere, where it will burn up harmlessly over the Pacific Ocean.
To learn more about the International Space Station, it’s crews and it’s research, visit www.nasa.gov/station. NASA TV can be seen on the WKTV 26 Government Channel on Comcast and AT&T U-verse 99 Government Channel 99.
I’m a frustrated actor. My…goal is to beat Alfred Hitchcock in the number of cameos. I’m going to try to break his record.
- Stan Lee
Books and the Bus
Now available on The Rapids: Books.
If you are taking The Rapid anywhere, you will now be able to grab something to read. The Rapid and the Kent District Library have partnered up for the program Books on the Bus. The program provides a collection of books for all ages that are conveniently placed on buses for riders to enjoy.
Our Favorite Toys
Lincoln Logs were created by John Lloyd Wright, the son of fame architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
As an experiment, imagine six to seven people gathered at a holiday social event people who don’t know each other and from the forced, polite conversation you could probably tell each of them would rather be someplace else. Now, in this polite conversation, introduce the subject of toys and in particular, favorite toys and within 60 seconds you would sense the atmosphere around this group changing.
Shoot, Score
East Kentwood High School’s girls basketball team in action game at Wyoming last season. (WKTV)
WKTV has also started early to bring local audiences a full slate of games began with the final varsity game to be played at South Christian High School’s current location when the Lady Sailors entertained Hamilton on Dec. 4. But we will also showcase the new location on Kalamazoo Avenue just north of 84th Street, as WKTV will bring the opening night games as both the boys and girls initiate the new gymnasium when they host Unity Christian on Friday, Dec. 21.
Tuesday, Dec. 4, WKTV will be featuring the launch of the SpaceX CRS-16 Cargo Craft to the International Space Station.
SpaceX CRS-16 will be filled with supplies and payloads including critical materials to directly support the science and research that will occur during the current expeditions.
Coverage begins at 1 p.m., with the launch scheduled for 1:38 p.m. A post-launch news conference will take place after the launch,
Coverage continues on Thursday, Dec. 6, for the rendezvous and capture of the SpaceX CRS-16 at the ISS at 4:30 a.m., with the capture scheduled for approximately 6 a.m. Installation of the cargo craft begins at 7:30 a.m.
For more information on NASA TV or the International Space Station, log on to www.nasa.gov. NASA TV can be seen on the WKTV 26 Government Channel on Comcast and AT&T U-verse 99 Government Channel 99.
Santa is coming to town. How do we know? Because the Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, along with the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood, is hosting the 12th annual Santa Parade Saturday, Dec. 8, along Division Avenue.
The parade, which starts at 10 a.m. and lasts about 45 minutes, will feature more than 50 participants including five school bands. Participants will travel down South Division from 33rd Street to Murray Avenue.
Chamber President and CEO Bob O’Callaghan said the Santa Parade provides an opportunity for many residents to attend a parade who may not get the opportunity to attend the big parade in downtown Grand Rapids. Another key element to the event is free photos with Santa, which takes place after the parade at Brann’s Steakhouse & Grille, 4157 S. Division Ave. Parade-goers and residents are encouraged to bring their children over to the restaurant along with cameras for free pictures with Santa.
Santa is scheduled to make his arrival at the annual Santa Parade hosted by the Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce.
“It is part of the Community Service we offer at the Chamber,” O’Callaghan said.
In the parade will be police vehicles and fire trucks from both the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming. There also will be floats and vehicles from several of the parade sponsors such as The Rapids, Steelcase, Conumsers Energy, Diversified Protection, JX Peterbilt, Marge’s Donut Den, Supermercado Mexico, Two Men and A Truck, Liberty Tax Service, Godwin Plumbing, Celebration Cinema, and Brann’s Steakhouse & Grille. Also five local high school bands are set to perform as well.
This year the Chamber will be hosting a Float Judging Contest selecting the three best decorated floats with first place being a $1,500 office chair from Steelcase.
If you miss or can not make the parade, WKTV will be broadcasting the entire event on Comcast channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 at 12:30 p.m. and then again at 7 p.m. that day. It will re-air the program throughout the month. Check wktv.org for listings.
WKTV (that stands for Wyoming-Kentwood Television) launched a digital cinema program in 2012, providing film production gear and facilities at no cost to filmmakers whose only objective is to tell a story.
Kyle Misak is exhausted. It’s close to 5am, and he is at the end of an 18-hour day.
Yes, that’s 18 hours. Most people probably have been there at least once in their lives, but for the 23-year-old Michigan filmmaker, days like this are routine when he’s directing a movie.
Misak may have the stamina to endure such a grueling time commitment, but there’s one underlying force that pushes him to lengths like this; he has a vision to tell a story. Being a filmmaker means handling actors, crew, equipment, schedules, the rain and cold, the occasional equipment failure, missed flights, broken down cars, lunch, and whatever else that could possibly happen. If you are ever lucky enough to work on a film for any length of time, you come away convinced that Murphy is the god of filmmakers.
But Misak is having none of it. He and his crew, with persistence and dogged determination, are more than likely to beat Murphy at his own game.
And shortly after I wrote the above, I took a text message from one of Misak’s crew members saying the footage they shot on one of the days may have been damaged — digitally lost in the never-never land of ones and zeros; requiring that a full day’s work be redone.
Misak has always been tinkering with storytelling and filmmaking, but his ability to get the stories in his head to the screen took a big leap when he discovered a community media center in Wyoming, Michigan.
But we digress. Misak pushes through everything like a Sherman tank with one eye on the goal that makes it all worthwhile and the other on avoiding the next difficulty. The goal is to bring to life the story bouncing around inside his head. Just get the story told in a convincing manner and along the way entertain the audience. It’s all a filmmaker wants to achieve.
Misak has always been tinkering with storytelling and filmmaking, but his ability to get the stories in his head to the screen took a big leap when he discovered a community media center in Wyoming, Michigan. WKTV (that stands for Wyoming-Kentwood Television) launched a digital cinema program in 2012, providing film production gear and facilities at no cost to filmmakers whose only objective is to tell a story.
“We were amazed that all of this stuff existed for us to use,” Misak said. “So often, you have to raise thousands of dollars to afford rentals, which many of us obviously can’t do, so many films probably don’t even get started. WKTV changed all that. I know it changed everything for me.”
But there has to be a catch, right?
There should be, but WKTV as a community media center exists to provide media creation equipment to users at no charge. If, as the saying goes, the best things in life are free, then maybe the tools that inspire a young filmmaker to push himself to his creative limits and along the way develop his storytelling skills falls into the category of “best things”. After talking with Misak, you learn that discovering places like WKTV is, for filmmakers, like discovering gold in the ground. It’s there and it’s yours, if you can go through the work of learning the equipment and crafting a story.
But as is often the case with stories like this, the danger is that it sounds easier than it really is. William Goldman, a veteran Hollywood writer from the sixties and seventies put it this way: “Filmmaking is work. Not like working in an office is work, but filmmaking is work like salt mining is work.”
There’s a good chance filmmakers like Misak, or any filmmaker for that matter, would agree.
If every diehard filmmaker has horror stories about equipment failures, permits denied at the last minute, or star actors who missed their flights, just as many are reminded what makes it all worth it.
“There’s a special feeling, a truly special feeling,” said Kevin Davis, a 31-year filmmaker in Wyoming who has been using WKTV’s cinema equipment for two years. “It comes over you in the editing room when you realize that it’s working; the scene is working.
Kyle Misak out in the field
“There’s the first pass, and it doesn’t work and you get that sick feeling. Then the real magic of editing gets to work and slowly the scene is cut, trimmed, shots moved around, and eventually, (but not always) out comes the scene that originally played in your mind. It’s a great feeling. It makes the bags under your eyes worth it,” he said with a wink.
Whether it’s Davis or Misak, filmmakers from all backgrounds are coming to WKTV and tapping a resource that’s never been available in West Michigan before: equipment. Nate Diedrich, one of the production coordinators for the cinema program at WKTV, was more direct: “Before we were here, it was only the rental houses. Some were here, others in Detroit and you had to have money, and unless it’s a corporate production, without money, the film didn’t get made.”
It’s possible that given WKTV’s 44-plus years in media creation, it is the perfect place for this next definition of community media.
But there’s a side benefit as well. Just as WKTV has focused these 44 years on making people more media-savvy, the digital cinema program has the distinct possibility of making filmmakers more story-savvy.
“Storytelling is a talent,” Davis said, “and like all talent, it’s a Carnegie Hall thing. How do you get there? Practice, and the talent will come through.”
Diedrich couldn’t agree more. “We’ve seen filmmakers graduate from the most basic ability to really being able to choreograph actors and camera and editing into poignant moments and crafting a story. We really believe that media can build community and storytelling is a powerful means to do that.”
WKTV believes that keeping the cost low encourages filmmakers to get started. However, while the fees may be low, WKTV insists that any storyteller seeking film production gear become “certified” on using that gear. Certification usually lasts no more than three hours depending on the type of equipment.
Now in its fifth year, WKTV’s Digital Cinema program can be reached by visiting the website at wktv.org or calling 616-261-5700.
On Wednesday, Nov. 7, WKTV will be featuring the launch of the ICON satellite, otherwise known as the Ionospheric Connection Explorer.
The Ionospheric Connection Explorer will study the frontier of space: the dynamic zone high in our atmosphere where Earth weather and space weather meet. Here, the tenuous gases are anything but quiet, as a mix of neutral and charged particles swirl in giant winds.
Coverage begins at 2:45 a.m., with a 90-minute launch window opening at 3 a.m. Release from the Stargazer Aircraft is anticipated for 3:05 a.m.
Stay tune for the release of the JAXA HTV-7 Cargo Craft from the International Space Station. Coverage begins at 11:30 a.m. with the release scheduled for 11:50 a.m.
For more information on NASA TV or the International Space Station, log on to www.nasa.gov.
NASA TV can be seen on the WKTV 26 Government Channel on Comcast and AT&T U-verse 99 Government Channel 99.
Vernon “Chip” Wienke III as Detective Murray and Ms. Michigan Brittany Styles as Murray’s partner Detective McMaster
By WKTV Staff
It was a simple question from one of his students that helped Clayton Veltkamp rekindle his passion to become a filmmaker.
Veltkamp graduated from Western Michigan University with a broadcasting degree and then earned a master’s in Film and TV Production from the academy of Art in San Francisco all with the goal of becoming a filmmaker. He would embark on a freelance career that has spanned a decade.
Returning to Michigan for family reasons, Veltkamp continued to do freelance client work, and took a summer job teaching Digital Movie Making to teenage students as part of Ferris State University’s Kendall College of Art and Design’s Continuing Studies Program.
Clayton Veltkamp
In the summer of 2017, one of his students asked him “Have you ever made a movie? No? How come?” And, that was all the inspiration Veltkamp needed. Veltkamp’s one time dream of becoming a filmmaker became an overnight obsession.
The result is the film “Dark Justice,” set to kick off WKTV’s Midnite Movies on Friday. The movie airs at midnight on Nov. 9.
The story is of a detective investigating a series of vigilante murders that threaten a shaky truce between rival criminal gang leaders. The detective must solve the case before the outlaw plunges the city into chaos. But, when confronted by the corruption and injustice that motivates the killer, the detective joins their righteous quest seeking revenge of his own.
Working within a strict budget of $7,000 and drawing off his love for comic books and fantasy, Veltkamp spent the next few months developing his feature film script, scouting locations, and networking with potential actors. On March 26, 2018, principal photography began.
Investigating the crime scene Detectives Murray and McMaster (Vernon Wienke & Brittany Styles).
With a skeleton crew of eager helpers, a 4k cinema camera borrowed from local public access station WKTV, and a single building from the 1800s that he managed to gain free range of; Clayton spent the next month and a half getting all the shots, wrapping up production on May 12, 2018.
Drawing on his years as a freelance editor, he locked in the picture within a month and enlisted the help of a local sound designer and recording studio Trulogic Media to handle the final sound mix. The goal was to have the film finished by July so he could begin the process of entering film festivals and preparing for AFM where he will seek distribution and networking opportunities.
The film features Vernon “Chip” Wienke III as Detective Murray and Ms. Michigan Brittany Styles as Murray’s partner Detective McMaster. Also in the cast are Michael Gordon as Morretti, Dirk Hughes as Savator, Tom Black as Chief Pickett, and Laine Fleszar as Marry.
The film is currently available through Amazon Prime. For more on the film, visit www.cultivationcinema.com.
As you are passing out candy to the trick-or-treaters, WKTV will be featuring a line-up of locally produced horror and Halloween films, with a special premiere showing from a familiar filmmaker.
Director and Producer Moe McCoy’s “Angel Horror Movie” will air at 10 p.m. It is a film that according toMcCoy, had its own “horror” backstory that the team from his Fireproof Film company managed to overcome.
“This was a film that I originally started shooting in Grand Rapids,” McCoy said. “I had the house lined up and everyone there and then there was a drive-by and I everyone just left, the cast, the crew, everybody.”
Not to be deterred, McCoy took the concept with him, reshooting in Houston, Texas with a Red camera, only to discover that the film was so large only a few places could handle the editing, one of which is WKTV.
“So I came back to my roots,” said McCoy, who got his start in film by volunteering at WKTV. “It has been so much fun being back here in Michigan and at the WKTV studio. I am excited about the premiere.”
WKTV’s Halloween specials start at 7 p.m. with the Rosehill Cemetery Tour followed by a family film, “We Are the Dead,” produced by a group of Grand Valley State University students utilizing WKTV equipment. “We Are the Dead” follows the story of three men as they try to survive the zombie apocalypse. This film will air at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30; 8:30 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31; and 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2.
At 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 31, will be “The Basement,” an indie film produced by another volunteer and local producer Chris Penny of Dogbyte Films. After that is McCoy’s “Angel Horror Film.”
The rest of the line-up includes:
11 p.m. Transitions
11:30 p.m. Return of the Curse
1 a.m. Grand Rapids Paranormal Alliance Ghost Documentary
From the upcoming EP Adventures’ “Stormy Weather.”
Just in time for hunting season, WKTV will be airing a brand new episode of EP Adventures: “Stormy Weather.”
The newest episodes will be airing on WKTV25 on Wednesday, Oct. 10, and Saturday, Oct. 13, at 5 p.m. both days.
According to producer & WKTV volunteer Mike Endres said the show will feature multiple trophies hitting the ground as the pro staff comes through with another great year.
“Stormy Weather is an educational, action-packed hunt video that will show you all aspects of hunting,” Endres said. “We meet many new faces, and create many great memories. This year’s hunts will make you feel as if you are in the tree with us.”
A view of a Kounotori from the International Space Station.
Kelly Taylor
WKTV Staff
On Friday, Sept. 14, WKTV will be featuring the Rendezvous and Capture of the JAXA “Kounotori” HTV-7 Cargo Craft at the International Space Station. Coverage will begin at 6 a.m., with the capture scheduled at 7:40 a.m. Stay tuned for the installation of the cargo craft at 11 a.m.
The Kounotori is an unmanned cargo transporter. It is designed to deliver up to six tons of supplies including food, clothes, and experiment devices to the ISS in orbit at an altitude of about 400 kilometers and return with spent equipment, used clothing, and other waste material.
The Kounotori with waste material is incinerated when it makes a re-entry into the atmosphere. This transport operation involves a rendezvous with and docking to the ISS, in a situation requiring a highly reliable transfer vehicle.
A Kounotori cargo craft
For more information on NASA TV or the International Space Station, log on to www.nasa.gov.
NASA TV can be seen on the WKTV 26 Government Channel on Comcast and AT&T U-verse 99 Government Channel 99.
Cabildo performed July 10 at Wyoming’s Concerts in the Park.
Not able to make it to the Wyoming Concerts in the Park? Or was there one you missed that you would still like to see?
WKTV has got you covered. The station will once again host its Wyoming Concerts in the Park Marathon this Labor Day, Sept. 3. The program will air on WKTV Comcast Channel 26 and AT&T Channel 99.
The line up is:
9:30 am Wyoming Concerts in the Park: The Porters
11:00 am Wyoming Concerts in the Park: Delilah DeWylde
12:35 pm Wyoming Concerts in the Park: Valintiger
1:35 pm Wyoming Concerts in the Park: Kari Lynch Band
3:10 pm Wyoming Concerts in the Park: Cabildo
4:45 pm Wyoming Concerts in the Park: Soul Syndicate
6:20 pm Wyoming Concerts in the Park: Blue Soul Express
7:55 pm Wyoming Concerts in the Park: Matt Gabriel
9:30 pm Wyoming Concerts in the Park: Yellow Brick Road
11:12 pm Wyoming Concerts in the Park: Adams Family
WKTV announced two new shows that will be airing on its Channel 25 starting Thursday, Aug. 23.
The first is “Gospel of the Last Days,” which is a collection of artistic performances and videos from The Church of Almighty God. Included in the show is dancing and singing, music videos, hymn videos, short sketches, crosstalk, and choir videos. With these performances and videos, rich and profound in content and novel and unique in form, viewers will see “a beautiful life where the people of the kingdom praise God, and feel the Creator’s love and salvation for mankind,” according to the program’s producers.
The other show is the “Eastern Light Variety Show.” This is a collection of gospel movies, church life movies, short films, stage performances and and musicals independently produced and completed by The Church of Almighty God. They bear witness to the appearance and work of Christ of the last days, and bring you to attend the feast bestowed on man by God in the Age of Kingdom.
“Gospel of the Last Days” will air at 2 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. on Thursdays and “Eastern Light Variety Show” will air at 6 and 10 p.m. on Thursdays.
Expedition 56 Flight Engineers Oleg Artemyev (left) and Sergey Prokopyev, both cosmonauts from Roscosmos, work on maintenance activities activities inside the International Space Station’s Columbus laboratory module from ESA (NASA/European Space Agency).
By Kelly Taylor
WKTV Program Director
On Wednesday, Aug. 15, WKTV will be featuring coverage of the Space Station Expedition 56 Russian Spacewalk at the International Space Station. The spacewalk is scheduled to being at 11:58am and will last approximately six hours and 50 minutes.
Cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev and Sergey Prokopyev have been reviewing the translation paths to their work sites on the outside of the station’s Russian segment. During the nearly seven-hour excursion, the space walkers will hand-deploy four tiny satellites, install antennas and cables on the Zvezda service module and collect exposed science experiments.
For more information on NASA TV or the International Space Station, log on to www.nasa.gov.
NASA TV can be seen on the WKTV 26 Government Channel on Comcast and AT&T U-verse 99 Government Channel 99.
Wine has been a part of the Michigan’s history since the late 1600s. However, the current trend of smaller individual wineries have been growing and developing since the mid-1970s and have lead to a robust wine industry in Michigan making winery tours a popular summer activity.
Round Barn Winery is an easy day trip from the Kentwood/Wyoming area.
Jeremy Witt, from the West Michigan Tourist Association, stopped by the station to talk about some of the many West Michigan wineries area residents can visit. Some of the highlights are Round Barn Winery, which is an iconic stop on the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail; Old Mission Peninsula located in the Traverse City area; and Castle Farms which recently opened the 1918 Cellar Wines Tasting Room.
The interview was part of our latest WKTV Journal newscast that is currently running on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel. The newscast airs at 7 p.m. Tuesday, 10 a.m. Friday, and 9 p.m. Monday.
All of the WKTV Journal newscasts are available on WKTV’s YouTube channel, WKTVVideos, and then go to playlists and click WKTV Journal 2018.
"Don't ever question the value of volunteers. Noah's Ark was built by volunteers; the Titanic was built by professionals." - Dave Gynn, an engineer out of the San Francisco Bay area.
A BIG Thanks
WKTV Volunteer of the Year was Charlie Kormanik
And WKTV values its volunteers, this year hosting a Brazilian-style barbecue at Johnson Park.
This year’s Volunteer of the Year was Charlie Kormanik who had more than 300 volunteer hours. Charlie travels almost 80 miles, one-way, from St. Joseph, Michigan, to participate in a number of WKTV programs. Thanks Charlie and to all our volunteers for another wonderful year. To see all the volunteers who were recognized at this year’s picnic, click here. To become volunteer, call 616-261-5700.
Song spinners
The Crane Wives performs July 26.
After making recent tour stops throughout the country, the band will be returning home to play at the Kentwood Summer Concert Series this Thursday.
Show time is set for 7p.m. at the lawn next to the Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave. SE. Click here for more.
Who’s counting?
After reporting the busiest June ever in its history, the Gerald R. Ford International Airport has 1,406,644 more to go to hit the three million passenger mark. At the rate things are going, we expect GFIA to land that goal soon. For more on the story, click here.
Be Involved and be informed
Stealing Mayor Jack Poll’s closing line for every Wyoming City Council meeting, WKTV reminds residents that the upcoming primary is Aug. 7 and there are a number of candidates seeking their party’s spot for the general election. In the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming, there are two Kent County Commission races, two Republicans for the 8th District and four Democratic in the 12th District. For more, click here.
And today’s fun fact:
400
That is the number of meters of Lycra (an elastic polyurethane fiber or fabric) needed to make the costumes for the "Super Trooper" scene in the ABBA-inspired "Mamma Mia!" Don't believe us? Then check out the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre production this February and see for yourself.
Recently, WKTV hosted a volunteer picnic for the many people who contribute their time and efforts in creating program for the WKTV station along with writing for the WKTV Journal.
The picnic was at Johnson Park and had a little twisted with food provided by Charcoal Grill Brazilian Steak House out of Holland. Charcoal Grill offers authentic Brazilian food with servers carving up the meats right at the table. The three-hour event included a time to recognize the many accomplishments of all of WKTV volunteers.
The Volunteer of the Year Award went to Charlie Kormanik who has worked on a number of projects including the WKTV’s spring broadcasting of the FIRST Robotics Competition. WKTV Board member and contributor Mike Bacon received the Community Service Programming Award and WKTV Board member and contributor Judy Bergsma received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Recognized for 15 years of service were Jim Dohm for helping to wire the WKTV building and the show Catholic Forum; Dan Kuipers for Bethany URC, and Todd Lewis for the Grand Rapids Theatre documentary and various other work. Recognized for 20 years was Mike Endres for EP Adventures and the Ghosts of Grand Rapids documentary; Rose Hammond for the Idlewild documentary; and Phyllis Koslow for her work with the Grand Rapids Symphonic Band and Symphonette shows. Recognized for 25 years of service was Kim Johnson for her work on a number of projects such as the the Dynamic Praise Program, WKTV specials, Memorial Tributes, the End of Year Memorials, and Princess Diana.
Just some the people who attended the WKTV Volunteer Appreciation Picnic. All photos are by Pat Mulder.
Also recognized were:
Those who volunteered 25 hours or less
Brittany Berens – WKTV Sports
Maddison Berone – WKTV Sports
Judy Bergsma – WKTV Board Member
Ryan Burkholder – I.T.
Mike Endres – EP Adventures
Kim Johnson – Dynamic Praise/Memorial Tributes
Katelyn Kohane – WKTV News
Pat Moll – WKTV News Photographer
Edward Nelson – W.T.H.
Chris Rush – Senior Exercise
Bob Serulla – Golden Gloves/Metro Cruise
Matt Small – WKTV Sports
Emily Southerton – Catholic Forum
Erica Southerton – Catholic Forum
Paul Southerton – Catholic Forum
Doug Styles – Rowland – Stop of Faith
Anne Van Dreumel – Metro Cruise and Schubert Male Chorus
Mike Van Druemel – WKTV
Dick Visser – WKTV Board Member
Matt Whitney – WKTV
Those who had volunteered 26 – 50 hours
Carrie Bradstreet – You’ve Got to Be Kidding Me America
Jim Dohm – Catholic Forum/Fools for Christ
Randy Galaszewski – You’ve Got to Be Kidding Me America
Chris Huntoon – WKTV
Mark Lange – WKTV
Sunshine Myers – The Projectionist
James Smither – GVSU Veteran’s Oral History Project
Sue Southerton – Catholic Forum
Larry Swanson – You’re Got to Be Kidding Me America
Patty Williams – Bluegrass On Stage & Sounds of Summer
Pat Williams – Volunteer
Those who have volunteered 51 – 75 hours
Kriss Boom Boom – W.T.H.
Rose Hammond – Idlewild Documentary
Sophia Maslowski – You’ve Got to Be Kidding Me America
The Northrop Grumman (formerly Orbital ATK) Cygnus commercial space freighter with its cymbal-like Ultra-Flex solar arrays and the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft are pictured in this fish-eye lens view from a window on the International Space Station.
The Northrop Grumman Cygnus CRS-9 Cargo Craft will be returning to earth on July 15 after a six-week stay at the International Space Station.
Coverage of the departing cargo craft will start at 8:15 a.m. with the craft scheduled to depart at 8:35 a.m. The entire departure can be viewed on WKTV 26 Government Channel on Comcast and AT&T U-verse Government Channel 99.
The cargo ship, which was dubbed the S.S. James “JR” Thompson after the fifth director of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, brought a myriad of science investigations in both commercial and academic fields. Those included biomolecule extraction and sequencing technology, a cold atom laboratory, ice cubes facility, and microgravity investigation of event solidification.
For the past several days, the current crew of the International Space Station have been packing the Cygnus with trash and old gear in preparation for its return to Earth.
For more information about the departure, NASA TV or the International Space Station, visit www.nasa.gov.
WKTV, already a pretty energy efficient small business, learned it could save some with a Consumers Energy energy assessment program. (Consumers Energy/WKTV)
Consumers Energy’s EmPOWERing Kent County package of programs includes efforts to assist businesses big and small to save money on their energy bills. WKTV community media — a small business in some ways — invited Consumers Energy into our studios to see how the program worked.
“Part of this program has been designed with you (small businesses) in mind,” Garrick Rochow, senior vice president of operations at Consumers Energy, recently told a group of business leaders. “The small business programs are driven by our contractors … those contractors will come out to your business, provide an assessment, make some recommendations, break down the costs to you, if any.”
After setting up an appointment through Consumers Energy, an energy advisor paid a visit in early June and took a tour of WKTV’s facility. The end result was an Energy Assessment Report specifically for our business.
The report included recommendations for energy-saving opportunities, a summary of estimated energy and cost savings along with available incentives, and a link to program brochures and rebate applications.
At WKTV, most of the interior lights are already energy efficient LED bulbs, but it was pointed out that every bulb replaced could save about $11.77 annually. (It was also pointed out that rates/savings vary.)
As far as some of the other energy savings opportunities pointed out, the report stated that changing two 250 watt exterior light fixtures with LED could qualify for a $59 rebate and could save $74 a year; and changing out the restroom lights to be motion-sensing (to turn off when not in use) could qualify for $100 rebate and could save $33.61 a year.
The bottom line, with WKTV already being pretty energy efficient, was that we could save about $155 in energy use and qualify for as much as $200 in rebates.
WKTV is probably the best example of savings, however, as we previously reported on one local company, Rishi’s International Beverage, located just across 28th Avenue from Kentwood, which faired much better from the review.
Paul Makkar, Richi’s owner, told WKTV that: “We had many light bulbs and the electric bill was outrageous because we have, like, 600 bulbs — the bill was very high, I was concerned about that.”
The company then applied for an energy assessment and energy savings program through Consumers Energy and “we were given a significant amount of money to change to LED lights. So, the very first month after installing all those lights, we got like a $400 difference every month. … which is like $5,000 per year.”
The final report to WKTV on its recent assessment came in an email with the following:
“Thank you for allowing Consumers Energy to perform an energy assessment at your facility. … (name of contractor) who performed your assessment, has enclosed the findings in the attached report. The values contained in the report provides usage history, savings analysis of items installed during the assessment, and estimated savings and potential rebates for several recommendations. The savings estimates are based on typical usage for your type of facility and average utility rates. Actual savings in your facility will vary based on your hours of operation, business type and actual utility rates. If you choose to move forward with our recommendations, please visit www.ConsumersEnergy.com/StartSaving. On the website you will learn how to find a participating small business contractor, download a rebate application and learn many more ways to save energy. Thank you again for allowing the Consumers Energy Business Energy Efficiency Programs to help you save energy and lower your monthly bills.”
Other services available to small businesses through the EmPOWERing Kent County package of programs were a rate review, to make sure as businesses grow, other more competitive rate options may be available; how to become a supplier to Consumers Energy — which has made a commitment to Michigan-based small businesses as potential suppliers; as well as renewable energy options for businesses.
For more information on the Consumers Energy small business programs, visit comsumersenergy.com or call 800-805-0490.
Tuesday night in the City of Wyoming is going to be a busy one as there will be a Wyoming Department of Public Safety community open house and the Concerts in the Park return to Lamar Park.
Open House
The Public Safety Community Open House will take place from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the Gezon Fire Station, located near the corner go Gezon Parkway and Byron Center Avenue. Residents will have a chance to tour the facility, which has the new Metro Health – University of Michigan Health helicopter pad. The event is free and open to the public.
Concerts in the Park
After a week hiatus, the Wyoming Concerts in the Park return with Grand Rapids-based Cabildo taking the stage at 7 p.m.
Known for its Latin-flavor music, Cabildo has been around for 12 years and released its first album, “Sin Fronteras,” earlier this year.
The group is a collective with several area musicians who have performed with the group, according to those who have performed with the band. The constant in the band have been the group’s frontman, Julio Cano Villalobos (guitar, accordion, and vocals) and Julio Cesar Viveros Cuevas (guitar and vocals.) Villalobos is from Chile and Cuevas is from Mexico. All of the Cabildo’s music is in Spanish.
The shows are known to be fiery, celebrating the group’s Latin American roots with a blend of cambia, folk, rock, ska music and more that get throngs bobbing and dancing. The group’s recent album has a political charge to it with “Sin Fronteras” meaning “without borders,” reflecting the plight of immigrants to the United States.
According to Michigan Radio, Cabildo is a nine-piece band with lots of moving parts “and when it all comes together on stage, it’s something to see and hear.”
The Wyoming Concerts in the Park series are put together by the Wyoming Community Enrichment Commission. The concerts are every Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Lamar Park through Aug. 14. The concerts are rebroadcast on WKTV Wednesdays at 5 p.m. and Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 10 p.m.
WKTV will broadcast the Kentwood Fourth of July parade.
For the Fourth of July holiday, WKTV will be hosting special programs to celebrate the nations 242nd birthday. The programming will include two showings of the Kentwood 4th of July Parade, 12:30 and 7:30 p.m.
Here is a detail look of the Fourth of July schedule:
9:00am Senior Exercise: Summer Special
9:30am Celebrating Life & Food: Celebrating the 4th of July
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket soars upward after lifting off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 4:30 p.m. EDT, carrying the SpaceX Dragon resupply spacecraft. On its 14th commercial resupply services mission for NASA, Dragon will deliver supplies, equipment and new science experiments for technology research to the space station. NASA/Tony Gray, Tim Powers, Tim Terry
It is not another satellite or a Tesla but rather a toy dog named Seaman Jr. that will be heading to space this Friday.
Seaman Jr. heads to the International Space Station.
In celebration of NASA’s 60th anniversary and the National Trail System’s 50th anniversary, the two organizations have joined up by sending the toy dog. Seaman Jr. is a replica of Seaman, the Newfoundland working dog owned by Capt. Meriwether Lewis and accompanied Lewis and William Clark on their famous expedition to the West.
Seaman Jr. will travel on the SpaceX 15th resupply mission to the International Space Station. Coverage for this launch is set to being at 5:15 a.m. Friday, June 29, with the launch from the Kennedy Space Center targeted for 5:41: 42 a.m.There will be additional post coverage of the launch at 8 a.m. The coverage will be on WKTV Government Channel 26 on Comcast and AT&T U-verse 99 Government Channel 99.
Packed with more than 5,900 pounds of research, crew supplies and hardware, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will launch on a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. About 10 minutes after launch, Dragon reaches its preliminary orbit, at which point it will deploy its solar arrays and begin a carefully choreographed series of thruster firings to reach the International Space Station.
In addition to bringing research and Seaman Jr. to the station, the Dragon’s unpressurized trunk is carrying a new Canadian-built Latching End Effector or LEE. This new LEE is being launched as a spare to replace the failed unit astronauts removed during a series of spacewalks in the fall of 2017. Each end of the Canadrm2 robotic arm has an identical LEE, and they are used as the “hands” that grapple payloads and visiting cargo spaceships. They also enable main truss.
It will take three days for the SpaceX to reach the space station. It is scheduled to arrive Monday, July 2. Coverage of the rendezvous and capture of the SpaceX CRS-15 Dragon Cargo Craft will begin at 5:30 a.m. July 2 with the capture scheduled for 7 a.m. Once again, the coverage will be on WKTV Government Channel 26 on Comcast and AT&T U-verse 99 Government Channel 99.
The Lewis and Clark Pups, from the left, Harper, Dakota, Rocky, and Keelie.
Seaman Jr. will be abroad the International Space Station through November 2018. You can follow Seaman Jr.’s journal on the Newfle News blog www.nps.gov/lecl/newfle-news.htm. The site also follows the Lewis and Clark Pups, Rocky, Harper, Dakota, and Keelie. The pups will travel more than 3,700 miles to to commemorate and protect the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.
For more information on NASA TV or the International Space Station, visit www.nasa.gov.
Many communities will be honoring those who have given their lives to serve this Memorial Day, set for May 28, including the communities of Wyoming and Kentwood.
City of Wyoming
Veterans lay a wreath during Wyoming’s 2017 Memorial Day ceremony.
The City of Wyoming will host its annual Memorial Day Ceremony at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 28, at Veterans Memorial Garden, 2380 DeHoop SW. The community is welcome and encouraged to attend.
The ceremony will feature guest speaker retired Sergeant Brian Gravelyn who served in the Marine Corps Reserves. During his service he was activated twice and deployed once to Iraq. He is the recipient of several distinguished medals and ribbons.
“The City of Wyoming is honored to recognize those who have served and those who continue to serve our country in the armed forces in order to protect our freedoms,” said City of Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll. “The Memorial Day Ceremony is a tribute to that service and protection and we are grateful to continue the tradition of this ceremony in our very own Veterans Memorial Garden.”
The ceremony will feature the Lee High School band led by Kevin Gabrielse and the Wyoming Department of Public Safety Honor Guard who will fire a rifle volley salute. Poll will host. The program will air on WKTV Channel 25 at 8:30 p.m.
City of Kentwood
Wreaths are laid during the Kentwood Memorial Day ceremony.
In Kentwood, the Amvets Post and the American Legion D.W. Cassard Post 208 have shared the responsibilities of hosting the annual parade and service with one group hosting it one year dn the other hosting it the nest. For 2018, the Cassard Post 208 have organized the event.
According to the D.W. Cassard Post’s website, the parade is set for 9 a.m. Monday, May 28. It kicks off from the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), near the corner of 48th Street and Eastern Avenue. From there, it will head west down 48th Street to Kentwood’s Veteran’s Memorial Park located in front of the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE. At the park, there will be a ceremony including the laying of five wreaths, one for each of the branches of the military service: Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard. The service will last about an hour. The Kentwood Memorial Day celebration will air at 12:30 p.m. and again at 8 p.m. on WKTV Channel 25.
WKTV Programming
Throughout Memorial Day, WKTV Channel 25 will be featuring a variety of Memorial Day program. The rest of the day’s schedule includes 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., A Saltue to Honor; 10 a.m., Memorial Day Tribute; 10:15 a.m. and 9 pm. ,The Lost Boat Ceremony; 1 p.m., Lest We Forget; and 6:30 p.m., Vietnam Moving Wall.
“My first experiences with Festival was going down and making a big sculpture that I was very proud of in the glue-in section,” said Festival of the Arts’ new interim director David Abbottt. “And I remember my parents carrying it back home in the back of a station wagon and the amount of glue that was in the back of that station wagon. (A little smile.) It is certainly a memory.”
It is those types of memories that Festival of the Arts and the WKTV VOICES hope to capture during a new partnership designed to help the arts organization celebrate its upcoming 50th anniversary. The VOICES vintage Airstream trailer, which is a a local and regional oral history project that collects, preserves and shares stories form everyday residents of West Michigan, will be at this year’s 49th Festival of the Arts, set for June 1, 2, and 3. The trailer will be there to collect stories from Festival volunteers and participants.
David Abbott, Festival’s Interim Director
“We are hoping to capture the best memories people have of the event,” Abbott said.
Memories like a young boy’s first taste of the Greek favorite souvlaki.
“Growing up I had never had the opportunity to try anything different, to try anything new,” Abbott said. “I remember that souvlaki that very first year that I had it.”
The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church is one of the oldest non-profit food vendors at Festival, still providing souvlaki — usually seasoned grilled meat on a skewer served in a bun — at Festival, which for many has become a tradition. This year, the church will be joined by 18 other non-profit food vendors, many of which rely on Festival as their major funding source for the year.
“I have been a part of Festival for really all of my life, singing in high school, singing in church choirs, being at calder Plaza with the Gay Men’s Chorus. It’s been a fantastic ride and I am honored to be able to have this position to provide leadership.”
Abbott easily admits he is excited to be part of an organization that has offered so much to the community and largely has been organized and hosted by all volunteers. Abbott’s is the organization’s first employee.
“For many of those [49] years we were known as the largest all-volunteer run festival in the United States of America and it really is because of Grand Rapids that we are able to do this year after year after year,” he said.
While Abbott is starting to think about the 50th Festival of the Arts, he is more focused on the upcoming 49th event set for June 1, 2, and 3 in downtown Grand Rapids and has been working with this year’s co-chairs Jessi Nix Gould and Missy Bush. The 49th Festival of the Arts encompasses Rosa Parks Circle, the plaza that is home to Calder’s La Grande Vitesse, and Kendall College of Ferris State University’s gallery on Pearl Street, where the Regional Arts Exhibit will be showcased.
And what is Abbott excited about for this year’s event?
“One of the co-chairs Jessi Nix Gould developed a partnership with the Grand Rapids Com-Con featuring comic book artists right in Rosa Parks Circle,” Abbott said. “They are going to be featuring a costume contest both on Friday and Saturday.”
Also this year, an anonymous donor came forward wanting to host a photo contest of the Sixth Street Bridge to celebrate the bridge’s history, Abbott said. One of the oldest bridges in the city, the Sixth Street Bridge was constructed in 1886 and was one of the first to cross the Grand River.
