Category Archives: Education

High school sports schedule includes WKTV featured games with Wyoming, Kelloggsville

3-bottom, Education, Kentwood Public Schools, Recreation, Sports, WKTV Featured sports
WKTV offers on-demand viewing of the Wyoming and Kentwood high school sports, community events, and government meetings. (WKTV)

By WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org

WKTV’s spring baseball and softball schedule is nearing its end but this week as our coverage crew will be on the road twice this week, with baseball games featuring Wyoming high and Kelloggsville.

But there is high school sports action all over the Wyoming and Kentwood area, so check out something live if you can.

The tentative schedule of WKTV featured game’s remaining this month are as follows:

Wednesday, May 22, boys baseball, South Christian at Wyoming, at Lamar Park
Friday, May 24, boys baseball, Zion Christian at Kelloggsville, at Kellogg Woods Park

Want to be a television sports announcer?

If anyone has ever thought about trying to announce a sporting event, WKTV has a great chance for you to do exactly that! The tentative schedule for May follows and we are always looking for additional announcers, especially for the spring games. If you would like to try it or have any questions, please email Mike at sportswktv@gmail.com.

 
Featured games are broadcast the night of the contest and then at least once later in the week.

WKTV broadcasts on Wyoming and Kentwood cable channels. On Comcast cable, Channel 25 is the Community Channel, where sports events and other community events are shown; Channel 26 is the Government Channel, where local government meetings and events are shown. On AT&T cable throughout the Grand Rapids area, viewers go to Channel 99, and then are given the choice to watch Wyoming (or Kentwood) Community (Channel 25) or Government (Channel 26) channels.

For complete schedules of programs on WKTV channels, see our Weekly On-air Schedule.


All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvondemand.com.


For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week, any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and feature stories on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/.

 
Following is this week’s schedule:

Monday, May 20
Boys Golf
South Christian @ Middleville T-K
Fruitport Calvary Christian @ Tri-Unity Christian – Maple Hill
Wyoming @ Christian – Thornapple Pointe
Boys Baseball
Wyoming @ South Christian – DH
East Kentwood @ West Ottawa – DH
Godwin Heights @ NorthPointe Christian
Kelloggsville @ Belding – DH
Calvin Christian @ Wyoming Lee
Girls Softball
Wyoming @ South Christian – DH
East Kentwood @ West Ottawa – DH
Godwin Heights @ NorthPointe Christian – DH
Kelloggsville @ Belding – DH
Calvin Christian @ Wyoming Lee – DH
Girls Soccer
FH Eastern @ South Christian
Hudsonville@ East Kentwood
Godwin Heights @ Hopkins
Kelloggsville @ Wyoming Lee
Tri-Unity Christian @ Covenant Christian
Wyoming @ Middleville T-K
Zion Christian @ Calhoun Christian
West Michigan Aviation @ Heritage Christian

Tuesday, May 21
Boys Golf
East Kentwood – OK Red Post Season Tournament @ Thornapple Pointe
Girls Softball
Belding @ Kelloggsville
Boys Baseball
Zion Christian @ Ottawa Hills – DH
Holland Black River vs West Michigan Aviation – DH @ Zion Christian
Girls Soccer
West Michigan Aviation @ Calvin Christian

Wednesday, May 22
Boys Baseball
 South Christian @ Wyoming – Lamar Park – WKTV Featured Event
West Ottawa @ East Kentwood
NorthPointe Christian @ Godwin Heights
Wyoming Lee @ Calvin Christian
Girls Softball
South Christian @ Covenant Christian – DH
East Kentwood @ Byron Center – DH
NorthPointe Christian @ Godwin Heights
Wyoming Lee @ Calvin Christian
Boys Golf
Tri-Unity Christian @ Wellsprings Prep – The Mines
Girls Soccer
Wyoming – MHSAA Districts @ Hamilton

Thursday May 23, 2019
Girls Soccer
Godwin Heights – MHSAA Districts @ Godwin Heights
Wyoming Lee – MHSAA Districts @ Wellsprings Prep
Boys Baseball
Grand Rapids Crusaders @ Wyoming Lee
Potter’s House @ Holland Black River – DH

Friday, May 24
Boys Baseball
Godwin Heights vs Saugatuck – @ Hope College
Zion Christian @ Kelloggsville – DH
Wyoming @ Zeeland East
West Michigan Aviation @ Belding – DH
Girls Soccer
TBA – @ Godwin Heights – MHSAA Districts
West Michigan Aviation @ Grand River Prep – MHSAA Districts
Girls Softball
Wyoming @ Zeeland East – DH

Saturday, May 25
Boys /Girls Track
MITCA State Meet
Boys Baseball
Wyoming @ West Ottawa – DH

Monday, May 27
Memorial Day

Tuesday, May 28
Boys Baseball
@ East Kentwood – MHSAA Districts
Godwin Heights @ Christian – MHSAA Districts
Kelloggsville @ Holland Christian – MHSAA Districts
Wyoming Lee @ Christian – MHSAA Districts
Zion Christian @ Holton
Girls Softball
@ East Kentwood – MHSAA Districts
Kelloggsville @ Christian – MHSAA Districts
Wyoming Lee @ Christian – MHSAA Districts
Wyoming @ Ottawa Hills – MHSAA Districts
Girls Soccer
Tri-Unity Christian vs Zion Christian – MHSAA Districts @ NorthPointe Christian

Wednesday, May 29
Boys Golf
East Kentwood — MHSAA Regionals
Kelloggsville — MHSAA Regionals @ Diamond Springs
Wyoming – MHSAA Regionals
Girls Soccer
TBA @ South Christian — MHSAA Districts

Thursday, May 30
Girls Soccer
East Kentwood @ TBA — MHSAA Districts
Boys Golf
East Kentwood @ TBA — MHSAA Regionals

Friday, May 31
Girls Tennis
MHSAA State Finals

Calvin recognized as Tree Campus USA

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Education, Local Faces
Calvin’s main campus is home to more than 3,500 trees. In addition, the campus has a 100+ acre Ecosystem Preserve. (Photo courtesy Calvin College)

By Matt Kucinski, Calvin College


Calvin College is honored with 2018 Tree Campus USA® recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation for its commitment to effective urban forest management. Calvin is one of five Michigan institutions to receive the distinction. (Michigan State University, University of Michigan, Washtenaw Community College, and Western Michigan University were also included.)


“Tree Campuses and their students set examples for not only their student bodies but the surrounding communities showcasing how trees create a healthier environment,” said Dan Lambe, president of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Because of your school’s participation air will be purer, water cleaner and your students and faculty will be surrounded by the shade and beauty the trees provide.”


Tree Campus USA, an Arbor Day Foundation program created in 2008, honors colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and for engaging staff and students in conservation goals. Calvin College achieved the title for the seventh straight year by meeting Tree Campus USA’s five standards, which include maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance, and student service-learning project. Currently there are 364 campuses across the United States with this recognition.


“Calvin’s Tree Campus USA designation shows the importance we place on not only the care and management of our existing trees, but also on campus involvement in planting new ones,” said Bob Speelman, Calvin’s landscape operations supervisor and a certified arborist. “Campus trees play a key role in making this an attractive, sustainable, and enjoyable place to live, work, and visit. I am pleased that our role as stewards of the campus urban forest has been recognized once again.”


The Arbor Day Foundation is a million-member nonprofit conservation and education organization with the mission to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. The organization has helped campuses throughout the country plant thousands of trees, and Tree Campus USA colleges and universities invested more than $51 million in campus forest management last year. 


Reprinted with permission from Calvin College.


Calvin LifeWork unlocks soft skills

3-bottom, Area Education, Citizen Journalism, Education, Local Faces, Tech Trends, , , ,
Photo credit: Andrew Quist

By Connor Bechler, Calvin College


In a haze of coding, caffeine, circuits, teamwork, snacks, and sleep deprivation, around 120 students from Calvin and other universities worked for 24 hours straight, developing a wide range of software and hardware computing projects. The students were competing in Calvin’s first “hackathon,” a marathon software and hardware development competition held from February 8-9 by the CalvinHacks student organization.


As the sun set on February 9, a team of Calvin students emerged victorious, their project—PlantBit—scoring first place. A combination of a smartphone application, an arduino board, a Google Home, and a moisture sensor, PlantBit allows its user to remotely turn on and off grow lights for their plants, while also providing data on the moisture of the plant’s soil.


“It was inspired by the massive amount of succulents I keep in my room,” said team member Lauren Ebels, a biology and computer science major. “I have a whole bunch of grow lights for them, but couldn’t set them to be on when they’d help the plants the most.”


Over the course of the 24 hours, the team divided and conquered: Junior Shion Fukuzawa programmed the remote control iPhone app, Seniors David Widjaja, Megan Koh, and Toussaint Cruise set up the hardware and control database, and Ebels connected the Google Home to the control database.


“There’s a sense of accomplishment,” said Fukuzawa, a math major and computer science minor. “At the end you have to submit something no matter what, and the fact that you worked as a team for 24 hours and actually made something is pretty satisfying.”


“CalvinHacks was a really fun event, and was unlike anything I had ever done before” said Caleb Schmurr, a Calvin junior electrical engineering student whose team worked on a project using an e-ink screen to display information from a Google Home.


“I liked getting the chance to spend time working in an environment that encouraged and supported creative uses of technology,” Schmurr added. “We were able to use our programming abilities gained from either coursework at Calvin or other experiences to create a really unique project.”


Among a multitude of other creative submissions, Calvin teams also designed a web-based video game, a sign language video detection user interface, and an app for tracking grocery purchases.


Reprinted with permission from Calvin College.


Local talent in spotlight as St. Cecilia youth jazz groups hit the stage

3-bottom, Area Education, City of Kentwood, Education, Kentwood Public Schools, Local Entertainment, Upcoming Events
The Jazz Band, directed by Paul Brewer, in rehearsal for its coming concert. (Supplied/St. Cecilia Music Center)

By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org

Improvisational jazz music is not for everyone, especially young musicians learning their craft. But it is challenging and rewarding for the youth who make up the St. Cecilia Music Center’s Youth Jazz Ensembles — including several local players from East Kentwood High School.

The public can get a reward of their own this weekend as those young players will be on stage at St. Cecilia during the center’s Youth Jazz Ensembles Concert, a free, public event scheduled for Sunday, May 19, at 7 p.m.

Both the small Jazz Combo group and the Jazz Band big band will be on stage, and both will showcase the developing talent of their young players.

Mitchell Arganbright is a student at East Kentwood High School and a member of the Jazz Band. (Supplied/St. Cecilia Music Center)

“The combo format has a lot of potential for learning because every aspect of musicianship is involved: sight-reading, learning by ear, music theory (chord structures, keys, form), improvisation, arranging,” Robin Connell, St. Cecilia Jazz Combo director and local musician, said in an email to WKTV. “The big band music is all written and presents challenging reading for most students. They also work on blend, balance, intonation, and style.”

While the combo format focuses more on the traditional improvisational aspects of jazz, Connell said the big band is more structured but has “improvised parts (that) are only for a selected few instruments within an arrangement that is otherwise all written out.”

The current Jazz Combo has five members, Connell said: piano, bass, drums, saxophone and two trombones.

“The combo learns jazz standards and, in the process, learns a lot about music and jazz,” Connell said. “They learn the tunes from a ‘lead sheet’ (melody and chord symbols without any intro/ending or arrangement). Then we put an arrangement together. We start the year with me giving all the direction but, by the end, I’ve encouraged them to take over the leadership and direction as they are able.”

The combo members range in age from 12 to 16 (four are in middle school), and they will play four tunes:  “Listen Here” by Eddie Harris, “Moanin’ ” by Bobby Timmons, “Artherdoc Blues” by Jimmy Heath, and “So What” by Miles Davis.
 

The Jazz Band, directed by Paul Brewer, has the standard instrumentation, Connell said: five saxophones, four trombones, four trumpets, with piano, bass and drums — “But I will be playing piano with the band because he doesn’t have a student pianist.”
 

The Jazz Band are all high school kids, with half a dozen from East Kentwood high. Their program will be published pieces arranged for this instrumentation, but specifics are not known at this time.

The St Cecilia Music Center is located at 24 Ransom NE, Grand Rapids. For more information visit the event’s Facebook page here.

Spotted lanternfly: A colorful cause for concern

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Education, Pets/Animals, ,
Adult spotted lanternfly. Photo by Lawrence Barringer, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

By Anne E. Johnson, Deborah McCullough and Rufus Isaacs, Michigan State University Department of Entomology


Spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula (White) (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae), is a sap-feeding insect native to China and other parts of Southeast Asia. It was first found in the United States in 2014 in Berks County, southeastern Pennsylvania and has been spreading since then. As of May 2019, confirmed observations of spotted lanternfly (SLF) had been recorded in at least 12 additional counties in Pennsylvania and in localized areas of five other states: Delaware, Virginia, New Jersey, Maryland and New York.


This invasive pest can feed on at least 70 species of trees, as well as vines and shrubs, including fruit trees, hops, grapevines and several hardwoods. Spotted lanternfly can be easily spread to new locations when people accidentally transport eggs or other life stages into new areas. Quarantines have been established to prevent further spread of SLF life stages by people moving infested material. Residents or visitors to areas where SLF occurs should be aware of the risks of moving this invasive pest. Check vehicles and any outdoor items for egg masses or other life stages before leaving areas where SLF has been reported.


Spotted lanternfly females can lay their eggs on nearly any surface including vehicles, patio furniture and outdoor equipment, as well as trees. This means SLF can be easily spread over long distances if people move the articles bearing the eggs.

Impacts

Spotted lanternfly feeds by sucking sap from the stems and trunks of a wide variety of plants. At high SLF densities, this feeding can reduce vigor of trees and vines. Dead shoots on some hosts, particularly black walnut trees, have been observed in Pennsylvania.

Spotted lanternfly adults on an apple tree in Pennsylvania. Photo by Erica Smyers, Penn State University.

To feed on plant sap, SLF pierce the bark, creating wounds that can allow plant pathogens to infect trees. Immature and adult SLFs excrete tremendous amounts of sugary honeydew as they feed, which lands on plants around and beneath them. This sticky honeydew attracts other pests, particularly hornets, wasps and ants, causing more annoyance for people in affected areas and complicating crop harvests. Black sooty mold grows on the honeydew, affecting the appearance and potentially the health of herbaceous plants, shrubs and seedlings beneath infested trees. Sooty mold can reduce the amount of light reaching the surface of the leaves, decreasing photosynthesis rates.

Host trees

Tree of heaven, Ailanthus altissima, is a highly preferred and perhaps required host for SLF. Tree of heaven is native to China, but was widely planted in much of the eastern U.S. decades ago for erosion control. It was also planted as an ornamental street tree in many municipalities. Female trees produce abundant seeds and tree of heaven can grow on a variety of soils, including disturbed areas. Tree of heaven is now considered an invasive plant and has spread across much of the United States.


While tree of heaven is a highly preferred host, reports from Pennsylvania indicate SLF can also feed on American beech, basswood, sycamore, big-toothed aspen, black birch, black cherry, black gum, black walnut, assorted dogwoods, Japanese snowbell, maples, oaks, paper birch, pignut hickory, pines, sassafras, serviceberry, slippery elm, tulip tree, white ash and willows. Many of these species are commercially important as ornamental or timber trees. While SLF has not killed any trees in the U.S. to date, continued spread of this invader concerns many foresters and arborists.

Fruit trees and vines

The greatest economic impacts of SLF may result from its ability to feed on many types of crop plants. Tree hosts of SLF include apple, plum, cherry, peach and apricot. High densities of SLF have also been observed on grape vines and on hops vines. Neither the immature nor adult SLFs feed on the fruits themselves, but large numbers of insects feeding on these plants during the harvest season can affect fruit quality. The insects remove significant amounts of sap and the sooty mold can contaminate berries. This can reduce marketable yields, delay fruit ripening and reduce winter tolerance to cold weather.

Effects on humans?

Spotted lanternflies cannot harm humans directly, as they neither bite nor sting, but their presence, outdoors and indoors, can be unpleasant.

Identification and life cycle

Spotted lanternfly completes one generation per year (see figure). Eggs are laid in a mass coated in an off-white or gray substance, which cracks and darkens to a grayish-brown over time. Egg masses resemble a small patch of mud or “seed pods” and can be found on vehicles, tree trunks, boulders and stones, bricks and other outdoor surfaces. Eggs hatch in spring and the small black nymphs with white spots begin feeding. Spotted lanternflies will complete four stages, called instars, as immature nymphs before becoming adults. First, second and third instar nymphs are black with white markings, Fourth instar nymphs are reddish-orange with black and white markings.

The nymphs eventually develop into adults, the only stage with wings. Adult SLF are about an inch long and half an inch wide, with grayish forewings with black spots and red, white and black striped hindwings. A few adults may appear in mid-summer but they are most common in late summer and fall.


After mating, adult females lay eggs, usually beginning in September and continuing through November or even early December. Eggs overwinter until the following April or May, when the first instar nymphs hatch and begin feeding.

Control and management

Preventing or at least slowing the spread of SLF is important to minimize impacts and control costs. When leaving an area where SLF is present, check vehicles and outdoor equipment for egg masses or any other life stages. Do not move nursery trees, firewood, mulch or related materials out of quarantined areas. Keep windows of vehicles rolled up in areas where adult SLFs are active and avoid parking below infested trees.


Egg masses that are accessible can be scraped off and destroyed, eliminating insects that would otherwise hatch and feed. Use a stick, plastic card, putty knife or similar tool to scrape eggs into a container filled with alcohol, hand sanitizer or very soapy water to kill the eggs. Eggs can also be burned in a campfire. Simply mashing eggs is often not entirely effective. Some residents in Pennsylvania have wrapped plastic wrap tightly around tree trunks and then coated it with a sticky substance to capture nymphs as they climb up the trunk to feed on the younger shoots. These sticky bands may be useful if SLF densities are high. Bands will need to be checked and replaced at least every other week.


Other insects and occasionally small birds or even small mammals may be accidentally trapped in the sticky bands. Surrounding the sticky band with wire or mesh can help prevent birds and mammals from being captured.


In Pennsylvania, removing tree of heaven, the preferred host, appears to reduce local abundance of SLF. Cutting down female trees (those producing seeds), or killing the trees with a herbicide containing triclopyr will limit establishment of new trees of heaven.

Adults are about 1 inch long and show little of the red color when wings are closed. Photo by Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org.

Adopting a trap tree approach can be even more effective. Select a male tree of heaven (one that does not produce seeds) and remove or fell other trees of heaven in the vicinity. Treat the remaining “trap tree” with a systemic insecticide product containing dinotefuran as the active ingredient. Systemic insecticides are transported up the trunk and into the canopy and will control SLF nymphs and adults when they try to feed on treated trees. This control method works best June through August. Insecticides can be used on their own to control SLF on other host trees as well. Only use insecticides registered with the EPA and follow all application and personal safety instructions on the label.


Ongoing research on SLF is likely to generate new information every year. Up-to-date information on SLF can be found on websites hosted by Pennsylvania State University, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and USDA APHIS.

What to do if you find a suspected SLF in Michigan

Report what you found to one of the following:

For general information

Download printable handout of this article.


This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).


Special sporting community events at Wyoming, Wyoming Lee this weekend

Area Education, City of Wyoming, Education, Kids Activities, Recreation, Sports,
A banner donated by Grandville High School for the 2016 event. (Supplied)

By WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org

The weather is supposed to be nice this weekend, and if you are into high school sports there will be two special Wyoming events — Wolves softball and baseball, and Rebel girls soccer — that will be both be great for viewers but also great for the community.

Wyoming High School will host Grandville High School in the Annual Christy Paganelli baseball/softball game Friday, May 10, at Pinery Park. The annual benefit games between teams from the neighboring high schools “celebrate life while bringing awareness to the importance of fighting cancer.”

The Christy Paganelli Softball Player Introduction Ceremony will begin at 5:30 p.m., with baseball introduction at 5:45 p.m.

 
The annual Christy’s Cause Scholarship Baseball and Softball Games honors “the person and the spirit” of Christy Paganelli, who lost a courageous 18-month battle with melanoma.

The event recognizes all cancer awareness and prevention, and is committed to making sure everyone is aware that melanoma skin cancer can happen to anyone and how to prevent it.

All funds will be directed towards cancer research and the Christy Paganelli Scholarship Fund, which funds one or two scholarships each year at Aquinas College, where Christy played softball after playing and graduating from Wyoming’s Rogers High School.

 
The events will begin with a junior varsity baseball game at 3:15 p.m., followed by twin varsity softball and baseball games at 6 p.m.

Pinery Park is located at 2301 De Hoop Ave, Wyoming.

Cope Rebelde soccer tournament at Lee

The Lee Rebel “Copa Rebelde Soccer Invite” will be held Saturday, May 11, at the Lee Athletic Fields.

The girls soccer tournament is a three-match event starting with West Michigan Aeronautics Academy vs. Lee at 9:30 a.m.; Wyoming Potter’s House vs. WMAA at 11 a.m. (or 15 minutes after end of game 1); Lee vs Potter’s House at 12:30 p.m. (or 15 minutes after end of game #2). Each game will be 60 minutes in length, with 30 minute halves, 10 minute halftimes, and 15 minutes between games.

There will be no overtime so tie games decided by penalty shoot-outs —which are always exciting — and the champion will be determined by record then point differential.

And while the event should feature some great tournament soccer action, it will also be a Latino community celebration of sorts.

“We are lucky to have a team and community that can embrace their cultural heritage as much as they do,” the Lee soccer coach said to WKTV last year. “Copa is ultimately just a word but that word represents more than a tournament cup. It represents our small community’s strong ties with Latin America.”

The Lee Athletic Fields are located at 1824 Godfrey Ave. SW, Wyoming.

For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week visit wktvjournal.org/sports/.

Rep. Huizenga mixes with Wyoming High students at recent youth leadership event

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Education, Local Faces, Politics,
U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, with Wyoming High School students, at a recent Youth Leadership Summit. (Supplied/Rep. Bill Huizenga’s office)

By WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org

A group of Wyoming High School students were among about 200 high school juniors from more than 30 schools across the state in attendance at a recent Youth Leadership Summit hosted by U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga.

This is the second year Rep. Huizenga (Republican-Michigan’s 2nd Congressional District), who represents Kentwood and Wyoming, has hosted the event at Grand Valley State University’s Allendale campus.

The half-day event, held May 3, was designed to provide students with the opportunity to hear from and talk with the congressman and other West Michigan leaders “while exploring what characteristics and qualities will help future leaders succeed in both their personal lives as well as their post high school endeavors,” according to supplied material.

The Wyoming High students were Bria’nna Hoffman, MiKayla Carrasco, Dale Cross, Zachary Fry, Kathryn Johnson and Aleighya Beach.

“It was great to have students from Wyoming High School attend the event, engage with other students, and ask thoughtful questions,” Rep. Huizenga said in an email provided to WKTV. “I hope the speakers provided valuable insight about leadership, overcoming adversity, and capitalizing on opportunities.”

In addition to the congressman, the other featured speakers were Dr. Dale Nesbary, president of Muskegon Community College; Leslie Brown, chairman of Holland’s Metal Flow; and Dakota Crow, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of the Muskegon Lakeshore.

Snapshots: Wyoming, Kentwood news you ought to know

3-bottom, Books, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Education, Kids Activities, Non-Profits, Recreation, Senior Living, Travel, Upcoming Events, , , ,

By WKTV Staff

victoria@wktv.org

Quote of the Day

“There’s no fear when you’re having fun.“

~Will Thomas



A few wrinkles in time

Older Michigangians Day, on May 15th, is an opportunity for Michigan seniors to speak with a united voice about the issues that directly affect them. It is also an opportunity to meet new people and enjoy a beautiful day in our State’s capitol. Call Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan to register at (616) 222-7042. Go here for more info.



So good, you can’t
read just one

“You just really can’t replace putting a book in a kid’s hands,” said district Superintendent Kevin Polston at a recent celebration of literacy” at the Early Childhood Center in Wyoming. “There is something special about touching, feeling, seeing the pictures, and engaging with the book. We know there is value to that.” Read all about it here.



Life’s too short, so go on …
have some fun

Experience Grand Rapids (EXGR) invites locals to explore the Grand Rapids area during National Travel and Tourism Week through May 11th using EXGR resources such as Culture Pass GR and Vamonde. Check it out here.

Fun fact:

Details, details

There is actually a difference between coffins and caskets — coffins are typically tapered and six-sided, while caskets are rectangular.



But in the end, does it really matter?



Do your parenting practices contribute to bullying behaviors?

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Education, How-To's, Kids Activities, ,

By Karen Pace, Michigan State University Extension


Most parents don’t want to think that their own parenting practices are contributing to issues of bullying in the lives of their kids. In her book Bullied: What Every Parent, Teacher and Kid Needs to Know About Ending the Cycle of Fear, author Carrie Goldman draws from the work of several scholars and shares information on parenting practices that can help prevent bullying – as well as those that can actually foster bullying behaviors.


Goldman cautions parents to be mindful of the ways that they may inadvertently put pressure on their children to be “popular” or to be liked by other kids, which can put kids at risk for being involved with bullying.


For example, if we have a habit of judging others (or ourselves) based on appearance (saying for example, “She has put on so much weight and is getting really fat!”), we model for children that being disrespectful and judging others based on their appearance is okay. One of the reasons this is so critical is that children in one comprehensive study said that physical appearance is the number one reason kids get bullied or called names.


Children take in verbal and non-verbal messages (for good or for ill) from their parents and other adults around them. These messages too often make young people feel pressured to “fit in” in ways that are not healthy to their overall identities around physical appearance, gender, skin color, sexuality and other aspects of themselves. Feeling pressured to fit in at all costs can lead youth (and adults) to participate in unhealthy relationships – or go along with the crowd in the face of hurtful, mean-spirited behaviors.


When kids are the target of bullying behaviors, they may feel shame, assume it’s their fault, blame themselves or internalize the damaging messages. Parents, families and adults in kids’ lives have important roles to play in helping kids develop resiliency by understanding the difference between fitting in and belonging.


Another way parents can foster resilient kids in the face of bullying is to practice what researcher and educator, Brené Brown calls “wholehearted parenting.”  Dr. Brown’s research on shame, vulnerability and courage illuminates several ways that parents can engage in wholehearted parenting with a focus on raising children who move through the world with courage and resiliency in the face of bullying and other challenging situations.


Goldman encourages parents to take issues of bullying seriously and resist the urge to label or dismiss their kid’s concerns as childhood “drama.” She urges parents to be present with their children by asking them open-ended questions, allowing them to talk, listening deeply and encouraging discussion about mutually acceptable solutions.


Michigan State University Extension provides opportunities for parents, youth workers and other adults to learn more about issues of bullying and ways to create safe, affirming and fair environments with and on behalf of young people.  For more information, check out a new initiative called Be SAFE: Safe, Affirming and Fair Environments.


This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

Understanding culture and family history: Birth and adoption stories

3-bottom, Area Education, Education, How-To's, Voices,
Photo supplied

By Darren Bagley, Michigan State University Extension


The most memorable part of many family’s history is when a new child is brought into the family. Often, the date is recorded with photos, but have you captured the stories associated with your birth or adoption? Many times, people don’t think to ask those questions until it is too late. Sometimes these conversations are avoided because they are uncomfortable, so be sensitive if these questions bring up strong emotions.


Here are some things to potentially talk about with your family. You could also ask the same questions about your parents by talking with your grandparents.

  • Does your family have stories about how they knew you were arriving?
  • Were there any “baby shower” events before you arrived? Who was there? Are there any gifts from that event that are still in your home?
  • Are there any memories of the day of the adoption or birth? My grandfather, who worked on an old-school dairy farm, talks about the day his first child was born and how he “ran over the milk cans three times that day.” Bringing a new child into the home can cause moments in time to stand out in our memories. Going through photos can help stimulate even more stories.
  • Were there any complications to bringing you into the family? Was the adoption or birth easy or difficult? Did you arrive when you were planned, or early or late?
  • Do you know where your name came from? Was it based on a family name? Was there argument between your parents on the name? Do you know what your name would have been if you were a different gender? If you were adopted, the stories of your names may be multi-layered and come from different places.
  • If you have siblings or pets, what were their reactions when you were brought home?
  • Are there interesting stories of how other family members (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins) reacted when they found out about you?
  • Is there a story of when you first said “Mom” or “Dad?”

Capturing these and other stories about you and your family could be the foundations for a set of your own stories in the future.


This article was inspired by and adapted from the 4-H Folkpatterns curriculum:

Michigan State University Extension and the Michigan 4-H Youth Development program help to prepare youth as positive and engaged leaders and global citizens by providing educational experiences and resources for youth interested in developing knowledge and skills in these areas.


To learn about the positive impact of Michigan 4-H youth leadership, citizenship and service and global and cultural education programs, read our Impact Report: “Developing Civically Engaged Leaders.” Additional impact reports, highlighting even more ways MSU Extension and Michigan 4-H have positively impacted individuals and communities can be downloaded from the MSU Extension website.


This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

Early childhood education millage use plan approved by Kent County commissioners

3-bottom, Area Education, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Education, Kids Activities, Non-Profits,
An estimated 45,000 children in Kent County are below age 5. Too many of them and their parents need help so they can be healthy and prepared for kindergarten, according to early childhood advocates. (Supplied/First Steps Kent)

By WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org

The Kent County Board of Commissioners last week approved First Steps Kent’s proposal to administer the countywide Ready by Five millage and to push forward a plan distribute the funds intended “to help young children be ready for school success” by “support young children and their families across the community.”

The action took place at the April 25 Board of Commissioners meeting. In November 2018, county voters approved the millage, which will provide more than $5.5 million annually for enhanced early childhood services.

“We are excited to work with First Steps and the broader community to increase community based, early childhood services,” Wayman Britt, County Administrator/Controller, said in supplied information. “The Ready by Five funds will allow us to reach children and their families early in life when brain development and social/emotional bonding are critical. We have confidence that First Steps and the system that is being created will ensure that the resources are directed where it can have a significant impact.”

The millage will support programs that improve the healthy development and school readiness of children ages zero to five. The funding will be distributed to community-based organizations across the county that provide services such as in-home parenting support, developmental screenings, play and learn groups, and outreach to “ensure families know what is available and have access to the services that best meet their needs,” according to supplied material.

A review board comprised of parents, Kent County commissioners, a First Steps Kent board member, and a community member with early childhood expertise will review proposals from service providers and make recommendations about which programs and services should be funded. The first round of funding will be awarded this fall.

“We are fortunate in Kent County to have innovative and effective early childhood programs that are getting great results,” Annemarie Valdez, president and CEO of First Steps Kent, said in supplied material. “The Ready by Five Millage will allow many more children and families in our community to benefit from those services. We again want to thank the voters of Kent County, who recognize this is an investment that will pay off for our community.”

The statement from Kent County stated that research shows money invested in high quality early childhood programs saves money down the road with reduced costs for child welfare, education, health care, and criminal justice. All programs funded by the Ready by Five Millage will be evaluated to measure their impact. Those results will be shared with the public. Kent County is the first county in Michigan to have local tax dollars dedicated to early childhood.

First Steps Kent is an independent nonprofit leading a community-wide effort to build a comprehensive early childhood system in Kent County. A comprehensive system requires that programs, policies, and supports are in place to help all young children and their families thrive.

For more information on First Steps Kent visit firststepskent.org .

Snapshots: Wyoming and Kentwood (fun) things to do this weekend

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Education, Food, Going Local, Kids Activities, Local Entertainment, Upcoming Events, , ,

By WKTV Staff
Ken@wktv.org

Quote of the Day

“We're all in the same boat ready to float off the edge of the world. The flat old world.”
 
                     ― The Band (from the song "Life is a Carnival")

Wyoming’s annual Spring Carnival will open this weekend at Lamar Park. (Supplied)

Life is a carnival

West Michigan families are invited to come out to Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St SW, and enjoy carnival rides, food, and games April 26 – May 5. The carnival will be open Monday through Thursday from 4–8:30 p.m., Friday from 2– 8:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from noon–8:30 p.m. For the complete story, visit here.



VeggieCon is coming to Kentwood this weekend. (Supplied)

Eat your veggies!

VeggieCon, an event to educate the community more about healthy options, is coming at Encounter Church, 4620 Kalamazoo Ave. SE., Kentwood, on Saturday, April 27. 10 am. to 2 p.m. Along with many family friendly activities, there will be April 27, there will be a fresh produce display on site so people can see what produce is available at local farm stands. For the complete story, visit here.


This strange creature is part of Grand Rapids Public Museum’s “Expedition: Dinosaur exhibition” (Supplied/GRPM)

(Strange) creature comforts

The Grand Rapids Public Museum’s “Expedition: Dinosaur exhibition” has been extended, so visitors can now explore the fascinating world of dinosaurs and the hunt for their fossils through May 12. This exhibit has something for all ages, from life-sized and life-like animatronic dinosaurs – some controlled by visitors – to mechanical and electronic learning stations. For the complete story, visit here.



Fun fact:

240 million years

You may know that the world was full of dinosaurs 99 million years ago, but crocodilian creatures, including current crocodiles themselves – have been on Earth for an estimated 240 million years. Talk about adaptable! (Source)

Questions in block play can support mathematical learning

3-bottom, Area Education, Citizen Journalism, Education, How-To's, Kids Activities, ,

By Kevin Zoromski, Michigan State University Extension

 


Playing with blocks is one of the most satisfying and fun ways to interact with your child while teaching important skills to enhance their language, social, emotional, cognitive and motor development. Block play can help to increase vocabulary, math, science and overall physical development. In this series of articles, you will learn some specific questions to use to interact with your child using blocks to increase their developmental skills.


There are many ways to increase mathematical skills and knowledge by playing with blocks. Playing with blocks can increase the ability to understand sizes, shapes and patterns. Block play can also lead to increased skills in counting, adding, subtracting and sorting. As you use blocks to play with your children, be aware of some important and fun questions you can ask to support their learning and increasing of mathematical skills.


Questions for learning about counting with blocks:

  • How many blocks do you have?
  • Can we count how many blocks you have?
  • How many square blocks? How many circle blocks?
  • What color blocks do you have?
  • Do you have a red block? Do you have a blue block?
  • How many red (blue, green, orange, etc.) blocks are there?

Questions for learning about patterns with blocks:

  • Can you make a pattern with…? (choose two color or two shape blocks)
  • What comes next in the pattern? (example: red, blue, red, blue)
  • How can you continue the pattern?

Questions for learning about shapes with blocks:

  • Can you pick up a round block? Can you pick up a square block?
  • Can you find a block shaped like a triangle? Can you find a block shaped like a circle?
  • What shapes are you using to build your castle (tower, house, etc.)?

Questions for learning about sizes with blocks:

  • How tall can you build your block tower?
  • Which block is the smallest? Which block is the biggest?
  • Which block is smaller? Which block is bigger?
  • Can you build a castle/tower larger than the one you just built?
  • Can you find the smallest block and place it on top?

Questions for learning about sorting with blocks:

  • Can you put all the yellow (red, blue, green, etc.) blocks right here?
  • Can you put all the red blocks in the bucket? All the green blocks? All the blue blocks?
  • Can you line up all the small blocks? Can you line up all the big blocks?
  • Can you line up all the blocks from smallest to biggest? Biggest to smallest?

Questions for learning about adding using blocks:

  • How tall will your tower be if you add two more blocks?
  • How many orange (red, blue, yellow, etc.) blocks will you have if you add one more?
  • How many red (blue, green, yellow, etc.) blocks will you have if you take one away?

Using any of these questions while playing with blocks can help a child increase their knowledge and excitement of math. Beginning to learn math at an early age can help create pathways in the brain for children to have a greater chance of being successful at learning higher math skills later in life. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) provides many activities, ideas and articles for playful math learning and is a great place to find extra resources for helping children increase their learning in mathematics.

For more information on developing math skills, please see these articles by Michigan State University Extension:

High school sports schedule includes WKTV softball game at Wyoming Lee

Education, Kentwood Public Schools, Recreation, Sports
WKTV offers on-demand viewing of the Wyoming and Kentwood high school sports, community events, and government meetings. (WKTV)

By WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org

April is winding down but local high school spring sports seasons are just getting started, and WKTV will once again bring baseball and softball to the viewers with the scheduled game this week being the Wednesday, April 24, girls softball game at Wyoming Lee, with Belding coming to town.

WKTV’s coverage crew will be taking a week for other community event coverage next week, with planned return on Wednesday, May 8, as Godwin Heights plays at Wyoming Lee in a conference baseball game.

Featured games are broadcast the night of the contest and then at least once later in the week.

WKTV broadcasts on Wyoming and Kentwood cable channels. On Comcast cable, Channel 25 is the Community Channel, where sports events and other community events are shown; Channel 26 is the Government Channel, where local government meetings and events are shown. On AT&T cable throughout the Grand Rapids area, viewers go to Channel 99, and then are given the choice to watch Wyoming (or Kentwood) Community (Channel 25) or Government (Channel 26) channels.

For complete schedules of programs on WKTV channels, see our Weekly On-air Schedule.

All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvondemand.com.

 
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week, any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and feature stories on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/.

 
Following is this week’s schedule:

Monday, April 22
Boys Golf
South Christian vs Middleville T-K – @ Yankee Springs
Wyoming vs Middleville T-K – @ Yankee Springs
Kelloggsville vs NorthPointe Christian – @ Egypt Valley
East Kentwood @ Rockford
Girls Tennis
Middleville T-K @ South Christian
Kelloggsville @ Comstock Park
East Kentwood @ Caledonia
Girls Softball
South Christian @ Holland Christian
Wyoming @ Hamilton – DH
Wyoming Lee @ Belding – DH
Calvin Christian @ Kelloggsville – DH
Girls Soccer
South Christian @ East Kentwood
Christian @ Wyoming
Godwin Heights @ NorthPointe Christian
Hopkins @ Wyoming Lee
Kelloggsville @ Belding
Heritage Christian Academy @ Zion Christian
South Haven @ West Michigan Aviation
Boys Baseball
Wyoming Lee @ Belding
Calvin Christian @Kelloggsville
West Michigan Aviation @ Martin – DH
Holland Black River @ Potter’s House – DH
Boys / Girls Track
East Kentwood @ West Ottawa

Tuesday, April 23
Boys Baseball
South Christian @ East Grand Rapids – DH
Wayland @ Wyoming – DH
West Michigan Aviation @ Godwin Heights – DH
Barry County Christian vs Tri-Unity Christian – @ Fifth Third Park
Zion Christian @ Fennville
Caledonia @ East Kentwood – DH
Girls Softball
South Christian @ East Grand Rapids – DH
Wayland @ Wyoming – DH
Hamilton @ Godwin Heights – DH
Caledonia @ East Kentwood – DH
Boys Lacrosse
Northview @ South Christian
East Kentwood @ Comstock Park
Girls Tennis
Wyoming @ Kenowa Hills
Boys / Girls Track
Hopkins @ Wyoming Lee
Godwin Heights @ Belding
Kelloggsville @ Calvin Christian
Girls Soccer
West Michigan Aviation @ Zion Christian
Grand River Prep @ Lakewood Lake Odessa
West Ottawa @ East Kentwood
Girls Water Polo
East Kentwood @ Portage Central

Wednesday, April 24
Boys Golf
South Christian vs Wayland – @ Orchard Hills
Wyoming vs Wayland — @ Orchard Hills
Kelloggsville vs NorthPointe Christian — @ Pigeon Creek
East Kentwood @ West Ottawa
Girls Track
South Christian @ Christian
Boys / Girls Track
Wyoming @ East Grand Rapids
Girls Soccer
South Christian @ Forest Hills Eastern
Middleville T-K @ Wyoming
Godwin Heights @ Wyoming Lee
Kelloggsville @ Hopkins
Girls Tennis
Wyoming @ Christian
NorthPointe Christian @ Kelloggsville
Grand Haven @ East Kentwood
Boys Baseball
Belding @ Wyoming Lee
Kelloggsville @ Calvin Christian
Girls Softball
Belding @ Wyoming Lee
Kelloggsville @ Calvin Christian
East Kentwood @ Jenison

Thursday, April 25
Girls Softball
South Christian @ Wayland – DH
Wyoming @ West Ottawa
Godwin Heights @ Union
Kelloggsville @ East Grand Rapids – DH
Boys Baseball
East Grand Rapids @ South Christian
Wyoming @ Wayland
Tri-Unity Christian @ Potter’s House – DH
East Kentwood @ Caledonia
Boys Lacrosse
Muskegon Mona Shores @ South Christian
Kenowa Hills @ East Kentwood
Girls Soccer
Wyoming @ Sparta
Potter’s House @ Tri-Unity Christian
Fruitport Calvary vs West Michigan Aviation – @ East Kentwood
East Kentwood @ Hudsonville
Boys / Girls Track
Wyoming Lee @ Belding
Hopkins @ Godwin Heights
Boys Golf
Covenant Christian @ Tri-Unity Christian
Girls Water Polo
East Grand Rapids @ East Kentwood

Friday, April 26
Boys Golf
South Christian vs Traverse City – @ Mountain Ridge
Girls Soccer
South Christian @ Holland Christian
Tri-Unity Christian @ Hope Academy of West Michigan
Belding @ Kelloggsville
Ravenna @ Zion Christian
Girls Tennis
Wyoming @ East Kentwood
Western Michigan Christian @ Kelloggsville
Boys Baseball
Wyoming @ Hopkins
Potter’s House @ Godwin Heights
Holland @ Kelloggsville – DH
Holland Black River @ Zion Christian – DH
Girls Softball
Wyoming @ Hopkins
Rockford@ East Kentwood
Girls Water Polo
East Kentwood @ Hudsonville
Boys / Girls Track
East Kentwood @ Jackson

Saturday, April 27
Girls Softball
South Christian @ Otsego – Otsego Invite
Wyoming @ Muskegon Reeths-Puffer
Godwin Heights @ Otsego
Boys Golf
South Christian vs Traverse City – @ Mountain Ridge
Boys Baseball
South Christian @ Hudsonville – Hudsonville Invite
East Kentwood @ Muskegon Reeths-Puffer – DH
Boys / Girls Track
Wyoming @ Lowell
Godwin Heights @ West Catholic – Bob Misner Invitational
Kelloggsville @ West Catholic – Bob Misner Invitational
West Michigan Aviation @ West Catholic – Bob Misner Invitational
Girls Water Polo
East Kentwood @ Hudsonville
Girls Tennis
East Kentwood @ Holland

Monday, April 29
Girls Tennis
South Christian @ FH Eastern
Middleville T-K @ Wyoming
Sparta @ Kelloggsville
East Kentwood @ Grandville
Boys Baseball
Holland Christian @ South Christian
NorthPointe Christian @ Wyoming Lee
Godwin Heights @ Calvin Christian
Zion Christian @ Muskegon Catholic Central
Holland Black River @ West Michigan Aviation
Girls Soccer
Wyoming @ South Christian
NorthPointe Christian @ Wyoming Lee
Godwin Heights @ Calvin Christian
Zion Christian @ Hope Academy of West Michigan
Boys Golf
Zeeland West vs Wyoming – @ Gleneagle
Girls Softball
NorthPointe Christian @ Wyoming Lee – DH
Godwin Heights @ Calvin Christian
Catholic Central @ Kelloggsville – DH
Boys / Girls Track
Rockford @ East Kentwood

Tuesday, April 30
Boys Baseball
Middleville T-K @ South Christian – DH
Wyoming @ Calvin Christian – DH
Kalamazoo Heritage @ Tri-Unity Christian – DH
Zion Christian @ Potter’s House – DH
West Michigan Aviation @ Holland Calvary – DH
East Kentwood @ Hudsonville – DH
Girls Softball
Middleville T-K @ South Christian – DH
Wyoming @ Calvin Christian
East Kentwood @ Hudsonville – DH
Boys Lacrosse
South Christian @ Comstock Park
Muskegon Mona Shores @ East Kentwood
Boys Golf
Coopersville vs Wyoming – @ Gleneagle
Tri-Unity Christian vs Fruitport Calvary – @ Oakridge
Boys / Girls Track
NorthPointe Christian @ Wyoming Lee
Godwin Heights @ Calvin Christian
Kelloggsville @ Hopkins
Girls Soccer
Kalamazoo Heritage Christian @ Tri-Unity Christian
Grand River Prep @ Zion Christian
Union vs West Michigan Aviation – @ East Kentwood
East Kentwood @ Rockford
Girls Water Polo
Rockford @ East Kentwood

Sen. Peters to hold Earth Day summit examining costs of climate change

3-bottom, Community Health, Education, Hard News, Politics, Upcoming Events, Weather
How much does flooding and other environmental problems linked to climate change, such as this past flooding on the Grand River, cost taxpayers locally and nationally? (WKTV)

By WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org

Michigan’s U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D), who is ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, will host a summit at Michigan State University on Earth Day to examine the rising costs to taxpayers from extreme weather and climate change.

The event, scheduled for Monday. April 22, at 10:30 a.m., in East Lansing, is open to the public and will be streamed live on Facebook.

“The Cost of Inaction: The Impacts of Climate Change and the Financial Burden on Taxpayers” will focus on the financial impacts of climate change on our national security, infrastructure, economy and public health, according to supplied material.

Sen. Peters will also announce a report with recommendations to help prevent further costs to taxpayers from the failure to prepare for and address damage from climate change.

Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.)

“In recent years, communities in Michigan and across the country have seen a rise in extreme weather events driven by climate change that have cost taxpayers nearly half a trillion dollars in cleanup and recovery,” Sen. Peters said in supplied material. “The federal government must take action today to combat and prepare for the effects of climate change so that we can save Michigan taxpayers billions of dollars in the coming years and protect our planet for future generations.”


 
Michigan communities including Lansing, Houghton and the Detroit metro area have experienced several historic rainfall and severe flooding events in the last five years, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to roads, bridges, property and businesses, according to supplied material.


 
The summit follows a recent Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) High Risk List report, which identified a need for the federal government to address the risks associated with climate change in a fiscally responsible way.


The report concluded that, “to reduce its fiscal exposure, the federal government needs a cohesive strategic approach with strong leadership and the authority to manage risks across the entire range of related federal activities.” In particular, the report examined the direct costs and impact associated with climate change on national security, public health, infrastructure, small business and more.


 
Experts invited to the summit include: Rear Admiral David W. Titley, U.S. Navy (ret.), Professor of Practice in Meteorology, The Pennsylvania State University; Director, Center for Solutions to Weather and Climate Risk; Paul C. Ajegba, Director of the Michigan Department of Transportation; Dr. Lorraine Cameron, Senior Environmental Epidemiologist, Michigan Climate and Health Adaption Program, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services; Dr. Maria Carmen Lemos, Professor and Associate Dean for Research, School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan; and Jim MacInnes, CEO of Crystal Mountain Resort and Spa.


The summit will take place at the Michigan State University Union, 49 Abbot Road. Public parking is available in the MSU garage located on Grand River Avenue. Additional public parking is available in the nearby East Lansing parking garages. Directions and maps for the MSU Union are available here.

 

Fountain Street Church continues 150th Anniversary year with annual ‘Alternative Prom’

3-bottom, Area Education, Education, Local Entertainment, Upcoming Events

By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org

Fountain Street Church, celebrating its 150th anniversary, will once again host its annual Alternative Prom — an evening of “safe inclusivity” for everyone — on Saturday, April 27, from 7-10 p.m., with the event open to any and all high school students.

“Alternative Prom at Fountain Street Church is purely a social event where high-schoolers from across West Michigan can feel safe, included, and affirmed no matter who they are,” Christopher Roe, Minister for Spiritual Life and Learning, said to WKTV. “While the event initially began as a inclusive dance for LGBTQ youth who did not feel welcomed in their high-school proms, it has grown to be an event for 9th to 12th graders of all social, religious, racial, economic, and physical backgrounds.

“You can dress up, you can dress down, you can bring a date, or you can bring a crew, but what matters most is that you are welcome at the Alternative Prom no matter who you are,” Roe said.
 

Fountain Street Church in downtown Grand Rapids, is an independent, pluralist church that strives to be a “vibrant church community that challenges individuals to craft their own spiritual journeys, and to engage in creative and responsible action in the world,” according to supplied material.

At the Alternative Prom, the FSC Social Hall will be transformed into a prom venue with this year’s theme of “Once Upon A Springtime” featuring a “Spring fantasy decor.”

There will be a $10 suggested donation and free but required sign up by following this link. Students can also sign up in-person the day of the event. Please note that all students must provide parent/guardian contact information at time of sign-up.

Fountain Street Church is an independent house of worship with an open pulpit and a 150-year history of progressive action in the heart of West Michigan, at 24 Fountain St NE. For more information on Fountain Street Church, visit fountainstreet.org .

Helping honey bees pollinate pickling cucumber fields

3-bottom, Area Education, Citizen Journalism, Education, How-To's, Pets/Animals, , , ,

By Thomas Wood, Michigan State University, Department of Entomology


The Michigan State University Vegetable Entomology Lab started working on honey bee health in pickling cucumber fields two years ago as part of a USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative grant. This project aimed at improving our understanding of how to balance cucumber production and pest management against pollinator health.


Our research has shown that honey bees are the dominant pollinator of cucumbers in Michigan, and that effective pollination depends on large numbers of bees. Honey bee colonies are robust, but are exposed to many stressors in the cucumber production system. Watch our new video to learn more about this topic.


Thanks to Joy Landis and colleagues from MSU CANR Communications for helping us create this video. Follow us on Twitter @msuvegent!


This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

South Christian’s Sydney Cleary among local players to earn AP All-State Honors

Education, Kentwood Public Schools, Local Faces, Sports
South Christian High School won a district championship this past season in no small part but to senior guard Sydney Cleary. (WKTV)


By Drew Dargavell, WKTV Sports Intern
ken@wktv.org

After dedicating three seasons to the South Christian High School Lady Sailors varsity basketball team, senior guard Sydney Cleary was recently recognized as an AP All-State honorable mention athlete.

Cleary has helped lead her team to back-to-back district titles by being a steady ball handler and floor leader, while also being a playmaker that’s not afraid to take the shots. Cleary led the team in assists all three years she was on varsity, averaging five per-game her junior year, and setting the school record with 13 in one game.

“I like to pass the ball a lot and get my teammates the opportunity to score as much as I can” Cleary told WKTV after their 2019 district title win. “But I also work on my own game when I need to and when my team needs it from me.”

This is not the first time Cleary has been recognized for her on-court skills, as she was named one of the top 100 girls basketball players in Michigan by the Detroit Free Press. Cleary was also named to the second team Advance All-Area her junior year, and has earned All-Conference honors.

“Sydney is a good decision-maker and smart player,” South Christian head coach Kim Legge previously said about her star point guard. “Sydney is a true point guard, she is a solid ball-handler and sees the court extremely well.”

Two other local girls earned AP All-State honors, both from East Kentwood.

Senior guard Alona Blackwell made the Division 1, Second Team All-State. Blackwell is a strong perimeter shooter, who was a four-year starter with the Falcons. As a freshman she was named the Freshman Player of the Year in Grand Rapids. Blackwell led the team in assists back-to-back seasons and finished her junior and senior seasons as the Falcons’ leading scorer. She averaged 16.9 points and six assists per game her junior year, which earned her All-State Honorable Mention. During the summer of 2018, Blackwell was named Grand Rapids All-City Female Basketball Player of the Year. She will be continuing her basketball career at Oakland University next year, after receiving offers from Penn State, Minnesota, Akron, Marquette and Eastern Michigan.

The other player from East Kentwood is Mauriya Barnes, who was named to the Division 1 All-State honorable mentions. Her sophomore year she helped East Kentwood make a run to the Breslin Center, where they fell just short in the championship game to Flushing High School. During her junior year, she helped lead her team to their first undefeated regular season. Barnes averaged 11 points, 4 assists, and 4 steals per game as a junior. She has committed to play basketball at South Carolina State next year.

Six local players honored on boys AP teams

There are six boys from local teams to earn AP All-State honors, coming from East Kentwood, Wyoming High, Godwin Heights, South Christian, Potters house, and Tri-unity Christian.

The lone player to make First Team All-State from their respective division is Bennett Sinner of Division 4 Tri-unity Christian. Sinner is a 6-foot-1 guard, who averaged 13 points and 6.5 rebounds a game for the Defenders. Sinner led the charge for the Defenders, who made a run to the state semifinals this season.

In Division 1, East Kentwood’s Ja’Moni Jones was named to the Second Team All-State. Jones is a 6-foot-1 junior point guard who was ranked as the number 36 high school player in the state of Michigan by the Detroit Free press. Jones is ranked as the fifth best high school basketball prospect in Michigan, in the 2020 class by PrepHoops.

The other four players remaining earned All-State honorable mentions.

Menalito McGee out of Wyoming High School earned an honorable mention in Division 1. McGee is a 5-foot-7 junior point guard, who set a school record for single-game points, scoring 37 against Northview. McGee also holds the school record for most three-pointer’s made in a single game, with seven on Nov 30, 2018 against Grandville, surpassing his previous record of six. McGee is also second in single-season three’s made with 67 in the 2017-2018 season.

Two honorable mentions come out of Division 2. Those players are Jamaal Bailey of Godwin Heights, and Luke Schrotenboer of South Christian.

Bailey landed First Team All-Conference honors this season, after helping lead Godwin Heights to an OK-Silver conference championship, going 12-0 in conference play.

Schrotenboer is a 6-foot-4 small forward and senior leader for South Christian, helping lead them to a second straight district title, and this year, a regional title. Schrotenboer has received an offer to play basketball at Cornerstone University.

The final honorable mention is Ben Clark from Division 3’s Potter’s House. Clark was the Puma’s senior captain, who averaged 12 points per-game his junior year and was First Team All-Conference two year in a row. Clark led the team to a 19-2 record this season and an appearance in the District 75 championship game.

Tillage and squash bees: Protect your best source for pollination in your squash fields

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Education, How-To's, Pets/Animals, , ,

By Zsofia Szendrei, Michigan State University Extension, Department of Entomology


The Michigan State University Vegetable Entomology Lab started researching squash pollination two years ago when the USDA Organic Research and Extension Initiative funded a project that focused on all aspects of squash management. One of our goals was to learn about the impact of management practices on a little-known native pollinator that specializes in pollinating winter and summer squash: the squash bee.


The squash bee is a unique insect because it naturally occurs in most squash productions in Michigan and must find squash pollen to feed its young. The female creates nests in the ground and our project focused on finding out how soil disturbance impacts squash bees.


Watch our new 3-minute video on tillage and squash bees to learn more about this topic, and enjoy the animations created by our talented collaborator, Holly Hooper, MSU Entomology graduate student. Thanks to Joy Landis and colleagues from MSU College of Agriculture and Natural ResourcesCommunications & Marketing for helping us create this video. Follow us on Twitter @msuvegent!


This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

Early literacy skill-building begins at birth

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Education, How-To's, Kids Activities, ,

By Carrie Shrier, Michigan State University Extension


Did you know if you start daily reading at birth, and read with your child for 30 minutes a day, they will go to kindergarten with over 900 hours of literacy time? If you reduce that to 30 minutes a week, they lose over 770 hours of this critical “brain food” and go to kindergarten with just 130 hours of literacy time.


Developing early literacy skills makes it easier for children to read. These early skills, such as building vocabulary, rhyming, and book handling skills make it easier for children to learn how to read when they get to kindergarten. However, more than one in three American children are starting kindergarten without the essential skills they need to be ready to learn to read.


Make a commitment to help your child be ready to succeed in school and commit to engaging in 30 minutes of daily literacy skill-building time starting at birth. Here are seven tips from Michigan State University Extension and ideas to support your young child’s literacy development.

1. Promote high-quality language interactions

Think of yourself like a sports commentator. You are providing the play by play for the infant or toddler in your life. Narrate the world around them, their interactions with toys, even diaper changes. Talk about what is going on, what you are doing, what they are seeing, etc. Research shows that when children have higher levels of language stimulation in the first year of life, they have better language skills, including larger vocabularies.

2. Make art a regular part of the day

In infancy and toddlerhood, young children are learning that their movements and motions can make the marks on the paper. Art experiences provide young children with the ability to practice gripping and holding a marker or crayon, learning to be purposeful in making marks on paper and phenomenal sensory feedback (feeling the paint squish between their fingers, smelling the crayons, etc.). Provide children with a wide variety of art experiences including, but not limited to, coloring with markers and crayons on heavy and thin paper, painting, finger painting, molding paint and clay, etc. Consider using non-traditional paints like chocolate pudding or shaving cream for a fun sensory experience.

3. Read, read, read

Build children’s print awareness and book handling skills by reading to them every day and making books available for children to explore. Consider heavy-duty board books that will survive heavy duty toddler usage. MSU Extension offers ideas to expand on your child’s experiences with books in our free, reproducible Family Book Sheets.

4. Nursery rhyme time

Research in early literacy has proven that regular exposure to rhymes help boost children’s abilities to master pre-reading skills such as rhyme prediction and detection. Add rhymes and rhythms to your child’s day. Read nursery rhymes, sing songs with rhyming words, find fun books with rhymes and add chants or rhymes to routine times of your day, such as cleanup time or bath time.

5. Use baby sign language

Did you know that babies who learned to sign first have been found to have significantly higher vocabularies and higher IQ scores? In fact, babies who learn to sign are more likely to be reading on grade level by the end of third grade. Use signs to teach your baby and toddler basic communication words like eat, more, milk, tired, wet, hot, etc. You can tell your baby is starting to be old enough to sign when you see them waving bye-bye or mimicking other gestures to communicate, such as pounding on their high chair tray for more food.

6. Read it again, and again, and again!

While reading books again and again might be frustrating for parents, toddlers love to have their favorite books read aloud multiple times. The act of re-reading a book helps young children build their comprehension skills and their vocabulary. Consider having special books as parts of your routine, such as a bedtime book you read at the same time every night. Ask questions while you read, can they predict what will happen next?

7. Literacy rich environments

Point out to your baby or toddler all the things you read in a day. Read in front of them, emphasize that reading is something you value. Read cereal boxes at breakfast, magazines in the doctor’s waiting room, street signs while you are driving. Make books accessible to your child. Help your child grow up valuing reading as a critical skill and worthy use of their free time.


It is critical to help your child be ready to read when they go to kindergarten. According to 2017 M-STEP data, only 50 percent of Michigan’s children were reading on grade level by the end of third grade. This is a crucial benchmark because in fourth grade, children shift from learning how to read to reading to learn. The Michigan Department of Education is working diligently to improve reading proficiency, beginning with supporting language, literacy and pre-reading skills in early childhood.


Do your part in supporting your child’s early reading skills. Make an effort to keep reading a priority in your home; a family activity that is fun, engaging and something you do together, every day. Helping your child learn to love reading is an amazing gift.


For more information about early childhood literacy development, programs in your area and webinars, visit MSU Extension’s Early Childhood Development.


This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

GVSU professor to talk on ‘belief change’ and its impact at Wealthy Theater

Area Education, Community Health, Education, Entertainment, Health, Non-Profits, Upcoming Events,
Dr. Michael Wolfe (Supplied/GVSU)

By WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org

Grand Valley State University professor of psychology Dr. Michael Wolfe will present a lecture “Are we aware of our belief changes, and does it matter?” at the Wealthy Theater Annex front studio on Wednesday, April 10, at 7 p.m., in an event hosted by the Center for Inquiry (CFI) Michigan.

This event is free and open to the public. Suggested donation of $5. The Wealthy Theatre Annex is located at 1110 Wealthy Street SE, Grand Rapids. For more information, visit here, and to learn about CFI Michigan, visit cfimichigan.org.

According to supplied information, Dr. Wolfe will describe recent research on belief change and the extent to which we are aware of changes to our beliefs.

A belief is defined as a statement about the truth value of something. Participants rate their beliefs on a subject. Later they read a one-sided text that is either consistent with or inconsistent with those beliefs, then are asked to try and remember how they rated those beliefs earlier. Awareness of belief change is found if subjects change their beliefs as a result of reading, and then can accurately report that they believed something different before the experiment.

 
The researchers also examine individual variation in people’s awareness of their belief changes to see if it relates to performance on other tasks. In particular, is it the case that people who are more aware of changes to their own beliefs are also more willing to seek out new information about the topic, while people who are less aware of their belief changes are less willing to seek out new information?

Dr. Wolfe will describe new research on people’s awareness of changes to their health status. Patients who participated in a longitudinal study of bariatric (weight loss) surgery rated their health every year for several years. They also rated how they perceived their health to have changed over the past year. The combination of these ratings makes it possible to examine the accuracy of their perceived changes in their health.

 
Dr. Wolfe is professor of psychology at Grand Valley State University and incoming chair of the Psychology Department. Dr. Wolfe received his PhD in cognitive psychology from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Much of his research involves studies on reading comprehension and memory. In recent years, he has studied how and when beliefs may change as a result of reading, and the extent to which people are aware of these changes.

 
According to supplied information, the Center for Inquiry (CFI) Michigan is an Educational 501(c)3 Nonprofit that promotes and defends reason, science and freedom of inquiry in all areas of human endeavor.

Wyoming High’s Avery Robinson wins Prestigious MHSAA Scholar Athlete Award

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, Education, Local Faces, Sports

By Drew Dargavell, WKTV Sports Intern
ken@wktv.org


For 30 years the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) has honored the best student-athletes in the state. Each year they award 32 students with $1,000 scholarships based on achievement and leadership in athletics and extracurriculars.

This year, the student-athletes were honored at halftime of the boys high school basketball championships at the Breslin Center at Michigan State University. And among those students awarded was Wyoming High School’s Avery Robinson III.

“It was a great experience, not only being surrounded by all those fans, but also meeting other scholar athletes. It was incredible.” Avery said to WKTV after being honored at the Breslin Center.

“It’s great to be recognized for all the hard work I’ve put in for the past four years,” Robinson said. “But I also feel like it’s a representation of how great the Wyoming community is and all the hard work they put in to their students and their athletes.”

To be eligible for this award, the student must have a 3.50 GPA or better and have earned a varsity letter in an MHSAA-sponsored sport — and Robinson is gifted both athletically and academically.

He lettered in three sports including track and field, tennis and golf. He was varsity in track all four years and was the school’s only pole vaulter. In tennis, he played No. 1 singles, and finished in first place at two invitationals this past season and was named all-conference in the OK-Gold division. Avery was even named the West Michigan Fox Motors Athlete of the Week in October 2018.

Robinson tries to go above and beyond in all of his sports, activities and academics, according to track coach Brent VanEnk.

Avery Robinson has excelled at tennis for Wyoming high. (WKTV)

“Every time we’re at the meet he says ‘What do you need me for coach?’ and especially as a high school coach, that’s great to have,” VanEnk said about his lone pole vaulter. “I couldn’t think of anyone better, especially in this school, to get that award.”

Not only does he work hard in athletics but Robinson excels in his studies as well, accumulating a 4.15 GPA, while taking a total of nine AP classes during his junior and senior years.

He is also very involved in extracurricular groups and community service. He is the President of the school’s National Honors Society, an officer of the Key Club, a drum major for the marching band, a participant in the science olympiads, and he qualified for state in Business Professionals of America.

“Time management is very important,” Robinson said on juggling his academics and extracurriculars. “Keeping priorities, I usually try to do one thing at a time and strike a balance by scheduling and organizing.”

The next step for the soon-to-be Wyoming grad is choosing a four-year university. He has several offers on the table, but is still in the decision-making process. He hopes to pursue social sciences and possibly go the pre-law route.

Keep calm: April is National Stress Awareness Month

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Education, Health

Stress-Awareness-DayBy Victoria Mullen, WKTV

Editor’s note: This article was first published in April 2016. Nothing’s changed with Gustave since then.

At first blush, the assignment seemed straightforward. “Write a story on Stress Awareness Month [April 1-30],” my editor said. “Tell the audience that stress requires awareness and such. Don’t worry so much. You’ll do fine.”

My editor knows that I get nervous over anything with a deadline, but aside from some performance anxiety, I began this assignment feeling fine. I mapped an outline. I’d do some research, write a short article with the who-what-when-where-how-and-why.

But that’s when I thought I had until April 30. Admittedly, it would be tardy, but I could write the story in past-tense. The problem is that I just found out that Stress Awareness is a DAY, not a MONTH. Well, it is a month—all of April. It’s also a day—specifically, April 16—a mere four days hence as I type, and it’s today, if you’re reading this on April 16.

Now all bets are off. My trusty ulcer, Gustave has beget an ulcerette, and the entire office is taking bets on what I’m going to name him (or her).

If the point of National Stress Awareness Day is for people like you and me to become aware of how stressed we are, well kudos! More than ever I am aware, thanks to all this pressure.

stressed-498x300

How is this helpful? Why does anybody need a specific day for this? Isn’t it enough that everything in modern-day life is a stressor?

Luckily, my journalist gene kicked in and I compartmentalized my feelings, went undercover and got busy googling. Here’s what I found out: National Stress Awareness Day is the brainchild of the Health Resource Network (HRN), which started the whole thing back in 1992 to—you guessed it!—raise awareness of stress.

Uh, thanks, guys.

Oh, sure. They sell it by saying it’s a great chance to become aware of the deleterious effects of stress. They say to take a deep breath and relax. I don’t have time for this—I’m on a deadline here.

number 1 killer

Maybe they meant well, back in 1992. Maybe their intentions were pure. They researched. They tested subjects. And guess what they found: stress is really, really bad for the immune system. I could have saved them the time, trouble and cost to tell them that. But then, I probably wouldn’t have Gustave.

To their credit, they did things scientifically. In one study, they found that people caring for a spouse with dementia (representing the stressed-out group) experienced a significant decrease in their immune response when they were given a flu-virus vaccine when compared to the non-stressed control group. Sounds really scientific, right? What all that means is this: Their immune systems didn’t work as well as those in the control group, so they got sick(er) easier and more often.

There are different types of stress. Some stress is actually good (gets you motivated, gets you pumped up for performance, etc.). Acute stress is bad enough, but chronic stress is worse because it doesn’t let up; it can kill you. It can raise blood pressure, increase the risk of heart attack and speed up the aging process. See that info-graphic there? Just look at all the bad things chronic stress does.

I’ve aged 10 years just writing this.

If you want to read something helpful and get some ideas on how to celebrate stress awareness month, go here.

Is your home poison-safe?

3-bottom, Community Health, Education, Health, How-To's, Kids Activities, ,

By Dr. Jenny Bush, Cherry Health Pediatrician and Director of Pediatrics


National Poison Prevention Week is observed in the United States the third week of March every year. Over half of the 2.4 million cases of poisonings reported to poison control centers each year involve children less than 5 years of age.


To help keep your little ones safe, please check out these tips below:

  • Put the toll-free number for the Poison Control Center (1.800.222.1222) into your cell phone and post on the fridge.
  • Store all household products out of children’s sight and reach. Young kids are often eye-level with items under the kitchen and bathroom sinks. So, any bleach, detergents, dishwasher liquid or cleaning solutions that are kept there should be moved to a new storage location. This also applies to chemicals that may be in a garage or shed.
  • Keep cleaning products in their original containers. Never put a potentially poisonous product in something other than its original container (such as a plastic soda bottle) where it could be mistaken for something else.
  • Be aware of any medications that may be in your handbag. Ask visitors to place their handbags in an area that the children cannot get to.
  • Make sure that all medications, including vitamins, are stored out of reach and out of sight or children. Even if you are tempted to keep it handy, put medicine out of reach after every use. When you need to give another dose in just a few hours, it may be tempting to keep medicine close at hand. Accidents can happen fast. It only takes a few seconds for children to get into medicine that could make them very sick. Put medicine up and away after every use. And if you need a reminder, set an alarm on your watch or cellphone, or write yourself a note.

If you are interested in learning more about poisoning safety, please visit safekids.org.


Reprinted with permission from Cherry Health.

Godwin Heights girls basketball ‘family’ finishes season in District finals

Education, Sports, WKTV Featured sports
Godwin Heights head coach Cassie Medina., center, talks to her team during a time-out in the Wolverines District final game. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org

After two impressive wins in the MHSAA girls basketball Division 2 District 44 tournament at Grand Rapids Christian High School and a spot in the district finals Friday, March 8, Godwin Heights’ season ended against a very good South Christian squad.

Despite being offensively overwhelmed by the Sailors in a lopsided first half, which ended with a 44-7 South Christian lead, the Wolverines’ “family” stayed together, stayed aggressive on defense, and made respectable the final score of 55-19.

“I just wanted us to bring it back … to respectability,” Godwin Heights coach Cassie Medina said to WKTV about how her team handled the second half of the game. “With a score like this it is easy to fall apart. The family thing is: ‘Stay together. Talk together. Be family’.”

Against South Christian, senior guard Raviear Koppenhofer led the Wolverines in scoring with nine points, all in the second half. And Koppenhoffer was also an offensive force in Godwin Heights two district early-round wins, a 51-17 victory over West Michigan Aviation, and a 56-40 semifinal win over Kelloggsville in which she scored 28 points.

Koppenhofer was joined by Destiny Craig and Josefa Shields as the only seniors on the squad.

The seniors “have definitely brought a lot to our team,” Medina said, and Koppenhofer “has been one of our bigger scorers (all season). She makes this team go.”

Medina also sees progress in her team, despite finishing at 11-11 after last year’s similar 11-10 season.

“Every year I want to progress, not go backwards,” she said. “Next year … I just want us to progress.”

One reason for her optimism is that the Wolverines fielded a team in the district tournament with only two juniors (Jordan Ballard and Chanelle Hatchett) but six sophomores.

“This is a young team,” she said. “I am definitely looking forward to this summer and next year.”

The sophomores on the team include Lanaja Polk-Craig, who scored seven points against South Christian; Lashay Lee and Hannah Barns, who scored eight points each in the win over Kelloggsville; as well as Diamond Johnson, Anika Clark and Jakaya Lay.

Kelloggsville girls basketball’s turnaround season ends in tough district matchup

City of Wyoming, Education, Sports
Kelloggsville head coach Bilal Muhammad talks to his squad during the team’s district game against Godwin Heights. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)


By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org

The Kelloggsville High School girls basketball team ended their season this week standing “solid” after tripling their season win total from a year ago and offering a good defensive effort against Wyoming Godwin Heights in the 56-40 loss Wednesday night in the Division 2 District 44 tournament at Grand Rapids Christian.

In the March 6 semifinal game, the Rockets had to rely on young players to provide much of their minutes and scoring due to a short bench. But the team’s coach had nothing but praise for his team’s 12-9 season, its emerging young talent and the toughness of his small senior class.

“We tripled our wins from last year,” head coach Bilal Muhammad said to WKTV after the game. “Last year we had four, this year we had 12. We stand solid and I am excited for the future … I’m proud of the effort they gave tonight, the effort was there. I just want to have the girls keep working hard.”

The future includes the Rockets fielding a team in the district tournament that included three freshmen and two sophomores among a nine-player squad.

This year’s Rockets girls basketball team relied on youth but had some good senior leadership. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

Kelloggsville was led by sophomore Nariah Collier’s 12 points, with 10 coming in the second half as she almost singlehandedly kept her team in the game. Junior Mercedes Chandler and freshman Brea’Ana Smalley each added six points. Freshman Sydney Hansma added five points.

“Our youth has stepped it up,” Muhammad said. “We are making strides. The future is looking great.”

The only seniors on the squad, Indonesia Carpenter and Symone Britt, scored four and five points, respectively But coach Muhammad said the pair brought much more than scoring to the Rockets this season.

“The seniors brought toughness to our team, toughness and leadership,” he said. “They have been here before so they can let the girls know what to expect here, but really toughness and leadership.”

Season highlights for the Rockets this season included starting 5-1, with a streak of four straight home wins highlighted by a win over Zeeland West and the title of their own Holiday tournament. They finished 6-4 overall at home and 4-6 in the tough OK Conference Silver.

Talking to children about violent events

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Education, Health, How-To's, Kids Activities,

By Kylie Rymanowicz, Michigan State University Extension


The world can be confusing and scary, even for adults. In times of public violence and loss, everyone is impacted, especially young children. Incidences of violence and hate have a lasting impact on individuals and on our country as a whole. Here are some things you can keep in mind as you talk about violent events with young children.


Ask them what they know. Ask your child to tell you what they think they know or understand about the situation. Children often have misconceptions or a limited understanding of a complex issue, so start by asking them what they know. You can clear up any misconceptions and get a better understanding of what might be bothering your child about the situation.


Establish a dialogue. Talk openly with your child about what happened. Tell your child the facts about what happened, why it happened and what the result was. Take the lead from your child on how much information they are ready to hear, so keep your responses brief and look for cues that your child either needs to be done talking or wants more information.


Tell the truth. Give your child the facts and keep the information you share age-appropriate. Avoiding talking about traumatic events or telling white lies can actually make children more afraid if they think you are hiding something from them. It’s not easy to talk to children about issues like racism, hate or violence, but it is so important we do.


Educate yourself. If you are not confident that you truly understand the issues surrounding an act of violence, look to trustworthy resources to educate yourself. It’s OK to tell your child you don’t know or understand all the details surrounding an issue. You can always respond to a question with, “I’m not sure, but I will look into it and then we can talk about it some more.”


Talk about your feelings. It’s OK to let children know you are sad, scared or angry about violence in our world. Tell them how those violent acts make you feel; this act gives power to those emotions that your young child is experiencing as well. They will learn to trust their own emotions and emotional reactions to violence and other trauma when you share yours openly with them.


Accept their emotions. It’s tempting to want to minimize a child’s emotional response because we don’t want them to be anxious, sad or scared. It’s important we allow children to express themselves openly and we accept whatever they are feeling. Maybe they are angry or confused instead of just sad. All feelings are OK, even if they differ from yours. Children should have an outlet for processing their emotions. Some may want to just talk while others may process by writing, drawing or thinking on their own.


Love and reassure them. Children need parents and other families to be a steady foundation—they don’t need you to be perfect or happy all the time. Your calm and reassuring presence can help them work through tough situations and feelings and find calm and comfort. Show them affection, spend quality time together doing things you both enjoy and tell them how much you love them.


Be available. Unfortunately, violence is not a one-time event, and it’s not something anyone can just “get over.” Be available to continue to support, comfort and talk to your child about their feelings. Check in with them regularly to see how they are doing and if they need any additional support from you.


Limit exposure. The 24-hour news cycle means that stories about violent acts get replayed over and over again on many different media outlets from news television broadcasts and newspapers to social media, YouTube and in our daily conversations. Limit your young child’s exposure to the constant talk about violent events, as this may increase their anxiety or confusion of the issue. Instead, make sure you take the time to connect with them to talk about and process what has happened.


Provide resources and support. Sometimes the impact of a violent event can be severe. If your child continues to struggle with processing a violent event, or if they are having a hard time coping and you can’t seem to comfort them, you may need to reach out to others to find resources and support for your young child. Ask your child’s doctor or school social worker for help finding supports for your child.


Children are constantly learning and trying to make sense of the world, but sometimes the world doesn’t make sense. You can help children by being present with them, engaging in conversation and dialogue and giving them unconditional love and support.


Check out these resources from The American Academy of Pediatrics, The National Association of School Psychologists, The National Institute of Mental Health and Zero to Three for additional information.


For more articles on child development, academic success, parenting and life skill development, please visit the Michigan State University Extension website.


To learn about the positive impact children and families are experience due to MSU Extension programs, read our 2017 Impact Report. Additional impact reports, highlighting even more ways Michigan 4-H and MSU Extension positively impacted individuals and communities in 2017, can be downloaded from the MSU Extension website.


This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

Girls basketball district, boys regional tournament update

Education, Sports
Godwin Heights coach Cassie Medina, center, huddles with her team during the team’s district semifinal win over Kelloggsville Wednesday, March 6, at Grand Rapids Christian High School. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)


By WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org

Godwin Heights and South Christian both won MHSAA girls basketball district semifinal games at the Division 2 District 44 tournament at Grand Rapids Christian on Wednesday night to advance to the tournament title game Friday.

In addition, East Kentwood will be playing for a district title after Wednesday night action at another tournament site.

WKTV’s featured high school sports coverage team was at the Grand Rapids Christian tournament site and covered both semifinal games, and will continue coverage of the tournament on Friday, March 8.

Godwin Heights vs. South Christian at Grand Rapids Christian

At Christian, Friday’s 7 p.m. title game will have Godwin Heights (now 9-10) against South Christian (12-9) after impressive wins Wednesday night. Godwin Heights defeated Kelloggsville (which finished the season 12-9), 56-40, in the first game and South Christian defeated the host Grand Rapids Christian, 59-26, in the nightcap. The winner will earn a spot in the Regional 11 tournament at Coopersville.

In the semifinal game, Godwin Heights was led in scoring by a dominating performance by senior Raviear Koppenhofer, who had 28 points including two 3-pointers and 6-for-7 from the free-throw line. Two sophomores, Lashay Lee and Hannah Barnes, added eight points each as Wolverine coach Cassie Medina used every player on her bench in the win.

Kelloggsville was led by sophomore Nariah Collier’s 12 points, with 10 coming in the second half as she almost singlehandedly kept her team in the game. Junior Mercedes Chandler and freshman Brea’Ana Smalley each added six points.

South Christian’s win was keyed by senior point guard Sydney Cleary’s 18 points, while freshman Sydney Vis added 12 points, all the second half when the Sailors turned a 23-14 halftime lead into the one-sided victory.

East Kentwood at East Grand Rapids

At the Division 1 District 11 tournament at East Grand Rapids, East Kentwood (now 17-4) will play the host EGR (20-2) in the Friday title game at 7 p.m. On Wednesday, the Falcons defeated Wyoming (8-13 to end the season), 73-49, while East Grand Rapids defeated Byron Center, 49-40. The winner will move on to the Regional 3 tournament at Grand Haven.

Boys basketball regional tournament update

After a series MHSAA boys basketball regional opening-round games Tuesday, local squads from East Kentwood, South Christian and Tri-unity Christian will be playing for regional titles tonight, Thursday, March 7.

East Kentwood at Holland West Ottawa

East Kentwood (now 15-9 on the season), defeated Muskegon (20-4 after loss) in the Division 1 Regional 3 tournament at Holland West Ottawa. The Falcons will now play Hudsonville (22-2 after a 51-42 win Tuesday over Grand Rapids Northview), with the winner moving on to the state quarterfinals starting on March 12.

South Christian at Fremont Regional

South Christian (21-3), defeated Coppersville (12-11), 62-35, in the Division 2 Regional 11 tournament at Fremont. The Sailors will now play Grand Rapids Catholic (23-2 after a 75-43 win over Muskegon Orchard View), with the winner moving on to the state quarterfinals starting on March 12.

Tri-unity Christian at Mendon Regional

Tri-unity Christian (20-3), defeated Marcellus Howardsville (22-2), 68-56, in the Region 29 tournament at Mendon. The Defenders will now play Muskegon Heights Academy (13-7 after a 66-56 win over New Buffalo), with the winner moving on to the state quarterfinals starting on March 12.

Featured game coverage

Featured games are broadcast the night of the contest and then at least once later in the week.

For complete schedules of programs on WKTV channels, see our Weekly On-air Schedule.

All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvondemand.com.

 
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week, any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and feature stories on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/.

Girls basketball Districts begin Monday with local teams on the road

City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Education, Kentwood Public Schools, Sports, WKTV Featured sports
WKTV’s coverage of girls high school basketball continues this month with District tournament play. (WKTV)

By WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org

Wyoming and Kentwood area girls basketball teams will be in district play this week, but you will need to travel a little to catch any of the action live as the nearest district tournament site is at Grand Rapids Christian, where Kentwood Grand River Prep, West Michigan Aviation, Godwin Heights, Kelloggsville and South Christian will all be in action.

And at GR Christian is where WKTV’s featured high school sports coverage team will be this week, starting Wednesday, March 6, and continuing coverage of the tournament on Friday, March 8. Additionally, WKTV will file WKTV Journal online-print reports on the results of all the games involving local teams as the week goes on.

At Christian, action begins Monday, March 4, in the Division 2 District 44 tournament, where West Michigan Aviation (9-11) and Godwin Heights (7-10) play at 5:30 p.m., and Grand River Prep (9-8) vs. GR Christian (10-10) @ 7 p.m.

The tournament will continue on Wednesday, March 6, with the W. Mich. Aviation/Godwin Heights winner vs. Kelloggsville (12-8) at 5:30 p.m., and the Grand River Prep/Christian winner vs. South Christian (11-9) at 7 p.m. The winners will then play Friday, March 8, at 8 p.m. for a spot in the Regional 11 tournament at Coopersville.

Division 1 District 11 at East Grand Rapids

At the Division 1 District 11 tournament at East Grand Rapids, the Monday games will have East Kentwood (15-4) vs. Grandville (4×16) at 6 p.m., and East Grand Rapids (18-2) vs. GR Ottawa Hills (15-5) at 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 6, games at East Grand Rapids will have the East Kentwood/Grandville winner vs. Wyoming (8-12) at 6 p.m., and the East Grand Rapids/Ottawa Hills winner vs. Byron Center (15-5) at 7:30 p.m. The winners will play Friday, March 8, at 7 p.m., for a spot in the Regional 3 tournament at Grand Haven.

Division 3 District 74 at Saugatuck

At the Division 3 District 74 tournament at Saugatuck, the Monday games will be Fennville (8-12) vs. Wyoming Potter’s House (13) at 6 p.m., and Grandville Calvin Christian (6-11) vs. Holland Black River (8-11) at 7 p.m.

Wednesday games at Saugatuck will have the Fennville/Potter’s House winner vs. Covenant Christian (4-15) at 5:30 p.m., and the Calvin Christian/Holland Black River winner vs. Saugatuck (9-11) at 7 p.m. The winners will play Friday, March 8, at 6 p.m., for a spot in the Regional 19 tournament at Kent City.

Division 4 at Martin and Muskegon Catholic Central

At the Division 4 District 114 tournament at Martin, the Monday game will be Covert (5-12) vs. West Michigan Lutheran (14-6) at 6:30 p.m. On Wednesday, March 6, the games will be Lawrence (4-15) vs. Byron Center Zion Christian (8-11) at 5:30 p.m., and the Covert/West Michigan Lutheran winner vs. Martin (15-3) at 7 p.m.

Also in Division 4, at the District 113 at Muskegon Catholic Central, starting on Wednesday, March 6, the games will have Muskegon Heights Academy (0-16) vs. Fruitport Calvary Christian (15-5) at 5:30 p.m., and Tri-unity Christian (2-17) vs. Muskegon Catholic Central (6-13) at 7:15 p.m.

The winners from the Wednesday District 113 games will play Friday at 7 p.m., at Muskegon Catholic Central, while the winners from the Wednesday District 114 games will play Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Martin. Both district winners will move on to play at the Regional 29 tournament at Mendon.

Featured game coverage

Featured games are broadcast the night of the contest and then at least once later in the week.

For complete schedules of programs on WKTV channels, see our Weekly On-air Schedule.

All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvondemand.com.

 
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week, any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and feature stories on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/.

Wyoming high honors past, present during Hall of Fame basketball night

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, Education, Local Faces, Local History, Sports
Angel Chan talks to WKTV about her being honored. (WKTV video)

By WKTV Staff
ken@WKTV.org


Wyoming High School honored great players past and present as the Wolves hosted their Hall of Fame Basketball Community Night, and hosted Hudsonville high’s teams, for a pair of games and several ceremonies Friday, Feb. 15.

The highlight of the evening was Wyoming Hall of Fame (which includes players from Wyoming Park and Rodgers high schools) inducting Rick Heuvelman, Robin Bolitho, Angel Chan, Roxie Claxton, Dave Greco and Anthony Thomas — as well as the 1994 state semi-final Wyoming Park boys basketball team.

But there was plenty of other events on what was also 2018-19 basketball senior night. On the boys side, four seniors played their final regular season game on their home court. They were Payton Stark, Andrae Wells, Menilek McGee and Zach Fry.

1994 Wyoming Park team

At the halftime of the boy’s game, the 1994 Wyoming Park boys basketball team, led by coach Kelly McEwen, was recognized and honored.


Their 22-5 record won an OK White conference championship, along with a district, regional and quarterfinal championship. According to supplied information, the team was comprised of five seniors and nine juniors, and “they combined defensive toughness and offensive togetherness” to defeat two of the top three ranked Class B teams in the state during its 1994 tournament run, including a dramatic 64-60 victory over a 24-1 Sturgis team. In that game the team made 13 three pointers, which tied a tournament record for 3’s made in a game at that time.


The team included Mike Brown, Marc Drougal, Mark Herrema, Jerry Jordan, Terry Krosschell, Daryl Lamar, Joe McKenzie, Kirk Scharphorn, Shawn Veenstra, Mark Baker, Ryan Baumbach, Joe Burke, Bob Henning and Matt Perez, along with assistant coach TJ Restau and head coach McEwen.



Individual Hall of Fame inductees

After the conclusion of the boys game that night, the individual Hall of Fame inductees were honored.


Heuvelman is a graduate of Rogers High School, where he played football, basketball, and baseball, and was Athlete of the year at Rogers High School in 1974. He earned All Conference honors in football on offense and defense. In baseball, he was All Conference for two years. Heuvelman went on to play baseball at Aquinas College, where in 1979 he was named to the All American Baseball Team and is also in the Aquinas College Hall of Fame.

Bolitho graduated from Rogers High School in 2001. She was a four year varsity basketball letter winner while averaging 17 points a game. She was a three-year All Conference, All Area player in basketball. In 2001 She was received basketball All State honors and her teams won the conference championship for two of her four years. In softball, she was on three state championship teams. During this time she was All Conference, All Area, and All State three times at three different positions.


Chan was one of Wyoming Public Schools best basketball players. She earned her varsity letter at Wyoming Park all four years and was twice selected to the Associated Press and Detroit Free Press All State team. In 2004 and 2005 She was O.K. Gold All Conference and scored over 1400 points for Wyoming Park. She led her basketball team to Conference Championships and to the State Regional Finals. After high school, Chan received a full ride scholarship to play basketball at Central Michigan University. At Central Michigan she became one of the schools all-time leading scorers.


Greco played for three years of varsity football at Wyoming Park. He was named to the 1979/80 All Conference all Areas football team. His senior year, he was All Area and All State in football at Wyoming Park. In 1981 he was selected from thousands of players throughout the State of Michigan to play in the 1st Annual MHSAA High School All Star at Michigan State University. In baseball, he was a three-year letter winner, two-year All Conference, and his senior year was selected to the All Region Team. As a one-year wrestler his senior year he was 15-8 and a member of the Conference Championship team. He went on to play football in college and he earned baseball scholarship to attend Grand Valley State University.


Thomas was a three sport athlete for Wyoming Rogers High School during the 1990-91 season. He played football, basketball and track, and it was in track and field were he set records and went to MHSAA State Meet. He ran the 100 yard dash, 200 yard dash and the 4X100, 4×200 yard relays. In football, he was a two-way starter and selected to the All O.K. White All Conference, All Area and All State Class B teams at Rogers, and was the leader of the Rogers High School 1994 Class B State quarterfinalist. He went on to play football at Ferris State University.


Claxton was honored as a life-time achievement awards winner. In 1988 she started working in the concession stand at Wyoming Park High School. Since then, she has worked on the Frank Grimm Relays, became a athletic booster, band booster, Hall of Fame Committee member, chaperone, academic booster, Bond Construction Committee member, Title IX Committee member, and volunteered at all athletic events — including keeping scorebook for more than 25 years for the boys basketball team. She received her Master’s Degree from Michigan State University at age 55.


At halftime of the girls game, there was a ceremony for the Wyoming Dance Team Senior/Parent Night. Seniors on the team included Taina Rodriguez, Nicole Rodriguez, Guadalupe Rivera-Parada, Sanae Magoon, Heaven Coleman and Ramatu Kanneh.

Godwin Heights boys ends season with ‘warrior’ effort in district game

City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Education, Sports
The senior Godwin Heights High School boys basketball line up for the national anthem prior to the game at South Christian. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org

Godwin Heights High School head boys basketball coach Tyler Whittemore wanted more for his group of eight seniors who have been essential in building the Fighting Wolverines into the dominate team in the OK Silver Conference, again.

The team, as a fan t-shirt pointed out, have been the conference champs for 10 straight seasons and hoped to add another district title to its resume.

But in a Division 2 District 44 tournament semifinal game Wednesday that felt a whole lot like a finals game, Godwin Heights season came to an end with a tough-as-nails battle with tournament host South Christian, 47-45.

Both teams came into the district tournament with impressive records and OK conference titles: Godwin Heights finished the season at 15-6 (12-0 in the OK Silver), while South Christian is now 17-4 (10-2 and a conference title in the OK Gold).

As Whittemore said to WKTV after the game, he could not have been more proud of his team, especially his seniors, for their effort in this game and during a sometimes trying season.

Godwin Heights senior guard Jamaal Bailey (32), who drives to the basket here, and his fellow guards were part of a great defensive and rebounding effort. (WKTV/Drew Dargavell)

“Senior-led team. I love them. I appreciate all their hard work, their leadership and their toughness,” Whittemore said. “We started out 1 and 5, and being that tough mentally, they came in to the gym during the Christmas break, and all those other snow days and the stuff that we had. The guys were in the gym and improving every single day.

“These guys can be proud,” he said. “These guys are Godwin Heights basketball players and you can’t be more of a warrior than that.”

In the South Christian game, it was about as back-and-forth defensive struggle as possible: Godwin led 8-7 at the end of the first quarter, trailed 16-18 at the half and 30-31 at the end of three. And its seemed that the lead changed with every possession in the fourth quarter including a 3-pointer by Wolverine senior James Horrell with 35 seconds left gave his team a 45-43 lead.

But then the Sailors responded with a 3-pointer by junior Tyler Buwalda with 14.5 seconds remaining to give South Christian the lead for good.

Up to that late scoring outburst, defense and rebounding were the keys to the Wolverines matching points and toughness with the Sailors.

“That is a very good team there,” Whittemore said of the Sailors. “You have to give a lot of credit to South Christian, to that coaching staff — their players came to play and we did too, and that was a fun game to watch. … We were able to be very intense, but level-minded, against this very good team that really helped us.”

While it seemed as though senior Godwin big man Marshawn Kneeland was in the middle of the Wolverine down-low defense and rebounding effort all night, coach Whittemore also loved the work of his guards.

The rebounding success was “our guards coming down, our 5(-foot)-8, 5-10 guards coming down and grabbing those balls,” he said. “A lot of credit goes to our big guys, they were really being physical, but a lot of credit to our guards coming down and helping out as well.”

For the game, South Christian was led by senior Peyton Vis’s 17 points, while Buwalda had 15 total and senior Derek Meyering added 10 points.

Godwin Heights was led by Horrell’s 13 points, while senior Jaylen Coates added 12 and Kneeland and fellow senior Jamaal Bailey added eight points each. Other seniors on the team included Bryson Chandler, Karen Brown, De’Amontae Clark and Jadon Ivy.

For the season, Bailey, Coates and Horrell gained First Team All-Conference honors, while Clark earned All-Conference Honorable Mention.

This game, and all Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvondemand.com.

Local boys basketball teams prepare for district tournaments

City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Education, Kentwood Public Schools, Sports, WKTV Featured sports
A previous game televised by WKTV at Wyoming High School. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org

Wyoming, South Christian and Tri-unity Christian high schools will each host boys basketball state playoff District opening-round tournaments, starting Monday for some, and each concluding with championship games on Friday, March 1.

South Christian (16-4, 10-2 in OK Gold) will enter district play as a conference champion. In the same district tournament will be Wyoming Godwin Heights (15-5, 12-0 in OK Silver), also a conference champion. They could meet in a district semifinal on Wednesday, Feb. 27, at South Christian.

So, WKTV’s featured high school sports coverage teams will be at South Christian starting Wednesday, Feb. 27, and will continue coverage of the tournament on Friday. Additionally, WKTV will file WKTV Journal online-print reports on the results of all the games involving local teams as the week goes on.

Wyoming Potter’s House (18-1, 8-0 in Alliance League) was also its conference champion, edging out Tri-unity Christian (17-3, 7-1 in Alliance League) by virtue of a 54-53 win on the road at Tri-unity in January.

Division 1 tournament at Wyoming

The Division 1 District 11 tournament at Wyoming will open with games Monday, Feb. 25, with Byron Center (5-15 record on the season) squaring off against East Kentwood (11-9) at 6 p.m. and Ottawa Hills (2-16, before a Feb. 22 game vs. Lowell) vs. Wyoming (8-11) following at 7:30 p.m.

The winners of the Monday games will play Wednesday, Feb. 27, with the winner of the Byron Center/East Kentwood game playing East Grand Rapids (7-13) at 6 p.m., and the Ottawa Hills/Wyoming winner playing Caledonia (4-15) at 7:30 p.m.

The winners of the Wednesday games will play for the district title March 1 at 7 p.m., and then move on to the Regional 3 at Holland West Ottawa.

Division 2 tournament at South Christian

In the Division 1 District 44 tournament, South Christian will play in the opening-round, Monday game, on their home floor, playing Wyoming Kelloggsville (4×16, 3-9 in OK Silver) at 7 p.m.

The tournament continues on Wednesday, Feb. 27, with Grand River Prep (10-4) playing West Michigan Aviation Academy (9-11, 5-4 in Alliance League) at 5:30 p.m., and the Kelloggsville/South Christian winner playing Godwin Heights at 7:30 p.m.

The winners of the Wednesday games will play for the district title March 1 at 7 p.m., and then move on to the Regional 11 at Fremont.

Division 4 tournament at Tri-unity Christian

In the Division 4 District 114 tournament, starting on Wednesday, Feb. 27, Zion Christian (6-13) will play host Tri-unity Christian (17-3, 7-1 in Alliance League) at 7 p.m. In the other game, Holland Calvary (11-6) will play Martin (13-3) at 5:30 p.m.

The winners of the Wednesday games will play for the district title March 1 at 6:30 p.m., and then move on to the Region 29 at Mendon.

Other local teams in District play

In the Division 2 District 43 tournament, this one at Ada Forest Hills Eastern, Wyoming Lee (2-17, 1-11 in OK Silver) will play the winner of a Monday game between Wellspring Prep (5-13) and Forest Hills Eastern (11-9), in a second round game Wednesday, Feb. 27, at 7:30 p.m. In the other Wednesday game in this tournament, Grand Rapids Catholic (17-2) against the winner of a Monday game between Grand Rapids West Catholic (10-8) and Grand Rapids Christian (14-5).

The winners of the Wednesday games at Forest Hills Eastern will play for the district title March 1 at 7 p.m., and then move on to the Regional 11 at Fremont.

Finally, in a Division 3 District 75 tournament at Grandville Calvin Christian, Wyoming Potter’s House will play the winner of a Monday contest between Covenant Christian (7-13) and Fennville (10-10), with the second round game on Wednesday, Feb. 27, at 5:30 p.m. In the other Wednesday game, Calvin Christian (8-10) will play the winner of a Monday game between Holland Black River (3-17) and Saugatuck (3-15).

The winners of the Wednesday games at Calvin Christian will play for the district title March 1 at 7 p.m. and then move on to the Regional 19 at NorthPointe Christian.

Other local sports schedule:

Monday, Feb. 25
Boys Basketball
East Kentwood vs Byron Center @ Wyoming – Division 1 MHSAA Districts
Kelloggsville @ South Christian – Division 2 MHSAA Districts

Tuesday, Feb. 26
Girls Basketball
East Kentwood @ Christian
Tri-Unity Christian @ Godwin Heights
Wyoming @ Union
West Michigan Lutheran @ Potter’s House
Grand River Prep @ Muskegon Catholic Central
FH Northern @ South Christian
Boys Hockey
@ East Kentwood – MHSAA Regionals
Boys Swimming
South Christian @ Holland

Wednesday, Feb. 27
Boys Swimming
@ East Kentwood – Second Shave Meet

Thursday, Feb. 28
Boys Swimming
@ East Kentwood – MHSAA Diving Regionals
Girls Basketball
Kelloggsville @ Tri-Unity Christian
Holton @ Wyoming Lee – Senior Night
Grand River Prep @ Zion Christian
Potter’s House @ Wellsprings Prep
South Christian @ Byron Center

Featured games are broadcast the night of the contest and then at least once later in the week.

WKTV broadcasts on Wyoming and Kentwood cable channels. On Comcast cable, Channel 25 is the Community Channel, where sports events and other community events are shown; Channel 26 is the Government Channel, where local government meetings and events are shown. On AT&T cable throughout the Grand Rapids area, viewers go to Channel 99, and then are given the choice to watch Wyoming (or Kentwood) Community (Channel 25) or Government (Channel 26) channels.

For complete schedules of programs on WKTV channels, see our Weekly On-air Schedule.

All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvondemand.com.

 
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week, any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and feature stories on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/.

Wyoming Lee makes history by wrestling as a team, for the team

City of Wyoming, Education, Local Faces, Sports

By Drew Dargavell, WKTV Sports Intern
ken@wktv.org

The Wyoming Lee Rebels this season were wrestling district champions for the first time in their program’s history.

While some may see this as a true underdog story — and it was for a very small program which had to resort to practicing in the basement of a church, to which the kids had to walk three quarters of a mile, because the school did not have any extra facilities for them to practice at. But, for the wrestlers, it was all hard work and determination.

To win the district title, the Rebels took out Hudsonville Unity Christian in the first round, 50-29. Then in the district final, it seemed like all hope was lost when they were trailing 36-12 against Wyoming Kelloggsville with five matches to go.

The Rebels were then able to win their next four matches to tie it up at 36, with senior Enrique Moreno-Martinez up in the final match. And he was in the right frame of mind for the task.

“What I was thinking in my head was ‘This is it, this could finally be the district title we need and that we want’,” Moreno-Martinez said to WKTV. And he won the match.

Mike Beasley. (WKTV)

Another big factor in the Rebel’s title was junior Mike Beasley, who scored for his team in both matches and eventually finished in third place in individual districts.

“I put the work in and I know my team has,” Beasley said. “But I am just going to have to work harder and harder.”

Lee head coach James Maxim was, understandably, very proud of his team’s dedication this season.

“They wrestle for the team more than anything else,” he said. “Win, lose, or draw, they’re always on the corner, supporting each other, that’s what’s so cool about these kids.”

Assistant coach Flavio Gomez. (WKTV)

Maxim said they couldn’t have done this without assistant coach Flavio Gomez, who realized the history of the Rebels winning the district title.

“Knowing that we had managed to make history happen, I was so happy,” Gomez said. “I had never felt any happier in my whole wrestling career.”

Wyoming Lee ended up losing in the first round of regional play to Comstock Park, but they still walked away from the season with their heads held high and history made.

This video story and all sports news segments are available on the WKTV YouTube channel. All featured games covered by WKTV’s sports coverage crew, as well as other community events covered, are available on-demand at wktvondemand.com .

For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week, any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and feature stories on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports.

World Affairs Council lecture schedule continues with discussion on nuclear threats

Education, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Non-Profits, Upcoming Events
U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer at a Republic of Korea airbase in 2016. The U.S. long-range bomber is one of the major deterrents to North Korean military actions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jonathan Steffen)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 
So far this year the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan’s 2019 Great Decisions global discussion series has informed the public on the “State of the State Department”, dangers to democracy around the world, and America’s immigration policies — or lack there of.

The next discussion, Feb. 25 and 26, will be “A New Nuclear Arms Race?”, with Kelsey Davenport, of the Arms Control Association, discussing Russia, North Korea, Iran and “What’s our nuclear future?”

For the past 50 years, the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) has played a critical role in preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and reducing nuclear arsenals, according to the Arms Control Association website. Yet prospects for additional progress on U.S.-Russian arms control remain bleak as President Donald Trump’s administration has split from key allies over the nuclear deal with Iran, and the denuclearization of North Korea remains uncertain, according to supplied information on the lecture.

Davenport is the Director for Nonproliferation Policy at the Arms Control Association, where she provides research and analysis on the nuclear and missile programs in Iran, North Korea, India, and Pakistan and on nuclear security issues, accord to the ACA website. Her areas of expertise include nuclear nonproliferation, nuclear and missile programs in Iran and North Korea, and nuclear security. Kelsey also reports on developments in these areas for Arms Control Today and is the author of the P5+1 and Iran Nuclear Deal Alerts.

Davenport’s discussion fits in with the overall goal of the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan.

“To change the world — or to even begin to understand global issues — one first must know about the world, and that’s what we attempt to do with Great Decisions,” Michael Van Denend, executive director of the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan, previously said to WKTV.

The annual series, which bring leaders in international theory and action to Grand Rapids for lectures, will offer two options to attend: Mondays, 6-7:15 p.m., at Aquinas College Performing Arts Center; and Tuesdays, noon-1 p.m. at the Recital Hall in the Covenant Fine Arts Center at Calvin College.

There is a $10 general-public admission fee per discussion, with no reservations needed and free parking.

The series will continue through March 25-26.

The Great Decisions format features a world-class expert leading each conversation, followed by an extensive question-answer session.

 
The reminder of the 2019 series will feature:

Mar. 4 and 5: “China-U.S. Trade War”, with Amy Celico, Albright Stonebridge Group (ASG), discussing “How will we handle the most important bilateral relationship of the 21st century?”

Mar. 11 and 12: “Life After the Arab Uprisings and the Islamic State”, a ground-level report from a brave Lebanese journalist, Rania Abouzeid, author of “No Turning Back: Life, Loss, and Hope in Wartime Syria”, a New York Times 2018 Notable Book.

Mar. 18 and 19: “Global Cyber Threats” with FBI Special Agent Peter Jolliffe
discussing “Cyber risks are on the rise — can we thwart them?”

And finally, on Mar. 25 and 26: “Mexico and the U.S.: The Economic Ties that Bind”, Carlos Capistran, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, New York City, discussing “What must we do to make certain both countries thrive?”

The Aquinas College Performing Arts Center is located at 1703 Robinson Road S.E., Grand Rapids. The Covenant Fine Arts Center at Calvin College is located at 1795 Knollcrest Cir SE, Grand Rapids.

 
The World Affairs Council of Western Michigan is located at 1700 Fulton Street E., Grand Rapids, For more information on sessions, dates and times, as well as detailed information on speakers, visit worldmichigan.org .

Diabetes and foot care

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Education, Health, How-To's, Senior Living, , ,

By Gretchen Stelter, Michigan State University Extension

 

There are many complications that accompany diabetes. Most of us just worry about what we eat and our blood sugar level, but a person with diabetes, you may run the risk of getting foot ulcers. To avoid this complication, you must check your feet daily. Foot ulcers are sores generally on the bottom of your feet in a weight bearing area. They are sores that do not heal if unattended to. A further complication of this is that open sores affect deeper tissue which can lead to bone and nerve damage, called peripheral neuropathy. Some of the other issues that come with peripheral neuropathy could be poor circulation and hammer toes. Those that suffer from poor circulation and foot ulcers are most at risk, says Steven Kavros, who specializes in vascular wound care at the Mayo Clinic.

 

With poor circulation, you may not feel an ulcer on your foot, therefore it is extremely important to self-examine your feet daily. If unattended, these sores will become worse and major health risks may become a factor. See a doctor and don’t let the wound go for days without care.

 

To control the wounds and the development of wounds, a person with diabetes must be proactive and monitor:

  • blood sugar levels,
  • kidney disease,
  • eye disease,
  • weight,
  • smoking,
  • and alcohol consumption.

If any of the above are out of control, your chances are increased of developing foot ulcers that, left untreated, may lead to amputation.

 

Try these easy steps to prevent wounds:

  • Check your feet daily. Look for blisters or open wounds and, if you have them, see a doctor immediately.
  • Wear the correct shoes. Make sure shoes fit properly to prevent damage if you stub your foot. Cotton socks or those made from natural fibers that breathe are better than socks made of man-made fibers.
  • Take care of your feet. Keep your feet clean and dry them well after cleaning them. Don’t soak your feet for the risk that skin may become easier to tear.
  • Exercise gently. You must exercise to help control your weight and diabetes. It is always important to talk to your health practitioner with regard to the best exercise for your condition.

Take these practices to heart. If the above tips can help prevent you from losing a limb, then it will give you a better quality life!

 

You can find more information about foot care for diabetes through the National Kidney Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Michigan State University Extension provides education in chronic disease prevention and management.

 

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).