Category Archives: Citizen Journalism

Cats and coffee: the ‘purrfect’ experience for residents

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Pets/Animals, Recreation

By D.A. Reed
WKTV Contributor

Fig and Friends Pet Rescue, an all-volunteer and donation funded pet rescue, believes every animal deserves a chance and strives to help cats and dogs of all ages have an amazing life.

Julie Beukema, founder of Fig and Friends, with Latte. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)

Founded in March of 2022 by Julie Beukema, Fig and Friends takes on as many rescues as they can, even dogs and cats with severe medical needs.

“Not a lot of recues will take animals who need a lot of medical care,” Beukema said. “There (are) just not enough resources for people and their pets.”

The namesake of the pet rescue, Fig, was one such case of acute medical need.

A French bulldog, Fig was at a local shelter when Beukema became aware of the puppy and her medical needs. Pulling her from the shelter, Beukema fostered Fig and began the dive into her medical care.

Unable to walk due to a fused and calcified spine, Fig underwent major surgery in Detroit followed by rehab. Fig is now able to walk, is potty-trained, and dispenses joy and smiles daily.

Connecting to the Happy Cat Cafe

When Happy Cat Café (HHC) approached Beukema with an offer of partnership that would allow Fig and Friends to provide a safe environment for rescued cats to receive human interaction and love—while also providing that love and joy to the café’s visitors—Beukema agreed.

HHC owner Kati Quarto dreamed of creating a space where cat lovers in Grand Rapids could relax and enjoy delicious drinks and food while also connecting with adorable feline companions. In 2017, Quarto brought that dream to reality by opening Happy Cat Café.

Offering a warm atmosphere, a variety of drinks, and boasting visitors from as far as Italy and Chile, HHC offers visitors a tranquil setting where lasting memories can be made with feline friends, and often hosts events and workshops such as cat yoga, paint nights, and themed gatherings.

Adoption is an option for those visitors who find a special bond with a feline friend. Application forms for adoption can be found in the café’s cat room or they can call Fig and Friends directly to speak with Beukema.

Partnership with HCC has gone well, with the café running the business side—events, coffee and food, building maintenance, etc.—and Fig and Friends providing feline friends, volunteers for the cat room, food, litter, medical care, and facilitation of adoptions.

  • The Happy Cat Cafe has a variety of cat-themed products. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)
  • Happy Cat Cafe customers relax and unwind by visiting with the Fig and Friends cats. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)
  • There is a lot of fun toys for both cats and adults. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)
  • Volunteers take care of the area where the cats stay. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)

Filling a need

Though Beukema is a librarian at Grand Rapids Public Library, she has been involved in pet rescue for approximately ten years, volunteering at local shelters and fostering animals in need.

Beukema started her own rescue after finding her viewpoint on how to do things differed from many of the local rescues. “I had my own philosophy on how to do things,” said Beukema. “And there is a huge need.”

Exhibiting compassion rather than judgement when animals are abandoned, Beukema understands that not every situation is black and white.

“There can be a lot of different circumstances why someone does something like that,” Beukema said. “I’m not excusing what they did but somebody must be pretty desperate to do something like that. The world is filled with a lot of grays, and nothing is black and white.”

Beukema admits that being a director of a pet rescue is not always easy.

“Rescue is hard,” said Beukema. “There’s a lot of stress, there’s a lot of high emotions.” Seeing animals hurt and sometimes beyond rescue is especially hard for Beukema. “It wears on me…but I have a really good support system of volunteers.”

The story of Ray

One difficult yet rewarding story came with Ray, an 8-month-old black and white cat who came to Beukema at at 6-weeks-old with ruptured eyes and in need of surgery to have his eyes removed.

Julie Beukema with Ray. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)

Though completely blind, Ray is extremely social with the other cats and loves interacting with human visitors. “He is thriving here,” Beukema said with a smile.

Aware that times are difficult for everyone financially, Beukema offers information on affordable care for pets, one of them being CSNIP, a well-pet clinic that offers high-quality, reduced-cost veterinary care.

Beukema also urges community members to reach out and ask for help with their pets when they need it. “It never hurts to reach out and ask for help. We will do our best to help if we can.”

To learn more about Fig and Friends and/or donate, click here: Fig and Friends Pet Rescue

To learn more about Happy Cat Café and reserve time with feline friends, click here: Happy Cat Café

Financial Perspectives: How does long term care insurance work?

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Finances, Health, Local Business, Senior Living

By Dave Stanley
Integrity Financial Service, LLC

(Courtesy, Pxhere.com)

Understanding insurance can sometimes feel like you’re trying to decode a foreign language. But don’t worry! I’m here to help break down one type of insurance that’s important as we or our loved ones age – long term care insurance.

Starting with the basics, long term care insurance is designed to help cover the cost of services that assist with activities of daily living. These activities can include things like bathing, dressing, eating, or even moving around. The need for assistance with these activities could be due to aging, an illness, an accident, or a chronic condition.

It’s important to remember that long term care isn’t just provided in nursing homes. It can also be provided in your own home, in community centers, or assisted living facilities. In fact, a lot of folks prefer to receive care at home or in more home-like settings whenever possible.

Now, let’s get into how the insurance part works. When you purchase a long-term care insurance policy, you’ll pay a premium to the insurance company. This is usually a monthly or annual fee, just like with other types of insurance.

In return, if you need long term care services, the insurance company will pay a set amount towards your care. The amount they’ll pay and the types of services they’ll cover are outlined in your policy. Make sure you understand these details when you buy your policy!

One thing to note is that there is often an “elimination period,” or waiting period, before the insurance company starts to pay for your care. This could be anywhere from a few days to several months, depending on your policy. Think of it as a deductible, but instead of a dollar amount, it’s a period of time.

Also, just like most things in life, long term care insurance comes with limits. There might be a limit on how much the policy will pay per day, or there might be a total limit that the policy will pay over your lifetime. If the cost of your care goes over these limits, you’ll be responsible for paying the difference.

Here are a few tips about finding the right type of policy for your needs. 
Finding the right long-term care insurance policy is a very personal process that depends on many factors, such as your health, age, financial situation, and personal preferences.

  

Begin by evaluating your potential need for long-term care. Consider your current health status and family history. Do chronic or debilitating health conditions run in your family? What is your current lifestyle like? Are you physically active or do you have any habits that could affect your future health, like smoking or excessive drinking?

Next, consider your financial situation. The cost of long-term care insurance can be quite high, especially if you wait until you’re older to purchase a policy. Can you afford the premiums now, and will you be able to afford them in the future if they increase? Also, consider the other resources you might have to pay for long-term care, such as savings, investments, or family support. You may want to consult with a financial advisor to help you evaluate your situation.

Then, think about what kind of care you might want. Would you prefer to receive care at home for as long as possible, or are you open to receiving care in a facility, such as a nursing home or assisted living facility? The type of care you prefer can affect the kind of policy you should look for.

When comparing policies, pay close attention to the policy’s benefit triggers, which are the conditions that must be met for you to receive benefits. Most policies use a certain number of activities of daily living (ADLs) as a benefit trigger. The six ADLs are eating, bathing, getting dressed, toileting, transferring, and continence. Typically, if you need help with at least two ADLs, you qualify for benefits.

  

Finally, don’t rush your decision. Take your time to understand all the details of the policies you’re considering. And don’t be afraid to ask for help. A good insurance agent or broker who specializes in long-term care insurance can be a valuable resource in finding the right policy for you.

Dave Stanley is the host of Safe Money Radio WOOD1300 AM, 106.9 FM and a Financial Advisor and Writer at Integrity Financial Service, LLC, Grandville, MI 49418, Telephone 616-719-1979 or  Register for Dave’s FREE Newsletter at 888-998-3463  or click this link:  Dave Stanley Newsletter – Annuity.com  Dave is a member of Syndicated Columnists, a national organization committed to a fully transparent approach to money management.

250 Project: helping small business with passion to grow, support community

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

By K.D. Norris
WKTV Contributor

The stated requirements to apply for admission to local small business incubator SpringGR’s 250 Project are deceptively simple: “entrepreneurs who are grossing annual sales of at least $100,000, have an additional employee besides themselves, and have been in business for two years.”

Jermale Eddie, Director of Business Growth at SpringGR and a local business owner of Malamiah Juice Bar in downtown Grand Rapids. (Supplied)

The program’s goals, however, are much deeper than simply helping small businesses grow from that $100,000 annual sales to $250,000. The goals are to lessen business inequity for owner/operators of color, to share successful business IQ and best practices with wider audiences, and to support the general community through the success of small businesses.

“The 250 Project was specifically designed for business owners of color,” said Jermale Eddie, director of business growth at SpringGR. “Several years ago, research was done around two questions: How many small businesses are there in the greater Grand Rapids Area grossing at least $250,000 annually? (And) How many of those are owned by people of color?

“The answer to that first question was over 11,000 small business. The answer to the second question was 70 or less than one percent. SpringGR decided to create a program to address the second question, so to walk alongside business owners of color who desire to grow their business to the $250,000 mark and beyond.”

The next 250 Project program, schedule for July, is currently accepting applications, with a deadline of June 23 and with a cost of participation of $250. Interested entrepreneurs can apply here.

Brian Chandler, CEO of Chandler Inspections in Rockford, and 250 Project alumni. (Supplied)

Passion for business, community

While there are some “business” requirements to fully utilize the 250 Project, a “passion” for their business and their community is also important.

“Of course, passion for their business product and/or service is a must,” Eddie said. But “one of the many attributes of many small businesses is that they tend to hire local, purchase products and ingredients locally and know many of their customers/clients on a first name basis. … Overall, I believe that entrepreneurship is very good for our community.”

Brian Chandler, CEO of Chandler Inspections and a 250 Project alumni, knows community interaction is key to his business.

“Chandler Inspections slogan is ‘preparing home buyers to become better home owners,’ in saying that we ensure all home buyers of the communities we service do exactly that,” Chandler said. “If it wasn’t for the realtors, lenders and most importantly the home buyers of the community there simply wouldn’t be a Chandler Inspections.”

Learning, mentoring for success

Eddie is not only focused on helping other small businesses through his work at SpringGR, he is also a local small business owner of Malamiah Juice Bar.

Raquel Lindsay, owner of Sparkle & Shine Cleaning Services in Grand Rapids, and 250 Project alumni. (Supplied)

“Being in business for almost 10 years has been a great vehicle for me to learn and experienced business ownership,” Eddie said. “When I started my business, I had to fend for myself as it applied to the ‘How To’s’ of starting a food/beverage business.

“SpringGR, as an organization, started shortly after I launched my business and over the years, they (now I can say WE) continue to evolve the various levels of programming to stay relevant with the needs of each entrepreneur who comes through the doors.”

Participants in 250 Project’s 6-month program will walk away with a three-year growth plan designed exclusively for their business. And for many, their business is impacted immediately.

“As a new business owner, SpringGR provided a foundation for me to build my business,” said Raquel Lindsay, owner of Sparkle & Shine Cleaning Services. “I learned a lot of basics, such as my ideal client, how to pitch, how to figure out my break even point, who my competitors are and my competitive edge.

“The 250 Project provided me the opportunity to meet with and network with businesses owners who are scaling their businesses and to participate in a CEO group that met regularly to hold one another accountable to the things we were learning.”

Chandler echos Lindsay’s assessment.

“The 250 project challenged and allowed myself and Chandler Inspections to truly think outside of the box and to fully maximize our services,” Chandler said. “If it weren’t for SpringGR, I would not have left my nine-to-five job as quickly and efficiently as I did.”

About SpringGR

Launched in 2014, SpringGR is an “entrepreneurial training program” in Grand Rapids which provides training, mentoring, and networking opportunities for “aspiring entrepreneurs from neighborhoods with few entrepreneurial opportunities to develop a thriving business,” according to supplied material. Since its launch in 2014, almost 900 participants have completed the program.

While the cost of participating in the 250 Project program is $250, SpringGR states that the program cost represents “only a portion” of the program’s tuition cost. The rest is subsidized by Spring GR and the DeVos Family Foundations, founded by members of the DeVos family. For more information on SpringGR visit here.

Good night for concerts in the park at Lamar

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

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

Michael Hulett performs tonight’s Concerts in the Park. (Courtesy, Michael Hulett)

It will be the sweet sounds of jazz, pop and rock as Michael Hulett takes to the stage tonight for the City of Wyoming’s Concerts in the Park.

It will be the first concert of the season as last week’s performance, with Reverend Jesse Ray, was cancelled due to rain. That concert has been rescheduled for Aug. 15.

Hulett, who is considered one of the top solo performers in the country, is accomplished on 10 instruments including soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophone, oboe, flute, trumpet and even tuba. While the sounds from his instrumental renditions are rich, Hulett is also know for his voice which according to his site “reminds people of the stars from the past century of classic sounds.”

Having attended Georgia Southern University, where he studied music performance with an emphasis on jazz, Hulett also attended the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale. While he does perform the classics of Louis Armstrong, he also is known for his interpretations of other performers who also served as his inspirations — Johnny Hartman, Marvin Gaye, and Billy Eckstine.

Heading to the show

Concerts in the Park starts at 6 p.m. with a pre-show and activities for all ages. Food trucks also will be on site. Participants are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs.

2023 Concerts of the Park schedule

June 27: Cabildo is a West Michigan-based alternative Latin rock collective that brings a unique blend of cambia, ska, folk, and other genres of music from Latin America.

July 11: Sarena Rae is a Grand Rapids based vocalist covering a variety of musical genres.

July 18: Klay N’ The Mud is a West Michigan-based cover band.

July 25: La Furia Del Ritmo will perform Latin music.

Aug. 1: The Soul Syndicate offers up classic soul, R&B and funk.

Aug. 8: Patty Pershayla & The Mayhaps features a former small-town pageant queen who has turned into a rock ’n’ roll powerhouse. 

Guest column: Celebrating racial justice and equality on Juneteenth

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism

By Alaysia Hackett
U.S. Department of Labor

(Courtesy, U.S. Department of Labor)

Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas – home, at the time, to 250,000 enslaved Black people – and announced that the Civil War was over, slavery had ended, and Black people everywhere were free.

The raising of the Juneteenth flag is a symbol of solidarity and pride among Black Americans. The flag consists of a star representing freedom; a burst representing a “new beginning;” an arc representing a “new horizon;” and set in the colors of red, white and blue noting that enslaved people and their descendants were and are Americans. By celebrating Juneteenth and raising the flag, we honor the history, culture and achievements of Black Americans and their contributions to this country.

 

We honor Juneteenth as a day to celebrate the freedom and dignity of Black Americans who were enslaved for generations. It is also a day to acknowledge the ongoing struggle for racial justice and equality in our nation.

 

After the Union army captured New Orleans in 1862, slave owners in Confederate states moved to Texas with more than 150,000 enslaved Black people. For three years, even after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, enslaved Black Americans in Texas remained in harsh bondage, unjustly and illegally denied their freedom and basic rights. On June 19, 1865, more than two years after President Lincoln declared all enslaved people free, Major General Gordon Granger and Union army troops marched to Galveston to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation and free the last enslaved Black Americans in Texas.

Today, we commemorate Juneteenth as our newest federal holiday, thanks to bipartisan legislation signed by President Biden in 2021. We celebrate the achievements and contributions of Black Americans who have fought for liberty and democracy throughout our history. We also recognize the work that remains to be done to fulfill our nation’s promise of equal rights for all.

 

At the Department of Labor, we are passionate about empowering the Black community. And we are helping to close the Black wealth gap by fostering a culture of inclusion, enhancing career opportunities, identifying and reducing race-based barriers to department services, and enforcing nondiscrimination policies.

The department also has three affinity groups focused on supporting Black employees: Black Attorney Advisory Council, Blacks In Government Department of Labor Chapter, and the Divine 9. In collaboration with the department’s diversity and inclusion branch, these employee resource groups work to create a sense of belonging for employees of color at the department and raise awareness to the entire department about the issues and concerns facing the Black community. Over the past year, these affinity groups launched a youth outreach and mentoring program and co-produced the department’s Job Shadow Day in February, specifically geared toward students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Our nation cannot ignore its most painful history. By acknowledging and understanding the more troubling aspects of our past, we can begin to forge a path toward a more just future. Juneteenth is an opportunity to learn from our history, celebrate our progress, and engage in the work that continues. We pledge to uphold the values of democracy and equality that our nation was founded upon and to ensure that every American can enjoy the full measure of freedom that Juneteenth represents.

To commemorate Juneteenth, several of our affinity groups, including those mentioned above, are organizing events and leading the charge to bring awareness to important issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.

The importance of Juneteenth does not only impact the Black community. It is a day for all Americans to reflect on how far we have come as a nation. And it is also a day for us to look at the work we still must do to achieve true freedom and equality for all.

 

Please join me in observing this essential day of national commemoration and have a joyful Juneteenth.

Alaysia Black Hackett is the chief diversity and equity officer for the U.S. Department of Labor.

An orphaned chick leads to a story about acceptance

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Pets/Animals, Recreation

By Janet Vormittag
WKTV Contributor

Author Jean Davis with Kay-Kay and the book she wrote about Kay-Kay. (Courtesy, Janet Vormittag)

Jean Davis is an author of science fiction, fantasy, horror and a children’s picture book about a chicken.

Davis’s passions for writing and raising chickens and ducks collided last year. The Holland resident had signed up to attend a festival to sell books, but one of her chickens wasn’t feeling well. She didn’t want to leave Millie alone so she packed up the ailing chicken, along with her books, and took her to the festival where she could keep an eye on her.

“I was surprised at people’s excitement at seeing a chicken,” Davis said. She added that one person told her it made their day to pet a chicken.

Before the book, you need a chicken with a good story

Davis realized having a chicken drew people to her booth and gave her an opportunity to talk about her books. Book sales increased.

Millie’s health improved but she wasn’t happy going to shows. Another chicken, Laya, was more social and Davis trained her to wear a harness and walk on a leash. She regularly accompanied Davis to her weekend gigs.

Several people asked Davis if Laya was a character in one her books.

“No, but it’s a good idea,” she would tell them.

But Laya didn’t have a story. “A good story needs conflict and Laya had a happy life. There was nothing to write about,” Davis explained.

The chick that needed a home

Kay-Kay is a Silkie, a breed of chicken named after its fluffy plumage that feels like silk. (Courtesy, Janet Vormittag)

The two-month-old chick had been hatched in an incubator. She was smaller than the other chicks and had a leg that didn’t develop properly. The healthy chickens in the flock picked on her, which is what chickens do.

But fate soon brought Davis a chicken with a story. Her niece saw a post on Craigslist regarding a disabled chicken who needed a home with someone experienced with handicapped chickens.

After a lengthy discussion with the owner, Davis agreed to give the chick a home. She was surprised at her size. “She fit in my hand. She was the same size as a one-day-old duck.”

She named the new family member Kay-Kay after her niece, Kaylee, who had brought the homeless chicken to her attention.

Kay-Kay is a Silkie, which is a breed of chicken named after its fluffy plumage that feels like silk. Silkie’s feathers don’t have “teeth” so they don’t weave together. Instead they are fluffy.

“It looks like a feather explosion on their head,” Davis said. She has to give Kay-Kay a haircut so people can see her eyes.

Silkies are cuddly, calm and love sitting on laps. They also interact well with people, which make Kay-Kay the perfect companion at shows.

A chicken who needed a chick

Kay-Kay arrival coincided with a chicken raising a duckling.

Davis lives in a residential area where roosters are not allowed due to their crowing. Therefore, she never has baby chicks. But it is okay to have male ducks since they aren’t noisy like a rooster.

One of her Silkies, Henifer, often gets “broody” meaning she wants to sit on eggs. When that happens, Davis puts duck eggs under her.

All is well until mama Henifer tries to teach her young hatchlings how to be chickens.

“Henifer gets frustrated raising ducks—they can’t jump or roost,” Davis said. They also won’t scratch in the dirt looking for food.

Henifer just happened to be raising a duckling when Kay-Kay arrived.  Davis put the chick under Henifer.

 

“She took her over like one of her own,” she said. “Henifer had a chick to raise and I finally had a chicken with a story.”

A story is hatched

Davis wrote a children’s book about how Kay-Kay found a new family that accepted her with her disability. Davis revived her watercolor skills, which had been shelved for 30 years, to illustrate the story.

(Courtesy, Janet Vormittag)

Kay-Kay, The Littlest Chicken was released May 6 and is Davis’s 14th book.

Kay-Kay, who now weighs one pound, two ounces, accompanies Davis to her book events.

“It’s amazing how many people love chickens,” Davis said.

Kay-Kay, The Littlest Chicken can be bought on Amazon and other online retailers. In addition, it can be purchased at jeandavisauthor.com. Davis’s schedule is also on her website if you are interested in meeting her and Kay-Kay.

Janet Vormittag started Cats and Dogs, a Magazine Devoted to Companion Animals in 2006 as a monthly publication. It’s geared towards West Michigan readers and features pet-related advertisers, animals available for adoption, and articles about animal rescues and pets. In 2018, Cats and Dogs transitioned to a quarterly publication. The print edition is free and can be found at local libraries and businesses.

Check out local talent Judah Guerra’s first WKTV podcast called Great Lakes Music

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Entertainment, West Michigan, ,
Michigan State University percussion instructor Kevin Jones, left, and MSU jazz studies major Judah Guerra in the podcast room at WKTV. (WKTV/Cris Greer)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



Take a look at Michigan State University junior Judah Guerra’s first podcast he recently created at WKTV, “Great Lakes Music.”


As host of the new podcast, Guerra is interviewing and performing with professionals from all angles of the music scene in Michigan.


“This is a pursuit to learn more about what’s going on here in Michigan with music,” said Guerra, a bass and trombone player born and raised in Grand Rapids, a band leader of GR Groove and a jazz studies major at MSU.



Guerra studies under Michael Dease and Rodney Whitaker, “two of the most highly-regarded musicians in their fields today,” he said.


His first guest was MSU percussion instructor Kevin Jones, who has shared the stage or recorded with many musicians, including The Isley Brothers, Jermaine Jackson, Whitney Houston, Bebe and Cece Winans, Walter Bishop Jr., Tommy Turentine, Joey DeFrancesco, Melvin Sparks, Art Blakey, and a whole bunch more.



Harriet Stanaback celebrates 99th birthday at park she helped establish in Kentwood

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Recreation, West Michigan,
Harriet Stanaback (center) and two of her granddaughters look at the tree planted in her honor at a birthday celebration for Harriet Saturday at Stanaback Park, 3717 Whitebud Dr, Kentwood. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor



Stanaback Park in Kentwood has been enjoyed by the community since officially opening in 2008 and it recently hosted a special 99th birthday party for Harriet Stanaback, who played a big role in the park becoming a reality for Kentwood residents.

Harriet’s late husband Kenneth purchased that land in 1958 and 10 years after his passing in 1988 Harriet donated the land to the city. After that donation Harriet continued working with the city staff to create park plans that would be an asset to the community and in 2008 that vision came to fruition as Kenneth Stanaback Park opened.





A jewel in the middle of Kentwood, Stanaback Park is a 33-acre park that includes open land, two playgrounds, a basketball court, pavilion, picnic tables and paved walking trails.

Since then, countless local residents have enjoyed the park as has Harriet who enjoys seeing the park grow and become a treasure for the community.

“It’s really grown,” Harriet said. “I like it because it’s absolutely free. Anybody can come over here and have a dinner if they want to. Bring your lunch and eat it in the cabin. I’ve done it myself.”


Harriet Stanaback and family members look at the plaque and tree planted in her honor while celebrating her 99th birthday Saturday at Stanaback Park in Kentwood. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



Family and friends gathered Saturday afternoon at the park to celebrate Harriet’s 99th birthday. Harriet and her family also were able to see the tree that was planted along with a dedication plaque from the city of Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department recognizing her and her late husband’s donation to the city.

My grandmother used to live over there two houses away,” said Harriet’s granddaughter Kelly Martinez. “They had 50 something acres. She decided she wanted to donate this part of the land from their property so that everybody could enjoy the woods. She used to walk through the woods every day after work. That was her favorite thing to do.



“She just wanted everybody to be able to enjoy nature the way that we grew up running through the woods as kids. The way that she walked and enjoyed the woods and she taught us so many things about the trees and the bugs and the plants and the flowers and everything. It was her desire that everybody could have that same type of experience that she gave to us her grandkids and that she’s also enjoyed all these years.”

Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley also dropped in on the festivities to wish Harriet a happy birthday and thank her again on behalf of the city and the residents for her generous gift that has brought so much joy to others.

“This is a beautiful, beautiful park and we are so thankful for the family for donating this land back in 1998,” said Mayor Kepley. “It’s a beautiful sight. I was just talking to some of the family members that have memories of growing up here and enjoying the woods, enjoying the creeks, making mud pies. The blessing is so many more people can enjoy this land because of their gift.”

Harriet’s younger brother, Ron VanDam, 86, of Cutlerville, also was on hand to share the day with his older sister and has plenty of fond memories of the land.


Harriet Stanaback (middle) and her brother Ron VanDam and his wife Mary pose for a photo at Harriet’s 99th birthday party Saturday at Stanaback Park, 3717 Whitebud Dr., Kentwood. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



“I love it,” VanDam said. “We come here just to walk around and that’s what it’s for. It’s neat to have a greenspace where the deer can live and all the other wild animals.”  

Kentwood residents who were visiting the park Saturday took time out to share their appreciation with Harriet as well including Kyle White who was at the park to get some basketball in on the basketball court.


“It’s been more of a comfort zone for us,” White said. “We kind of just come here to meet up with friends. We’ve played here for the past 15 years so it’s been kind of a consistent thing. This park has just been home for us. Miss Stanaback, her life means so much to us, we meet here to have get togethers. This park is home to us. It’s a great appreciation. It’s one of the underlying things that we have in Kentwood. The parks make a big difference in how our community interacts and basketball has been one of them.”





Kentwood has some 16 parks and nature trails and Stanaback Park has taken its place as a special park in the city since opening in 2008 with its heavily wooded acres along with rolling hills and ravines. The park has over 5,000 feet of paved trails that wind through the hills and trees. 

Faith Hospice opens new healing pavilion

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Health, Kent County, Senior Living

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

In May, Faith Hospice, Holland Home’s hospice division, opened the doors to the Van Andel Hope & Healing Pavilion, which is located in the lower lever of Trillium Woods, in Byron Center.

The Van Andel Hope & Healing Pavilion opened in May. (Courtesy, Faith Hospice)

The project was completed due to the support of the Van Andel family with leadership of Amy Van Andel, a former Faith Hospice nurse.

The project allows all Faith Hospice staff and volunteers to work together under one roof and meets the growing needs for bereavement services for the families Faith Hospice serves across West Michigan.

Key features of the new facility include:

Grief Support Center

This new center will provide private and individual grief counseling as well as comfortable group and family counseling and gatherings. The center will allow space for comforting those struggling with the trauma of loss as well as space for community seminars and education.

Hospice Training & Education Lab

This training facility will create a Hospice Patient Care space to train staff and volunteers through role playing and skills testing, allowing for an enhanced care experience for patients and their loved ones.

Consolidated Office Space & Staff Renewal Area

Bringing all Faith Hospice staff under one roof will allow for better collaboration when caring for patients, whether they are inpatient at Trillium Woods or living in the community. The space includes an area for staff and volunteer respite and renewal.

“The Van Andel family are great friends of the organization, starting with Jay and Betty,” said Holland Home President and Chief Executive Officer Troy Vugteveen. “The Van Andel Hope and Healing Pavilion will continue to honor their parents and carry on the tradition to provide shelter to the hearts of those grieving. We are so grateful for Steve and Amy Van Andel and the blessing they continue to be.”

Built in 2006, Trillium Woods, 8214 Pfeiffer Farms Drive S.W, offers 20 private rooms and a peaceful, family-centered atmosphere with 24/7 medical care. The organization had only utilized the upper floor of the two-level walkout building for its inpatient care with the intent of using the lower level for additional education and administrative use. 

The Inspiration

The inspiration for the center came from Faith Hospice Bereavement Manager Janet Jaymin and NFL official and West Michigan resident Carl Paganelli. After Janet walked with Carl on his grief journey following the death of his wife, Cathy, in 2016. Carl’s and Janet’s mission was to create a peaceful, private environment for those grieving as they seek grief counseling. Amy Van Andel, Nancy Erhardt and the late Dan Pfeiffer joined as campaign co-chairs and successfully completed a $2 million fundraising campaign to create this much-needed grief support and bereavement center.

A counseling room in the new Van Andel Hope & Healing (Courtesy, Faith Hospice)

“Walking alongside loved ones after they’ve experienced loss is such an important part of the hospice experience,” said Amy Van Andel. “We hope that having a facility dedicated to those who are grieving that offers resources to guide them on their journey will help families begin to heal and feel hope for the future.”

The Van Andel name is a continuation of the family’s involvement with Holland Home, which dates back to 1998 when the Van Andel Pavilion was constructed at Holland Home’s former Fulton Manor location. Funds for that facility were donated in honor of the late Betty Van Andel. Transferring the name from the former Fulton location was a natural fit for the family, allowing them to continue to honor their parents’ legacy.
  

GRAM focuses on digital art in upcoming exhibit

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Recreation,
LoVid, Make Room For, 2022. Dye-sublimation on poly canvas with machine and hand-sewing, 47 ½ x 72 5/8 inches. Collection of the Carl & Marilyn Thoma Foundation. © Postmasters Gallery

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

Twenty-three software, video, and light-based works of art will be on view this summer at the Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM) in Message from Our Planet: Digital Art from the Thoma Foundation. On view June 17 – Sept. 9, the exhibition proposes that digital technology offers distinct ways for artists to communicate with future generations.



“Message from Our Planet celebrates digital technologies as an incredible tool for today’s artists,” said GRAM Associate Curator Jennifer Wcisel. “The works in the exhibition encompass familiar technologies like digital video and photography to the unexpected visualization of data, assemblages of electronic components, and collages of found-video footage. We look forward to highlighting the myriad possibilities of digital art at GRAM and hope our guests leave with a new, broader understanding of the art form.”



Spanning the mid-1980s to today, the works in Message from Our Planet utilize a range of vintage and cutting-edge materials to create a polyphonic time-capsule, preserving their ideas, beliefs, and desires. The regional, national, and international artists featured in the exhibition include Ólafur Elíasson, Jenny Holzer, LoVid, Hong Hao, Matthew Angelo Harrison, Christian Marclay, and James Nares.



Message from Our Planet includes artwork that uses digital technologies as a tool for the creation of more traditional art objects—like a photograph, print, or sculpture—as well as art that is created, stored, and distributed by digital technology and employs their features as its medium.



The artists in Message from Our Planet engage with nontraditional mediums like video games, computer code, scanners, 3-D printers, online data, and even discarded electronic parts to create engaging works of digital art that capture the concerns and ambitions of our current era. The earliest work in the exhibition was created by Brazilian artist Eduardo Kac in 1986 with a now defunct Minitel terminal, a device used to access the most popular online service prior to the World Wide Web.

 

Detroit-based artist Matthew Angelo Harrison uses custom software and a handmade 3D printer to explore history, ancestry, and the relationship between African and African American culture. Harrison’s work, Braided Woman, is a 3D-printed sculpture of an imagined artifact. To create this work, Harrison scanned images of historic African masks from books and online sources, then digitally blended their shapes to generate a unique, composite object.

 

Featured Artists:
Brian Bress
Lia Chaia
Ólafur Elíasson
Nicholas Galanin
Sabrina Gschwandtner
Hong Hao
Matthew Angelo Harrison
Claudia Hart
Jenny Holzer
Eduardo Kac
LoVid
Christian Marclay
Lee Lee Nam
James Nares
Paul Pfeiffer
Tabita Rezaire
Michal Rovner
Jason Salavon
Elias Sime
Skawennati
Penelope Umbrico
Robert Wilson

Member Event:

Member Exhibition Opening: Message from Our Planet
Friday, June 16 | 7 – 9 pm 
Museum Members and their guests are invited to celebrate the opening of Message from Our Planet at the Grand Rapids Art Museum. Join us for an advance look at the exhibition, accompanied by hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar.



RSVP by June 8 | 616.831.2909 or artmuseumgr.org/memberopening



Message from Our Planet: Digital Art from the Thoma Collection is curated and supported by the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation. Support for this exhibition has been generously provided by Wege Foundation, with additional funding provided by GRAM Exhibition Society.

About the Grand Rapids Art Museum 

 Connecting people through art, creativity, and design. Established in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids, the art museum is internationally known for its distinguished design and LEED® Gold certified status. Founded in 1910 as the Grand Rapids Art Association, GRAM has grown to include more than 6,000 works of art, including American and European 19th and 20th-century painting and sculpture and more than 3,000 works on paper. Embracing the city’s legacy as a leading center of design and manufacturing, GRAM has a growing collection in the area of design and modern craft.  

For museum hours and admission fees, call 616.831.1000 or visit artmuseumgr.org.  

UM Health-West expands two programs

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

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

UMH-West staff, Wayland City officials and Kasco Construction Services representatives at the site of the new Wayland Center. (Courtesy, UMH-West)
UMH-West staff and city officials signed the beam before it was placed. (Courtesy, UMH-West)

University of Michigan Health-West has had two landmark events happen in the last past couple of weeks — the nonprofit health system hosted a beam-topping celebration for is new Wayland Health Center and received about $3.1 million in gifts for its cardiovascular care and advanced open-heart surgery program.

On June 5, University of Michigan Health-West staff, Wayland city leaders and Kasco Construction Services representatives participated in a final beam-topping celebration for the new UM Health-West Wayland Health Center, located at 1113 West Superior St., Wayland.

The center, which is scheduled to open in May of 2024, will be more than 75 percent larger than the current office, encompassing 17,300 square feet. The new building also includes future expansion capabilities of 5,230 square feet.

The second building to be designed and constructed in UMH-West’s new image, closely following the Allendale Health Center, the Wayland center will have 39 exam/procedure rooms, which is 20 more than the current facility and 115 parking spaces, which is 42 more than the current facility. The expansion will allow UM Health-West to add primary care and specialty providers to meet the needs of the region’s growing population.

Gift to Cardiovascular Care

At the end of May, UMH-West officials announced a group of community leaders has invested in the health of West Michigan with gifts totaling $3.1 million, opening a new era of cardiovascular care and advanced open-heart surgery.

Peter Hahn, MD, MBA, president and CEO of Metro Health – University of Michigan Health (Supplied)

The gifts collectively are among the largest the nonprofit health system has ever received. Contributions have come from a group of West Michigan leaders, including UM Health-West Foundation emeritus board member Stephen Klotz and family, and a transformational gift from the Steve and Amy Van Andel Foundation.

“This is a landmark moment in the lives of heart patients for generations to come,” said Dr. Peter Hahn, UMH-West president and CEO. “A new era of cardiovascular care begins today, thanks to a group of people who have invested in making West Michigan a vibrant and thriving community.”

UM Health-West launched the state’s newest open-heart surgery program in 2022 at its hospital in Wyoming through the Cardiovascular Network of West Michigan. That joint operating agreement forms a regionwide clinical team with Trinity Health in Grand Rapids and Muskegon, while also drawing on more than 125 years of cardiovascular leadership at UM’s Frankel Cardiovascular Center in Ann Arbor.

“West Michigan patients now have even greater local access to leading heart experts, researchers and surgeons – and that’s just the beginning. We know that there are more exciting advancements ahead,” said Steve Van Andel, who also serves as chairman of the UM Health-West board of directors. “Amy and I are so proud to support UM Health-West’s mission to provide innovative treatment options and excellent care right here in our hometown.”

Hahn noted the launch of the open-heart surgery program opens the door to even more advanced cardiovascular care and paves the way for future breakthroughs.

“We are building a region-leading cardiovascular program, a destination for people seeking the best options in their fight against heart disease,” Hahn said. “This gift brings that better future within reach.”

“Before open-heart surgery began at UM Health-West, Grand Rapids was the state’s largest market limited to a single option for open-heart surgery,” said UM Health-West Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Ronald Grifka.

“Thanks to the support of the Van Andels and other forward-thinking donors, the people of Grand Rapids now have choice,” Grifka said. “That’s important, because not only is heart disease the No. 1 cause of death, it’s also a leading driver of healthcare cost. With choice and increased local access to world-class care, we help keep care local and expenses down. That’s good for everyone.”

The gifts were announced at the UM Health-West Foundation’s annual fundraising gala, Vitality, which this year emphasized support for the system’s growing cardiovascular programs.

Free summer concerts return with GRAM on the Green

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, , , ,

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

La Furia Del Ritmo opens up the GRAM on the Green with WYCE concert series on July 20.

The Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM) has announced the 2023 lineup for its 14th annual free summer concert series, GRAM on the Green with WYCE 88.1 FM. Taking place on Thursday evenings from July 20 through Aug. 10, the series brings four evenings of performances by local and regional musical acts to downtown Grand Rapids.

Guests of all ages are invited to relax on the Museum’s outdoor terrace and enjoy free live music, food trucks, a cash bar, and hands-on artmaking activities. Admission to the Museum is also free during GRAM on the Green as part of Meijer Free Thursday Nights. 

 

“The Grand Rapids Art Museum is thrilled to bring another season of free summer concerts to downtown Grand Rapids in partnership with WYCE 88.1 FM,” said GRAM Director of Communications Elizabeth Payne. “GRAM on the Green is part of our ongoing commitment to present accessible and engaging art experiences for our community, and we look forward to another year of celebrating art and music downtown.” 

2023 Lineup:  

  • July 20: La Furia Del Ritmo (latin/world) 
  • July 27: Sarena Rae (soul/blues/jazz) 
  • August 3: The Bootstrap Boys (country/americana/folk) 
  • August 10: Pretoria (rock/indie/alternative) 



“WYCE is excited for another year of GRAM on the Green,” said WYCE Music Director and series curator Chris Cranick. “This year’s lineup features a mix of Michigan artists making waves in the community. Whether it’s Latin groove, soul, forward-thinking country or modern indie rock, we’re elated to present the diverse lineup of talent this year. Each act is sure to get everyone on their feet dancing. We look forward to connecting with the community at the shows this summer.”

Concert guests are invited inside the Museum to explore the exhibitions on view during the summer months, including Message from Our Planet: Digital Art from the Thoma Collection, Ellsworth Kelly & Jack Youngerman: Surrounding Shapes, and rotating works from GRAM’s collection on all three floors of the Museum.  

Cancelled: It will be a rockin’ start to the Wyoming Concerts in the Park

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

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

EDITOR’S NOTE: Due to rain, the Concerts in the Park with Reverend Jesse Ray has been rescheduled for Aug. 15.

Jesse Ray Cahue, a.k.a. Reverend Jesse Ray, performs Tuesday, June 13, at Lamar Park. (Courtesy, Reverend Jesse Ray)

“Prepare to rock ’n’ roll’ said Jesse Ray Cahue of Wyoming’s first Concerts in the Park for the 2023 summer season.

Set for Tuesday, June 13, Cahue will take the stage as Reverend Jesse Ray at the free event at Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St. SW.

“It’s all about having a good time,” said Cahue, who makes his debut at the Concerts in the Park on Tuesday. “I grab that electric guitar, tap out on my foot drums and perform a lot of danceable music. It features blues, swing, and rockabiliy. It’s about having fun and bringing the rock ’n’ roll.”

Cahue picked up a guitar at the age of 12 when his “Gumpy” bought his first six-string. Cahue then began playing open mic nights with his mama at his side to gain him entry into the bars. In 2013, Cahue formed Jesse Ray and The Carolina Catfish, which received a nomination for Best Roots/Americana Album at the 23rd Jammie Awards, presented by Grand Rapids radio station WYCE.

Expanding and growing

Looking for new and creative musical opportunities, Cahue developed Reverend Jesse Ray as a one-band blues and rock act. He is equipped with guitar, amplified harmonica, foot drums, and a voice that takes the audience back to the golden age of recorded music.

“Reverend Jesse first appeared as the opener for Rachael Brook at a Grand Rapids Art Museum outdoor concert,” Jesse said. “My band, Jesse Ray and the Carolina Catfish, was supposed to be my creative outlet but it has morphed into its own thing which is great.

“Through the Reverend Jesse act, I am able to do more things, such as original songs as well as pieces that may not quite have fit with the band, and pursue more performing opportunities.”

Some might be familiar with the Reverend Jesse Ray as he is a regular performer at the Tip Top Bar, located in downtown Grand Rapids.

Cahue said he looks forward to checking out the City of Wyoming and rocking out with attendees at Lamar Park.

Heading to the show

Concerts in the Park starts at 6 p.m. with a pre-show and activities for all ages. Food trucks also will be on site. Participants are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs.

All of the Concerts in the Park are recorded by WKTV Community Media and aired on Comcast 24 and streamed at wktv.org. Air times are 5 p.m. Wednesdays, and 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. Saturdays.

2023 Concerts of the Park schedule

June 20: Michael Hulett is a musician and vocalist who performs a variety of music such as jazz, R&B, pop, rock, and a sprinkling of country music.

June 27: Cabildo is a West Michigan-based alternative Latin rock collective that brings a unique blend of cambia, ska, folk, and other genres of music from Latin America.

July 11: Sarena Rae is a Grand Rapids based vocalist covering a variety of musical genres.

July 18: Klay N’ The Mud is a West Michigan-based cover band.

July 25: La Furia Del Ritmo will perform Latin music.

Aug. 1: The Soul Syndicate offers up classic soul, R&B and funk.

Aug. 8: Patty Pershayla & The Mayhaps features a former small-town pageant queen who has turned into a rock ’n’ roll powerhouse. 

West Michigan manufacturing indicators swing positive in May

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Finances, Local Business

By Chris Knape
Grand Valley State University

Brian Long is a local business forecaster. Credit: GVSU

May’s survey of purchasing managers shows the West Michigan economy continuing to slow at a measured pace as key indices continued a month-to-month yo-yo pattern signaling uncertainty – and reason for optimism.

The Current Business Trends Report, authored by Brian Long, director of supply management research for the Seidman College of Business at Grand Valley State University, included upticks in areas like sales, output, employment and purchases in May after flat or lower results in April.

“Since we instituted this survey many years ago we’ve seen our numbers bounce around, and this month our bounce was to the upside,” Long said. “Our index of new orders came in much stronger than expected. But of course, one month does not make a trend. So when we add up June at the end of the month, the numbers we get may be a little bit less robust.”

Office furniture makers continue to report soft market conditions – though no major layoff announcements have been made. Meanwhile, automotive parts suppliers remain steady with backlogs and upside potential thanks to “reshoring” – or bringing manufacturing of certain parts that had been made overseas back to U.S.-based suppliers.

“This is where I think West Michigan is well positioned to pick up some additional business.” Long said. “The problem is, of course, reshoring in the industrial market takes time to identify and qualify new sources so it won’t happen overnight.”

Here’s a look at the key index results from May’s survey of West Michigan manufacturers:

  • New orders index (business improvement): +19  versus +0 in April
  • Production index (output): +13 versus +5 in April
  • Employment index: +13 versus +3 in April
  • Lead times index: +2 versus +3 in April



More information about the survey and an archive of past surveys are available on Seidman’s website.

Sounds of Summer expands to include July and August

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Recreation

By Adam Brown
WKTV Contributor

Sounds of Summer will expand its offerings, providing music in July at Cutler Park and in August at Byron Center’s Bicentennial Park. (Courtesy, Patty Williams)

With increased attendance, this summer the Sounds of Summer will be expanding and returning to where it all started.

The free community concert series, sponsored by Byron Township and presented by P. Williams Productions and LW Studios, will expand into August from its traditional July schedule. All the July performances will be at Cutler Park, in Cutlerville, with the August performances at Byron Center’s Bicentennial Park, which is where the series started in 2008.

 

Patty Williams, from P. Williams Production, said the expansion is a result of the event being hit with the public. The 2022 series drew more than 2,000 visitors to listen to a wide variety of bands.

“They know how to put on a very entertaining show,” Williams added, speaking of the bands performing and the production team behind them.

What music will I hear at Sounds of Summer?

Every Thursday at 7 p.m., listeners can gather in Cutler Park, 6701 Cutler Park Dr. SW, in July and Bicentennial Park in August to enjoy a night of music, games, and refreshments. Aiming to be inclusive for all crowds, the series features trivia games, CD giveaways, and catering by local vendors in addition to the bands.

The 2023 Series opens on July 6 at Cutler Park with a wide array of musical talent. This year’s Cutler Park lineup includes:

The Soul Syndicate will perform July 27 at Cutler Park. (Supplied by the band)

July 6: Azz Izz Band – With decades of experience, this group takes on blues, country, soul, and rock hits.

July 13: That Beatles Thing – A local cover band transports you back in time to hear the hits of John, Paul, George, and Ringo.

July 20: Ryan Curtis Band – This Michigan-born, Idaho-based artist covers anything from folk to bluegrass to rock to blues through personal stories and life lessons.

July 27: The Soul Syndicate – This party band tributes iconic funk, soul, and R&B artists with electric, high-energy performances.

The August series at Byron Center’s Bicentennial Park, 8085 Byron Center Ave. SW, includes:

Aug. 3: Great Scott! – This Grand Rapids-based party band has something for everyone, playing hits from the fifties through today.

Aug. 10: Carson Peters and Iron Mountain – Traveling all the way from East Tennessee, this award-winning bluegrass group has played at the Grand Ole Opry and around the world.

Aug. 17: The Soul Syndicate – A familiar group in Grand Rapids, the band performs funk, soul and R&B.

What Else is a Part of Sounds of Summer?

Sounds of Summer aims to provide a rewarding recreational experience in addition to the concerts, Williams said.

Cutler Park features a playground to keep the younger crowd entertained, as well as a walking path for exercise or dancing along to the music. The only things listeners need to bring are blankets, lawn chairs, and a listening ear. Hungry? Pick up a hot dog from the cart operated by Juicy Wieners. If Juicy Wieners aren’t your style, pork sandwiches also will be provided at this year’s event.

More information

P. Williams Productions tapes each concert, which are rebroadcasted on WKTV throughout the summer. This year’s series incorporates a new and expanded sound system.

Visit the Sounds of Summer Facebook page for updates, weather information, and more.

How does an insurance company invest your premiums?

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Finances, Local Business, ,

By Dave Stanley
Integrity Financial Service, LLC

(Courtesy, Pxhere.com)

Insurance companies play a crucial role in our society, providing individuals and businesses with financial protection against unexpected losses. To do this, insurance companies collect premiums from policyholders. But what happens to your premium once it is paid to the insurance company?

Insurance companies don’t just store your premiums in a giant safe until they’re needed to pay claims. Instead, they put these funds to work by investing them. This practice is vital to insurance companies for several reasons.

Let’s break it down. When you pay a premium for an insurance policy, the insurance company pools your premium together with those paid by other policyholders. The pooling of premiums is the first step that allows the insurance company to spread out the risk of potential claims among many policyholders.

Now, these pooled premiums form a large amount of money known as a reserve. This reserve is there to ensure that the insurance company has enough money to pay out if a policyholder files a claim. But while this money is sitting in the reserve, the insurance company doesn’t just let it idle. They invest this money to generate income and to increase the value of the reserve.

Investment income helps to keep the insurance premiums lower than they would be otherwise. Without the income from investments, insurance companies would need to charge much higher premiums to maintain their financial stability and be able to pay claims.

So, how does an insurance company invest your premiums? They typically follow a conservative investment strategy because it’s essential to maintain the ability to pay claims even in unfavorable market conditions.

The investments of insurance companies are usually in the form of bonds, especially government and high-quality corporate bonds. Bonds are chosen because they are relatively safe compared to other types of investments and provide a steady income in the form of interest. Some part of their investments might also be in real estate, mortgages, and stocks, but these usually represent a smaller portion of the investment portfolio because they come with higher risk.

The specific rules and regulations about how insurance companies can invest their funds vary from state to state and are overseen by the state’s department of insurance in which the company is domiciled. These regulations are in place to ensure that insurance companies are not taking excessive risks with the premiums they have collected.

Insurance premiums are not just used to pay claims. Instead, they are carefully invested to earn income, helping the insurance company to remain financially stable and to keep premiums affordable. This prudent financial management is essential to ensure that the insurance company can honor its commitment to policyholders even in the face of large or unexpected claims.

Dave Stanley is the host of Safe Money Radio WOOD1300 AM, 106.9 FM and a Financial Advisor and Writer at Integrity Financial Service, LLC, Grandville, MI 49418, Telephone 616-719-1979 or  Register for Dave’s FREE Newsletter at 888-998-3463  or click this link:  Dave Stanley Newsletter – Annuity.com  Dave is a member of Syndicated Columnists, a national organization committed to a fully transparent approach to money management.

Groundbreaking ceremony held for new behavioral hospital in Byron Center

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Health, Kent County, Local Business, ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

Members of Trinity Health Michigan and Universal Health Services along with community leaders helped to break ground on the new Southridge Behavioral Hospital. (courtesy, Trinity Health Grand Rapids)

On Monday, Trinity Health Michigan and University Health Services (Ny’SE: UHS) broke ground for a new behavioral health hospital that will be located just south of the City of Wyoming in Byron Center.

Southridge Behavioral Hospital, which a joint venture partnership between NYSE: UHS and Trinity Health, will be located right near the Trinity Health Medical Center at 2145 64th St. SW in Byron Center. 

“Southridge Behavioral Hospital, which will open in 2025, will help address the growing need for high quality mental and behavioral health care services for people struggling with depression, anxiety, substance use and other issues, and who need hospitalization and intensive individualized care,” said Dr. Matt Biersack, president of Trinity Health Grand Rapids. “Southridge represents a sustainable, long-term solution and it will be a key piece of the behavioral health care continuum in West Michigan.”

Kelly Smith, chief strategy officer for Trinity Health Michigan, said the new behavioral hospital will accommodate up to 96 beds, serving adult and geriatric patients. The facility is estimated to employ approximately 170 full-time and part-time staff including physicians, nurses, therapists, mental health technicians, administration, dietary and housekeeping personnel. Programming will be tailored to individual patient needs, with core psychiatric services and counseling supplemented with art therapy, music therapy and outdoor activities.

“Right here, where we gather today, you will see a new beautiful state-of-the-art facility,” said Sheila Adams, vice president of corporate development for Universal Health Services. “It will feature design elements that will create an optimal therapeutic environment with serene decor and furnished with warm and inviting finishes. We will create a space that enhances safety and promotes healing resembling a hospitality environment rather than an institutional type setting.”

The Southridge Behavioral Hospital is designed to tie into the growing network of behavioral health services in the area, including UHS-operated Forest View Hospital and Trinity Health Michigan’s new partnership with Network 180 to open a Behavioral Health Crisis Center for the rapid availability of assessment services on a walk-in basis.

 

For more about Southridge Behavioral Hospital, including what the hospital’s interior will look like, visit www.southridgebh.com. 

Organic tart cherry juice imports to be tracked

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Environment, Kent County

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

Michigan grows more than 755 of the nation’s tart cherries with an annual crop valued at $280 million. (Pxhere.com)

U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) recently announced that the U.S. International Trade Commission will begin tracking foreign imports of certified organic and conventionally produced tart cherry juice and tart cherry juice concentrate, and all other varieties of cherry juice, in order to more accurately measure the impact of trade on Michigan’s tart cherry industry. 

In March, Stabenow and Peters urged the Commission to track this information in the wake of unfair and rising import competition of tart cherry juice harming Michigan producers. Michigan grows more than 75% of the nation’s tart cherries with an annual crop valued at $280 million, supporting hundreds of processing and retail jobs and a vibrant tourism industry in Northwest Michigan.

“Michigan’s world-famous tart cherries are a central piece of our ag economy,” Stabenow said. “But this industry cannot continue to flourish in the face of unfair and unaccountable competition from foreign producers. Today’s announcement is a welcome step toward ensuring an even playing field for our Michigan growers.”

In 2020, Stabenow and Peters similarly urged the U.S. International Trade Commission to collect statistical information on dried cherry imports after Turkish exporters continued to dump low-quality dried cherries into U.S. markets, creating a trade imbalance that hurt Michigan growers. The Senators’ request was approved and went into effect in July 2020.

“For years, Michigan cherry growers have been harmed by unfair trade practices that threaten their livelihoods and hurt workers. They deserve a level playing field. After pushing for this needed change, I’m pleased the ITC will now collect all available information on these imports so that our growers have a fair shot at competing on the world stage,” Peters said.

“The new categories for tracking imported cherry juice/concentrate are very important for the U.S. tart cherry industry,” said Julie gordon, president and managing director of the Cherry Marketing Institute. The new reporting will provide us specific information that was not previously available and will help us develop strategies for dealing with the influx of imports. We are grateful that the 484(f) Committee granted our request for the new codes and for the continued support from Senator Stabenow and Senator Peters.”

A link to the March letter can be found here. 

Two Grand Rapids businesses recognized for ‘Making it in Michigan’

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Kent County, Local Business

By Adam Brown
WKTV Contributor

At a recent Michigan State University-hosted food trade show and networking conference, two Grand Rapids-based vendors were recognized for their food and beverage industry achievements.

The annual Make It In Michigan Conference and Trade Show, which takes places in April in Lansing, presented Fat Baby Hot Sauce, LLC, co-owned by Nate Mehren and Terry Wolter, with the Value-Added Agricultural Product Award and its Young Innovator Award was presented to Grand Rapids’ Last Mile Cafe, co-founded by Arick Davis and Sarah Laman.

Value-Added Agricultural Product Award

Image 1: Dr. Tim Boring presents the “Value-Added Agricultural Product Award” to Nate Mehren and Terry Wolter, Co-Founders of Fat Baby Hot Sauce, based in Ada, MI. (source: Kendra Wills)

“Fat Baby Hot Sauce is a great example of what happens when entrepreneurship and Michigan diverse agriculture options combine,” said Dr. Tim Boring, director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and who presented Fat Baby its award. “Expanding opportunities for value-added products like Fat Baby Hot Sauce to get on store shelves helps make Michigan food and ag companies become a household name both here and around the nation.”

The Agricultural Product Award is presented to a product produced in Michigan using ingredients grown and sourced in the state. Launching in January 2022, Fat Baby Hot Sauce is made with peppers grown on Mehren’s family farm. For those who may be shy about anything too hot, Mehren and Wolter offer their hot sauce in various heat levels.

Those wishing to learn more about Fat Baby’s products and services may visit their website.

Young Innovator Award

Recently established “young” businesses with an owner or founder under the age of 45 are eligible for the Young Innovator Award.

Natalie Chmiko presents the “Young Innovator Award” to Sarah Laman, Co-Founder and Chief Impact & Sustainability Officer for Last Mile Cafe based in Grand Rapids, MI. (source: Kendra Wills)

Davis and Laman founded Last Mile Cafe in December 2022. Their black-owned and woman-owned business seeks to redefine how coffee can be inclusive of marginalized communities.

Located in Grand Rapids’ 49507 zip code, a historically underserved business district, Last Mile is unique with its charitable giving model. The cafe donates 10% of the revenue from every purchase to one of four philanthropic causes, with the customer selecting to which of the four they wish to donate. The charitable causes include advocacy for environmental justice, criminal justice reform, at-risk youth, and clean drinking water. In 2023, Last Mile hopes to obtain its B Corporation certification, which recognizes for-profit companies that give back to society and the environment.

“Arick and Sarah’s team at Last Mile Café exemplify the innovative spirit that defines us all as Michiganders by seeing challenges as opportunities and turning their passion into positive impact,” said Natalie Chmiko, senior vice president of small business solutions for Michigan Economic development Corporation and who awarded Last Mile its award. Chmiko underscored how important Last Mile’s mission is by adding, “We’re proud to celebrate Last Mile Café’s commitment to sustainability and accessibility, while demonstrating what it means to be the change they want to see in their own community. We look forward to supporting their future success and impact in the Grand Rapids community and throughout the entire region over the years to come.”

What is The Making It In Michigan Conference and Trade Show?

The 14th Annual Making It in Michigan event was hosted by the Michigan State University Product Center and Michigan State University Extension in partnership with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).

Featuring booths from 165 food and beverage vendors across the state, the show offered a chance for businesses to expand their customer base and pick up tricks of the trade. In addition, retailers from prominent Michigan industries such as Meijer, Kroger, Busch’s Market, and Westborn Market were on hand to connect with distributors amid the shared goal of expanding Michigan’s food supply chain.

MSU Product Center Innovation Counselor Kendra Wills said the Making It In Michigan event is unique because it is believed to be the only event of its type with exclusively Michigan-made products. The conference and trade show features several distinct events designed to cater to a variety of producers and developers.

If a vendor is new to the world of trade shows, Making It In Michigan assists with setting up booths, staffing logistics, how to best offer samples, etc. For those vendors with ideas still in the development phase, the event’s conference portion provides guidance from various industry professionals. These include co-packers/co-manufacturers, entrepreneurs, distributors, and banking and finance industry members. 

How to stay cool on these warm summer days

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

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

Looking to cool off from a very hot, hot, hot weekend? Well the splash pads for the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood. are open.

City of Wyoming

The City of Wyoming has four splash pads located at:

Gezon Park, 5651 Gezon Court

Jackson Park, 3235 Robin SW

Lamar Park, 2561 Porter

Oriole Park, 1380 42nd St.SW

Wyoming’s splash pads, which are free, run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. everyday through Labor Day.

City of Kentwood

The City of Kentwood has two splash pads which are located at:

Pinewood Park, 1999 Wolfboro Dr. SE

Veterans Memorial Park, 355 48th St. SE

Kentwood’s splash pads, which are also free, are open from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. everyday through Labor Day.

Other communities

Millennium Park’s beach and splash pad is open until the fourth Sunday in August. Both are open at 10 a.m. daily with the beach closing at 7 p.m. for early and late summer and 8 p.m. mid-summer and the splash pad closing at 6 p.m. early and late summer and 7 p.m. mid-summer. The is a fee, $4 adults, $3 seniors 63 and older, $2 children ages 3-15, and free children 2 & under. For more, click here.

The City of Grand Rapids has splash pads which are free, and pools, which has a fe, of youth $1 for GR residents and $3 for non-residents; and adults $3 for GR residents and $5 for non-residents. Punchcards and season passes are available. For more on Grand Rapids pools and splash pads, click here.

 

Caledonia opened its Community Green Park Splash Pad and Spray Park on Friday, June 2. The Caledonia Community Green Space is located 9309 Dobber Wenger Memorial Drive.

Museum’s traveling exhibit of racist imagery comes to Grand Rapids

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Kent County, Our Cities, Recreation

By D.A. Reed
WKTV Contributor

Left, Cyndi Tied, GRPM collections manager with Dr. David Pilgrim, founder and director of the Jim Crow Museum. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)

The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) has partnered with the Jim Crow Museum (JCM) at Ferris State University to host the premiere of the JCM’s traveling exhibit, Overcoming Hateful Things: Stories from the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Imagery, beginning June 3.

“We recognized that not everyone was going to come to the metropolis of Big Rapids, so we began creating traveling exhibits,” said Dr. David Pilgrim, founder and director of the Jim Crow Museum. “This is a taste of the stories we are trying to tell.”

Pilgrim hopes GRPM visitors will acquire an intelligent understanding of what the Jim Crow period was. He also hopes the exhibit will stimulate conversations. “This is one of the most successful ways that I have found to lead people to have meaningful, insightful discussions about race,” Pilgrim said.

When Pilgrim arrived at FSU in 1990, he brought approximately 3,200 Jim Crow pieces from his own private collection and donated them to the university with the understanding that they would be preserved and displayed. FSU agreed and now hosts the permanent JCM exhibit that has grown to more than 20,000 pieces.

Pilgrim went on to say that while many people believe the JCM is simply a large collection of racially insensitive objects, it is his intent to place those objects in their proper historical context in order to show people how they were created, why they were created, and what the consequences were of that creation.

“It is an opportunity to show people how you can use contemptible objects as teaching tools and how you can use them to facilitate intelligent discussions about race, race relations, and racism,” said Pilgrim. “We believe in the triumph of dialogue.”

What GRPM visitors can expect

Visitors to the JCM exhibit at GRPM will experience a variety of objects, pictures, and informational articles in both tangible and digital form.

A five-minute Roots of Racism film orients visitors to the content they will see at the Overcoming Hateful Things exhibit, and interactive tablets are available with video and audio content about the Jim Crow period.

An interactive Map of Terror allows visitors to see where Jim Crow violence occurred throughout the United States, while another multimedia piece displays portraits of African Americans living their daily lives.

“We see all these negative caricatures and imagery and stereotypes, (but) African Americans didn’t see themselves that way,” said Franklin Hughes, multimedia specialist of the JCM. “We want to show the pushback of regular, everyday people.”

An interactive station allows visitors to listen to Coon Song, a genre of music that presents a derogatory stereotype of African Americans, while reading along with the lyrics via sheet music. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)

Another interactive station allows visitors to listen to Coon Song, a genre of music that presents a derogatory stereotype of African Americans, while reading along with the lyrics via sheet music.

“It gives people an opportunity to see the songs in their full context,” Hughes said. “People still have those thoughts and ideas because it’s ingrained and embedded into our culture.”

Pilgrim believes that part of education is about history. “A mature nation will look at its past and be objective,” said the JCM director. “The purpose of the past is not to feel good or bad, it’s to have a better, deeper, more nuanced understanding of the past with the hope that we are better in the present and the future.”

Moving Forward

Left, Franklin Hughes talks with David Pilgrim, the founder and director of the Jim Crow Museum. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)

The JCM is currently in the early stages of a campaign to move into a two-story standalone facility that will allow them to contextualize the museum’s pieces.

“Each one of those 20,000 pieces,” said Pilgrim, “is currently being made, sometimes as reproductions, but sometimes the image has morphed into a modern manifestation. I believe that one of the most powerful parts of the new museum we are going to build will be a section of objects made in the last five to ten years.”

Pilgrim urges people to take a critical look at things currently produced in popular and in material culture and to remain vigilant.

“We are all on a racial journey in this country, whether we know it or not,” said Pilgrim. “(The museum) allows us to tell the story of how to make the world better as individuals, as communities, as states, and as a nation.”

To learn more about GRPM’s Overcoming Hateful Things: Stories from the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Imagery, visit Grand Rapids Public Museum.

To learn more about the JCM, visit The Jim Crow Museum

To learn more about the JCM Expansion and/or to donate toward the expansion, visit JCM Expansion

D. A. (Deborah) Reed is an award-winning author of young adult novels and a creative writing instructor from the Grand Rapids area. To find out more about D.A. Reed, visit her website: D.A. Reed Author

GM awards $75,000 in grants to local charities

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Environment, Our Cities, , ,

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

To help educate potential new drivers on the dangers of driving impaired, the Wyoming Department of Public Safety will be purchasing a distracted and impaired driver simulator thanks to a $25,000 grant from GM Motors Corporate Giving.

GM Grand Rapids Operations Plant Director Troy Comiskey (center) announces the 2023 GM Corporate Giving grant recipients from the Grand Rapids area. (WTKV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)

The grant, which was given to the Wyoming Greater Resource Alliance for the public safety department’s use, was one of three grants awarded by the GM Grand Rapids Operations, which is located in Wyoming. The grants totaled $75,000 with the two other organizations also receiving $25,000 each was The Right Place and West Michigan Environmental Action Council (WMEAC).

“GM has made a concerted effort to bump up its local giving to the communities,” said Troy Comiskey, plant director for the Grand Rapids Operations. “They take corporate giving very seriously. They have upped it the last two years in a row with definitely a jump this year from the $10,000 mark to the $25,000 mark.” 

Through the GM Community Grant program, the company has donated around $3 million to a 157 charities over the last year in U.S. communities that surround GM manufacturing sites. Since its inception, GM’s Corporate Giving has investing has helped communities across the U.S. in a variety of initiatives focused on STEM, vehicle and road safety and community impact.

Comiskey noted that the giving has gone beyond just monetary but with many of the Grand Rapids Operations employees giving time to a variety of events such as Teach for the Watershed, the Mayor’s Grand River Clean-Up, and FIRST Robotics programs. He noted this is on top of employees working sometimes 40-plus hours a week and taking care of their own families that “they still find time for a couple of hours per week or month to help local communities.”

From left, Lt. Eric Wiler from the Wyoming Department of Public Safety, UAW Local 167 Chairman Chris Newman, The Right Place Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Brad Comment, WMEAC Director of Engagement Marshall A. Kilgore, and GM Grand Rapids Operations Plant Director Troy Comiskey (WKTV/Joanne N. Bailey-Boorsma)

Educating the Future about the Environment

One of the beneficiaries of that volunteer support has ben WMEAC which among its programs host the Teach for the Watershed. which is an interactive watershed education program based on Michigan Science Curriculum Standards, and the Mayor’s Grand River Cleanup, the state’s largest riverbank cleanup.

“We are so thankful to GM for this,” said Marshall A. Kilgore, WMEAC’s director of engagement. “This grant started back a few years ago at $200 with them kind enough to extend their philanthropy from $200 to $25,000.”

Kilgore said WMEAC has seen growth in its programs and through the grant will be able to reach more students about how to better take care of their environment.

“So we plan to use this money for the water that connects all of us here in West Michigan and also teach our youth how to be better stewards of their land, water and soil,” he said.

Making the Roads Safer

Lt. Eric Wiler said his department is working to purchase the distracted and impaired driver simulator which they are hoping to debut at this year’s National Night Out as well as other events, such as Metro Cruise. Plans are also in the works to bring the simulator to local school districts to educate potential new drivers about driving with cellphones or while intoxicated.

According to the Michigan State Police, 16,543 crashes in 2021 involving distracted driving. Fatal distracted driving crashes increased by 14% from 2020 to 2021. According to the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration, 3,522 people died because of districted driving in 2021.

To help combat the issue, the Michigan legislature passed a ban on using phones while driving in May.

Building a Workforce Pipeline

Brad Comment, senior vice president of strategic initiatives for The Right Place, said the organization plans to use its grant funding toward growing Michigan’s manufacturing, technology and life science sectors, which Comiskey had commented is “very near and dear to our heart here at GM because we have such a technical workforce.” 

Through its programs, Comment said The Right Place will continue to work to bring students into manufacturing facilities and introduce them to careers in manufacturing and technology. 

GM was started in 1908 by William C. Durant as a holding company for the Buick Car Company. Within two years, Durant brought some of the biggest names in the automotive industry, including Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Pontiac and the predecessors of GMC Truck. For more than 75 years, the GM Grand Rapids Operations, which is at 5100 Burlingame SW, has been producing high prevision, high volume automotive components for GM products as well as non-GM products. 

‘Best Dog-Gone Party in Town’ returns June 6

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment,

WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

Pet lovers and their four-legged friends are invited to party with a purpose at BISSELL Pet Foundation’s largest annual fundraising event to reduce the number of pets in shelters and rescues nationwide through its lifesaving programs. BISSELL Blocktail Party® takes place on Tuesday, June 6, from 6-9 p.m. at the East Grand Rapids High School Track.

This year’s party, featuring a Western theme, promises to be a rip-roaring good time, featuring the return of live grilling with Celebrity Chef Paul Wahlberg of Wahlburgers. Partygoers should come hungry to enjoy tasty dishes from Terra, Mudpenny, Donkey Taqueria and other local restaurants. In addition, Tito’s Handmade Vodka will serve a new barkworthy cocktail for those 21 years or older.

Other party favorites: Adoptable dogs from area shelters; the highly anticipated silent auction with one-of-a-kind items including trips, art, pet-themed packages, and much more; spectacular beats by DJ AB; caricatures of furry friends by popular ArtPrize winner Chris LaPorte; toast-worthy wine pull; specially created Blocktail IPA (I Prefer Adoption) beer; and everyone’s favorite doggie bag stuffed with goodies for humans and pets.

“We are so excited for this year’s BISSELL Blocktail Party and hope the community will turn out on June 6 to celebrate and save pets’ lives,” said Cathy Bissell, founder of BISSELL Pet Foundation. “Blocktail is BISSELL Pet Foundation’s primary fundraising event, providing critical support to give homeless pets a second chance. The generosity of every sponsor and guest means we can reach more pets in more communities.”

100% of proceeds from BISSELL Blocktail Party will benefit pets in need through BISSELL Pet Foundation’s pet adoption, transport, spay/neuter, vaccination, microchipping, and crisis and disaster response programs.

Tickets to BISSELL Blocktail Party are available online for $100 per person and $50 for students with a valid student ID. A limited number of tickets will be available for purchase at the event for $125 each, which includes food and one drink ticket. Sponsors at $1,500 and above will receive access to Blocktail and an invitation to the BISSELL Sponsor Party on June 5, featuring a private performance by “Like A Cowboy” and “How Country Feels” hit song maker Randy Houser. Visit www.bissellblocktailparty.com for more details and to purchase tickets or sponsor. 

Nurses play critical role in keeping older adults out of hospitals, nursing homes

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Senior Living, ,

By Care Resources

Julie Dekam, a medical assistant supporting the Care Resources nursing team, obtains a blood sugar reading from participant Dora in the clinic. (Courtesy, Care Resources)

Nancy Baker and Barbara Scothorn share a single mission as nurses: keeping seniors out of hospitals and nursing homes.

That mission is at the heart of their employer’s approach to health care. Both work for Care Resources, an innovative community-based program for people 55 years and older that promotes healthy and independent living for residents of Kent County and portions of Allegan, Barry, Ionia and Ottawa counties.

“We always know the nurse’s primary role is education,” explained Baker, who serves as clinic and day center manager for Care Resources. “Often a provider can be talking to a participant, but it’s really the nurse who can help them understand how to manage their diabetes or COPD.”

Scothorn agreed, adding: “Nurses are there to work with a participant and help them meet their goal, which is staying in their home and out of the hospital. It’s a partnership. We work with participants and their families to provide wrap-around services that supplement what they are able to do. Families play a huge role, and we take them into consideration in our planning.”

Scothorn serves as manager of home care and intake enrollment for Care Resources, which is a Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly, or PACE®. Funded by Medicare and Medicaid, PACE services require no out-of-pocket payments for those who meet income requirements.

 

Care Resources offers a day center, clinic and pharmacy in its 36,000-square-foot facility in Grand Rapids that deliver a wide range of health care services as well as opportunities that promote socialization, build community and offer respite to caregivers. The nonprofit also provides home health services, including family and caregiver support, home care services and rehab and durable medical equipment, such as walkers, wheelchairs, oxygen and diabetic testing supplies.

All of this support, Baker and Scothorn know, is critical in keeping participants safe at home. They listed a host of reasons why people 55 years and older often wind up needing acute medical care:

  • Worsening medical conditions that go unnoticed when loved ones aren’t around.
  • Poorly managed medication, including skipped or doubled doses.
  • Unobserved changes to breathing, blood pressure or weight that signal larger health issues.
  • Poor nutrition and dehydration, which can cause a cascade of other health issues.
  • Social isolation, which can lead to rapid or steady decline in physical and mental health.

“My nurses in the clinic are great on triage and assessment,” Baker said. “They complement the work of Barb’s nurses and home health aides, who play a vital role in seeing what patients go through every day and addressing issues before they become problems.”

Baker and Scothorn highlight simple things loved ones can do to ensure older adults can be safe at home, including:

  • Ongoing education to help better manage chronic conditions, such as diabetes, or disease progression for illnesses such as Alzheimer’s and heart failure.
  • Medication assistance, such as setting up pills in a med box or med wheel so it’s easier to keep track of daily doses.
  • Home safety checks, such as removing throw rugs to prevent falls and installing grab bars instead of towel racks.
  • Meal preparation, such as stocking their freezers with meals they like and to improve their nutrition. 
  • Transportation support to ensure they can get to their medical and other appointments.
  • Social support and a safe place to go during the day, such as the Care Resources day center, for stimulation and engagement – and to give caregivers a needed break.

“These are great steps to help older adults stay healthy and remain in their homes,” Scothorn said. “Nurses can provide an additional layer of support. We are often the first to notice changes and issues – we’re trained to watch and take action to help community members age safely in place.”

For more information on Care Resources, visit CareResources.org.

Photo of the Week: Top Drivers

Citizen Journalism
Photo courtesy of Caledonia Public Schools

Caledonia Community Schools claimed its first place for the third consecutive year at the 58th Annual MAPT School Bus Roadeo competition held at Caledonia High School on Saturday, May 20. The competition brought together top-performing schools in the region, with Caledonia Transportation emerging as the champions against fierce competition.

The School Bus Roadeo is an annual event that highlights the driving abilities of school bus drivers while promoting safe driving practices. Participants undergo rigorous assessments, including a written test and a driving skills test that involves navigating through a course of cones, simulating student loading and unloading, and handling emergency scenarios.

Out of the 14 drivers representing Caledonia Transportation, eight drivers finished in the top 20, and four drivers secured places within the top 5. Betty Nelson, one of Caledonia’s drivers, secured a second place, demonstrating the talent and commitment of the Caledonia School Bus Drivers team.

Kids’ Food Basket founder’s memoir about finding a purpose-driven life, inspiring others

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, West Michigan, ,
Mary K. Hoodhood (far left) with volunteers assembling dinners at the Kids’ Food Basket. (Courtesy, Kids’ Food Basket)


By K.D. Norris
WKTV Contributor


When you first glance at the book cover of Kids’ Food Basket founder Mary K. Hoodhood’s new memoir, you can read the title in at least two different ways.


You can see it as asking the question “What Can I Do,” as in resignation to the inability to tackle difficult social problems such as hunger among our youth.


But you can also see it as a call to action, personal action: “What I can do” to be part of the solution to such issues. The book was co-written with Lisa McNeilly, PhD.


The life story, so far, of “Mary K” as most people know her, is a testament to “doing what you can do” in one’s personal journey, even overcoming huge physical obstacles, to serve the community.


In Mary K’s life, serving the community, including founding Kids’ Food Basket (KFB), has been a driving force in moving her forward.  


“My upbringing and Catholic education helped me understand the importance of community and giving back,” Mary K. said to WKTV. “I was working at God’s Kitchen when I found out about kids not receiving an evening meal at home at the three GRPS (Grand Rapids Pubic Schools) schools KFB started with.





“I knew that this was an injustice, and it wasn’t the kids fault. I also knew that I could raise the money and get the volunteers to help.”



And raise the money, and get the volunteers/community/government support needed to run Kids’ Food Bank is exactly what she has done — this year, KFB sends 10,000 sack suppers to 60 schools across four counties every weekday.


Inspiring others to “Do what they can do,” that just came along naturally.



(WKTV/Katie Bogema)



Finding a calling after tragedy

In the introduction to “What I Can Do,” Mary K. dedicates the book to her husband, Jeff, with the words “My life is possible because of your love and devotion.”

And discussion in the book of her support network is an essential part of understanding her drive to serve the community as she overcame an automobile accident in her 20s that left her paralyzed from the chest down.


Instead of focusing on what she could no longer do, she states, she started repeating her mantra: “I will focus on what I can do.”


Successful before her accident, Mary K. Roach was born and raised in Grand Rapids and earned a degree in education from Michigan State University in 1973. One of her first jobs was working with the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Michigan, working with high school and community college counselors as well as the Michigan legislature.


But then came May 1980 and a car accident that left her in a wheelchair, but not idle. She got married, helped raise a stepdaughter, took in her teenage nieces and nephew, and began volunteering for the Meals on Wheels program at God’s Kitchen, a local food pantry.



Mary K. Hoodhood with one of the dinner bags distributed by Kids’ Food Basket. (Courtesy, Kids’ Food Basket)



There she saw the need to feed not only seniors and adults, but also school-age youth triggered by a 2002 phone call from a local school principal to say that students were regularly going into the cafeteria after school in search of food to take home.


With $3,000 and a handful of volunteers, she committed to seeking a solution to childhood hunger in our community and Kids’ Food Basket was founded.


“Many volunteers from God’s Kitchen followed me to KFB,” Mary K. said, and the group began feeding 125 meals a day. “What I didn’t anticipate is how much KFB has grown to increase access to good food for kids.”


The first big growth in 2008 and 2009

“There was a recession and we expanded our services outside GRPS to where there was need. I knew our numbers would increase and we would grow,” she said.


With the growth and recognition of Kids’ Food Basket, Mary K. has gained local, regional and national recognition, including being named one of The Grand Rapids Business Journal 50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan in 2018.


(Courtesy, Kids’ Food Basket)


But KFB is and will always be closest to her heart. She is past Chair and current member of the Kids’ Food Basket Board of Directors, and volunteers many hours every week, focusing on fund development and public relations, but also sometimes just working the line putting together “dinner” bags. 


That growth has led Kids’ Food Basket to becoming one of the largest non-profits in West Michigan, with staff and leadership carrying it into the future.


“Mary K.’s motto to ‘Do what I can do’ is one of many driving forces behind everything that we have built at Kids’ Food Basket,” Bridget Clark Whitney, President and Founding CEO of Kids’ Food Basket, said to WKTV.


“Food insecurity is a very real concern, and breaking down the barriers to good food access can feel overwhelming. At KFB, we create a space where people can make a real impact, one step at a time. Packing a single Sack Supper is easy, and together across three locations, it adds up to 10,000 healthy evening meals each school day.”


(Courtesy, Kids’ Food Basket)


What can you do?

Community volunteering and financial support has been a key factor in the growth and success of Kids’ Food Basket. Many people, it seems, believe in the title of Mary K.’s book — doing “What I Can Do.”


To find out what you can do, visit the Kids’ Food Basket website.




So what’s the deal with recycling batteries?

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Environment, How-To's, Kent County,

By Katelyn Kikstra
Kent County Department of Public Works

While batteries of any type should never go in your recycling cart or any recycling drop-off station, but what you should do with them instead oftentimes is not clear. Batteries can really trip folks up because the type of battery ultimately determines what we need to do with them. Read below to match what kind of battery/batteries you have to figure out your next actions.

Alkaline batteries

Alkaline batteries are typically the cell batteries (EX: AA, AAA, etc.) that are commonly used in a lot of household items, like toys, flash lights, radios, etc. Alkaline batteries are cell batteries that ARE NOT rechargeable.

Alkaline batteries should be taped on the ends and then placed into the trash. (Pxhere.com)

Alkaline batteries used to contain mercury, qualifying them as hazardous waste, so they would have been accepted through a household hazardous waste program for a really long time. However, around the mid- to late-90s, manufacturers changed how they made alkaline batteries (to no longer contain mercury) so these types of batteries no longer qualify as hazardous waste and cannot go to a hazardous waste program. Once taped on the ends/terminals, these batteries are OK to go in the trash because they are no longer hazardous.

Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of places that recycle them as the process is tedious and expensive. We do not know of any alkaline battery recyclers in Kent County. Instead, we encourage folks to use up their supply of alkaline batteries and make the transition to a rechargeable/reusable type of battery if possible.

These batteries should do contain hazardous materials and should be taken to a SafeChem location. (Pxhere.com)

All other batteries

“All other batteries” is a broad category but it includes (from left to right): button batteries, laptop/cellphone/electronics batteries, drill/weed trimmer/leaf blower batteries, lithium ion/cadmium batteries, auto/marine/ATV batteries, and RECHARGEABLE cell batteries (EX: AA, AAA, etc).

All of these batteries should never go in your trash, recycling bin or into any of our single-stream/mixed recycling drop-off stations as they contain hazardous materials and could easily start a fire at the recycling center, landfill or a garbage truck.

Instead they should be brought to any of the county’s SafeChem – Household Hazardous Waste drop-offs during designated hours for free recycling.

If you have any additional waste or recycling questions visit Kent County Department of Public Work’s Waste & Recycling Directory or email recycle@KentCountyMI.gov

Draft club helps local farms during plow day events

3-bottom, architecture, Citizen Journalism, Kent County, Pets/Animals, Recreation,

By Janet Vormittag
WKTV Contributor

Paul Vander Laan grew up on a flashlight farm—his dad had a day job and worked the farm at night.

Dave Kamps Showing his 11-year-old granddaughter Libby Kleyn how to drive his team of Percherons. (Janet Vormittag)

“Mom wouldn’t let him get a tractor with headlights. She didn’t want him working all night,” said Vander Laan who lives in Walker.

When Vander Laan was 8-years-old, he recalls the last horse leaving the farm. Nostalgia of those long-gone days has turned into a hobby for him. Vander Laan owns two Percherons, a breed of draft horse that originated in France, and he is a member of the West Michigan Draft Horse Club, which has about 40 members.

One of the club’s activities is plow days where members bring their teams to a local farm and put them to work. Plow days are open to the public and signs are placed by nearby streets pointing the way for anyone interested in seeing draft horses pulling plows.

On May 13, the club met at a Christmas tree farm in Ottawa County and worked a field that will be planted with seedlings. A light drizzle didn’t stop club members from attending. By 9 a.m. several pickup trucks hauling horse trailers were already parked side by side, teams were unloading, hitched up and bring starting to plow. Both walk-behind and riding plows were used.

Owning Draft horses is An Expensive Hobby

Vander Laan estimated he spends $2,500 per horse annually and that doesn’t include a truck and trailer for hauling the animals. To offset the pricy pastime, he built a horse-drawn funeral coach. Last year, he was hired 21 times to be part of funeral processions, transporting the casket from church to cemetery. He handled the team and the minister or one family member can ride by his side.

Business card with a photo of Paul Vander Laan and his Percherons pulling a funeral coach. (Janet Vormittag)

Club member Dave Kamps compared the expense of owning a draft horse to not smoking. “If you don’t buy cigarettes, you can afford the feed for one of these guys,” Kamps said, adding that a pack of smokes is about $7 and that’s what it costs to feed one horse for one day—but it’s cheaper in the summer when the horses are pastured.

 

Kamps spent part of the plow day teaching his young grandchildren how to handle his Percheron team, Jasper and Sweet Pea. His daughter, Betsy Kleyn, said her kids enjoy helping with the horses.

“He’s always doing horse stuff and they always want to help him,” she said.

Besides spring plow days, the club offers wagon rides at special events and compete in draft horse shows including one at Michigan State University.

This year the Michigan Great Lakes International Draft Horse Show and Pull (www.mgli.org) is Oct. 12-15 and will be held at the MSU Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education. Included are competitions in halter, hitching, plowing, pulling and riding. The four-day event features 330 vendors, and 1,200 horses from 30 states and three Canadian provinces. More than 35,000 people attend the show.

Family Tradition

Martin Daling, one of the original members in the West Michigan Draft Horse Club, said he won the plowing competition last year at MSU. The year before he took second place. He explained that the dirt is judged, not the horses. Criteria include the depth and the straightness of the furrows.

Carrie Dalling plowing with her dad’s team of blond Belgians. (Janet Vormittag)

Daling owns a centennial farm in Tallmadge Township near Leonard Street and 8th Avenue and is the third generation to farm the land. Daling and his Belgian draft horse team work the fields and in the fall they harvest the hay, oats and corn that provide feed for the horses.

Daling’s daughter, Carrie Daling, said she’s been attending plow days with her dad for at least 30 years.

“Everyone is always here,” said Carrie Daling. “People I’ve known since I was a kid.”

When the plowing is complete, club members have a potluck.

Carrie Daling said she occasionally drives her dad’s team of blonde Belgians, Roy and Roger.

“Dad’s teams listens very well,” she said explaining that one horse always walks in the furrow. “You point him in the direction and he knows where to go.”

Janet Vormittag started Cats and Dogs, a Magazine Devoted to Companion Animals in 2006 as a monthly publication. It’s geared towards West Michigan readers and features pet-related advertisers, animals available for adoption, and articles about animal rescues and pets. In 2018, Cats and Dogs transitioned to a quarterly publication. The print edition is free and can be found at local libraries and businesses.

Volunteers needed for May 23 tree planting in Godfrey-Lee area

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

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

In the fall of 2020, the Wyoming Tree Commission (The Tree Amigos), with volunteer helped planted trees in the Godfrey-Lee area. (Courtesy, Wyoming Tree Commission)

Whether it be the shade from a hot summer day to the colorful leaves dropping that add nature’s beauty in the fall, trees can provide a natural respite for a community as well as improve air and water quality.

However, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, underserved communities tend to have fewer trees than other city neighborhoods and local organizations working to add tree canopy to those areas can face unique challenges.

To help make a difference in one such area are  three organizations, the City of Wyoming Tree Commission – The Tree Amigos, the Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, and ReLeaf Michigan. Tuesday, May 23, the groups will come together to plant 20 trees at the Godfrey-Lee Early Childhood Center, 961 Joosten St. SW, to plant 20 trees. Volunteers also are being sought to help with the project.

Building Shade Equity

“We are working in Godfrey Lee for two reasons,” said Estelle Slootmaker, who is a member and founder of Tree Commission (The Tree Amigos), which noted the group has planted trees in the Godfrey-Lee district in the past. “The area’s canopy has been disastrously decreased by storms and development.

“The neighborhood, like many U.S. neighborhoods experiencing income challenges, lacks shade equity. Shaded neighborhoods promote mental health, reduce crime, have cleaner air with less asthma and other breathing conditions, and higher property values.”

The other reason the commission has selected the Godfrey-Lee area was because of the advocacy of volunteers Susan VanBronkhorst and Rosemary Davis, who have advocated for planting in the neighborhood, and because of Godfrey-Lee science teacher Deb Truszkowski, who has been working to get The Tree Amigos active with the district.

Truszkowski said it was a National Geographic article that raised her awareness for the lack of tree canopies in underserved areas. She teaches a world disasters course at the high school which focuses on climate change.

“We are currently looking into areas that lack tree canopies and how that affects a community,” Truszkowski said, adding the classes have been discussing how redlining, where lenders refused loans to people living in a certain area, impacted a neighborhood and its environment, such as parks, green space and trees.

Students from two of Truszkowski’s classes will participate in the planting along with talking to volunteers and learning from ReLeaf Michigan.

Volunteer Opportunities

ReLeaf Michigan, a 35-year-old non-profit organization, partners with communities statewide to replenish community tree canopies through volunteer tree planting events. In 2022, the DTE Foundation granted $350,000 to ReLeaf for tree plantings in communities throughout the state.

Slootmaker said ReLeaf is providing the 20 trees and the organization’s forester helped select the planting sites. On planting day, ReLeaf representatives will be there to provide instruction and supervise the plantings.

 

“They will be providing information on the proper way to plant and for the trees,” Slootmacher said, adding it is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to learn more about planting and green spaces.

Those interested in volunteering — no planting experience is necessary — should wear closed-toe shoes and comfortable clothing and bring a shovel, hard rake, and work gloves if they have them. The group will meet at Godfrey-Lee Early Childhood Center located, 961 Joosten St. SW, at 8:45 a.m. to sign in, enjoy refreshments, and watch a planting demonstration with ReLeaf Michigan’s tree experts.The event occurs rain or shine. 

Wyoming business expands, adds 27,000-square-foot facility

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Local Entertainment, ,
From left, RJ Billmeijer, from CopperRock Construction; Senator Mark Huizenga; RoMan Manufacturing President Nelson Sanchez; RoMan Manufacturing CEO Bob Roth; RoMan Manufacturing founder Robert Hoffman; RoMan Manufacturing Vice President Kurt Hofman; Wyoming Mayor Kent Vanderwood, and Wyoming Kentwood Chamber of Commerce CEO and President Keith Morgan. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)

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

While for some the COVID pandemic caused a stall in operations, for RoMan Manufacturing it was a time when the company discovered new opportunities in the semiconductor and data center industries that have now led to the Wyoming-manufacture adding a new 27,000-square-foot facility to its location.

On May 18, city officials and business leaders joined company officials and employees for a groundbreaking ceremony for the company’s future facility, which along with being a manufacturing facility also will house the company’s new training and development program, RoMan University, and its Department of Labor approved apprenticeship program. The new facility, which is expected to open in October, is predicted to create at least 50 new jobs in the next 18 to 20 months.

“The new facility will allow us to expand our overall capacity to serve our existing core business, which is what we grew up on, the markets of resistance welding, furnace and glass, and create space to serve these new markets,” said RoMan Manufacturing President Nelson Sanchez.

Along with that, the addition of RoMan University and the apprenticeship will help the company develop a talent pipeline, Sanchez said.

RoMan CEO Both Roth said the facility also enables RoMan to continue its focus on helping its customers to achieve their goals.

“It was always that vantage point I think that has been one of our north stars and has driven business forward is that we think about customers first and in doing that, we can help them succeed and when we help our customers succeed, it helps us succeed,” Roth said.

Growing and Evolving

Started in 1982 with an 8,000-square-foot building, RoMan — which is a combination of the founders’ names Dietrich Roth and Robert Hofman — the company in the past 40-plus years has grown to cover seven acres with two sites that has a combined square footage of 160,000. The main campus is located at 861 47th St. SW, which is where the new building will be located.

The group of RoMan Manufacturing and local officials help break grown on RoMan’s new facility. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)

According to Executive Vice President Kurt Hofman, RoMan Manufacturing started as a niche business focused on low voltage, high current water cooler transformers.

 

“You can Google that today and you are not going to see a whole lot of people pop up on that Google search and I can tell you who is going to be on the top of that Google search, it is going to be us,” Hofman said.

Over time, RoMan Manufacturing expanded outside of welding and the automotive industry and moved into other industries, which led to the company building systems. This led RoMan being to be able to expand into the semiconductor and data center businesses. 

 

“On behalf of the entire city council, I want to congratulate RoMan Manufacturing on its new production facility and say thank you for choosing the City of Wyoming and for providing additional job opportunities for our residents and the West Michigan community,” said Mayor Kent Vanderwood at the groundbreaking ceremony.

LaFontsee Galleries sold to new owners

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Kent County, Local Business, West Michigan, ,

By McKenna Peariso
WKTV Contributor

A memory wall in LaFontsee Galleries shares its story. (WKTV/McKenna Peariso)

For the first time in nearly four decades, new leadership is taking hold at LaFontsee Galleries.

This month, founders Linda and Scott LaFontsee announced that Jason and Kate Meyer have bought the business. Artist Kate Meyer will take the lead on running the gallery, with Linda LaFontsee assisting her with the transition over the next six months.

“We found the right people,” said Linda LaFontsee. “We started thinking about it several years ago and I finally got to the point where I could entertain the idea of letting go of my baby.”

The LaFontsees have overseen growth of the art-hub enterprise for more than 36 years. From humble beginnings in 1987 as a small framing business to the award-winning 24,000 square foot gallery now located at 833 Lake Dr. SE.

In that time, LaFontsee Galleries has received many state and national recognitions. In 2022, the American Art Awards named it one of the top 20 galleries in America. The gallery also received the ArtServe Michigan Governor’s Award for Arts and Culture in 2004.

“Initially when the gallery started, there was not really much of an art scene in Grand Rapids,” said new owner Kate Meyer. “It really just started with a small framing shop and Linda and Scott showing a couple of pieces on the walls where they had a little bit of space from local artists and it grew from there.”

Growing its Grand Rapids

The tiny framing operation run out of Scott LaFontsee’s basement was fittingly named Underground Studio. As the area’s art scene began to take shape, the business moved downtown into the North Monroe Business District and rebranded to LaFontsee Galleries in 1994. Then in 2012, the founders reopened the gallery in its current home on Lake Drive.

LaFontsee Galleries started a a framing operation. During the May 24 open house, visitors will be a behind-the-scenes look at the business’s iconic framing department. (WKTV/McKenna Peariso)

“We have grown with the city for sure,” LaFontsee said. “It’s wonderful to be able to not only show their work but create a community with the artists as well.”

It’s estimated more than 60,000 works of art are stored at LaFontsee Galleries, with only a quarter currently decorating the walls. LaFontsee says the depth of the work the space holds for each of the artists is rather unusual, thanks to the building’s generous square footage.

The gallery’s entire collection including the current portfolio of more than 70 artists will be retained under the new leadership. Fifteen team members will also remain on staff.

An artist herself, Meyer has had her work displayed across Grand Rapids and has been featured at ArtPrize several times. She admires the gallery for its balance of a warm, welcoming environment with a professional caliber of fine art.

“It’s more than just a gallery,” said Meyer, “it really is a community space that has so many different facets to it.”

Just the Right Match

LaFontsee Galleries has a long history of involvement in local nonprofits and community events. Its list of collaborators include Frey Foundation, Gilda’s Club, Artists Creating Together and more.

LaFontsee Galleries has been an art-hub in Grand Rapids for 36 years. (WKTV/McKenna Peariso)

Connecting through non-profits is what originally brought the LaFontsees and Meyers together; Jason and Linda met while working with the Blandford Nature Center. Along with his advisory role with the gallery, Jason Meyer currently serves as executive director for the White Oak Initiative, a coalition addressing the decline of America’s white oak population.

Kate Meyer also has over a decade of experience in fundraising, event planning and leadership in environmental nonprofits and conservation. Her most recent role was associate director of development for the state’s chapter of the world’s largest conservation organization, The Nature Conservancy. She also previously served as the Kent County Parks Foundation’s executive director.

“They really hand-picked us and I think they see a lot of themselves in us and vice versa,” Meyer said.

Celebrating a New Era

Terms of the gallery’s transaction were not disclosed. The LaFontsees were advised by Calder Capital LLC on the deal. The Meyers used financial consultant DWH LLC as their advisors.

The gallery will host an open house on May 24 from 4 to 5 p.m. where the public can meet and greet with owners old and new. Attendees will also have the opportunity for a behind-the-scenes look at the business’s iconic framing department and learn more about the process of preserving art.

Senior Expo returns to the Meijer Gardens

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Health, Senior Living,

By K.D. Norris
WKTV Contributor

The Senior Expo will take place on May 24 at the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. (Courtesy, Frederik Meijer Gardens)

In many ways, a walk around the building and grounds of the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is the perfect place for a bit of physical and mental health “me time” for local senior community members.

And what better time to visit than the return of the free-to-the-public West Michigan Senior Expo at Meijer Gardens on Wednesday, May 24, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Registration to the expo also offers free admission to the Meijer Gardens indoor and outdoor art and gardens.

To pre-register for the event, visit here.

Local group attending focused on mental health

The range of senior — and senior caregiver — advocacy and service groups attending the Senior Expo is expected to include more than 50 Grand Rapids and West Michigan organizations that specialize assisted living, Alzheimer’s information, home care, Veterans benefits, mobility solutions, Medicare and much more.

More than 50 local and regional organizations will be present at the West Michigan Senior Expo at Meijer Gardens. (courtesy, Meijer Gardens)

For one local health-care organization, Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, attending the expo and serving the senior community is a calling as much as a business opportunity.

“We view the seniors who turn to us for care as our friends, our grandparents, and our neighbors because that’s who they are,” Matt Hiskes, spokesperson for Pine Rest. “We value and offer a full continuum of services for seniors because they are an essential part of the community that makes West Michigan great.”

Hiskes also stressed that mental health is as important as physical health for seniors.

“Individuals often face some of the most challenging aspects of life during their senior years: housing changes, loss of family members and friends, individual medical concerns, loss of mobility, and changing family dynamics,” Hiskes said. “These issues can be incredibly impactful on a person’s mental well-being, yet many individuals never seek the help they need.

“It’s important for seniors to know that help is available, that there is no shame in seeking mental health care, and that people can live better, longer lives when they focus on caring for their mental health.”

Health care screenings and a stroll through art, nature 

The “rain or shine” expo will be held in-doors and will offer a variety of free health screenings — not to mention hourly prize drawings, giveaways and complimentary refreshments.

 

Among the groups and businesses expected to attend are BP Realty, Baldwin House, Battle Creek VA Media Center, Boichot Insurance Agency, Care Resources PACE (GR), Center for Vein Restoration, Eden Home Care, Estate Planning Legal Services, Grand Brook Memory Care, Health Alliance Plan, Hearing Life, Life EMS Ambulance, Lincoln Square Senior Living Holiday by Atria (GR), McDonald Hearing Services, National Benefit Plans, Neptune Society, Sentinel Pointe Retirement Community, St. Ann’s Home, United Healthcare, and Victory Financial Insurance Agency.

After the event, attendees can enjoy the recently opened indoor exhibit of “Cristina Iglesias: Under and In Between”. Running through September, the exhibition surveys 20 years of work from one of Spain’s most renowned artists. The exhibit includes the artist’s “Pozo XI”, recently installed in the Tassell–Wisner–Bottrall English Perennial Garden as part of Meijer Garden’s permanent sculpture collection.

And if you haven’t been on the grounds lately, a somber but powerful stop should be Jerusalem-born artist Ariel Schlesinger’s “Ways to Say Goodbye” located in the Holocaust Memorial Garden.

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is located at 1000 East Beltline Ave NE, Grand Rapids. For more information visit meijergardens.org 

Local man’s memoir features never heard stories of WWII 1st Infantry Division

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

By D.A. Reed
WKTV Contributor

Joseph Olexa, circa 1941 (Courtesy, GVSU Veterans History Project)

Grand Valley State University Professor James Smither will be the first to admit that you never know where a veterans’ interview will lead you.

Such was the case when Smither, who heads up the GVSU Veterans History Project, interviewed World War II veteran David Zylstra, who mentioned that he had a manuscript of a memoir composed in the 1970s by his second wife’s late brother-in-law from her first marriage. Zylstra have been given the manuscript because he was the family member interested in history.

Released this year by University of North Texas Press and edit and annoyed by Smither, Death and Life in the Big Red One: A World War II Soldier’s Journey from North Africa to Germany, a memoir of World War II 1st Division combat infantryman Joe Olexa, offers insights into the experiences of an ordinary soldier in extraordinary situations.

Dr. James R. Smither will talk about his book Wednesday, May 17, at 2 p.m. at Marge’s Donut Den, 1751 28th St. SW.

When Smither looked through the large pile of papers stacked on Zylstra’s dining room table, “I realized right away that it should be archived and could probably be edited for publication.”

Smither got in touch with Olexa’s two sons still living in the Grand Rapids area, and they agreed to donate the manuscript and letters Olexa had written home during the war to GVSU and the Veterans History Project.

Smither took a sabbatical to edit the memoir and get it ready for publication.

The Challenge of Fact-Checking

“The real challenge to this was the fact-checking,” said Smither. “(Olexa) wrote the memoir largely from memory. I had to follow the story and check it against both published histories of the campaigns he was in, as well as military records for the unit he served in.”

Grand Valley State University Professor James Smither, head of the GVSU Veterans History Project (Courtesy, GVSU Veterans History Project)

Matching dates and places where the unit traveled and particular events Olexa mentioned in the memoir took hours of research.

“In some cases, his memory was faulty,” Smither said. “He was remembering the incidents pretty well but didn’t always have them in the right times and places. So I had to sort that out.”

Another challenge was the pseudonyms Olexa used for a lot of his characters. Ordinary combat soldiers didn’t always know each soldier’s name, often only knowing them by their nicknames.

“In (Olexa’s) case, he was going further than that. He was giving them nicknames especially if he didn’t like them,” said Smither with a laugh.

One of the most memorable nicknames was given to one of Olexa’s company commanders who he referred to as “Captain Jitters.” Smither had to find the real name of “Captain Jitters,” and the point Jitters was removed and sent to a psychiatric hospital as mentioned in the memoir.

A Vivid Account of Enlisted Life

Smither said he was impressed by Olexa’s writing style and ease of storytelling. “(The memoir) gives you a much more detailed and vivid account of what it was like to be a combat soldier than you get from most memoirs written by enlisted men,” Smither said. “Usually, it’s the officers that write the better memoirs because they are better educated and have a better idea of what was going on.”

Part of the charm of Olexa’s account of WWII was that he enlisted before the war had even begun.

“Olexa enlisted before the war started and got into the fighting as early as anybody did, and the Americans did in the European theater,” Smither said.

In 1942, Olexa was part of the invasion of North Africa—a portion of the war where there are not many firsthand accounts at all, and none from Olexa’s regiment of several thousand men.

Some Interesting Accounts

Smither said there are many incidents of Olexa’s unit that didn’t make it into history books because they were a “sideshow” for quite a while as a battalion off on their own, conducting small patrols in the southern end of the front in Tunisia.

Soldiers of L Company in Aachen, Germany. (Courtesy, GVSU History Project)

During the invasion of Sicily in 1943, Olexa was part of a small group of men who were trained to swim onto shore and flash signals to guide the landing craft in. “I had never seen anything about that,” said Smither. “I couldn’t find anything in the records indicating an army personnel ever did this. When I was burrowing around in the unit records, sure enough, I found a report on the activities of the unit he was in, and there he is, listed on the unit roster.”

The more Smither researched, the more he found that “a lot of the crazier stories turned out to be true.”

One such story involved chasing the girlfriends of soldiers out of the woods near the base in England where Olexa spent the last five months of the European war training replacement combat soldiers. The women would camp in the woods near the base and sneak in at night, or the men would sneak into the woods to spend time with them. Olexa had to organize a group of military police and make a sweep through the woods, chasing the women out.

Looking to Add a Website for the Book

University of North Texas Press wanted Smither to focus on the combat and front-line experiences of Olexa’s tenure in the war, forcing him to leave out some of the more eccentric stories.

“The original manuscript was simply too long to go into a print edition,” said Smither. Sections where Olexa is training or in the rear, various encounters with French soldiers in North Africa, and civilians he encountered away from the front were all areas Smither had to cut back.

However, the Press is allowing Smither to set up a website where he will post deleted material and any other supplemental items that he deems relevant. The plan is to include those sections of the text with indications of where they fit into the larger story in terms of pages of the book. Smither also plans to post some of the letters and interviews that he has done with veterans in some of the same places or with similar experiences as Olexa.

Once published, this supplemental website will be accessible from the Grand Valley History Department website via a link on GVSU’s Veterans History Project, which also gives access to other veteran interviews as well.

After the book is in print for three years, the Press plans to publish an ebook version that will have Olexa’s entire memoir so readers can find the whole story in one place.

Giving back to our veterans

Smither has worked at GVSU as a historian since 1990 and has specifically worked with veterans for more than 20 years.

“I always had an interest in military history, and I was able to develop a course in it,” said Smither, whose time outside of the classroom has been spent largely on conducting veteran interviews for the Veterans History Project (VHP).

Even though he does not have a personal military background, Smither said, “As a historian, sometimes you study things that are very far from your own experiences to try to understand them. And military history is compelling because it puts people into very difficult and unusual circumstances, and they have to figure out what to do and how to handle it. I think there is something about that that captures people’s imaginations.”

Veterans History Project: More than Telling Stories

“It’s a way to give back to the people who serve,” Smither said. “Just by listening to them and taking them seriously, you are showing a certain respect for them.”

Smither believes his job is to help veterans tell their whole story, publishing the complete interviews on the VHP website instead of only releasing bits and pieces.

“It provides great raw material for future generations of historians, but it also does something for the veterans themselves,” Smither continued.

For many involved in conflict from Vietnam onward, Smither has found there is often a question of “Why were we there in the first place, and was it worth doing?” Recording their stories helps many veterans find clarity.

“What you see when you talk to (veterans) is (that) a lot of the experience for them is just with them and the people in their unit, and just trying to get by. They were not really as worried about the bigger picture of things,” Smither said. “Recording the stories helps validate the experience…and it helps them figure out what happened. Sometimes I interview a veteran and that’s the first time they actually tried to put their story together. Some of it starts to make sense a little bit better when they start to do that.”

Retired life

Olexa worked in a factory for a short time after retiring from the military but deemed it too noisy. The former infantryman was not squeamish about blood and became a meat cutter, with his last 10 years before retiring in 1981 serving as the meat manager at a Grand Rapids D&W supermarket.

“He was very much just a member of the community after that (military career),” said Smither.

Olexa married Agnes Van Der Weide July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes’s death in 1993. Olexa passed away December 3, 2000.

D. A. (Deborah) Reed is an award-winning author of young adult novels and a creative writing instructor from the Grand Rapids area. To find out more about D.A. Reed, visit her website: D.A. Reed Author

Hospice surfaces as special gift on Mother’s Day

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

By Emmanuel Hospice

Bea Blasingame (courtesy, Emmanuel Hospice)

For Joan Mattson and her four siblings, it’s all about the subtle differences conveyed in such significant ways to define her mother’s journey with Emmanuel Hospice at her side.

Especially during this month, featuring Mother’s Day as a gentle touchstone.

“One of the Emmanuel Hospice aides, Tanya, always kisses the top of mom’s head before she leaves,” says Mattson, drawing a breath. “I mean, just that kindness. It means so much.”

Mattson’s mother, Bea Blasingame, is 87 and has been under Emmanuel’s care since late last year. Initially, it was difficult for Bea to accept and adjust, given her life-long sense of independence. She was also missing friends in rural Truman, Arkansas, where she and her late husband, Robert, spent most of their 67 years together.

These days, Bea resides in Mattson’s Grand Rapids area home following a series of seizures and discovery of a related tumor that have affected her speech, mobility and other aspects of her daily life.

With Mother’s Day coming up, Mattson relates that it’s bittersweet to wax nostalgic on how things used to be.

“My mom was a morning person,” Mattson recalls. “She might be up as early as four, and I can remember her going into the cold kitchen and standing on a rug by the register where the heat came up, saying her prayers and reading the Bible.

“And if you know how noise carries through those vents, well, her voice would come to me in my bedroom, and that’s just a very special memory.”

Mattson’s sister, Barb Raymond, says Emmanuel Hospice has been helping the family harvest and express those remembrances as they work to make their mother’s final months as comfortable as possible. In return, Bea personally thanks her Emmanuel Hospice care team – by name, when she can – during evening prayer.

One time, she couldn’t quite recall specifically one Emmanuel team member, but knew she was a spiritual caregiver. “The shepherd,” she managed to whisper. In another instance, she couldn’t conjure the name of a therapist who comes with her guitar and harp to sing hymns and more with her. “Bless the ‘music-maker,’” she offered.

Bea Blasingame makes a hand mold with the help of Emmanuel Hospice staff. (courtesy, Emmanuel Hospice)

Indeed, music and prayer have always loomed large in Bea’s life. She led songs at her church, sang solos and played the accordion. Her favorite Bible verse is from Psalms: “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Losing her husband – whom she married at 17 (she fibbed her age up to 18 on the legal document) – was tough four years ago. COVID made the grieving worse.

When Bea fell ill last winter, her son and four daughters helped her battle back, but eventually, it was decided hospice care would be best. The whole family shares their mother’s gratefulness for Emmanuel Hospice. In addition to providing medical care, the nonprofit has prioritized making space for opportunities to create lasting memories and have joyful experiences as they cherish time together.

“We don’t know where we’d be without Emmanuel,” Mattson says. “I think honestly that God has had a hand in all of this, in having Emmanuel beside us.”

Raymond adds: “We’re just floored with the quality of people at Emmanuel. What they provide is just beyond what any one of us expected.”

To learn more about hospice care, visit EmmanuelHospice.org.