Category Archives: City of Wyoming

Serita’s Black Rose brings the funk, more to Tuesday’s concert

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Recreation, Upcoming Events, , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

It was a chance meeting at lunch spot in Eastown that brought Serita Crowley and John Hayes together.

Discovering they both had a passion for music and after playing a few sessions together, the two local musicians not only became a couple but formed one of the area’s popular groups, Serita’s Black Rose.

Serita’s Black Rose, featuring John Hayes and Serita Crowley, will perform this Tuesday in Wyoming and on July 4 in the City of Kentwood. (Supplied)

The duo with its bandmates, bassist Robert Pace and drummer Mark Weymouth, will continue the music — or rather the funk — this Tuesday as they take the stage at Lamar Park, the second concert in the Wyoming’s Concerts in the Park series.

The popular local band will perform at 7 p.m. Admission is free.

A self-professed “Funkateer,” Crowley brings a raucous mix of funk, rock, blues, neo-soul, and Americana to the stage, according to the Serita’s Black Rose website. In fact, her voice his probably recognizable to many as she has done voices overs along with performed in the musicals “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Hair.”

As a duo, Hayes and Crowley perform many of the timeless classics of the 1960s and 1970s, although in a recent February 2022 article from Local Spins, Crowley said the band’s focus has been on a specific style: the blues.

“Blues music is a genre that we can focus on. It’s an accessible market for us to do really well in. I mean, blues is at the root of everything,” she told Local Spins.

The pandemic offered the duo a chance to work on new song ideas with a new release expected sometime down the road. 

For now, Serita’s Black Rose has been busy performing. Last summer, the group opened for the classic rock band Kansas at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park and its 80-plus gigs a year have the members traveling much of Michigan from Wyoming and Kentwood areas to Mackinaw Island.

Serita Crowley is know for her amazing vocal range. (Supplied)

No sweat if you miss Serita’s Black Rose’s performance on Tuesday. The group has a number of local performances scheduled including being part of the City of Kentwood’s Fourth of July celebration line-up. (That performance is scheduled for 8:30 p.m.)

For more about the group, visit www.seritasblackrose.com.

Wyoming Concerts in Park 2022 are all at 7 p.m. at Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St. SW. More info: Wyoming Concerts in the Park Facebook page.

The rest of the Wyoming Concerts in the Park line up is:

June 21 – Nathan Walton Band – Soul, Rock 

June 28 – Jordan Hamilton – Cellist 

July 12 – Randy McAllister – Blues and Soul 

July 19 – Monty Pride – Folk 

July 26 – Bernadette Kathryn – Country 

Aug. 2 – Grupo Latin – Latin Soul (13 piece band)

LPGA chaplain set to visit Marge’s Donut Den Wednesday

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Recreation, Religion, Sports, Upcoming Events, , ,

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

Cris Stevens, the chaplain for the LPGA

As the Meijer ladies Charity Classic gets underway this week, the Mr. Sid’s Wednesday Afternoon Video Series will have LPGA Chaplain Cris Stevens as its guest this Wednesday.

Stevens has served as the chaplain for the Ladies Professional Golf Association since 1982 and will be sharing stories from her role in the LPGA and how she counsels, supports, and ministers to the world’s best professional golfers. She will present her program on Wednesday, June 15, at 2 p.m at Marge’s Donut Den, 1751 28th St. SW. 

Tom Sibley, one of the organizers of the Mr. Sid’s programs, noted this is the second time that Stevens has visited the group. Stevens stopped by last year just before the Meijer LPGA Classic.

The daughter of Sid Lenger (who the group is named after), Lavoone Ritzema, had met Stevens while she worked with the LPGA and invited her to speak. Stevens presentation was so popular that organizers decided to invite her back.

The program begins at 2 p.m. at Marge’s Donut Den, 1751 28th St. SW. There is a hymn sing at 1:45 p.m. The program is free.

Coming up for the Mr. Sid’s Wednesday Afternoon Video Series will be USS Silversides Museum Executive Director Peggy Maniates on July 20. and Grand Haven Musical Fountain Engineer and Board Member Terry Stevens on Aug. 17. 

Division Avenue hosts first annual festival on June 18

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Kids Activities, Local Business, Local Faces, Recreation, Upcoming Events, , , , , ,

By D.A. Reed
WKTV Contributing Writer

The Division Avenue Business Association (DABA), will be hosting the Division Ave. Art & Culture Festival on June 18, from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Craft vendors will be part of the upcoming Division Ave. Arts & Culture Festival. (Courtesy The Stray)

This family-friendly event will be held in the neighborhood surrounding Division Avenue and 43rd Street, and will include food and craft vendors, live music, Pacific Island dancers, interactive art, a colorful dragon parade, fun prize giveaways, and more.

The Art & Culture Festival was brought into being after a study was done by Division United and in cooperation with The Rapid.

“They were looking at what this neighborhood would need to grow and better the people who live here and the people who work here,” Hunter VanKlompenberg, music and arts manager of The Stray, a coffee house participating in the Festival. “We thought it would be cool to have an annual summer festival that is for the local neighborhood and supported by local artists and gets the involvement of all the different businesses.”

Along with independent artists, musicians, and vendors from the greater Grand Rapids area, several local Division Avenue businesses will be participating in the Festival, including The Stray, Café Boba, Quest Fitness, and Natural Maya. A portion of 43rd Street will be closed down to accommodate the Festival.

Pacific Island dancers will be part of the entertainment at the Festival. (Courtesy The Stray)

“We are going to have artist tents outside,and space for live music,” VanKlompenberg said. “We have the support of Wyoming and Kentwood city governments, and they are putting in a temporary crosswalk so that it (the Festival) is easy for people to access.”

While it isn’t the most well-known area of Grand Rapids, the Wyoming and Kentwood areas are vastly multi-cultural with specialty shops, including the Kim Nhung Superstore, that are sought out by West Michigan community members.

“A lot of people will drive over an hour to come visit because there are ingredients you just can’t get anywhere else,” VanKlompenberg said of the Asian grocery store across the street from The Stray.

Owners of Café Boba, Yiuli and ted Bonarski are also excited to be part of the upcoming Festival.

Cafe Boba is known for its bubble tea and other delights. (Supplied)

“We’re so happy to be involved in planning and participating n this event,” the couple said in a recent interview. “It’s not widely known that South Division is a hotbed of hole-in-the-wall, diamond-in-the-rough small businesses, but it truly is the place in Grand Rapids for authentic food and art from a huge variety of cultures around the world. We’re thrilled to be helping to promote small, owen operated businesses; they are the lifeblood of a healthy community for people, by the people.”

Café Boba offers customers a wide selection of boba tea, smoothies, slashes, coffee drinks, and sweets treats — and will be offering a new summer menu.

Ray Shonk, owner of Quest Fitness on Division Street, will also be participating in the Art and Culture Festival and looks forward to the opportunity to meet more members of the community.

“Fitness isn’t meant to be for the super-wealthy,” Shonk said. “It should be for everyone.”

Ray Shonk, owner of Quest Fitness, said fitness should be for everyone. (Supplied)

Shonk has experience training many different levels of fitness enthusiasts, from those stepping into a gym fo rat first time, to professional athletes and Olympic competitors.

To help raise awareness and encourage fitness discussions, Shonk will be offering free fitness assessments throughout the entire Festival where community members can meet Quest Fitness trainers and discuss their goals. “Fitness is not one-size-fits-all. It has to be custom-fit to each person,” said Shonk.

Shonk is a firm believer in offering affordable fitness options for everyone while also providing unique experiences. “I am having to draw on 30-plus years of martial arts experience to put that together,” Shonk said with a laugh.

The Stray also hopes to bring the Wyoming an dKentwood area something unique and virtual to West Michigan.

A family-owned café, The Stray’s goal since conception has been to bring diversity and community to a place of comfort and creativity. They accomplish this by offering a relaxing venue for both coffee enthusiasts and artists of the surrounding area. The Stray’s own unique blend of creative talent and delicious coffee helps cultivate the welcoming atmosphere The Stray strives to bring to Grand Rapids.

The Stray is a family-owned business that opened last fall. (Supplied)

“There is a definite deficit of accessible venues for music and arts,” said VanKlompenberg of the Grand Rapids area. “Having an (accessible) place was definitely needed.”

Included in the live music line-up are American Folk band Wilderlove, and musician Kevin Murphy, and Jeff Troutman and the Parachute Adams Band.

Division Avenue store owners invite adults and children alike to explore the Division Ave. Art & Culture Festival on June 18 and experience all the community has to offer.

For full Art & Culture Festival event information and updates, visit the event’s Facebook page.

There is still availability for vendors who would like to get involved. Those who would like to participate can fill out the Involvement Interest Form or send an email to the team@thestraycafe.com.

Wyoming Concerts in the Park returns June 7

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Entertainment, Gonzo's Top 5, Local Entertainment, Local Faces, Recreation, Upcoming Events, ,

By John D. Gonzalez
WKTV Contributing Writer

The Soul Syndicate kicks off the Wyoming Concert series on Tuesday, June 7. (Supplied)

The Wyoming Concerts in the Park kicks off with Soul Syndicate, which is one of the most recognizable bands in the area known for its horn section that cranks out classic soul, R&B and funk tunes meant to keep those toes tapping and the young at heart dancing.

“It’s a party!,” said founder and guitarist Mike Coon, who leads a 10-piece band through a long list of songs everyone knows and loves. “It’s a fun band. You don’t sit in chairs and watch us.”

Soul Syndicate opens the Wyoming weekly concert series at 7 p.m. June 7 at Lamar Park. Admission is free.

The Tuesday night series continues through Aug. 2. See the list of shows below. All will be recorded and aired on WKTV.

Coon said performing in front of fans at outdoor concerts like Wyoming, Meijer Gardens (June 28) and Kentwood (June 30) really brings out a wide range of ages. That’s the great thing about these classic songs by Aretha Franklin, Sam and Dave, KC and Sunshine Band and Chicago, he said, everyone knows them.

“These songs seem to transcend over a lot of ages, particularly in the outdoor shows like Kentwood and Wyoming where you got, literally, all ages,” Coon said.

Younger people know these songs from parents and grandparents or they’ve heard them in advertisements.

The Soul Syndicate performs at the Frederick Meijer Gardens June 28 followed by a summer performance at Kentwood on June 30. (Supplied)

“The younger people are like ‘Yeah, I know that song,” he said. “And the older people remember it when it was on the charts.”

“These songs just sort of resonate…. Nobody is hearing that old classic rock song that’s been in their head for 30 years. (Our show) is different. It’s refreshing.”

That was the goal when the band started in 2013. Even though the beginnings of the band had started, it was the urging of friend Juliet Dragos of WZZM-TV (Channel 13) who reached out to Coon, asking if he could put a group together for a Special Olympics event.

From there they started doing special events, corporate shows, outdoor festivals and casinos.

The premise has always been the same: To entertain crowds with music they know and love and keep them dancing and clapping along.

Their popularity took off because not a lot of bands had horn sections playing these classic songs, he said.

“I couldn’t think of anybody that really did that,” Coon said. “A lot of other bands had one Stevie Wonder song in their set. We had four of them. It set us apart, and the horns made it snap.”

The group consists of: Mike Coon, guitar; Tom Taylor, drums; Katie Sarb, vocals and backup; Matt Fouts, bass; John Neil, keyboards; Tim DenBesten, trumpet (horn leader); Nate Hansen, sax; Jeff Carroll, trombone; and Colin Tobin, lead vocalist.

They also have a couple other musicians who play sax and rotate through the band, Coon said.

They perform about 50 shows a year, which might not seem like a lot, but Coon emphasized that they’re not a “tavern band.”

“We’re all pros.” he said. “No matter the venue we’re given we seem to be able to adapt quickly and make it work.”

But it’s the horn section that really distinguishes the band from others.

“When they’re all in sync it adds that energy to the show, and the audience really responds to them,” Coon said.

“Everybody in the band is an accomplished soloist. Anybody, whether keyboards, bass, drums, anybody in the section can step up and rip your head off on a solo….When the horns  are on and in sync, it just blows your hair back. It’s cool.”

Learn more about Soul Syndicate and see a list of shows at https://www.thesoulsyndicate.com/shows.

Wyoming Concerts in Park 2022 are all at 7 p.m. at Lamar Park. Admission is free. More info: Wyoming Concerts in the Park Facebook page.

Concerts Lineup

June 7 – Soul Syndicate – Covers – Rock 

June 14 – Serita’s Black Rose – Funk, Rock, Blues 

June 21 – Nathan Walton Band – Soul, Rock 

June 28 – Jordan Hamilton – Cellist 

July 12 – Randy McAllister – Blues and Soul 

July 19 – Monty Pride – Folk 

July 26 – Bernadette Kathryn – Country 

August 2 – Grupo Latin – Latin Soul (13 piece band)

John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Senior Sing-A-Long continues to provide the soundtrack to life

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, Recreation, Senior Living, , ,

By Sheila McGrath
WKTV Contributing Writer

A few years after Senior Sing A-Long started its life enrichment music programs for seniors, they began providing music therapy by licensed music therapists as well. (Courtesy)

Like many organizations, Senior Sing A-Long took a hit in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic.

With senior living communities on lockdown, the Wyoming nonprofit couldn’t schedule the life enrichment music programs the organization has been providing in West Michigan since 2004. The programs, offered for free or at a greatly reduced cost, use live performances to revitalize the minds and spirits of people living in long-term care communities.

The pandemic also made it hard to hold the types of in-person fundraisers that help pay for Senior Sing A-Long’s services, according to Development Director Sarah Dwortz.

But although they have had to reshuffle their priorities at times over the past two years, Senior Sing A-Long is still going strong. They recently received a $6,000 grant from the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, which helped to fill a funding gap, Dwortz said.

“We work with about 70 musicians on our list, and communities have their favorites – they can pick from the list,” Dwortz said. “We can offer them at no cost or much below market cost thanks to funding like this.”

 

Senior Sing A-Long receives grants from many foundations, including the Wyoming Community Foundation, Keller Foundation and West Michigan Alliance for Veterans, as well as corporate sponsorships and private donations.

The organization was founded in 2004 by Ken and Hattie Van Haaften, and is now run by their daughter, Jill Dover. The Van Haaftens started the program after realizing that music programs were one of the only things that could cheer up Ken’s mother, Katherine, when she was living in a nursing home. After a visit from a musician who played songs Katherine remembered from her youth, she would brighten up and talk about her life and memories.

The Senior Sing A-Long program has about 70 musicians working with several communities. (Courtesy)

“It started out by Ken going to Marge’s and finding musicians who might help him out,” said Dwortz, of Ken’s visits to the popular Wyoming doughnut shop (Marge’s Donut Den) that hosts live music. “One thing led to another. Now there’s a wide array of musicians, and the volume has been much greater than Jill and her dad ever anticipated.”

A few years after Senior Sing A-Long started its life enrichment music programs for seniors, they began providing music therapy by licensed music therapists as well. The music therapy program consists of small groups of seniors creating music by playing instruments, and serves as a way to accomplish therapeutic goals.

“Right now we’re working with approximately 60 communities – some just for music therapy, some for life enrichment, and some for both,” Dwortz said.

If funding weren’t an issue, Senior Sing A-Long would love to serve more communities at no cost, Dwortz said. And they would love to add another music therapist to its staff.

“We always want to continue to provide service to communities that otherwise wouldn’t have it due to the budget they have available,” she said. “We believe it’s necessary. It’s basic quality of life. I see it bringing a lot of joy.”

Donations are always welcome – and so are musicians willing to play for the seniors in the communities.

“We are always happy to hear from people if they have a musical talent. We’re always looking for more musicians,” Dwortz said. “For a lot of them, it’s nice to make a little money during the day, and they’re pretty philanthropic at the same time. They’re giving every day they do it. People love them. I think they get something out of it.”

More information about Senior Sing A-Long is available on their website at seniorsingalong.org.

Storytellers weave their tales in third event for WKTV VOICES

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

By Aaron Robins
WKTV Community Contributor

A California trip that led to a hike into Mexico, an adventure to find Bigfoot, and a close call with a crime syndicate were just some of the stories shared at a recent WKTV Voices storytelling event.

WKTV Voices held its third public speaking event at Wyoming’s The Stray Café on Friday, May 6. Storytellers, Cody Dewindt, Sherryl Acey, John D. Gonzalez, Steve Zaagman and Timothy Kelly graced the stage to share their tales with cafégoers. Close to 20 people listened as the participants told them about some of their life experiences.

The WKTV Voices event was hosted by WKTV contributor John D. Gonzalez. Each speaker had about six minutes to share their unique and personal stories. The goal of the event is to reconnect us all in a shared storytelling experience. 

“There’s been all sorts of stories short, long, sentimental, you know, funny and different things like that,” said The Stray Music Manager Hunter VanKlompenberg said. “And some people definitely try and put there like, the moral of at the end, and some people just kind of tell you what happened and that’s what their story is. And I enjoy both when they’re done right.”

Steve Zaagman
Timothy Kelly
Sherryl Acey
Cody Dewindt
The storytellers

Dewindt, of Wyoming, was the first to speak, telling the crowd a comedic story about when he was a wedding DJ and had a close encounter with a local crime syndicate. Acey, also from Wyoming, was the second speaker, recounting a time she landed a big job and almost got in trouble because she was told she made a mistake (she approach the accusation head-on to find a solution). Gonzalez, of Comstock Park, spoke third, about a time when he was in Upper Penisula and a man brought him and his wife to a cottage to see bigfoot (he said he never saw him while there). Zaagman, of Byron Center, a former journalist, spoke fourth, sharing four unique stories about a snow globe, a woman losing her hearing, a child selling a rabbit and an organ. Kelly, of Grand Rapids, spoke last, talking about a time when he visited a friend in California and ended up going on a hike that led him to visit Mexico. 

The storytellers had several things they wanted to impart to cafégoers from their tales of life. Some wanted people to have a good time while others wanted them to not give up and take the bull by the horns when challenges arise. 

John D. Gonzalez, a WKTV contributing writer, was the host for the May 6 event. (WKTV/Aaron Robins)

“So say yes more than no, and an opportunity comes, if you see an opportunity to do something, to tell a story – I just say just take the leap and do it. It’s so easy to say no, but I’m telling you the best parts of life are when you say yes. So say yes to the opportunity if some says tell a story because I truly believe everyone has a story,” Zaagman said. 

To watch the performance and learn more about WKTV Voices, visit wktvvoices.org. The Stray Café is located at 4253 Division Ave S Suite A in Wyoming.

Wyoming residents, it’s time to purge with city hosting annual community clean-up event

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, Environment, Upcoming Events, , , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

Spring cleaning is what many have been doing as the weather warms up to summer. Now the question is what to do with all that stuff?

The City of Wyoming will be hosting its annual Community Clean-Up event on June 4 at the Grand Rapids First parking lot.

Well the City of Wyoming will be helping out its residents once again with the return of its popular Community Clean-Up Day which is set for Saturday, June 4. The event will again take place in the parking lot of the Grand Rapids First, 2100 44th St. SW. It will open at 8 a.m. with participants encouraged to be in line by 1:30 p.m. to drop off items.

The traffic flow will have cars entering Grand Rapids First through the right lane of the eastbound 44th Street. Once in line, drivers should follow the directions to the northeast entrance off 44th Street.

An array of unwanted items will be accepted such as recyclables, scrap metals, and car batteries. Items NOT accepted are household hazardous waste; kitchen garbage; liquid latex paint; seal drums; liquid, biological, radioactive waste; propane tanks; refrigerants; and explosives.

Yard waste may be dropped off at the Yard Waste Drop-Off, which is located at 2600 Burlingame Ave. SW. The facility will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. The facility is also open 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday – Friday. Yard waste should be sorted by leaves and grass and brush pile.

E. Martin Hennings (American, 1886–1956). Two Summer Riders, c. 1930s. Oil on Canvas, 30 ¼ x 30 ¼ inches. Bank of America Collection.

At the Community Clean-Up event, there will be a fee for some items. While tires are $10 each, mattress or box springs are $15 each, tube and televisions that are 27 inches or smaller are $20, and tube televisions 27 inches or larger are $40.

To participate in the Community Clean-Up event, and to use the Yard Waste Drop-Off, residents must provide proof of residency which can be a photo ID, utility or credit card statement or bank statement within the last 90 days, a mortage, lease, or rental agreement, insurance policy, an issued license, or a Michigan vehicle registration.

The city started its Community Clean-Up in 2016 and it quickly became popular with the event averaging at least 300 vehicles coming through and disposing of items. 

For more information about the Community Clean-Up Day, visit www.wyomingmi.gov/cleanup. For more tips on waste and recycling, visit Kent County’s ReimagineTrash.org. 

Wyoming, Kentwood prepare to honor fallen soldiers in Memorial Day events

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Holidays, Local History, Our Cities, Upcoming Events, , , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
WKTV Managing Editor

Memorial Day is a national holiday that honors fallen soldiers. (pxhere.com)

While for many it is the “official start of summer,” Memorial Day is designed to honor those who have fallen while serving during a war.

It originally was designated for those who had fallen during the Civil War and was observed only on May 30. However the custom grew and by the 19th Century, many communities across the country had Memorial Day celebrations. In 1971, the federal government declared “Memorial Day” a national holiday to be celebrated the last Monday of the month of May. There was a splitting of ceremonies, with some municipalities choosing to celebrate on the last Monday of May while others deciding to keep with the traditional May 30 for Memorial Day activities.

Due to leap years and calendar configurations, every once in awhile, Memorial Day lands on May 30, which is what has happened for 2022. So there will be several Memorial Day events honoring fallen heroes throughout West Michigan.

Since it is a national holiday, government offices such as Kent County, the City of Kentwood, and the City of Wyoming, will be closed.

Kentwood Memorial Day Parade

Wreaths are laid during the Kentwood Memorial Day ceremony.

The D.W. Cassard Post, along with the Amvets Post, will host a parade in Kentwood at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 30. The parade kicks off from the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), near the corner of 48th Street and Eastern Avenue. From there, it will head west down 48th Street to Kentwood’s Veteran’s Memorial Park, located in front of the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE. At the park, there will be a ceremony including the laying of the five wreaths, one for each of the branches of military service: Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard.

WKTV will be taping the Kentwood parade and service which is scheduled to air at 12:30 and 8 p.m. on Comcast Channel 25 and on wktv.org.

Wyoming Memorial Day Program

The City of Wyoming will be hosting its annual Memorial Day program Monday, May 30, from 7 – 8 p.m. at Veteran’s Memorial Garden, 2300 DeHoop Ave. SW. (This is located in front of the Wyoming Department of Public Safety building.)

The City of Wyoming will host its Memorial Day program at Veteran’s Memorial Garden. (Photo by Harriet Sturim)

Mayor Jack Poll will emcee and the Lee High School band is scheduled to perform. This year’s guest speaker will be Sean Moriarty. Moriarty is currently a student at Grand Valley State University pursing a degree in Applied Food and Nutrition from the College of Health Professions.

Moriarty enrolled at GVSU after serving eight years of active duty with the United States Coast Guard, where he was a medical corpsman. He sailed onboard the CGC Campbell in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, performing anti-terrorism duties with the Naval Support Activity in Manama, Bahrain, and providing clinical and emergency services at U.S. Coast Guard Base Boston in Massachusetts.

After coming to Michigan, Moriarty enlisted with the Air National Guard as a public affairs specialist where he currently serves in Battle Creek. He is accompanied by his wife, Justine, who is also currently enlisted with the U.S. Coast Guard in Grand Haven.

WKTV will be taping the Memorial Day program, which will air at 8:30 p.m. on Comcast Channel 25 and on wktv.org.

Other Memorial Day programs

The United States Air Force Band from Washington, D.C. has produced two solemn videos to honor the nation’s fallen heroes this Memorial Day. The first video features the Ceremonial Brass, one of the Band’s six ensembles, performing “Goin’ Home,” with narration by General Charles Q. Brown, Jr., Chief of Staff of the Air Force. WKTV will air the “Goin’ Home” video at several times on Memorial Day. Those times are 9:28 a.m., 10:30 a.m, 12:27 p.m., 3:57 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m., and 10:28 p.m.

The second video features stunning aerial visuals of the bugler, Technical Sgt. Jason Covey, as he solemnly performs “Taps” at Culpeper National Cemetery in Culpeper, Virginia. The unique perspective provided by the drone reveals the scope of sacrifice made by our military members over countless generations. The “Taps” video will air 9:55 a.m., 11:03 a.m., 1 p.m., 7:43 p.m., 9:11 p.m., and 12:08 a.m.

Both programs may be seen on the Comcast Channel 25 or on wktv.org.

Final users transition to new Kent County Digital Radio System

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Crime Prevention, , , ,

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

Now all fire and police departments in Kent County will be on the same countywide digital radio system for emergencies. (pxhere.com)

The Kent County Dispatch Authority, Kent County Sheriff’s Office and Kent County Fire Chiefs Association announced the final users of the new countywide digital radio system for police, fire and emergency response personnel have transitioned to the system.

The final users are comprised of 28 fire departments across Kent County that utilize fire paging to alert emergency responders. Many of the county’s fire departments serve rural areas, where pagers provide clearer and more reliable communications. The Kent County Dispatch Authority, or KCDA, which led the radio system project, purchased the fire pagers in 2018 through a voter-approved surcharge. The pagers were used on the old system before they recently were reprogrammed by the Kent County Sheriff’s Office to the new system. The new radio system enables first responders to better communicate between agencies, ultimately saving lives, property and time.

“While the radio system has been operational for more than a year and we have already transitioned nearly 5,000 radios, transitioning the fire pagers was the final step in ensuring all of our public safety agencies in Kent County have clear and reliable communications,” said Kent County Dispatch Authority Chairman Mark Herald.

The $25.7 million radio system – funded by the 2016 voter-approved surcharge – went live in December 2020, with the Grand Rapids Police and Fire departments and Kent County Sheriff’s Office transitioning to the system in early 2021.

The 800-megahertz, or MHz, radio system replaces an outdated analog system and joins the statewide radio system operated by the Michigan Public Safety Communication System that allows coordination between local, state and federal agencies. The Kent County system is comprised of 12 transmission sites and two 911 dispatch centers: Kent County and Grand Rapids. It was the result of nearly four years of planning, site acquisition, construction, equipment installation and testing.

“The Kent County Sheriff’s Office worked closely with these 28 fire departments to provide technical support and other assistance to ensure a smooth transition,” Kent County Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young said. “Adding these agencies to the new radio system enhances the safety of our residents and first responders.”

The KCDA is a multi-jurisdictional and multi-disciplinary board created by Kent County and the cities of Grand Rapids, Grandville, Walker and Wyoming to enhance 911 communication services in the county.

“These pagers are critical to alerting firefighters of calls for service and ensuring response activities are coordinated between agencies,” said Kent County Fire Chiefs Association President Sam Peterson. “We are grateful to the Kent County Dispatch Authority and Kent County Sheriff’s Office for their partnership in this important project.”

Local foster agencies make plea for public assistance during foster home crisis

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

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

Currently there is a need for foster families in West Michigan. (pxhere.com)

According to Michigan Health and Human Services, there are about 13,000 children in foster care with at least another 300 who are still in need of an adoptive family. 

The need for more foster homes always exists, according to representatives of the local child welfare nonprofit D.A. Blodgett-St. John’s. Because the need is great, this May, which is National Foster Care Awareness Month, D.A. Blodgett-St. John’s along with others organizations that are part of the Foster Kent Kids are hosting educational workshops to help residents learn more about how they can help fight a crisis-level need for fostering.

“We are at a critical juncture in Grand Rapids for youth in need of stable foster home environments,” said D.A. Blodgett-St. John’s President and CEO Mary Muliett. “Simply put, we are in a crisis. We are in desperate need for foster homes, and we home the community will take the opportunity during Foster Awareness Month to explore this life-saving gesture.”

The main need? Providing temporary shelter for teens who are caught up in the middle of the placement process. For some teens, they wait at the agency all day until placement specialists can find a temporary shelter.

As a way to increase general awareness of the need, Foster Kent Kids workshops are designed to help potential foster families learn more about fostering.

This Sunday, May 22, Foster Kent Kids will host the program “Stand for Teens” at the Wyoming High School cafeteria, 1350 Prairie Parkway SW. The program is from 4 – 6 p.m. and will include panelists such as a foster care youth, adoptive parents and school administration. Through their discussion, the panel will share the lessons, challenges, and rewards of their foster experiences.

On Wednesday, May 25, will be the Zoom program “The Realities of Foster Care.” This one-hour session, which starts at noon, will be led by Rachael Aday, a foster parent recruitment and licensing specialist in Kent County. Aday is known for her passion for providing support and advocacy to relative and community foster homes. She will interview foster parents Josh and Lea Sparks to share their experience in fostering. To register for the zoom program click here.

Both of these programs are free. To register for an event or to learn more about how to foster, individuals can visit www.fosterkentkids.care.

Also to encourage adults to consider fostering, D.A. Blodgett is offering a $245 monthly stipend for each bed made available to a child awaiting a more stable placement. In additional to the monthly stipend, the organization will offer $100 per day when a child is in a home. Along with the payment will be personalized training and support from the organization.

At this time, the organization is seeking volunteers to step up and provide placement for youth ages 12 and older for a few weeks while their next placement is being identified.

D.A. Blodgett also offers a free monthly foster care information meeting, held from 6-7:30pm the second Monday of the month at D.A. Blodgett-St. John’s, 804 Leonard Street N.E., Grand Rapids.

Anyone interested in beginning the fostering process can fill out this form: https://dabsj.org/what-we-do/foster-care/getting-started/foster-parent-inquiry

UofM Health West Farmer’s Market set to open tomorrow

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, Local Food, Upcoming Events, , , ,

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

About 35 vendors will be on hand tomorrow selling fruit, meat, cheeses, and other handmade items. (Supplied)

The University of Michigan Health-West Farmer’s Market is set to open for the season tomorrow, continuing to serve the community with fresh produce and products, while supporting local farms and small business owners.

When the market opens for the season, 35 vendors will be on-site at the hospital’s Wyoming campus selling local fresh fruits and vegetables, meats and cheeses, baked goods, plants and more. Artisan vendors will be selling handmade items including clothing and home décor.

“We are looking forward to another great season at the market,” said the hospital’s Head of Community Outreach Michelle Rademacher. “A fun new addition we have this year are local musicians who will be performing over the lunch hour.”

Another addition to this year’s market is the return of Kids Day. After a two-year hiatus due to COVID- 19, Kids Day is back on June 16. The first 250 kids to arrive at the information table will receive a free gift. There will also be activities including a scavenger hunt, crafts, yard games, a traveling zoo and more.

On average, the University of Michigan Health-West Farmer’s Market sees nearly 1,300 people daily during the peak season. As in past years, the market will continue to accept EBT, P-EBT, Double Up Food Bucks, WIC, Senior Project Fresh coupons as well as cash and most major credit cards.

The market opens Thursday, May 12 and runs each Thursday through early October. Hours are 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. For more information visit www.umhealthwest.org.

Wyoming resident Roger Munyon creates successful card game, fulfilling lifelong dream

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Kids Activities, Local Business, Recreation

By D.A. Reed
WKTV Contributing Writer

Roger Munyon with his game “Trashed.” (Supplied)

After years of inventing his own board games and card games, Wyoming resident Roger Munyon’s lifelong dream became reality when his card game “Trashed” was accepted for distribution by Winning Moves Games while also claiming a Toy Insider Winner award for being one of the top holiday toys in 2021.

Inspired by the classic card game “Garbage,” Munyon’s game “Trashed” features custom cards and unique twists to gameplay that brings the old-time favorite to a new level for players while still being easy to play.

“It’s a basic, simple game,” Munyon said. “Considering our current economic situation here, people are going to be really looking for a value—a game that is fun to play and easy to play that doesn’t break the bank.”

Munyon attributes the success of “Trashed” to the game’s similarity to “Garbage.” “That’s one the things that made it potentially attractive to a company, because it has a touch of the familiar,” said Munyon. After playing Garbage with a friend, Munyon found himself driving home and wondering, “How can I make this game a little bit different and a little more exciting?” The ability to steal cards from other players, as well as bonus cards, are just a few of the ideas Munyon incorporated into Trashed.

The secret to game invention, Munyon said, is expansion. “When you think about it, there are really only four or five basic games in the world. The first person to reach a finish line, or you end the game when you have more of something than somebody else, or you’re the last man standing. Every game is a takeoff on one of those ideas.”

Roger Munyon tests a new game with his “game testers.” (Supplied)

How the inventor presents those changes is what creates something unique out of an original concept.

Munyon’s love for games began as a child. “When all the kids were glued around the (television) screen, I found that the shows I liked most were the game shows. Back then, you could turn the dial on from ten in the morning until four-thirty in the afternoon and find a game show.”

At five-years-old, Munyon’s grandmother asked if he would like a copy of the board game “Beat the Clock,” a popular television game show in the 1950s, for Christmas. “She bought me my first game,” said Munyon. “As time went on, I started collecting other board games.”

Munyon’s personal collection includes several copies of board games based on popular television shows such as “Perry Mason” and “Twilight Zone.” It was not unusual for classmates and teachers to see Munyon in school with a game in hand.

It wasn’t long before Munyon began dreaming of creating his own board game. “I’d go to second-hand stores and buy old games and tear them apart and use the parts for something else,” Munyon said. The game inventor learned how to cover over game boards with craft paper and do his own designs. Munyon does most of his designs by hand: “I do very little with computers, even now.”

But Munyon admits that it is not an easy process and takes dedication and hard work. “People who like to invent things…we’re dreamers. We have this desire to communicate and show our talents to the world—and entertain the world. (But) there’s a lot of competition out there…and only so much shelf space. There are 10 new games released a day—thousands of games are competing for a spot.”

It’s a wonderful feeling when that hard work and patience is recognized, says Munyon. “It’s exciting to have professionals look at an idea of yours and say, ‘Hey, I like this. This might work.’ Then you hope the public follows along.”

Munyon says that creating anything is a gift, but that part of talent is deciding what to do with that gift and how to make it work. “I could paper my walls with rejection letters,” Munyon admits. Looking back now, the inventor sees why he received so many of those rejection letters. “You’ve got to be able to take that talent…and put your best foot forward and make it as appealing as possible. It’s taking a gift and refining it.”

“Trashed” went through its own refining process, the original name and design changing before being released.

When asked what advice he would give other “dreamers,” Munyon said, “Learn as much as you can about the business. Take advice from people in the field. Play test an idea to death until you get the bugs out. Be willing to allow changes. Keep hope alive and keep swinging.”

A testament to his own advice, Munyon’s home sports several shelves lined with approximately 50 to 100 games of his own invention.

Munyon is currently hard at work fine-tuning a card game of his own invention in the hopes of submitting it for distribution.

Trashed can be purchased on Amazon and the Winning Moves website.

Another way to offer love: Art Legacy helps hospice patients create lasting memories

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

By Emmanuel Hospice

Licensed Massage Therapist Joan Blessings works with an Emmanuel Hospice patient. (supplied)

While gathering a curated kit of art supplies, Joan Blessings marvels at how the act of creativity can bring such physical and emotional comfort to the patients she serves through Emmanuel Hospice.

A longtime fan of arts and crafts herself, Blessings never anticipated a day she’d be incorporating her hobby into her work. As a licensed massage therapist and member of the complementary therapy team, she works to manage patient symptoms through the power of touch, essential oils and other services.

But now with Art Legacy, Emmanuel Hospice’s newest complementary service offering, she’s also able to share her passion with patients, giving them the opportunity to create and leave behind legacy artwork for their loved ones.

“Art has a way of working different parts of the brain and bringing up different memories, as well has having positive effects physically,” Blessings says. “As patients create, their breathing can get easier, their shoulders relax, they laugh and smile more – it’s amazing to see the impact it can have.”

Art Legacy is designed to encourage self-expression while assisting with symptom management, supporting memories and providing connection. The program utilizes a variety of materials and relies on the creativity of Art Legacy facilitators, like Blessings, to give patients the opportunity to create.

The Art Legacy Hand Mold provides an opportunity for a person to make a hand mold with or for their loved ones. (supplied)

As a complementary service, Art Legacy is used alongside pharmaceutical and other medical approaches to help with mood regulation and coping, as well as anxiety, restlessness or boredom.

In addition to this new art program, Emmanuel Hospice offers other complementary services such as music therapy, pet visitors, virtual reality and acupuncture, to name a few. Blessings says what sets Art Legacy apart from the other offerings is how it engages patients.

“It’s important to us to provide our patients with a variety of options that engage the senses and create unique, joyful memories,” Blessings says. “Art Legacy is one more way we are able to do that. It differs from our other complementary offerings in that most of those services are something that the patient or loved ones are receiving rather than creating.

“Art Legacy really involves our patients in hands-on, enriching activities that improve their quality of life through self-expression, symptom management and more.”

The program also provides an opportunity to make a hand mold with or for their loved ones as a meaningful and tangible artifact. The hand mold can be of the patient’s hand alone or with a loved one to commemorate a relationship.

Art Legacy is designed to encourage self-expression while assisting with symptom management, supporting memories and providing connection. (supplied)

For patients who are more isolated, Art Legacy not only provides a way to engage with something but also someone. Patients enjoy the comfort of companionship that is included with a session through an Art Legacy facilitator.

Whether it be a staff member or trained volunteer, Art Legacy facilitators offer a compassionate presence while patients create. While an interest in art is helpful, no experience is needed to serve as a facilitator.

“Art Legacy facilitators don’t have to be super artsy; they can just be there to facilitate the activity,” Blessings explains. “We’re really there to spend quality time with someone, to bring some joy to their life and to offer them some love in a different way.”

Individuals who are interested in volunteering or learning more about Emmanuel Hospice can visit EmmanuelHospice.org for more information.

A picture perfect day brought the cars out for Metro Cruise’s annual dust off

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Non-Profits, Our Cities, , , ,

By Aaron Robins
WKTV Community Contributor

The sun was out along with many spectators gathered at the Wyoming Moose Lodge to admire new and classic cars for Metro Cruise’s annual Dust Off event this past Saturday.

Car owners came in from around West Michigan putting their best vehicles out for display. The first 75 classic car participants that showed up were awarded free t-shirts. As they enjoyed the cars, guests were also treated to food, drinks and a chance to meet some of the girls from the Miss Metro Cruise competition.

 

Jene Billings, of Kentwood and his daughter Cathy DeLaney, of Middleville, often attend Metro Cruise events together. (WKTV)

“You can see by the participation that people are coming out in droves,” said Keith Morgan, president and CEO of the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the annual Metro Cruise that will run Aug. 26 and 27. “I think people are looking for it. They’re ready for it. And by having Metro Cruise, it gives them another opportunity to express their interest and desire to get back out.”

The Metro Cruise is put on by the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce to help bring business to the local community and give residents a chance to show off their stuff. Jene Billings, 90, from Kentwood and his daughter Cathy DeLaney, 65, from Middleville, enjoyed the sun as they displayed a new truck.

“I wanted to show my truck off and look at all of the good iron that shows up out here. That’s it, just have a good day.” said Billing said, with his daughter Cathy DeLaney adding that the he and his daughter come out to Metro Cruise every year and even have a specific spot they spend that lets the show come to them.

Alan Wright, 78, from Wyoming, is also no stranger to the Metro Cruise. He brought out his 1958 Ford Thunderbird, a car that he also had when he and his wife got married back in 1966.

“As years went by and uh… the kids got through school and got married, I wanted another classic car so I bought a (19)58 Thunderbird,” said Wright, who is one of 10 drivers who bring the Miss Metro Cruise up to the main state during Metro Cruise.

Miss Metro Cruise 2021 Dr. Joules Kelvin was out encouraging people to participate in the 2022 Miss Metro Cruise competition. (WKTV)

Miss Metro Cruise 2021 Dr. Joules Kelvin attended the annual Dust Off event, meeting with potential contestants of the competition. The preliminary competition for Miss Metro Cruise will take place on July 9. The primary narrows the contestants down to 10 finalists who will compete at Metro Cruise in August. Kelvin’s advice for newcomers was to “Just come do it.”

 

“Anybody can do this, it’s just a matter of relaxing and giving it a try,” said Kelvin.

This year’s Metro Cruise, Aug. 26 and 27, will also have a second event following the same format as the Rogers Plaza event, happening at Woodland Mall. The collector cars, food trucks, bands, and some other entertainment will be featured at the event according to 28th Street Metro Cruise Event Manager Brandon Simmons. Visit the Metro Cruise Facebook page for more information on upcoming events.

Metro Cruise Dust Off set for this Saturday

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Local Business, Local Faces, Non-Profits, Recreation, Upcoming Events, , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

The weather is supposed to be perfect, sunny with a high of 64, which means the covers will be coming off and the engines will be revving for the Metro Cruise’s annual Dust Off event.

Miss Metro Cruise 2021 Dr. Joules Kelvin will be offering tips for the upcoming Miss Metro Cruise competition at the Metro Cruise Dust Off on Saturday. (WKTV)

The event runs from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Wyoming Moose Lodge #763, 2630 Burlingame Ave. SW. The annual event is the first spring opportunity for classic car owners to roll their rides back down the street and park at the Moose Lodge to be admired. The first 75 classic car participants to this year’s Metro Cruise Dust Off will receive a free t-shirt.

Those interested in coming early, the Moose Lodge will be offering a breakfast. From 11 a.m.-4 p.m., the Moose Lodge will be offering build-your-own hamburgers and hot dogs.

Also Miss Metro Cruise 2021 Dr. Joules Kelvin will be on hand for those interested in the Miss Metro Cruise competition. Potential contestants for Miss Metro Cruise will have the chance to have photos taken from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. with Dr. Joules Kelvin meeting with contestants 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the Moose Lodge. The annual Miss Metro Cruise has a preliminary competition on July 9 that narrows the contestants down to 10 finalists who compete at Metro Cruise in August. To learn more about the Miss Metro Cruise competition, visit the Miss Metro Cruise Facebook page.

This year’s 28th Street Metro Cruise is set for Aug. 26 and 27 with events happening at the main stage at Rogers Plaza and a second location at Woodland Mall. The annual event features classic cars of all types. Returning this year will be the Dream Wheels red carpet event hosted by WKTV. The show features unique and rare classic cars.

For more about the 28th Street Metro Cruise, visit the 28th Street Metro Cruise Facebook page.

Godwin students’ work is featured in one-night only exhibit at The Stray

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

The Stray and Godwin Heights Public Schols are partnering to present the exhibit “Identity” tonight at The Stray, 4253 S. Division Ave.

The event will be from 6 to 10 p.m. and will feature work from Godwin Heights students on the theme “Identity.”

Through a Facebook post for the event, it states that “Godwin acknowledges its individual uniqueness and celebrates each other’s differences. They explore their own identity through personal reflection and art-making and learn more about each other was they view and appreciate the effort, skill, and growth of others.”

Part of the mission of The Stray is to build community collaboratives. Hunter VanKlompenberg, the music and arts manager for The Stray, said The Stray team reached out to Godwin Heights art teacher Deanne Basse about finding ways to collaborate.

“Part of our aim is to be an accessible venue to all ages and provide space for teens to display their creative gifts,” VanKlompenberg said. “With Godwin right down the road and sharing the same neighborhood, it seemed like there was a bridge to be built between us. This is our first collaborative event together and we hope to have more down the road.

“We’re excited to showcase work culminating from the semester’s projects from a mixture of graduating seniors and younger students as well.”

The event is free and open to the public.

Voters turn down city proposals, pass Wyoming Public Schools bond millage renewal

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Education, Election, , , , , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

Voters turned down an income tax for the City of Wyoming.

Wyoming voters voted down a proposed income tax for the city while renewing a $24.9 million bond proposal for Wyoming Public Schools.

About 16 percent of the city’s 55,999 registered voters came out for the special election that was yesterday. The city had two proposals on the ballot. The first was an income tax that would be up to 1 percent for city residents and up to .5 percent for non-residents such as commuters who work in the city. In the second proposal, the city was seeking to reduce the city property tax by about 58 percent, from around 12 mills to 5. Both proposals had to pass to take effect.

The first proposal of an income tax was defeated by 6,055 no votes to 2,824 yes votes. The second proposal to reduce city property tax received 5,381 yes votes to 3,474 no votes. Because the two proposals were tied together, if one failed the other automatically failed as well.

The city estimated that the proposals would have generated about $6 million in revenue for the city. City Council said it planned to put $3.3 million toward its fire department to added 27 firefighters, doubling the current staffing from 27 to 54. About $2.1 million would have been used to add 13 police officers and a crime analyst to the city’s police department with the remaining $600,000 for capital improvement needs for the city’s parks.

The approved $24.9 million bond renewal will go toward renovations at Wyoming Junior High School.

Wyoming Public Schools

A purple and white message in both English and Spanish on the Wyoming Public Schools Facebook page thanked the district’s voters for renewing a $24.9 million bond. The money is earmarked for renovations at the Wyoming Junior High School, which is the oldest building in the district. Formerly Wyoming Park High School, the oldest portion of the building dates back to 1926. There were additions in 1957, 1959, and 1979.

About 16 percent of the district’s 27,188 votes came out with 2,066 voting yes and 1,930 voting no.

The approved bond will be added to about $11 million in renovations already planned for the school, including more than $3 million in major upgrades to Dan Heintzelman Fine Arts Center. The $11 million comes from a 2017 bond issue.

Renovations and improvements to the junior high to be funded by the bond renewal include: modern learning environments; new furnitures; an integrated technology; adequate lab spaces and equipment; improved air quality replacement of failing building systems (such as roofing, plumbing, and electrical) to become energy efficient and meet modern building codes; and site improvements to traffic flow, aging parking lots, and athletic facilities.

Work on the junior high, which is locate dat 2125 Wrenwood St. SW, is scheduled to start in the summer of 2023. 

Voters head to the polls Tuesday for two city proposals and one Wyoming School district request

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, Education, Election, , , , , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

Tomorrow, May 3, the residents of the City of Wyoming will be heading to the polls for two city proposals, an income tax and a reduction in city property taxes, while those in Wyoming Public Schools also are being asked to renew a $24.9 million bond proposal to renovate the Wyoming Junior High building.

The first of the two city proposals on the ballot is for an income tax that would be aup to 1 percent for city residents and up to .5 percent for non-residents such as commuters who work in the city. In the second proposal, the city is seeking to reduce the city property tax by about 58 percent, from around 12 mills to 5. Both proposals must pass to take effect.

According to city officials, the goal of the proposals is to build a more sustainable funding for the city and create equitably in sharing city expenses with those who use city services but do not live in the city while helping to reduce the cost to residents with the reduction in city property taxes.

If the two proposals pass, it would raise about an additional $6 million in funding from the city. The Wyoming City Council has said it would put $3.3 million toward its fire department, doubling the department’s current staffing from 27 to 54.

This would add about nine firefighters per shift and the city would be able to fully staff all four of its fire stations. Currently only two of the stations, Gezon and 36th Street, are fully staffed; however emergency calls are evenly distributed throughout the city, according to Fire Chief Brian Bennett. The city is broken into four fire districts with the busiest being the Division station, which is currently unmanned.

The city received about 7,155 calls in 2021, which is about 600 calls above 2020. Within the first four months of 2022, the department is already 200 calls ahead of the same time period in 2021.

The department has the highest calls per firefighter in the area. Wyoming averages about 265 calls per firefighter with the City of Kentwood averaging around 121 while the City of Grand Rapids averages 123 calls per firefighter.

About $2.1 million would go toward the police department to increase its staff by 13 officers and 1 crime analyst. According to Wyoming Department of Public Safety Chief Kim Koster, this would allow the department to increase traffic patrols. The city had 35 traffic fatalities from 2016 to 2020 and was ranked 5th in the state.

Koster said the city also has seen an increase in violent crime with calls requiring more than one officer to respond and resulting in less officers being available for traffic enforcement and neighborhood patrols.

The remaining $600,000 would be for capital improvements at the city’s parks. The current Parks and Recreation millage, which is 1.5 mills, has not been increased in more than 20 years. It is used to fund recreation programs, maintenance services, and basically facility upkeep.

“In 2020, when we received all the income from the parks and recreation millage, fees, and grants and then subtracted out all the expenses, we had about $30,000 left to roll into the fund balance for capital improvements,” Rebecca Rynbrandt, the city’s director of community services, said in a previous WKTV story.

Wyoming Public Schools

Those living in the Wyoming Public Schools district, are being asked to renew a $24.9 million bond proposal that would go toward renovating Wyoming Junior High to look like the current Wyoming High School.

According to school officials, the debt millage rate would remain the same at 5.65 mills, which is what it has been since 2016. Bond approval would not raise taxes, according to school officials.

 

Monies from the proposed bond millage will be combined with money set aside from the 2017 bond, which is about $11 million and includes $3 million for the Dan Heintzelman auditorium. If approved, renovations would include construction of a large two-story addition. The fine arts center would become a stand-alone building.

 

Voting

To check on your voting status and to see a sample ballot, visit mi.gov/vote. To vote in a city or school election, you must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of the city or school district for at least 30 days, are 18 years or old, and are not serving a sentence in jail or prison. Following voter-approved election changes in 2018, Michigan residents now have the option to register in-person with the local clerk on election day. Once registered, each voter will have the choice to vote absentee or drive to the polling location to vote in person.

 

Those voting absentee must return the absentee ballot by 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 3. Ballots may be mailed or dropped off at the ballot drop box behind city hall or in-person at city hall until 8 p.m.

The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters should double check their precinct location, have photo ID, and should not wear or bring any political material to the precinct.

 

For more information on voice, visit the City of Wyoming website. 

Wyoming’s continued growth does not just impact schools, but city services such as fire

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

When a new housing project is proposed in a community, the first thing most people think of is how will it impact the local schools. In truth, a new development may impact a community’s utilities — especially its fire department — even more.

“Whenever there is a new development, it means more people using your streets which in turn means more potential crashes and other safety issues,” said Wyoming Fire Chief Brian Bennett.

 

In the past 20 years, the City of Wyoming has seen several new developments such as HOM Flats along Prairie Parkway and The Reserve at 54th Street and Wilson Avenue, which has resulted in the city’s population increasing from 69,000 to 76,000. Within the first four months of 2022, the fire department has responded to 200 more calls than in the same period of 2021. Bennett noted that from 2020 to 2021, there was an increase of 600 calls and he expects 2022 to outpace 2021 in calls.

In that same 20-year time span, the department, due to state funding cuts and the 2008 recession, has decreased by eight full-time firefighters to 27 and, due to increase training requirements, paid-on call firefighters have gone down from 40 to 6.

 

Through two proposals on the May 3 ballot, the city hopes to double its current fire staffing from 27 to 54. The first proposal would be an income tax of up to 1 percent for city residents and up to .5 percent for non-residents such as commuters who work in the city. In the second proposal, the city is seeking to reduce the city property tax by about 58 percent, from around 12 mills to 5. Both proposals must pass to take effect.

“Our goal is to be more efficient at what we do,” Bennett said, adding the additional staffing would put the department in about the middle of the pack for staffing and calls per firefighter.

The Wyoming Fire Department has the highest calls per firefighter in the Greater Grand Rapids, averaging about 265 calls per firefighters. The department averages about 20 calls a day. (WKTV)

Currently the department has the highest number of calls per firefighters in the Greater Grand Rapids area with 265 calls per firefighter. The City of Grand Rapids averages about 124 calls per firefighter while the City of Kentwood averages about 110 calls per firefighters.

The calls are not just for fires, but for a variety of safety issues such as tree damage, wires down, vehicle crashes, gas leaks, and medical calls.

“A lot of people think that all a fire department does is respond to fires,” Bennett said, adding that fire calls are only a small portion of what the department handles. “But over the years, the fire department’s responsibility has expanded to include just about anything that involves safety.

“Basically, we are here to assure that the people who are in our community can safely operate while they are here.”

For example, if there is a crash on the expressway, the department not only responses to the accident but also must mitigate any gas spills to assure the gas does not enter the waterways so as not to contaminate the city’s water supply.

Because of the increase in calls, the result has been the City of Wyoming relying on neighboring communities. In fact, in 2020, the city had to rely on other departments 140 times because its fire department was on another call.

“With the increased number of calls, it makes our availability less and less,” Bennett said. “The result is we have to rely on our neighbors more to cover what we can’t get to.”

Bennett noted that the reliance on other departments does mean longer response times for those waiting for assistance.

Assuring the safety of its residents and visitors also means the department is responsible to review all the site plans for any construction project within the city to assure all the safety features are included in the overall design as well as handle safety inspections for business, restaurants and hotels.

“These safety inspections are suppose to be done every year but because of staffing, we are not able to get to all of them every year,” Bennett said.

With the expected news of what will be constructed on Site 36, commercial and residential development in the City of Wyoming does not look to be slowing down. In fact, there is a movement to revitalize Division Avenue and with new businesses and housing means more demands on the fire department.  Bennett noted the city is divided into four fire districts with the busiest currently being Division, which has an unman station.

 

Two out of the city’s fire stations are manned 24/7. If the two May 3 proposals are approved, all four stations would be manned.

To learn more about the two May 3 proposals, visit wyomingmi.gov/FundingFortheFuture. 

Wyoming’s Arbor Day event set to honor longtime resident with planting at Kelloggsville High School

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, Environment, Recreation, , , , , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

Jim Park shares is passion for the environment at a 2019 Arbor Day celebration with Kelloggsville students. The event was hosted by the Wyoming Tree Commission/The Tree Amigos. (Supplied)

“He was a person who cared,” is how many would describe longtime Wyoming resident Jim Ward.

 

Ward died in October at the age of 71, but left a legacy that impacted both the community he lived in, Wyoming, and the school his children attended, Kelloggsville Public Schools. This Thursday, April 28, Ward will be honored for his contributions to the City of Wyoming in a special Arbor Day celebration at Kelloggsville High School, 4787 S. Division Ave. The program, which will include the planting of an oak tree, is set for 10 a.m.

“Some people would see something that wasn’t right and would say ‘Isn’t this horrible,’ and that would be it,” said Ward’s wife, Jane. “Jim would see it and say ‘There has to be something we could do,’ and then it would be let’s see who we can get to help.”

It was in 2014 at a National Night Out neighborhood event that Ward would meet Estelle Slootmaker, who along with Ward and Greg Bryan founded the Wyoming Tree Commission or The Tree Amigos.

“I was concerned about the health of our oak trees because of the spongy moth infestation so I got permission to set up a table with information on caring for our oak trees,” Slootmaker said of the National Night Out event. “Jim and Jane approached me and chatted with me as did Greg Bryan.

“I was so tickled pink to find other tree huggers in my neighborhood.”

That chance meeting would lead to Slootmaker getting a phone call from Bryan asking her to meet with him and Ward and thus The Tree Amigos was born. A couple of years later, the Wyoming City Council would officially establish the group as the Wyoming Tree Commission.

The goal of the group over the years has been to improve the tree canopy in the City of Wyoming along with getting a Tree City USA designation and through Ward’s dedication the Commission has accomplished many of those goals, according to Slootmaker.

Jim Ward

“Jim was our mighty oak,” Slootmaker said. “He was there to plant the idea of a tree commission when our little group of neighbors first met – and he was integral to every project we completed. We miss him so very much.”

Among the Tree Commission’s accomplishments was a Tree City USA designation for the City of Wyoming from 2016 to 2021, the 16-tree Beverly Bryan Community Orchard at Wyoming West Elementary School, and tree plantings in several Wyoming neighborhoods along with planting one of the oldest trees in the world, a Dawn Redwood, at Wyoming’s Regional Center.

 

Jane Ward said her husband always had cared about the environment and was instrumental in getting an Earth Day committee going at their church.

 

A Godwin Heights graduate, Ward also was active on the neighborhood watch and involved in the teacher union at Forest Hills, where he served as the first media specialist at Forest Hills Northern High School. Along with his environmental passion, Ward had a passion for education and children, serving as the Quiz Bowl team coach and advising the National Honor Society.

That passion was not only reserved to Forest Hills, where Ward taught, but also to Kelloggsville, where his daughters had attended.

 

Because of his background as a media specialist, Ward had served as a consultant on the Kelloggsville High School’s library during a 2016 renovation project. It was through his efforts that he helped bring a Kent District Library branch to the school to serve both the community and the students. It also was at the KDL Kelloggsville branch that Ward helped host a tree-focused book discussion.

 

“He cared about the kids and the community,” Jane Ward said. “He saw a need and tried to do something and get things done.”

Scheduled to be in attendance for Thursday’s program will be Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll, Kelloggsville High School Principal Jim Alston, Kelloggsville High School student groups, and The Tree Amigos/City of Wyoming Tree Commission. The program is free and open to the public.

Kent County official praises plan to repair state bridges

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Great Lakes, West Michigan, , ,

By Sydney Bowler
Capital News Service

LANSING – From 2017 to 2021, the number of bridges in poor condition in Michigan increased from 1,146 to 1,240, according to the National Bridge Inventory.

A recently launched bridge bundling program by the Department of Transportation (MDOT) will tackle those numbers and is expected to repair up to 78 locally owned bridges that are in serious or critical condition, according to Dan Weingarten, the MDOT Superior region communications representative.

The pilot program, which began early March, will start repairs for 19 bridges this year.

The bundling program covers multiple bridge locations under one contract and repairs are already underway at five of the 19 bridges in Jackson, Macomb, Lapeer, Clinton and Ottawa counties.

The other 14 are in Clinton, Eaton, Hillsdale, Ingham, Lenawee, Lapeer, Livingston, Luce, Jackson, Macomb, Muskegon, Ottawa, St. Clair and St. Joseph counties.

“Michigan has aging bridge infrastructure and we have faced decades of underinvestment. Basically, bridges have been deteriorating faster than we can repair or replace them. This has created a growing inventory of bridges in poor condition,” said Weingarten.

The 19 bridges in Phase I were deemed high priority, Weingarten said.

Repair work underway on the abutment for the Byron Road bridge over the Black River in Ottawa County.
Michigan Department of TransportationRepair work underway on the abutment for the Byron Road bridge over the Black River in Ottawa County.

According to Weingarten, bridges are inspected at least every 24 months, but complex, moveable and large bridges are inspected more frequently. Bridges rated “poor” may be inspected as frequently as every six months, depending on the condition and details involved.

“People should not worry when they cross over or under a bridge. Bridges are inspected regularly and, if the bridge is open, it’s safe. MDOT and local agency bridge owners close unsafe bridges,” he said.

The repaired bridges could last up to 50 years before needing to be fixed again and could potentially last even longer with maintenance projects, Weingarten said.

The second phase of the project could repair or remove up to 59 other bridges. This phase focuses on closed or weight-restricted bridges, according to MDOT.

“The pilot project is being funded by Federal Highway Improvement Program dollars. Then, late last year, $196 million in federal COVID relief funds were appropriated,” Weingarten said. “This will allow the state to execute Phase II of the bridge bundling program, beginning later this year.”

 

The program has been backed at all levels, from federal to state to local.

“This is the most supportive program from the state for local bridges that I’ve ever seen,” said Wayne Harrall, the deputy managing director for engineering at the Kent County Road Commission in a press release. “The MDOT Bureau of Bridges has engaged with local agencies from the beginning, before there was even funding allocated to the effort.”

The County Road Association says the program is a great concept and would like it to bear some fruit in cost savings, according to Ed Noyola, its deputy director. The association represents 83 road agencies and provides legislative, operational and engineering advice.

But its main concern is that the project may run out of funding before work on all bridges is complete.

“Costs have gone up exponentially, and it’s a problem,” Noyola said. “The cost of material and labor is just going through the roof, and bridge projects are probably the most costly of all the road work that’s done that’s gone up.”

Weingarten said federal COVID relief funding for Phase II requires the money to be allocated by 2024 and spent by 2029, and MDOT intends to finish Phase II by then.

According to the National Bridge Inventory, a U.S. Department of Transportation database, there are 11,284 bridges in the state.

MDOT estimates it would cost $2 billion to get all state-owned bridges up to good or fair condition, and an additional $1.5 billion to do the same for all local government-owned bridges.

Weingarten said that MDOT bridge staff and consultants are doing the design and construction administration work, as well as providing engineering and contract negotiation expertise.

Proposed income tax could provide sustainable capital improvement funding for Wyoming’s parks

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, Our Cities, Recreation, , , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

The cracks on the basketball courts at Marquette Park. (WKTV)

Walking up to Marquette Park’s basketball court and it’s not hard to see the cracks, partly because they are deep and repaired with a black resurfacer that stands out against the green-and-red-colored court floor.

Just looking at it, no one would deny the courts need to be replaced. That was a goal in 2018, with the city receiving a quote for a base coat and replacement at $72,000. All the City of Wyoming could budget from its Parks and Recreation 2019 budget was $35,500, so the courts got a crack fill and re-coat at $27,000.

“It shows how the price of things have gone up,” said the city’s Director of Community Services Rebecca Rynbrandt. “What you could purchase with a dollar 25 years ago is not the same as what you can purchase with a dollar today.”

An example of that is the playground at Marquette Park. From when the park was constructed more than 25 years ago, it had a playground. Eventually, because of the Michigan weather of freezing temperatures in the winter and humidity in the summer along with just regular use, the equipment had to be replaced. In 2001, the city replaced the playground at only half of its original size for about $20,000. Twenty years later and the cost to replace the  playground equipment is $32,000.

Now multiply Marquette Park’s needs by 21 parks equaling more than 700 acres that have varying facilities and maintenance needs. For the City of Wyoming to meet its Capital Replacement Plan over the next nine years, it would need an average of $600,000 per year.

If the two May 3 proposals for an income tax and reduction in property tax are approved, the city would provide $600,000 annual of the estimated $6 million annually generated for sustainable annual capital investment in the city’s park system. About $3.3 million would be used to hire about 27 additional firefighters for the fire department with $2.1 million for the police department, which plans to hire 13 police officers and one crime analyst.

“In 2020, when we received all the income from the parks and recreation millage, fees, and grants and then subtracted out all the expenses, we had about $30,000 left to roll into the fund balance for capital improvements,” Rynbrandt said. The Parks and Recreation millage, which is 1.5 mills, has not been increased in more than 20 years. It is used to fund recreation programs, maintenance services and basic facility upkeep.

In 2001, the City of Wyoming replaced Marquette Park’s playground at half the size of the original. (WKTV)

And while the parks and recreation fund balance is well over a million dollars, the balance is needed to leverage funds and grants to help with park redevelopment and capital improvement projects. This was the case for Ideal Park, which was devastated after two tornados and a flood. A $300,000 Department of Natural Resources Fund grant helped with the parks redevelopment with the city required to match $808,300 in the city parks and recreation millage. The total cost for the redevelopment of Ideal Park was about $1.673 million.

On average, the city needs to have somewhere between $600,000 to $900,000 in cash flow to get the matching grants, she said. It is through matching grants that the city hopes to help fund the cost for the redevelopment of Marquette Park, which the city is currently reviewing a new master plan for the park.

To help with park capital improvements, in 2017 Wyoming voters approved allowing the city’s library millage funding to be used on parks with Ferand, Jackson, Ideal, and Gezon parks receiving funding for redevelopment. Because the cost to fully redevelop a park can be in the millions, the city is only able to do the redevelopment projects in phases. Gezon’s first phase redevelopment is currently underway.

Because there are needs at the Wyoming library — the city owns the facility while Kent District Library owns the materials and handles staffing — per its commitment to residents, the city will use the library millage for the facility improvements.

“Parks are constantly in a state of maintenance and repair,” Rynbrandt said, adding that her team has done well in keeping the city’s parks in tip-top shape and meeting changing community needs such as in recent years, adding a dog park and community garden at Marquette Park. 

“There will be needs and items that have to be replaced,”Rynbrandt said. “Just like a roof on a house, after 20 some years, it has to be replaced. So it is with the roofs on our park shelters and facilities.”

Three seek Wyoming mayor position along county and state candidates

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Our Cities, We The People, West Michigan, , , , , , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

Tuesday, April 19, was the last day for candidates to file for the upcoming fall elections with the residents of both the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming have several new faces, and a few familiar ones, to consider for federal, state, and local government positions.

City of Wyoming

Wyoming City Hall. (WKTV)

With Mayor Jack Poll’s announcement that he would be retiring at the end of his term, three candidates have put their hats in the ring for the City of Wyoming’s mayor position, which is a nonpartisan four-year seat. Two of the candidates are long-time council members, Kent Vanderwood and current Mayor Pro Tem Sam Bolt and the third is a newcomer, Cliff Tompkins, who owns the Wyoming business Hair by Cliff.

The top two candidates from the Aug. 2 primary will face off in the Nov. 8 general election. Also in November, Wyoming residents will be selecting two Council Members at Large, four-year terms, from three candidates, Robert A. Arnoys, Renee Hill, and Robert Kilgo. First Ward Council Member Sheldon DeKryer is running unopposed for his four-year term.

City of Kentwood

While there are no City of Kentwood seats open for this year’s election cycle, the city is seeking a permanent recreation and trails millage of one mill in the Aug. 2 primary. If levied, the additional 1.0 mill is estimated to raise $2,345,537 in the first calendar year of the levy.

Kent County Commissioners

The Kent County Board of Commissioners (from a 2019 meeting). (Supplied/Kent County)

Like the federal and state governments, the Kent County Board of Commissioners also completed a redistricting.

The redistricting adds two new district to Kent County for a total of 21 districts. One of those new districts, District 20, would encompass the norther portion of the City of Wyoming (Godfrey-Lee Public Schools area) along with some southern portions of the City of Grand Rapids, such as Roosevelt Park, Black Hills, and Burton Heights. It has been indicated by officials that the goal was to create a largely Hispanic district (the area is more than 50 percent Hispanic) to provide a voice to the county commission of the area’s largest minority group.

There are five candidates vying for the 20th District spot, two Democrats and three Republicans. The Democrats are Ivan Diaz and Charles Howe. The Republicans are Elisa Rodriguez, Alan Bolter, and Walter Bujak.

Other Kent County Districts that will be on the Aug. 2 Primary will be the 10th District, which through redistricting now includes a portion of the City of Kentwood, will be Republicans Emily Post Brieve (incumbent) and Bill Hirsch. The winner of the Republican race will face Democrat Julie Humphreys in November.

In the 12th District, Republicans Lee White and Adam R. Palasek will face off in the primary with the winner then moving on to face Democrat Monica Sparks (incumbent) in November.

The other Kent County district races within the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood have only one Democrat and Republican which means all those races will go straight to the November ballot. Those districts are:

7th District, which includes a western portion of Wyoming along with Grandville. Candidates: Republican Stan Ponstein (incumbent) and Democrat Sue Merrell.

8th District, which covers most of Wyoming. Candidates: Republican Dan Burrill (incumbent) and Democrat Jennie Chatman.

9th District, which includes a portion of southern Wyoming along with all of Byron Center. Candidates: Republican Matt Kallman (incumbent) and Democrat Chip LaFleur.

For a look at the district map of state and county, click here.


State House of Representatives and Senate

Both the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming will be under the 29th District for the state Senate. (Supplied)

Redistricting has changed both the state’s Senate and House of Representative seats for the two cities.

For the Senate, both the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood will be part of the 29th District state Senate seat which also includes Grandville and East Grand Rapids along with portions of Grand Rapids Township and Grand Rapids east of the Grand River and south of Fulton Street. Two Republicans have put in their names, Tommy Brann, who is terming out this year from the 77th District state House seat, and Andrew Kroll. The winner of the Aug. 2 primary will face Democratic incumbent Winnie Brinks in November.

For the state House, the City of Wyoming is split between two districts. Most of the City of Wyoming will be part of the 83rd District along with a north portion of Grand Rapids (the Roosevelt Park area) and the Cutlerville area. There are three Democrats and one Republican vying for the seat. In the Aug. 2 primary, the Democrats, John Fitzgerald, Jose Flores, and Keith Courtade will compete to advance to the November election, where the winner will then run against Republican Lisa DeKryger.

A portion of the eastern border of Wyoming is part of the 82nd District of the House of Representatives. There are three Democrats and two Republicans seeking nomination in the Aug. 2 primary. The Democrats are Salim Mohammed Al-Shatel, Kristian Grant, and Robert Womack. The Republicans are William Alexander and Ryan Malinoski.

The City of Kentwood will join Cascade and East Grand Rapids for the 80th District House of Representative seat. Two Democrats will be competing in the Aug. 2 primary, Lily Cheng-Schulting and Phil Skaggs. The winner will then run against Republican Jeffrey Johnson in the Nov. 8 election.

Voter Information

For more information on voter registration, absentee ballots, voting locations and how to apply to be an election worker in Kentwood, visit kentwood.us/elections or contact the City Clerk’s Office at elections@kentwood.us or 616-698-9610.

In Wyoming, visit click here or contact the City Clerk’s office at clerk_info@wyomingmi.gov or call 616-530-7296.

More election information is available at michigan.gov/vote.

A Wyoming wedding vendor, like others in the industry, struggle to keep up with demand

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Food, Hard News, Local Business, Local Food, Recreation, Restaurants, , , , ,

By Lindsay M. McCoy
Capital News Service

LANSING – “We’ve been in business for 37 years, and this is definitely the craziest season we have ever seen,” said Kevin Humphrey.

While there have been more requests to book Adeline Leigh’s services than in an average year, the company had to reduce the number of weddings booked this year to deal with worker shortages. (Supplied)

Humphrey is the office manager for Adeline Leigh Catering, a Wyoming business located at 1132 Chicago Dr. SW, that prepares food for hundreds of weddings each year.

Across the state, vendors like florists and caterers are preparing for a frantic 2022 season as the number of weddings is up 15% nationally from normal, according to Wedding Report data.

While there have been more requests to book Adeline Leigh’s services than in an average year, the company had to reduce the number of weddings booked this year to deal with worker shortages.

“We actually cut back to mediate labor issues,” said Humphrey.

Humphrey said the business is also ensuring employees’ time-off requests are honored to keep workers on board.

Adeline Leigh has booked approximately 300 weddings for the upcoming months, about 100 fewer than in 2019.

“There was a point where we were turning down 15 events a day, and not everyone was so understanding,” Humphrey said.

Kalin Sheick, the owner of Sweetwater Floral in Petoskey, said she expects a busier-than-normal season in the months ahead.

Sweetwater will provide floral arrangements for about 100 weddings this year across the state, which is an “immense jump” compared with previous years, said Sheick.

“We will usually average around 65 or 70 a year,” she said. “We only stopped at 100 because of staffing. We could have booked way more than that.”

Sheick said the store has hired additional staff to help tackle the increase, and it is training its employees to focus on taking care of themselves to prepare for the looming, long busy season.

“We know that we need extra help and need to support them as best as possible,” Sheick said.

Other problems vendors are preparing for are supply chain delays and a shortage of products.

“We’re feeling the impact of delay, just like every other industry,” she said. “Stuff that used to be easy to get – vases, hard goods and supplies – there’s a delay and you need to be patient.”

 

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, many large flower farms shut down, causing a smaller supply of flowers, said Sheick.

When it comes to food, Adeline Leigh Catering has had to remove only a couple of items from its menu due to supply issues. (Supplied)

“It really squeezes the amount of product you’re able to get. But at the end of the day, there’s a flower shortage because there’s more weddings happening than ever before,” she said.

When it comes to food, Humphrey said it was lucky that his catering business had to remove only a couple of items from its menu.

The time and effort put into ordering supplies has greatly increased as well. What used to be an hour-long project for Humphrey now can take up to an entire work day, he said.

“We order from many suppliers, and it used to be ‘they’ve got the best price, we’ll go there.’ Now you have to find whoever has it,” Humphrey said.

Another change vendors are seeing is a growing number of events booked outside of the prime wedding season of May through October.

Shannon O’Berski, the director of external relations at Meadow Brook Hall in Rochester, says the event venue is handling more weddings on less typically booked days.

“We have seen an increase in interest in off-season events throughout the fall and winter,”O’Berski said. “And more couples are choosing to host Friday and Sunday weddings.”

Meadow Brook Hall is often booked for the entire season.

“We are certainly receiving many inquiries!,” O’Berski said, and reservations are already filling up for 2023.

 

Though the months ahead will be busy and stressful for wedding vendors, Sheick said her team at Sweetwater Floral is excited about the upcoming season.

“It’s just a really fun job and a good thing to be a part of.”

Capital News Service is provided by the Spartan News Room located at Michigan State University. CNS reporters cover state government for member newspapers and digital media outlets across the state of Michigan.

Wyoming’s Spring Carnival set to kick off this Friday

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Going Local, Recreation, Upcoming Events, , , , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

The Wyoming Spring Carnival will run from April 24 – May 1. (Supplied)

Just in time for the warmer weather at the end of this week, Wyoming’s Spring Carnival returns to Lamar Park on Friday.

The annual event event, only missing 2020 due to the COVID pandemic, will run through May 1 at the park located at 2561 Porter St. SW.

According to Corey Stamps, the special events and marketing programmer for the City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation, the activities for this year’s Spring Carnival are the same as in the past.

The carnival will include various rides, games and food options. To help keep all participants, employees, and vendors safe, TJ Schmidt & Company will be operating under enhanced health and safety measures in response to COVID-19. Masks are not required at this year’s event, however the vendor is reminding everyone that there is an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 in any public place where people are present.

Because of the popularity of the Spring Carnival, security for the event has been increased as well.

 

The times for the Spring Carnival are similar to last year, 4 – 8:30 p.m. Monday – Thursday; 2 – 8:30 p.m Friday; and noon – 8:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The Spring Carnival is weather dependent and before attending residents should check with the Wyoming Department of Parks and Recreation’s Facebook page for updates on the carnival.

Prices are $18 Monday – Friday and $23 Saturday. There are $3-off coupons are available for the unlimited wristbands.

There will be a number of carnival rides and food offerings at the Wyoming Spring Carnival. (Supplied)

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. 

Resources available for those processing the recent Patrick Lyoya tragedy

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

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

As protests continue over the April 4 shooting of Patrick Lyoya, several organizations have come forward with resources for the community on dealing with trauma and grief. (pxhere.com)

As many area residents deal with the recent release of video tape of the traffic stop of Patrick Lyoya that resulted in his death, several local organizations have stepped forth to provide resources to help people navigate the difficult conservations of dealing with trauma or grief.

On April 4, Lyoya was stopped by a Grand Rapids police officer and then shot. While the video has been released to the public, the incident is still under investigation.

One of those organizations responding was the Kent County Welcome Plan Steering Committee, which noted that “When critical incidents are seen through the eyes of language barriers, various cultural orientations, and trauma associated with a lifetime of fleeing violence or persecution, we recognize the importance of listening to the voices of New Americans to make our community feel safe for all.”

The Kent County Welcome Plan Steering Committee noted that West Michigan has become home to more than 5,000 Congolese individuals and families.  Lyoya and his family escaped the violence of the Congo in 2014.

Along with encourage people to help the Welcome Plan Steering Committee to create a Welcome Plan that makes all new Americans feel welcome, the committee encourage residents to follow the Mental Health Clinicians of Color Grand Raids, Glimpse of Africa, and the Black Impact Collaborative on Facebook. All of these groups have additional resources and upcoming events for the community process this tragedy, according other Welcome Plan Steering Committee.

Kent Intermediate School District and the Grand Rapids Public Library last week both reminded its staff and the public of community resources each organization offers to the public.

The Kent ISD has a parent resource section for processing trauma. According to the website, the resources provided expert guidance for parents and educators on how to assist students and children in the wake of traumatic events. This includes best practices for addressing violence that has occurred in one’s community and processing media coverage of such incidents.

 

Among the tips for talking to Children About Violence, which is linked to the National Association of School Psychologists page, it recommends:

– Reassure children that they are safe. Validate their feelings and let them discuss those filings, letting them know that their feelings are OK.

– Make time to talk. Let their questions be your guide as to how much information to provide and be patient.

 

– Keep you explanations developmentally appropriate such as with early education, keep language simple and brief with information being balanced with reassurances about safety.

 

– Review safety procedures both at school and home. Hep children identify at least one adult at school and in the community to whom they go if they feel threatened or at risk.

– Observe children’s emotional state. Some many not express their feelings but rather, may demonstrate changes in behavior or have anxiety or discomfort.

– Limit television viewing of these events.

– Maintain a normal routine. Keeping a regular schedule can be reassuring and promote physical health.

The Grand Rapids Public Library recently added an Online Mental Health Resources fo Black and African American Communities to its Community Assistance resource on the GRPL’s website.

The site provides links to several organizations such as Black Emotional and Mental Health (BEAM), which is dedicated to the healing, wellness and liberation of Black communities.

 

Other organizations listed on the site are:

The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation which is working to change the African-American community by encouraging people to get the help ethyl need.

The Leland Foundation which provides financial assistance to Black women and girls seeking therapy.

 

Innopsych which is brining healing to communities of color by changing the face and feel of therapy.

Mental Health America which is committed to promoting mental health for overall wellness.

Therapy for Black Men, a therapist directory for Black men.

Therapy for Black Girls, an online space encouraging the mental wellness of Black women and girls.

Safe Black Space, an umbrella under which various services are offered to addresses people of African ancestry’s individual and community reactions to cultural and racial trauma. 

Real estate market still red hot, but could slow down

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Finances, Hard News, Local Business, West Michigan, , ,

By Sydney Bowler
Capital News Service

 by Redfin, a full-service real estate brokerage, found that 68.8% of home offers written by Redfin agents nationally faced competition in February. (pxhere.com)

LANSING – “Pretty much every offer I put was a shot in the dark, where you’d just cross your fingers and pray and hope that it gets accepted,” said Corbin Holwerda of Grand Rapids.

 

Holwerda is a first-time homebuyer who has been looking for a house in Grand Rapids since mid-January.

 

“I’ve put in seven or eight offers, and it’s really tough because half of those I’m losing to all-cash offers,” he said. “I’m still a young adult. I don’t have $250,000 in the bank that I can just front and put up for a house.”

A recent study by Redfin, a full-service real estate brokerage, found that 68.8% of home offers written by Redfin agents nationally faced competition in February. That’s the highest share reported by its agents since at least April 2020.

“Even if we are able to go above asking (price), there are still people waiving inspections and going $50,000, $60,000 or $70,000 above asking in some cases,” Holwerda said.

According to a new Congressional Research Service report, the main factor causing record-high home prices is that more people are looking to buy houses than there are houses for sale.

Cash offers can help the sale of a home move more quickly. (pxhere.com)

It’s a question of supply and demand, the report said.

“We have people selling homes with 40 offers on one home,” said Shirley Smith, the executive officer of the Hillsdale County Board of Realtors.

“There is a huge amount of competition right now, and the reason for that is because inventory is low. House prices have been going up the last few years and inventory has not increased appreciably,” Smith said.

“I think we’re also seeing more cash offers because those are the offers that get accepted more quickly,” she said.

Sometimes offers are contingent on the sale of the buyer’s current home, a bank loan or inspections to be done, and that can take more time, she said.

But cash offers move the process along more quickly.

“Generally, when we have high housing prices like this, it doesn’t go on forever. I think I, and most Realtors, expect that in the not-so-distant future there will be a change in the trend,” she said.

According to Smith, projections from the National Association of Realtors say housing prices may increase 5% in the coming year, which is much lower than several years past.

 

“That might be a tapering off in the market,” she said.

According to the Case-Shiller Detroit Home Price Index, home prices in Detroit have gone up about 8.6% per year since January 2012. But from January 2021 to January 2022, prices rose 13.9%.

That can be compared with neighboring states’ large cities, like Cleveland, rising 13.3% and Chicago, rising 12.5%. Nationally, home prices rose 19.1% from January 2021 to January 2022, according to Case-Shiller’s national data.

“The interesting thing here (regarding the increases) is that in traditional years, only 3 to 5% of the housing on the market is actually new houses,” said Wayne State University economics professor Allen Goodman.

“As a result, most housing supply occurs kind of above the middle of the market. We don’t allow people to build new, low-quality houses,” said Goodman, who specializes in housing and health economics.

He said some new houses are resold multiple times and “as a result, the housing gets toward the upper end of the market, and what’s left there is sometimes said to filter down to other buyers.”

“A lot of this goes back to COVID, in part,” said Goodman. “To keep the economy growing, the federal government and Federal Reserve banks have had what were historically low interest rates. What it meant was that people who wanted to buy houses were faced with mortgage rates of like 3%.”

A combination of low interest rates and a smaller-than-traditional supply lead to increases in the price of housing. (pxhere.com)

“A combination of low interest rates and a smaller-than-traditional supply lead to increases in the price of housing,” Goodman said.

Monitoring estimates of the value of his own Huntington Woods home over the years, Goodman said it lost half its value from 2007 to 2009.

 

The value can vastly change by month. In one recent month, his home’s value was estimated to have increased around $30,000, but in a previous month it was estimated to have dropped $20,000.

“But really over the past year, it’s pretty much been the same, at least according to Zillow,” he said, referring to the online real estate-market national company.


Capital News Service is provided by the Spartan News Room located at Michigan State University. CNS reporters cover state government for member newspapers and digital media outlets across the state of Michigan.

Local non-profit, long an advocate for persons with disabilities, gains grant to expand service coverage

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Going Local, Health, Local Faces, Non-Profits, Senior Living, Upcoming Events, WKTV Projects,
  • Before and after — wheelchair access to homes is often an issue for disabled persons, according to Disability Advocates of Kent County. (Supplied)
  • Before and after — wheelchair access to homes is often an issue for disabled persons, according to Disability Advocates of Kent County. (Supplied

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org


Disability Advocates of Kent County, set to open a new headquarters in the new Special Olympics of Michigan campus in Byron Township and already one of the region’s leaders in advocacy for persons with disabilities, is set to become even more of a force for good in the region.

Disability Advocates has received a $975,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that will enable the organization to make “safety and functional home modifications and limited repairs to meet the needs of low-income senior homeowners that allow them to age in place,” according to an announcement from the non-profit.

The three-year grant will help 150 seniors in Allegan, Ionia, Mecosta, Montcalm, and Osceola counties — and there is anecdotal evidence that keeping seniors in their home environments longer is better for the seniors mental and physical health.

David Bulkowski, executive director of Disability Advocates of Kent County. (Supplied)

“While we do not have direct evidence for this, it would be safe to suggest that it is so as low-income folks have fewer financial resources to address the barriers themselves and would be more stressed by simple barriers in their homes and could lead to feelings of loneliness and despair,” David Bulkowski, executive director of Disability Advocates, said to WKTV.

Disability Advocates was the only organization in Michigan out of 32 nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, and public housing authorities nationwide to receive an award from HUD’s $30 million “Older Adults Home Modification Program”, according to the announcement.

The national goal is to deliver home modification services to more than 5,000 qualified beneficiaries in primarily rural areas.

The move to expand its services into more rural areas of West Michigan is part of a natural growth for the group.

“Our work began in Kent County and almost only in the Metro Six cities as we were pretty small back then,” Bulkowski said. “From there we spread out throughout the county and especially with Senior Millage funding in Kent County.
 

“As for other counties, we would ‘sneak out’ into Ionia and Montcalm and Mecosta and Osceola to a lesser degree through the years as much as our funding allowed. This new grant has enough capacity that we can assertively market the services availability in those four counties and Allegan.”

And while Disability Advocates offers a wide range of advocacy and services, facilitating often simple but often very necessary home improvements and repairs has always been one of its goals.

Grant-funded services and qualifications

Examples of the home modifications which are available through Disability Advocates include installation of grab bars, railings, and lever-handled doorknobs and faucets, as well as the installation of adaptive equipment, such as non-slip strips for tub/shower or stairs, according to the announcement. These enhancements will enable older adults to remain in their homes — to “age in place” — rather than move to nursing homes or other assisted care facilities.

Working with persons with disabilities, for Disability Advocates of Kent County, is often just listening to client’s issues such as wheelchair access, and the working on solutions. (Supplied)

The HUD grant was awarded in August 2021. For the past several months Disability Advocates has been finalizing its project plan and is now sharing the information in the rural counties to find senior homeowners that could benefit from these services.

To qualify, recipients need to be age 62 or older, have proof of ownership for the dwelling they live in, and have income that does not exceed 80 percent of the median income for their area. For more detailed information visit Disability Advocates of Kent County at dakc.us.

“This is an exciting endeavor for our organization because, as our name implies, we focus on Kent County, but the same needs apply to our friends in neighboring counties, so we are eager to expand our reach with this programming,” Bulkowski said in supplied material. “We are very grateful to our state representatives who guided as through the application process.”

One of the governmental advocates for the Disability Advocates’ grant was Kent County’s U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer.

“I am pleased that HUD recognized the good work Disability Associates of Kent County does for our community, and I know their organization will use this award to improve the lives of seniors right here in West Michigan,” Rep. Meijer said in supplied material.

New facility but same goals

Providing home assessments and independent living solutions have long been a “cornerstone” of the 41-year-old organization and will continue to be a major portion of the services it intends to offer at is soon-to-open new headquarters.

In September 2021, Disability Advocates announced the Building Opportunities, Creating Independence campaign, a $2.5 million fundraising effort to move their headquarters to the Special Olympics campus. To date, the campaign has reached 90 percent of its goal and plans to move into its new space in late April 2022.

“We are on track to open for operations at SOMI (Special Olympics of Michigan) on May 2 … our community open house and ribbon cutting is May 12 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.,” Bulkowski said.

The opening of the new headquarters will also be the opening of a new Home Accessibility Center program.

The organization is using “a sizable portion of the campaign funding” to help cover construction of its Home Accessibility Center program, which will be the area’s first space where people with disabilities can explore ways to renovate and retrofit their homes so they can be more independent.

Peggy Helsel, development director for Disability Advocates of Kent County. (Supplied)

It will serve as a “test space” and showroom where persons with disabilities, their families, healthcare, and design professionals and building contractors to “explore options for a safer home, including models and adaptive equipment,” according to supplied material.

“The Home Accessibility Center is a response to a demonstrated need,” Peggy Helsel, development director for Disability Advocates, said in supplied material. “Often people ask, ‘What does that mean?’ when we talk about universal design and the home, we are giving people a real-life model home to experience what a universally-accessible space can look like.”

WOOD-TV’s Jack Doles featured guest at program at Marge’s Donut Den

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, Recreation, Sports, ,

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

Jack Doles (WOOD TV)

Life seems to be going along at a normal pace and then suddenly, bam everywhere you look its Olympics. And perhaps nothing was more fascinating than the 2022 Beijing Olympics with its figure skating drama and the ending of a career for a snowboard legend.

At the next Mr. Sid’s Video Series, set for Wednesday, April 20, veterans sportscaster Jack Doles, from WOOD-TV8, will be giving the inside scoop on his recent experiences covering the Beijing Winter Olympics, which was Doles’ 12th Olympic games. Other Olympics he has covered are Calgary, Seoul, Atlanta, Sydney, Athens, Torino, Beijing, Sochi, Rio, Pyeongchang, and Tokyo.

Doles has more than three decades of covering sports, joining WOOD-TV in 1990. Besides the Olympics, Doles has covered  the Rose Bowl, the Super Bowl, the NBA and Stanley Cup Finals and the World Series. He’s been to multiple NCAA Final Four tournaments with Michigan State University and the University of Michigan, the Ryder Cup and two Major League Baseball All-Star Games.

The Mr. Sid’s Video Series meets at 2 p.m. There is a hymn sing at 1:45 p.m. The program is free to the public. Marge’s Donut Den is located at 1751 28th St. SW.

Upcoming Mr. Sid’s Video Series are:

May 4: Father Peter Vu pastor of St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church will describe his immigration to the United States after the North Vietnam Victory over the South on April 30, 1975.

May 18: Rick Vuyst from Fruit Basket Flowerland will help you prepare for spring planting – lawn care – wetting your plants, etc.

June 15: Cris Stevens, the Chaplain for the LPGA, will talk about the Pro golfers and the upcoming Meijer Ladies Charity Classic.

July 20: Peggy Maniates, the executive director of the USS Silversides Museum in Muskegon

Reading program designed to get parents and children reading

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Education, Kids Activities, Recreation, , , ,
Video by WKTV volunteer Von Duff.

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

Recognizing that reading needs to be a focus year around, the Great Start Parent Coalition’s Nurturing Parent Power Workshop announced its One Book, One County initiative on the last day of the national March is Reading Month campaign.

“One County, One Book will distribute 9,000 books to families, particular families that are living in neighborhoods that are book desserts,” said Chana Edmond-Verley, the chief executive officer for Vibrant Futures and who also the co-chair of the Nurturing Parent Power Workshop.

“In addition, it is more than a book distribution,” Edmond-Verley said. “We have reading strategy kits so parents will know the strategies that they need to deliver this powerful book to their child.”

Started in 2016, the Nurturing Parent Power Workshop is part of the Great Start Collaborative of Kent County, which works to ensure that all children, from birth to age eight, especially those in highest need areas, have access to high-quality early learning and development programs and enter kindergarten prepared for success.

Members of the One Book, One County campaign hold up this year’s selection. (WKTV)

The Nurturing Parent Power Workshop is a group of parent leaders, systems influencers, and decision makers who work to cultivate the power of parents in helping their children succeed.

“Our goal is to provide early reading strategies in Kent County to get all families reading to their children and all children reading by the end of second grade,” Edmond-Verley said.

From the group came the Success Starts Early Basics which provides tips and information on how parents advocate for their children’s success. Edmond-Verley said it was the Nurturing Parent Power Workshop who came up with the idea for the One book, One County campaign.

The book selection for the campaign is Mary DiPalermo’s “The Caring Me I Want to Be!” because it offers engaging story illustrations, easy connections to real life, allows for problem solving, rhyming, and promotes brainstorming emotions, according to literature that was handed out.

Along with the book, the campaign will provide a calendar of activities parents can use to engage their child based on the book such as writing a letter to a friend telling them why you like them or going outside and counting all the different signs of spring.

A third component will be up to 7,000 licenses for a digital parent coach that will send daily activities straight to a parent’s phone.

“The digital parent coach has been a great tool,” said Nicole Notraio-Risk, who is a co-chair of the Nurturing Parent Power Workgroup. “You can customize the program based on your child’s age and mental ability and the program provides you with a daily routine of fun games and activities that you could do with your child.”

Research shows that children who are read to 20 minutes a day and are repeatedly exposed to books from birth exhibit strong reading abilities. Edmond-Verley said parents are key in helping students achieve.


“We are responding by equipping parents with the tools that they can use to assure that their children are successful,” she said.

More than 20 local organizations such as the Early Learning Neighborhood Collobatibes, Bright Beginnings, Head Start, Kent ISD, Vibrant Futures, and the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum, are participating in the program. Those interested in learning more about the One Book, One County program can reach out to those organizations or visit www.successstartsearly.org. 

East Kentwood comes out on top at spring break FIRST robotics competition

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, , , ,
  • Bringing home the title win was Byron Center’s Code Red, Gull Lake’s Twisted Devils, and East Kentwood’s Red Storm. (WKTV)
  • East Kentwood’s Red Storm robotics team not only snagged a win at the East Kentwood FIRST Robotics competition, but also earned the Gracious Professionalism Award Advancement of FIRST Robotics. (WKTV)
  • Code Red Robotics, which is based in Byron Center, was one of the winning teams and also earned the Engineering Inspiration Award at the East Kentwood FIRST Robotics competition. (WLTV)
  • The Wyoming Demons, far right, was one four teams to finish as a finalist at the East Kentwood FIRST Robotics competition on March 31-April 2. (WKTV)
  • Hopkins’ Tech Vikes, which is sponsored by Wyoming’s GM Components, earned the Autonomous Award sponsored by Ford. (WKTV)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

When spring break is over, Kentwood and Byron Center Public Schools will have something to boost about.

For the first time in almost two years, robotics teams from around the state were able to compete at the East Kentwood FIRST Robotics competition, traditionally held the first weekend of spring break, which this year was March 31-April 2.

“We do it at this time because the school is out on spring break which makes it easier for us to be able to use the gym for a full three days,” said Wendy Ljungren, who works with East Kentwood’s Red Storm, which hosts the competition.

This year it was the combined teams of East Kentwood’s Red Robotics (Team 3875), the all area-based team in Byron Center, Code Red Robotics (Team 2771), and Gull Lake’s Twisted Devils (Team 4381) that took top honors. The first place wins secured all three teams a spot in the state competition, which is set for April 14-16 at Saginaw Valley State University. Also moving on to state is Belmont’s That ONE Team-Our Next Engineers (Team 4967), which earned the coveted District Chairman’s Award.

The FIRST Robotics team resets the playing field at the East Kentwood FIRST Robotics competition, which was March 31-April 1. (WKTV)

Kentwood Superintendent Kevin Poston certainly could not contain his excitement as he sent out a Point of Pride notice on Monday, April 5, to announce the Red Robotics win and mentioning that the team also earned the Gracious Professionalism Award for the advancement of FIRST Robotics.

After a hard fought battle in the playoff rounds, Wyoming High School’s Demons (Team 858) came in as a finalist. Since there is one more district competition, set for April 8-10, Demons coaches said it will be about a week before they know if the team will advance on to the state competition. The Demons’ current ranking is 88th in the state.

There are about 541 Michigan FIRST Robotic teams. The state has 16 districts with about 26 competitions. Teams are required to participate in two robotic competitions for the season.

There are 160 team slots at the state competition. Those who have won a district competition or earned the Chairman’s Award or the District Engineering Inspiration Award advance to the state competition regardless of ranking. From there, the rankings fill in the rest of the spots.

“Sometimes a team can win more than one thing at an event or win two events,” said Ljungren. Such was the case of Byron Center’s Code Red, which was part of the winning alliance and also received the District Engineering Inspiration Award which celebrates the outstanding success in advancing respect and appreciation for engineering within a team’s school or organization and community.

“In that case, a spot would open up for another team to attend,” she said.

Ken Orsechowski, a coach for the Code Red Robotics team, gets interviewed by the WKTV team. WKTV will airing the East Kentwood Robotics competition at a later date. (WKTV)

For the World competition, which is set for April 20-23 in Houston, Texas, FIRST in Michigan will be sending 64 teams total. This includes the winning alliance from the state competition and the state Chairman’s Award, Engineering Inspiration Award, and Rookie All-Star Award winners. The number also includes any Hall of Fame teams, which is a team that has won the National Chairman’s Award in the past 10 years. In 2021, Novi’s Frog Force (Team 503) earned such an honor.

One West Michigan team expecting to head to the world competition is Hopkins’ Tech Vikes, which is sponsored by the GM Components plant located in the City of Wyoming. The plant also is sponsoring the Wyoming High’s Demons team. Tech Vikes, which earned the Autonomous Award sponsored by Ford at the East Kentwood competition, is currently ranked 23rd in the state.

Other West Michigan team state rankings are Forest Hills’ Comets (Team 3357), ranked third; Byron Center’s Code Red (Team 2771), ranked 45th; East Kentwood’s Red Storm, (Team 3875), ranked 51st; Grandivlle’s The RoboDawgs (Team 288), ranked 146th; and Lee Robotics (Team 7234), ranked 163rd. For a complete list of state rankings, click here. 

Wyoming makes plans for its $13.1 million COVID relief funding

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Hard News, Our Cities, , , , , , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

Residents identified they would like to see ARPA (COVID) funding used for is on the city’s water and sewer system. (City of Wyoming)

It was a pretty exciting in the fall when the City of Wyoming, like municipalities across the state and country, learned it would be receiving $13.1 million in federal COVID-19 relief funding.

Similar to the most recent round of stimulus checks the U.S. government gave to American residents, the City of Wyoming’s $13.1 million also was part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) designed to rescue the economy. The federal government gave states about $350 billion dollars, of which Michigan received $250 million.

Deputy City Manager John McCarter said the city has received about $6.5 million of the estimated $13.1 million with the remainder expected to be paid out this year.

But like anything that comes from the federal government, there are a few strings attached to the money, such as what it can be spend not, when it needs to be spent and how cities must report expenditures. According to the U.S. Treasury, those guidelines are:

  • Revenue replacement for the provision of government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, relative to collection in the most recent fiscal year prior to the emergency.
  • COVID-19 expenditures or negative economic impacts of COVID, including assistance to small businesses, households, and hard-hit industries, and economic recovery
  • Premium pay for essential workers
  • Investments in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure

Source: National League of Cities

While cities can use the funding for premium pay for essential workers, according to the National League of Cities, Government Finance Officers Association , and the Michigan Township Association, the money cannot be used to relieve other payroll costs, deposited into any pension fund or used to cute taxes

The money must be used for COVID-related needs. An example given by the Michigan Township Association (MTA) is because of the COVID pandemic, a community’s parks had high usage which resulted in damage and higher than normal maintenance needs, the ARPA money could be used for those parks.

Also, according to the MTA, the ARPA money could be used to bring staffing back to pre-pandemic levels, but only if reductions were a direct result of the COVID pandemic.

How ARPA funds impacts city staffing

The question of using the grant funding has been raised instead of the city seeking an income tax, which is one of two proposals Wyoming residents will vote on May 3.

The additional police and fire staffing that are required to address the community’s needs are a recurring expense that should be support by recurring revenue, McCarter said.

“When you consider the ARPA funding, it is a one-time payment, it will not support the recurring expenses that hiring additional staff includes.” McCarter said, adding that the leaders at the federal level have referred to the bill as a “once in a generation funding opportunity.”

“Because it is a one-time payment, using it to fund police and fire, which is an ongoing expenditure, would not be fiscally responsible as the city needs long-term funding to maintain staffing levels,” McCarter said.

The question of using the grant funding has been raised instead of the city seeking an income tax, which is one of two proposals Wyoming residents will vote on on May 3. The first proposal is the income tax, which would be up to 1 percent for Wyoming residents and .5 percent for non-residents, which according to state law, is the maximum cities are allowed to levy an income tax. City officials have stated that if passed, the income tax would be up to .8 for residents and .4 for non-residents.

The second proposal is to reduce the city’s property taxes for homeowners and businesses by about 58 percent, going from around 12 mills to 5. Both proposals must pass to take effect.

It is estimated that the city would generate about $6 million annually if the proposals are approved. The money would be used to fund 27 additional firefighters (doubling the department), 13 police officers and 1 crime analyst with $600,000 annually being dedicated to update and maintain the city’s parks.

 

The City of Wyoming is hoping to use its remaining ARPA (COVID) funds for large-scale capital projects. (Supplied)

City of Wyoming projects being considered for ARPA funding

The city has used $437,280 of the ARPA funding to make modifications at city hall which has included a drive-thru for the treasurer’s office, court building upgrades, a city hall kiosk, police flock cameras, and a police desk officer reporting system, McCarter said.

In November, the city did conduct a survey of residents to determine what they would like to see the funds used for. From that survey, residents indicated that their top priorities were equipping first responders and improvements to water and sewer systems. Also receiving strong support was construction of affordable housing and a community clean-up program. Other projects listed were improvements to city facilities to address public health, assistance with home repairs, improvements to parks and grants for improvements to businesses and mobile parks and recreation programs.

The remaining $10 million, which also must follow the ARPA use guidelines, will be used on large scale capital investments and matching funds for grants and other funding sources. City Council is scheduled to resume discussions about how to spend ARPA funding in June.

Municipalities have until Dec. 31, 2024 to obligate the ARPA funds and must spend the APRA money by Dec. 31, 2026. 

Second storytelling night scheduled at The Stray for April

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Local Entertainment, Our Cities, Recreation, , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

A storyteller takes the stage during the February WKTV Voices Storytelling Project. (WKTV)

A chance meeting. A lesson learned and applied. An observation.

 

These were all some of the stories that were shared during the first WKTV’s Storytellers Project that was held in February at Wyoming’s The Stray, 4253 S. Division Ave.

“I moved among the crowd to see their reaction and it was really nice to see how much people were enjoying themselves,” said founder and host Donna Kidner Smith.

In fact, The Stray was packed on that snowy, cold day in February, to listen to about 14 local storytellers share a 5-6 minute story from their life. It was such a success that a second storytelling event has been scheduled for Friday, April 15. The program will be at 7 p.m. and is open to the public.

The idea for the project came from Moth Radio Hour, which airs on NPR stations across the nation. The program features storytellers who share stories that honor both the diversity and commonality of human experience, and satisfies a human need for connection.

“This time there will be a theme,” Kidner-Smith said, adding that the theme is “That didn’t Go as I Had Planned.” There will be about 12 storytellers including Kidner-Smith.

The Stray’s menu features a selection of coffees and non-coffee items such as tea, hot chocolate and Brix soda. There is also a lunch menu of sandwiches and salads and in the evening, the offerings include flat breads and a selection of beer and wine.

For those who missed the February event or would like to get a sneak peek as to how it all goes, can watch the February WKTV Voices Storytelling Project at 9 p.m. Tuesday, 7 p.m. Wednesday, and 10 p.m. Saturday on Comcast Channel 25.

 

WKTV also will be recording the April 15 event as well.

Women’s History Month: Local businesswoman finds passion by taking a trip

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Local Business, Our Cities, Recreation, Senior Living, Travel

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

Lillian Vander Veen has been a business leader in the City of Wyoming for several years. She is the owner of Lenger Travel. (Supplied)

For Lillian Vander Veen, her career in the travel business started with a trip to Hawaii.

“It was our 25th anniversary and it was something that we really wanted to do,” Vander Veen said, adding that before the trip she had quit a job working at Northern Air, which had been located at the then Kent County Airport (which later became the Gerald R. Ford International Airport.)

It was on that trip that she would meet Sid and Bertha Lenger, a couple well-known for their travel tours and owner of Lenger Travel.

Sometime after that trip – which Vander Veen noted was wonderful – Sid Lenger approached her with an offer, would she be interested in working for the travel agency? 

“I was surprised but Sid kept saying he knew of my previous work experience and thought it would be a good fit,” she said, adding she had worked for two different companies at the airport and was familiar with airline travel.

It not only was a good fit, but an opportunity to see the world, Vander Veen said, adding she has been able to visit Hawaii, Alaska, and Florida several times along with seeing parts of Europe.

“Lenger Travel was the first to book a DC 10 and a [Boeing] 747 for tour groups,” Vander Veen said.

Vander Veen would help to open an office at the now defunct Grand Village Mall that was located on Fairlanes Avenue in Grandville.

Lillian Vander Veen

The agency, which at one time had several offices in the Greater Grand Rapids area, went through some rough patches. The Lengers eventually retired from the business selling it to another couple who Vander Veen would purchased the businesses from.

“It was through John VanSingel that I was able to bring the agency to Byron Center,” Vander Veen said, adding that VanSingel offered her a spot in the bank he was operating. She eventually moved Lenger Travel to its current location at 2551 84th St. SW.

“You don’t get into the travel business to become rich,” Vander Veen said. “You do it because you love to travel. I think that for that reason it makes it more of a women’s field. It is often women who are planning the vacations.”

That isn’t to say that Vander Veen didn’t have challenges as a working woman in the 50s and 60s.

“The issue I had was not because I was a woman,” Vander Veen said. “Rather it was when I was living in Georgia at the time with my family. I was working for a company and I had befriended an African-American woman and it really bothered me that we couldn’t do anything together outside of work.

“We could only be friends at the office. It was 1953.”

Vander Veen still owns Lenger Travel and mostly oversees the books. Through the years, she has seen a lot of changes in the travel industry, but one thing remains constant: people like to travel. Lenger Travel has changed with the times, now offering assistance with destination travel to such places as Disney World and cruise ship adventures.

While Vander Veen is not in the office very much, she is active in the community she loves, the City of Wyoming, and attends many of the Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce events, including volunteering for Metro Cruise.

Group remembers migrant leader with social justice march

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, Upcoming Events, , ,

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

Participants in a previous César E. Chávez Social Justice March which is on César E. Chávez Avenue.

The Committee to Honor César E. Chávez will host its annual remembrance march and luncheon today.

The event, Forward Together Down the César Chávez Avenue, kicks off at 11 a.m. with the social justice march down the newly named César E. Chávez Avenue. Staging is at the Cook Library Center, 1100 César E. Chávez Ave. SW. The march is free and open to the public.

There is a community gathering at Potter’s House Chapel and Unity Luncheon, which does require reservations to attend. At the Potter House event, GVSU President Philomena V. Mantella and former GRCC President Bill Pink, who has been selected as the new president of Ferris State University, will be honored. Chávez’s grandson, Andrew Chávez, director of strategic initiatives for the César Chávez Foundation, will be the special guest at the luncheon.