Great Lakes Music podcast host Judah Guerra (left) and guest Nathan Walton having some fun at WKTV.
By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor
greer@wktv.org
You don’t want to miss local talent Judah Guerra’s latest WKTV podcast, “Great Lakes Music.”
As host and creator of the new podcast, Guerra interviews and performs original music with professionals from all corners of the music scene in Michigan.
His very inviting, warm and witty personality definitely shines through in these weekly conversations with musicians.
“This is a pursuit to learn more about what’s going on here in Michigan with music,” said Guerra, a bass and trombone player born and raised in Grand Rapids, a band leader of GR Groove and a jazz studies major at Michigan State University.
Be sure to check out his interview and jam session below with local musician Nathan Walton, of Nathan Walton and the Remedy, and a former Golden Ticket winner on Season 3 of ABC’s American Idol.
The stated requirements to apply for admission to local small business incubator SpringGR’s 250 Project are deceptively simple: “entrepreneurs who are grossing annual sales of at least $100,000, have an additional employee besides themselves, and have been in business for two years.”
Jermale Eddie, Director of Business Growth at SpringGR and a local business owner of Malamiah Juice Bar in downtown Grand Rapids. (Supplied)
The program’s goals, however, are much deeper than simply helping small businesses grow from that $100,000 annual sales to $250,000. The goals are to lessen business inequity for owner/operators of color, to share successful business IQ and best practices with wider audiences, and to support the general community through the success of small businesses.
“The 250 Project was specifically designed for business owners of color,” said Jermale Eddie, director of business growth at SpringGR. “Several years ago, research was done around two questions: How many small businesses are there in the greater Grand Rapids Area grossing at least $250,000 annually? (And) How many of those are owned by people of color?
“The answer to that first question was over 11,000 small business. The answer to the second question was 70 or less than one percent. SpringGR decided to create a program to address the second question, so to walk alongside business owners of color who desire to grow their business to the $250,000 mark and beyond.”
The next 250 Project program, schedule for July, is currently accepting applications, with a deadline of June 23 and with a cost of participation of $250. Interested entrepreneurs can apply here.
Brian Chandler, CEO of Chandler Inspections in Rockford, and 250 Project alumni. (Supplied)
Passion for business, community
While there are some “business” requirements to fully utilize the 250 Project, a “passion” for their business and their community is also important.
“Of course, passion for their business product and/or service is a must,” Eddie said. But “one of the many attributes of many small businesses is that they tend to hire local, purchase products and ingredients locally and know many of their customers/clients on a first name basis. … Overall, I believe that entrepreneurship is very good for our community.”
Brian Chandler, CEO of Chandler Inspections and a 250 Project alumni, knows community interaction is key to his business.
“Chandler Inspections slogan is ‘preparing home buyers to become better home owners,’ in saying that we ensure all home buyers of the communities we service do exactly that,” Chandler said. “If it wasn’t for the realtors, lenders and most importantly the home buyers of the community there simply wouldn’t be a Chandler Inspections.”
Learning, mentoring for success
Eddie is not only focused on helping other small businesses through his work at SpringGR, he is also a local small business owner of Malamiah Juice Bar.
Raquel Lindsay, owner of Sparkle & Shine Cleaning Services in Grand Rapids, and 250 Project alumni. (Supplied)
“Being in business for almost 10 years has been a great vehicle for me to learn and experienced business ownership,” Eddie said. “When I started my business, I had to fend for myself as it applied to the ‘How To’s’ of starting a food/beverage business.
“SpringGR, as an organization, started shortly after I launched my business and over the years, they (now I can say WE) continue to evolve the various levels of programming to stay relevant with the needs of each entrepreneur who comes through the doors.”
Participants in 250 Project’s 6-month program will walk away with a three-year growth plan designed exclusively for their business. And for many, their business is impacted immediately.
“As a new business owner, SpringGR provided a foundation for me to build my business,” said Raquel Lindsay, owner of Sparkle & Shine Cleaning Services. “I learned a lot of basics, such as my ideal client, how to pitch, how to figure out my break even point, who my competitors are and my competitive edge.
“The 250 Project provided me the opportunity to meet with and network with businesses owners who are scaling their businesses and to participate in a CEO group that met regularly to hold one another accountable to the things we were learning.”
Chandler echos Lindsay’s assessment.
“The 250 project challenged and allowed myself and Chandler Inspections to truly think outside of the box and to fully maximize our services,” Chandler said. “If it weren’t for SpringGR, I would not have left my nine-to-five job as quickly and efficiently as I did.”
About SpringGR
Launched in 2014, SpringGR is an “entrepreneurial training program” in Grand Rapids which provides training, mentoring, and networking opportunities for “aspiring entrepreneurs from neighborhoods with few entrepreneurial opportunities to develop a thriving business,” according to supplied material. Since its launch in 2014, almost 900 participants have completed the program.
While the cost of participating in the 250 Project program is $250, SpringGR states that the program cost represents “only a portion” of the program’s tuition cost. The rest is subsidized by Spring GR and the DeVos Family Foundations, founded by members of the DeVos family. For more information on SpringGR visit here.
By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma WKTV Managing Editor joanne@wktv.org
Michael Hulett performs tonight’s Concerts in the Park. (Courtesy, Michael Hulett)
It will be the sweet sounds of jazz, pop and rock as Michael Hulett takes to the stage tonight for the City of Wyoming’s Concerts in the Park.
It will be the first concert of the season as last week’s performance, with Reverend Jesse Ray, was cancelled due to rain. That concert has been rescheduled for Aug. 15.
Hulett, who is considered one of the top solo performers in the country, is accomplished on 10 instruments including soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophone, oboe, flute, trumpet and even tuba. While the sounds from his instrumental renditions are rich, Hulett is also know for his voice which according to his site “reminds people of the stars from the past century of classic sounds.”
Having attended Georgia Southern University, where he studied music performance with an emphasis on jazz, Hulett also attended the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale. While he does perform the classics of Louis Armstrong, he also is known for his interpretations of other performers who also served as his inspirations — Johnny Hartman, Marvin Gaye, and Billy Eckstine.
Heading to the show
Concerts in the Park starts at 6 p.m. with a pre-show and activities for all ages. Food trucks also will be on site. Participants are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs.
2023 Concerts of the Park schedule
June 27: Cabildo is a West Michigan-based alternative Latin rock collective that brings a unique blend of cambia, ska, folk, and other genres of music from Latin America.
July 11: Sarena Rae is a Grand Rapids based vocalist covering a variety of musical genres.
July 18: Klay N’ The Mud is a West Michigan-based cover band.
July 25: La Furia Del Ritmo will perform Latin music.
Aug. 1: The Soul Syndicate offers up classic soul, R&B and funk.
Aug. 8: Patty Pershayla & The Mayhaps features a former small-town pageant queen who has turned into a rock ’n’ roll powerhouse.
Michigan State University percussion instructor Kevin Jones, left, and MSU jazz studies major Judah Guerra in the podcast room at WKTV. (WKTV/Cris Greer)
By Cris Greer
WKTV Managing Editor
greer@wktv.org
Take a look at Michigan State University junior Judah Guerra’s first podcast he recently created at WKTV, “Great Lakes Music.”
As host of the new podcast, Guerra is interviewing and performing with professionals from all angles of the music scene in Michigan.
“This is a pursuit to learn more about what’s going on here in Michigan with music,” said Guerra, a bass and trombone player born and raised in Grand Rapids, a band leader of GR Groove and a jazz studies major at MSU.
Guerra studies under Michael Dease and Rodney Whitaker, “two of the most highly-regarded musicians in their fields today,” he said.
His first guest was MSU percussion instructor Kevin Jones, who has shared the stage or recorded with many musicians, including The Isley Brothers, Jermaine Jackson, Whitney Houston, Bebe and Cece Winans, Walter Bishop Jr., Tommy Turentine, Joey DeFrancesco, Melvin Sparks, Art Blakey, and a whole bunch more.
In May, Faith Hospice, Holland Home’s hospice division, opened the doors to the Van Andel Hope & Healing Pavilion, which is located in the lower lever of Trillium Woods, in Byron Center.
The Van Andel Hope & Healing Pavilion opened in May. (Courtesy, Faith Hospice)
The project was completed due to the support of the Van Andel family with leadership of Amy Van Andel, a former Faith Hospice nurse.
The project allows all Faith Hospice staff and volunteers to work together under one roof and meets the growing needs for bereavement services for the families Faith Hospice serves across West Michigan.
Key features of the new facility include:
Grief Support Center
This new center will provide private and individual grief counseling as well as comfortable group and family counseling and gatherings. The center will allow space for comforting those struggling with the trauma of loss as well as space for community seminars and education.
Hospice Training & Education Lab
This training facility will create a Hospice Patient Care space to train staff and volunteers through role playing and skills testing, allowing for an enhanced care experience for patients and their loved ones.
Consolidated Office Space & Staff Renewal Area
Bringing all Faith Hospice staff under one roof will allow for better collaboration when caring for patients, whether they are inpatient at Trillium Woods or living in the community. The space includes an area for staff and volunteer respite and renewal.
“The Van Andel family are great friends of the organization, starting with Jay and Betty,” said Holland Home President and Chief Executive Officer Troy Vugteveen. “The Van Andel Hope and Healing Pavilion will continue to honor their parents and carry on the tradition to provide shelter to the hearts of those grieving. We are so grateful for Steve and Amy Van Andel and the blessing they continue to be.”
Built in 2006, Trillium Woods, 8214 Pfeiffer Farms Drive S.W, offers 20 private rooms and a peaceful, family-centered atmosphere with 24/7 medical care. The organization had only utilized the upper floor of the two-level walkout building for its inpatient care with the intent of using the lower level for additional education and administrative use.
The Inspiration
The inspiration for the center came from Faith Hospice Bereavement Manager Janet Jaymin and NFL official and West Michigan resident Carl Paganelli. After Janet walked with Carl on his grief journey following the death of his wife, Cathy, in 2016. Carl’s and Janet’s mission was to create a peaceful, private environment for those grieving as they seek grief counseling. Amy Van Andel, Nancy Erhardt and the late Dan Pfeiffer joined as campaign co-chairs and successfully completed a $2 million fundraising campaign to create this much-needed grief support and bereavement center.
A counseling room in the new Van Andel Hope & Healing (Courtesy, Faith Hospice)
“Walking alongside loved ones after they’ve experienced loss is such an important part of the hospice experience,” said Amy Van Andel. “We hope that having a facility dedicated to those who are grieving that offers resources to guide them on their journey will help families begin to heal and feel hope for the future.”
The Van Andel name is a continuation of the family’s involvement with Holland Home, which dates back to 1998 when the Van Andel Pavilion was constructed at Holland Home’s former Fulton Manor location. Funds for that facility were donated in honor of the late Betty Van Andel. Transferring the name from the former Fulton location was a natural fit for the family, allowing them to continue to honor their parents’ legacy.
By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma WKTV Managing Editor joanne@wktv.org
UMH-West staff, Wayland City officials and Kasco Construction Services representatives at the site of the new Wayland Center. (Courtesy, UMH-West)UMH-West staff and city officials signed the beam before it was placed. (Courtesy, UMH-West)
University of Michigan Health-West has had two landmark events happen in the last past couple of weeks — the nonprofit health system hosted a beam-topping celebration for is new Wayland Health Center and received about $3.1 million in gifts for its cardiovascular care and advanced open-heart surgery program.
On June 5, University of Michigan Health-West staff, Wayland city leaders and Kasco Construction Services representatives participated in a final beam-topping celebration for the new UM Health-West Wayland Health Center, located at 1113 West Superior St., Wayland.
The center, which is scheduled to open in May of 2024, will be more than 75 percent larger than the current office, encompassing 17,300 square feet. The new building also includes future expansion capabilities of 5,230 square feet.
The second building to be designed and constructed in UMH-West’s new image, closely following the Allendale Health Center, the Wayland center will have 39 exam/procedure rooms, which is 20 more than the current facility and 115 parking spaces, which is 42 more than the current facility. The expansion will allow UM Health-West to add primary care and specialty providers to meet the needs of the region’s growing population.
Gift to Cardiovascular Care
At the end of May, UMH-West officials announced a group of community leaders has invested in the health of West Michigan with gifts totaling $3.1 million, opening a new era of cardiovascular care and advanced open-heart surgery.
Peter Hahn, MD, MBA, president and CEO of Metro Health – University of Michigan Health (Supplied)
The gifts collectively are among the largest the nonprofit health system has ever received. Contributions have come from a group of West Michigan leaders, including UM Health-West Foundation emeritus board member Stephen Klotz and family, and a transformational gift from the Steve and Amy Van Andel Foundation.
“This is a landmark moment in the lives of heart patients for generations to come,” said Dr. Peter Hahn, UMH-West president and CEO. “A new era of cardiovascular care begins today, thanks to a group of people who have invested in making West Michigan a vibrant and thriving community.”
UM Health-West launched the state’s newest open-heart surgery program in 2022 at its hospital in Wyoming through the Cardiovascular Network of West Michigan. That joint operating agreement forms a regionwide clinical team with Trinity Health in Grand Rapids and Muskegon, while also drawing on more than 125 years of cardiovascular leadership at UM’s Frankel Cardiovascular Center in Ann Arbor.
“West Michigan patients now have even greater local access to leading heart experts, researchers and surgeons – and that’s just the beginning. We know that there are more exciting advancements ahead,” said Steve Van Andel, who also serves as chairman of the UM Health-West board of directors. “Amy and I are so proud to support UM Health-West’s mission to provide innovative treatment options and excellent care right here in our hometown.”
Hahn noted the launch of the open-heart surgery program opens the door to even more advanced cardiovascular care and paves the way for future breakthroughs.
“We are building a region-leading cardiovascular program, a destination for people seeking the best options in their fight against heart disease,” Hahn said. “This gift brings that better future within reach.”
“Before open-heart surgery began at UM Health-West, Grand Rapids was the state’s largest market limited to a single option for open-heart surgery,” said UM Health-West Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Ronald Grifka.
“Thanks to the support of the Van Andels and other forward-thinking donors, the people of Grand Rapids now have choice,” Grifka said. “That’s important, because not only is heart disease the No. 1 cause of death, it’s also a leading driver of healthcare cost. With choice and increased local access to world-class care, we help keep care local and expenses down. That’s good for everyone.”
The gifts were announced at the UM Health-West Foundation’s annual fundraising gala, Vitality, which this year emphasized support for the system’s growing cardiovascular programs.
Area residents are encouraged to bike, walk or share rides ruing Active Commute Week. (Pxhere.com)
Active Commute Week is underway in the Grand Rapids area with commuters having the opportunity to set up an account to log all “green” trips for a chance to win prizes.
Running through Thursday, June 15, Active Commute Week is hosted by The Rapid’s West Michigan Rideshare in partnership with the West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum. The week-long event aims to promote positive changes in individual commuting habits within the community. Through friendly competition, participants are encouraged to embrace greener methods of transportation, such as taking the bus, walking, running and cycling to improve the environment and support a healthy lifestyle.
Commuters may set up an account with the option to join a team or register as an individual to log all “green” trips throughout the week for a chance to win prizes. These trips can be anything from biking to work, riding the bus to the grocery store, or carpooling to lunch. From the account portal, commuters will be able to monitor their reduction in carbon footprint to watch their real-time environmental impact.
The Rapid will host a variety of events from food trucks to free bike repairs with it all culminating in a community celebration set for Friday, June 16 from 4 – 4 p.m. The community celebration will be on the second floor of the Rapid Central Station and include a reward ceremony for the top commuters. There also will be a chance to win raffle prizes, enjoy beer from Brewery Vivant, pizza from Peppino’s, mingle with the active commuters, and enjoy artwork from students around the community.
All activities will be held around the Rapid Central station, 250 Ceasar E. Chavez Ave. SW.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Due to rain, the Concerts in the Park with Reverend Jesse Ray has been rescheduled for Aug. 15.
Jesse Ray Cahue, a.k.a. Reverend Jesse Ray, performs Tuesday, June 13, at Lamar Park. (Courtesy, Reverend Jesse Ray)
“Prepare to rock ’n’ roll’ said Jesse Ray Cahue of Wyoming’s first Concerts in the Park for the 2023 summer season.
Set for Tuesday, June 13, Cahue will take the stage as Reverend Jesse Ray at the free event at Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St. SW.
“It’s all about having a good time,” said Cahue, who makes his debut at the Concerts in the Park on Tuesday. “I grab that electric guitar, tap out on my foot drums and perform a lot of danceable music. It features blues, swing, and rockabiliy. It’s about having fun and bringing the rock ’n’ roll.”
Cahue picked up a guitar at the age of 12 when his “Gumpy” bought his first six-string. Cahue then began playing open mic nights with his mama at his side to gain him entry into the bars. In 2013, Cahue formed Jesse Ray and The Carolina Catfish, which received a nomination for Best Roots/Americana Album at the 23rd Jammie Awards, presented by Grand Rapids radio station WYCE.
Expanding and growing
Looking for new and creative musical opportunities, Cahue developed Reverend Jesse Ray as a one-band blues and rock act. He is equipped with guitar, amplified harmonica, foot drums, and a voice that takes the audience back to the golden age of recorded music.
“Reverend Jesse first appeared as the opener for Rachael Brook at a Grand Rapids Art Museum outdoor concert,” Jesse said. “My band, Jesse Ray and the Carolina Catfish, was supposed to be my creative outlet but it has morphed into its own thing which is great.
“Through the Reverend Jesse act, I am able to do more things, such as original songs as well as pieces that may not quite have fit with the band, and pursue more performing opportunities.”
Some might be familiar with the Reverend Jesse Ray as he is a regular performer at the Tip Top Bar, located in downtown Grand Rapids.
Cahue said he looks forward to checking out the City of Wyoming and rocking out with attendees at Lamar Park.
Heading to the show
Concerts in the Park starts at 6 p.m. with a pre-show and activities for all ages. Food trucks also will be on site. Participants are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs.
All of the Concerts in the Park are recorded by WKTV Community Media and aired on Comcast 24 and streamed at wktv.org. Air times are 5 p.m. Wednesdays, and 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. Saturdays.
2023 Concerts of the Park schedule
June 20: Michael Hulett is a musician and vocalist who performs a variety of music such as jazz, R&B, pop, rock, and a sprinkling of country music.
June 27: Cabildo is a West Michigan-based alternative Latin rock collective that brings a unique blend of cambia, ska, folk, and other genres of music from Latin America.
July 11: Sarena Rae is a Grand Rapids based vocalist covering a variety of musical genres.
July 18: Klay N’ The Mud is a West Michigan-based cover band.
July 25: La Furia Del Ritmo will perform Latin music.
Aug. 1: The Soul Syndicate offers up classic soul, R&B and funk.
Aug. 8: Patty Pershayla & The Mayhaps features a former small-town pageant queen who has turned into a rock ’n’ roll powerhouse.
Members of Trinity Health Michigan and Universal Health Services along with community leaders helped to break ground on the new Southridge Behavioral Hospital. (courtesy, Trinity Health Grand Rapids)
On Monday, Trinity Health Michigan and University Health Services (Ny’SE: UHS) broke ground for a new behavioral health hospital that will be located just south of the City of Wyoming in Byron Center.
Southridge Behavioral Hospital, which a joint venture partnership between NYSE: UHS and Trinity Health, will be located right near the Trinity Health Medical Center at 2145 64th St. SW in Byron Center.
“Southridge Behavioral Hospital, which will open in 2025, will help address the growing need for high quality mental and behavioral health care services for people struggling with depression, anxiety, substance use and other issues, and who need hospitalization and intensive individualized care,” said Dr. Matt Biersack, president of Trinity Health Grand Rapids. “Southridge represents a sustainable, long-term solution and it will be a key piece of the behavioral health care continuum in West Michigan.”
Kelly Smith, chief strategy officer for Trinity Health Michigan, said the new behavioral hospital will accommodate up to 96 beds, serving adult and geriatric patients. The facility is estimated to employ approximately 170 full-time and part-time staff including physicians, nurses, therapists, mental health technicians, administration, dietary and housekeeping personnel. Programming will be tailored to individual patient needs, with core psychiatric services and counseling supplemented with art therapy, music therapy and outdoor activities.
“Right here, where we gather today, you will see a new beautiful state-of-the-art facility,” said Sheila Adams, vice president of corporate development for Universal Health Services. “It will feature design elements that will create an optimal therapeutic environment with serene decor and furnished with warm and inviting finishes. We will create a space that enhances safety and promotes healing resembling a hospitality environment rather than an institutional type setting.”
The Southridge Behavioral Hospital is designed to tie into the growing network of behavioral health services in the area, including UHS-operated Forest View Hospital and Trinity Health Michigan’s new partnership with Network 180 to open a Behavioral Health Crisis Center for the rapid availability of assessment services on a walk-in basis.
For more about Southridge Behavioral Hospital, including what the hospital’s interior will look like, visit www.southridgebh.com.
Looking to cool off from a very hot, hot, hot weekend? Well the splash pads for the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood. are open.
City of Wyoming
The City of Wyoming has four splash pads located at:
Gezon Park, 5651 Gezon Court
Jackson Park, 3235 Robin SW
Lamar Park, 2561 Porter
Oriole Park, 1380 42nd St.SW
Wyoming’s splash pads, which are free, run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. everyday through Labor Day.
City of Kentwood
The City of Kentwood has two splash pads which are located at:
Pinewood Park, 1999 Wolfboro Dr. SE
Veterans Memorial Park, 355 48th St. SE
Kentwood’s splash pads, which are also free, are open from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. everyday through Labor Day.
Other communities
Millennium Park’s beach and splash pad is open until the fourth Sunday in August. Both are open at 10 a.m. daily with the beach closing at 7 p.m. for early and late summer and 8 p.m. mid-summer and the splash pad closing at 6 p.m. early and late summer and 7 p.m. mid-summer. The is a fee, $4 adults, $3 seniors 63 and older, $2 children ages 3-15, and free children 2 & under. For more, click here.
The City of Grand Rapids has splash pads which are free, and pools, which has a fe, of youth $1 for GR residents and $3 for non-residents; and adults $3 for GR residents and $5 for non-residents. Punchcards and season passes are available. For more on Grand Rapids pools and splash pads, click here.
Caledonia opened its Community Green Park Splash Pad and Spray Park on Friday, June 2. The Caledonia Community Green Space is located 9309 Dobber Wenger Memorial Drive.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel will apply lampricides to the Rogue River and Crockry Creek in Kent and Ottawa counties. (Courtesy, Great Lakes Fishery Commission)
June 6–14, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel will apply lampricides to the Rogue River and Crockery Creek in Kent and Ottawa Counties to kill sea lamprey larvae burrowed in the stream bottom. The applications will be conducted in accordance with State of Michigan permits. Applications will be complete in about five days. Application dates are tentative and may change based upon local weather or stream conditions near the time of treatment.
Sea lamprey larvae live in certain Great Lakes tributaries and transform to parasitic adults that migrate to the Great Lakes and kill fish. Failure to kill the larvae in streams would result in significant damage to the Great Lakes fishery. Infested tributaries must be treated every three to five years with lampricides to control sea lamprey populations.
The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency and Health Canada Pest Management Regulatory Agency have reviewed human health and environmental safety data for lampricides, and in 2003 concluded that the lampricides (Lampricid and Bayluscide) pose no unreasonable risk to the general population and the environment when applied at concentrations necessary to control larval sea lampreys. However, as with any pesticide, the public is advised to use discretion and minimize unnecessary exposure.Lampricides are selectively toxic to sea lampreys, but a few fish, insect, and broadleaf plants are sensitive. Persons confining bait fish or other organisms in stream water are advised to use an alternate water source because lampricides may cause mortality among aquatic organisms stressed by crowding and handling. Agricultural irrigation must be suspended for 24 hours, during and following treatment.
Extensive preparations are required for a safe and effective stream treatment. Prior to treatment, personnel collect data on stream water chemistry and discharge.In addition, they may conduct on-site toxicity tests with lampricides and stream flow studies with dyes that cause stream water to appear red or green.
Lampricides are carefully metered into the stream for approximately 12 hours, and continually analyzed at predetermined sites to assure that proper concentrations are maintained as the lampricides are carried downstream.Applicators are trained and are certified by (state/provincial) regulatory agencies for aquatic applications of pesticides.
The program is contracted through the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The Commission initiated chemical control of sea lampreys in 1958. Since that time the highly successful program has contributed significantly to the maintenance of the $7 billion Great Lakes sport and commercial fisheries.
The Commission is committed to delivering a sea lamprey control program that practices good environmental stewardship. To support the continued safe use of lampricides the Commission recently conducted a series of studies at a total cost of $6 million to assess the effects of the lampricides on human health and the environment. In addition to these studies the Commission has implemented a research program to develop alternative control techniques. The Commission also is developing a strategy to increase the number of barriers on lamprey-producing streams, and is conducting research into barrier design, traps, attractants, and biological controls.
For additional information in the U.S. call 1-800-472-9212 and in Canada call 1-800-553-9091. TTY users may reach the Marquette or Ludington Biological Stations through the Michigan State Relay Service at 1-800-649-3777.
By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma WKTV Managing Editor joanne@wktv.org
To help educate potential new drivers on the dangers of driving impaired, the Wyoming Department of Public Safety will be purchasing a distracted and impaired driver simulator thanks to a $25,000 grant from GM Motors Corporate Giving.
GM Grand Rapids Operations Plant Director Troy Comiskey (center) announces the 2023 GM Corporate Giving grant recipients from the Grand Rapids area. (WTKV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
The grant, which was given to the Wyoming Greater Resource Alliance for the public safety department’s use, was one of three grants awarded by the GM Grand Rapids Operations, which is located in Wyoming. The grants totaled $75,000 with the two other organizations also receiving $25,000 each was The Right Place and West Michigan Environmental Action Council (WMEAC).
“GM has made a concerted effort to bump up its local giving to the communities,” said Troy Comiskey, plant director for the Grand Rapids Operations. “They take corporate giving very seriously. They have upped it the last two years in a row with definitely a jump this year from the $10,000 mark to the $25,000 mark.”
Through the GM Community Grant program, the company has donated around $3 million to a 157 charities over the last year in U.S. communities that surround GM manufacturing sites. Since its inception, GM’s Corporate Giving has investing has helped communities across the U.S. in a variety of initiatives focused on STEM, vehicle and road safety and community impact.
Comiskey noted that the giving has gone beyond just monetary but with many of the Grand Rapids Operations employees giving time to a variety of events such as Teach for the Watershed, the Mayor’s Grand River Clean-Up, and FIRST Robotics programs. He noted this is on top of employees working sometimes 40-plus hours a week and taking care of their own families that “they still find time for a couple of hours per week or month to help local communities.”
From left, Lt. Eric Wiler from the Wyoming Department of Public Safety, UAW Local 167 Chairman Chris Newman, The Right Place Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Brad Comment, WMEAC Director of Engagement Marshall A. Kilgore, and GM Grand Rapids Operations Plant Director Troy Comiskey (WKTV/Joanne N. Bailey-Boorsma)
Educating the Future about the Environment
One of the beneficiaries of that volunteer support has ben WMEAC which among its programs host the Teach for the Watershed. which is an interactive watershed education program based on Michigan Science Curriculum Standards, and the Mayor’s Grand River Cleanup, the state’s largest riverbank cleanup.
“We are so thankful to GM for this,” said Marshall A. Kilgore, WMEAC’s director of engagement. “This grant started back a few years ago at $200 with them kind enough to extend their philanthropy from $200 to $25,000.”
Kilgore said WMEAC has seen growth in its programs and through the grant will be able to reach more students about how to better take care of their environment.
“So we plan to use this money for the water that connects all of us here in West Michigan and also teach our youth how to be better stewards of their land, water and soil,” he said.
Making the Roads Safer
Lt. Eric Wiler said his department is working to purchase the distracted and impaired driver simulator which they are hoping to debut at this year’s National Night Out as well as other events, such as Metro Cruise. Plans are also in the works to bring the simulator to local school districts to educate potential new drivers about driving with cellphones or while intoxicated.
According to the Michigan State Police, 16,543 crashes in 2021 involving distracted driving. Fatal distracted driving crashes increased by 14% from 2020 to 2021. According to the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration, 3,522 people died because of districted driving in 2021.
To help combat the issue, the Michigan legislature passed a ban on using phones while driving in May.
Building a Workforce Pipeline
Brad Comment, senior vice president of strategic initiatives for The Right Place, said the organization plans to use its grant funding toward growing Michigan’s manufacturing, technology and life science sectors, which Comiskey had commented is “very near and dear to our heart here at GM because we have such a technical workforce.”
Through its programs, Comment said The Right Place will continue to work to bring students into manufacturing facilities and introduce them to careers in manufacturing and technology.
GM was started in 1908 by William C. Durant as a holding company for the Buick Car Company. Within two years, Durant brought some of the biggest names in the automotive industry, including Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Pontiac and the predecessors of GMC Truck. For more than 75 years, the GM Grand Rapids Operations, which is at 5100 Burlingame SW, has been producing high prevision, high volume automotive components for GM products as well as non-GM products.
Mary K. Hoodhood (far left) with volunteers assembling dinners at the Kids’ Food Basket. (Courtesy, Kids’ Food Basket)
By K.D. Norris WKTV Contributor
When you first glance at the book cover of Kids’ Food Basket founder Mary K. Hoodhood’s new memoir, you can read the title in at least two different ways.
You can see it as asking the question “What Can I Do,” as in resignation to the inability to tackle difficult social problems such as hunger among our youth.
But you can also see it as a call to action, personal action: “What I can do” to be part of the solution to such issues. The book was co-written with Lisa McNeilly, PhD.
The life story, so far, of “Mary K” as most people know her, is a testament to “doing what you can do” in one’s personal journey, even overcoming huge physical obstacles, to serve the community.
In Mary K’s life, serving the community, including founding Kids’ Food Basket (KFB), has been a driving force in moving her forward.
“My upbringing and Catholic education helped me understand the importance of community and giving back,” Mary K. said to WKTV. “I was working at God’s Kitchen when I found out about kids not receiving an evening meal at home at the three GRPS (Grand Rapids Pubic Schools) schools KFB started with.
“I knew that this was an injustice, and it wasn’t the kids fault. I also knew that I could raise the money and get the volunteers to help.”
And raise the money, and get the volunteers/community/government support needed to run Kids’ Food Bank is exactly what she has done — this year, KFB sends 10,000 sack suppers to 60 schools across four counties every weekday.
Inspiring others to “Do what they can do,” that just came along naturally.
(WKTV/Katie Bogema)
Finding a calling after tragedy
In the introduction to “What I Can Do,” Mary K. dedicates the book to her husband, Jeff, with the words “My life is possible because of your love and devotion.”
And discussion in the book of her support network is an essential part of understanding her drive to serve the community as she overcame an automobile accident in her 20s that left her paralyzed from the chest down.
Instead of focusing on what she could no longer do, she states, she started repeating her mantra: “I will focus on what I can do.”
Successful before her accident, Mary K. Roach was born and raised in Grand Rapids and earned a degree in education from Michigan State University in 1973. One of her first jobs was working with the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Michigan, working with high school and community college counselors as well as the Michigan legislature.
But then came May 1980 and a car accident that left her in a wheelchair, but not idle. She got married, helped raise a stepdaughter, took in her teenage nieces and nephew, and began volunteering for the Meals on Wheels program at God’s Kitchen, a local food pantry.
Mary K. Hoodhood with one of the dinner bags distributed by Kids’ Food Basket. (Courtesy, Kids’ Food Basket)
There she saw the need to feed not only seniors and adults, but also school-age youth triggered by a 2002 phone call from a local school principal to say that students were regularly going into the cafeteria after school in search of food to take home.
With $3,000 and a handful of volunteers, she committed to seeking a solution to childhood hunger in our community and Kids’ Food Basket was founded.
“Many volunteers from God’s Kitchen followed me to KFB,” Mary K. said, and the group began feeding 125 meals a day. “What I didn’t anticipate is how much KFB has grown to increase access to good food for kids.”
The first big growth in 2008 and 2009
“There was a recession and we expanded our services outside GRPS to where there was need. I knew our numbers would increase and we would grow,” she said.
With the growth and recognition of Kids’ Food Basket, Mary K. has gained local, regional and national recognition, including being named one of The Grand Rapids Business Journal 50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan in 2018.
(Courtesy, Kids’ Food Basket)
But KFB is and will always be closest to her heart. She is past Chair and current member of the Kids’ Food Basket Board of Directors, and volunteers many hours every week, focusing on fund development and public relations, but also sometimes just working the line putting together “dinner” bags.
That growth has led Kids’ Food Basket to becoming one of the largest non-profits in West Michigan, with staff and leadership carrying it into the future.
“Mary K.’s motto to ‘Do what I can do’ is one of many driving forces behind everything that we have built at Kids’ Food Basket,” Bridget Clark Whitney, President and Founding CEO of Kids’ Food Basket, said to WKTV.
“Food insecurity is a very real concern, and breaking down the barriers to good food access can feel overwhelming. At KFB, we create a space where people can make a real impact, one step at a time. Packing a single Sack Supper is easy, and together across three locations, it adds up to 10,000 healthy evening meals each school day.”
(Courtesy, Kids’ Food Basket)
What can you do?
Community volunteering and financial support has been a key factor in the growth and success of Kids’ Food Basket. Many people, it seems, believe in the title of Mary K.’s book — doing “What I Can Do.”
In the fall of 2020, the Wyoming Tree Commission (The Tree Amigos), with volunteer helped planted trees in the Godfrey-Lee area. (Courtesy, Wyoming Tree Commission)
Whether it be the shade from a hot summer day to the colorful leaves dropping that add nature’s beauty in the fall, trees can provide a natural respite for a community as well as improve air and water quality.
However, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, underserved communities tend to have fewer trees than other city neighborhoods and local organizations working to add tree canopy to those areas can face unique challenges.
To help make a difference in one such area are three organizations, the City of Wyoming Tree Commission – The Tree Amigos, the Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, and ReLeaf Michigan. Tuesday, May 23, the groups will come together to plant 20 trees at the Godfrey-Lee Early Childhood Center, 961 Joosten St. SW, to plant 20 trees. Volunteers also are being sought to help with the project.
Building Shade Equity
“We are working in Godfrey Lee for two reasons,” said Estelle Slootmaker, who is a member and founder of Tree Commission (The Tree Amigos), which noted the group has planted trees in the Godfrey-Lee district in the past. “The area’s canopy has been disastrously decreased by storms and development.
“The neighborhood, like many U.S. neighborhoods experiencing income challenges, lacks shade equity. Shaded neighborhoods promote mental health, reduce crime, have cleaner air with less asthma and other breathing conditions, and higher property values.”
The other reason the commission has selected the Godfrey-Lee area was because of the advocacy of volunteers Susan VanBronkhorst and Rosemary Davis, who have advocated for planting in the neighborhood, and because of Godfrey-Lee science teacher Deb Truszkowski, who has been working to get The Tree Amigos active with the district.
Truszkowski said it was a National Geographic article that raised her awareness for the lack of tree canopies in underserved areas. She teaches a world disasters course at the high school which focuses on climate change.
“We are currently looking into areas that lack tree canopies and how that affects a community,” Truszkowski said, adding the classes have been discussing how redlining, where lenders refused loans to people living in a certain area, impacted a neighborhood and its environment, such as parks, green space and trees.
Students from two of Truszkowski’s classes will participate in the planting along with talking to volunteers and learning from ReLeaf Michigan.
Volunteer Opportunities
ReLeaf Michigan, a 35-year-old non-profit organization, partners with communities statewide to replenish community tree canopies through volunteer tree planting events. In 2022, the DTE Foundation granted $350,000 to ReLeaf for tree plantings in communities throughout the state.
Slootmaker said ReLeaf is providing the 20 trees and the organization’s forester helped select the planting sites. On planting day, ReLeaf representatives will be there to provide instruction and supervise the plantings.
“They will be providing information on the proper way to plant and for the trees,” Slootmacher said, adding it is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to learn more about planting and green spaces.
Those interested in volunteering — no planting experience is necessary — should wear closed-toe shoes and comfortable clothing and bring a shovel, hard rake, and work gloves if they have them. The group will meet at Godfrey-Lee Early Childhood Center located, 961 Joosten St. SW, at 8:45 a.m. to sign in, enjoy refreshments, and watch a planting demonstration with ReLeaf Michigan’s tree experts.The event occurs rain or shine.
From left, RJ Billmeijer, from CopperRock Construction; Senator Mark Huizenga; RoMan Manufacturing President Nelson Sanchez; RoMan Manufacturing CEO Bob Roth; RoMan Manufacturing founder Robert Hoffman; RoMan Manufacturing Vice President Kurt Hofman; Wyoming Mayor Kent Vanderwood, and Wyoming Kentwood Chamber of Commerce CEO and President Keith Morgan. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
While for some the COVID pandemic caused a stall in operations, for RoMan Manufacturing it was a time when the company discovered new opportunities in the semiconductor and data center industries that have now led to the Wyoming-manufacture adding a new 27,000-square-foot facility to its location.
On May 18, city officials and business leaders joined company officials and employees for a groundbreaking ceremony for the company’s future facility, which along with being a manufacturing facility also will house the company’s new training and development program, RoMan University, and its Department of Labor approved apprenticeship program. The new facility, which is expected to open in October, is predicted to create at least 50 new jobs in the next 18 to 20 months.
“The new facility will allow us to expand our overall capacity to serve our existing core business, which is what we grew up on, the markets of resistance welding, furnace and glass, and create space to serve these new markets,” said RoMan Manufacturing President Nelson Sanchez.
Along with that, the addition of RoMan University and the apprenticeship will help the company develop a talent pipeline, Sanchez said.
RoMan CEO Both Roth said the facility also enables RoMan to continue its focus on helping its customers to achieve their goals.
“It was always that vantage point I think that has been one of our north stars and has driven business forward is that we think about customers first and in doing that, we can help them succeed and when we help our customers succeed, it helps us succeed,” Roth said.
Growing and Evolving
Started in 1982 with an 8,000-square-foot building, RoMan — which is a combination of the founders’ names Dietrich Roth and Robert Hofman — the company in the past 40-plus years has grown to cover seven acres with two sites that has a combined square footage of 160,000. The main campus is located at 861 47th St. SW, which is where the new building will be located.
The group of RoMan Manufacturing and local officials help break grown on RoMan’s new facility. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
According to Executive Vice President Kurt Hofman, RoMan Manufacturing started as a niche business focused on low voltage, high current water cooler transformers.
“You can Google that today and you are not going to see a whole lot of people pop up on that Google search and I can tell you who is going to be on the top of that Google search, it is going to be us,” Hofman said.
Over time, RoMan Manufacturing expanded outside of welding and the automotive industry and moved into other industries, which led to the company building systems. This led RoMan being to be able to expand into the semiconductor and data center businesses.
“On behalf of the entire city council, I want to congratulate RoMan Manufacturing on its new production facility and say thank you for choosing the City of Wyoming and for providing additional job opportunities for our residents and the West Michigan community,” said Mayor Kent Vanderwood at the groundbreaking ceremony.
The Senior Expo will take place on May 24 at the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. (Courtesy, Frederik Meijer Gardens)
In many ways, a walk around the building and grounds of the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is the perfect place for a bit of physical and mental health “me time” for local senior community members.
And what better time to visit than the return of the free-to-the-public West Michigan Senior Expo at Meijer Gardens on Wednesday, May 24, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Registration to the expo also offers free admission to the Meijer Gardens indoor and outdoor art and gardens.
The range of senior — and senior caregiver — advocacy and service groups attending the Senior Expo is expected to include more than 50 Grand Rapids and West Michigan organizations that specialize assisted living, Alzheimer’s information, home care, Veterans benefits, mobility solutions, Medicare and much more.
More than 50 local and regional organizations will be present at the West Michigan Senior Expo at Meijer Gardens. (courtesy, Meijer Gardens)
For one local health-care organization, Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, attending the expo and serving the senior community is a calling as much as a business opportunity.
“We view the seniors who turn to us for care as our friends, our grandparents, and our neighbors because that’s who they are,” Matt Hiskes, spokesperson for Pine Rest. “We value and offer a full continuum of services for seniors because they are an essential part of the community that makes West Michigan great.”
Hiskes also stressed that mental health is as important as physical health for seniors.
“Individuals often face some of the most challenging aspects of life during their senior years: housing changes, loss of family members and friends, individual medical concerns, loss of mobility, and changing family dynamics,” Hiskes said. “These issues can be incredibly impactful on a person’s mental well-being, yet many individuals never seek the help they need.
“It’s important for seniors to know that help is available, that there is no shame in seeking mental health care, and that people can live better, longer lives when they focus on caring for their mental health.”
Health care screenings and a stroll through art, nature
The “rain or shine” expo will be held in-doors and will offer a variety of free health screenings — not to mention hourly prize drawings, giveaways and complimentary refreshments.
Among the groups and businesses expected to attend are BP Realty, Baldwin House, Battle Creek VA Media Center, Boichot Insurance Agency, Care Resources PACE (GR), Center for Vein Restoration, Eden Home Care, Estate Planning Legal Services, Grand Brook Memory Care, Health Alliance Plan, Hearing Life, Life EMS Ambulance, Lincoln Square Senior Living Holiday by Atria (GR), McDonald Hearing Services, National Benefit Plans, Neptune Society, Sentinel Pointe Retirement Community, St. Ann’s Home, United Healthcare, and Victory Financial Insurance Agency.
After the event, attendees can enjoy the recently opened indoor exhibit of “Cristina Iglesias: Under and In Between”. Running through September, the exhibition surveys 20 years of work from one of Spain’s most renowned artists. The exhibit includes the artist’s “Pozo XI”, recently installed in the Tassell–Wisner–Bottrall English Perennial Garden as part of Meijer Garden’s permanent sculpture collection.
And if you haven’t been on the grounds lately, a somber but powerful stop should be Jerusalem-born artist Ariel Schlesinger’s “Ways to Say Goodbye” located in the Holocaust Memorial Garden.
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is located at 1000 East Beltline Ave NE, Grand Rapids. For more information visit meijergardens.org
As a child, it was Kevin Brewster’s mom that helped steer him toward the saxophone.
The 2021 East Kentwood grad said his mom, Audrey Reed, often listened to gospel, R&B and soul music such as Fred Hammond, John P. Kee, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Earth, Wind & Fire.
“I always wondered what the specific instrument I heard in those songs was until eventually I found out it was a saxophone which made me want to play it,” Brewster said. “I then began playing the saxophone at 11 years old.
“As far as I remember, growing up I was always into music, either if it was dancing, listening to music or singing. I grew up in the church which got me involved with playing the drums, saxophone and singing in the choir.”
Brewster, who just finished his second year of Jazz Studies at Michigan State University, was recently in the WKTV studio with his quartet taping a television program called Jazz Works, which will air soon on our station.
The other members of the quartet are Max Gage on piano, Judah Guerra, bass and Brian Allen, drums.
The Kevin Brewster Quartet recently performed on the WKTV Jazz Works program. Front, Kevin Brewster; from left; Max Gage, piano; Judah Guerra, bass and Brian Allen, drums. (WKTV/Cris Greer)
East Kentwood and MSU connection
Guerra also graduated from EK High School, while Allen went to Grand Rapids Christian and Gage, Northview. All members study music at Michigan State University.
Brewster said they all met while in high school and began practicing together.
“We had one of our first gigs at a restaurant and I knew ever since then I wanted to keep playing with these guys,” Brewster explained. “We formally got together in 2021, and then we gigged throughout the summer our first year of college.”
The quartet has performed locally at the Grand Rapids Foodie Fest, GRNoir Jazz Club, GR Festival of the Arts and the Kentwood Winter Concert Series.
While at East Kentwood, Brewster performed in the marching band, wind ensemble and jazz ensemble I.
He’s counting on his high school and college experiences to guide him through his career.
“After I graduate college, my goal is to attend graduate school to pursue my masters in jazz performance while continuing to put out music and eventually become a recording artist. I also want to tour around the world as a band leader and/or sideman, and then soon become a college professor to teach jazz saxophone.”
Joseph Olexa, circa 1941 (Courtesy, GVSU Veterans History Project)
Grand Valley State University Professor James Smither will be the first to admit that you never know where a veterans’ interview will lead you.
Such was the case when Smither, who heads up the GVSU Veterans History Project, interviewed World War II veteran David Zylstra, who mentioned that he had a manuscript of a memoir composed in the 1970s by his second wife’s late brother-in-law from her first marriage. Zylstra have been given the manuscript because he was the family member interested in history.
Dr. James R. Smither will talk about his book Wednesday, May 17, at 2 p.m. at Marge’s Donut Den, 1751 28th St. SW.
When Smither looked through the large pile of papers stacked on Zylstra’s dining room table, “I realized right away that it should be archived and could probably be edited for publication.”
Smither got in touch with Olexa’s two sons still living in the Grand Rapids area, and they agreed to donate the manuscript and letters Olexa had written home during the war to GVSU and the Veterans History Project.
Smither took a sabbatical to edit the memoir and get it ready for publication.
The Challenge of Fact-Checking
“The real challenge to this was the fact-checking,” said Smither. “(Olexa) wrote the memoir largely from memory. I had to follow the story and check it against both published histories of the campaigns he was in, as well as military records for the unit he served in.”
Grand Valley State University Professor James Smither, head of the GVSU Veterans History Project (Courtesy, GVSU Veterans History Project)
Matching dates and places where the unit traveled and particular events Olexa mentioned in the memoir took hours of research.
“In some cases, his memory was faulty,” Smither said. “He was remembering the incidents pretty well but didn’t always have them in the right times and places. So I had to sort that out.”
Another challenge was the pseudonyms Olexa used for a lot of his characters. Ordinary combat soldiers didn’t always know each soldier’s name, often only knowing them by their nicknames.
“In (Olexa’s) case, he was going further than that. He was giving them nicknames especially if he didn’t like them,” said Smither with a laugh.
One of the most memorable nicknames was given to one of Olexa’s company commanders who he referred to as “Captain Jitters.” Smither had to find the real name of “Captain Jitters,” and the point Jitters was removed and sent to a psychiatric hospital as mentioned in the memoir.
A Vivid Account of Enlisted Life
Smither said he was impressed by Olexa’s writing style and ease of storytelling. “(The memoir) gives you a much more detailed and vivid account of what it was like to be a combat soldier than you get from most memoirs written by enlisted men,” Smither said. “Usually, it’s the officers that write the better memoirs because they are better educated and have a better idea of what was going on.”
Part of the charm of Olexa’s account of WWII was that he enlisted before the war had even begun.
“Olexa enlisted before the war started and got into the fighting as early as anybody did, and the Americans did in the European theater,” Smither said.
In 1942, Olexa was part of the invasion of North Africa—a portion of the war where there are not many firsthand accounts at all, and none from Olexa’s regiment of several thousand men.
Some Interesting Accounts
Smither said there are many incidents of Olexa’s unit that didn’t make it into history books because they were a “sideshow” for quite a while as a battalion off on their own, conducting small patrols in the southern end of the front in Tunisia.
Soldiers of L Company in Aachen, Germany. (Courtesy, GVSU History Project)
During the invasion of Sicily in 1943, Olexa was part of a small group of men who were trained to swim onto shore and flash signals to guide the landing craft in. “I had never seen anything about that,” said Smither. “I couldn’t find anything in the records indicating an army personnel ever did this. When I was burrowing around in the unit records, sure enough, I found a report on the activities of the unit he was in, and there he is, listed on the unit roster.”
The more Smither researched, the more he found that “a lot of the crazier stories turned out to be true.”
One such story involved chasing the girlfriends of soldiers out of the woods near the base in England where Olexa spent the last five months of the European war training replacement combat soldiers. The women would camp in the woods near the base and sneak in at night, or the men would sneak into the woods to spend time with them. Olexa had to organize a group of military police and make a sweep through the woods, chasing the women out.
Looking to Add a Website for the Book
University of North Texas Press wanted Smither to focus on the combat and front-line experiences of Olexa’s tenure in the war, forcing him to leave out some of the more eccentric stories.
“The original manuscript was simply too long to go into a print edition,” said Smither. Sections where Olexa is training or in the rear, various encounters with French soldiers in North Africa, and civilians he encountered away from the front were all areas Smither had to cut back.
However, the Press is allowing Smither to set up a website where he will post deleted material and any other supplemental items that he deems relevant. The plan is to include those sections of the text with indications of where they fit into the larger story in terms of pages of the book. Smither also plans to post some of the letters and interviews that he has done with veterans in some of the same places or with similar experiences as Olexa.
Once published, this supplemental website will be accessible from the Grand Valley History Department website via a link on GVSU’s Veterans History Project, which also gives access to other veteran interviews as well.
After the book is in print for three years, the Press plans to publish an ebook version that will have Olexa’s entire memoir so readers can find the whole story in one place.
Giving back to our veterans
Smither has worked at GVSU as a historian since 1990 and has specifically worked with veterans for more than 20 years.
“I always had an interest in military history, and I was able to develop a course in it,” said Smither, whose time outside of the classroom has been spent largely on conducting veteran interviews for the Veterans History Project (VHP).
Even though he does not have a personal military background, Smither said, “As a historian, sometimes you study things that are very far from your own experiences to try to understand them. And military history is compelling because it puts people into very difficult and unusual circumstances, and they have to figure out what to do and how to handle it. I think there is something about that that captures people’s imaginations.”
Veterans History Project: More than Telling Stories
“It’s a way to give back to the people who serve,” Smither said. “Just by listening to them and taking them seriously, you are showing a certain respect for them.”
Smither believes his job is to help veterans tell their whole story, publishing the complete interviews on the VHP website instead of only releasing bits and pieces.
“It provides great raw material for future generations of historians, but it also does something for the veterans themselves,” Smither continued.
For many involved in conflict from Vietnam onward, Smither has found there is often a question of “Why were we there in the first place, and was it worth doing?” Recording their stories helps many veterans find clarity.
“What you see when you talk to (veterans) is (that) a lot of the experience for them is just with them and the people in their unit, and just trying to get by. They were not really as worried about the bigger picture of things,” Smither said. “Recording the stories helps validate the experience…and it helps them figure out what happened. Sometimes I interview a veteran and that’s the first time they actually tried to put their story together. Some of it starts to make sense a little bit better when they start to do that.”
Retired life
Olexa worked in a factory for a short time after retiring from the military but deemed it too noisy. The former infantryman was not squeamish about blood and became a meat cutter, with his last 10 years before retiring in 1981 serving as the meat manager at a Grand Rapids D&W supermarket.
“He was very much just a member of the community after that (military career),” said Smither.
Olexa married Agnes Van Der Weide July 23, 1945, and lived in West Michigan until Agnes’s death in 1993. Olexa passed away December 3, 2000.
D. A. (Deborah) Reed is an award-winning author of young adult novels and a creative writing instructor from the Grand Rapids area. To find out more about D.A. Reed, visit her website: D.A. Reed Author
For Joan Mattson and her four siblings, it’s all about the subtle differences conveyed in such significant ways to define her mother’s journey with Emmanuel Hospice at her side.
Especially during this month, featuring Mother’s Day as a gentle touchstone.
“One of the Emmanuel Hospice aides, Tanya, always kisses the top of mom’s head before she leaves,” says Mattson, drawing a breath. “I mean, just that kindness. It means so much.”
Mattson’s mother, Bea Blasingame, is 87 and has been under Emmanuel’s care since late last year. Initially, it was difficult for Bea to accept and adjust, given her life-long sense of independence. She was also missing friends in rural Truman, Arkansas, where she and her late husband, Robert, spent most of their 67 years together.
These days, Bea resides in Mattson’s Grand Rapids area home following a series of seizures and discovery of a related tumor that have affected her speech, mobility and other aspects of her daily life.
With Mother’s Day coming up, Mattson relates that it’s bittersweet to wax nostalgic on how things used to be.
“My mom was a morning person,” Mattson recalls. “She might be up as early as four, and I can remember her going into the cold kitchen and standing on a rug by the register where the heat came up, saying her prayers and reading the Bible.
“And if you know how noise carries through those vents, well, her voice would come to me in my bedroom, and that’s just a very special memory.”
Mattson’s sister, Barb Raymond, says Emmanuel Hospice has been helping the family harvest and express those remembrances as they work to make their mother’s final months as comfortable as possible. In return, Bea personally thanks her Emmanuel Hospice care team – by name, when she can – during evening prayer.
One time, she couldn’t quite recall specifically one Emmanuel team member, but knew she was a spiritual caregiver. “The shepherd,” she managed to whisper. In another instance, she couldn’t conjure the name of a therapist who comes with her guitar and harp to sing hymns and more with her. “Bless the ‘music-maker,’” she offered.
Bea Blasingame makes a hand mold with the help of Emmanuel Hospice staff. (courtesy, Emmanuel Hospice)
Indeed, music and prayer have always loomed large in Bea’s life. She led songs at her church, sang solos and played the accordion. Her favorite Bible verse is from Psalms: “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Losing her husband – whom she married at 17 (she fibbed her age up to 18 on the legal document) – was tough four years ago. COVID made the grieving worse.
When Bea fell ill last winter, her son and four daughters helped her battle back, but eventually, it was decided hospice care would be best. The whole family shares their mother’s gratefulness for Emmanuel Hospice. In addition to providing medical care, the nonprofit has prioritized making space for opportunities to create lasting memories and have joyful experiences as they cherish time together.
“We don’t know where we’d be without Emmanuel,” Mattson says. “I think honestly that God has had a hand in all of this, in having Emmanuel beside us.”
Raymond adds: “We’re just floored with the quality of people at Emmanuel. What they provide is just beyond what any one of us expected.”
The Ebony Road Players will present a reading of “Alabama Story” May 17 and 18 at the KDL Grandville and Cascade branches. (Courtesy, Ebony Road Players, photo by Brian Greenleaf)
Founder and Executive Director of Ebony Road Players, Edye Evans Hyde, and cast members will share a reading from the play Alabama Story and discuss its relevance today.
“When we heard the story about the play (Hyde) was putting on, it just seemed like a natural fit,” said KDL Director of Engagement Randy Goble. “It’s a topic we hear about in the current day and time…(and) it’s seeing how something from the late 1950s is relevant today.”
The six-actor, one-set play written by Kenneth Jonesgives voice to a little-known story about a librarian who was persecuted for protecting a children’s book titled The Rabbits’ Wedding.
The story of two rabbits
A children’s picture book written and illustrated by Garth Williams and published in 1958, The Rabbits’ Wedding depicts the love and wedding of two rabbits, one black and one white. The book was ridiculed as promoting interracial marriage, and Emily Wheelock Reed, director of the Alabama Library Service Division, became an advocate for The Rabbits’ Wedding.
KDL features a display about Loving Day, the anniversary of when interracial marriage laws were abolished. (Courtesy, KDL)
“We wanted to do (the preview) to support Ebony Road Players, but also because it is a very fascinating story that we want to help people and the community become more familiar with,” Goble said.
Alabama Story is being performed in conjunction with National Loving Day, an annual celebration held on the anniversary of the United States Supreme Court decision Loving v Virginia, which abolished interracial marriage laws on June 12, 1967.
“Unfortunately, a lot of things during the Civil Rights movement and this particular court case in 1967 is rearing its head again,” Hyde told WKTV. “I was searching for plays, and this one came up. I thought, this needs to be shown so people have an opportunity to see what’s going on now is not new.”
Telling multi-cultural stories
Since its inception as a non-profit theater organization in 2013, Ebony Road Players has provided a platform for narratives like Alabama Story that are not normally heard about or discussed.
Over the past 10 years, Hyde has not lacked for participants in ERP or viewers for their productions.
“It is a very multi-cultural group of people coming,” Hyde said. “They are understanding the need for these stories to be told on a consistent basis. People have been really open to it.”
A participant and one of only a handful of African Americans in Grand Rapids theater during the 1980s-1990s, Hyde began Ebony Road Players when she “realized the talent that is supposed to be here for telling these types of stories was not here. It hadn’t been cultivated.”
Hyde continued to say that she realized the real need was to build a talent pool that could be part of productions and opportunities that are not always given to people of color, and Hyde has been appreciative of the reception from the West Michigan arts community.
“We (Grand Rapids) have a pretty vibrant arts community, and we all work together,” she said.
A natural fit
Goble urges community members to come out for the Alabama Story preview. “If you would like a sneak peek, please come to the library at either of the two locations,” said Goble. “It’s going to be a fantastic introduction to the whole story.”
The May 17 performance will be at the KDL Grandville branch, 4055 Maple Ave. SW. The May 18 performances will be at the KDL Cascade branch, 2870 Jacksmith Ave. SE.
Ebony Road Players will be presenting the full production of Alabama Story June 8-11 at the Grand Rapids Public Museum, 272 Pearl St. NW. Information and tickets can be found here.
ERP is also collaborating with the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum, 11 Sheldon Ave. NE, to host a Loving Day celebration for families on June 10 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. More information can be found here: Faces of Family: Growing Seeds of Love.
D. A. (Deborah) Reed is an award-winning author of young adult novels and a creative writing instructor from the Grand Rapids area. To find out more about D.A. Reed, visit her website: D.A. Reed Author
You might be able to climb into this truck during the Wyoming Department of Public Works’ open house on Monday, May 15. (WKTV/Tessa Schulz)
Have you ever looked outside on a snowy day, sipping a hot chocolate while flurries blow through the frosty air? On wintry days plow trucks keep us safe by providing salt for the streets and scraping snow from the roads.
The Public Works team is here for many seasons, whether it is the icy winter, leafy fall, or road construction.
The Wyoming Department of Public Works is hosting an open house this Monday, May 15, from 5-8 p.m. at the Public Works Facility located at 2660 Burlingame Ave. SW to educate the community on who they are and what they do.
The Kentwood Department of Public Works will be hosting its public works open house Thursday, May 18, 4-7 p.m. at the Kentwood Department of Public Works facility, 5068 Breton Ave. SE. The event is a joint venture with th eKent County
Both events are an early celebration of Public Works Week, May 21-27, which celebrates how public works connects a community through service and infrastructure.
Public Work professionals include engineers, public service, traffic, and fleet service workers. The Kentwood and Wyoming teams provide construction, maintenance, and repairs for streets, sidewalks, waterlines, sewer systems, traffic signs, city vehicles, and equipment.
During the events, community members will meet the public works team, check out demonstrations and climb into a public works vehicle.
Wyoming Public Works Day
“It’s a fun way to show off what we do for the city,” said Jay VanDyke, Wyoming Public Works assistant director. “It’s a great way for the community to come and meet the team who largely works behind the scenes. It’s a hands-on learning opportunity. It has something for every age. Many people never really grow tired of being fascinated by some of this larger equipment.”
The Wyoming open house will feature equipment, including a hydro excavator, dump truck, salt truck, boom truck, and street sweeper. In addition, guests may play games (hammer toss or Plinko) to win prizes or explore booths and displays, including the sewer jet flusher.
The Wyoming open house will serve hot dogs, chips, popsicles, and refreshments. In previous years, several hundred residents attended the city’s open houses.
“We hope that people walk away with a better understanding of the various responsibilities we have at the Public Works Department and the services we provide,” VanDyke said. “Some of these services include providing everyone clean, safe drinking water and a reliable, efficient sewer system. The nice thing about a reliable, efficient sewer system is if you never have to think about it, it’s working great!”
Kentwood Public Works Day
The Kentwood event will have hands-on activities, maintenance and repair demonstrations, and giveaways. All guests may take home free red maple and river birch tree seedlings. In addition, the event will have complimentary food and refreshments.
The Kentwood Department of Public Works will host an open house with the Kent County Road Commission on Thursday, May 18. (Supplied)
Semifinalists and finalists of the Work Zone Safety Poster competition will be recognized at 5:30 p.m. Sponsored by Kent County Road Commission and public works agencies throughout Kent County, the poster contest invited third-graders from across the county to design a caution sign focused on safety tips for driving through a work zone. A gallery of entries will be displayed during the event.
“The Kentwood Department of Public Works supports many aspects of our residents’ daily lives, from plowing roads to maintaining trails to repairing public safety vehicles,” Public Works Director Chad Griffin said. “We’re looking forward to connecting with the community to share more about what we do and display some of the equipment we use to get the job done.”
The Kent County Road Commission will also have team members and equipment on-site to share more about the department’s role in the community.
“Our team works collaboratively with public works departments throughout the county to serve residents by keeping roads safe,” said Steve Warren, managing director of the Kent County Road Commission. “We are excited to connect with community members and share more about our dedication to maintaining public infrastructure.”
The Kentwood Department of Public Works has five divisions that work together to maintain the City’s infrastructure, which includes more than 150 miles of pipes underground and more than 155 miles of streets above ground, as well as parks and grounds, buildings and vehicles. The five divisions are building maintenance, fleet services, grounds maintenance, streets maintenance and utilities (water and wastewater) services. To learn more about Kentwood DPW, visit kentwood.us/DPW.
On May 9, at approximately 7:30 a.m., police and fire personnel from the Wyoming Department of Public Safety and Grandville Police responded to the area of 28th Street near Clydon Avenue on a report of a head-on collision involving two vehicles.
When officers arrived they located two patients, an unresponsive 7-year-old female and a 31-year-old male both with serious injuries. The uninjured driver remained at the scene to speak with police. the injuries driver and child were both transported to an area hospital in critical condition.
The Wyoming Department of Public Safety’s Accident Investigation and Forensic Services Units are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding this incident.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Wyoming Police at 616-530-7300 or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345.
Kent County Sheriff’s Department
At 2:30 a.m. this morning, a homeowner called 911 stating three suspects were checking car doors in the neighborhood along South Park Drive SW. Deputies arrived in the area and located the vehicle described by the homeowner and attempted to stop it. The vehicle fled from deputies but ran over spike strips just down the road. A pursuit continued up Kalamazoo Avenue nail the driver lost control and came to a stop along Kalamazoo Avenue near 52nd Street.
One occupant ran away and a second was arrested in the vehicle. The vehicle itself was stolen form Plainfield Township on May 3. Inside the deputies located two pistols along with cash and other items stolen from vehicles. An 18-year-old Grand Rapids man was arrested on charges related to the case. The other suspect remains outstanding.
This follow a similar incident Monday morning in Byron Township. At 6 a.m., KCSO dispatch received multiple calls of suspects breaking int o cars in the area of Marshwood Court SW. Two vehicles fled from deputies, which were later found at 68th Street and Clyde Park Avenue. As deputies closed in they located four suspects running form the cars, who were all apprehended (ages 15, 16, and two 17-year-old males from Grand Rapids). Three stolen vehicles in total were recovered.
According to a statement released by the Kent County Sheriff’s Department “We continue to see the brazen action of these suspects continue. Please keep your firearms, keys, and cash out of your vehicles. All areas of Kent County are being targeted.”
Trinity Health Grand Rapids, a leading medical facility in West Michigan, has become the first and only hospital in the area to offer Aquablation therapy, a new and innovative treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or benign enlarged prostate.
Dr. Navneet Mander
BPH is a non-cancerous condition where the prostate grows larger than normal, causing difficulty urinating and putting pressure on the bladder, which can lead to irreversible bladder or kidney damage, bladder stones, and incontinence if left untreated. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, benign prostatic hyperplasia affects about 50 percent of men between the ages of 51 and 60 and up to 90 percent of men older than 80.
Aquablation therapy is a minimally invasive treatment that uses imaging, robotics, and a heat-free waterjet to safely remove prostate tissue. This innovative therapy is supported by clinical studies that show long-lasting relief and lower rates of irreversible complications, such as erectile dysfunction and incontinence, for prostates of all sizes. It also provides significant symptom relief for men with large prostates.
Aquablation therapy is the first and only FDA-cleared, surgical robot using automated tissue resection for the treatment of LUTS (Lower urinary tract symptoms) due to BPH. It combines real-time, multi-dimensional imaging, automated robotics, and heat-free waterjet ablation for targeted, controlled, and immediate removal of prostate tissue.
Navneet Mander, MD, a urologist at Trinity Health Grand Rapids, expressed excitement about this new treatment option for his patients, stating that “Aquablation therapy is a new and exciting option for these patients and the next step to furthering our commitment to men’s health. This solution can provide significant, long-lasting symptom relief with lower risk to their sexual function or continence.”
Aquablation therapy offers a safe and effective alternative to existing surgical treatments for BPH, which may have potential adverse effects on sexual function and continence. For many men, the negative side effects of BPH medications can be a significant concern.
Aquablation therapy provides a safe and effective alternative to allow these patients to minimize, and potentially discontinue, the need for these BPH medications. The medical community has embraced Aquablation therapy for its many benefits, including the potential for fewer irreversible complications, faster recovery times, and shorter hospital stays.
Trinity Health Grand Rapids is leading the way in West Michigan by offering Aquablation therapy as a new and exciting treatment option for men with lower urinary tract symptoms due to BPH.
Fig and Friends founder Julie Beukema with Ray (courtesy, Janet Vormittag)
Julie Beukema monitors Michigan Urgent Cats on Facebook, where cats in desperate circumstances are posted with the hope someone can assist. Last November, she spotted a listing regarding a tiny kitten with infected eyes and knew she had to help. A volunteer drove the six-week-old kitten from the Detroit area to Grand Rapids.
Beukema is the founder of Fig and Friends Pet Rescue, a Grand Rapids-based nonprofit that relies on foster homes, volunteers and donations. The rescue takes in owner surrendered pets as well as cats and dogs from crowded shelters. The nonprofit works closely with the Calhoun County Animal Center and shelters in Southeast Michigan.
When the black and white kitten was delivered to Beukema, he was immediately rushed to a veterinarian. The diagnosis wasn’t good—both eyes were ruptured and tissue was becoming necrotic. Surgery to remove the eyes was recommended.
Other than his eyes, the one-pound kitten was healthy and purred up a storm.
“We felt we had to give him a chance,” Beukema said.
The total vet bill for Ray including surgery followup, neuter, vaccines, and microchip was close to $2,000. A Facebook fundraiser was created.
Ray, the Entertainer
Beukema named the longhaired kitten Ray Charles after the blind singer. Being blind didn’t hinder the entertainer and it hasn’t hampered his namesake.
“He’s the most social and curious kitten I’ve ever seen,” Beukema said.
At first glance, Ray’s missing eyes are not noticeable as the fur on his face is black. (Courtesy, Janet Vormittag)
At first glance, Ray’s missing eyes aren’t noticeable. The fur on most of his face is black and his longhair gives him a shaggy look as if his eyes are merely hidden.
Ray is now seven-months-old and is the official greeter at the Happy Cat Café, 447 S. Division Ave. Beukema recently partnered with the café, where cats from Figs and Friends are featured in the café’s adoption room.
Happy Cat Café has collaborated with numerous rescues since they opened and have adopted out close to 700 cats.
The Socialite
Ray is not available for adoption. He had been adopted, but allergies forced his return. Beukema then decided to adopt him herself. Because the blind kitten was so social, she thought to try him at the café. It turned out to be a good fit.
Ray is thriving at the café. He interacts with people, plays with toys and was the first cat to figure out how to run on an exercise wheel — picture a carpeted, four-foot tall hamster wheel.
Ray navigates through sound, scents and his whiskers. He chases and bats around toys like any sighted cat and leaves guests in the cat room amazed at his abilities.
“He’s doing phenomenal. He’s an advocate for special needs cats,” Beukema said. She added if she ever notices Ray isn’t enjoying himself at the café, she’ll bring him home.
Janet Vormittag started Cats and Dogs, a Magazine Devoted to Companion Animalsin 2006 as a monthly publication. It’s geared towards West Michigan readers and features pet-related advertisers, animals available for adoption, and articles about animal rescues and pets. In 2018, Cats and Dogs transitioned to a quarterly publication. The print edition is free and can be found at local libraries and businesses.
By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma WKTV Managing Editor joanne@wktv.org
Along with the passage of the Wyoming Public Safety millage, districts in and around the cities of Wyoming and Kenwood also had positive outcomes on individual ballot proposals.
Kelloggsville Public Schools – non-residential operating millage
Kelloggsville Public Schools, which is in both the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming, was seeking a renewal of its non-residential (non-homestead) operating millage, would generates about $3.7 million or 13% of the district’s annual operating budget. The request was renewed for two more years with 544 to 340 in favor.
Kelloggsville Public Schools’ non-residential millage request was approved by voters for another two years.(WKTV)
“On behalf of the Board of Education, Kelloggsville Administration, and all of our staff members, we sincerely thank you for supporting this millage,” said Kelloggsville Assistant Superintendent Eric Alcorn to a letter to the community. “Your support demonstrates a commitment to our schools and the education of our students. We are fortunate to have such dedicated staff and community members who value education and understand the importance of investing in our schools.”
The money will be used for the day-to-day operations of the Kelloggsville schools such as staffing costs, instructional programs, instructional materials, transport and maintenance.
Grandville Public Schools – non-residential operating millage
Grandville Public Schools, which includes the Wyoming panhandle, also was seeking a renewal of its non-residential (non-homestead) operating millages. The proposal was for the 18-mills on non-homestead property plus one additional mlll, for a total of 19 mills, for four years.
GPS has had a “Headlee Rollback” for the past seven years, with its millage now 16.8 mills. The additional mill will offset up to one mill of Headlee Rollback and make up the different over the four years to keep the district as close to 18 mills as possible.
The proposal passed 3,422 to 2,112.
Caledonia Community Schools – supplement bond proposal
Caledonia Community Schools’ supplemental bond proposal for $61 million pasted by a small margin, 2,790 to 2,715. The funding will be used to complete the 2020 vision that voters approved a bond issue on in that same year. Due to construction costs, the district needed to seek the supplemental bond issue.
The funding will be used for construction of a new Dutton Elementary, football stadium renovations, repairing roofs, upgrading parking lots, and providing parking and youth athletic fields at Calplex.
“We want to thank the voters in our community for supporting this bond proposal,” said Dr. Dedrick Martin, superintendent of Caledonia Community Schools. “Our continued investment in our schools will help Caledonia stay competitive and enable our students to receive real-world, hands-on experiences in upgraded facilities so they can better compete in the global marketplace.”
The Caledonia School Bond, which is located south of the City of Kentwood, will not raise tax rates for residents. It is a fiscally responsible investment in which all funds will be available on CCS’ website to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and transparently. All bond funds will be subject to regular independent audits to promote accountability and the best fiscal practices.
Left, Mayor Kent Vanderwood and Chief Kim Koster, chat in front of the city’s retired aerial fire truck. Through the millage that was passed Tuesday, the city will be able to purchase a new one. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
Wyoming Public Safety Chief Kim Koster admits there is a lot of work ahead for her department — postings, recruiting, and the purchase of a new fire truck — and it’s thanks to the city’s residents who by 64% approved a public safety proposal on Tuesday.
“I’m extremely grateful to our community for their support,” Koster said during a press conference at the city’s Division Avenue Fire Station. “They really looked forward and could see how an increase in personnel would have an impact on community safety.
She added that this is especially true for the fireside as increased personnel will help decrease response times and allow the city to fully staff its Division Avenue fire station, which has never been open on a regular basis.
Voters showed their support
In a vote of 4,987 to 2,803, Wyoming voters approved a 1.5 mill increase that would be dedicated to the public safety department. The millage would raise about $4 million annually allowing the city to maintain 17 public safety positions and add 10 more.
“I believe the key this time around is that we kept the message very simple,” said Mayor Kent Vanderwood, who recited his slogan throughout the campaign. “Ask the residents for only what is needed and for no longer than needed.”
Vanderwood said the city asked for the right amount making it clear it would be dedicated to the public safety department for staffing and the purchase of needed equipment. He also felt putting a time frame of five years on the millage gives residents the control over whether they see the need or not to continue with the millage. Vanderwood added that the five years gives the city time to explore other options for funding.
“I am grateful to the business community who came forward and supported this,” Vanderwood said. In fact many, such as the 36th Street Palermo Pizza, handed informational flyers.
As the vote rolled in on Tuesday, Vanderwood said the tallies came in two groups. The first was the absentee voters, which were around 4,800. Absentee ballots showed 68% in support of the millage.
A total of 7,700 of the city’s approximate 58,000 registered voters cast a vote in Tuesday’s election. This is about 15% of the city’s registered voters, which is on par for the entire county and usually the percentage for a May election.
Remodeling and Recruiting
The press conference was in front of the 1994 aerial fire truck that has been out of commission for about a year and half, Koster said. Through the new bond proposal, the city will purchase a new aerial truck, which she noted is needed as the city has more multi-floor buildings along with allowing firefighters to safely reach the roof of a home during a fire. Since the trucks are made to specifications, it will take about a year for the new truck to arrive.
Through the millage and for the first time in the city’s history, the city’s Division Avenue Fire Station will be fully staffed. This summer it will be renovated and updated. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
Koster said postings for six fire positions went out the day after the election and that they will begin recruiting for the four police officer positions. Because it does take time to find the right candidates, Koster said they hope to have some of the positions filled by fall.
Through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, the Division Avenue Fire Station will be remodeled which will include five bunk rooms for staff along with other updates. The station was primarily operated by volunteer/paid-on call and does not currently have sleeping quarters. This remodeling is scheduled to take place this summer, Koster said.
“I can only echo what the mayor and Chief Koster have said in that we are grateful to the community and we will follow through on the commitments we have made,” said Interim City Manager John McCarter.
Within only a couple of months of an announcement that long distance bus service would be available from Grand Rapids, offerings have expanded.
FlixBus just added routes for Muskegon and Chicago. (Courtesy, FlixBus)
FlixBus, which was the first to announce it would be expanding its long distance service to Grand Rapids. Since that expansion in March, which was a route to and from Detroit with a stop in East Lansing, FlixBus has added routes for Muskegon and Chicago.
The Muskegon route will run five days a week, excluding Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Morning trips will depart from Detroit at 10 a.m. and afternoon trips will depart from Grand Rapids at 3:20 p.m. The Muskegon stop is at the Muskegon Laundromat, 1490 E. Apple Ave.
The Muskegon route will include stops in Grand Rapids (downtown), at the downtown Burger King, 410 Pearl St. NW, near the downtown YMCA; Grand Rapids (East) at the Cascade Meijer, 5531 28th St. Ct. SE; East Lansing, near the Frandor Shopping Centers; and the final stop is Detroit at Grand Circus Park, 501 Park Ave.
This month, FlixBus also including a Chicago Route that will start and stop in East Lansing and stoping at both the Grand Rapids downtown and Grand Rapids east locations. The northbound scheduled will leave from Chicago at 9:30 a.m. from the Chicago Bus Station, 630 West Harrison St., Chicago. It will stop at 1:45 p.m. at Grand Rapids downtown and 2:10 p.m. at Grand Rapids east. IT will conclude in East Lansing at 3:25 p.m.
The southbound trip will leave from East Grand Rapids at 4:30 p.m., stopping at Grand Raids east at 5:40 p.m., Grand Rapids downtown at 6:05 p.m., and arriving in Chicago at 8:25 p.m.
Tickets for the routes range from $29.99 to $13.99 depending on departure and length. For more about the new FlixBus line and tickets, visit FlixBus.com or the FlixBus app
Megabus
In April, Megabus, an intercity bus service of Coach USA/Coach Canada, and Indian Trails, a family owned transportation company based in Michigan, announced a partnership to offer daily trips to 26 locations from the City of Grand Rapids.
In April. Megabus announced it would be connecting Grand Rapids to 26 Michigan cities. (Courtesy, Megabus)
Operating from the Grand Rapids Rail Station at 440 Centre Ave., Megabus will be stopping at cities such as Benton Harbor, Big Rapids, Cedar Springs, Detroit, East Lansing, Flint, Holland, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Mackinaw City, Petoskey, Reed City, Rockford, South Haven and Traverse City.
Tickets range from $14 to $53 depending on destination. A complete list of cities and schedules are available at us.megabus.com.
WKTV volunteer Joe DeJong has been the host of The Joe Show for the past three years. He is now looking for an assistant to help operate the camera and edit his show. (WKTV)
Editor’s Note: This story ran previously. The current producer needed to step away with The Joe Show now searching for a new camera operator/producer. If you are interested, contact WKTV Managing Editor Joanne Bailey-Boorsma at joanne@wktv.org or call the office 616-261-5700.
By Sheila McGrath WKTV Contributing Writer
Joe DeJong is not a guy who gives up easily.
For the past three years, DeJong has hosted a podcast called The Joe Show – Connecting All Abilities, which airs on WKTV and can also be found on Apple Podcasts and WKTV’s The Whole Picture Podcasts Facebook page.
The podcast discusses many issues around living with a disability, including ways the community can be more inclusive, as well as the dreams, needs and goals of people with disabilities.
But DeJong, who is blind, has been unable to produce new episodes of the show for the past few months because he lost his camera operator.
Joe DeJong with Erin App, the choir director for the Action Choir. (WKTV)
Now, he’s looking for a new camera person who can also provide transportation to the WKTV studio in Wyoming and help him line up guests.
“I can’t run the cameras because of my visual impairment. I can’t do it myself,” he said. “It’s disappointing to me to not be doing the show right now, but I’m a very patient person. I’m willing to wait until I can get somebody.”
DeJong, 28, has hosted 40 episodes of The Joe Show, featuring guests from the Special Olympics, the Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Center, Disability Advocates of Kent County and many more. State Rep. Tommy Brann was a guest on one of his early podcasts in 2020.
DeJong has many ideas for where he’d like to take the show, but first, he needs to find someone to help run the camera.
Hiring the new person would be facilitated through GT Independence, a service that helps people with disabilities hire community-based caregivers of their choosing.
In addition to running the camera and providing transportation to and from the studio, DeJong envisions that the new assistant would also help him narrow down possible guests for the show by researching people and businesses that would be a good fit. DeJong would make the phone calls to book the guests, he said.
The time commitment would be a few hours a week, including driving to and from the studio, setting up and taping the half-hour show, and doing a little additional research to find guests.
Joe DeJong said he hopes to keep his show about abilities running but needs an assistance to do so. (WKTV)
“If we can find someone, then we can go from there, and give them the training on how to work the camera,” he said.
“I’m a guy that’s going to keep punching and keep advocating and keep fighting,” he said. “I’m not quitting.”
Anyone interested in working with DeJong on the show may contact him through WKTV at 616-261-5700 or by emailing WKTV Managing Editor, Joanne Bailey-Boorsma at joanne@wktv.org.
More information about GT Independence is online at gtindependence.com, or they can be reached by phone at 1-877-659-4500.
Community members gathered outside the 63rd District Court, 1950 E. Beltline NE., on the evening of Thursday, April 27, to honor and remember those killed by violent crime.
Many groups in attendance wore T-shirts and carried posters bearing the names of loved ones lost due to violence. Photos of victims were also displayed on dozens of placards surrounding the courthouse.
Speakers at the event included local law enforcement, victims’ rights advocates and community members who have been affected by crime. Grand Rapids resident Jerline Riley, who lost her son to homicide, prayed for peace and safety in the community. All were in agreement that the violence must stop.
“No more victims,” said Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker. “Too many families have gone through just absolute horror.”
More than 130 names of crime victims were read allowed at the community vigil, a bell tolling for each and every one. Several more names were added by people in attendance.
Families of victims were thanked by speakers for their continued determination to get justice for their loved ones. And reminded that efforts to keep the memory of victims’ alive make a real difference.
“I’m so inspired to see all of you once again standing up for your family,” said Becker. “Don’t let it end here today. Go out, be an advocate. Talk to your legislators, talk to your neighbors. Spread the word.”
This year Silent Observer marks 50 years of aiding police through anonymous tips. Silent Observer promises those wishing to report information on a serious crime can do so without having to reveal their identity. The organization promotes strong community responses to crime to ensure victims receive both respect and justice.
“It doesn’t matter what the crime is, there is always a victim associated with that crime,” said Chris Cameron, former Executive Director of Silent Observer. “Silent Observer’s mission is all about removing dangerous criminals from our streets and helping victims of crime see justice.”
Anyone who has witnessed a crime can submit tips anonymously by phone at 616-774-2345, or online.
By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma WKTV Managing Editor joanne@wktv.org
Residents and community leaders show their support of the Wyoming public safety millage which is on Tuesday’s ballot. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
A group of Wyoming residents and community leaders came together on Sunday to show their support of the city’s public safety millage, which is on Tuesday’s ballot.
The city is seeking a millage of 1.5 mills for a period of five years. If approved, the millage would generate an additional $4 million in revenue each year. The revenue would help fund 27 public safety positions, 14 police officers and 13 fire fighters.
“I don’t know what would have happened if we hadn’t had Wyoming PD and Wyoming fire department there, because neither my husband or I had the tools nor did we have the expertise that the first responders did and that is something that I will forever be grateful for,” said Wyoming resident Lauren Gohlke, whose son Emmett suffered from a silent reflux instance on Jan. 10, 2022 that caused him to stop breathing. Through the first responders quick response, they were able to revive the infant.
Only a few days later, on Jan. 25, 2022, Lisa Postema received a call from her neighbor that her family home at 5335 Canal St. SW, where the press conference was at, was on fire.
A picture of 5335 Canal Avenue sits in front of the remains of the building. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
“There was a snowstorm going, so driving home was crazy,” Postema said, adding that her brother was home at the time of the fire and was able to get the slider open so her animals, a cat and two dogs, could escape safely. “I actually found the cat a few days later in our barn. We thought we had lost him but he was there. His whiskers were all burned off but he was OK.”
The house had been built in 1968 and Postema remembers the family moving in when she was 9-years-old. The family was getting ready to sell the home when the fire broke out. It was determined that the electrical wiring was the cause of the fire.
Originally only the Wyoming Department of Public Safety was called that day in the early morning hours, but due to the fact the house was fully engulfed, fire departments from Grandville, Byron Center and Georgetown were also called. In 2020, the City of Wyoming had to rely on assistance from neighboring communities 140 times because the department’s staff was on other calls. In a Kentwood Fire Department’s 2022 Fire Report, under the mutual aid section, Kentwood responded to mutual aid calls in Wyoming 50 times, while Wyoming responded to mutual aid calls in Kentwood twice.
“Our public safety department is operating with fewer individuals than they were in 2000 and our population has grown 10 percent,” said Mayor Kent Vanderwood at the press conference, which was hosted by the Safe Wyoming Coalition. According to statistics, the City of Wyoming has 1.3 police officers for every 1,000 residents with the national average being 2.4 officers for every 1,000.
In 2022, Wyoming police investigative department was assigned 3,583 cases and the patrol division responded to 46,486 which included 2,005 traffic accidents. The Wyoming fire department responded to 7,090 incidents in 2022, which average 645 incidents per firefighter, Vanderwood said. Calls for service have increased by 8 % with the current average emergency response time being 5.16 minutes, he said.
“I am here today to remind us just how valuable and important it is to have fire and police available in less time,” said Pastor Rick Pilieci for Grace University and who serves as the public safety department’s chaplain. “Being the chaplain, I have been able to do ride alongs for the last five and half years and each of those ride longs I am just amazed to see how much need we have in our community.
“Quite often, we will find fire and police at the same scene. I have witnessed first-hand lives being saved right before my eyes and I have witnessed also where we were just a few minutes too late where something had happened.”
Vanderwood said that the funding would provide for 27 positions, help decrease response times, dedicated safety patrols, and would allow the city to staff all four of its fire stations. Currently only two are staffed full-time.
By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma WKTV Managing Editor joanne@wktv.org
There will be a number of carnival rides and food offerings at the Wyoming Spring Carnival. (Supplied)
This Friday is the official kick off of activities in the City of Wyoming as city’s annual Spring Carnival returns for 10 days.
“This kicks off the season for us,” said Wyoming Parks and Recreation Director Krashawn Martin. “The carnival is the start of our events such as the concerts and we have some pop-up activities planned for July.
“So here is to beautiful weather and smooth sailing into summer for Wyoming.”
The carnival runs April 28 through May 7 at the Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St. SW. Hours are from 4 – 8:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 2-8:30 p.m. Friday and noon-8:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The carnival is free however there is a cost for rides and food. At the city’s website, there is a coupon for $3 off an unlimited ride wristband.
“This is usually the first event for TJ Schmidt & Company, which runs the carnival,” Martin said. “They always have some fun and new rides and this is the opportunity to explore them. I am not sure exactly what they will be, so people will have to come see for themselves.”
A staple in the city city for more than 30 years, proceeds from the carnival support City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation services and the Greater Wyoming Community Resource Alliance or GWCRA. Funds raised support youth scholarships and youth and family programming through the Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department. The GWCRA distributes funds to the community its through annual grant awarding process.
The Spring Carnival is made possible through the work of the City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation and TJ Schmidt & Company. For more information about the carnival, contact the Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department at 616-530-3164.
Pictured above is the Beverly Bryan Community Orchard, where the Wyoming event will occur. (Photo, Tree Amigos)
Arbor Day celebrates the gift of trees this Friday, April 28. The holiday is a day dedicated to encouraging individuals to plant trees, which are essential for our ecosystem, are a renewable resource, and offer many benefits to communities.
This year, the City of Wyoming Tree Commission, “The Tree Amigos,” is partnering with Wyoming’s West Elementary, 1840 38th St. SW, for its 2023 Arbor Day ceremony set for 10:30 a.m. The event will take place in school’s Beverly Bryan Community Orchard.
West Elementary students will share poetry, art, and songs at the event. The city will plant two fruit trees in the orchard to celebrate Arbor Day.
Mayor Kent Vanderwood, who was ab advocate in establishing the tree commission in 2015, will open the event with the Arbor Day proclamation.
“We are a group of citizen volunteers who want to improve the tree canopy for our city because it is so important to the health of the people that live here,” said Estelle Slootmaker, board member of The Tree Amigos.
The event will also recognize the City of Wyoming’s eighth consecutive year as a part of Tree City USA.
ArborFest celebrations will also occur this weekend, April 28-29, in Grand Rapids. During this event, the community will plant 200 trees and give away 150 in the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood.
Arbor Day originates from the Latin word “arbor,” meaning tree.
“Trees are as important to a healthy city as the water supply, the public works department, or the police force. Our job is to educate people so they (trees) are valued, planted, and maintained more,” Slootmaker said.
This holiday has been around for centuries, dating back to 1872 when journalist Julius Morton proposed a day to encourage his fellow Nebraskans to plant trees.
Morton filled his property (160 acres) with trees to enrich the desolate planes of Nebraska. He wrote for the Nebraska City News, where he encouraged community members to learn about the ecological importance of trees.
Morton’s articles resonated with the public. The agriculture board approved his proposal for a holiday, and community members planted more than a million trees on the first Arbor Day.
“We still have a mindset that trees are decorations, but they are so integral to our way of living,” Slootmaker said.
Trees play many roles in our lives. They provide oxygen for us to breathe. They are a renewable resource giving wood and paper. Trees provide fruit for food and are a habitat for wildlife. Trees can reduce air and noise pollution in busy neighborhoods and reduce heating and cooling bills. The benefits of trees extend long past a tree’s lifetime.
“We can reduce the impacts of climate change on neighborhoods. We can improve their air quality and reduce asthma rates,” Slootmaker said. “Trees have been proven to reduce crime and boost our mental health. There are lots of good reasons to plant trees.”
The Tree Amigos needs more board members. It is required to be a Wyoming resident. Any volunteers or inquiries can contact: treeamigoswyoming@gmail.com
Justin Lacey-Pierce (left) looks for an opening during his match against Jason Jackson in the 165-pound Elite Open class final at the Michigan Golden Gloves state finals Saturday at West Catholic. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
East Kentwood graduate Justin Lacey-Pierce led the list of area boxers who brought home state titles at the 2023 Michigan Golden Gloves state championship finals on Saturday evening at West Catholic High School.
Lacey-Pierce, a 2017 grad of East Kentwood, turned in a solid performance as he won a decision against Jason Jackson of the Holland Westside Boxing Club in the 165-pound Elite Open division final. Lacey-Pierce, who defeated Jackson in last week’s West Michigan Golden Gloves finals, took charge of the bout from the opening bell and carried the action throughout the match.
Lacey-Pierce, like all the other champions from the state finals, now heads to the Golden Gloves of America National Tournament from May 8-14 in Philadelphia.
“Winning the state title feels ok, but what I really want is the national championship,” Lacey-Pierce said. “I’ve won a national championship before and what I want is to win a Golden Gloves national championship. That is my main goal.”
Lacey-Pierce cleared the next hurdle in reaching that goal by taking care of business against Jackson which gave him his second Golden Gloves state title of his career.
“It was a rematch of last week,” Lacey-Pierce said. “It was pretty much the same thing again. He (Jackson) is a very tough fighter. He’s durable and tough. I just tried to keep jabbing and sneak in some body shots and try to wear him out.”
Junior Rios gets fifth state title
While Lacey-Pierce won his second state title, former Wyoming Pride Boxing Club boxer Aneudy “Junior” Rios won his fifth state title. Like Lacey-Pierce, Rios fought a familiar foe in the title match as he squared off against Gentle Gibson of Kalamazoo who he defeated in last week’s West Michigan state finals in the 132-pound open division. Like the previous fight, Rios relied on his speed and quickness to carry him to the decision.
Junior Rios (right) squares off against Gentle Gibson of Kalamazoo in the 132-pound Elite Open class at the Michigan Golden Gloves state finals. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
“He (Gibson) was going for the knockout,” Rios said. “I used my quickness against him. I have quicker hands and quicker feet and I used that to my advantage. His gameplan was to land a knockout punch. It was definitely a good fight. He tried to knock me out but I knew I could outbox him.”
Winning a fifth state title meant plenty to Rios who plans to turn professional after making a run at qualifying for the 2024 Olympics.
“This feels great,” Rios said. “I have dreamed about this moment and to come out on top really means a lot to me. I’m looking forward to the national tournament and I feel right now I’m in better shape that I’ve ever been in during all the years of going to nationals. I feel way quicker, have way more experience and have a way better boxing IQ.”
Mo Mercado 125-pound open division champ
Like his training partner Rios, Guillermo “Mo” Mercado is another multi-time state champion and faced a rematch in his title bout in the 125-pound open division. Like he did the week prior, Mercado utilized his outstanding boxing skills to win a decision against Jason Wells.
Guillermo Mercado (left) looks to set up his shot during his match against Jason Wells in the 125-pound Elite Open class final at the Michigan Golden Gloves state finals. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)
“I went into the match trying to stay focused and to get the job done,” Mercado said. “I knew that I could outbox him and that was my plan. He tried some different things but I just stayed composed and outboxed him.”
The state title meant plenty to Mercado who also plans to turn professional after the Golen Gloves.
“This is a tremendous feeling,” Mercado said. “I put my heart on the line for this one. I’ve went through a lot of adversity to get this one and this really means a lot to me.”
Catholic Central grad Ulysses Campos wins at 147 pounds
Ulysses Campos, a 2018 graduate of Grand Rapids Catholic Central High School is another area boxer who was looking to add to his collection of state titles before turning pro later this year. Campos won a decision against Tyrone Welch of Saginaw in the finals at 147 pounds. The title was the sixth Golden Gloves title for Campos and the fourth Golden Gloves state championship on his resume.
“I won my first Golden Gloves title when I was 16-years old,” said the 23-year old Campos, who also was part of a state championship soccer team while at Catholic Central. “This one is pretty special. It is my last one and I knew it was going to be a tough one. My opponent is really tough and I knew it was going to be a big challenge.”
Bryan Caceres wins fourth state title
Bryan Caceres rounded out the area open champions. Caceres, who won a fourth state title for his career, needed to avenge a loss from last week’s West Michigan finals to earn his title. In a match that was just as hard-fought as last week’s title match at 139 pounds, Caceres won a decision against Marcos Saucedo Jr. of Holland. Like the other area open division boxers, Caceres is also planning on turning professional later this year.
Also claiming open-division titles were Nicholas Young of Flint at 156 pounds, KeiShawn Partee of Muskegon, 176 pounds, Solomon Jagun of Lansing, 203 pounds, and Shaquan Cox of Flint, 203-plus division.
Sarah Batenburg takes 146-pound title in the female division
There also were three uncontested open division champions all in the female division. Sarah Batenburg of Hudsonville won at 146 pounds, Zoe Hicks of Lansing won at 110 pounds and Kimberly Green of Lansing was the 178 pounds-plus champion.
In novice action, Michael Guzman of Grand Rapids won the 132-pound novice title with a decision against Gage Stafford of Flint.
“It feels good,” Guzman said. “I’ve loved fighting in the Golden Gloves this year. It’s a great feeling to be the last man standing.”
Guzman’s twin brother Mike Guzman just missed a state title of his own as he dropped a close decision to Brant Bowlin of Lansing at 139 pounds.
In the 147-pound novice division, Alejandro Hernandez of the Anahuac Boxing Club, located in southwest Grand Rapids, won a decision against Stephen Ramirez. The bout was a rematch of last week’s West Michigan finals contest and Hernandez used a similar formula to get the win.
“(He) Ramirez was not as aggressive as last week,” Hernandez said. “Like I did last week, I just tried to outbox him. Winning the state title feel so good. It feels good to see all my hard work pay off.”
At 203 pounds, Zachary Brayton of Traverse City Significant Strikes won a decision against Austin Connors of the Kalamazoo Boxing Club in a rematch of their fight last week. Brayton, who improved his record to 7-0 over the weekend, also was named the Outstanding Novice Boxer for this year’s state finals.
Also winning state titles in the novice division were Van Davis (125 pounds) of Muskegon, Brant Bowling (139) of Lansing, Ndeye Diouf (female-146 pounds) of Flint and Monjuan Walker (156) of Flint. Uncontested novice champions included Sulliman Aamer (112) of Holland, Abel Vilchis-Mendoza (176) of Muskegon and Cody Leonard (203-plus) of Muskegon.
The DPW offers a variety of educational opportunities year-round so the entire community can learn how they can help the DPW achieve its ambitious goal of reducing landfilled waste by 90% by 2030.
“A great way to celebrate Earth Day is to learn how to reduce waste and create a cleaner environment for all, and our educational programming is perfect for people of all ages,” said Katelyn Kikstra, waste reduction educator at the DPW. “We’re proud to offer programming year-round so our community can be informed about where local waste goes and to generate excitement about recycling and renewable energy.”
Members of the public can tour the Kent County Recycling and Education Center and other DPW facilities and learn how Kent County’s recycling program works and what can be recycled. Guided group tours are available for groups larger than five participants to learn the ins and outs of recycling and watch machines and workers sort recyclables. For individuals or groups smaller than five, self-guided tours are available during recycling center open hours along with museum-style exhibits that explain the recycling process. The Recycling and Education Center offers open hours each Monday from 9 a.m.-noon.
“Earth Day serves as a great reminder to take advantage of our self-guided tours during open hours, or to reach out and schedule a guided tour in the coming months,” Kikstra said.
Residents can also learn about renewable energy and natural resources through a visit to the Kent County Waste-to-Energy facility, which processes up to 625 tons of municipal solid waste per day and converts it into steam through incineration in specially designed furnaces. The steam then goes through a generator to create electricity, which is used in-house or sold to an electricity supplier to be used in Kent County’s homes and businesses.
A bus tour of the South Kent landfill will educate attendees on personal decision-making regarding waste, landfill basics and renewable energy. Attendees will learn what everyone can do differently to help reduce landfill waste and create a better environment.
A full list of the DPW’s educational offerings can be found online. The DPW also released a spring-cleaning guide to help identify common household materials accepted at its facilities.
The Kent County Department of Public Works provides municipal solid waste disposal services to ensure the effective removal, storage and disposal of residential and commercial solid waste through various facilities and programs, including Waste-to-Energy, the Recycling and Education Center, North Kent Transfer Station and South Kent Landfill.
The renewal of the 18 mills will support Kelloggsville’s day-to-day operations . (WKTV)
Residents in the Kelloggsville Public School District are being asked to renew the district’s non-residential (non-homestead) operating millage, which would generate about $3.7 million or 13% of the district’s annual operating budget.
“The operating millage provides critical funds to support the day-to-day operations of our schools, including, but not limited to staffing costs, instructional programs, instructional materials, transportation and maintenance,” said Kelloggsville Assistant Superintendent Eric Alcorn.
The proposal would renew taxes on business properties and second homes. It would not cost the owners of a primary residence any additional taxes.
If approved, the proposal would allow the district to continue to levy its full 18 mills and restore millage lost by the reduction required by the Headlee amendment to the Michigan Constitution.
Headlee Amendment
Passed in 1978, the Headlee Amendment created a process for the reduction of mileage rates (the Headlee Rollback) to ensure that total municipal tax revenue could grow only at the rate of inflation, plus new construction.
In 1994, Michigan voters approved Proposal A that structured public school funding as six mills on all properties and 18 mills on non-residential properties, such as second homes and businesses. Voter approval is required for a district such as Kelloggsville to levy the full 18 mills on non-residential properties.
Failure to authorize the operating millage proposal would decrease Kelloggsville’s state School Aid Foundation allowance by an approximate $3.7 million dollars. The State of Michigan will not replace the lost funding due to a non-approval.
Kelloggsville voters reauthorized the non-homestead millage in 2021 for two years. The May 2 proposal would reauthorize the millage through 2025.
