The Silverline will now include on-board payments. (WKTV)
The Rapid is reintroducing the Silver Line to new and returning customers with on-board fare payments to prepare for contactless payments coming in 2023. The change improves customer experience, avoids expensive equipment replacements, and aligns with how people pay fares on other buses in the system.
As the original ticket vending machines reach their end of life, The Rapid is preparing for convenient payment options onboard the Silver Line buses rather than replacing the expensive equipment. Transactions for fare will look just like the rest of The Rapid’s routes other than the Laker Line. These changes include installing Wave card readers and cash fareboxes onboard. These changes will prepare The Rapid for the contactless fare payment options, including Apple Pay and Google Pay coming in Spring 2023.
“We’re continually reviewing our system and our performance and taking the steps we need to, focusing on how The Rapid can improve mobility and access for all,” said Deb Prato, chief executive officer for The Rapid. “We look at how can we make it easier for our customers to get from point A to point B, how to choose the best route or combination of transportation options, and how to pay for their fares in the most convenient way possible.”
The Rapid launched the Silver Line, Michigan’s first Bus Rapid Transit service in 2014. The Silver Line provided an express route for customers in the Division Avenue corridor and was equipped with the best technology available at the time.
The Silver Line blurs the lines between buses and trains by offering customers more amenities than a typical bus service. Customers have access to the park and ride options and convenient fare vending. The Silver Line stations offer sheltered, accessible platform boarding and real-time arrival information. Traffic signal prioritization, hybrid diesel-electric buses, and high-frequency service are also features of this bus rapid transit service.
Customers will use the same payment methods on Silver Line buses as the rest of the fixed-route bus system. Adult customers pay $1.75 per ride with exact cash or can receive the best value by purchasing a $47 monthly Wave card, The Rapid’s smart transit pass, that launched in 2018 to make fare payments easier. With the Wave card, receive the highest value for the amount with fare-capping and free transfers within one hour and 45 minutes. Specialty Wave cards, like youth and reduced fare, require picture identification and can be purchased at The Rapid’s Information Center within Central Station. Adult Wave cards can be purchased online at wave.ridetherapid.org.
Alynn Guerra’s mural for the 49507 Project adorns the side of Cisneros Tire Service located along Division Avenue. (WKTV)
On a pleasant day in September, the smell of warm tortillas and the music playing at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Street and Division Avenue probably left some drivers and pedestrians wondering what is being celebrated at the parking lot of Cisneros Tire Service. Then again, one look at the shop’s wall along Division Avenue and it did not taking much to figure out the reason for the celebration.
Sept. 3 was the unveiling of one of the newest pieces in The 49507 Project, which is a public art project coordinated by the non-profit The Diatribe. The 49507 Project is designed to bring together Black, brown, and LGBTQ+ artists to paint murals and emulate how underserved residents in the 49507 area are.
Redlining, the practice of denying a person a loan because the area they live in is deemed poor, is one of the issues reflected in Alynn Guerra’s piece, “Flight,” which is featured at Cisneros Tire Service, 800 Division Ave. S.
According to Guerra, the mural has a literal and metaphoric meaning. The red on the far left represents redlining, a practiced started in 1933 when the Home Owner’s Loan Corporation began redlining in major American cities. On the far right is a shade of green to represent green lining, an advocacy that seeks to advance and empower communities with people of color. In the center of the background is a sunny yellow tone with a grinning skeleton swinging forward on a swing as white birds fly the opposite direction over the red paint in the background. The birds represent white supremacy reversed as Guerra describes it. The skeleton is a traditional Mexican symbol of rebirth.
“We don’t need to glorify our struggles,” said as she presented her mural to the public. “We can look into the mural and be hopeful.”
Taking on this dynamic form of activism through art, Guerra is a believer her art can create change. Whether you are on the stuck in traffic on the busy street of Division or a customer who needs a tire changed at Cisneros Tire Service, you cannot escape curiosity when studying her mural. This vivid, humorous, and truthful work of art shows immense hope for Grand Rapids to think outside our redlines and educate ourselves on social injustice. What Guerra believes about public art is it communicates a message in a constant way in the present day and future generations to come.
The 49507 Project was launched in 2021 with seven artists completing pieces. For 2022, the project had eight artists complete murals in and throughout the area. Those locations are:
Samaria J’s Salon Suite, 701 Grandville Ave SW
Load A Spud, 1721 Madison Ave SE
Farmers Insurance, 2435 Eastern Ave SE
Mr. B’s Party Store, 1216 Kalamazoo Ave SE
Aleman Auto Repair, 1801 Division Ave S.
Cisneros Tires, 800 Division Ave S.
1956 Eastern Ave.
1935 Eastern Ave.
The project has been well received. In fact, as part of it, Peterson Research Consultants conducted a survey of the community attitudes both before and after starting to assess whether perceptions of the neighborhood might change. After the first year, that survey showed residents felt the art represented how “we see things – colorful, vibrant, and a beautiful side of our culture.”
Funded by a coalition of nearly a dozen businesses, foundations, neighborhood groups and city organizations, The 49507 Project is scheduled to go through 2023.
WKTV Managing Editor Joanne Bailey-Boorsma contributed to this article.
Locker Room by LIDS has joined the dynamic lineup of retailers at Woodland Mall, offering a large variety of both collegiate and professional sports team merchandise.
Featuring everything from custom team gear to novelty sports items, the new store is open in the Macy’s wing near center court at Woodland Mall, 3195 28th St. SE Grand Rapids. Within its 1,874 square-foot space, shoppers will find a wide variety of professional and collegiate sports gear.
“We’re thrilled to add another business from the LIDS lineup to Woodland Mall,” said Mikia Ross, interim senior marketing director. “Sports fans of all affiliations can find the perfect apparel and merchandise to rep their favorite team, with customized options available.
“The variety and quality available through Locker Room by LIDS align with our vision to provide shoppers with excellent selection and service.”
Locker Room by LIDS is owned by LIDS Sports Group, a leading North American omni-channel sports licensed retailer which is made up of more than 1,100 mall-based, airport, street level and factory outlet locations nationwide, and in Canada and Puerto Rico.
Woodland Mall features an exclusive lineup of dynamic retailers, including Apple, Dry Goods, Forever 21, H&M, The North Face, Pottery Barn, Sephora, Williams-Sonoma and Von Maur, along with several dining establishments, including The Cheesecake Factory and Black Rock Bar & Grill. The mall is also home to the newly renovated Phoenix Theatres, featuring all-new premium heated reclining seating, 4K digital projection with Dolby Atmos, first-run movies and family-friendly pricing.
Road commissions across the state are preparing for the winter months. (WKTV)
LANSING – Counties in northern Michigan are buying new equipment and hiring more full-time employees for an expected wetter-than-average winter.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently predicted that the Great Lakes region will have more frequent precipitation than usual this winter. This is caused by the phenomenon La Niña.
The same phenomenon means that the temperature in the Pacific Ocean is dropping, said Bryan Mroczka, a physical scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationin Ann Arbor.
And lower temperatures in the ocean mean below-average temperatures in the Midwest and Great Lakes regions.
‘More will be coming from the sky’
“What we can expect is that there will be more precipitation than the long-term average,” Mroczka said.
In simpler terms, “over the whole winter period, more will come from the sky,” he said.
Although it is difficult to predict weather conditions for the entire season, during La Niña years “there may be more frequent days where you wake up and you have to brush the snow off of your car and more days where you’re driving to work in a little bit of snow,” Mroczka said.
Much of Michigan is expected to have average weather conditions.
But places like Sault Ste. Marie and Alpena are expected to have a severe winter, according to the accumulated winter season severity index by the Midwest Regional Climate Center in Indiana.
Some of the severe weather may be attributed to three consecutive years of La Nina conditions.
“This is kind of unprecedented,” said Austin Pearson, a climatologist at the center.
Expected conditions in the north
The National Weather Service has already reported snow near Marquette. Typically, the snow season spans from December to February, but it can come as early as October and as late as April, Pearson said.
Grand Traverse County, in the northwest part of the state, is already preparing.
“Our preparation for the next winter season happens at the end of the prior winter season,” said Jay Saksewski, the superintendent for the county’s road commission. County road workers began repairing equipment, ordering material and hiring personnel in April.
Last winter, the county lacked enough trained drivers to operate the snowplows, Saksewski said. It had only 26 drivers and relied on seasonal workers.
This year, it is going into this season with 30 full-time employees, he said.
The agency has also ordered three additional snowplows for the season.
“Typically we will bring three new trucks into the fleet,” Saksewski said. “At the same time, we’re obsoleting three trucks and putting those out for other agencies or private parties to buy.”
The UP is getting ready
Within the last three years, the Leelanau County Road Commission has had to order more salt because of how often it snowed.
“Our average snowfall is 120 inches and last year it was closer to 100 inches, but it snowed almost every day,” said Brendan Mullane, the managing director for the commission.
He is also hiring more drivers. The commission has 26 full-time drivers and six seasonal drivers. The amount of snow that is expected doesn’t affect those hiring decisions.
“It doesn’t really matter if we get a foot of snow or 2 inches of snow, we still have to drive the routes no matter what to get to all of the corners of our county,” Mullane said.
And here at home, what to expect
The Kent County Road Commission is warning drivers to allow more time for morning commutes, have good tires and watch the overnight weather forecast for severe snow, said Jerry Byrne, the superintendent for the agency.
“We work with our partners in law enforcement to help educate folks,” Byrne said.
The wintry projections aren’t all bad news. Tourists looking to go skiing or dog-sledding in the Upper Peninsula can count on La Niña to make it happen.
The region’s economy is based on snow, said Tom Nemacheck, the executive director for Upper Peninsula Travel, a group that promotes tourism.
“It’s absolutely phenomenal for the U.P.,” Nemacheck said. “It’s the best thing that happens for us in the wintertime.”
Janelle James is a senior at Michigan State University double majoring in journalism and political science with a minor in Spanish. Janelle aspires to one day secure a position as an investigative journalist, White House correspondent or politician.
Artist Margaret Vega’s ofrenda for her father, Francisco Vega. (WKTV/Renee Karadsheh)
Veronica Quintino-Aranda’s brother died before her younger sister was born yet her sister has a connection to him because of the family’s tradition of honoring the brother’s memory during Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos).
“We remember who he was,” said Quintino-Aranda, a member of the Latino Community Coalition which has collaborated with the Grand Rapids Public Museum on a Day of the Dead exhibit. “We share stories. We share memories. We share his favorite food.
“Even though my sister has never meet him because he died before she was born, she still knows who he was and how important he was to our family.”
A tradition that dates back to the Mayans and Aztecs
Running through Nov. 27, the Grand Rapids Public Museum is featuring the Field Musuem’s “A Celebration of Souls: Day of the Dead in Southern Mexico.” Through 26 photographs, the exhibit explores the significance of the Day of the Dead celebrations in Oaxaca, a southern region of Mexico.
Traditionally observed on Nov. 1 and 2, Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos is an indigenous holiday that originated in southern Mexico and celebrates the remembrance of family members and friends who have died. Part of that celebration includes the creation of an ofrenda, or a home alter, honoring the deceased.
The tradition and symbols date back to the Mayans and Aztecs, who had a whole month dedicated to the dead, according to Quintino-Aranda. The expansion of catholicism in Mexico altered some of the symbols but the the focus on celebrating the dead remained.
Veronica Quintino-Aranda and Javier Cervantes (WKTV/Renee Karadsheh)
“On my home alter, and we have a catholic tradition, we have the candle that symbolizes we are the light of the world,” Quintino-Aranda said. “We have the arch toward heaven and incense that indicates that our prayers are going up to him. We also have soil that symbolizes that we are dust and are destained to return. We also have items that represent (my brother) and of course, his picture.”
Exploring local history and culture
Almost 600,000 Hispanics live in West Michigan with the Hispanic population making up about 16 percent, almost 16,000, in the Grand Rapids area. As the Hispanic community grew, many brought their traditions to the West Michigan area with the Day of the Dead having become a community celebration. In fact, the Grand Rapids Public Library for several years has hosted a Dia de los Muertos event (this year Oct. 30 – Nov. 3) that includes alters created by community members and activities.
The Latino Community Coalition’s Nuestra HERencia ofrenda. (Courtesy, Grand Rapids Public Museum)
Noting that the Grand Rapids Public Museum is not just about dinosaurs and artifacts but also history and culture, Dustin Tyler, director of marketing and customer service strategy for the Museum, said the Public Museum is excited to be able to partner with local organizations such as the LCC to present a Day of the Dead exhibition.
“Anytime we get the opportunity to include community partners to help paint a story, its a win for Grand Rapids, a win for the museum and a win for our members and visitors,” Tyler said.
The local connection
As part of the exhibition, the GRPM joined with community partners to add ofrendas to the exhibition display. Local professor and artist Margaret Vega created one display honoring her father Francisco Vega (1922-2021), who was a leader in the Latino community of West Michigan and a grassroots organizer for civil rights.
The LCC’s offenda focuses on the organizations Nuestra HERencia project, which honors the history and legacies of women here in Grand Rapids.
“It is an immersive experience,” Tyler said. “it is kind of a window into how another culture does things different but also learning about the history of Mr. Vega and learning about our partners over at the Latin Community Coalition and what their mission and purpose is.”
Started in 2006, the LLC serves as a unifying force for the equitable advancement of Latinos in West Michigan.
“I chose LCC because at the time I was working for the infant health program at Cherry Street Health and so I wanted to learn more about what are the resources out there to help my clients and patients and the LCC was a great opportunity for me to network and learn what programs and classes other nonprofits were offering so I could give back and give those resources to my community,” she said.
Celebrating ‘HER’
The Nuestra HERencia project features women who have not necessarily received awards or been recognized but because of their values that they instilled in their family members, they have helped the Hispanic community grow through business and leadership.
“My aunt, who passed away last year, she owned a small chain of bakeries,” said Javier Cervantes, another LCC member. “She instilled in us hard work and dedication. I saw how she treated everyone with respect. That is what I will not forget.
“Todos parejos — everyone is equal.”
For both Cervantes and Quintino-Aranda, they hope through the exhibition and the LCC display to help residents understand the symbolism and why Day of the Dead is important to the Hispanic community.
“I want people to know that we have a presence here in Grand Rapids and we are not going anywhere,” Cervantes said. “Those Latinos have been able to be trailblazers and in a unique way transform the lives of families as well.”
“A Celebration of Souls: Day of the Dead in Southern Mexico” is included with general admission to the Museum and is free for Museum members. Kent County residents do receive a discount and Kent County children 17 and under are free. To reverse tickets, visit grpm.org.
WKTV Contributor Renee Karadsheh contributed to this story.
Kentwood’s Drug Take Back Day event will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. (WKTV)
The fall National Drug Take Back Day has been set for this Saturday, Oct. 29, with both the Wyoming Department of Public Safety and the Kentwood Police Department participating in the event.
The annual event is part of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back initiative. The event is held in April and October as part of ongoing efforts to combat prescription drug misuse and overdose deaths. For the April Take Back Day, the Department of Drug Enforcement reported that about 720,000 pounds of unneeded medications were collected. Since starting the program in 2010, around 16 million pounds of unneeded prescription medications have been collected.
“By taking advantage of this free and anonymous Drug Take Back Day, residents can help save lives,” said Kentwood Police Chief Bryan Litwin. “Proper medication disposal prevents identity theft, accidental poisonings, drug addiction and overdose deaths. It can also help preserve the environment by reducing the amount of medications in landfills and sewer systems. Please gather unneeded medications from your home and join us Oct. 29 as we work together to keep our community safe.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in the United States, more than 107,000 people died as the result of a drug overdose last year. This figure means that someone in the United States is dying of a drug overdose every five minutes.
City of Kentwood
Residents may drop off unused, unwanted or expired prescription pills and patches from 10 a.m to 2 p.m at the Kentwood Police Department, 4742 Walma Ave. SE. Liquids, needles and sharp objects will not be accepted. For disposal of needles and other sharp objects, visit the Kent County Health Department’s reimaginetrash.org or click here.
The service is free and anonymous, with no questions asked.
City of Wyoming
The Wyoming Department of Public Safety, 2300 DeHoop Ave., has a SafeMed box at the station where anyone may properly dispose of medications throughout the year.
The department also partners with University of Michigan Health West, 2122 Health Dr. SW, on Drug Take Back Day. The event at UMHW will be a drive-thru from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. People are encouraged to stay in their car and a volunteer will come to the vehicle.
As with the Kentwood program, this program is free with no questions asked.
“Elephant Chunko” by Kristina Libby from ArtPrize 2022 (WKTV/D.A. Reed)
ArtPrize will make a catalytic gift of its creative, technological and communications platforms to a new partnership for a new experiment that will build upon the legacy of the international art competition, effectively “ArtPrize 2.0.” Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. (DGRI), the City of Grand Rapids and KCAD will collectively lead this new initiative.
In a statement today, the ArtPrize board of directors expressed deep appreciation to the entire community for 13 years of partnership and support as it winds down its operations.
“What started as an experiment in 2009 quickly became something more, and we have an entire community to thank for embracing the ArtPrize idea and taking it to amazing heights,” said ArtPrize Founder and Chairman Rick DeVos said in a press release. “Together, we were able to stimulate thought and creativity by celebrating art, supporting artists, exploring familiar and not-so-familiar venues, and starting entirely new conversations.
“While there are certainly mixed emotions, we know the time is right to conclude the original ArtPrize experiment and open up space for new energy and creativity. We are thrilled that the partnership of DGRI, KCAD, and the City of Grand Rapids is stepping forward to continue to produce an incredible fall event.”
Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss echoed those sentiments.
From ArtPrize 2014. (WKTV)
“Every destination community has a destination event that captures the spirit and aspirations of that community. For us, ArtPrize has been a manifestation of the independent creative spirit that defines Grand Rapids, and has captured the imagination of people from around the world,” she said. “Rick DeVos and the ArtPrize Board have laid out a roadmap and a foundation that we’re grateful for and excited to build upon.”
ArtPrize has held 13 events since 2009 and awarded more than $6 million through a combination of public votes, juried awards and grants. Millions of people across the globe have participated in ArtPrize in some fashion – displaying their work, performing, opening their spaces, volunteering, or visiting and enjoying Grand Rapids each fall.
For 18 days each year, art was exhibited throughout the city in public parks and museums, in galleries and storefronts, in bars and on bridges. ArtPrize annually awarded $450,000 directly to artists.
Ran Ortner, with his “Open Water no.24,” was the original ArtPrize grand prize winner in 2009, as determined by public vote. He netted $250,000 for the honor, the largest monetary art prize at the time. In 2010, four juried awards were added to the competition and ArtPrize continued to evolve over the years to keep the experience fresh and surprising. A list of all ArtPrize winners can be found here.
During the mid-term elections, every school district within Kent County has board positions that will be up for election.
School board positions are non-partisan with terms either being four or six years. Several of the districts in the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming have partial term seats open as well. This means that a former board member had to leave their seat before his/her term has expired.
Both Godwin Heights and Kelloggsville each have a partial term seat that has no candidates running. In those cases, the district’s school board may appoint someone to fill the seat after the election, usually after Dec. 31 when the seat has expired. School boards have 30 days to fill an open seat.
Godfrey-Lee Public Schools
The Godfrey Lee Public Schools has two candidates running unopposed for two six-year terms on its board of education. The candidates are Josephine Coleman and Lynn D. Velthouse. Both currently are on the board. Velthouse is serving as treasurer and Coleman is a trustee.
Godwin Heights Public Schools
In the Godwin Heights Public School district, there are four candidates seeking two six-year terms for the district’s board of education. Those candidates are Adam Burley, Kathy Crow DeYoung, Megan Erskine, and Lee Ann Platschorre. Burley and DeYoung were appointed to the board in 2021. Platschorre is currently serving as vice president and has been on the board since 1991.
Colleen Anderson is the only candidate seeking one of the two partial terms that end on Dec. 31, 2024. Anderson was appointed to the board to the board this year.
Grandville Public Schools
The Grandville Public Schools district area includes those living in Wyoming’s panhandle. In that district, there are five candidates seeking two six-year term seats. Those candidates are Erica Abel, Joe Steffes, Trent Joseph Taylor, Bob Wondergem, and Cameron Zbikowki.
Abel is a a teacher at Byron Center Public Schools and is a third generation Grandville graduate.
Steffes is a retired lieutenant from the Wyoming Police Department. He has had two children who graduated from Grandville Public Schools and has two children currently in the district.
Taylor is a 1989 graduate of Grandville High School and is a partner at Miller Canfield. Taylor has had one child graduate from Grandville in 2022 and has two in the high school.
Wondergem is the only incumbent running, having been on the board for 21 years. He has two children who have graduated from Grandville Public Schools.
Zbikowski is a 2004 Grandville graduate and a graduate of Grand Valley State University, He is currently studying for a his masters in public administration at GVSU and has served as a substitute teacher in Grandville Public Schools.
For more on the Grandville Public School Board candidates, click here.
Kelloggsville Public Schools
The Kelloggsville Public Schools has two candidates running unopposed for two six-year term seats and no one officially is listed for a partial term that ends in four years on Dec. 31, 2026.
The two candidates seeking the two six-year term seats are Crystal Reidzas and Gladys Townsend. Both Reidzans and Townsend are on the board serving as trustees.
Kentwood Public Schools
For the Kentwood Public Schools, there are three four-year term seats and one two-year term seat that ends on Dec. 31, 2024.
Four candidates are seeking the three four-year term seats. Those candidates are Pete Battey, Sylvia A. James, James Lewis Jr. and Kim Taboada-Arzate.
Battey is currently serving on the board as the treasurer. He is the director of resident engineering at Steelcase and has two children in Kentwood Public Schools.
James is currently on the board serving as a trustee. She is a senior human resources manager and has two children who have graduated from Kentwood Public Schools.
Website: None
Lewis is currently on the board serving as a trustee. He is in retail management and has one child attending Kentwood Public Schools.
Website: None
Taboada-Arzate is a life-long Kentwood resident and graduate of East Kentwood High School. She is a community advocate and caregiver who is the parent of four Kentwood Public School graduates.
Tanya Powell-May is running unopposed for the two-year term seat.
Wyoming Public Schools
For the Wyoming Pubic Schools, there are two seats for a six-year term and one seat to finish an existing term that ends on Dec. 31, 2026.
There are only two candidates running for the two open six-year term positions. Those candidates are Jeff Norton and Audrey L. Zapata. Norton is currently serving on the board as the secretary and Zapata is also serving on the board as a trustee.
Two candidates are running for the four-year seat ending in 2026. Those candidates are Andrew Hanselman and Lisa Manley.
Meijer is joining with The Rapid for a job fair on Wednesday. (Supplied)
This “Roll With Us” fair will run from 4 – 8 p.m. Wednesday Oct. 5 on The Rapids’ Central Station and will help job seekers explore working for The Rapid and job opportunities at partner locations along bus routes. The fair will include West Michigan’s two largest employers, Spectrum Health and Meijer, as well as opportunities with Mary Free Bed, Kellogg’s, Gerald R. Ford Job Corps, and Hope Network.
“We are so excited to partner for this job fair,” said Micalah Webster, talent selection manager with Spectrum Health. “It’s a great opportunity to connect with the community, share information with job seekers, and highlight many of the positions we have available, from patient-facing roles delivering care to roles behind the scenes that help keep our business running. Many of the positions we are hiring for are in locations served by The Rapid.”
Hosting the fair at Rapid Central Station makes attendance more accessible to people without personal vehicles. Attendees can take Routes 1 through 15 and the Silverline directly to the job fair. For job seekers traveling by car, free parking will be available in the lot in front of Rapid Central Station at 250 Cesar E. Chavez with the entrance on Williams Street.
The Rapid will be offering on-site interviews and making offers for bus operators and vehicle technicians at the “Roll With Us” job fair. The transit agency offers paid training, great benefits, and the opportunity to work with a group of people who take pleasure and pride in making an important difference in the lives of others.
Spectrum Health also has many opportunities available for job seekers. “We offer a wide variety of opportunities, including entry-level positions with on-the-job training,” Webster said. These positions offer a great way to get started in healthcare, even if an applicant does not have experience, and can lead to long-term careers.”
The job fair will feature Mexcellente, a local food truck, to give participants a chance to purchase food while exploring career options.
The Rapid is hosting a job fair at its Central Station on Wednesday. (Supplied)
Although The Rapid has hosted job fairs in the past, this is its first venture inviting partners to participate. Employers choose to invest in this community because it provides transportation options for its employees. Public transit serves as an economic engine and partnerships are fundamental to the success of transit and growing a more sustainable community.
“The Rapid provides more than just transportation – we create opportunities and connections within our community,” The Rapid CEO Deb Prato said. “We’re excited to welcome our partners to the Roll With Us job fair to connect transit riders with transit-friendly employers. I’m also excited to meet the people who choose to join our team as operators and technicians. The people in these roles are the backbone of our organization and community.”
Kent County Sheriff Deputations Krystal Stuart with her former K9 partner, Axel. (WKTV/Jodi Miesen)
It was after a mom approached Kent County Sheriff Officer Krystal Stuart that she knew just how much K9 officer Axel had meant to the community.
Axel died of an undiagnosed heart condition while tracking a suspect in August of 2021. The mother tracked Stuart down in the sheriff department’s parking lot. She told Stuart that her nine-year-old son cried when he saw the news about Axel because he thought of Axel as “their dog.”
“And that just broke my heart because it wasn’t just me that was feeling it,” Stuart said. “It was all these other people that were upset and crying over my dog. You know, and when you have a personal dog, you have your friends and family and people that are sad about it.
“But on such a large scale. I could never have thought that that would have ever happened, that he touched so many lives.”
Not a match made in heaven
Because of her love for animals, Stuart was intrigued by the Kent County K9 Unit and joined in 2019. She had no idea what that was going to entail.
One of Deputy Krystal Stuart’s favorite photos of Axel. (Courtesy, Deputy Krystal Stuart)
Then came the 63-pound German Shepard named Axel. He was just 16-months-old at the time and what many would call a second-time handler dog, not one that a first-time handler such as Stuart should have been assigned. Axel was to be the first explosive detection dog for the Kent County Sheriff’s Department.
However the handler and the K9’s relationship was a rollercoaster from the start.
“The beginning was horrible,” she said. “I had not picked Axel. Axel was actually my third pick. I passed him up because he came into the testing site just digging his claws into the dirt and letting out this Banshee cry…I was like, ‘Wow, I don’t want to deal with that. I’m not gonna. I don’t have the patience to deal with that dog’. So, I passed him up.”
But in the end, Axel became her dog. She was stuck with him. Now came the part of figuring out how to work with each other.
Building the team
“He was a very dominant dog, a very aggressive dog,” she said. “We had to figure out how to respect each other. It wasn’t going to be me ruling over him or him ruling over me. We had to have this mutual respect and I didn’t know how to do that in the beginning. So, him and I battled for the first six months.”
Working dogs such as Axel come with a high drive which is necessary for police work. That drive also comes with its own set of challenges.
“We want dogs that are not going to give up,” she said. “Dogs that are going to continue working until basically we tell them to stop, or they are forced to ‘stop.’
“These dogs are constantly doing something. So, when they’re not working, they can get naughty, because they just want to be working.”
‘Not what I signed up for’
By December of 2019, things got so bad Stuart began questioning if she wanted to continue as a handler. She had experience with dogs, grew up with them and even had two at home before she added Axel to the mix. She also had a husband and two small children, ages 2 and 5, at the time.
“It was just a lot on my family,” she recalled. “It was a lot on me because he wasn’t a good house dog. He didn’t use too much energy to be around the kids. He didn’t get along with my husband very well. And I was like, ‘Yeah, this is not what I really thought I was signing up for.’”
Stuart said the two were living and working together, 24 -7. They were always together. Unlike with a regular partner, who gets to go home at the end of the day, they never got a break from each other. What made things worse is Axel identified Stuart with the job. He always wanted to be working and he didn’t know how to turn it off.
“We have some dogs on our team that when they come home, they can just be couch potatoes and just lay down and relax,” she said. “Axel was not one of those dogs. Because when he saw me, he was like, ‘What are we doing?’, and he was always on it. And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, we are literally just going outside to go to the bathroom, like just calm down.’”
The turning point
But December also was a turning point as Stuart got some help from trained professionals.
“I talked to a trainer and it was kind of like a come to Jesus moment,” she said. “They really helped me understand how to work with a dog like that in a way that I understood. And once I started applying the things that he had taught me; had told me about. We started building from there.”
By the time Axel passed away, Stuart said the pair were coming together and neither had to think about what the other was doing. They were working as a team. Stuart acknowledged that Axel still tested her patience, but things weren’t as hard anymore.
He did what he loved
It was in August of 2021, while working the first call of an overtime shift, things went bad very quickly. Stuart and Axel had responded to a call in Sparta about a possible home invasion. The suspect had fled the scene and Axel with Stuart began to track.
“It was very hot out that day,” she said. “We found one shoe. So, I knew we were on it. I don’t know, a couple 100 yards and we found the other shoe and I’m like we’re still on it. (The suspect is) stripping clothes, you know, either losing them in the thick brush or just stripping down.”
The team made it to an open area of a lawn and Stuart could tell that Axel was hot. She got water from some people in the area. Recognizing that they were closing in on the suspect and knowing another dog was on its way to relieve Axel because of the heat, Stuart said she felt OK wrapping up the track. They were eight minutes into it.
“After he got water, he jumped back up and start tracking again,” Stuart said. “And I was like, ‘Hey’ I’m like, ‘We’re done.’ So, we had to get out to the field.He picked up the track again and started tracking up the field. And I was like, ‘Dude, we’re done like stop.’ So, I yelled at him and was like, ‘stop!’
“But these are those dogs. They want to finish the game and they want to keep working. So, after I told him to stop, he collapsed.”
An undiagnosed condition found to be the cause
Stuart didn’t know what had happened until a necropsy, an animal autopsy, was performed. She was later told he died of an undiagnosed heart condition. Axel was three-years-old and weighed 96 pounds when he died. He had grown into a strong, muscular, powerful German Shepard.
There was nothing that could have done to prevent it. Stuart said it was explained to her that it was similar to when an athlete dies unexpectedly after vigorous activity. In the end, Axel died doing what he loved.
Stuart says she took his passing hard. He was more than a pet. Axel was such a big part of her life and for that reason, there were no breaks from the grief.
“I was at home and then I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I feel him here. I want to go to work.’” she said. “And then I have an empty cruiser…I couldn’t get away from it.
“And so that was one of the hardest things I think I had to deal with.”
An outpouring of love from the community
Axel was connected to the community. Every morning in the field he could have been seen doing obedience training or just playing ball. A week before Axel’s death, Stuart was working as a school resource officer for the Cedar Springs School District for the district’s first week of school.
Kent County Sheriff Deputy Krystal Stuart stands with artist Kathie Van Hekken next to a portrait Van Hekken drew of former K9 officer Axel. (WKTV/Jodi Miesen)
Because of Axel’s connection to the community and being part of the Kent County Sheriff’s Department, the toughest part for her children was that Axel’s death was so publicized.
“When our personal dog passed away, it was hard because that was their dog,” she said. “But then when Axel passed away, everybody in the community knew. And so, teachers, principals, friends were all coming up to them.”
That outpouring included a Rockford artist, Kathie Van Hekken, who offered to create a 44- by 44- color pencil drawing of Axel, which is on display at this year’s ArtPrize at First (Park) Congregational Church, 10 E. Place Pl. NE. Part of the exhibit includes educating the public about the Kent County Sheriff’s Department’s K9 Unit, which is donation based.
A little about working dogs
There are currently 10 K9s covering all of Kent County for the sheriff’s department. Stuart said the department relies on the K9 Unit to make situations less dangerous and more hands on for officers. They can detect explosives, track suspects, secure buildings, or be used as a compliance tool with Stuart adding some people are more likely to comply when you get a dog out and they start barking.
“And it helps officers in different situations as well, especially with people who are trying to run or fight, you know, our deputies,” she said. “So they do a lot in the community. And I think with Axel passing, we really saw how much the people in the community recognize that.”
The new partner: Meet Kai
Stuart decided to stay on with the K9 Unit and this May a German Shepherd Belgian Malians, weighing in at 20 pounds less than Axel, named Kai became her new K9 partner. She started training Kai in July and he has been on the road with her since the beginning of August.
“He has more energy than Axel, which I didn’t think was possible, because Axel was crazy!,” Stuart said. “This dog is just as crazy! And both of them are bulls in a China shop.”
There is also a bit of resemblance.
“We just took pictures for our calendar fundraiser that we’re doing for 2023,” Stuart said. “I have a picture of Axel in the background and I have Kai on a table and they look oddly familiar, like similar. If you didn’t know, you would think it was almost the same dog,” then quickly adding, “Kai, he is his own dog.”
Axel left his mark, helping her to be a better handler for Kai, whose is progressing in his training. It usually takes about two years of training before a dog like Axel or Kai are solid work dogs.
“He set me up for success with my new dog,” Stuart said of Axel. “He taught me patience, how dogs tick. How they work. What to let them get away with and what not to let them get away with. He taught me all that and so I wouldn’t be the handler I am today without the experiences that I went through with Axel.”
Axel may not have been the dog Stuart wanted but he ended up being the dog that left his mark on the heart of his community as well as his handler.
Artist Kathie Van Hekken and Kent County Sheriff Officer Krystal Stuart shown with the portrait of Axel created by Van Hekken. (WKTV/Jodi Miesen)
When Rockford resident Kathie Van Hekken learned about the death of Kent County Sheriff K9 officer Axel, it spurred her into action.
“I saw it on TV the day he died,” said the 76-year-old artist of Axel, who died from an undiagnosed heart condition while tracking a suspect in August of 2021. “And I love dogs. I love pets. I know I have the skill to draw them…And I thought you know what? I could take something so sad and I can do some good with this.”
Her something good was the creation of a 44- by 44-inch color pencil portrait of Axel that is currently part of the 2022 ArtPrize exhibit. The piece hangs at the First (Park) Congregational Church, 10 E. Park Place NE.
A late bloomer in art
Van Hekken discovered her passion for art later in life, after stumbling upon it about seven years ago. Her mother was an artist who dabbled in oil paintings. Van Hekken had inherited her mother’s art supplies when she passed away in 2005, but it wasn’t until years into her retirement that Van Hekken finally got them out.
Artist Kathie Van Hekken admits her passion for art started several years after she retired as an engineer. (WKTV/Jodi Miesen)
“I went to one of those wine and women kind of things,” she said. “I took my paintings and I showed them to the teacher, and I asked if he could teach me what I was missing. And that’s when I started learning.”
She shared her desire to be “good enough” someday to be an ArtPrize artist and with encouragement from that teacher it happened in 2015 when Van Hekken entered her hand drawn, nine feet tall sunflowers.
Making a connection
Through a mutual acquaintance, Van Hekken reached out to Axel’s handler, Kent County Sheriff Officer Krystal Stuart about getting permission to create the piece.
“She told me how big it was going to be and I was like, ‘What?’” Stuart said. “Like, I didn’t even know that was possible, especially for like color pencil, like a drawing, you know. I was like, ‘How is this even going to be a thing?’”
Van Hekken admitted once she got Stuart’s permission, the project was a little nerve wracking as she wanted to do “a really good job.” Stuart was with her every step of the way, coming over regularly to see the piece as it progressed in its various stages and to let Van Hekken know she was heading in the right direction.
“The first conversation we had, we talked,” Van Hekken said. “She told me stories. I’ve learned that I have to know what I’m drawing. If I have an emotional attachment, it will come out. You know, when people say that I captured Axel, that’s because she made sure I knew Axel, even though I had never met him.
‘Hi, Axel’
Through this process and utilizing one of Stuart’s favorite pictures of Axel, slowly he emerged through the drawing.
The portrait of Axel that artist Katie Van Hekken used for her piece. (WKTV/Jodi Miesen)
“I think I had his ears and a little bit of his face,” she said. “And I had sketched in his mouth and I could see him for the first time for me, other than a photograph. And it was like, ‘Hi Axel.’ And I cried for him. It was just really emotional. It still is.”
It took Van Hekken about seven months to complete the massive art piece and as soon as it was, the first person she had to see it was Stuart.
“She was quiet,” Van Hekken said. “She just stood quietly and looked at it. It was very, very touching.”
And for Van Hekken, Stuart’s reaction was payment enough.
“She did a phenomenal job capturing his essence,” Stuart said. “He had that, like I say, twinkle in his eye, which sounds so cliché, but he really did when he was not in work mode. He had this goofy, like ‘I’m a big doofus look in his eye.’ And then when he was working, it just went black.”
Celebrating Kent County Sheriff’s K9 unit
Van Hekken said she chose Axel not only to honor him, but to raise awareness and money for the donation-based K9 Unit. Currently, there are 10 Kent County Sheriff K9s covering most of the county. The animals are trained to detect explosives, track suspects, secure buildings, or may be used as a compliance tool. Axel was the department’s first explosive detection dog.
Van Hekken said she had cards made with Axel’s portrait on them that she handed out when people visit her exhibit. The cards include a QR code to make a donation directly to the Kent County K9 Unit.
“She wanted to tell Axel’s story,” Stuart said. “She wanted to explain what the process was of getting Axel, what happened to Axel, the work that we put in and how much these K-9s actually do for our community.
“Because it’s not just having them and showing off and whatnot. I mean, they find missing children, they find vulnerable adults, suspects in places that we won’t. They protect our officers in different everyday situations.”
Sharing with the community who loved him
After ArtPrize, VanHekken will give the piece to Stuart, who hopes to donate it to the Kent County Sheriff’s Department. Stuart said she wants to share Axel with the community since he was “everybody’s dog.” Stuart is hoping to get approval to have it installed in the new North substation, which is scheduled to open in 2023 in Cedar Springs. Stuart said the location is fitting since northern Kent County was their home base “and those are the residents that had seen him the most.”
Van Hekken said she’s proud to be a part of the project. For her, it was a labor of love.
“I never entered ArtPrize thinking I would win, she said. “I just wanted to do something good. I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to call attention to the K9 Unit and Axel.”
And with a satisfied smile adding. “I’m already the winner.”
As Michigan enters peak color season, local officials across the state have nominated the best roads for motorists to enjoy the changing foliage.
Peak Michigan colors were predicted to start last weekend in the Upper Peninsula and end at the state’s southern border Oct. 29. The County Road Association of Michigan compiled the statewide list of “don’t miss” local roads.
For a complete list of the fall color list, click here.
The more than 120 roads span the state.
The County Road Association named more than 120 routes as best for fall color, including the Fallasburg covered bridge in Kent County. (Courtesy, Kent County Road Commission)
There are plenty to choose from.
Michigan has the nation’s fourth-largest local road system. County roads account for 90,000 miles of roads and 5,700 bridges. Although the road association puts the list together, it relies on county officials for scenic road nominations.
All county road commissions were asked what county roads they would recommend to people who are interested in breathtaking fall views, said Dustin Earley, the manager of communications and engagement with the County Road Association of Michigan.
The association asks local commissioners to say, “Look, here’s my favorite road in my backyard,” Earley said.
Fallasburg a favorite in Kent County
“I just think as Michiganders we are really lucky because I’m not sure there is another state that is more beautiful in the fall,” said Maura Lamoreaux, the communications director for the Kent County Road Commission. “You can travel and just enjoy the colors of the season.”
Kent County has seven roads on the “don’t miss” list. Fallasburg Park Drive in Vergennes Township, 15 miles east of Grand Rapids, is one that stands out, Lamoreaux said.
“Fallasburg Park is not only a gorgeous ride, but it is also a beautiful park to take in the fall colors,” she said.
The Fallasburg covered bridge in Kent County sits on a route that made the list of best fall color roads in Michigan. (Courtesy, Kent County Road Commission)
The park’s covered bridge is a registered historical site that celebrated its 150th anniversary last year.
“You kind of feel like you are traveling back in time a little bit,” Lamoreaux said. “There is a sign that says ‘You will be charged $5 for speeding,’ which is a replica of the original sign that was posted on the bridge.”
Kent County promotes a local route with fall scenic views that is hundreds of miles long, Lamoreaux said. The county picks a few stretches of road to add to the statewide list.
Other roads in Kent County
Honey Creek Avenue from Pettis Avenue to Cannonsburg Road
Bailey Drive from Vergennes Street to Lincoln Lake Avenue
5 Mile Road from Lincoln Lake Avenue to Gavin Lake Avenue
Gavin Lake Road from 5-mile road to Belding Road
Wabasis Avenue from Belding Road to 12 Mile Road
Ramsdell Drive from 5 Mile Road to 11 Mile Road
Roads in Ottawa County
Lakeshore Drive from Grand Haven city limits to Ottawa Beach Road/Holland State Park
Hayes Street from M-11 intersection to Berlin Fair Drive/the Berlin Fairgrounds in Marne
Leonard Street from intersection on Leonard Street/S. Lake Avenue in Village of Spring Lake to Lamont
Mercury Drive/Green Street/N. Cedar Drive from Grand Haven to Riverside County Park
Chippewa County in the northeast part of the Upper Peninsula has four roads on the list.
The all-star route is Lakeshore Drive that runs along Lake Superior through the Bay Mills reservation between M-123 and Brimley, said Stephanie Boileau, a road design engineer for the Chippewa County Road Commision. “It doesn’t matter what time of year, it’s gorgeous.”
The route features Lake Superior, a tree canopy, the Bay Mills reservation, the Point Iroquois Lighthouse and multiple access points to beaches.
“It’s fantastic,” said Boileau. “It’s a road that makes you think, ‘Yes, this is why people love the Upper Peninsula so much.’”
When suggesting roads for the “don’t miss” list, she thinks about people looking to do fall color tours, Boileau said.
“We are looking for those deciduous hardwood trees, the ones that do turn color,” she said. “I also look at what other scenic opportunities you have besides trees. Is there interesting topography? Are there places to pull off and access recreational areas like a beach or state park?”
She prefers more rural areas and avoids submitting commuter routes.
It’s all about getting the best views
“Peak color means that if you can make it to that area within that time frame, you are probably increasing your chances at getting the best views of that color,” Earley said. “Earlier, things are just coming on and near the end of that date the leaves are starting to turn brown and fall off the trees.”
The association lists the roads every year. It subtracts roads undergoing construction or if the county chooses to have it removed. But the list is growing, not shrinking, Earley said.
Tourists are not the only ones benefiting from scenic fall tours in Michigan.
“Most everyone benefits when we have a good fall color season,” said Tony Haller, the executive director of the Sault Area Chamber of Commerce. “Our restaurants benefit from it, our hotels benefit from it, all our convenience stores and gas stations get people filling up for gas while they make their tours.
“I couldn’t name a favorite, but that’s the beauty of this list. It’s really the experts of these areas that are helping us list these roads.”
Liam Jackson is a journalist from Trenton, Michigan. He enrolled at Michigan State in 2018. His journalistic interests include feature stories and sports journalism. In addition to writing for Spartan Newsroom, Liam has also served as the News Editor and Sports Editor at Impact 89FM.
Kent County celebrates the opening of its new Parks Department office located at 1700 Butterworth SW. (Courtesy, Kent County Parks Department)
Kent County held a ribbon-cutting ceremony today for its new Parks Department office, located at 1700 Butterworth St. SW in Grand Rapids. The new office will provide administrative space for staff and improve public access to Parks operations.
This capital improvement project was approved by the Kent County Board of Commissioners in January of 2020. The $2.68 million facility was funded by the County’s Capital Improvement Program, which was established to reduce the size of debt associated with large capital projects.
“Our county parks are a pillar of our community,” said Kent County Board of Commissioners Chair Stan Stek. “The Board of Commissioners is very pleased that we were able to build this new facility without raising taxes or issuing a bond.”
The new facility features more than 7,000 square feet of office space, replacing temporary modular offices constructed in 2002.
“This is an exciting time for the County and has been a long time coming,” said Kent County Administrator Al Vanderberg. “The opening of this facility brings closure to years of hard work and equips our Parks staff with the resources needed to maintain our public spaces for years to come.”
Kent County contracted Progressive AE for Architectural and Engineering Services and JKB Construction as the General Contractor for construction.
The Kent County Parks Department manages over 6,800 acres of land including 42 properties and trails, offering a wide range of recreational opportunities. The new office will be open to the public Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
