The Kentwood Fire Department recently welcomed a new fire engine that will enable it to continue providing leading fire and medical services to the community.
The Spartan Metro Star pumper replaces a fire engine retired from the department’s fleet last year. Built by Charlotte-based Spartan ER, the new fire engine will be housed at Fire Station 3 on Eastern Avenue SE and be put in service soon.
“We regularly service and replace emergency vehicles to ensure they are operating optimally,” Kentwood Fire Chief Brent Looman said. “This new engine is an investment in the safety of our community.”
The vehicle has a 450-horsepower clean diesel engine and a 500-gallon water tank with an environmentally safe foam system. It is also equipped with more than 2,000 feet of fire hose, a 1,500 gallon-per-minute pump and life-saving medical equipment. The new engine cost $572,000 and is expected to be in operation for 18-20 years.
The new vehicle was built using the same specifications as other vehicles in the fleet, which is critical for firefighter safety and streamlined maintenance.
After the cab was constructed, it was transported to Spartan’s sister facility in Brandon, South Dakota, where the body of the vehicle was built. Looman and Battalion Chief Clarence Patterson recently visited to inspect the engine before its arrival in Kentwood.
“The inspection is a crucial step in the process that ensures the truck is built to our specifications,” Looman said. “Spartan ER and CSI Emergency Apparatus have been phenomenal partners and, once again, have equipped us with a quality fire engine that will serve our community for years to come.”
More information about Kentwood Fire Department is available at kentwood.us/fire.
The Kent County Animal Shelter will become a stand-alone department answering directly to administration. (Supplied)
Following the nationwide best practices in animal welfare and public safety, Kent County has announced it will be restructuring its animal shelter and animal control operations.
On July 1, the animal shelter will become a stand-along county department report directly to the administration. It is currently under the Kent County Health Department. With that change, the animal control operations will be reassigned to a dedicated, special tailed team at the Kent County Sheriff’s Office.
“Best practices in animal welfare and animal control are Kent County’s top priority in restructuring these operations,” said Kent County Administrator Al Vanderberg. “We consulted subject matter experts and community members and commissioned extensive research into county-level animal shelter and animal control operations before recommending these changes. These decisions are data-driven and reflect nationwide best practices in animal welfare, as well as public safety.”
Kent County Animal Control
Animal control will be reassigned to the Sheriff’s Office because these operations are largely a function of law enforcement. The team will be led by certified law enforcement officers including a KCSO Enforcement Division lieutenant and two Enforcement Division sergeants who will oversee daily operations and staff. Staff will include a civilian animal control supervisor and civilian special deputies who will be supported by community outreach, media relations and training staff already at the Sheriff’s Office.
Kent County Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young
At a meeting on June 9, the Kent County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved recommendations from its Legislative and Human Resources Committee and Finance and Physical Resources Committee to create and fund the three full-time animal control unit supervisors at the Sheriff’s Office.
“For years, KCSO officers have worked cooperatively with Kent County animal control officers in response to calls and to carry out the law enforcement aspects of these operations,” said Kent County Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young. “With these changes, animal control operations will be led by sworn law enforcement officers trained to provide oversight and to protect due process in rapidly unfolding legal and civil rights matters.”
While the animal control officers will be civilian positions and will not have arresting authority, the certified Sheriff’s deputies in the animal control unit will have authority to make arrests when there is cause to believe a crime has been committed.
To prepare for these changes, the Sheriff’s Office is developing a new Kent County Animal Control Ordinance to replace the Kent County Health Department Animal Control Regulations that have been on the books for more than 20 years. Starting July 1, the new ordinance will apply anywhere in the county where local city, township or village ordinances are not already in place. Existing local ordinances will supersede the Kent County Animal Control Ordinance.
How and When to Contact Animal Control
If a Kent County resident encounters an animal emergency – an animal is attacking a person, or a pet is in immediate danger – they should call 911. Otherwise, residents should call the Kent County Sheriff’s Department dispatch at 616-632-7310 if they encounter a stray dog, in the case of a dog bite, or to report a suspected case of animal cruelty or neglect.
The primary focus of Kent County Animal Shelter will be the care and welfare of lost and abandoned animals. (KC Animal Shelter)
Kent County Animal Shelter
With the restructuring announced today, the Kent County Animal Shelter will maintain primary responsibility for the care, shelter and feeding of lost and abandoned animals in Kent County. The change in reporting directly to the administration will allow the Kent County Health Department to focus more exclusively on human health.
“Our mission hasn’t changed. We remain keenly focused on reuniting pets with their families and finding safe and loving new homes for animals when needed,” said Kent County Animal Shelter Director Angela Hollinshead. “We value the assistance that many community leaders and animal welfare agencies have provided in support of that mission and of the animals in our care over the past several years. We look forward to working with these leaders and organizations to formalize and increase community support in the months ahead.”
Following the restructuring, County administration and the animal shelter will explore the possibility of establishing a foundation and “friends group” to increase financial and volunteer support for the shelter.
Max Lockwood opens the Kentwood Summer Concert series on Thursday. (Photo by Pia Lu)
At an early age, singer/songwriter Max Lockwood knew the stage was his calling.
It came when he was on stage at his 8th grade talent show.
His band, The Wealthy Homeless, played an original song and Green Day cover.
“I was extremely excited for (the talent show), and I have been playing ever since as much as I can,” said the 32-year-old Lockwood.
He’s not joking.
At age 16 he was playing with the local band Sweet Japonic, and after two years of upright bass performance classes at DePaul University, the Wayland native took time off to tour with Michigan band the Ragbirds.
He eventually went back to school to get a creative writing/literature degree from the University of Michigan. His debut record, “Outrider,” served as his senior thesis at the University of Michigan for his degree in creative writing.
“I guess you could say that 50 percent of my lifetime has been playing professionally,” Lockwood told WKTV Journal. “…At this point I feel very comfortable and natural. I enjoy performing very much.”
Max Lockwood will be performing original music at Thursday’s concert. (Photo by Pia Lu)
Lockwood and his band will kick off the Kentwood Summer Music Series on Thursday (June 16) on the lawn behind City Hall. The concert is at 7 p.m. Admission is free.
Lockwood will perform his original music, which is “rooted in songcraft and heartfelt lyricism and bound with elements of rock and roll, folk and pop,” according to his website bio.
His musicianship, songwriting and experience will shine through, whether playing original or cover songs.
Those originals explore the themes of “love, adversity and growth,” in a powerful voice, akin to the likes of Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen.
In fact, he’ll play a couple new songs that were just released, including “Nothing to Fight” and “Lonely Gods.”
Both were recorded in Grand Rapids and feature many local musicians, including members of his side project band, The Insiders, a Tom Petty tribute band that he fronts.
He’s excited to return to Kentwood where he has performed with another band he used to front, psychedelic folk-rock band Big Dudee Roo.
“It’s fun, out on the lawn,” he said of the outdoor series. “Hopefully the weather will be great.”
The Max Lockwood Band consists of Max on guitar and vocals, Justin Dore on guitar, Eric O’Daly on bass and Daine Hammerly on drums.
John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.
Heritage Hill Garden Tour will feature 10 private gardens and two organization gardens in this year’s event. (Supplied)
Ten private gardens and two organizational gardens will be part of the 2022 Heritage Hill Garden Tour, which is set for Saturday, June 18, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Each garden is a unique reflection of the creative, nature-loving gardeners who tend them. From showy displays in front gardens bursting with color to hidden gems waiting behind a home to warmly welcome guests, the possibilities of what a garden can be will inspire.
Some of the gardens included on this self-guided tour are:
President Gerald Ford’s boyhood back yard now filled with statuary and rare plantings.
Wonderland over 40 years in the making that surrounds an enchanting home.
A serene and elegant backyard setting that includes a complete outdoor kitchen.
A stately brick home perfectly surrounded by beautiful plantings.
A small but artfully designed garden that makes wise use of every space.
A front yard garden that catches the eye of everyone who passes by.
Free-flowing flower garden on Prospect Ave. that wears new colors for every season.
Formal fountains galore surrounding a home on College.
Peaceful natural water feature that accents a shade garden.
A sweet little garden on Paris Ave.
Vibrant annuals and perennials at the Voigt House tended by volunteers.
Formal gardens at the Meyer May House that are reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright’s organic architecture.
Individual ticketsare $12 in advance, $15 on the day of the tour. Group tickets may be purchased in advance for $8 each for 20 or more tickets, $5 each for 50 or more tickets. Group pricing is not available on the day of the tour.
Tickets are available for pre-sale through midnight on June 17 via our website, www.heritagehillweb.org or contact the office during operating hours at 616-459-8950.
Tickets can be purchased at the ticket booth at the Child Discovery Center, 409 Lafayette Ave. SE. on the day of tour. Pre-sold tickets may be picked up at will call on the day of the tour.
The tour occurs rain or shine. Refunds are not available. Masks are welcomed for the safety of garden hosts and visitors.
Parking will be available at:
Child Discovery Center at 409 Lafayette Ave. SE
Elders Helpers at500 Cherry St. S.E.
On-street parking is often available. Please adhere to posted parking restrictions.
The Michigan Irish Music Festival, presented by Family Financial Credit Union, will return to Heritage Landing in downtown Muskegon on Sept. 15 – 18.
The Michigan Irish Festival is celebrating its first year back since the onset of the pandemic. Showcasing more than 20 musical acts on six covered stages, this year’s festival kicks off with its Public Preview Party on Sept. 15 featuring food, beverages, and music into Pub tent only. The full festival opens Friday.
Advanced tickets and passes for the Michigan Irish Music Festival are available online though Sept. 14. Stay tuned to the MIMF social media pages and website, www.michiganirish.org, for updates.
There are a number of reasons that a municipality may seek government-run broadband such as faster service at a lower cost, encourage economic development, and provide economic development. (pxhere.com)
For more than a decade, municipalities around the United States have been starting their own government-run broadband networks to bring high-speed internet to their residents.
They might do so for a variety of reasons: to provide residents faster service at a lower cost, to encourage economic development, to provide high-speed internet to areas that private Internet Service Providers aren’t interested in serving, or to bring more economical connections to urban areas where residents can’t afford the service provided by private ISPs.
But due to laws on the books in Michigan, cities can face significant obstacles in starting their own network.
Michigan is one of 18 states that put restrictions on municipal broadband programs. Under the Metropolitan Extension Telecommunications Rights-of-Way Oversight Act of 2002, public entities can provide telecommunications services only if they have first requested bids for the services and received fewer than three qualified bids. They also must subject themselves to the same terms as those specified in their Request for Proposal.
Around the United States, measures regulating municipal broadband are enacted largely due to the influence of telecommunications companies wishing to be shielded from competition, according to MuniNetworks.org, a Community Broadband Networks Initiative of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.
According to the Common Cause Education Fund, which tracked the spending of telecommunications companies for the years 2019 and 2020, Comcast spent $13 million on lobbying in 2019 and $14 million in 2020. The company spent $15 million on political contributions and expenditures in the 2020 election cycle. AT&T spent $11.5 million on lobbying in 2019, $11 million in 2020, and $13 million in political contributions in 2020.
Some small cities in the Michigan, such as Marshall, have been able to start their own network because they sent out a Request for Proposal and no ISPs responded, according to the Battle Creek Enquirer.
Holland is exempt from the Metro Act provisions because their fiber system predates the Metro Act, according to Ted Siler, utility services director for the city. They started it in the 1990s to connect their public utilities.
But even though the regulations don’t affect Holland’s plans to build a fiber network in the city, there are still parties pushing to stop it.
In late May, Holland residents began getting a “push poll” text from G1 Research. While purporting to be an opinion poll, the questions aligned with talking points by conservative commentators who believe municipal broadband networks place a unnecessary burden on taxpayers.
Daniel Morrison, a broadband activist who leads the civic group hollandfiber.org, said he didn’t know who was behind the push poll. All he had were “rumors and suspicions,” he said.
But he believes the Holland community supports the plan.
“I think the community is behind this because we have such a well-respected utility that takes good care of us,” he said. “It’s very clear to residents why a community-owned broadband utility fits in really well and would be an improvement over what they have now.”
Telecommunications companies aren’t the only ones trying to halt municipal broadband networks. Conservative lawmakers routinely introduce legislative restrictions because they feel municipal networks raise taxes and are not a cost-effective solution.
Holland representatives believe there is support to have a government-run broadband within their city.
Some studies have shown that municipal networks don’t attract enough users to pay for themselves. Elizabeth Hicks, U.S. affairs analyst at the advocacy group the Consumer Choice Center, cites a 2017 study by the University of Pennsylvania Law School concluding that of 20 municipal fiber projects that reported results of their municipal operations, 11 generated negative cash flow, and only two were on track to break even.
“What happens if there’s not enough consumers who end up signing up for the municipal broadband services or network? If that does happen – and what we see happen across the country with other municipal broadband networks – is the taxpayers within that municipality are stuck holding the bag for this failed network. So not only do they have a network that doesn’t work, but now they’re paying for it with their own tax dollars.”
But according to MuniNetworks.org, several of the cities that were subjects of the University of Pennsylvania Law School study disputed the accuracy of the numbers used in the calculations. The authors of the study issued a correction to some aspects of their report. The University of Pennsylvania released an updated study in January this year which again found that the actual performance of municipal broadband projects fell short of their financial forecasts.
Hicks said she believes everyone should have access to high-speed internet at reasonable prices, but that municipal networks are not the most effective way to do that. She said she has seen public-private partnerships work in rural areas where it’s cost-prohibitive to bring fiber. Cable and satellite service could be other options to consider, she said, or government subsidies for broadband in areas where there are ISPs providing service, but it’s too expensive for residents.
“There are a lot of unique solutions – I just don’t think jumping to a municipal broadband network should be the first one,” she said, adding that more than 200 communities nationwide currently offer municipal broadband, but only a small percentage of them have been successful.
In Holland, if the ballot measure passes, city residents will pay a millage of about $12.50 per month for building the system. Those who choose to connect would pay about $42 per month for service of 1 gigabit per second. The cost will depend on the “take rate,” in other words, how many people sign up. The more people who sign up for the service, the lower the cost will go.
Holland leaders are confident they will have the numbers needed to ensure success. The City and its Board of Public Works surveyed residents in 2018 and found that the vast majority of residents were in favor of a community-owned solution that provides high-speed internet access.
Morrison said demand for fiber connection in Holland’s existing downtown pilot project area has been strong. They have more than 200 customers in 150 buildings, he said.
The Covid pandemic and the lockdowns that followed brought the need for high-speed internet into sharp focus, he said.
“Everyone understands now the value of a good, reliable internet connection. We look at our very reliable utility that has been lowering electric rates, and say ‘We want (internet service) to be a utility just like water, sewer, or electricity.’ That’s what we want. We want to be in control of our own destiny. Not leave that up to a big telecom company.”
Grand Haven Musical Fountain has daily shows at dusk throughout the summer.
On Thursday June 23, the Grand Haven Musical Fountain Committee with the Friends of the Musical Fountain, Inc. will host the unveiling of a commemorative work honoring the 60-year history of Musical Fountain operations
The work was created by Chris LaPorte, a Grand Rapids based artist and 2010 winner of ArtPrize. As part of the Musical Fountain’s 60th anniversary fundraising efforts, prints and posters in varying sizes and formats will be on sale after the unveiling event (www.ghfountain.org/art).
“The Grand Haven Musical Fountain has been a summer spectacle destination for generations now. So many people have shared their family memories of enjoying the nightly show since I began the drawing, LaPorte said. “The Fountain itself is awesome. And, what the Fountain does and continues to do for the community is also amazing. Capturing the mutual experience of the community over decades is part of what I’m trying to capture with this drawing.”
A copy of the original work along with other artifacts from the Musical Fountain’s 60-year history will be on display in the Tri-Cities Museum window at 200 Washington Ave. in Grand Haven through August. Because of limited space, parties interested in attending the unveiling should contact the Musical Fountain Committee at info@ghfountain.org.
The Grand Haven Musical Fountain is beloved landmark of the City of Grand Haven that presents a creatively synchronized combination of lights and water with popular musical selections. Free nightly shows occur at dusk from Memorial Day to Labor Day with weekend shows in May and September (www.ghfountain.org/showtimes). Fountain operations and maintenance are a joint effort of the City of Grand Haven and an all-volunteer Musical Fountain Committee.
The Friends of the Musical Fountain, Inc. is a newly formed non-profit organization [501 (c)(3)] committed to creating sustainable funding for the maintenance and future enhancements to the Fountain (www.ghfountain.org/friends).
A free 60th Anniversary celebration is being held on Aug. 27 at the Lynne Sherwood Stadium and will include the debut of another water feature enhancement to the Fountain (www.ghfountain.org/60years)!
Kentwood residents will have the opportunity to learn more about the upcoming Aug. 2 millage for the city’s parks at three informational meet-ups set for June 20. (Supplied)
The City of Kentwood will host meetups in several city parks Monday, June 20, to provide information and answer questions about the upcoming millage proposal.
Each meetup will feature Parks and Recreation staff and commissioners ready to discuss the Aug. 2 ballot proposal. The events will take place 6-7 p.m. at three city parks:
Northeast Park, 1900 Middleground Drive SE
Pinewood Park, 1999 Wolfboro Drive SE
Stanaback Park, 3717 Whitebud Drive SE
Residents of all ages are welcome to attend. Ice cream and light refreshments will be available for those who participate.
“We’re looking forward to connecting with the community to discuss the future of Kentwood’s parks, trails and recreation,” said Kentwood Parks and Recreation Director Val Romeo. “Our team is ready to answer any questions residents may have about the millage proposal and our vision for the future.”
The August ballot proposal asks residents to consider a permanent dedicated millage of 1 mill that, if approved, will support the City’s parks, trails and recreational facilities and programming. It would fund improvements to all trails and parks, expand and enhance programming through increased capacity in space and staffing, and more.
A mill is 1/1000 of a dollar, or .001 cents. If a tax rate or millage rate is 1 mill, a resident is taxed .001 cents for every dollar, or $1 per $1,000 of the taxable value of the property. For example, for a residential home with a taxable value of $100,000, the cost of 1 mill would be $100 per year.
Kentwood is home to 15 parks that cover more than 400 acres and more than 13 miles of non-motorized trails that are used year-round by residents and visitors. Numerous community events and more than 700 recreational programs are offered annually for people of all ages and abilities through the Parks and Recreation Department.
More information on the proposed millage is available at kentwood.us/millage.
Mia Farrow, Barbara Hershey, and Dianne Wiest in the 1986 Woody Allen film “Hannah and Her Sisters.” (Orion Pictures)
Perhaps for once I should write about a film that most people my age would find interesting… Nah, where would the fun in that be? Why review the latest Disney product masquerading as a real film when I can talk about a family dramedy that’s more than two decades old? So, without further ado, I present to you The Movies That Got Me Through High School.
Hannah and Her Sisters is a film that’s all about relationships. Not just familial relationships, nor romantic relationships like in other Woody Allen films; but also about our relationships with our religion, our past, our emotions, our mortality, and everything else that defines our lives.
Elliot (Michael Caine) is a married financial advisor who’s become infatuated with his wife (Mia Farrow) Hannah’s younger sister, Lee (Barbara Hershey). Lee is currently living with a much older (and much more world-weary) artist named Fredrick, who adores her, but is too cynical about life to provide her with true happiness and fulfillment. The third sister, Holly (Dianne Wiest), is even worse off in her life. She’s a struggling actress who only got off cocaine a year ago, and her dependence on Hannah for both financial and emotional support has caused her to develop resentful feelings towards her. On the side, we have Mickey (Woody Allen) Hannah’s hypochondriac former husband who comes face to face with mortality when his doctor believes the mild hearing loss in his left ear might be a symptom of a brain tumor.
Michael Caine, with Mia Farrow, won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for the film “Hannah and Her Sisters.” (Orion Pictures)
The movie has a lot of fun jumping around to different characters and subplots. It’s much easier to make a movie that’s about everything when the plot is almost none existent. The title cards in between each segment add a novelistic sensibility to the work and make a movie that might come dangerously close to feeling convoluted and pointless into a very cohesive and meaningful work of art.
The screenplay is one of the richest ever written for the silver screen. Every piece of dialogue is as witty and true as it is character-revealing. The style is theatrical in the sense that you can tell the lines being spoken have been written out with great attention, but the actors instill them with so much life and raw emotion that it doesn’t occur to us that most people couldn’t talk like this even if they tried.
The performances in this movie are some of my absolute favorites. They’re the main reason I can’t stop watching the film over and over again. I’m addicted to them. I’m overwhelmed by how passionate and fully realized they are. Michael Cane is enjoyable in every movie he’s in, and Diane Weist is possibly the most adorable woman that has ever lived. The true stand out here however is Barbara Hershey, who is so enchanting that we fall just as helplessly in love with her as Elliot does. We are captivated by her not simply because she’s beautiful, which she most certainly is, but because she’s so real. There is not one scene with Hershey that doesn’t radiate emotional truth and vulnerability. We fall in love with her from the films opening shot and share Elliot’s desire to take care of her forever. Our affection is drawn to her like metal is drawn to a magnet.
Dianne Wiest, with Woody Allen, won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in “Hannah and Her Sisters.” (Orion Pictures)
If there’s one central theme that I draw from the film it’s that we create most life complications ourselves. Whether we’re constantly going to the doctors to get a diagnosis for a disease we know we must have or are lusting after another person because the one we’re with feels too perfect, most of life’s problems originate (and hopefully resolve) in the mind.
There is another reason I find myself constantly coming back to this movie, it fills me with so much hope. This is apparently not the desired effect of the film, at least, not as far as Allen is concerned. It was his intention to make what he describes in various interviews as, “ a melancholy film.” but somewhere in the film’s conception, he turned it into a more optimistic piece. Personally, I couldn’t be happier to see him fall short of his original intentions. I like to walk away from a film feeling depressed as much as the next art-film fanatic, but too much of that can be draining. It’s a great pleasure to watch a movie that reminds me that we decide whether our lives are going to be happy and full of meaning or, sorrowful and unsatisfying.
Ethan Gough is an Independent filmmaker and film critic pursuing his passion for cinema at Motion Picture Institute in Troy, Michigan this fall. He received the award for Best Live Action Short at the 2020 Kent County Teen Film Festival for his film Summer Days. He had two films in the 2022 Kent County Teen Film Festival, Bros Night and Alone. Ethan also written from Reel Rundown and Hub Pages.
It was a chance meeting at lunch spot in Eastown that brought Serita Crowley and John Hayes together.
Discovering they both had a passion for music and after playing a few sessions together, the two local musicians not only became a couple but formed one of the area’s popular groups, Serita’s Black Rose.
Serita’s Black Rose, featuring John Hayes and Serita Crowley, will perform this Tuesday in Wyoming and on July 4 in the City of Kentwood. (Supplied)
The duo with its bandmates, bassist Robert Pace and drummer Mark Weymouth, will continue the music — or rather the funk — this Tuesday as they take the stage at Lamar Park, the second concert in the Wyoming’s Concerts in the Park series.
The popular local band will perform at 7 p.m. Admission is free.
A self-professed “Funkateer,” Crowley brings a raucous mix of funk, rock, blues, neo-soul, and Americana to the stage, according to the Serita’s Black Rose website. In fact, her voice his probably recognizable to many as she has done voices overs along with performed in the musicals “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Hair.”
As a duo, Hayes and Crowley perform many of the timeless classics of the 1960s and 1970s, although in a recent February 2022 article from Local Spins, Crowley said the band’s focus has been on a specific style: the blues.
“Blues music is a genre that we can focus on. It’s an accessible market for us to do really well in. I mean, blues is at the root of everything,” she told Local Spins.
The pandemic offered the duo a chance to work on new song ideas with a new release expected sometime down the road.
For now, Serita’s Black Rose has been busy performing. Last summer, the group opened for the classic rock band Kansas at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park and its 80-plus gigs a year have the members traveling much of Michigan from Wyoming and Kentwood areas to Mackinaw Island.
Serita Crowley is know for her amazing vocal range. (Supplied)
No sweat if you miss Serita’s Black Rose’s performance on Tuesday. The group has a number of local performances scheduled including being part of the City of Kentwood’s Fourth of July celebration line-up. (That performance is scheduled for 8:30 p.m.)
As the Meijer ladies Charity Classic gets underway this week, the Mr. Sid’s Wednesday Afternoon Video Series will have LPGA Chaplain Cris Stevens as its guest this Wednesday.
Stevens has served as the chaplain for the Ladies Professional Golf Association since 1982 and will be sharing stories from her role in the LPGA and how she counsels, supports, and ministers to the world’s best professional golfers. She will present her program on Wednesday, June 15, at 2 p.m at Marge’s Donut Den, 1751 28th St. SW.
Tom Sibley, one of the organizers of the Mr. Sid’s programs, noted this is the second time that Stevens has visited the group. Stevens stopped by last year just before the Meijer LPGA Classic.
The daughter of Sid Lenger (who the group is named after), Lavoone Ritzema, had met Stevens while she worked with the LPGA and invited her to speak. Stevens presentation was so popular that organizers decided to invite her back.
The program begins at 2 p.m. at Marge’s Donut Den, 1751 28th St. SW. There is a hymn sing at 1:45 p.m. The program is free.
Coming up for the Mr. Sid’s Wednesday Afternoon Video Series will be USS Silversides Museum Executive Director Peggy Maniates on July 20. and Grand Haven Musical Fountain Engineer and Board Member Terry Stevens on Aug. 17.
On Aug. 2, the City of Holland could join a short list of cities that has broadband as a city utility. (pxhere.com)
When Holland voters go to the polls on Aug. 2, they will decide on a milage proposal that would give residents a benefit that’s relatively rare in the United States: a publicly funded, city-wide broadband internet network available to anyone living within the city limits.
The Holland City Council voted in April to take the measure to the voters. Now, the city is immersed in a campaign to educate voters about the benefits of the proposal.
If the ballot measure passes, Holland would join cities like Chattanooga, Tennessee; Sandy, Oregon; Cedar Falls, Iowa, and several others spread around the country that have a broadband network run by the municipality.
“Covid made it very clear that home internet is not a luxury,” said Daniel Morrison, a local broadband advocate who runs Hollandfiber.org, a civic group that has long championed the idea. “I’ve been banging this drum for years – that it’s not just people’s Netflix. It’s a utility. Covid changed the perception of that. It’s how you work. It’s how you go to school, it’s how you do everything, It’s not just entertainment. But even entertainment is important too.”
If the ballot measure passes, the funds raised by the millage will extend a fiber network that already exists in the downtown area to the rest of the city. The network will be owned and maintained by the Holland Board of Public Works and operated in the same way as other utilities, such as water or electricity.
“For the average family, we expect this would give them better choice in internet providers and lower – possibly significantly lower – prices,” Morrison said. “Better service at a lower price is what we’re seeing.”
Downtown business in Holland already have been enjoying the faster upload speeds offered by the city’s fiber connections. (pxhere.com)
Residents would be able to choose between several different Internet service providers that offer service packages using the new fiber network, bringing a more competitive environment.
Residents would pay to hook up to the service – $820 per address – but would be allowed to pay that off at a cost of $7 per month for 10 years, according to hollandcityfiber.org, the city website explaining the proposal. A sample internet service bill provided by the city shows an estimated monthly cost of $42 for internet service – $7 for the monthly installment payment for connection, $7 for internet access and $28 for maintenance of the network.
The millage would levy up to 1.5 mills in its first year, and about 1.12 each year after that for the life of the 25-year bond, according to hollandcityfiber.org. The millage would cost about $12.50 per month for the owner of a $200,000 home with a taxable value of $100,000. If approved, the project to run the fiber throughout the city would start in 2023 and be finished two years later.
Morrison said that for businesses in Holland, the service would let them take advantage of high-speed uploads they may not have had before. Businesses in the existing downtown service area are already reaping the benefits, he said.
“There are some companies in town that do video work and they’re able to upload finished projects crazy fast over our current downtown service area,” Morrison said. “It’s unlocking so much potential of high-speed, high-availability options for businesses outside the downtown area.”
Pete Hofswell, Holland’s broadband services superintendent, said Holland first developed a fiberoptic system in the early 1990s to connect, monitor and control the city’s public utilities.
That system has been growing slowly ever since, but expanding broadband access to the rest of the city has been a priority for many years, with ongoing discussions between the city council and the board of public works, Hofswell said.
“City Hall would get back to us and challenge us, saying ‘How can you get this service into more people’s hands?’ They see the value of it. They want to connect everybody in our town.”
A survey of residents taken in 2021 showed that 65% believed community investment was needed to ensure sufficient broadband access for all, and more than 72% agreed that community based broadband would benefit the community, according to hollandcityfiber.org.
Because Holland has had its fiber optic network for decades, the city is in a unique position to expand its network without being hampered by regulations that might affect other communities attempting to put a publicly funded fiber network in place.
The services are governed by the Metropolitan Extension Telecommunications Rights-of-Way Oversight Act, Public Act 48 of 2002, and Michigan Telecommunications Act, Public Act 179 of 1991. In Michigan, public entities by law can provide telecommunications services only if they have first requested bids for the services and received fewer than three qualified bids. And they have to abide by same terms and conditions as those specified in their request for proposals.
But Ted Siler, utility services director for the city, said that because Holland has been providing broadband service for more than 30 years and its service predates the Metro Act, “we’re exempt and grandfathered in.”
Morrison said he’s not worried about regulation popping up to derail Holland’s plans. But other communities might not be so lucky.
“The telecom companies have had their hands in legislation for decades to try to prevent cities from doing what we’re doing. We’re lucky that we been doing this for 30 years in Holland so we’re unaffected by that legislation now,” he said. “But I feel bad for other communities that won’t have the same luxury we do. It’s going to be harder for them.”
Having sold two million Star Wars books for kids (Darth Vader and Son and Jedi Academy) and considered a pioneer of 21st-century graphic memoir, award-winning author and Grand Rapids native Jeffrey Brown is inviting readers to explore the intimate and timeless tales that first launched his career.
Arthur Jeffery Brown (Supplied)
Loved And Lost: A Relationship Trilogy, produced by Top Shelf Productions, is set to debut Tuesday, June 14. These three honest and adult-oriented memoirs, written 20 years ago and now compiled into one work, capture timeless insights into love, intimacy, and vulnerability that make them authentic and relatable to readers.
“(I wanted) to make work that expressed whatI was feeling,” Jeffrey Brown told WKTV in a recent interview. Creating works that related to everyday life was important to Brown. “I thought to myself: The complete opposite of something super-conceptual would be to write something about real life and be as brutally honest as I could possibly write.”
While attending the School of the Art Institute, Brown began doodling comics in his sketchbooks about everyday awkward moments. “There was something about making those that felt very full-filling,” Brown said. The author went on to say that those comics, when he showed them to friends and family, were what seemed to connect with people.
Brown began recording his memories of a recent long-distant relationship in a sketchbook, revealing the emotional frailty of young lovers in writing and art. That first book, Clumsy, struck a chord with readers and prompted Brown to create his second and third graphic memoirs, titled Unlikely and Any Easy Intimacy.
The response to his work, Brown revealed, was unexpected. “These things I was writing about were more universal than I realized,” said Brown. “It’s comforting to know that other people can read something and tell you, ‘Oh yeah, I’ve been there,’ and appreciate that you’ve been there too. It’s a two-way street of connecting with readers.”
Putting himself in a vulnerable position by divulging aspects of his personal life didn’t come easily but was worth it to Brown. “As an artist, I’m trusting people with myself, with my stories,” Brown said. “By and large, that trust is rewarded. I find that when someone opens up and is vulnerable, people’s instinct…is to be empathetic and return that vulnerability with their own vulnerability.”
Collected into one volume for the first time, Love And Lost: A Relationship Trilogy reminds readers of real life joy, heartbreak, and humor that marks every life.
Brown revealed that he is curious to see what readers think of the memoirs 20 years after they were written. “It’s interesting to look back. Obviously,the world is very different,” Brown said, “but hopefully there’s still something in there for people to find value in.”
Over the last 20 years, the author and artist has released numerous titles and won several awards, including the Ignatz Awardin 2003 in the category of Outstanding Mini-Comic for I Am Going To Be Small, and back-to-back Eisner Awardsin the category of Best Humor Publication for Darth Vader And Son (2013) and Vader’s Little Princess (2014).
When asked what is next for the author, Brown said that he does have a few projects in the works, but that he has also begun an epic fantasy adventure book, something he has always wanted do. “I try not to overthink how I’m approaching things and just follow what I feel like I what I want to make next,” said Brown.
To find out more about author and artist Jeffrey Brown, click here: Jeffrey Brown Comics. To order a copy of Loved And Lost: A Relationship Trilogy, click here: Top Shelf Productions.
Cars & Coffee Grand Rapids returns to the Grand Rapids Downtown Market for the seventh year, hosting the season’s first event on Saturday, June 11, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Cars and Coffee returns to the Grand Rapids Downtown Market on Saturday. (Supplied)
Show cars will be in the Downtown Market parking lot adjacent to Ionia Avenue, and under the covered Market Shed. Spectators can stroll through the impressive array of automobiles from around the region during the event.
Vehicles on display will include sports cars, exotics, tuners, muscle cars and classics.
The Downtown Market will be open from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. on Saturday for a variety of food and beverage options from Market Hall merchants. Parking is available on-site, and in the nearby McConnell Ave. lot during the event.
Eric “Ricky” McKinnie was only four years old when he met The Blind Boys of Alabama. His mother was in a gospel group, and he had a chance to meet the legendary Clarence Fountain and other original members on the road.
The Blind Boys of Alabama perform with Marc Cohn on Sunday, June 12. (Supplied)
“I never knew that one day I would be part of The Blind Boys,” said the soft spoken singer, who joined the group as a drummer and road manager 34 years ago.
Today his band backs up The Blind Boys of Alabama, a Grammy award-winning and pioneering gospel group that began in 1939 that is revered in the industry. Over the decades it has appeared on recordings with many artists, including Lou Reed, Peter Gabriel, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Marc Cohn and others.
They help kick off another magical season of concerts on Sunday (June 12) at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. The band opens for good friend Marc Cohn, who recorded an album with the Blind Boys in 2019.
McKinnie said they will play about a 75-minute of Gospel standards and some of their best-known songs, before giving way to Cohn. They might even join him on a song or two.
“We had the opportunity to meet Marc a few years ago; we got together, we did some recordings, we did some tours…it’s good to be back again,” said McKinnie in a phone call with WKTV Journal. “It’s just like family.”
The collaborative album with Cohn, titled “Work to Do,” features new and older material, including Cohn’s best known hit “Walking in Memphis,” as well the Blind Boys’ version of “Amazing Grace.”
McKinnie said it’s a special relationship with Cohn. They love him because he’s “an exceptional singer and keyboard player,” but more so because he’s a good person.
“He’s genuine,” McKinnie said. “What you see is what it is. He doesn’t change. We like his style. He’s just a good guy.”
Cohn said of the venerated gospel group:
“My collaboration with the Blind Boys of Alabama has been a thrilling chapter in my musical life,” he said in a release. “We’ve performed dozens of shows together and I was honored to co-write three songs for their previous album. Now, with the release of our new album, my early love and feeling for gospel music has come full circle. It was wonderful to both write new songs with their heavenly voices in mind, and to capture the joy that they bring to some of my older songs in a live setting.”
The Blind Boys have had a changing roster of musicians over its history, but got their name because a majority of the singers were vision impaired. McKinnie lost his eyesight to glaucoma in 1975.
Marc Cohn along with the Blind Boys of Alabama will kick off the Meijer Gardens concert series on Sunday. (Supplied)
The collaborations and accolades grew over the years and led to some prestigious awards, including five Grammy awards, induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) Lifetime Achievement Awards.
The group also was invited to the White House during the Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations.
McKinnie said “it’s always a privilege” to play for dignitaries and collaborate with other artists because “it’s good to know that someone likes your music and that someone cares.”
Performing songs “that reach the heart” has been a big part of their success, as well as their mission, he said.
“Throughout the years the Blind Boys have always tried to let people know that they are important,” he said.
“They show people that a disability doesn’t have to be a handicap because we learn that it’s not about what you can’t do that’s important, it’s about what you do. A handicap is a limitation, and we all have limitations.”
Most of all, the Atlanta native said, fans can expect to have a good time at Meijer Gardens when he takes the stage to perform with founding member Jimmy Carter, as well as Joey Williams, Ben Moore and Paul Beasley.
“We’re going to sing some songs that will make you feel good, if you feel bad, and we’re going to have you clap your hands and do a little dance. We’re going to have a great ol’ time when we get there,” McKinnie said.
Tickets are still available for the Marc Cohn + Blind Boys of Alabama, which are $52/public and $50 member. Many of the Meijer Garden shows are sold out. Shows with tickets available are:
June 24 – Trombone Shorty’s Voodoo Threauxdown featuring Tank and the Tan Bangas, Big Freedia, Cyril Nevil: The Uptown Ruler, George Porter Jr. and Dumpstaphunk (performing the music of The Meters and the The Soul Rebels, $93/member, $95/public
June 27 – Bluegrass Happening featuring Bela Fleck & My Bluegrass Heart, Sam Bush & The Jerry Douglas Band, $65/member, $67/public
July 6 – Corinne Bailey Rae with The War & Treaty, $53/member, $55/public
July 15 – Lyle Lovett and his Large Band, $68/member, $70/public
July 20 – Rick Springfield with the Grand Rapids Symphony, $75/member, $77/public
July 21 – Buddy Guy + John Hiatt, $80/member, $82/public
July 28 – Arturo Sandoval with the Grand Rapids Symphony, $53/member, $55/public
Aug. 4 – Elvis Costello & The Imposters with Nicole Atkins, $102/member, $104/public
Aug. 10 – The Dead South with Tejon Street Corner Thieves, $51/member, $53/public
Sept. 12 – Australian Pink Floyd, $61/member, $63/public
Sept. 16 – She & Him, $72/presale, $75/,member, $77/public
John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.
Tickets still remain for 12 of this season’s 33 concerts, including opening night with Marc Cohn and The Blind Boys of Alabama.
Walma Avenue SE will be closed 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday between Breton Avenue SE and 44th Street SE for sanitary sewer installation.
All local traffic will have access during the one-day full road closure, but through-traffic drivers will need to seek an alternate route or follow the posted detour from Breton to 44th Street back to Walma.
Single-lane closures and temporary traffic lights are expected next week through the work zone for paving operations.
For more information or questions, please contact Kentwood Senior Engineering Technician Jim Beke at BekeJ@kentwood.us or 616.554.0737
The Division Avenue Business Association (DABA), will be hosting the Division Ave. Art & Culture Festival on June 18, from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Craft vendors will be part of the upcoming Division Ave. Arts & Culture Festival. (Courtesy The Stray)
This family-friendly event will be held in the neighborhood surrounding Division Avenue and 43rd Street, and will include food and craft vendors, live music, Pacific Island dancers, interactive art, a colorful dragon parade, fun prize giveaways, and more.
The Art & Culture Festival was brought into being after a study was done by Division United and in cooperation with The Rapid.
“They were looking at what this neighborhood would need to grow and better the people who live here and the people who work here,” Hunter VanKlompenberg, music and arts manager of The Stray, a coffee house participating in the Festival. “We thought it would be cool to have an annual summer festival that is for the local neighborhood and supported by local artists and gets the involvement of all the different businesses.”
Along with independent artists, musicians, and vendors from the greater Grand Rapids area, several local Division Avenue businesses will be participating in the Festival, including The Stray, Café Boba, Quest Fitness, and Natural Maya. A portion of 43rd Street will be closed down to accommodate the Festival.
Pacific Island dancers will be part of the entertainment at the Festival. (Courtesy The Stray)
“We are going to have artist tents outside,and space for live music,” VanKlompenberg said. “We have the support of Wyoming and Kentwood city governments, and they are putting in a temporary crosswalk so that it (the Festival) is easy for people to access.”
While it isn’t the most well-known area of Grand Rapids, the Wyoming and Kentwood areas are vastly multi-cultural with specialty shops, including the Kim Nhung Superstore, that are sought out by West Michigan community members.
“A lot of people will drive over an hour to come visit because there are ingredients you just can’t get anywhere else,” VanKlompenberg said of the Asian grocery store across the street from The Stray.
Owners of Café Boba, Yiuli and ted Bonarski are also excited to be part of the upcoming Festival.
Cafe Boba is known for its bubble tea and other delights. (Supplied)
“We’re so happy to be involved in planning and participating n this event,” the couple said in a recent interview. “It’s not widely known that South Division is a hotbed of hole-in-the-wall, diamond-in-the-rough small businesses, but it truly is the place in Grand Rapids for authentic food and art from a huge variety of cultures around the world. We’re thrilled to be helping to promote small, owen operated businesses; they are the lifeblood of a healthy community for people, by the people.”
Café Boba offers customers a wide selection of boba tea, smoothies, slashes, coffee drinks, and sweets treats — and will be offering a new summer menu.
Ray Shonk, owner of Quest Fitness on Division Street, will also be participating in the Art and Culture Festival and looks forward to the opportunity to meet more members of the community.
“Fitness isn’t meant to be for the super-wealthy,” Shonk said. “It should be for everyone.”
Ray Shonk, owner of Quest Fitness, said fitness should be for everyone. (Supplied)
Shonk has experience training many different levels of fitness enthusiasts, from those stepping into a gym fo rat first time, to professional athletes and Olympic competitors.
To help raise awareness and encourage fitness discussions, Shonk will be offering free fitness assessments throughout the entire Festival where community members can meet Quest Fitness trainers and discuss their goals. “Fitness is not one-size-fits-all. It has to be custom-fit to each person,” said Shonk.
Shonk is a firm believer in offering affordable fitness options for everyone while also providing unique experiences. “I am having to draw on 30-plus years of martial arts experience to put that together,” Shonk said with a laugh.
The Stray also hopes to bring the Wyoming an dKentwood area something unique and virtual to West Michigan.
A family-owned café, The Stray’s goal since conception has been to bring diversity and community to a place of comfort and creativity. They accomplish this by offering a relaxing venue for both coffee enthusiasts and artists of the surrounding area. The Stray’s own unique blend of creative talent and delicious coffee helps cultivate the welcoming atmosphere The Stray strives to bring to Grand Rapids.
The Stray is a family-owned business that opened last fall. (Supplied)
“There is a definite deficit of accessible venues for music and arts,” said VanKlompenberg of the Grand Rapids area. “Having an (accessible) place was definitely needed.”
Division Avenue store owners invite adults and children alike to explore the Division Ave. Art & Culture Festival on June 18 and experience all the community has to offer.
For full Art & Culture Festival event information and updates, visit the event’s Facebook page.
There is still availability for vendors who would like to get involved. Those who would like to participate can fill out the Involvement Interest Form or send an email to the team@thestraycafe.com.
“The Graduate” has become a classic. (Embassy Pictures/United Artists)
Editor’s Note: The second installment in The Movies that Got Me Through High School. To check out the first installment, click here.
No movie captures what it’s like to feel lost in the world like the timeless coming-of-age classic “The Graduate.” We become a part of these characters’ lives for just a little less than two hours, and not a moment of that time passes by without us feeling their confusion, anger, emptiness, and above all regret. That being said, the film doesn’t come off as “angsty” or — though I don’t like to use this word — pretentious. Director Mike Nichols knew exactly what he wanted to do with this story, and he executes that vision in a way that’s never condescending or preachy. There are no big speeches, no major revelations, or even internal discoveries. When the end credits roll our main character Benjamin Braddock is still in the exact same mental state he was in at the film’s beginning. He has no idea what his future holds and he feels completely unprepared to face whatever it may be.
Dustin Hoffman stars as Benjamin, a college graduate who’s just a little worried about his future. Every adult in his life — not just his parents, but his parents’ friends as well — have high expectations for him. In a brilliant long take, we follow Benjamin as he walks around his crowded graduation party and awkwardly interacts with the guest. They ask him questions about his time in school, his love life, what his future plans are, and one even tries to offer him a career in “plastics.” There is one older person in Benjamin’s life who isn’t very concerned with those matters. That person is Mrs. Robinson; a miserable and seductive married woman with whom Benjamin begins having an affair. Things seem complicated enough, but the plot thickens when Benjamin falls in love with Mrs. Robinson’s daughter, Elain. The drama that unfolds is accompanied by a now iconic (and often parodied) soundtrack by Simon and Garfunkle and elevated by career-best performances by Hoffman, Ann Bancroft (as Mrs. Robinson), and Murray Hamilton (as Mr. Robinson).
The element of the story that I find most relatable is that the middle-aged, out-of-touch, adults (many of whom don’t seem to have their own lives together) constantly act as if they know more about what Benjamin’s life should be than he does. He’s spent his entire life trying to conform to the cultural image of a productive young adult, and as a result, he doesn’t really know himself. It is this internal conflict that causes him to act out and jump into a relationship with the wife of his father’s business partner. He’s so desperate to find something different in his boring and empty life that Mrs. Robinson doesn’t have to try very hard to seduce him (side note: Ann Bancroft likely never had to try hard to seduce anyone).
Like in life, most of the film’s conflict can be found in the characters inability to communicate with each other as well as their powerlessness to improve their situation. Benjamin feels lost and disconnected, Mrs. Robinson is stuck in a loveless marriage, and Mr. Robinson is too busy grappling with the passing of his youth to act on his wife’s dissatisfaction. The dialogue between the characters is layered with innuendo and indirectness as if speaking their minds is a violation of correct human interactions. The only moment in the movie in which Benjamin expresses himself freely is when he’s talking to Elain at a drive thru. It is a quote that I think perfectly captures the feelings and ideas that generations of young people have been having for as long as humans have lived in a civilized and structured society. “It’s like I was playing some kind of game, but the rules don’t make any sense to me. They’re being made up by all the wrong people. I mean no one makes them up. They seem to make themselves up.”
Here lies the major theme of the whole film. We people, with all our institutions, job titles, and class division have turned life into a game; and in this game, the people who play by the rules manage to barely get by, and those who don’t become lost in a state of disconnect and uncertainty.
Ethan Gough is an Independent filmmaker and film critic pursuing his passion for cinema at Motion Picture Institute in Troy, Michigan this fall. He received the award for Best Live Action Short at the 2020 Kent County Teen Film Festival for his film Summer Days. He had two films in the 2022 Kent County Teen Film Festival, Bros Night and Alone. Ethan also written from Reel Rundown and Hub Pages.
McAlister’s Deli and Creamalicious join forces for a Sweet Tea Ice Cream. (Supplied)
To celebrate National Iced Tea Day, which is Friday, June 10, McAlister’s Deli has teamed up with Creamalicious to offer the deli’s famous sweet tea as an ice cream.
The limited edition pint transforms the beverage into a rich, velvety ice cream featuring notes of sugar cookie and lemon swirls.
“We are thrilled to put such a fun twist on our most iconic menu item and allow fans the opportunity to experience their favorite Sweet Tea in a new way,” said MacAlister’s Deli Executive Chef Courtney Bufford. “With Creamalicious being known for transforming blissful Southern recipes into ice cream, we knew they were the perfect partner to collaborate on a unique confection out of our Famous Sweet Tea.”
Staring June 10, consumers can purchase a pint for $7.99 at participating McAlister’s Deli’s. The Wyoming McAlister’s Deli, located at a 2380 Health Dr. SW, which is near the University of Michigan Health – West hospital, has indicated it plans to be offering the sweet treat.
The limited-edition flavor also will be available through the Creamalicious website while supplies last.
Cabildo performs July 21 at Kentwood Summer Concert Series.
The Kentwood Summer Concert Series is not your typical outdoor community event.
Yes, you get live music, of course, and food trucks are on hand to keep you fed.
But you can also bring your own “adult beverages.”
“That’s one of the things that makes Kentwood a little more unique,” said Laura Barbrick, marketing and events coordinator for the City of Kentwood Parks & Recreation department.
Through a special permit with the local police department, attendees can bring their own alcohol (beer and wine) in a designated area. “It just has to stay in the concert zone,” she added.
Fans of the popular concert series will get to bring those “adult beverages” to the show when the Max Lockwood Band kicks off the series at 7 p.m. June 16 on the lawn behind Kentwood City Hall. Bring your own blankets and lawn chairs.
The weekly series continues on Thursday evenings through Aug. 11. See the schedule below. All will be recorded and aired on WKTV.
Another “unique” aspect of the Kentwood series is an opportunity to check out the local farmers market. About a decade ago the market used to be on Saturdays, but changed to Thursdays in this special partnership.
“We polled our residents and discovered there was a need for a weekday evening market,” Barbrick said.
The Kentwood Farmers Market will be from 4:30 – 7 p.m. Thursdays, right before the concert series. (Supplied)
In 2020 they had a few pop-up markets on Thursday nights, and they were very well attended, she said.
“To continue the momentum,” they decided to have the farmers market on the same day. “It’s a great way to cross-promote both events,” Barbrick added.
“People who attend the concert series might not have known about our Farmers Market before. But now our concertgoers love to shop the market and buy local products before grabbing a seat on the lawn for the show. It really has been a win-win and has helped grow both the market and our concert series.”
The Kentwood Farmers Market takes place next door from 4:30-7 p.m. in the parking lot behind City Hall.
Concerts take place from 7-8:30 p.m. on the lawn behind Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave. SE. Admission is free. A variety of food trucks also will be on hand.
The lineup of bands includes a variety of styles and diversity, which was intentional, Barbrick said.
“Typically, in January, we put out a poll on social media asking the community who they want in our lineup,” she said. “We take the results from the poll and go through all the band applications to determine the lineup.
“Diversity is very important to our selection. We serve a very diverse community and want our music selection to represent our residents and culture.”
Crowds can range from 500-1,000 people, depending on the popularity of acts.
But everyone has a great time, she said.
“We’ve received a lot of positive feedback from residents over the years. We have some families that come to every single show,” Barbrick said.
“People love the opportunity to be outdoors and enjoy a free concert. We love it when the crowd is dancing and asking for an encore. It’s very rewarding to see the smiles and hear the applause after each show.”
Parking for shows will be limited at both City Hall and the Library, according to the city’s website. Additional parking is available at the Kentwood Justice Center (4740 Walma SE), Kentwood Public Works (5068 Breton SE), Kentwood Baptist Church (2875 52nd St), and there is street parking in nearby neighborhoods.
If you miss a show you can watch it here at WKTV On Demand.
John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.
The Kentwood Farmers Market will return for its eighth season June 16-Sept. 29 with more than 30 local vendors and a variety of special activities.
The market will take place 4:30-7:30 p.m. each Thursday except Sept. 8 behind Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave. SE. With a longer 15-week season and more vendors than ever before, the market will provide opportunities for community members to buy an array of local goods ranging from fresh produce, baked goods, syrup and cheese to fresh-cut flowers, coffee and handmade items all summer long.
In addition to exploring vendor items, there will be food trucks on-site each week offering a range of cuisines for purchase, along with themed nights featuring free activities for marketgoers.
Community members are also invited to attend Kentwood’s Summer Concert Series, which overlaps with the market’s Thursday evening schedule. Free to attend, each concert will take place 7-8:30 p.m. on the lawn behind City Hall.
Here’s the full lineup of the free activities, food trucks and concerts:
June 16: Opening day celebration featuring a food demonstration and food samples; El Jalapeño, Kona Ice of Lowell and Patty Matters food trucks; The Max Lockwood Band concert at 7 p.m.
June 23: Falafel Truck, Kool Breze and Sanse Filipino Cuisine food trucks; Out of Favor Boys concert at 7 p.m.
June 30: Mapocho, Patty Matters and Taste of Toya’s World food trucks; The Soul Syndicate concert at 7 p.m.
July 7: Dog Days of Summer featuring dog vendors, pet portraits, a dog walk and dog adoptions; Taste of Toya’s World food truck
July 14: Falafel Truck, Kool Breze and Mapocho food trucks; Par-llo Connectionconcert at 7 p.m.
July 21: Dune Buggy, Kona Ice and Sanse Filipino Cuisine food trucks; Cabildoconcert at 7 p.m.
Aug. 4: El Jalapeño, Patty Matters and Taste of Toya’s World food trucks; The Moxie Strings concert at 7 p.m.
Aug. 11: National Farmers Market Week celebration featuring a food demonstration and food samples; Falafel Truck, Kona Ice, Sanse Filipino Cuisine and Taste of Toya’s World food trucks; Brena concert at 7 p.m.
Aug. 18: Back to School Night featuring a student showcase of local musicians; Patty Matters food truck.
Aug. 25: Charcuterie Challenge, a food assembly showdown using only farmers market ingredients; Sanse Filipino Cuisine food truck.
Sept. 1: Kid’s Day featuring a meet and greet with animals from the John Ball Zoo, crafts and more; Kool Breze food truck.
Sept. 15: Bike Day featuring bike vendors and demonstrations; Falafel Truck.
Sept. 22: Fall Equinox Day Dune Buggy food truck.
Sept. 29: Harvest Day featuring pumpkin painting and food preserving demonstrations; El Jalapeño food truck; Just Jill music performance 4:30-5:30 p.m.
“We are looking forward to welcoming community members back to the Kentwood Farmers Market for another great season offering a robust lineup of vendors and special activities,” Market Manager Kristina Colby said. “All are invited to join us for fun outdoors connecting with and supporting our local farmers and vendors.”
Community members can stay up to date on special market events and seasonal items by following the Kentwood Farmers Market on Facebook.
There are still a few spots available for vendors. Those who are interested can apply to be a vendor at KentwoodFarmersMarket.com. The cost is $10 per day or $75 for the full season.
In addition to visiting the market, individuals who want to support the market can become a Friend of the Kentwood Farmers Market sponsor or volunteer to assist with market setup, the information booth, special events and more.
Additional information about the Kentwood Farmers Market, including a vendor application, is available at KentwoodFarmersMarket.com.
People Attending Self Emmanuel Hospice’s grief support services are open to anyone in the community. (Adobe Stock/Supplied)
By Emmanuel Hospice
In our commercial world, we’re subjected to displays of gifts, candy and cards for weeks ahead of a holiday. With technology today, there are even targeted ads on our phones and social media platforms that show us memories from past celebrations.
For someone struggling with grief, these aren’t always friendly cues to prepare for the holiday. They can be triggering reminders of how a loved one isn’t here anymore.
“We know significant dates like anniversaries, birthdays and holidays can be a challenge for those grieving the loss of an important person in their life,” says Merrin Bethel, a bereavement coordinator with Emmanuel Hospice. “Holidays like Father’s Day and Mother’s Day can be especially difficult after the loss of a parent.”
Parents are often the first to love and care for all of us. It can be painful mourning that unique relationship with someone who has known you since you came into the world. Around days dedicated to honoring parents, there can be multiple, conflicting emotions.
“You may be angry at the world for celebrating a day that highlights just how much the person you love is missing from the picture, all while wanting to be a part of the laughter and joy around you,” Ashley Huisman, another Emmanuel Hospice bereavement coordinator, explains. “Remember it is OK to feel more than one thing at once and none of these feelings are wrong. Give yourself the space to ride the roller coaster of emotions the day may bring.”
Quite often the anticipation of the day can be worse than the day itself. To help prevent anxiety, Huisman recommends making a plan A, B and C – or as many as you need – to find a sense of peace that whatever happens, you’ll be ready.
“Take a good inventory of yourself, your emotions and what you need out of the day,” Huisman says. “Maybe plan A is to be with friends and family, sharing memories and participating in planned activities. Maybe plan B is leaving the gathering early or skipping a part of the day all together because being with others may be a bit overwhelming.”
Acknowledging the day with a remembrance activity is another healthy way to cope.
“It’s common for people to wonder if the holiday should even be celebrated or observed after the loss of a loved one and what that should look like,” Bethel adds. “We invite people to do whatever feels best for their family.
“It’s great if you want to get birthday cake on your dad’s birthday or go out to dad’s favorite restaurant on Father’s Day. It’s healthy to continue finding ways to stay connected with a person we’ve lost.”
After the loss of a loved one, it’s also important to find support in family, friends and sometimes even the help of a professional to navigate what you’re experiencing.
“If possible, find a friend or other supportive person you can talk to honestly about the day,” Huisman says. “Let them know when you are having a hard moment or when you want to share a memory. Remember, you are not alone.”
For more information on coping with grief, Emmanuel Hospice is hosting topical three-session workshops through end of August. Held at 401 Hall St. SW in Grand Rapids, the in-person grief support events are free and open to anyone in the community regardless of whether they have a prior connection with the nonprofit or hospice care.
The organization also provides individual support to anyone who has suffered a loss. For more information or to RSVP for a workshop or group, email EHBereavement@EmmanuelHospice.org or call 616.719.0919.
The Soul Syndicate kicks off the Wyoming Concert series on Tuesday, June 7. (Supplied)
The Wyoming Concerts in the Park kicks off with Soul Syndicate, which is one of the most recognizable bands in the area known for its horn section that cranks out classic soul, R&B and funk tunes meant to keep those toes tapping and the young at heart dancing.
“It’s a party!,” said founder and guitarist Mike Coon, who leads a 10-piece band through a long list of songs everyone knows and loves. “It’s a fun band. You don’t sit in chairs and watch us.”
Soul Syndicate opens the Wyoming weekly concert series at 7 p.m. June 7 at Lamar Park. Admission is free.
The Tuesday night series continues through Aug. 2. See the list of shows below. All will be recorded and aired on WKTV.
Coon said performing in front of fans at outdoor concerts like Wyoming, Meijer Gardens (June 28) and Kentwood (June 30) really brings out a wide range of ages. That’s the great thing about these classic songs by Aretha Franklin, Sam and Dave, KC and Sunshine Band and Chicago, he said, everyone knows them.
“These songs seem to transcend over a lot of ages, particularly in the outdoor shows like Kentwood and Wyoming where you got, literally, all ages,” Coon said.
Younger people know these songs from parents and grandparents or they’ve heard them in advertisements.
The Soul Syndicate performs at the Frederick Meijer Gardens June 28 followed by a summer performance at Kentwood on June 30. (Supplied)
“The younger people are like ‘Yeah, I know that song,” he said. “And the older people remember it when it was on the charts.”
“These songs just sort of resonate…. Nobody is hearing that old classic rock song that’s been in their head for 30 years. (Our show) is different. It’s refreshing.”
That was the goal when the band started in 2013. Even though the beginnings of the band had started, it was the urging of friend Juliet Dragos of WZZM-TV (Channel 13) who reached out to Coon, asking if he could put a group together for a Special Olympics event.
From there they started doing special events, corporate shows, outdoor festivals and casinos.
The premise has always been the same: To entertain crowds with music they know and love and keep them dancing and clapping along.
Their popularity took off because not a lot of bands had horn sections playing these classic songs, he said.
“I couldn’t think of anybody that really did that,” Coon said. “A lot of other bands had one Stevie Wonder song in their set. We had four of them. It set us apart, and the horns made it snap.”
The group consists of: Mike Coon, guitar; Tom Taylor, drums; Katie Sarb, vocals and backup; Matt Fouts, bass; John Neil, keyboards; Tim DenBesten, trumpet (horn leader); Nate Hansen, sax; Jeff Carroll, trombone; and Colin Tobin, lead vocalist.
They also have a couple other musicians who play sax and rotate through the band, Coon said.
They perform about 50 shows a year, which might not seem like a lot, but Coon emphasized that they’re not a “tavern band.”
“We’re all pros.” he said. “No matter the venue we’re given we seem to be able to adapt quickly and make it work.”
But it’s the horn section that really distinguishes the band from others.
“When they’re all in sync it adds that energy to the show, and the audience really responds to them,” Coon said.
“Everybody in the band is an accomplished soloist. Anybody, whether keyboards, bass, drums, anybody in the section can step up and rip your head off on a solo….When the horns are on and in sync, it just blows your hair back. It’s cool.”
August 2 – Grupo Latin – Latin Soul (13 piece band)
John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.
Woodland Mall is fundraising for Movember in honor of Men’s Health Month and, in celebration of Father’s Day, offering a giveaway and gift guide for shoppers.
Camping gear items available from REI. (Courtesy)
Through the end of June, community members are invited to join Woodland Mall in supporting Movember, a charity dedicated to changing the face of men’s health. The organization focuses on mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer. As the leading charity for men’s health, Movember raises funds to deliver innovative, breakthrough research and support programs that enable men to live happier, healthier and longer lives.
This month, the mall is donating $500 to the organization and encouraging the community to support the cause as well. To give, individuals can scan the QR code throughout the mall or visit the Woodland Mall team page.
“We’re honored to help raise funds for Movember as a way to support all the incredible fathers and father figures out there,” said Mikia Ross, interim senior marketing director for Woodland Mall. “Movember is a fantastic charity that raises awareness for men’s health on a global scale. We look forward to partnering with the community to contribute to such an important cause.”
In celebration of Father’s Day, the mall is also offering a sweepstakes giveaway featuring a gift package for a father which includes gifts cards to REI and the Cheesecake Factory. The giveaway is from Tuesday, June 14 through Thursday, June 16. To enter the contest, visit Woodland Mall’s website, Facebook or Instagram.
Mall hours are 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon-6 p.m. Sunday.
And I’m so excited for the return of Festival of the Arts in downtown Grand Rapids. It’s one of the first major events I experienced when I moved to the area more than 30 years ago, and it showed me that West Michigan cares about the arts, and its children.
Plus, the food is great!
Obviously Festival will make it into my Top 5, which you can find exclusively on WKTV Journal.
What else makes my list? Read on.
Gonzo’s Top 5
Sunday Night Funnies’ Kingpin of Comedy starts June 5. (Courtesy)
5. Sunday Night Funnies – Spectrum Entertainment Complex
The return of the “Kingpin of Comedy” stand-up comedy competition begins Sunday, June 5, at the Spectrum Entertainment Complex. It will continue all summer (and fall), with the finals on Oct. 9. The winner of the competition will win $500 in cash, a Kingpin bowling pin trophy, a customized bowling shirt, and the opportunity to close at the Sunday Night Funnies LaughFest show in 2023. A presentation is planned with the mayor of Wyoming declaring the winner as “the funniest person in town.” Additional prizes also will be awarded from the Spectrum Entertainment Complex, Craig’s Cruisers, the Listening Room and Gilda’s Club’s LaughFest. At this weekend’s show, doors open at 7:30 p.m., followed by the show at 8:30 p.m. Admission is free. The Spectrum Entertainment Complex is located at 5656 Clyde Park Ave. SW, in Wyoming. More details on the Sunday Night Funnies Facebook page.
Saladino Smise will be part at the Kentwood Food Truck. (supplied)
4. Kick-Off to Summer Food Truck Festival
It’s a beautiful weekend to experience 30 food trucks, live music, a beer tent and more at this year’s Food Truck Festival in Kentwood. Hours are 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday (June 4) at Kentwood City Hall and the Kent District Library – Richard L. Root/Kentwood Branch at 4950 Breton Rd. SE.
Festival of the Arts is not the only thing going on this weekend in downtown Grand Rapids. Rock band Modest Mouse (“Float On”)performs at 7 p.m. Friday (June 3) at GLC Live at 20 Monroe. A few tickets remain starting at $50 general admission. More details at concerts.livenation.com. Also, American country a cappella group Home Free performs at8 p.m. Sunday (June 5) at DeVos Performance Hall. The group competed in and won the fourth season of “The Sing-Off” on NBC-TV in 2013. Ticket information at devosperformancehall.com.
pxhere.com
2. Camp Greensky Music Festival
It’s back! America’s favorite Bluegrass music festival led by Michigan’s own Greensky Bluegrass returns with a great lineup. Performances continue today and Saturday (June 3-4) at Shagbark Farm in Caledonia. The schedule includes:
FRIDAY
Dave Bruzza—12:30-1:30 p.m.
Luke Winslow King—2-3 p.m.
Wayword Sons—3:30-4:30 p.m. Peter Rowan—5-6:15 p.m.
It’s known as one of the largest all-volunteer festivals in the country. And it’s a huge part of West Michigan culture. If you’re new to the area, this is the place to be for local acts such as youth ballet and rock bands to local charities raising money through ethnic food booths. It takes up several stages and food booths spread out on downtown streets to make it happen. Festival of the Arts has been known to bring in as many as 300,000 people over the course of three days (June 3-5). This year should be a return to those big crowds. Enjoy. More information at https://festivalgr.org/.
That’s it for now.
As always, I welcome your input and recommendations for events to include in my Top 5 list. If you have something for me to consider, just send me an email at michigangonzo@gmail.com.
Have a great, safe weekend.
John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.
Tarot and numerology are virtually inseparable and essential to one another. (pxhere.com)
It’s said that Tarot can be used to unlock the mystical power of the “cosmic universe.”
People use Tarot as a tool to help connect with their higher self through spiritual enlightenment, self-awareness, and self- improvement. Readings offer insights into past, present, and future events. Readings can also help people understand particular situations often in areas of career, relationships, love-life, and finances.
It seems Tarot and Astrology complement each other as both are based on four elements; air, water, fire, and earth. Additionally, there is a Tarot card for each Zodiac sign. Each Tarot card corresponds to a different planet, sign, or elemental combination in Astrology. Astrology is considered one of the oldest natural sciences while Tarot is considered one of the oldest mystical sciences.
Tarot and numerology are virtually inseparable and essential to one another. Meanings of numbers can add depth to the interpretation of each Tarot card. Cards are numbered 1-10 in both Major Arcana and Minor Arcana in all four suits and court cards are assigned numbers. Interpreting the meaning of the numbers in combination with either traditional or modern meanings of the card can add extra insights to the reading.
There are several different types of Tarot decks to choose from. One of the most traditional Tarot decks for beginners is the Rider-Waite. A standard modern Tarot deck has 78 cards divided into two groups called Major and Minor Arcana with 22 cards known as Trumps and Minor Arcana with 56 cards. Some of the other interesting Tarot decks include: Elemental, The Black Power Tarot, Light Seer’s Tarot, Modern Witch Tarot, and many more.
A tradition Tarot deck for beginners is the Rider-Waite deck. (pxhere.com)
Tarot reader Esther Joy has been on Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters Podcast for episodes 15, 25, and 38 and was also a guest on Cryptic Frequencies. We first met her while she was reading Tarot at a real haunted mansion now known as the Paddock Place. Esther Joy likes to setup a shrine of sorts, using the positive vibrations of some of her favorite crystals, like amethyst, citrine, rose quartz, black tourmaline, and others. The pageantry is further defined as sacred Palo Santo wood is burned during the reading.
Recently on episode 64, Esther Joy joined the show and read for me from a Cosmic Tarot deck. She’s empathic, clairvoyant, a prophetic dreamer, and an artist. She uses her intuitive powers to help interpret the Tarot cards so people can connect with their higher self and tap into their inner wisdom. For a reading. go to Esther Joy’s Facebook page (Esther Joy Tarot).
To get the most out of Tarot readings it’s important to have a positive mind set about the cards and yourself, with the understanding that Tarot at best is a tool or a kind of compass to guide you in the right direction. If we can get past the stereotypical images of a fortune teller peering into a crystal ball, we might be able to recognize Tarot as more self-reflection than divination.
A California trip that led to a hike into Mexico, an adventure to find Bigfoot, and a close call with a crime syndicate were just some of the stories shared at a recent WKTV Voices storytelling event.
WKTV Voices held its third public speaking event at Wyoming’s The Stray Café on Friday, May 6. Storytellers, Cody Dewindt, Sherryl Acey, John D. Gonzalez, Steve Zaagman and Timothy Kelly graced the stage to share their tales with cafégoers. Close to 20 people listened as the participants told them about some of their life experiences.
The WKTV Voices event was hosted by WKTV contributor John D. Gonzalez. Each speaker had about six minutes to share their unique and personal stories. The goal of the event is to reconnect us all in a shared storytelling experience.
“There’s been all sorts of stories short, long, sentimental, you know, funny and different things like that,” said The Stray Music Manager Hunter VanKlompenberg said. “And some people definitely try and put there like, the moral of at the end, and some people just kind of tell you what happened and that’s what their story is. And I enjoy both when they’re done right.”
Steve ZaagmanTimothy Kelly Sherryl Acey Cody DewindtThe storytellers
Dewindt, of Wyoming, was the first to speak, telling the crowd a comedic story about when he was a wedding DJ and had a close encounter with a local crime syndicate. Acey, also from Wyoming, was the second speaker, recounting a time she landed a big job and almost got in trouble because she was told she made a mistake (she approach the accusation head-on to find a solution). Gonzalez, of Comstock Park, spoke third, about a time when he was in Upper Penisula and a man brought him and his wife to a cottage to see bigfoot (he said he never saw him while there). Zaagman, of Byron Center, a former journalist, spoke fourth, sharing four unique stories about a snow globe, a woman losing her hearing, a child selling a rabbit and an organ. Kelly, of Grand Rapids, spoke last, talking about a time when he visited a friend in California and ended up going on a hike that led him to visit Mexico.
The storytellers had several things they wanted to impart to cafégoers from their tales of life. Some wanted people to have a good time while others wanted them to not give up and take the bull by the horns when challenges arise.
John D. Gonzalez, a WKTV contributing writer, was the host for the May 6 event. (WKTV/Aaron Robins)
“So say yes more than no, and an opportunity comes, if you see an opportunity to do something, to tell a story – I just say just take the leap and do it. It’s so easy to say no, but I’m telling you the best parts of life are when you say yes. So say yes to the opportunity if some says tell a story because I truly believe everyone has a story,” Zaagman said.
To watch the performance and learn more about WKTV Voices, visit wktvvoices.org. The Stray Café is located at 4253 Division Ave S Suite A in Wyoming.
Memorial Day is a national holiday that honors fallen soldiers. (pxhere.com)
While for many it is the “official start of summer,” Memorial Day is designed to honor those who have fallen while serving during a war.
It originally was designated for those who had fallen during the Civil War and was observed only on May 30. However the custom grew and by the 19th Century, many communities across the country had Memorial Day celebrations. In 1971, the federal government declared “Memorial Day” a national holiday to be celebrated the last Monday of the month of May. There was a splitting of ceremonies, with some municipalities choosing to celebrate on the last Monday of May while others deciding to keep with the traditional May 30 for Memorial Day activities.
Due to leap years and calendar configurations, every once in awhile, Memorial Day lands on May 30, which is what has happened for 2022. So there will be several Memorial Day events honoring fallen heroes throughout West Michigan.
Since it is a national holiday, government offices such as Kent County, the City of Kentwood, and the City of Wyoming, will be closed.
Kentwood Memorial Day Parade
Wreaths are laid during the Kentwood Memorial Day ceremony.
The D.W. Cassard Post, along with the Amvets Post, will host a parade in Kentwood at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 30. The parade kicks off from the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), near the corner of 48th Street and Eastern Avenue. From there, it will head west down 48th Street to Kentwood’s Veteran’s Memorial Park, located in front of the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE. At the park, there will be a ceremony including the laying of the five wreaths, one for each of the branches of military service: Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard.
WKTV will be taping the Kentwood parade and service which is scheduled to air at 12:30 and 8 p.m. on Comcast Channel 25 and on wktv.org.
Wyoming Memorial Day Program
The City of Wyoming will be hosting its annual Memorial Day program Monday, May 30, from 7 – 8 p.m. at Veteran’s Memorial Garden, 2300 DeHoop Ave. SW. (This is located in front of the Wyoming Department of Public Safety building.)
The City of Wyoming will host its Memorial Day program at Veteran’s Memorial Garden. (Photo by Harriet Sturim)
Mayor Jack Poll will emcee and the Lee High School band is scheduled to perform. This year’s guest speaker will be Sean Moriarty. Moriarty is currently a student at Grand Valley State University pursing a degree in Applied Food and Nutrition from the College of Health Professions.
Moriarty enrolled at GVSU after serving eight years of active duty with the United States Coast Guard, where he was a medical corpsman. He sailed onboard the CGC Campbell in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, performing anti-terrorism duties with the Naval Support Activity in Manama, Bahrain, and providing clinical and emergency services at U.S. Coast Guard Base Boston in Massachusetts.
After coming to Michigan, Moriarty enlisted with the Air National Guard as a public affairs specialist where he currently serves in Battle Creek. He is accompanied by his wife, Justine, who is also currently enlisted with the U.S. Coast Guard in Grand Haven.
WKTV will be taping the Memorial Day program, which will air at 8:30 p.m. on Comcast Channel 25 and on wktv.org.
Other Memorial Day programs
The United States Air Force Band from Washington, D.C. has produced two solemn videos to honor the nation’s fallen heroes this Memorial Day. The first video features the Ceremonial Brass, one of the Band’s six ensembles, performing “Goin’ Home,” with narration by General Charles Q. Brown, Jr., Chief of Staff of the Air Force. WKTV will air the “Goin’ Home” video at several times on Memorial Day. Those times are 9:28 a.m., 10:30 a.m, 12:27 p.m., 3:57 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m., and 10:28 p.m.
The second video features stunning aerial visuals of the bugler, Technical Sgt. Jason Covey, as he solemnly performs “Taps” at Culpeper National Cemetery in Culpeper, Virginia. The unique perspective provided by the drone reveals the scope of sacrifice made by our military members over countless generations. The “Taps” video will air 9:55 a.m., 11:03 a.m., 1 p.m., 7:43 p.m., 9:11 p.m., and 12:08 a.m.
Both programs may be seen on the Comcast Channel 25 or on wktv.org.
The City of Kentwood has announced its tentative road construction and maintenance schedule for the summer.
The $3.02 million reconstruction, resurfacing and maintenance program – approved by the City Commission – includes improvements to approximately 30 miles of major and local roads. Work is expected to begin in June and be completed by the end of October.
Planned street reconstruction, resurfacing and maintenance projects include:
Full reconstruction of Burton Street from East Paris Avenue to Patterson Avenue.
Full reconstruction of Jefferson Avenue from 44th Street to Montebello Street.
Other preventative street maintenance work throughout Kentwood, including routine street marking, crack sealing and patching.
Message boards on major streets will give drivers advance notice of when closures will begin.
“We’re grateful for the support of residents and local businesses as we work to improve and maintain this critical infrastructure,” Kentwood City Engineer Brad Boomstra said. “Quality roads are essential for public safety. Recognizing the disruption road construction can cause, crews will work hard to minimize impact on our community.”
The full reconstruction project on Burton Street will begin in July and include narrowing the existing roadway pavement for the construction of a new non-motorized trail on the north side of the street. In addition, the street will receive new concrete curb and gutter, new concrete driveway approaches and new asphalt pavement surface on the roadway.
City of Kentwood Summer Street Resurfacing and Rehabilitation Map.
For a majority of the project, Burton Street through traffic will be maintained in both directions. Eventually, eastbound traffic will be detoured from East Paris Avenue to Sparks Drive to Forest Hill Avenue and from East Paris Avenue to 28th Street to Patterson Avenue.
The Jefferson Avenue project will begin in June and include new concrete curb and gutter, new concrete sidewalks and driveway approaches, new asphalt pavement surface on the roadway, repairs to the storm sewer system and new watermain installation. During construction, Jefferson will remain open to residents and their visitors. While through traffic will be maintained with one lane, drivers are encouraged to seek alternate routes to avoid traffic delays.
Property owners affected by the Burton, Jefferson and East Paris projects were informed by letter. Mail deliveries and trash pickups will not be disrupted.
Patching and crack sealing work will take place on several neighborhood streets in June to prepare them for cape sealing in August. Cape sealing is designed to create a smooth surface with increased durability. Cape seal projects take two non-consecutive days, with the cape seal treatment requiring up to a few hours to dry before being ready for traffic.
Homeowners in the neighborhoods where these projects will take place will be informed by letter. Residents are asked to drive slowly during the road work and follow the crew’s instructions for the best access to their homes. On-street parking will not be allowed during cape sealing.
Resurfacing of East Paris Avenue from 28th Street to 36th Street began in May. The Michigan Department of Transportation project includes new pavement. While there are intermittent lane closures, northbound traffic is being maintained throughout the project. Drivers traveling south are encouraged to seek an alternate route or follow the posted detour from 28th Street to Patterson Avenue to 36th Street. The work is scheduled to be completed in October.
The street reconstruction, resurfacing and maintenance projects are funded through the Michigan Transportation Fund, which is supported by taxes on the sale of gasoline and diesel fuel as well as fees collected by the Secretary of State for vehicle registrations.
The City’s road maintenance decisions are made based on ratings from the annual Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating system, or PASER, as well as other data. PASER provides a basis for comparing the quality of roadway segments and uses a 1-10 rating system for road pavement conditions based on visual inspections.
Kentwood maintains one of the highest-rated major street networks in Kent County, according to data compiled by the Grand Valley Metro Council that is based on PASER ratings.
Last year, the city invested in improvements to 30 miles of major and local roads. Major streets included in the 2021 reconstruction, resurfacing and maintenance program were:
Andover, Lyles, Heyboer, Blaine, Brinks and 51st streets.
32nd Street from Breton Avenue to Shaffer Avenue.
For more information, including amap of street resurfacing and repairs, visit kentwood.us/construction. Drivers can subscribe to be notified when construction updates are added to the City’s website and also receive updates via Facebook and Twitter.
Whorled won the March Battle of the Bands at The Stray. (courtesy)
Playing a style of music they call “World folk” has paid off for Whorled.
The critical praise has been huge, and the band won a Battle of the Bands in March at The Stray Café in Grand Rapids.
Local Spins recently described Whorled (pronounced “world”) as follows:
“The world folk band stole the stage with a set that was less of a performance and more of an experience. Many of its songs weaved through various genres — starting as an Irish highland tune, then transitioning to a traditional Japanese song and ending with a bluegrass swing.”
That makes sense when you consider the trio draws from celtic, gypsy jazz, Brazilian, bluegrass and classical influences, said Thom Jayne of Whorled. The group is known for playing a variety of instruments, including violin, accordion, guitar, banjo, whistles, and occasionally a didgeridoo, which is a wind instrument.
The band also consists of multi-instrumentalist Keala Venema and accordionist Marika Venema.
Jayne answered a few questions from WKTV.
WKTV Journal: How did you come up with your band’s name?
Jayne: The name signifies the diverse backgrounds and musical influences that each of us bring to create our signature “Whorled” sound.
WKTV: When did you form?
Jayne: 2020. We formed during the Covid period and have only been playing out in public during the past year.
WKTV: What do you hope to accomplish with your music?
Jayne: To create a unique sound that is both true to the traditions that we draw from and also to integrate them together in fresh ways.
WKTV: Has it been easy or difficult to break into the West Michigan music scene?
Jayne: We’re just starting out, so still finding out.
WKTV: What makes you stand out, outside of playing all those instruments?
Jayne: We have a strictly Celtic set, but most of our material features a variety of styles sprinkled with spontaneous improvisation so that no two Whorled shows are the same. Our show is high-energy, good-feeling, and crowd-interactive.
Upcoming Performances:
We’re playing at Meijer Gardens on July 12, opening for the Accidentals at the Saugatuck Jump into Summer Festival on June 17, and are being featured in the Sparta Irish Music Festival on August 12-13.
John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.
After overcoming some obstacles this season, the East Kentwood varsity dance team rose to the top with many awards and honors.
Soon before their national championships in February in Orlando, the students learned their flight was overbooked and it was time for Plan B. With no other options, the team drove 18 hours to Florida to make it just in time for the semifinals and compete with the nation’s best teams in the 2022 Dance Team Union National Championship.
Both the jazz and hip hop teams reached the finals, and earned 15th and fourth place, respectively.
Coach Kat Albertson (far left) and her East Kentwood varsity dance team proudly show off their two trophies at the 2022 Dance Team Union National Championship in February in Orlando. (courtesy)
“It was a great feeling to be recognized among the best teams in the country,” said EK coach Kat Albertson, who coached the Falcons for four years and is now pursuing coaching at the collegiate level. “Luckily, this was the most hard-working and determined group of student-athletes I’ve ever had the privilege of coaching. They were all so eager to prove to themselves, and to their school, that not only is the dance team at East Kentwood one of the best in Michigan, but also that dance team is a sport.
“We had incredible success this past year due to the team’s hard work, dedication and the positive team culture we built together. We were undefeated in hip hop this year, won the grand champion award at every local competition (registered the highest scoring dance in the entire competition), and won two regional championships for the first time in program history.”
Albertson said her team captain, junior Saniya Harvey, is an “exceptional dancer and leader.”
Check out the dance team’s performance at the national championship by clicking here.
“We lost five incredible seniors in 2021 and only had five returning members for the new year,” continued Albertson, whose assistant coach was EK dance alum Brooklyn Smithers, a freshman at GVSU. “We were uncertain if we’d be able to have ample time to create a family-like bond with so many new members, get our technique where it needed to be, and to reach the level of excellence that our past teams had been able to do.
“It’s taken a really long time for us to get the recognition that we deserve, and I think that has truly been the most fulfilling thing that we’ve seen come out of this year.”
Kool Breze is part of the kick off to Food Truck season in West Michigan, which begins with tonight’s first of Food Truck Fridays at Riverside Park in Grand Rapids. (supplied)
Variety. Aromas. Excitement.
Food trucks and festivals make the perfect match, just like mustard on a hot dog. (Let’s not talk about ketchup.)
Food truck owners in 2022 are more than county fair concessionaires, offering fries, hot dogs and cotton candy. Today foodies will find gourmet pretzels, mouthwatering BBQ, burritos, pizza, and on and on.
What’s not to love?
“People like variety. People love to meet and greet and grab a bite to eat,” said Steven McGhee of the Kool Breze food truck with a menu of slushies, soft serve ice cream and a variety of decadent desserts.
Kool Breze is part of the kick off to Food Truck season in West Michigan, which begins with tonight’s first of Food Truck Fridays at Riverside Park in Grand Rapids. The series will continue every Friday night through Sept. 2.
See WKTV’s list below of local Food Truck events. Know more? Email me: michigangonzo@gmail.com.
On Sunday, the Grand Rapids Food Truck Association (GRFTA) partnered with Downtown Grand Rapids, GR8 Food Trucks and others to put together Roll’N Out Food Truck Festival, a fourth-year event making its debut at Calder Plaza. It runs from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday, May 22.
Waffle Nachos! Get them this Friday at GR8 Food Truck Fridays and Roll’N Out Food Truck Festival at Calder Plaza.Taste Buds- Kitchen Connects, LLC (John D. Gonzalez)
It will be a grand celebration, said organizers, because food trucks are so much fun.
“ Food trucks are a culture,” said Rock Dandeneau, owner of Pressed In Time Food Truck and president of GRFTA.
“Many large cities have grown the street food scene into a start or incubator for brick and mortar. It is a way to test out foods and concepts. It also is a great way to start a small business and understand the logistics of running a business.”
Overall, he said “food trucks are artistic in nature from its concept, menu offerings and even art designs on the trucks.”
GRFTA, which formed in 2016, is a great resource for those who want to get into the business or just find out where to find food trucks all over the area.
“(We) formed to improve business conditions for food trucks, promote the economic contributions of the food truck industry to the region,” said Lauren D’Angelo, Vice President, GRFTA.
“We also try to provide educational resources to food trucks and we provide a mechanism of education and exchange information between food truck owners.”
In fact, they have worked with MSU extension to put together a food truck startup course, which is now available online.
Each Food Truck has a story, too.
Take Saladino Smoke, a BBQ food truck owned by Mike and Katie Saladino, for example.
Saladino Smise will be part of the May 22 Roll ‘N Out Food Truck Fest. (supplied)
In order to spend more time with their two boys (Joey and Anthony) during those busy school years, they started cooking for their teammates and families before games and matches.
“One thing led to another and we ended up running the high school concession stands for a number of years,” they said.
It became a full time job for the family.
“We both lost our jobs during the pandemic and thankfully our food truck business saved us,” Katie said.
They BBQ the “old school way” – low and slow with traditional wood fired pits and grills, using oak, cherry, apple and mesquite woods.
”We are family driven and committed to delivering the best quality, fun filled event for you,” they said.
It’s the 6th season of Food Truck Fridays at Riverside Park, north of downtown Grand Rapids. You can see the event from the road. It is located by the Guild St. entrance. This grassroots event has continued to thrive year after year. It offers a great blend of fan favorites as well as plenty of new food trucks for everyone to try. Organizers also have increased the amount of offerings to help with lines and will have a larger footprint to provide more social distancing.
New features include a Frequent Fridays Card that will offer you the chance to win prizes based on how many FTF you frequent.
The Grand Rapids Food Truck Association (GRFTA), will host the 4th annual Roll’N Out Food Truck Fest on Sunday, May 22nd on Ottawa Avenue and Calder Plaza. Up to 38 food trucks and trailers will participate, making the event one of Grand Rapids’ largest food truck rallys.
In addition to the food trucks lining both sides of Ottawa Avenue , the 4th annual Roll’N Out Food Truck Fest will feature:
• Picnic space in Calder Plaza (bring a blanket to enjoy food truck fare and music!)
• Food Truck Certificate Giveaways leading up to the event.
• Entertainment from the Calder Plaza stage.
• Community Partner areas providing complimentary family-friendly activities.
Back for its 5th year, located on the campus of Kentwood City Hall and the Kent District Library – Richard L. Root/Kentwood Branch. Kentwood’s Food Truck Festival is one of West Michigan’s largest food truck events. It features 20-30 different food trucks and live music all day, as well as a beer tent featuring many local favorites.
Los Jalapenos is a food trailer serving authentic Mexican cuisine. Will be at Roll’N Out Food Truck Festival (supplied)
Food Truck Frenzy!June 9, July 14, Aug. 11, Sept. 8, Sparta’s Town Square in Sparta;
Thursdays on the Square is hosting Food Truck Frenzy. The Facebook page plans to update the food trucks coming, their menus and other details like live bands and more.
Food trucks take over the West Side with the help of Stockbridge Business Association and the Bridge St. Market. The corner lot of Bridge St and Stocking/Lexington Ave will play host to four food trucks every Friday beginning June 10.
John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.
Photo from the Grand Rapids Public Museum Collections
This photo is from the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s digital collections and depicts a carousel, which compared to other photos, is probably one that once stood at Ramona Park (now the Gaslight Village area in East Grand Rapids.) The Ramona Park carousel was owned by the McElwee brothers and installed in 1909 at the park. Interestingly, one of the organs from the carousel, called Big Bertha, is located at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort restaurant.
We selected this picture in honor of the restoration of the Grand rapids Public Museum’s 1928 Spillman Carousel. The nearly 100-year-old artifact has been undergoing a major renovation which began in 2017, requiring the Carousel to be dismantled and rebuilt. Starting on Wednesday, May 25, the Spillman Carousel will once again be operating in the Cook Carousel Pavilion located at the Grand Rapids Public Museum, 272 Pearl St. NW. While the carousel will be operational, restoration work will continue on carousel. To follow the restoration process, click here.
Currently there is a need for foster families in West Michigan. (pxhere.com)
According to Michigan Health and Human Services, there are about 13,000 children in foster care with at least another 300 who are still in need of an adoptive family.
The need for more foster homes always exists, according to representatives of the local child welfare nonprofit D.A. Blodgett-St. John’s. Because the need is great, this May, which is National Foster Care Awareness Month, D.A. Blodgett-St. John’s along with others organizations that are part of the Foster Kent Kids are hosting educational workshops to help residents learn more about how they can help fight a crisis-level need for fostering.
“We are at a critical juncture in Grand Rapids for youth in need of stable foster home environments,” said D.A. Blodgett-St. John’s President and CEO Mary Muliett. “Simply put, we are in a crisis. We are in desperate need for foster homes, and we home the community will take the opportunity during Foster Awareness Month to explore this life-saving gesture.”
The main need? Providing temporary shelter for teens who are caught up in the middle of the placement process. For some teens, they wait at the agency all day until placement specialists can find a temporary shelter.
As a way to increase general awareness of the need, Foster Kent Kids workshops are designed to help potential foster families learn more about fostering.
This Sunday, May 22, Foster Kent Kids will host the program “Stand for Teens” at the Wyoming High School cafeteria, 1350 Prairie Parkway SW. The program is from 4 – 6 p.m. and will include panelists such as a foster care youth, adoptive parents and school administration. Through their discussion, the panel will share the lessons, challenges, and rewards of their foster experiences.
On Wednesday, May 25, will be the Zoom program “The Realities of Foster Care.” This one-hour session, which starts at noon, will be led by Rachael Aday, a foster parent recruitment and licensing specialist in Kent County. Aday is known for her passion for providing support and advocacy to relative and community foster homes. She will interview foster parents Josh and Lea Sparks to share their experience in fostering. To register for the zoom program click here.
Both of these programs are free. To register for an event or to learn more about how to foster, individuals can visit www.fosterkentkids.care.
Also to encourage adults to consider fostering, D.A. Blodgett is offering a $245 monthly stipend for each bed made available to a child awaiting a more stable placement. In additional to the monthly stipend, the organization will offer $100 per day when a child is in a home. Along with the payment will be personalized training and support from the organization.
At this time, the organization is seeking volunteers to step up and provide placement for youth ages 12 and older for a few weeks while their next placement is being identified.
D.A. Blodgett also offers a free monthly foster care information meeting, held from 6-7:30pm the second Monday of the month at D.A. Blodgett-St. John’s, 804 Leonard Street N.E., Grand Rapids.
