Voters in the Kelloggsville Public Schools district approved a $11.3 million bond proposal Nov. 2 which will allow the district to build a S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) building at the high school as well as other building projects.
With 100 percent of school district precincts counted, in both the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming, the bond measure was passed 634-524, according to final unofficial results supplied by the Kent County Elections Office. The vote total of 1,256 was 13.4 percent of the 9,366 registered voters in the district.
The Kelloggsville Christian Reformed Church on 52nd Street was one of the polling places Nov. 2 as voters passed a Kelloggsville Public School bond measure. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“On behalf of the Kelloggsville Board of Education, staff and students, we want to thank our community for passing the bond,” Eric Alcorn, Kelloggsville Public Schools director of human resources,” said to WKTV. “Once completed, both areas will provide space and opportunity for our students to explore their interests and to enhance learning. We cannot thank our community enough for the support.”
The goal of the funding is to “provide opportunities for S.T.E.M., robotics, and business classes,” according to a statement on the district website. The additions “would expand opportunities for our students to explore technology through an updated media center, S.T.E.M. building, and (to) participate in our robotics program.”
Passage of the bond measure would not increase residential take above the current tax rate, also according to district supplied material, “it would simply continue with the existing debt levy.”
The funds from the bond measure will allow for the construction and addition of a S.T.E.M. building at the high school complex, a new media center at Southeast elementary, continue efforts to “provide and update safe and secure entrances” throughout the district, and well as technology upgrades to “enhance instruction.”
In addition to Kelloggsville High School, the district includes Kelloggsville Middle School, Southeast Kelloggsville Elementary, Central Kelloggsville Elementary, West Kelloggsville Elementary, Kelloggsville Virtual School and the Kelloggsville Early Childhood Learning Center.
When it comes to getting young students engaged with robotics as part of their STEM technology education — including Kentwood Public Schools Red Storm Robotics program — it can’t wait for high school.
So Kentwood Public School’s middle school robotics program will send its teams, five of them, against others schools when it hosts the FIRST Tech Challenge Kentwood qualifier, hosted by Red Storm Robotics, on Saturday, Nov. 6, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The challenge will take place at the East Kentwood Freshman Campus, 6170 Valley Lane Dr. SE, and the public is invited to the free event. (There was no in-person challenge in 2020 due to the pandemic. There was a virtual challenge.)
“I’ve been impressed with the FIRST robotics programs,” Wendy Ljungren, Chief Operating Officer for Anzen Unmanned and one of the adult leader of Red Storm Robotics, said to WKTV. “The students that go through FIRST have the STEM and teamwork skills needed for our country to continue to advance.”
The FIRST Tech Challenge is a national program of FIRST Inspires where “students learn to think like engineers,” according to program material. Teams design, build, and code robots to compete in an alliance format against other teams. Robots are built from a reusable platform, powered by Android technology, and can be coded using a variety of levels of Java-based programming.
This year’s tech challenge, Freight Frenzy, is presented by Raytheon Technologies and will have students race against time to transport “essential goods and explore the future of transportation,” according to supplied material.
During the 2020-2021 school year, whether in school or attending virtually, the students at St. John Vianney Catholic School always wore the school uniform to class.
This was one of the details that Wyoming parent Erika Oliver, who had switched her two sons to the school in the fall of 2020, had noticed as the 2020-2021 school year progressed. A detail that helped her decide to have her sons return to St. John Vianney (SJV) this fall.
“I wanted the smaller numbers and the smaller environment,” Oliver said of her decision to switch from a large public school district to the preschool through eighth-grade facility that is located on the St. John Vianney’s campus at 4101 Clyde Park Ave. SW. “St. John Vianney already had a plan in place on how they were going to handle any sudden announcements of having to go virtual.
Erika Oliver with her sons(from left) Samuel, who is in fifth grade, and Luca, who is in sixth grade. (WKTV)
“It had a good reputation, so we made the jump.”
That planned included St. John Vianney Catholic School, like many of the schools in the Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids, offering flexible learning by providing both in-person instruction and virtual from the start of school. Many area public schools delayed in-person instruction at the start of the 2020-2021 school year.
Oliver said her family discovered a lot of flexibility along with assistance from staff to help students create a successful learning environment whether that would be in school or at home. A key to that, was having the students “arrive” to school in their uniforms.
“Granted, with the virtual students, we didn’t always know if they were wearing the full uniform,” St. John Vianney Principal Linda Olejnik said with a smile. “But by having that routine, it helps to establish in the student’s mind that this is school and prepares them to be focused and ready for learning.”
Being flexible by offering in-person and virtual learning from the start of the 2020-2021 school year is one of the reasons officials from the Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids believes has impacted its growth over the past year. Across its 26 elementary schools and five high schools the Dioceses has, its preschool-12th grade enrollment for 2021-2022 is 6,267 students, an increase of 253 students from last school year.
Much of the growth comes from the number of preschool and kindergarten students. This school year, the Diocese has one of its largest kindergarten classes in the last decade with 527 students. Olejnik noted that St. John Vianney has followed that trend as well.
St. John Vianney also has seen an increase in students in first through sixth grade, In fact 24 out of the 31 schools in the Diocese re-enrolled all of its students or grew its enrollment from last year. Sarah Toepfer, the marketing and communication coordinator for Diocese’s Catholic Schools, said they have seen an increase due to returning families who had left due to COVID and better attendance from baptized children.
St. John Vianney Principal Linda Olejink (WKTV)
“The ability for students to learn in-person with their teachers and peers last school year paid dividends in academic and personal growth,” said Dave Faber, superintendent of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Grand Rapids. “I am grateful to God for the outstanding efforts of our admissions advocates, families, faculty, staff, principals, and pastors who joined together to intentionally grow the mission and the ministry of Catholic schools.”
Olejnik said aiding in making it easier for SJV students was the school’s platform, Canvas, which allows staff to manage their classrooms by taking attendance, uploading assignments and class files and post grades. The program able the staff to move quickly to virtual learning when necessary but also for in school learning. If a student has to be quarantine, it was a smooth transition as the student’s work already was online, she said.
The 2020-2021 school year was an untaught territory that through partnerships with its staff, families and community St. John Vianney was able to weather well, Olejnik said, adding the staff has added a few new items to its toolbox of education.
And through that storm, Olejnik said she has seen a difference this year among students and staff.
“There is a lot of joyfulness,” Olejnik said. “There is joyfulness in being together when everyone came back. You can see it as students are playing together on the playground or working on assignments. Now if I could just bottle that.”
Together by St. Jude has just released a free coloring book that talks about the COVID-19 vaccine and how it protects people from the virus. (Together by St. Jude)
On the heels of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s emergency use approval for a COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has created a free coloring book to help children learn about vaccines and how they work to prevent COVID-19.
The coloring book was developed and reviewed by patient education and infectious disease specialists at St. Jude. It is available for download at the Together by St. Jude web-based resource.
A “St. Jude Coloring Book: COVID-19 Vaccines” answers questions about COVID-19 vaccines in words children can understand. “A COVID-19 vaccine uses the body’s immune system to fight the coronavirus,” the book reads. “Your immune system is like a team of superheroes that protect you from germs.” The book also uses simple pictures to show how the vaccine works to help your body make antibodies to fight the virus that causes COVID-19.
“The vaccine coloring book offers children the opportunity to learn more about the COVID -19 vaccine by coloring images of doctors, children, and the COVID-19 virus,” said Rachel Schmeizer, a child life specialist at St. Jude. “The illustrations in the book help to prepare children for the vaccination process and explains how the vaccine works to protect their bodies from COVID-19.”
Together by St. Jude published its first coloring book on COVID-19 in 2020. “Learning About the Coronavirus” helped children understand the virus and taught ways to stay healthy by keeping a distance, wearing a mask, and washing hands often. The coloring book was translated into 16 different languages and was downloaded more than 14,000 times in more than 150 countries and territories.
“Throughout the pandemic, parents have struggled through numerous difficult conversations with their children. We want to prepare our children for the significant changes in their daily lives and teach them how to stay safe, but how can we do this without scaring them?” said Niki Jurbergs, PhD., Jude Psychology Department. “We created these coloring books to prepare parents with the tools they need to introduce these new and potentially scary concepts in an age-appropriate way. Having a plan ahead of time, including talking points, can make parents feel more comfortable during this conversations.”
In addition to the two COVID-19 coloring books, Together by St. Jude has also released “Riley Takes a Medicine,” a coloring book that teaches children undergoing cancer treatment about the different types of drugs and the importance of medication compliance. All three coloring books are free to download.
With Halloween now past, many see the holiday season upon us, and local vendors and crafters are gearing up to help holiday shoppers with their early shopping needs.
After widespread and disappointing cancellations in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, West Michigan crafters and vendors are excited to announce that they are bringing back their holiday craft shows this fall. And the month of November is filled with must-shop events that not only deliver handcrafted items, tasty treats, and unique gift ideas for local communities, but provide funds and support for many area school programs.
The Byron Center Fine Arts Boosters (BCFAB) are especially thankful to be able to host their annual craft show on Nov. 13 at Byron Center High School, as it is the largest fundraiser for their school’s fine arts programs. (For a extensive list of local craft and vendor fairs, see bottom of story.)
“All funds raised will go directly to support our students in the school district,” Kim Kohlhoff, president of Byron Center Fine Arts Boosters, said to WKTV.
All Byron Center public school fine arts programs, grades K-12, are impacted by the success of this fundraiser, Kohlhoff said, and the craft show fundraiser supplements the general budget given to each school to fund the main requirements of the fine arts programs.
The Byron Center Fine Arts Boosters’ annual craft show at Byron Center High School supports the schools fine arts programs including the jazz band. (Supplied)
“Funds raised through the annual craft show help support guest artists who come in from all over the nation to teach and perform with our students, as well as help with financial support for those students who take private lessons and attend fine arts camps,” Kohlhoff said.
The ability to provide financial support to students and give them the opportunity to perform with experienced musicians are only a small part in maintaining the Byron Center Fine Arts programs.
Life skills are also a central theme in the Byron Center Fine Arts objective — “Students learn to become a better person and grow as an individual,” said Kohlhoff.
Handcrafted items are always holiday gift worthy, as these from the Byron Center Fine Arts Boosters’ annual craft show at Byron Center High School. (Supplied, from previous year)
This year’s craft show boasts over 200 vendors and something new — food trucks. Instead of the usual concessions, several food trucks will offer a variety of food for shoppers. Stationed outside next to a protected sidewalk, food truck vendors will fill food orders that shoppers can then take into the school cafeteria to eat if desired.
“We have great community support,” Kohlhoff said of the craft show. “Vendor places are highly sought after and we have several veteran (returning) vendors who come every year, often calling the day after the show has ended to apply for a spot in the show for the following year.”
The Byron Center Fine Arts Boosters Craft Show will be held on Nov. 13 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Byron Center High School, 8500 Burlingame SW, and offers free parking. Admission fee is $3 at the door, with children 12 and under admitted for free.
Additional November craft and vendor events include:
The Byron Center Fine Arts Boosters’ annual craft show at Byron Center High School supports the schools fine arts programs including the jazz band. (Supplied)
Ashley Greenway — with husband Kyle, daughter Bailey and son Brody — is a wife and mother from Holland who has tested positive for Huntington’s Disease and is an advocate for the cause though her work with the Huntington’s Disease Society of America. (HDSA)
When it comes to Huntington’s disease, a fatal genetic disorder that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain, some people simply do not want to know if they have the defective gene.
According to the Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA), there are currently approximately 41,000 symptomatic Americans and more than 200,000 at-risk of inheriting the disease. The symptoms of HD are sometimes described as having ALS, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s — simultaneously. And it has no cure.
For Ashley Greenway, a wife and mother from Holland, Mich., who has tested positive for Huntington’s disease (HD) — leading to the knowledge that it may well impact her physical and mental abilities during her prime years and that her two children are at risk — testing was the right thing to do.
In her case, knowledge was and is power: the power to speak out; the power to advocate; the power to help others now and — maybe — her children in the future.
“Someday, my kids may need to take advantage of the resources HDSA has to offer and I wanted to make sure that I did my part,” Greenway said recently to WKTV. “It’s the same feeling when I participate in medical studies for HDSA. Last week I was in Wisconsin and had a lumbar puncture done so HDSA could have spinal fluid to assist in their efforts to better understand the disease and find a cure.
“A cure may not be available in my lifetime, but perhaps my kids could receive it. It’s very rewarding just thinking that I play a small part in helping understand and cure this disease.”
Finding out, finding ways to help
After first finding out she was at risk in 2006, then researching and agreeing to be tested, she tested positive in 2012. She then also faced inward soul-searching and outward reflection of her own family.
Ashley Greenway, with husband Kyle, daughter Bailey and son Brody. (HDSA)
“At the time of diagnosis I was working outside the home and a mother already,” Greenway said. “I do believe that if I had known my prognosis prior to having kids, it would have impacted my decision on starting a family. The first thing my parent with HD said to me when I told them I was positive was ‘I’m sorry’. … I can’t imagine the guilt I’ll feel if I find out I passed this on to my kids.”
But, she points out, now there are methods available for couples at risk of HD to have kids with no HD risk.
While she declined to talk much about her HD-positive parent — who is nearing 60 year old but with no symptoms — Greenway did say was the only one in her family, out of 20 at risk members (first cousins, their children, siblings, and nephews), that has been tested voluntarily.
“No one else is open about it or wants to know,” she said.
“I used to think of that day (when she learned the test results) as the day I was given my expiration date, but now I see it as the day I became a better person,” Greenway said in supplied material. “Surprisingly, I didn’t cry. I was too in shock to process. I was trying to figure out what this meant and how I felt. I have three siblings, two nephews, and my own two children that are at risk of inheriting this horrific disease and I’m the only one who’s been tested.”
And how did she respond to knowing?
In 2013, Greenway started to get more involved in the HD community, including involvement with the Predict HD medical study out of Rochester, New York. In 2014, Ashley was involved with the documentary film Alive and Well, the film follows seven people coming to terms with the reality of living with HD.
She went back to school, graduating in 2015 from Baker College of Muskegon with an associates degree in business. In 2019, she trained for the Chicago Marathon with Team Run for HD, but it was cancelled due to the pandemic. Recently she took part in the Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA) #LetsTalkAboutHD Stories.
Ashley Greenway’s daughter Bailey, shown with a quilt inspired by Ashley’s work with the West Michigan Team Hope run/walk, a fundraising event for the Huntington’s Disease Society of America. (HDSA)
She has also have become heavily involved with the annual HDSA’s West Michigan Team Hope Walk/5K Run — the West Michigan portion of HDSA’s largest national grassroots fundraising event, which takes place in over 100 cities across the U.S. and has raised more than $20 million for Huntington’s disease since its inception in 2007.
She has gained support from her family in her work as well — husband Kyle, daughter Bailey and son Brody — both with her fundraising and with her advocacy for the cause. To honor all that support, she even has made a quilt out of all her family’s and friend’s Team Hope shirts from previous years and donated it to HDSA as a silent auction raffle item.
She is now lead coordinator for the local event, and has seen the event though a rough time in this time of COVID.
“During 2020, HDSA had to cancel all of their in-person events,” Greenway said. “These events generate a lot of funds for social worker’s salaries, grants to scientists for trials, or money to families affected by HD for medical bills. Whatever the use of the funds, they were understandably lacking during the pandemic. … It was important to me that our group still meet our fundraising goal for the year.”
And, Greenway says, she leans on her HD-positive parent as she moves into the future.
“My HD positive parent is still here inspiring me to stay strong and encouraging me to get more involved in HDSA, without symptoms,” she said in supplied material. “My involvement in HDSA provides me with a sense of purpose I’ve never felt before. When HD takes me out of this world, I’ll be leaving it a better place because of how I’ve helped this HD Community.”
Huntington’s Disease Society of America
HDSA was founded in 1967 by Marjorie Guthrie, the wife of legendary folk singer Woody Guthrie. Woody died from HD complications when he was only 55 years old, but the Guthrie family legacy lives on at HDSA.
A sign at a West Michigan Team Hope run/walk, a fundraising event for the Huntington’s Disease Society of America. (HDSA)
The DNA error that causes HD is found in a gene called “huntingtin”. This gene was discovered in 1993. Everyone has the “huntingtin” gene, but only those that inherit the mistake, known as the HD mutation, will develop HD and risk passing it on to their children.
HDSA, according to supplied material, is the “premier nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of everyone affected by Huntington’s disease. From community services and education to advocacy and research, HDSA is the world’s leader in providing help for today, hope for tomorrow for people with Huntington’s disease and their families.”
One of its current efforts involved changes to federal rules which it comes to Medicare policy through advocacy for the HD Parity Act (HR 2050/S 868) in 2021.
“Without passage of the HD Parity Act, patients with Huntington’s disease will continue to suffer the mandated 2-year waiting period for Medicare benefits after qualifying for Social Security Disability Insurance,” according to an HDSA statement. “Individuals with HD have a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disorder. During those two years, patients continue to decline, and are falling through our social safety net by being denied access to Medicare when they need it most.”
From carrying diseases to being the source of COVID, bats have gotten a bad rap.
“I think it is just popular opinion because of all the advertising around bats being spooky thieves.” said Jamie Racalla, an animal care supervisor with John Ball Zoo. “When in truth, half of them are pollinators, take care of those pesky bugs like mosquitoes, and don’t really carry all those diseases.”
Jaime Racalla is an animal care specialist at John Ball Zoo. (Supplied)
It is why such exhibits as the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s current “Bats: Masters of the Night” are so important, Racalla said, because it helps to dispel some of the myths around these very difficult to study and often misunderstood creatures.
“We really don’t know that much about bats,” said Racalla, who recently participated in a study on bats in Michigan hosted by the Detroit Zoo. “Think about when they are out, at night, which makes them difficult to study because it has to be dark.”
For a while, researchers would study bats during the day while they slept in bat houses or when they hibernated during the winter. Unfortunately, White-Nose Syndrome developed among North American bats, which is a fungus call Pseudogymnoascus destructans, that invades and ingests the skin of hibernating bats, causing them to wake up more frequently in the winter and use up their limited fat reserves. First found in North America in 2006, it is estimated that by 2012 more than 6.7 million bats in North America have died from the disease.
To help reduce the spread of the fungus, researchers have discontinued visiting bats in their homes, but instead are using sonar to help track the bat population in the United States, This past summer, Racalla drove around parts of Greater Grand Rapids using equipment to hear bat calls which helped determine what type of bats could be in the area.
Through her research, Racalla said she found several bat types such as the little brown bat, eastern red bat, big brown bat, and the silver-haired bat, all of which eat insects such as mosquitoes, beetles, flies, ants, and spiders.
Through the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s exhibit, residents can make their own discoveries about the creatures of the night. While there are blood-sucking bats — vampire bats live in Central and South America — a majority of the bats are gentle and much like the bats found in Michigan, beneficial to the ecosystem.
Bats are important to the environment in that they help to pollinate plants and eat pesky bugs such as mosquitoes. (Supplied)
Visitors can learn more about diet and flight of various bats around the world (The only place without bats are Arctic, Antarctic and a few isolated Oceanic islands). The exhibit includes lifelike models, multi-sensory interactive displays and environmentally lifelike settings. There also is a hands-on display showcasing the evening activities of bats, such as echolocation (sonar ability). In a demonstration of echolocation, visitors can use a joystick to maneuver a bat model in search of food using a laser to simulate sonar. In a visit to a bat nursery, visitors learn how caring bat mothers are by using sound to help the mother bat find her baby.
“I personally can’t wait to see the exhibit,” Racalla said. “I hope people go and it helps them have a greater understanding of just how misunderstood and unique they are.”
Also the importance of preservation of the bat community. Because of the White-Nosed Syndrome, most Michigan bat species are considered threatened or endangered. Because of state and federal productions, it is illegal to kill certain species of bats, according to the USDA Forest Service.
“Bats: Masters of the Night” will be up through January 2022 at the Grand Rapids Public Museum, 272 Pearl St. NW. Hours are 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.Monday – Friday and 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. “The Bats: Masters of the Night” is included in the museum’s general admission. General admission for Kent County residents is $5/adults, $3/seniors, and free/children 17 & under. For more information
D.A. Blodgett-St. Johns Communications Specialist Allyssa Murphy stands with boxes of toys received in last year’s D.A. Blodgett-St. Johns Virtual Toy Drive. This year’s drive is being held through Nov. 22. (Supplied)
By Sheila McGrath WKTV Contributing Writer
With shortages happening now in everything from groceries to computer chips to toys, D.A. Blodgett-St. Johns is hoping donors will get in the holiday spirit a little early this year.
Due to Covid-19-related supply chain issues and shipping delays, the nonprofit agency is closing its annual toy drive on Nov. 22, a few weeks earlier than usual. The drive, which opened on Oct. 1, provides gifts for children receiving services from the agency.
DABSJ, a Grand Rapids-based agency, provides services like foster care, adoption, family preservation, and children’s residential treatment.
“We help around 7,000 kids each year, and about 500 of those are kids we provide holiday gifts for,” said Allyssa Murphy, communications specialist with the agency. “Some of them are in foster homes, so they are not with their biological families. Some are in low-income households. We work with each social worker on our team and figure out who is in need and exactly how we can help.”
Closing the drive early will help ensure the gifts get in the hands of kids before the holidays, Murphy said. The gifts need to be shipped to the organization, then distributed to social workers, who get them to the families they support.
This is the second year the toy drive is being held virtually due to the pandemic. Donors can log onto the Virtual Holiday Gift Drive through a website called Roonga to view the gifts that are needed and decide what they might like to donate.
Toys received in last year’s D.A. Blodgett-St. Johns Virtual Toy Drive await distribution to West Michigan children. (Supplied)
Murphy said the vendor they are working with through Roonga put a limit on the number of certain toys they could request due to item shortages. Also, their contact at Roonga suggested they end the drive early to make up for expected delays due to a shortage of delivery drivers.
The toy drive site features items for all ages and price ranges along with basics like socks, underwear and hygiene kits, which are especially important, Murphy said.
“They’re not necessarily the most fun items, but they are necessary, and the kids we support really do need them,” Murphy said. “Gift cards are probably the highest needed item. That really makes up the difference for some families.”
Through Roonga, DABSJ has partnered with a third-party vendor that provides all the toys at wholesale prices, Murphy said. DABSJ typically gives a $50 gift card and at least three gifts per child, depending on how many gifts are donated.
“Sometimes we get more, sometimes less, but we try to give as much as we can,” Murphy said.
DABSJ President and CEO Mary Muliett said many of the kids they help have experienced some type of trauma, and the pandemic has not made things easier.
“These kids need our help now more than ever,” Muliett said. “They deserve a positive and magical holiday season, just like any other kid. We need help making that happen.”
To donate to the holiday gift drive, visit the drive webpage or dabsj.org. For more information or to discuss donation options for businesses, contact Allyssa Murphy at amurphy@dabsj.org.
Karla Black, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator at Kent County Health Department, was invited to Hands on Health to discuss COVID-19 and the vaccines with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services’ Nancy Piersma, Community Education Coordinator, and Rowan O’Dougherty, Board President. (WKTV)
Kentwood non-profit Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services is always looking for new ways to serve the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing communities. And WKTV Community Media is always looking for ways to work with groups in service of its Wyoming, Kentwood and West Michigan audience.
So the two this fall have partnered to begin a new multi-media project, Hands on Health, to provide health education in a format that is accessible to the Deaf, Deaf/Blind, Hard of Hearing — as well as other community members.
The first two episodes are now available on WKTV cable channels in Wyoming and Kentwood (check out the initial schedule below and WKTV cable schedule), on the WKTV Video Podcast page, and on the social media platforms of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (D&HHS) — YouTube and Facebook.
D&HHS, according to supplied material, has served the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing (D/DB/HH) communities across West Michigan for more than 25 years. The agency began after a deaf man’s medical emergency turned nearly fatal due to the emergency services’ lack of accessibility.
“The situation shone a light on the lack of access and services for the D/DB/HH communities,” Deb Atwood, D&HHS executive director, said in printed material. “Today, our agency serves 27 counties across West Michigan, providing a wide range of services specifically for the D/DB/HH communities.
“Each day, we work toward our mission of providing equal communication access, education, and advocacy to the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing in pursuit of all life’s opportunities.
The genesis of Hands On Health
A study published in 2016 by a group of University Medical Departments found that health literacy among the deaf is alarmingly low. When compared to their hearing counterparts, deaf participants were 6.9 times more likely to have inadequate health literacy.
These disparities are caused by several factors including communication barriers, fewer opportunities for incidental learning, and especially lack of accessible information. Many within the D/DB/HH communities are not given appropriate access to information that allows them to understand or practice autonomy over their own health.
“Our agency has recognized the of issue inadequate health literacy among the D/DB/HH in the Greater Grand Rapids area and throughout West Michigan,” Erica Chapin, D&HHS community and partnership manager, said in printed material. “These issues were made alarmingly clear throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. With limited accessible information about COVID-19 and vaccines, D/DB/HH individuals have been susceptible to misinformation and unable to make informed decisions about their health and safety.
“This situation has brought to light the lack of information on general health and wellness topics. To combat this issue, our agency is starting the ‘Hands On Health’ video series that provides health education in a format that is accessible to the D/DB/HH and other communities.”
These first two episodes feature two deaf hosts — Nancy Piersma, Community Education Coordinator, and Rowan O’Dougherty, Board President — with guest Karla Black, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator at Kent County Health Department, who was invited to discuss COVID-19 and the vaccines.
Hands on Health has premiered on WKTV Cable Channel 25 with Episode 1 continuing today, Oct. 21, at 5 p.m. Episode 2 will premiere Oct. 25 at 9 p.m., and continue Oct. 26 at 9:30 a.m., and Oct. 28 at 5 p.m. They may also run at different days and times; see the weekly schedule.
For more information and to donate to Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services, visit www.deafhhs.org/donate.
Hands on Health continues a discussion on COVID-19 and the vaccines, hosted by Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services’ Nancy Piersma, Community Education Coordinator, and Rowan O’Dougherty, Board President. (WKTV)
It was a good night for local high school prep football teams Friday, Oct. 15, as Wyoming High School gained its first win of the season on an emotional night at home, playoff-bound South Christian gained its sixth win, Wyoming Godwin Heights kept its playoff hopes alive, and East Kentwood has now won two of it last four.
WKTV’s Featured Game coverage crew was at Wyoming, and will be at South Christian this week to close out the regular season. WKTV’s Featured Game of the week provides Wyoming and Kentwood cable television and on-demand replays.
Wyoming’s game against Grand Rapids Union was senior night as well as a special celebration for the school’s new stadium being named in honor of Jack VerDuin, who rolled up a 243-118-6 record with the Wyoming Park Vikings before the school merged with Wyoming Rogers to become Wyoming high in 2012.
And the Wolves (1-7) were able to block out a rough 2021 campaign and come out with “plenty of fight” — the result was a 33-17 win over Union (3-7).
“Friday night was in a special night for our community … Our kids had a ton of positive energy that night, and it showed on the field,” Wolves head coach Carlton Brewster II said to WKTV. “I was glad that I could witness the fight in our kids to win our first ball game.”
Brewster specifically pointed out the outstanding performance of senior Mateo Ledesma on both sides of the ball — he had 10 tackles, two sacks, and 65 yards rushing.
WKTV’s South Christian game a playoff preview
South Christian (6-2, 5-1 in OK Conference Gold) scored a 49-7 road win at Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills (2-6, 1-5) on Oct. 15. This week, in the final week of the regular season, on Friday, Oct. 22, WKTV will be at East Kentwood for the Sailors’ season-ending clash with Cedar Springs (also 6-2, 5-1).
While both teams are playoff bound — as is OK Gold champion Grand Rapids Catholic Central (8-0, 6-0), which defeated both the Sailors and the Red Hawks earlier — both South Christian and Cedar Springs will be looking for better playoff seating when the playoffs are announced this weekend.
Past WKTV Featured Games from this season available on-demand include the Aug. 26 Forest HIlls Northern at Wyoming High game, the Sept. 1 NorthPointe at Lee 8-man game, the Sept. 10 Middleville T-K at South Christian game (played at East Kentwood), and East Kentwood’s home win over West Otttawa on Sept. 24, South Christian’s win over Kenowa Hills on Oct. 1, the annual Godwin vs. Kelloggsville rivalry game on Oct. 8, and the Wyoming vs. Union game on Oct. 15.
WKTV featured games will on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel, rebroadcast on the night of the game and various days and times the week after. See the programming schedule at wktv.org. For more information on WKTV coverage of football and other fall prep sports, follow us at wktvjournal.org/sports.
All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.com.
Team-by-team update
East Kentwood
The East Kentwood Falcons (2-6, 2-4 in OK Conference Red) continued their late season resurgence with at 27-7 home win against Grand Haven (3-5, 2-4) on Oct. 15, and will close out the regular season at Jension (currently 2-6, 1-5) on Oct. 22.
After last week’s action, Rockford (8-0) sits alone in OK Red standings at 6-0 with Caledonia second (7-1, 5-1).
Wyoming high
The Wyoming Wolves (1-5 in OK Conference Green) will close out the season on the road at Mona Shores (currently 6-2, 5-1 in conference) on Oct. 22. After last week’s action, Muskegon (7-1) is 6-0 and alone atop the OK Green, with Muskegon Mona Shores second.
Godwin Heights
Wyoming Godwin Heights (4-3, 2-3 in OK Conference Silver action) is still alive in the playoff hunt after last week’s 42-34 road win at Belding (5-3, 2-3) on Oct. 15. The Wolverines can get to their fifth win of the season (giving them a chance at the playoffs) with a win at home to close out the season against Grandville Calvin Christian (1-7, 0-5) on Oct. 22.
After last week’s action, OK Silver standings have Comstock Park (9-0) undefeated in OK Silver action at 6-0, with Sparta (6-2) at 4-1 in conference.
Kelloggsville
The Kelloggsville Rockets (2-6, 1-4 in OK Conference Silver action) scored 34 points in a their game at OK Silver leader Comstock Park (9-0, 6-0) on Oct. 15, but ended up losing 69-34. The Rockets will be at home to face Sparta (6-2, 4-1) on Oct. 22.
Lee (8-man football)
The Lee Legends are playing a non-conference 8-man schedule which includes both 8-man varsity and junior varsity games.
Armed with umbrellas in an effort to stay dry from the downpour of rain, about 50 people came out to the dedication and ribbon cutting for the expansion of the KDL Grandville Branch on Oct. 8.
The event, hosted by the City of Grandville and the Kent District Library, celebrated the addition of 6,665 square feet to the library, with the largest part of the addition being a divisible community room for hosting library programs and serving city and community events.
“At the Grandville Branch, we see a number of people from throughout the county,” said KDL Grandville Branch Manager Josh Bernstein, who is a regional manager serving both the Grandville and Byron Center branches. In fact, because the KDL library branches over the years have become more regional sources, KDL has created regional branch managers to work with communities.
“We have a lot of our neighbors from Byron Center and Georgetown, as we have a partnership with them, coming to the Grandville library for resources and meeting space,” he said.
A new feature is the fireplace that separates the community room from the library. (WKTV)
Visitors check out the new children’s play area. (WKTV)
The KDL Grandville branch has more than one million library items. (WKTV)
Space was the original reason that Grandville City Council decided to move the library from the city complex to its own space. The current library facility was built in 1991 and dedicated in 1992. The original library project costs was about $1.8 million.
Space again was the concern for city and community leaders to come together to raise funds for the expansion, according to Grandville Mayor Steve Maas who spoke during the dedication ceremony. Through the additional space, Maas said the library facility was able to expand from one study room to 10 new private study rooms. The expanded and updated Grandville facility also includes:
The new Nelson Foundation Disability Resource Room
More than a million library items
Hundreds of regularly scheduled in-person programs and activities for all ages
Separate and enclosed space for children’s programs and early literacy efforts
Drive-up book drop
Larger space for the Friends of the Grandville Library Book Nook
Fireplace area separating the library from the new community center
New, high-efficiency HVAC system
Additional restrooms, including a family restroom
Area residents and leaders were willing to brave the heavy rains for the KDL Grandville Branch dedication on Oct. 8. (WKTV)
For the new addition, city and community leaders hosted a Building Beyond Books fundraising campaign with the goal of raising about a million dollars. At the time of the dedication, the effort had raised $870,000 with donations still being accepted.
KDL oversees 20 branches that serve the communities around Grand Rapids. (The City of Grand Rapids is served by the Grand Rapids Library.) Locations on the southwest side of the county include, Wyoming, Kentwood, Gaines, Byron Center, Grandville, Caledonia, and Kelloggsville High School. KDL operates the Bookmobilie and the KDL Wyoming branch houses the KDL Talking Book and Braille Center. For more about KDL and its locations, visit kdl.org.
Even people in the know about the state of the State of Michigan high school girls golf might have overlooked East Kentwood High School sophomore Elise Fennell last year — until she finished her freshman season a solid fourth in the Division 1 individual finals.
And following her consistent, quality play this season, and with her dominating the field at a very tough Division 1 Regional 1 last week — shooting a 73 at Thompsonville’s Betsie Valley course, six stokes ahead of the second place individual finisher — she may well be the golfer to beat this week at the 2-day state Division 1 finals at Grand Valley State University.
East Kentwood High School sophomore Elise Fennell will be seeking a state title Oct. 15-16. (Supplied)
While the 15-year old speaks softly and humbly when asked about her approach to the state finals, to be held Oct. 15-16 at The Meadows, she sounds quietly confident in her game. And her Falcon coach, Mike Ketelaar, says the same thing, a little more loudly.
“Just trying to get ready, mentally, more than anything,” Fennell said to WKTV this week, as she prepared for a practice round at Stonewater Country Club in Caledonia. “Physically is not as important as your mental game. I’m just trying to prepare for what I am going to do. Course management decisions. Everything like that.”
Ketelaar, too, says his prize young player is “hungry” to prove herself to be among the best in the state while she is already establishing herself on the national stage in youth golf by playing in “a lot of serious tournaments in the summertime with some of the best players in the country.”
“Playing in the state finals last year … I got to watch every shot and she was very composed. She enjoyed herself,” Ketelaar said to WKTV. “At the state tournament last year, there was a little bit of nerves but there was nothing she wasn’t used to. I think this year she is very excited for this state tournament coming up, because it is 36 holes, its at Grand Valley, where we’ve had a lot of events.
“I think she is hungry. Fourth place (last year) was really good for her but I think she has higher aspirations this year.”
Growing into her game, individual and team
Fennell has been playing since age six, and competing since she was about 10. And like a lot of young players, when she started there as a parent and a Tiger involved.
East Kentwood High School sophomore Elise Fennell is all smiles … until there is a club in her hands. (Supplied)
“I was like six, and my dad and I would watch Tiger (Woods) on TV, all those guys on TV, and he introduced me to the game,” Fennell said. Her first lesson, however, was later — “I was nine and it was here, (at Stonewater) from Jimmy (Wisinski).”
It was right about that time that she knew she could — and should — compete with the best in her age group, and higher.
“When I was 10, I was winning a lot of stuff in my age group, just because it was small, there was not a lot of girls in my age group,” Fennell said. “My scores were similar to the older girls, so I started moving up. And every time I moved up, all my scores were right there with them. … When I was like 12, I ended up playing with high schoolers and I said ‘Okay, this is where I am meant to be.’”
And that is about the time Falcon coach Ketelaar started hearing about the talent that would he would have the “privilege” and “responsibility” to be working with.
“I’ve had the privilege to work with Elise for the last two years, as her coach at East Kentwood High School,” he said. “But, prior to that, I knew about her pedigree and her ability. … Hearing about her name around the country club here and seeing her scores in different newspapers and stuff, I knew I had a huge responsibility as a coach to make sure I took care of that talent and help develop it to the best of my abilities.”
And despite her growth, physically, it is her mental game where she and her coach continue working to improve.
Her game changed, physically, she said as she grew from 10 to her current 15 years old “because I kept growing, so I needed new clubs, and my yardages changed, and but the same mentality stayed where I just wanted to focus on each shot, stay in the moment and not get too far ahead of myself. Otherwise it would be downhill from there.”
She has also grown both in her individual game and her team game, her coach said.
“I’ve noticed a huge growth in (her), she wants to do well individually still, she’s very hungry and competitive. But I think she is seeing the larger picture of the importance of helping team members,” Ketelaar said. “She obviously has more golf experience than a lot of girls on the team. She has really taken it upon herself to pass on that knowledge and teach them about course management. How to remain calm. Just to enjoy the moment.
“I know she knows high school golf is four years. I think the first year she was really concerned about learning about it and having success herself. It is very apparent now that it is not so much about her as it is about the whole team.”
Falcon team making improvements
While the East Kentwood girls golf team did not advance past the regionals, Fennell’s coach said her impact on the team this year and in the future is certain. Not only on the courses but at practice.
East Kentwood High School head girls golf coach Mike Ketelaar. (WKTV)
“I text and call Elise a lot to get a vibe on what’s the team thinking,” Ketelaar said. “Obviously I’m not a high school girl and I try my best to figure out the climate of the team is. But a lot of time I bank on her relationships, her friendships, with them all to say ‘Hey, are they enjoying themselves? Is there a practice we are doing, is it worthwhile?’ She comes back with really good advice of how she thinks we can improve our program.”
Looking at this year’s team, outride of Fennell, coach starts with his senior leader, Chandler Baillie — “She was a really a consistent player for us,” and then goes from there.
“Morgan Lee is a sophomore, she played our Number 2 this year — I know she is really excited to work in the off season, to improve. So, I’m looking forward to seeing what Morgan can bring to the table next year.
“And Aish (Aishwarya Kasaju) is a junior this year, she had huge improvements, she’ll be a senior leader. And Cam (Camryn) Kolzow came out as a freshman and never played school golf before and now has a real itch. So I think we have a great squad coming in for next year.”
East Kentwood High School sophomore Elise Fennell at practice. (Supplied)
The football stadium at Wyoming High School, which will be filled with fans Friday as the school and the community honors Jack VerDuin, who coached football at Wyoming Park High School. (WKTV)
If you ask someone in the Wyoming-area high school football community to name a few people whom long-time Wyoming Park coach Jack VerDuin impacted as a coach, teacher, friend and mentor be prepared for a long list.
And, as Wyoming High School is set to honor the late VerDuin by naming its new field in his honor this week, it is probably no coincidence that the first two people who talked to WKTV were more than happy to do so and are also now respected educators.
A photo of Jack VerDuin when he coached football at Wyoming Park High School. (Supplied/Wyoming High School)
“For me, it was a lot of things outside of football … as a teacher and an athletic director,” said Oogie LaMar, who was on VerDuin’s state title football team and is currently Director of Adult Education and Community Relations at the Kent ISD. “Many of my memories of him were the times off the field. Back in the day, in study hall. He was my study hall teacher, and so a lot of the discussions we had were just about life and team-ship — being a good person, being a good teammate. Being committed to principals … about the team, but (also) families and how to treat other people.”
VerDuin, who rolled up a 243-118-6 record with the Wyoming Park Vikings before the school merged with Wyoming Rogers into Wyoming high in 2012, was given many honors in his lifetime and after he died in 2007.
He coached the Vikings for 38 seasons beginning in 1962. During the years, Wyoming Park won 19 conference championships and the Class B state championship in 1984, a 33-20 victory over Monroe Catholic Central. The Vikings were then the state runner-up in 1985.
VerDuin is a member of the Wyoming Hall of Fame, Grand Rapids Hall of Fame, Michigan High School Hall of Fame and the Michigan Football Hall of Fame.
But maybe the honor he would appreciate the most would be the special place he occupies in so many of the young people he influenced, on and off the football field.
“Jack influenced me as a person by helping me grow up. He had high expectations and a belief that if we all follow the process, we will all be champions,” said Thom Vander Klay, who played for VerDuin as well and is now a coach and teacher at Wyoming high. “He rarely let his kids believe they were anything but unbeatable … and he was right.”
Teaching how to coach, how to succeed off the field
Vander Klay, to a large extend, also learned how to coach and how to lead an athletic program, from VerDuin.
“He was way ahead of his time regarding finding the right fit for positions for the football team seven years down the road,” Vander Klay said. “For example, he would watch the 7th grade sporting events (not just football) and find who he wanted for each position on his football teams. We generally all played the same position in the same system on both sides of the ball for 6 years. After that long people get pretty good at what they are trying to do.
“He was not concerned with younger teams’ records as it was all about getting better within the system,” he said. “I have worked as a coach to use Jack’s work ethic, attention to detail, and ways to work with each student athlete from where they come from in order to create synergy and teach them they can achieve when they believe in the process. Not just in athletics but when they are adults and are carrying out their plans.”
That idea, often-used these days, of “planning your work and working your plan” was just part of VerDuin caring more about his students as people than simply as athletes.
“Jack was a consistent professional and had great passion for kids and working hard,” Vander Klay said. “He was a big picture guy that would not accept excuses for falling short of his best.”
LaMar told much the same story — “He really just wanted us to do our best … he always expected that.”
Intentional or not, VerDuin was unique
Of course, Coach VerDuin was not without his (occasional) mistakes, with his teams and with his style of dress, as both LaMar and Vander Klay reluctantly talked about.
“I do remember when I was coaching with Jack and he came back from Florida (he coached in Naples, Fla., for two seasons) and he thought he could have the same type of pregame speech to a team we had that was just outmatched that year,” Vander Klay said. “He told them how bad our opponent wanted to beat us and how hard they had prepared and how they were so ready for us. The problem was our kids, who were not that experienced and (were) young that year, believed him and we got drilled.
“We said ‘Maybe you can’t use that same speech for a bit coach’ and he smiled and said ‘I get it.’ Two years later he led Park to another championship.”
And that style of 1980s’ coaching attire?
“He did have those white shoes that he wore, the turf shoes,” LaMar said. “As I look back, and see he and all our coaches in their tight shorts, back in the day, but I guess that was just maybe the style.”
WKTV’s Feature Game crew will be at Wyoming high this week as the Wolves host Grand Rapids Union and also a special celebration for the school’s new stadium being named in honor of Jack VerDuin. The celebration — which will also be 1971-72 Team Reunion Night, Community Night and Senior Night — includes free admission. There will be a Wyoming High School open House at 6 p.m., then the Jack VerDuin Stadium Dedication at 6:45 p.m., followed by game kickoff at 7 p.m.
Cory Mcliechey, a descendent of Sojourner Truth, keeps his family’s legacy thriving with his recently released children’s book, “Keeping the Truth Alive.” (Supplied)
Cory P. Mcliechey, a 5th generation grandson to iconic historical figure Sojourner Truth, keeps his family’s legacy thriving with his recently released children’s book, “Keeping the Truth Alive.”
In Mcliechey’s debut tale, he strives to educate today’s youth about a historical woman and the trials she endured.
The cover of Cory Mcliechey’s recently released children’s book about Sojourner, “Keeping the Truth Alive.” (Supplied)
“Keeping the Truth Alive” contains colorful illustrations that Mcliechey himself designed and created, captivating readers as they learn about a heroine who stood against her oppressors and fought against inequality and racism, providing greatness to America despite the obstacles Sojourner Truth experienced.
Having recently lost his parents, Mcliechey told WKTV that he felt driven to finish the book as a way to keep his familial legacy alive.
“I dedicated it to the memory of my parents whom me and my siblings had to bury earlier this year,” Mcliechey, a Grand Rapids resident, said to WKTV “That was my motivation in getting the book done.”
Book an extension of community work
Following in the footsteps of his ancestors, Mcliechey has been a community advocate and activist for many years, “fighting for equality and justice,” he said.
Cory Mcliechey’s Top Notch Kids community program aims to change the narrative of the gun by providing real life opportunities to rejuvenate communities using the “GUNS” of home improvement — caulk guns, staple, guns, nail guns, and paint guns. (Supplied)
One of the goals he hopes to accomplish through his activism is helping people realize that, “Throughout all of the ‘isms,’ such as racism, the different hues and colors of people are a reflection of God’s majesty. Don’t get it mixed up with how we view it as humans.”
Mcliechey paused, then repeated, “Different hues, but human.”
Mcliechey has put action to his words, founding a non-profit organization, Descendants of the Truth, whose sole agenda is to educate youth on their history while teaching them life skills.
Top Notch Kids is one program among many under the umbrella of Descendants of the Truth. Designed to encourage and inspire youth to help revitalize their neighborhoods, this movement provides a fun and safe alternative to the culture of violence so prevalent in today’s world, he said.
(Supplied)
Top Notch Kids aims to change the narrative of the gun by providing real life opportunities to rejuvenate communities using the “GUNS” of home improvement, such as caulk guns, staple, guns, nail guns, and paint guns. This not only helps them take part in their community, it allows children to attain a valuable skill to help with career readiness.
The motto of Top Notch Kids emphasizes the objective: “We don’t kill with guns, we build with guns.”
Book part of series, documentary in work
When asked about his plans for the future, Mcliechey said that he intends to continue Sojourner Truth’s story as a series.
“I want to continue with Sojourner Truth’s story because there is so much to know about her. This (“Keeping the Truth Alive”) is just a small glimpse of what she’s done for society and America,” Mcliechey said.
The author is also preparing to create a Top Notch Kids children’s book that focuses more on current issues versus history. The main objective of the new work is stressing safety, improvement of self and community, and to guide children toward helping their community.
Cory Mcliechey’s artwork has gained admirers such as American feminist journalist and social-political activist Gloria Steinem. (Supplied)
A more immediate work-in-progress is a documentary on Sojourner Truth’s journey from enslavement to activism and advocacy.
Mcliechey has been working closely with Lateef Calloway, founder of the Phoeion Group LLC (dba Calliwood Productions LLC), and American feminist journalist and social-political activist Gloria Steinem, to showcase how Sojourner Truth’s teachings impacted Truth’s descendants’ individual lives and their views on civil rights, human rights, and women’s rights.
In fact, it was while working with Calloway that Mcliechey’s artistic side reignited.
“I’ve always been an artist,” Mcliechey said, “but it had become dormant. Lateef reignited my passion for art.”
Mcliechey attributes his ability to create the illustrations for “Keeping the Truth Alive” to Calloway and his mentorship.
Calloway also encouraged Mcliechey to design a painting for Steinem. As a way to draw attention to issues of women today and continue Gloria’s legacy, Mcliechey produced a painting of an African Goddess, featuring 24-Karat gold leaf imported from Thailand, which is now hanging in Steinem’s brownstone.
To order a copy of “Keeping the Truth Alive” by Cory P. Mcliechey, visit here.
To learn about the separate Sojourner Truth Memorial currently underway to honor the American icon, visit here.
With only two more weeks of the regular season remaining in the 2021 high school football season, results of Week 7 involving local teams found Grand Rapids South Christian High School (5-2 overall) all but assured a state playoff berth at the end of the month, and Wyoming Godwin Heights (3-3) kept their playoff hopes alive by defeating Kelloggsville.
The Sailors’ scored a 37-13 home win (at East Kentwood) over Ada Forest Hills Eastern. The Wolverines scored a 53-13 win in its annual rivalry game against the Rockets on a rainy night that was WKTV’s Featured Game of the week, with Wyoming and Kentwood cable television and on-demand replays available.
And talking about featured games, WKTV will be at Wyoming high this week as the Wolves host Grand Rapids Union and also a special celebration for the school’s new stadium being named in honor of Jack VerDuin, who rolled up a 243-118-6 record with the Wyoming Park Vikings before the school merged with Wyoming Rogers to become Wyoming high in 2012.
Then, in the final week of the regular season, on Friday, Oct. 22, WKTV will be at East Kentwood for South Christian’s season ending OK Conference Gold clash with current conference co-leader Cedar Springs.
Past WKTV Featured Games from this season available on-demand include the Aug. 26 Forest HIlls Northern at Wyoming High game, the Sept. 1 NorthPointe at Lee 8-man game, the Sept. 10 Middleville T-K at South Christian game (played at East Kentwood), and East Kentwood’s home win over West Otttawa on Sept. 24, South Christian’s win over Kenowa Hills on Oct. 1, and the annual Godwin vs. Kelloggsville rivalry game on Oct. 8.
WKTV featured games will on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel, rebroadcast on the night of the game and various days and times the week after. See the programming schedule at wktv.org. For more information on WKTV coverage of football and other fall prep sports, follow us at wktvjournal.org/sports.
All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.com.
Team-by-team update
East Kentwood
The East Kentwood Falcons (1-6, 1-4 in OK Conference Red) lost 6-44 on the road at Grandville (4-3, 3-2) on Oct. 8. Remaining on the Falcon’s schedule are a home game against Grand Haven (3-4, 2-3) on Oct. 15, then closing out the regular season at Jension (currently 2-5, 1-4) on Oct. 22.
After last week’s action, Rockford (7-0) sits alone in OK Red standings at 5-0 after defeating Caledonia (6-1, 4-1) with Hudsonville (4-3) also at 4-1 in conference.
Wyoming high
The Wyoming Wolves (0-7, 0-5 in OK Conference Green) were on the road again last week and lost 34-65 at Zeeland East (5-2, 4-1) on Oct. 8. This week’s game, on Oct. 15, is a home game against Grand Rapids Union (3-4, 1-4), and then the Wolves close out the season on the road at Mona Shores (currently 5-2, 4-1) on Oct. 22.
After last week’s action, Muskegon (6-1) is 5-0 and alone atop the OK Green after defeating Muskegon Mona Shores.
Grand Rapids South Christian
The South Christian Sailors (5-2, 4-1 in OK Conference Gold) will be the road for Week 8 with an OK Gold game against Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills (2-5, 1-4) on Oct. 15.
After last week’s action, Grand Rapids Central Catholic (7-0) and Cedar Springs (6-1) are both 5-0 in OK Gold action, with the Sailors one game behind. South Christian played and lost to Catholic Central on Sept. 17, but still have a home game against Cedar Springs to be played to close the regular season Oct. 22.
Godwin Heights
The Godwin Heights Wolverines (3-3, 1-2 in OK Conference Silver action), after last week’s win over Kelloggsville (2-5, 1-3), could still make the playoffs by winning out in their road game at Belding (5-2, 2-2) on Oct. 15, and then winning at home to close out the season against Grandville Calvin Christian (currently 1-6, 0-4) on Oct. 22.
After last week’s action, OK Silver standings have Comstock Park (7-0) undefeated in OK Silver action at 5-0, with Sparta (5-2) at 3-1 in conference.
Kelloggsville
The Kelloggsville Rockets (2-5, 1-3 in OK Conference Silver action) saw their 2-game winning streak come to an end on a rainy night at Godwin Heights last week, and now have two tough games to end the season: at OK Silver leader Comstock Park (7-0, 5-0) on Oct. 15, and then at home to face Sparta (5-2, 3-1) on Oct. 22.
Lee (8-man football)
The Lee Legends are playing a non-conference 8-man schedule which includes both 8-man varsity and junior varsity games.
Voters in the Kelloggsville Public Schools district will be asked to approve an $11.3 million bond proposal on the Nov. 2 ballot which will allow the district to build a S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) building at the high school as well as other building projects.
Kelloggsville students would gain technology space and equipment. (Supplied)
“Our goal is to give our students an exceptional facility that will provide opportunities for S.T.E.M., robotics, and business classes,” according to a statement on the district website. The additions “would expand opportunities for our students to explore technology through an updated media center, S.T.E.M. building, and (to) participate in our robotics program.”
The last day to register to vote by mail for the November ballot is Oct. 18. See here for a map of the school district, which has voters in both Kentwood and Wyoming.
Passage of the bond measure would not increase residential take above the current tax rate, also according to district supplied material, “it would simply continue with the existing debt levy.”
The funds from the bond measure will allow for the construction and addition of a S.T.E.M. building at the high school complex, a new media center at Southeast elementary, continue efforts to “provide and update safe and secure entrances” throughout the district, and well as technology upgrades to “enhance instruction.”
In addition to Kelloggsville High School, the district includes Kelloggsville Middle School, Southeast Kelloggsville Elementary, Central Kelloggsville Elementary, West Kelloggsville Elementary, Kelloggsville Virtual School and the Kelloggsville Early Childhood Learning Center.
As the Wolverines prepare for the annual Kelloggsville rivalry game, 1st-year Godwin Heights football head coach Sydeon Harvey talks with WKTV about his young team’ s progress this year — what has worked (his senior captains) and what do they need to get better at (penalties, penalties, penalties). (WKTV)
Godwin Heights High School’s 1st-year head football coach Sydeon Harvey is pretty sure his senior-led but still young team will continue to improve this week when the Wolverines host Kelloggsville. He is absolutely sure his team will be pumped-up for the cross-town rival Rockets.
While records don’t really matter in a game like this one — Godwin Heights is 2-3, 0-3 in OK Conference Silver action while Kelloggsville Rockets is 2-4 and 1-2 — bragging rights do, now and in the future.
Godwin Heights High School head football coach Sydeon Harvey. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“The records mean nothing. That’s really true,” Harvey said to WKTV this week at a team practice. “This is my first here here but I’m not an idiot. When you have a rivalry, that’s what it is all about. That’s the one game that, when you look back 20 years, you’ll say ‘We won that game!’ A lot of these kids are just like a stone’s throw away” from Kelloggsville.
“This will be a big game this week. I expect both teams to play really hard, but I’m confident we’ll do well. … We are on the cusp. I feel really confident about this week against Kelloggsville. They are not going to lay down for us, but it’s homecoming, it’s a rivalry. I think our guys are going to be up for that.”
The “big game” between Kelloggsville at Godwin Heights — which is also the Wolverines’ Homecoming game — is this week’s WKTV Feature Game, on Friday, Oct. 8, with cable television and on-demand replays available.
Godwin Heights, after a week off from action, returned to the field and OK Conference Silver acton last week but lost a tight road game at Sparta (4-2, 2-1 in conference). Kelloggsville has seen their offense in high gear for three straight weeks, the last two being wins, as they followed up a win at Calvin Christian in conference action with a non-conference road win at Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard.
After last week’s action, OK Silver standings have Comstock Park (6-0) as the only undefeated in OK Silver action at 4-0, with Hopkins (3-3) at 3-1 and Sparta (4-2) at 2-1 in conference. While a conference crown is not likely for either Godwin or Kelloggsville, either could finish with five wins and a possible playoff birth.
Young, improving team is senior led
“The thing we are doing really well is that the kids are getting better every week,” Harvey said, looking at his team’s up and down season so far. “We are getting better doing some of the little things — better with our discipline, penalties are going down. But we are not penalty free yet.
The Godwin Heights High School football team will be out to protect their house against Kelloggsville. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“You talk about stuff we can be better at, we have to be better at those little things. We can’t have penalties at critical times. But that is part of being a young team. We got 31, 32 guys on varsity and 10 of them are seniors. We are pretty much a young team. But I have been really pleased that we are getting better at all the little things, running the ball, throwing the ball, getting everybody involved.”
Another thing coach is pleased with is his senior captains.
“All our captains are playing really, really well,” he said. “Kaleil (Harris) is a two-way player, he plays rover (on defense) and plays wide out (on offense) — he’s made a lot of real good plays for us. Jeremiah (Drake), our starting quarterback — he was missing for three games and that hurt us a little bit, it was just a change. He’s a great leader, and been doing really well for us.
“Javeon (Lyons), who is our defensive captain, has played really well for us. And then there is Jabari Crump(-Moore), he’s great leader for us and been playing extremely well for us. We have four captains and they have played great as captains, they’ve been great leaders and they’ve been great on the field.”
The Godwin Heights High School football team at practice this week preparing for a game against Kelloggsville. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
Where and when to see WKTV game replays
WKTV featured games will be on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel, rebroadcast on the night of the game and various days and times the week after. See the programming schedule at wktv.org. For more information on WKTV coverage of football and other fall prep sports, follow us at wktvjournal.org/sports.
All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.com.
Kelloggsville head football coach Brandon Branch talked to WKTV this week about his team’s impressive offensive production and what the keys have been … hint, hint … getting his two best athletes the ball. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
Two things are just about locks when it comes to this week’s OK Conference Silver football contest when Kelloggsville High School visits Godwin Heights in their annual cross-town clash.
The first is the two team’s records don’t really matter in rivalries like this one, and the second is the Rockets’ dynamic duo of senior Jabari Campbell and junior Camron Townsend will get their touches.
Both teams come into the contest with up and down seasons: The Rockets are 2-4 overall and 1-2 in conference, the Wolverines are 2-3 and 0-3. But Kelloggsville has won two in a row after last week’s 34-24 non-conference road win at Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard, while Godwin has played tough teams really tough, including last week’s 29-14 loss at Sparta, in a game what was tight until the fourth quarter.
Both could also still could get to five wins and have a shot at the playoffs.
The Kelloggsville High School football team in practice this week as the Rockets prepare for Godwin Heights. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
So, of course, the Friday, Oct. 8, contest — which will also be Godwin’s Homecoming Game — will be this week’s WKTV Feature Game. With local cable television and later on-demand replays available.
“Records don’t matter,” Kelloggsville head football coach Brandon Branch said to WKTV at a practice this week. “It’s like playing your brother in pick-up basketball. You always want to win, regardless of the score, regardless of the age difference, regardless of everything that has happened before. This game is the most important one. It’s doesn’t matter what the records are coming into this one.”
For Branch, who has brought stability and now emerging success to the Rockets program in, this, his second season leading the program, the key factor this week as it has been all season — keeping his high-scoring offense in high gear to keep them in games.
Led by Campbell and Townsend, who each have 500+ yards and at least 8 touchdowns receiving, and junior quarterback Zachary Zerfas, who has thrown for 1,500+ yards, Kelloggsville’s offense has scored 26+ points in five of six games.
“Jabari and Cam are our best athletes, by far,” Branch said. “Those are the guys we are trying to get the ball to. We try to find as many unique ways to get the ball to them as we can. Zach does a great job finding them, but he’s not just staring those guys down. He’s spreading the ball round pretty good. … but I’d be lying if I said we were not trying to get Jabari and Cam the ball.”
And sometimes Townsend just takes the ball himself — he has three touchdowns on interceptions while playing defense this season.
A combined effort of players, coaches
There is a lot more happening on the Rockets offense than simply pitch-and-catch between the three leaders, however.
The scoring success is “really just taking advantages of the strengths that we have. We use our strengths to expose the other team’s weaknesses as well,” Branch said. “I’m the offensive coordinator, but really it is coaching by committee,” pointing out assistants James Gentile, quarterback coach, and Justice Wright, receivers coach. “They get those players in the right place to make plays.”
Assistant coach Will Gooch, center, works a drill with the Kelloggsville High School football team in practice this week as the Rockets prepare for Godwin Heights. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
And the offensive line coaches, including Rob Fron and Will Gooch, are seeing their work paying off as the season has progressed — “Our offensive line has really grown in the last couple weeks.”
Branch pointed out junior tailback Brendon Tuinstra and junior center William Howard II as also being key to the offense.
And other players are playing well but don’t have the stats to show it, Branch said, including sophomore Jeremie Tsoumou and junior DeMarreon Rodriguez.
“Those guys play positions on offense that because they are running their routes tough, the safeties have to make a decision. So if the safeties have to make a decision that makes it an easier decision for Zach,” Branch said. “Because those guys, the nine other guys besides Jabari and Cam, are working their butts off each week, those two have the opportunity to do what they do.”
The Kelloggsville High School football team in practice this week as the Rockets prepare for Godwin Heights. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
The Kelloggsville High School football team in practice this week as the Rockets prepare for Godwin Heights. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
The Kelloggsville High School football team in practice this week as the Rockets prepare for Godwin Heights. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
Team is young but not too young
As the Rockets have started to see success, so has the entire program started to see success.
The current varsity has nine seniors, 13 juniors suited up, a sign that the program is growing but young players are not being rushed to play varsity too soon.
“I definitely think we are headed in the right direction,” Branch said. “ Our numbers are growing. We have the biggest JV team we’ve had in a long time this year. 26-27 kids coming out every week. And our kids are doing the job in the classroom, making sure they are staying eligible and able to play.
“Having those nine senior and 13 juniors just make it easier (for the coaches) because we can just pick the one or two sophomores that are ready. … We are able to let those (other underclassman) continue maturing.”
Can’t be there live? Catch it on WKTV
WKTV featured games will on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel, rebroadcast on the night of the game and various days and times the week after. See the programming schedule at wktv.org. For more information on WKTV coverage of football and other fall prep sports, follow us at wktvjournal.org/sports.
All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.com.
As the 2021 high school football season winds down, results of Week 6 had Grand Rapids South Christian High School (4-2 overall) still in-line for a state playoff berth at the end of the month — and the Sailors’ 49-12 win over Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills was WKTV’s Featured Game of the week with Wyoming and Kentwood cable television and on-demand replays available.
But the does not mean there are not games of importance coming up for local teams down the stretch.
First, Kelloggsville has won two in a row after last week’s 34-24 non-conference road win at Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard, and records won’t really matter as Kelloggsville and Godwin Heights play their traditional crosstown rivalry this week — and WKTV will be there. (And both still could get to five wins and have a shot at the playoffs.)
Then, Wyoming high will be at home next week as the school hosts Grand Rapids Union and also a special celebration for the school’s new stadium being named in honor of Jack VerDuin, who rolled up a 243-118-6 record with the Wyoming Park Vikings before the school merged with Wyoming Rogers to become Wyoming high in 2012.
This week’s WKTV Feature Game will be the Friday, Oct. 8, Kelloggsville at Godwin Heights clash, and on Friday, Oct. 15, WKTV will be at Wyoming high for the game and the ceremony.
The final week of the regular season, on Friday, Oct. 22, WKTV will select a game of most importance to local fans and local team in pursuit of the playoffs the week after.
Past WKTV Featured Games from this season available on-demand include the Aug. 26 Forest HIlls Northern at Wyoming High game, the Sept. 1 NorthPointe at Lee 8-man game, the Sept. 10 Middleville T-K at South Christian game (played at East Kentwood), and East Kentwood’s home win over West Otttawa on Sept. 24 — and now last week’s South Christian win over Kenowa Hills.
WKTV featured games will on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel, rebroadcast on the night of the game and various days and times the week after. See the programming schedule at wktv.org. For more information on WKTV coverage of football and other fall prep sports, follow us at wktvjournal.org/sports.
All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.com.
Team-by-team update
East Kentwood
The East Kentwood Falcons —1-5, 1-3 in OK Conference Red action after last week’s 6-42 road loss at Hudsonville (3-3, 3-1) — will again be on the road this week, playing at Grandville (3-3, 2-2).
After last week’s action, Caledonia (6-0 overall) and Rockford (6-0) are both 4-0 in OK Red standings.
Remaining on the Falcon’s schedule after Grandville on Oct. 8, East Kentwood will be at home hosting Grand Haven (currently 3-3, 2-2) on Oct. 15, then closing out the regular season at Jension (currently 0-4, 1-5) on Oct. 22.
Wyoming high
The Wyoming Wolves (0-6) last week traveled to OK Conference Green foe Zeeland West (3-2, 2-2 in conference) and lost 6-72. Wyoming will be on the road again this week at Zeeland East (4-2, 3-1) on Oct. 8.
After last week’s action, Muskegon (5-1) and Muskegon Mona Shores (5-1) are each 4-0 in OK Green action. The Wolves are 0-4 in conference.
After this week’s game, The Wolves will be at home for the final time this season facing Grand Rapids Union (currently 3-3, 1-3) on Oct. 15, and then close out the season at Mona Shores on Oct. 22.
Grand Rapids South Christian
The South Christian Sailors (4-2, 3-1 in OK Conference Gold) will be at home (at East Kentwood) in Week 7 hosting Ada Forest Hills Eastern (3-2, 2-2) in OK Gold action.
After last week’s action, Grand Rapids Central Catholic (6-0) and Cedar Springs (5-1) are both 4-0 in OK Gold action, with the Sailors one game behind. South Christian played and lost to Catholic Central on Sept. 17, but still have a home game against Cedar Springs to be played to close the regular season Oct. 22.
After this week’s game against Ada Forest Hills Eastern on Oct. 8, the Sailors travel to Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills (2-3, 1-2) on Oct. 15, then finish the regular season against Cedar Springs.
Godwin Heights
The Godwin Heights Wolverines (2-3), after a week off from action, returned to the field and OK Conference Silver acton last week but lost a road game at Sparta (4-2, 2-1 in conference), 14-29, on Oct. 1.
After last week’s action, OK Silver standings have Comstock Park (6-0) as the only undefeated in OK Silver action at 4-0, with Hopkins (3-3) at 3-1 in conference. Godwin is 0-3 in conference.
The week, the Wolverines will host cross-town and conference rival Kelloggsville, then travel to Belding (currently 4-2, 2-2 in conference) on Oct.15, before finishing the season at home against Grandville Calvin Christian (1-5, 0-3) on Oct. 22.
Kelloggsville
The Kelloggsville Rockets (2-4) have now seen their offense in high gear for three straight weeks, the last two being wins, as they followed up a 70-22 road win at Calvin Christian in OK Conference Silver action with the road win at Father Gabriel Richard.
After last week’s action, OK Silver standings have Comstock Park (6-0) as the only undefeated in OK Silver action at 4-0, with Hopkins (3-3) at 3-1 in conference. Kelloggsville is 1-2 in conference.
Kelloggsville after this week’s game at Godwin Heights (2-3, 0-3), will be at Comstock Park on Oct. 15, and then at home to face Sparta (3-2, 1-1) on Oct. 22.
Lee (8-man football)
The Lee Legends are playing a non-conference 8-man schedule which includes both 8-man varsity and junior varsity games.
“The secret is simple: The longer you live, the longer you live!”
What happens if you live longer than you expect? How do you make sure your funds last as long as you do?
Do you invest in stocks? Bonds? Keep your money in the bank? Increased life expectancy is extending the time needed for our retirement funding, making sure our money lasts as long as we do has become the new “mantra” of the Baby Boomers.
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The question often asked is “What happens to the money in an annuity if a person dies early? Does the annuity company keep the money?”
The answer is no; it is an old wives’ tale that insurance companies profit from an early death. The unused portion of the annuity is merely refunded to the named beneficiary. Funds are always accounted for, and it is the law.
Consider letting an insurance company be responsible for your important long-term safe and secure retirement income. Safety and security is their first and foremost goal.
One last tip: shop around for the best rates; rates can often be based on age, and numerous options exist.
Dave Stanley is the host of Safe Money Radio WOOD1300 AM, 106.9 FM and a Financial Advisor and Writer at Integrity Financial Service, LLC, Grandville, MI 49418, Telephone 616-719-1979 or Register for Dave’s FREE Newsletter at 888-998-3463 or click this link: Dave Stanley Newsletter – Annuity.com Dave is a member of Syndicated Columnists, a national organization committed to a fully transparent approach to money management.
Jess Hart, the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park’s director of education, discusses planned and possible educational programing available in the new Peter M. Wege Library and the unique public area outside its doors. (WKTV)
There is a work of art on the grounds of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Bill Woodrow’s “Listening to History”, that speaks to many people about the importance of knowledge as much as it does the imagination of the artist. And the importance of knowledge is not lost on the visionaries at “The Gardens” as well.
As Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park laid out its ambitious expansion plans in 2017 much of the talk was about the new education center and the rooftop garden, the upgraded outdoor amphitheater and the crown jewel of the new “Welcome Center” entrance. All rightly so.
Bill Woodrow’s “Listening to History”, on display at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. (Supplied)
Tucked away in the design plans for the entrance, which opened early this year with a few pieces yet to be place — most notably the placement of Spanish artist Jaume Plensa’s Utopia — was the relocated and expanded Peter M. Wege Library.
But then again, education in general and art history resources in specific was important to Fred Meijer and continues to be important to the mission of the sculpture park named for him.
Located on the lower “Courtyard” level of the Welcome Center, along with “Mimi’s Garden”, a unique garden area seemingly located inside a glass terrarium, the library is intended to not only be a “go to” educational resource center but also a focal point for the Meijer Garden’s community and educational programming.
A scene from Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park’s relocated and expanded Peter M. Wege Library. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
While the old library was nice — tucked into a corner just as you entered the old entrance building — both Jess Hart, director of education, and Shelly Kilroy, librarian and archivist, could barely contain their joy at the new space when WKTV visited recently.
“The thing I really enjoy most about it is that it is a space not only for information and learning but for curiosity,” Hart said to WKTV. “We have a really professional staff here at Meijer Gardens and wonderful volunteers, and guests are constantly asking those volunteers and staff questions about our collections and our gardens.
“But occasionally there is a question that a staff member or volunteer cannot answer. And in those instances we often encourage guests to come down to the library to find that information. It is wonderful to have that resource.”
And what a resource it is.
“We are used by the general public, researchers — particularly researchers of a particular artist — or someone who just wants to come in and browse,” Kilroy said to WKTV. “Also for our staff, for inspiration and research for their programs, especially the education staff and our sculpture staff. And, of course, volunteers as well, to learn more about all the Gardens has to offer.”
Library a key element in the expansion
Built using funds from the $115 million Welcoming the World: Honoring a Legacy of Love capital campaign, the 69,000 square-foot Welcome Center of which the library is only a small but important part, was designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects/Partners.
And the importance of the library and adjacent space to the overall mission of Meijer Gardens was not lost on the internationally known building designers — nor was it to David Hooker, president of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.
“Fred Meijer grew to truly enjoy contemporary art through education and the understanding of the principles behind much of the artwork he gave to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park,” Hooker said to WKTV. “The Peter M. Wege Library is a fantastic resource for information about our artwork and gardens. Making use of the Wege Library promotes understanding and appreciation.”
And how extensive is that resource?
Shelly Kilroy, librarian and archivist at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, in the Peter M. Wege Library. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
The collection is approximately 4,500 books and magazines, Kilroy said. And they cover the spectrum of all of what makes Meijer Gardens famous in several ways.
“Some art history, primarily sculptures and sculptors, and then we also have a small poetry collection, actually. … But also plant and insect and bird identification books, and then plant care in general,” Kilroy said. “Also general (garden) design, if you want to design a Japanese garden or an English perennial garden, we have the books here.”
There are also books on using plants in cooking and crafts, she said, as well as a children’s collection — “so the kiddos can learn more.”
The focus, though, is the art and the artists, and the horticulture, represented at the gardens.
“Any of the artists, the sculptures we have here, there are resources in our collection about that artist and about the art we have here. If you want to learn more about sculpture, broadly, or about a specific sculpture we have here, you can come in and we are more than happy to help.”
An community area at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park’s relocated and expanded Peter M. Wege Library. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
A scene from Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park’s relocated and expanded Peter M. Wege Library. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
A scene from Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park’s relocated and expanded Peter M. Wege Library. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
A scene from Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park’s relocated and expanded Peter M. Wege Library. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
A scene from Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park’s relocated and expanded Peter M. Wege Library. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
A scene from Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park’s relocated and expanded Peter M. Wege Library. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
Present and (hopefully) future educational plans
Hart, the director of education, leads a department which oversees Meijer Gardens’ archives as well as library space. And she considers the library’s learning space to be both inside the Wege library and the community area adjacent.
Jess Hart, director of education at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, outside the Peter M. Wege Library. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“With that new space, we are able to support new programs as well,” she said. “We are really looking forward, in the future, to hosting our quarterly book groups here. Also some Sunday drop-in programs, and potentially our very popular Cozy Tales for Chilly Days for preschoolers and families. Which we can now hold in the library and in this beautiful seating area outside or the library as well.”
And while the current pandemic has led to some pauses in programming and restrictions on programming planned, Hard is hopeful.
“We are hoping to hold all our regular programing upcoming, but I think that remains to be seen with what happens with COVID this winter and any restrictions that may go into place,” she said. “A lot of our programs that are library centered are fairly small, so we do hope to be able to hold some of our story-time groups and some of our drop-in programming.”
LANSING — Children’s health advocates are pushing to install drinking water filters in Michigan schools and child care centers to protect them from lead poisoning.
The project, named Filter First, would provide schools with filtration stations that reduce lead in drinking water instead of requiring the costlier periodical testing of water for lead.
The move could cost about $55 million in the first year, said Charlotte Jameson, a water policy program director for the Michigan Environmental Council.
That’s still cheaper than the “test and tell” method that includes testing of all drinking water fixtures and then replacing those that test positive for lead above a set action level, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council and Safe Water Engineering.
Estimating the cost of two approaches to protecting children from water contaminated by lead. Chart by Natural Resources Defense Council and Safe Water Engineering.
The testing strategy costs about $81 million a year and doesn’t guarantee clean water because lead releases from time to time, Jameson said.
“One school did the testing regime just on their own.” she said. “They got a sample from the water fountain that didn’t contain any lead. Then they went back a month later and tested that same water fountain and it had a very high lead release.”
Other states following the testing approach spend a lot of money going out to test the water in schools, Jameson said.
“We have seen other states doing tests and we learned from them,” she said.
Test and tell is used in 24 states, according to Governing, a publication that reports on and analyzes state policy.
It is expensive and doesn’t guarantee clean water, Jameson said. Filtration is cheaper and provides water free from lead.
The “test and tell” method requires constant testing and money for sampling, analyzing and replacement fixtures with high levels of lead.
Test and tell is a technique that would cost $497 million for Michigan in the first 10 years. That’s much more than the $166 million for filtration strategy even though it requires ongoing costs that include replacing the unit’s filters and sampling water to verify performance, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council and Safe Water Engineering.
“Schools and day cares are meant to be places for children to thrive,” said Becca Maher, the director of strategic campaigns at the Michigan Environmental Council. “But when lead, a harmful neurotoxin, gets into the drinking water of these institutions leached from plumbing, fixtures, and fittings, it presents a grave risk to the development of young bodies and minds.”
It’s unclear how many schools have a lead problem, Maher said. “But given the age of our school building stock and the fact that even fixtures labeled “lead free” still have lead in them, we expect all Michigan schools are at risk of lead leaching into drinking water.”
And the threat is significant, experts say.
“There is no acceptable level of lead for children,” said Larissa Miller, the associate executive director of Nursing and Government Affairs for the Michigan Nurses Association. “Any level of lead exposure is unsafe. Any exposure to lead can cause hearing loss, slow development of teeth and bones.
“Also, it can cause anemia and that’s a lack of adequate hemoglobin,” she said. “That means that kids may not have the oxygen they need to physically run or play or participate in childhood activities. With lead exposure the impacts are permanent and they are lifelong and can’t be reversed.”
The Senate Appropriations Committee is considering appropriating $85 million next year for grants to install filters. A package of bills was introduced in the Senate to regulate drinking water standards and filter use in schools and day cares.
If bills pass the legislative process next year, schools will have filtration stations installed by the 2025 school year, Jameson said.
Last week, in Week 5 of the 2021 high school football season, East Kentwood High School broke into the win column in a big way with a 37-20 home win over Holland West Ottawa. And WKTV’s Feature Game coverage team was there, with Wyoming and Kentwood cable television and on-demand replays available.
In other local action, South Christian stayed in the OK Gold title hunt with a 62-20 conference win at Wayland, and Kelloggsville also broke in the win column with a 70-22 win at Granville Calvin Christian.
The Week 6 schedule of local teams will find WKTV at East Kentwood this week for a WKTV Featured Game, but this time for a “home” game for South Christian as they host Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills on Oct. 1.
Jack VerDuin. (Supplied)
Upcoming games on the WKTV Featured Game schedule include the Friday, Oct. 8, Kelloggsville at Godwin Heights traditional cross-town rivalry game; and the Friday, Oct. 15, Union at Wyoming high game — which is scheduled to be a special celebration as the high school’s new stadium is named in honor of Jack VerDuin, who rolled up a 243-118-6 record with the Wyoming Park Vikings before the school merged with Wyoming Rogers to become Wyoming high in 2012.
The final week of the regular season, on Friday, Oct. 22, WKTV will select a game of more importance to local fans.
Other WKTV Featured Games available on-demand include the Aug. 26 Forest HIlls Northern at Wyoming High game, the Sept. 1 NorthPointe at Lee 8-man game, and the Sept. 10 Middleville T-K at South Christian game (played at East Kentwood).
WKTV featured games will on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel, rebroadcast on the night of the game and various days and times the week after. See the programming schedule at wktv.org. For more information on WKTV coverage of football and other fall prep sports, follow us at wktvjournal.org/sports.
All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.com.
Team-by-team update
East Kentwood
The East Kentwood Falcons —1-4, 1-2 in OK Conference Red action after the win over West Ottawa (0-5, 0-3) — will be on the road this week, playing at Hudsonville (2-3, 2-1).
After last week’s action, Caledonia (5-0 overall) and Rockford (5-0) are both 3-0 in OK Red standings, with Hudsonville and Grand Haven (3-2) at 2-1.
Remaining on the Eagle’s schedule after Hudsonville is Grandville (2-3, 1-2) away on Oct. 8, at home hosting Grand Haven on Oct. 15, then closing out the regular season at Jension (0-3, 1-4) on Oct. 22.
Wyoming high
The Wyoming Wolves (0-5) last week hosted OK Conference Green co-leader, and always tough, Muskegon (4-1) and lost 0-62.
After last week’s action, Muskegon (4-1) and Muskegon Mona Shores (4-1) are each 3-0 in OK Green action. The Wolves are 0-3 in conference, with a road game this week at Zeeland West (2-2, 1-2) on Oct. 1.
After this week’s game, Wyoming will be on the road at Zeeland East (3-2, 2-1) on Oct. 8, at home for the final time this season facing Grand Rapids Union (3-2, 1-2) on Oct. 15, and then close out the season at Mona Shores on Oct. 22.
Grand Rapids South Christian
The South Christian Sailors (3-2, 2-1 in OK Conference Gold) will be at home (at East Kentwood) in Week 6 hosting Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills (2-3, 1-2) in OK Gold action.
After last week’s action, Grand Rapids Central Catholic (5-0) and Cedar Springs (4-1) are both 3-0 in OK Gold action, with the Sailors one game behind. South Christian played and lost to Catholic Central on Sept. 17, but still have a home game against Cedar Springs to be played.
After this week’s game against Kenowa Hills, South Christian will host Ada Forest Hills Eastern (2-3, 1-2) on Oct. 8, travel to Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills (2-3, 1-2) on Oct. 15, then finish the regular season against Cedar Springs on Oct. 22.
Godwin Heights
The Godwin Heights Wolverines (2-2) had a week off from action last week but will return to the field and OK Conference Silver acton this week with a road game at Sparta (3-2) on Oct. 1.
After last week’s action, Comstock Park (5-0) is the only undefeated in OK Silver action at 3-0, while Belding (4-1) and Hopkins (2-3) are each 2-1 in conference. Godwin remained at 0-2 in conference while Sparta is 1-1.
After this week’s game at Sparta, the Wolverines will host cross-town and conference rival Kelloggsville (1-4, 1-2) on Oct. 8, then travel to Belding on Oct.15, before finishing the season at home against Grandville Calvin Christian (1-4, 0-2) on Oct. 22.
Kelloggsville
The Kelloggsville Rockets (1-4) saw their offense in high gear two weeks in a row last week as they followed up a 38-point effort Sept. 17 in a 38-42 loss to Hopkins with the 70-22 road win at Calvin Christian in OK Conference Silver action.
After last week’s action, Comstock Park (5-0) is the only undefeated in OK Silver action at 3-0, while Belding (4-1) and Hopkins (2-3) are all 2-1 in conference. Kelloggsville is 1-2 in conference.
Kelloggsville will be at Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard (2-3, 2-0 in Catholic High School League Intersectional #1) in a non-conference game this week, Oct. 1, before finishing the season with conference games at Godwin Heights (2-2, 0-2) on Oct. 8, at Comstock Park on Oct. 15, and then at home to face Sparta (3-2, 1-1) on Oct. 22.
Lee (8-man football)
The Lee Legends are playing a non-conference 8-man schedule which includes both 8-man varsity and junior varsity games.
East Kentwood High School head coach Anthony Kimbrough, shown at practice with his Falcons team, talks about the good and bad of a tough early-season schedule. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
The 2021 high school football season did not start the way East Kentwood High School head coach Anthony Kimbrough and his Falcons team expected — going 0-4 as the team prepared this week to host Holland West Ottawa in a OK Conference Red game.
The Falcons did have a brutal early season schedule, by choice and by chance, with a home loss to state power Muskegon followed by road losses at another state power in Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice and then at Rockford (4-0), before falling to Caledonia (4-0) on Sept. 17, the last two in OK Conference Red action.
Rockford is No. 1 in Division 1 the first AP state football rankings. Caledonia is #3 in Division 2, Brother Rice No. 1 in Division 3, and Muskegon (3-1) is— everyone knows — always ranked by year’s end.
“We are just trying to improve every day: basic fundamentals, little things,” Coach Kimbrough said to WKTV this week. “We went into the season knowing our first three opponents were big-time programs … but we are tying to stay positive … just getting the kids to believe in themselves. We are working hard and hopefully it will pay off this Friday.”
And about that brutal season-opening schedule?
East Kentwood football senior Jakeilon Heard (33) awaits his turn at a Falcons practice. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“It is a combination of some people just don’t want to play us, so you are stuck playing the Muskegons and the Brother Rices of the world,” Kimbrough said. “But I do want our kids to understand that if you are going to win a state championship, you are going to have to beat those types of programs.
“It was a challenge going in. … (But) I never imagined us going 0-4. It’s been tough. But I have to give credit to our players and our coaches, they’ve stayed positive. We have a long season ahead and we have five games to get better.”
This week’s game, starting at 7 p.m., is not only this week’s WKTV Featured Game of the Week, with cable television and on-demand replays available, but will also be East Kentwood’s Homecoming Game.
Leaning on senior leaders
Coach Kimbrough said despite the rough beginning to the season, parts of the Falcon machine and several players are performing well on the field.
East Kentwood head football coach Anthony Kimbrough likes the positive attitude of his seniors, despite an 0-4 start to the season, including senior Bobby Durr (68) pumping up teammates as they start a practice. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“I got to start with (senior) Jeffery Perry, our running back. He probably had his best game of the year against Caledonia. He rushed for 93 yards. He ran hard,” Kimbrough said. “And we have offensive linemen that have really played well. Bobby Durr, he’s a senior. He’s stayed positive and he’s a captain on the team.”
“My quarterback (Casey Joppie). He’s a sophomore. He’s taken some licks and got back up. He’s very coachable … very proud of him. And there has been guys on the defensive side who have played well — I could name a bunch.”
And coach also credits many of his seniors, playing or not, as helping to keep the team focused on the past and future winning ways of East Kentwood.
“Jalon Fuller, one of our safeties, he’s played well. Brian Dinh, possibly an all-conference kid, cornerback. He’s played well,” he said. “Those guys just lead by example. Play hard in practice. Staying positive. … I think our underclassman are appreciative of what out seniors bring.”
Along the other seniors are Joe Stille, Reginald Brown, Carlo Russel-Dumani, Dakota Stephens, Felice Messina, Devontae Savage, Shawn White, Jakeilon Heard, Jack Izenbart, Mehki Baker, Anthony Nelson, Alonte’ Brandon, Shawn Dumani, Levi Robinson, Bryson Woods, Patrick MacDonald, Jake Tate and Zachary Vanoverloop.
Where, when to catch WKTV’s feature games
WKTV featured games will on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel, rebroadcast on the night of the game and various days and times the week after. See the programming schedule at wktv.org. For more information on WKTV coverage of football and other fall prep sports, follow us at wktvjournal.org/sports.
All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.com.
I recently read an article about Shaquille O’Neal and his after basketball life that was truly amazing. Did you know in his 19 -year NBA career, he earned a total of $292 million in compensation? He was the highest-paid player over that time period, making enough money for a couple of hundred families to live in complete comfort. With the athlete’s age, we have watched salaries skyrocket to levels we cannot comprehend as just regular folks.
Shaq was one of the all-time greats, and he proved it on and off the basketball floor. Did you know he also starred in movies and had three very successful records with more than 1.3 million copies sales? Shaq became a brand, and he used his celebrity to put in place a money-making machine for his retirement from basketball.
The article mentions his endorsement life: products we know nationally, such as Buick, Icy Hot, Reebok, Zales, Foot Locker, Arizona Tea, and many more. The list includes more than 20 products and companies. His endorsement income is now greater than his salary as a top NBA center, and more to come.
Shaq is booked all day, every day, in a nonstop worldwide promotional endorsement and entertainment tour. In addition to product endorsements, he is also a TV analyst, an international motivational speaker, and a private party DJ. Yes, you can have Shaq come to your house for 2 hours, have him DJ your party for only $50,000.
It was estimated he could earn more than a BILLION dollars in just his endorsement career. Certainly a lot of money and reason to be concerned about how the money is invested and protected to ensure his and his family’s financial security.
In the article, he was asked about the income he is now earning. He said, “I don’t pay any attention to the money. If I lose it all, it is no big deal, myself and my family are already financially secure because when I started in the NBA, every year I invested in annuities.”
Annuities now provide more income than myself and my family need. The money I earn now is just for fun.”
Annuities? Yes, a man who in his lifetime will earn in excess of a BILLION dollars is depending on annuities to guarantee his financial future.
Dave Stanley is the host of Safe Money Radio WOOD1300 AM, 106.9 FM and a Financial Advisor and Writer at Integrity Financial Service, LLC, Grandville, MI 49418, Telephone 616-719-1979 or Register for Dave’s FREE Newsletter at 888-998-3463 or click this link: Dave Stanley Newsletter – Annuity.com Dave is a member of Syndicated Columnists, a national organization committed to a fully transparent approach to money management.
The 2021 high school football season, and WKTV’s Feature Game coverage of local teams, are about at the halfway point of the season — and, after a week off for the WKTV crew, we will be catching up with the East Kentwood High School Falcons this week.
With most Kentwood and Wyoming area high school football team having played their fourth game of the season last week and prepping this week for the halfway point in their schedule, WKTV brings you a look at where the teams are standing.
And speaking of Week 5 schedules, WKTV will be at East Kentwood this week for a WKTV Featured Game with the Falcons hosting Holland West Ottawa.
WKTV Featured Games available on-demand include the Aug. 26 Forest HIlls Northern at Wyoming High game, the Sept. 1 NorthPointe at Lee 8-man game, and the Sept. 10 Middleville T-K at South Christian game (played at East Kentwood).
Upcoming games on the WKTV Featured Game schedule include the Friday, Oct. 1, Kenowa Hills at South Christian game (also at East Kentwood); the Friday, Oct. 8, Kelloggsville at Godwin Heights game; and the Friday, Oct. 15, Union at Wyoming High game.
The final week of the regular season, on Friday, Oct. 22, WKTV will select a game of more importance to local fans.
WKTV featured games will on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel, rebroadcast on the night of the game and various days and times the week after. See the programming schedule at wktv.org. For more information on WKTV coverage of football and other fall prep sports, follow us at wktvjournal.org/sports.
All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.com.
East Kentwood
The East Kentwood Falcons (0-4) lost at home last week, 9-35, to Caledonia (4-0) on Sept. 17 in OK Conference Red action.
After starting off a brutal early season schedule with a home loss to state power Muskegon (7-47) on Aug. 27, followed by two road losses: at Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (0-33) — another state power — on Sept. 3, and then falling to open OK Red play at Rockford (0-48) on Sept. 10.
After last week’s action, Caledonia and Rockford are both 2-0 in OK Red standings, with East Kentwood at 0-2. The Falcons (0-2) host Holland West Ottawa (0-2 OK Red; 0-4 overall) this week.
Wyoming high
The Wyoming Wolves (0-4) saw their offense kick into high gear but could not break into the win column at home last week during a 49-52 loss to Holland (1-3) on Sept. 17 in OK Conference Green action.
The Wolves started the season with a 13-37 loss at home to Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern on Aug. 27, then lost a road game at Grand Rapids Northview, 0-24, on Sept. 3. Last week, on Sept. 10, Wyoming was also on the road to open OK Green action with a 12-48 loss at Muskegon Reeths-Puffer.
After last week’s action, Muskegon, Muskegon Mona Shores, and Zeeland East are all 2-0 in OK Green action (and all 3-1 on the season). The Wolves are 0-2, with a home game this week against Muskegon.
Grand Rapids South Christian
The South Christian Sailors (2-2) saw their up-and-down season continue last week with a 6-28 road loss at OK Conference Gold leader Grand Rapids Catholic Central (4-0) on Sept. 17 in OK Gold action.
The Sailors started the season, in non-conference action, with a 27-7 win on the road at Grand Rapids Christian Aug. 27, then lost 21-30 at home to East Grand Rapids on Sept. 3. South Christian then got back into the win column Sept. 10 with a 35-14 home win over Middleville Thornapple-Kellogg.
After last week’s action, Central Catholic and Cedar Springs (3-1) are both 2-0 in OK Gold action. The Sailors are 1-1 in conference with a road game at Wayland (0-2; 0-4) coming this week.
Godwin Heights
The Godwin Heights Wolverines (2-2) saw their season record fall to .500 last week with a 18-59 road loss at OK Conference Silver leader Comstock Park (4-0) on Sept. 17 in OK Silver action.
The Wolverines started the season, in non-conference action, with a 34-7 win at home over Manistee on Aug. 27, then followed that up with a 27-21 overtime win on the road at Fowler on Sept. 2. Godwin opened its OK Silver slate with a 28-40 loss at home to Hopkins on Sept. 10.
After last week’s action, Belding (4-0), Comstock Park, and Hopkins (2-2) are all 2-0 in OK Silver action. Due to an open week in the Wolverines schedule, Godwin will next play on Oct. 1 at Sparta (0-1; 2-2).
Kelloggsville
The Kelloggsville Rockets (0-4) also saw their offense crank it up last week but lost at home 38-42 to Hopkins (2-2) on Sept. 17 in OK Conference Silver action.
The Rockets started the season, in non-conference action, with a 28-49 home loss to Owosso on Aug. 26, a 8-55 road loss at Ionia on on Sept. 2, and then opened its OK Silver schedule with a 26-67 loss at conference co-leader Belding on Sept. 10.
After last week’s action, Belding (4-0), Comstock Park, and Hopkins (2-2) are all 2-0 in OK Silver action. Kelloggsville, this week, will be at Calvin Christian (0-1; 1-3).
Lee (8-man football)
The Lee Legends are playing a non-conference 8-man schedule which includes both 8-man varsity and junior varsity games.
The first national coaches poll came out early this month and the Grand Rapids Community College men’s cross country team was ranked #3 in the country for National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division 2 schools.
And as the team prepares to host its annual GRCC Raider Invitational Saturday, Sept. 18, at Calvin University’s course, three runners with local ties will be on the course for the Raiders.
GRCC cross country runner Coleman Clark. (GRCC)
While the most watched of a large and talented squad of first-year GRCC runners, according to head mens coach Garrett Lacy, is Coleman Clark — the 2020 MHSAA Division 4 cross-country state champion from Carson City-Crystal High School — two freshman from Kentwood, Christian Martinez-Ramos and Lucas Schneider, are expected to also be top runners.
And sophomore returner Lance Jourdan, of Wyoming, can challenge for a top spot “on any give day,” Lacy said to WKTV.
GRCC cross country runner Joshua Kipkoech. (GRCC)
The top GRCC returner — and the team’s No. 1 runner — is Joshua Kipkoech (Kenya/Kipsoen Secondary). Kipkoech was the Michigan Community College Athletic Association and NJCAA Region XII champion last year, and went on to finish 5th at NJCAA D2 cross-country national championships. He also holds the school record at GRCC in an 8k time of 25:22.
Martinez-Ramos, who attended Wyoming Kelloggsville High School, and Schneider, who attended East Kentwood High School, both finished within the top 7 runners in the Raiders first action at Calvin University Sept. 4. Martinez-Ramos finished as the 5th GRCC runner in a time of 28:16 over the 8-kilometer distance, and Schneider was the 7th man in 29:17. Jourdan attended Calvin Christian.
Raider men’s team deep and fast
“This year’s squad is probably the deepest it has ever been with 15 guys on the roster,” Lacy said. “When I came to GRCC just two years ago we had just three men on the roster, so to grow the program over the last two years into a team of 15 is really quite rewarding.
“Beyond that, we are coming off a season in 2020 that was one of the best in school history where the team captured it’s first MCCAA and Region XII championships for the first time since the reboot of the program took place in 2014.”
The team then went on to finish in 9th place at the NJCAA D2 National Championships last year in Fort Dodge, Iowa.
“For this season’s outlook we look to build upon the success that we had least season and defend our conference and regional championships and attempt to go back-to-back. We also are aiming for a top three podium finish at our national competition this year and to bring home some hardware for the college and the Grand Rapids community.”
This year’s squad is highlighted by 10 newcomers to the team, Lacy said, including Clark as well as transfers Brian Frazee (Kellogg Community College) who was NJCAA D3 All-American last season, and Jaydon Moleski (Rochester University, and a graduate of Cedar Springs High School.
And Lacy also sees good things coming from both Martinez-Ramos and Schneider.
GRCC cross country runner Lucas Schneider. (GRCC)
GRCC cross country runner Christian Martinez-Ramos. (GRCC)
“I think both runners have a ton of potential for growth, and will continue to improve throughout the season,” Lacy said. “Lucas is a very hard worker who put in a ton of summer miles to get ready for this season, but had a two week setback with an ankle injury that sidelined him for two weeks right before the start of the season or he would likely be even further up on the squad than he is now.”
“Christian has a desire to be great matched by few that I have ever coached before, he just needs to work on being patient and trust the process and I have no doubt he will achieve the goals he has set for himself.”
GRCC cross country runner Lance Jourdan. (GRCC)
Jourdan, coach Lacy said, is “not inside our top 7 right now, but could be on any given day. He is also a great sophomore leader on the team and brings a ton of value in practices and on meet days that goes beyond just being in the top 7 runners.”
Another “key” returner is Andrew Periard of East Grand Rapids.
For a full schedule of the GRCC cross country team, visit grccraiders.com.
Nature enthusiasts surpassed the goal set by the 2020 challenge by cleaning 151 forest sites, as well as removing 459 cubic yards of trash. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
By McKoy Scribner Capital News Service
Every year, tons of trash is illegally dumped in Michigan’s public lands, but a state program has been running for three decades to mitigate the problem.
The Adopt-a-Forest program is volunteer-driven and helps people engage with the outdoors and encourages them to keep public lands clean, the state Department of Natural Resources says.
The DNR conducts outreach to find volunteers and then connects them with a site in need of a cleanup.
Rachel Coale is a communications representative for the DNR. She says the work done in the past year has been fantastic and she’s eager to see what’s to come.
“So, last year we conducted a ‘100 cleanups in 100 days’ campaign, which despite the pandemic, we blew past our goal, which was really exciting,” she said. “So, this year we haven’t run any specific campaigns, but we’re definitely seeing more and more people get out in the woods.”
Nature enthusiasts surpassed the goal set by the 2020 challenge by cleaning 151 forest sites, as well as removing 459 cubic yards of trash.
The challenge was also a part of celebrating 100 years of the National Association of State Foresters and its effort to promote thriving forests.
Individuals or groups that volunteer are recognized with a certificate. If they adopt and clean over 640 acres of land, they can request a sign in recognition of their work.
Coale says volunteers have found everything from paper waste to mattresses in the woods.
“It really helps to have those eyes in the woods because we can’t have a conservation officer everywhere, all the time. But you know, we have a great group of volunteers who can say what’s happening out there and let people know.”
Through the program, half of the trash taken off public lands has been successfully recycled.
McKoy Scribner reports for WKAR and Great Lakes Echo.
As Grand Rapids South Christian High School prepares to play its first OK Conference Gold game of the season, head football coach Danny Brown just wants his 1-1 Sailors to continue to improve when they host Middleville Thornapple Kellogg.
And despite Middleville coming in with a 0-2 record, including a forfeit loss last week due to COVID-19 concerns, coach Brown knows his team will have a challenge as they seek improvement and to be “paying our best at the end” of the season.
“Middleville always plays hard. We know they are going to play hard,” Coach Brown said this week to WKTV. “Last year we beat them 28-7, but we had to fight, and scratch for everything we got. I would not expect this week to be any different.
Grand Rapids South Christian High School head football coach Danny Brown. (WKTV)
“I think, for us, I just want us to get better week in and week out. We do not want to play our best football in week two or week three. We want to be paying our best at the end. As long as we continue to progress and we keep playing, we can continue to do what we have been doing and get better.”
WKTV will cover the South Christian vs. Middleville game as we continue our 2021-22 Featured Game coverage season. This week’s game will be at East Kentwood with kick off at 7 p.m.
“We are feeling good about where we are at,” Coach Brown said, reviewing the Sailors’ 27-7 win at Grand Rapids Christian followed by a 21-30 loss at home to East Grand Rapids Sept. 3. “We felt like we got better last week, it just didn’t come to fruition at the end of the game. In the first half last week, we played good outside of one minute. We were up 7-0 with one minute to go. … All of a sudden it went from 7-0 to 13-7.”
Overall, coach Brown said, his team has been physical but needs to create and stop “explosive plays” more often, and it needs to get healthy.
Grand Rapids South Christian High School football team at practice before the Middleville Thornapple Kellogg game Sept. 10. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“I think physically, we are good. We are physical. We are playing hard. So, as far as the football piece, we’re doing very well,” he said. “Offensively, we have to start creating some explosive plays. We have to limit, with our defenses, their explosive plays. I think if we can get those two things figured out, I like where we are headed.”
In pointing out some of his key players, he also pointed out the team’s early season injury issues that are working themselves out.
“Jake DeHaan (junior quarterback) has maybe started a little slow, but obviously he is big part of what we do,” coach Brown said. “Jace DeMann (senior cornerback and wide receiver) … “He’s already scored a touchdown on an interception … We are going to get him in on some offensive stuff because he is just a really good player.”
He also pointed out Colton Schreur, a senior linebacker and wide receiver, and Cameron (Cam) Post, a junior offensive lineman and linebacker as players to watch — “They are both inside linebackers and play offense as well. They have been out with injuries. … If we can get healthy, that’s a big thing. We are missing some guys but when we can get healthy we should be in a good spot.”
WKTV featured games will on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel, rebroadcast on the night of the game and various days and times the week after. See the programming schedule at wktv.org. For more information on WKTV coverage of football and other fall prep sports, follow us at wktvjournal.org/sports.
All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.com.
Beginning in 2020, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates to multi-decade lows, dropping the rate on 10-year Treasuries from a robust 2% to 0.5%. This steep decline was a blow to savers, especially those who traditionally look to bonds as safety anchors for their retirement portfolios. Since Treasury 10-year rates determine approximately half the yield of corporate bonds, convertibles also feel the sting of near-negative interest rates.
Discouraged by a cooled-off bond market, many who count on bonds for retirement income are looking into convertible bonds as an alternative. Corporate bonds that can be swapped for common stock in the issuing company, convertible bonds can lower the coupon rate on debt, thus saving a company interest.
Convertibles allow a holder to exchange them for a predetermined number of regular shares in the issuing company. For the most part, convertibles function just like traditional corporate bonds but with somewhat lower interest rates.
Since convertibles may be changed into stock and benefit if the underlying stock price rises, companies offer lower yields. If the underlying stock does not perform well, there is no conversion, and the investor is stuck with the bond’s sub-par returns.
How do convertible bonds work?
Convertibles operate according to what is known as the “conversion ratio.” This formula determines how many shares will convert from each bond. The conversion ratio expresses as either a ratio or as the conversion price.
For example, if the conversion ratio is 40:1, with a par value of $1,000, shareholders may exchange the bond for 40 shares of the issuing company’s stock.
The price of convertible bonds starts to rise as the company stock price nears the conversion price. When this happens, your convertible bond performs somewhat like a stock option. If the corporate stock experiences volatility, so will your bond.
Why would anyone consider adding convertible bonds to their portfolio?
Investors add convertible bonds to their investment mix because convertibles offer guaranteed income with built-in downside protection. Provided an investor does not convert before maturity, they get their initial investment back, plus earned interest. There is also the potential for higher returns than traditional bonds.
What are some convertible bond pitfalls?
The “forced conversion” element of a convertible bond is one of these instruments’ most significant downsides. The bond issuing company retains the right to force investors to convert the bonds into stock. Such conversion typically occurs when the stock price becomes higher than the amount would be if the bond were redeemed.
A specific type of convertible bond, known as a reverse convertible bond (RCB), lets the issuing company decide to convert the bonds to shares or keep them as fixed-income investments until maturity. RCB’s, unlike common stocks, can cap the bond’s capital appreciation. Such caps mean that these bonds’ principle protection element may not be as worthwhile as it first appears.
Summing it up: Convertible bonds are somewhat complicated instruments designed to create guaranteed income while protecting against market losses. Companies usually issue convertible bonds with less-than-exceptional credit ratings but expectations of high growth. Convertibles allow these companies to get money to expand at much lower costs than those of conventional bonds.
If you are considering purchasing a convertible bond, you need to understand the basics of how they work and all the associated risks.
Always consult an authorized and licensed financial professional to map out convertibles’ pros and cons relative to your situation and risk tolerance. Your advisor may suggest other products, such as Fixed Indexed Annuities, that also guarantee principle with growth potential.
Dave Stanley is the host of Safe Money Radio WOOD1300 AM, 106.9 FM and a Financial Advisor and Writer at Integrity Financial Service, LLC, Grandville, MI 49418, Telephone 616-719-1979 or Register for Dave’s FREE Newsletter at 888-998-3463 or click this link: Dave Stanley Newsletter – Annuity.com Dave is a member of Syndicated Columnists, a national organization committed to a fully transparent approach to money management.
The Wyoming Lee High School football team will be embarking a new era with its Wednesday, Sept. 1, season-opening game hosting NorthPointe Christian — the era of playing 8-man football.
The late change to 8-man, made just before the season started, has head coach Mark Smoes, and his staff and team, doing a bit of audible game planning and play calling however.
Lee Legends head football coach Mark Smoes. (WKTV)
“We’ve had to adjust quite a bit,” coach Smoes said to WKTV this week. “It is the same game but we are adjusting our time because, as coaches, we are learning to adjust to this game.
“It is a faster pasted game. It allows you the opportunity to get skilled players on the field. That kinds of plays to our strength. We are adjusting a little every day, for the players and for ourselves.”
The Lee vs. NorthPointe game, which will be a junior varsity game for the visitors, will be this week’s WKTV Featured Game with coverage on cable television replay and on-demand. The game kick off will be at 5:30 p.m.
The change to 8-man was one of the first decisions made by new Lee Legends athletic director Tray Crusciel, after he took a look at a football program which has struggled in recent years, including going 0-4 and being outscored 193-41 in games played in its 2020 independent schedule season.
“After seeing the numbers we had out for the program, seeing the low numbers currently at 7/8th grade level, and the strength of the program over the last 10 years, we felt this was best for our kids right now,” Crusciel said to WKTV. “Our move to the Alliance (8-man) conference will definitely help across the board, give us more level competition and, I think, with the conference move and the move to 8-man, this community and school will benefit from it greatly.”
The program which Crusciel looked at, and which Smoes coaches, has its fair share of senior leadership, but with less than 20 players total in the high school program and on the school’s only team, almost half are sophomores and freshman.
But, Smoes said, the change to 8-man not only works with the numbers on his team but also on the talent on his team.
The 8-man game “is a little more offensive (and) we like to run the ball, we like to throw the ball. And we just have more area to work in,” he said. “We enjoy that and our players enjoy that. And we have players who are multi-talented on the field play, players who can catch, players who can run, players who can block. It just makes for a faster game. … It plays to our strengths.”
Among the Legends strengths, Smoes said, is a group to seniors and juniors who will likely play both ways in the 8-man system.
Smoes said senior quarterback Kemijion Reed, who did not play last season due to his family’s pandemic concerns, will be back and is expected to trigger the offense. Fellow seniors Rogelio Martinez, Shamaari Hill and Juan De La O are also expected to be key players.
Junior running back Elijah Beckwith, who rushed for 1,000 yards as a freshman two years ago, and slot back Ke’Ontae will also be key offensive players.
“Those players are going to handle a lot of the work for us this season offensively,” Smoes said. “We (also) have a very strong freshman class, and sophomores as well. And the nice thing about 8-man is that before, when your playing 11-man and you are short on players, you played players in positions which were tough for them to play in.”
But this season, with the 8-man format, many of those young players will be eased into the high school game.
This week’s game is one of four currently scheduled for Lee, with two being varsity 8-man and another JV game. (The Legends will be at Martin Sept. 20, hosting Gobles on Oct. 1, and at Dansville Oct. 21. But Crusciel said more games are likely to be added.)
WKTV featured games will on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel, rebroadcast on the night of the game and various days and times the week after. See the programming schedule at wktv.org. For more information on WKTV coverage of football and other fall prep sports, follow us at wktvjournal.org/sports.
All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.com.
The rich, dark, wet earth forced itself under my fingernails as I scratched through roots and a few beetles.
But no teeth. I needed those teeth.
Or that’s what Clay Ecklund, my expedition leader, told our team of volunteer bone seekers on Isle Royale National Park. I squatted in the middle of a thick cedar swamp with John Warming and Lada Zednik. Nearby, Hal Hanson, another member of our group, sat behind a few downed trees, resting from an arduous hike through nearly unnavigable terrain.
There was another presence. Or what remained of one. We were at a moose calf’s final resting place, trying to piece together its skeleton. All the bones were there, the mandibles, the metatarsus, parts of the skull. But no teeth.
We needed the teeth.
I couldn’t tell where I was. I knew I was on an island wilderness in the middle of Lake Superior. But where exactly on the island, only the GPS knew that. North was somewhere over my left shoulder.
We were sweaty, exhausted and fighting off the summer’s first mosquitoes. We had gotten turned around an hour earlier and realized we had to go through the cedar thicket to find another water source. It was then that I realized I had sprained my ankle stepping off a dead log two hours earlier.
Search for Isle Royale’s bone bounty yields environmental clues, new friends, wilderness salvation (Capital News Service)
It slowly swelled in my boot. By dinner, I couldn’t walk.
Most people don’t experience national parks this way, especially on their first visit. But I had the special opportunity to participate in a volunteer backpacking expedition known as the Moosewatch Expedition.
Since 1988, the expedition has sought volunteer backpackers for a citizen science project. You set off from the dock where the boat from the mainland drops you and then hike deep into the backcountry. The goal is to collect as many moose bones as you can in a weeklong trek across the island. There are four expeditions from mid-May to late July.
This is easier said than done. This expedition is completely off-trail, meaning no paved paths, trail markers or campgrounds. Navigation is done with a compass and a pocket GPS marked with kill site coordinates – places where scientists know wolves have eaten moose. Sometimes the bones were super easy finds. Other times it took hours of searching to find a single vertebra.
Ecklund said the first expedition of the summer has the easiest time finding bones since the understory of ferns hasn’t filled in yet. “It’s nearly impossible to find the bones in July.”
We arranged our five-member group into a long, spread out line. We then all hiked forward into the wilderness, keeping our eyes peeled for bones. Visual contact with another volunteer was always maintained. Otherwise, the island quickly became an endless maze of maples and spruce.
When a bone or antler is found, you shout “BONE!” to the rest of the team. That was the cue to fan out and search the area for the creature’s remains. We carried the bones we found to a central location where the team leader cataloged and photographed the partial skeleton.
All bones must be carried out on foot as there are no roads on the island. Thankfully, not all the bones need to be carried out. Only the skulls, mandibles (the jawbone) and metatarsus (the foot bone) are needed. The teeth I was looking for help determine a moose’s age. These bones tell the researchers all they need to know about the moose.
“The bones are super-valuable,” said Sarah Hoy, a research assistant professor at Michigan Tech University, who studies the island’s moose and wolf populations. She helps lead the university’s moose-wolf survey, the longest recorded predator-prey survey in the world.
The volunteer expedition has helped build the world’s largest collection of moose bones, she said. Those bones help researchers study other things.
A moose skull takes on a new, mossy life on Isle Royale. (Marshall Lee Weimer)
Among them is air quality. Moose store heavy metals from the air in their teeth.
Researchers measured the impact of the U.S. Clean Air Act by analyzing the heavy metal content of moose teeth. Since the bone collection is so old, they could compare lead and mercury levels in teeth from before and after the law was strengthened in 1970. Researchers saw heavy metal levels in the teeth drop dramatically in the early 1980s, showing that air quality had improved.
Disease is another thing the bone collection helps us understand.
We learn a lot about human arthritis from moose arthritis, said Rolf Peterson, a research professor who has studied the wolves and moose of Isle Royale for more than 50 years. Isle Royale moose have an unusually high rate of arthritis compared to mainland ones. Although it is not conclusive, Peterson said the study has shown lifelong health problems like arthritis could be linked to poor nutrition early in life.
Unlike with humans, we can study how arthritis affects moose throughout their lives, Peterson said. “We can’t experiment on people.”
Peterson has been with Moosewatch since its beginning in 1988 and has collected a lot of data and life-long friends from the program. It is a great way to spread the word about science and to get people involved, he said. “Science shouldn’t be an exclusive activity.”
The hands-on science was a fascinating look at moose. But I learned just as much about another mammal of Isle Royale: people.
With about 18,000 visitors each year, Isle Royale is the least-visited national park in the continental U.S. However, it is America’s most revisited national park. My fellow Moosewatchers taught me why.
Larry Fuerst, a retired commercial pilot from Fenton, has been on Moosewatch since 2009. The isolation and ruggedness bring him back. He likes to turn his brain off and just listen to the island.
“Listening to nothing really is something,” he said.
Adrienne Detancio, an organic gardener from Chicago, had already been to the island three times, but this was her first Moosewatch. Hanson recruited her on the ferry home after she had finished a solo trip across Isle Royale. To her, the island is magical.
“It’s like the island is alive in a weird way,” she said.
Ron Eckoff knows the most about that comradery of the group as the longest returning volunteer. A retired public health official, he was on the second expedition in 1989 and has since returned to the island 33 times – 26 with Moosewatch.
Before joining, Eckoff, who is from Iowa, had no backpacking experience. But since then, he has amassed hundreds of stories from those expeditions. His favorite expedition was in 1996 when there was a massive die-off of moose and 3 feet of snow. The harbor bay was frozen, so the volunteers had to snowshoe over ice to the coastline.
“There were dead moose everywhere,” he said.
Ron Porrit, a retired Navy veteran from Hudsonville, was also on that 1996 expedition. Since the moose had not yet decomposed, the carcasses were much heavier, he said “A bull moose head with its antlers can easily weigh 60 pounds.”
Eckoff carried three heads out that year.
In our week on the island, my expedition recovered the remains of 26 moose.
But I never did find those moose teeth. Nor did I see a moose.
But I found so much more. The island is full of life, both human and inhuman. I saw sucker fish spawning and spiders crawling. And, for the first time, I heard wolves howling.
I learned bird calls, hacks for backpacking gear and heard stories about meeting serial killers and suffering injuries much worse than mine.
The richness of wildness on Isle Royale far made up for my twisted ankle.
While I left the island, I thought about a quote from Henry David Thoreau, the 19th century naturalist and thinker. It sums up Isle Royale’s meaning to all who dwell in its forests:
What is the most popular dog breed? How do worms die if they can survive getting cut in two? What exactly is the hardest rock of them all?
These are just some of the questions that librarians Emily Bantel, from the KDL Tyron Township branch, and Courtney Moyses, from the KDL Gaines and Kentwood branches, tackle in the new podcast “Stump the Librarian.” They twosome get help from the librarian “behind the curtain” Jill Anderson, from the KDL Wyoming branch.
Check out the first Stump the Library podcast by clicking here.
“I was researching possible podcasts we could do to help showcase the KDL podcast,” Moyses said. “I wanted to do something more than just read a book.”
Moyses said she also wanted to find a way to engage the library users as well. From that, the group began to develop “Stump the Librarian” podcast.
In each episode, the librarians present two to three questions asked by users. In the inaugural podcast, the group tackles the questions “What is the most popular dog breed in all the different countries?” and “How do you best take care of a dog?” Along with being on the KDL website, the podcast episodes can also be found on Spotify and Podbean.
For those who want to learn more about the topic, they can head over to the KDL website and check out the blog post section. Also, WKTV will be posting “Stump the Librarian” episodes along with the book suggestions.
Residents interested in trying to “Stump the Library,” can visit the blog site, kdl.org/stump, to send in a question or find forms at their local KDL branch.
So what questions have stumped the librarians? Well, none yet, but Moyses said she is certain it is only a matter of time.
New Godfrey-Lee Public Schools athletic director Tray Crusciel, on his first day on the job, had to help make a hard decision about the Legends football program — a program which has struggled mightily in recent years including going 0-4 and being outscored 193-41 in games played in its 2020 independent schedule season.
The decision made was to move the high school program to the 8-man football game, and to scramble to find games — any games — for head coach Mark Smoes’ players.
“My first day in the office, I was tasked with helping make this decision for the district,” AD Crusciel said to WKTV this week. “After seeing the numbers we had out for the program, seeing the low numbers currently at 7/8th grade level, and the strength of the program over the last 10 years, we felt this was best for our kids right now.
“Our move to the Alliance conference will definitely help across the board, give us more level competition and, I think, with the conference move and the move to 8-man, this community and school will benefit from it greatly.”
After forfeiting a perviously scheduled 11-man game last week, the Legends will open their season by hosting an 8-man game against NorthPointe Christian’s junior varsity squad on Wednesday, Sept. 1, at 5:30 p.m.
The game will be covered by the WKTV Featured Game crew, and broadcast on cable television and made available on-demand.
Lee Legends Dragon and Crest. (Supplied)
This week’s game is one of four currently scheduled for Lee, with two being varsity 8-man and another JV game. (The Legends will be at Martin Sept. 20, hosting Gobles on Oct. 1, and at Dansville Oct. 21. But Crusciel said more games are likely to be added.)
“We felt comfortable (scheduling both JV and varsity games) because half our team is freshman/sophomore, but the teams we are playing are all facing the same issues,” Crusciel said. “We are keeping our eyes open for more games but we might have to get lucky.
“For the future, my plan is to seek our 8-man leagues/scheduling agreements to give us full schedules or build numbers back up to transition back to 11-man. Our enrollment sits at 505, so that tells me we have a decent number to tap into. But, this is a huge soccer community and we have kids with various interests and obstacles to overcome.”
He also said a “bright side” is that the district has 30 or so kids playing football in 5/6th grade. “Our goal needs to be getting engaged with those kids at the lower levels more and keeping them interested and engaged in football.”
Prior to last season’s 0-4 record in a season also impacted by the pandemic, coach Smoes first season leading the team, Lee was 3-6 under then coach Tom Degennaro while also playing an independent schedule.
AD Crusciel’s journey to Lee
New Godfrey-Lee Public Schools athletic director Tray Crusciel, with his wife and new baby. (Supplied)
Prior to coming to Lee, Crusciel had been an athletic director for eight years, including three at Covert, where he helped build the athletic department from 1 team to 13 teams, and to get the school back into an athletic conference. He then worked at Benton Harbor for one year. His resume includes stops at Jackson Lumen Christi and Battle Creek Lakeview.
“The reason I’m up here now (is) wife got a new job at Mercy Health (and) we have tons of family in the surrounding areas and we wanted to move closer to our family,” he said.
Crusciel holds degrees from Western Michigan and Wayne State universities, in for my physical education and sports administration. He played football growing up, he said, and has coached multiple sports.
Wyoming high head football coach Carlton Brewster, left, watches over practice Aug. 24, as the Wolves prepare for their season opener Aug. 26. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
The Wyoming High School football team will open its 2021 season Thursday, Aug. 26, hosting Forest Hills Northern in a game which not only marks the debut of head coach Carlton Brewster II leading the program but marks a return to near normal after a 2020 season radically altered due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
And WKTV will be there to begin its 2021-22 Featured Game coverage season and a season-long run of cable television and on-demand coverage of local high school football. This week’s game at Wyoming will kick off at 7 p.m.
For Wolves coach Brewster, who took over the Wyoming program in March after Irv Sigler Jr. resigned after four years leading the program, the opening night game against the Northern Huskies will be first and foremost chance to begin a normal season after a nearly lost year in 2020.
Wyoming played only five games, posting a 1-4 record in the team’s first season playing the likes of the Muskegon and Zeeland schools in the OK Green, and had several spring and summer restrictions on the program’s off-season activities. (Northern — out of the OK White — posted a 4-3 record leas year, and the two teams did not play as usual in early season action.)
Wyoming high football head coach Carlton Brewster II. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“Our first four games will still be challenging … You have to be ready every week,” Coach Brewster said to WKTV this week. “But it is good for our kids (to have the early season games). We can find out where our kids are at, early on, and as a staff we can come together and decide we need to build on these areas to prepare to go into the OK (Green).”
Not that Brewster and his staff do not already have an idea of the team’s strengths and weaknesses, particularly on offense — the side of the ball where Brewster has excelled playing and coaching in his career. (See a WKTV Journal story about coach Brewster when he took over the program, and see a video interview with him.)
“We got some good skill guys,” Brewster said. “And we are going to utilize the spread (offense) and we are going to utilize the guys we have and get the ball to those guys.”
Wyoming high assistant coach Aaron Berlin working with the team at a practice. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
Brewster is also pleased with how the players have ‘bought into” the program since he took over — “Spring and summer has been great (for the program). We came in right away and lifted weights pretty much every single day. A lot of kids bought in.”
And he also pointed out senior leadership as being another strength of his new program.
Isaiah Clark “can play very position on the line, fullback, tight end,” Brewster said. “He’s a great kid. He’s 100 miles an hour and a 3.0 (grade) kid.”
Amani Hobson plays offensive and defensive line, and “does a great job where ever he plays. And Mateo Ledesma plays running back and safety, and will be one of those “skill guys” who will get the ball in his hands — a lot.
WKTV featured games will on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T Channel 99 Community Channel, rebroadcast on the night of the game and various days and times the week after. See the programming schedule at wktv.org. For more information on WKTV coverage of football and other fall prep sports, follow us at wktvjournal.org/sports.
All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports, and community events covered by WKTV’s video coverage team, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.com.
