Category Archives: Local History

Kentwood votes: Tyson, VanderMolen to runoff, complete candidate field set for November

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The City of Kentwood ‘s city complex. (City of Kentwood)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

City of Kentwood incumbent Ward 2 commissioner Tom McKelvey finished third in a three-candidate primary election Tuesday, Aug. 3, with Jessica Ann Tyson leading the vote — but not enough to avoid a runoff — and Dan VanderMolen coming in second.

With 100 percent of City of Kentwood’s seven Ward 2 precincts counted, Tyson gained 986 votes, VanderMolen 711 and McKelvey 576, according to final unofficial results supplied by the Kent County Elections Office. Tyson’s total was not 50 percent plus 1 of the votes, which would have given her the Ward 2 seat outright.

Of the 19,867 registered voters in Ward 2, only 2,301 voters cast a ballot, or 11.58 percent, according to the county elections office.

“I am honored and humbled that Kentwood residents took the time to vote for me. To others who supported our campaign, I am thankful that you understand how passionate I am about my community,” Tyson, an owner of three local businesses, said to WKTV.

“Everyone is talking about ‘diversity’. Sad it has become a buzz word made popular to tingle ears to sound more WOKE. With more than 51,000 residents and over 80 different languages spoken, Kentwood is a beautiful melting pot. The people who live, work and play in Kentwood need an authenticity diverse representative who is already involved in the community.”

VanderMolen, who is a project coordinator for First Steps Kent, praised both McKelvey and Tyson as he looked forward to November.

“I want to thank everyone who turned out tonight in support of my unique vision for Kentwood,” VanderMolen said to WKTV. “I also want to thank Tom McKelvey for his dedication and service to the city these past four years, and Jessica Ann Tyson for the experience she’s brought to the campaign.

“The three of us might not agree on everything from a policy standpoint, but we all share a love for our community and desire to help Kentwood thrive. I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity to continue having a productive, issues-focused conversation with the people of Kentwood over the next three months as we build towards the future together.”

Tyson also commented on the low voter turn out.

“With low voter turn out, it is apparent the community has voter fatigue and is tired of politics,” Tyson said to WKTV. “This is a nonpartisan race. It is directly about the residents of Kentwood.  There is way too much at stake for our future, so we must not be weary now.”

Mayoral race tops ballot at November field is set

Mayor Stephen Kepley was out and about on Tuesday, primary election night — at Kentwood National Night Out events. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

In addition to the City of Kentwood Ward 2 runoff election set for the Nov. 2 non-partisan Kentwood ballot, city voters will also pick a mayor, two other council members, as well as vote on the city clerk and city treasurer positions.

Incumbent Mayor Stephen Kepley is being challenged by current City Commissioner Emily Bridson, incumbent Commissioner-At Large Betsy Artz is challenged by Leonica Riley Erwin, and two candidates will look to fill the Ward 4 seat vacated by Bridson, Clarkston Morgan and Meochia Thompson.

Running uncontested in the City of Kentwood elections is incumbent Treasurer Laurie Sheldon, and, now, incumbent City Clerk Dan Kasunic, will be unopposed as previous challenger Taylor VanderLaan is no longer on the ballot.

Mayoral candidate, and current Kentwood Commissioner, Emily Bridson was also out and about on National Night Out. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

All City of Kentwood seats are for 4-year terms. 

WKTV’s We The People available to candidates

As always, WKTV Community Media’s election season candidate coverage will include our We The People candidate videos. We The People gives all candidates the opportunity to record up-to-5-minute videos using their own scripts and unedited by WKTV.

For the November election all candidates (including unopposed candidates) will be invited to record videos in September for run and posting in early October.

 

WKTV Voices: 9/11 at 20: Local kid, college student, patient defender of Islam; the many roles of a young Muslim man

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Loie Ghannam, In Focus. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Continuing WKTV Journal’s series “WKTV Voices: 9/11 at 20 — Our Islamic neighbors 20 years later”, Loie Ghannam was born locally and is a Grand Valley State University student studying supply chain management and non-profit administration. His family is of Palestinian heritage and his parents immigrated to American 25 years ago.

He, however, was born and raised in Grand Rapids — “My Palestinian heritage, very proud of my Palestinian heritage … (but) I really have known nothing but Grand Rapids,” Ghannam said to WKTV.

And all his life, it seems, he has needed to defend his religion and his heritage, and dispel the misguided perception of some that being Muslim is somehow akin to being a terrorist. But it has not always been easy.
 

“I was a baby when 9/11 happened,” Ghannam said. “It was something that really set the stage for Muslims, not just in the United States but, I guess, in the West. What I’ve been told, my whole life, is that because of this you are going to be put in certain situations that might be a little difficult. You are going to be, sometimes, confronted in public. You are going to have questions asked that might not be comfortable.

“It has always been ‘This (9/11) happened, but always make sure you distance yourself from it.’ And that is simply because it got to a point where, for the lack of a better term, your safety depended on it.”

Ghannam, however, says as he has grown he often welcomed the opportunity to discuss Islam, his heritage and why 9/11 must not define an entire religion. (See the video clip above.)

For the complete WKTV Voices: 9/11 at 20 interview, including Ghannam’s view of the historic and continuing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, visit WKTVvideos on YouTube.

 

Loie Ghannam, on set at WKTV Journal In Focus. (WKTV)

This special WKTV Voices project presents video interviews, and online/print stories, covering a range of personal stories of the 9/11 attacks and their impact over the following two decades. Following previous background interviews dealing with American Islamic history, global politics, and the current Islamic world, WKTV has presented the voices of Muslim community leaders and, most importantly, local Muslim American citizens, especially young people who grew up in the age of 9/11.

WKTV Journal’s “Voices: 9/11 at 20 — Our Islamic neighbors 20 years later” airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos. Online/print stories are available by searching “9/11 at 20” on WKTVJournal.org. You can also search Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with the Hashtag #voices9/11at20.

As courts come out of pandemic restrictions, trial backlog exists but jury numbers may also be an issue

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The Kentwood Justice Center which houses 62-B District Court and the Kentwood Police Department. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

All sides within the Kent County courts’ criminal trials system know that after more than a 18 months of a pandemic-related pause of in-person trials there will be issues as courts slowly resume a courtroom calendar — most especially a backlog of criminal and civil cases awaiting trial, a backlog that could take more than a year to clear.

All Kent County courts handing criminal trials — from the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood’s smaller 62A and 62B district courts, to the larger countywide 63rd District and 17th Circuit courts — are now scheduling trials.

Kentwood’s 62B recently reported it held its first in-person trial in June and currently has a dozen or so scheduled through the end of the year — “We have a slight back log of cases waiting trial … All other hearings are current at 62B District Court,” a spokesperson for Judge Amanda Sterkenburg’s office told WKTV.

The 63rd District Court, however, will not begin criminal trials until mid-August, and their backlog could stretch out well into 2022 before a “sense of normal” returns, a situation most larger courts across the state are facing.

63rd district court Judge Sara J. Smolenski (Kent County)

“What is a sense of normal in the court system, that is a good question,” 63rd district court Judge Sara J. Smolenski said to WKTV. “Obviously, the pandemic has taken its toll on every aspect of our lives. Here at the Court,  we  are working daily to have things be more normal or resume to normal, but it is constantly evolving. A good guess would hopefully be by the end of 2021.”

While Judge Smolenski is, maybe, optimistic about the backlog, the leaders of the two criminal trial lawyer groups often in opposition in the courtroom — the Kent County Prosecutor’s Office and Kent County Office of the Defender — are not so optimistic.

“It will take at least a year to get back to ‘normal’ in my estimation,” Prosecutor Chris Becker said to WKTV. “There is such a backlog of cases, while adding new ones through all of this, there just is not an easy and fast way to catch up. It is going to take time to work through all of them.”

“Misdemeanors (in District Court) are a little better positioned for returning to normal sooner than felonies in Circuit Court,” Chris Dennie, Director, Kent County Office of the Defender, said to WKTV. “Even though there is quite a backlog, I can see getting close to usual in about a year.”

In general, the Kent County District Court system handles trials of civil suits involving $25,000 or less, and adult criminal misdemeanor offenses punishable by up to one year’s imprisonment. The Kent County Circuit Court is the trial court in all civil cases involving more than $25,000, in all criminal cases where the offense is a felony or a serious misdemeanor, as well as all domestic relations cases, and all child abuse, neglect, and delinquency cases.

No shortcuts in criminal cases during pandemic

All sides in the county’s legal system also make clear that while judges and opposing lowers have been “creative” is handling cases during the pandemic, nothing has been done to simply push cases through.

“Every case is dealt with on an individual basis,” Judge Smolenski said. “The right to a speedy trial is very important, but no one has ever been through a pandemic like this where for many months you couldn’t bring jurors together for a case. Defense attorneys and prosecutors are working together to resolve the cases that can be resolved.”

Prosecutor Becker and Defender Dennie might argue that judicial point, however.

“The judges have tried to encourage resolving cases throughout the pause in jury trials,” Dennie said. “However, the prosecutors (both county and city) must be willing and the offices have made it clear they do not want to have what they call a “fire sale” on cases. There has been some work to resolve cases, but not enough to make a big difference.”

“I’ve told my staff to know and go over their cases and make the best possible offer they can, without violating the norms of what we do,” Becker said. “I’m sure if I offered a misdemeanor larceny $200-1,000 to someone charged with an armed robbery felony, they would take that deal. We could ‘catch up’ the docket pretty quick that way. We are not going to do that however; we still have to consider plea offers in relationship to long term public safety and the victims who were impacted by the crime.

“We have done things around the edges more, we have given more sentence recommendations perhaps, but nothing extreme. Judges have gotten involved more as well in this area.”

Backlog not only problem awaiting return to ‘normal’

Two other issues which could come into play with the resumption of jury trials after about 18-months is the as-yet resolved issue of defendants not gaining a “speedy” trial during and of a possible reluctance of citizen jurors returning to their civic duties live and in the courtrooms.

Becker, however, does not think the denial of a speedy trial will be a big issue, but he does hedge his bets a bit.

The idea “has been raised in other places, and I’m sure it will be brought up again. So I can’t say it is a settled part of the law at all,” Becker said. “I’m not sure how successful it will be however, when you had the (State of Michigan) Supreme Court saying trials were not allowed for a large portion of the pandemic. It is fairly unprecedented, but not sure how you can hold a trial when being told not do by the people who run the court system to some extent.”

However, when it comes to the issue of juror reluctance, Judge Smolenski, Prosecutor Becker and Defender Dennie each expressed concern.

“It has been the jury trials, wherein we were prohibited from having groups of jurors in the courtroom, that has become our biggest focus to resolve,” Judge Smolenski said.

“Not sure (but) hearing reports in other areas of larger amount of jurors not showing up when summoned when things re-started,” Becker said. There is “still fear out there, and people may not want to show up in a public area when ordered to. So it will be interesting to see how jurors respond when called to serve.”

And that possible lack of ‘a jury of peers” is particularly of concern to Defender Dennie.

“Defense attorneys have been very concerned about getting a fair and true cross section of the community for the jury pools,” Dennie said. “I’ve been told that in practice, so far, as they send out jury summons, very few people are asking to be released. So we remain concerned, but hopeful, that our clients are able to have fair juries.

Diversity, equity and inclusion In Focus as Kent County’s new chief inclusion officer visits WKTV Journal

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WKTV Journal In Focus Teresa Branson, Kent County Chief Inclusion Officer, July 2021

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

On this episode pf WKTV Journal In Focus, the continuing effort of the Kent County Commission and administration to make diversity and inclusion — at all levels of the county workforce — a focus.

More than simply another focus, actually, the county has made a commitment to fully embed diversity, equity and inclusion in Kent County’s strategic priorities. Firm evidence of that commitment is the recent promotion of Teresa Branson to be the county’s first Chief Inclusion Officer.

On the WKTV set, Branson talks a little about her history, and a whole lot about what her position, its duties, and the county’s commitment means to area residents. Included in the discussion is how her job, in brief, will be working with “county leadership teams, employees and community partners to build on the work that has already been done and to implement meaningful change” in the future.

“It’s about the people I work with. It’s about the people we serve, we have what 650,000 people in Kent County,” Branson said. “At the end of the day, I want to know I have done something to make a difference. … doing something as important as ensuring people feel like they belong, in our workforce, and more importantly for every single person that comes in our door.”

Teresa Branson, Kent County Chief Inclusion Officer, on the set of WKTV Journal In Focus. (WKTV)

For the complete WKTV Journal In Focus interview, visit here.

Branson holds a Master of Health Administration from Grand Valley State University and a Bachelor of Science in Public Health Education from Central Michigan University.

Prior to her new assignment, she worked as the Deputy Administrative Health Officer for the Kent County Health Department (KCHD). Prior to that, she held numerous public health education positions within KCHD, Child & Family Services of West MI, Inc., and Arbor Circle Corporation.

WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.

Chamber of Commerce Candidate Forum, 2021 Primary Election: Kentwood City Commissioner Ward 2

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By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

The Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce hosted candidate forums for elections in the Wyoming and Kentwood area. One of them was the City of Kentwood City Commission Ward 2 candidate forum. The forums were produced through the facilities of WKTV Community Media.

Kentwood’s Ward 2 includes voting Precincts 10-18, roughly the east and northeast areas of the city. For a precinct and ward map, click here.

The non-partisan candidates are incumbent Tom McKelvey and challengers Jessica Ann Tyson and Dan VanderMolen. The top two vote-getters will move on to the November general election (unless one of the primary candidates get 50 percent plus 1 vote in the primary, in which case they will win the seat).

Note: Commissioner McKelvey and Ms. Tyson were able to attend the forum via Zoom; Mr. VanderMolen was not able to attend.

Kentwood City Commissioner candidate forum will air on WKTV Government 26, Friday, July 23, at 8:50 p.m. (immediately following the rebroadcast of this week’s Kentwood Commission Meeting), on Wednesday, July 28, at 8 p.m.; Friday, July 30, at 6:30 p.m.; and Saturday, July 31, at 1 p.m. It is also available on demand at WKTVvideos on YouTube.

For more information on the candidates in the City of Kentwood City Commission Ward 2 primary election, see this WKTV Journal story on our We The People videos of the race.

 

Public, with RSVP, invited to Michigan Veterans Homes GR open house July 22

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A memorial and a new building at West Michigan’s veteran-care facility. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

The Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids, a local facility previously called the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, will hold an open house of the new new facility on July 22 from 3-7 p.m., and the public is invited.

The Michigan Veteran Homes GR is located at 2950 Monroe Avenue, NE, Grand Rapids. (For a WKTV Journal story, video and photographs on the new facility, visit here.)

The event is hosted by the Michigan Department of Military and Veteran Affairs, Michigan Veteran Homes and the Michigan Veterans Facility Authority Board of Directors.

Paying respects to veterans: a Scout places a flag at a graveyard near the new Michigan Veterans Homes GR. (Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs)

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our community members, veteran service organizations, and other stakeholders to take a 30-minute tour of the new Home,” Tiffany Carr, Michigan Veteran Homes, said in supplied material.  “Although our current members and their families have had the opportunity to tour the new home, we felt that it was also important to provide our community partners with the opportunity to see what we’ve been working on.

“We’re looking forward to the chance to meet with those curious about the new Home, as well as provide information about admissions, volunteer opportunities and other ways the community can help support our Heroes.”

Those interested in touring the home should RSVP by July 19 at this link or to email her at CarrT1@michigan.gov.

Construction on the new home began in April 2019. Funding for the project came from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs State Home Construction Grant Program, which contributed $40.9 million, and the state of Michigan, which covered the remaining $22 million for a total project cost of $62.9 million, according to supplied material.

The facility, which will serve 128 veterans and dependents in need of skilled nursing care, occupies 153,000 square feet and consists of four unique neighborhood buildings and a community center.

The new building is designed to provide care in a more “home-like” environment rather than the older more institutional setting that used to exist. The neighborhood buildings contain private-resident rooms with ensuite baths and feature shared living and dining spaces.

The adjacent 33,000 square foot community center is the centerpiece of the home and features therapeutic facilities for behavioral, occupational, physical and group therapy, an exam room, chapel, barbershop and salon, café bistro and gift shop. Residents will also have access to outdoor courtyards which will allow them to observe the natural surroundings the campus has to offer.

West Michigan’s veteran-care facility held a small ceremony early this year to raise a 30- by 50-foot flag just off Monroe Avenue NE across from Grand Rapids’ Riverside Park. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

The Michigan Veteran Homes (MVH), according to supplied material, is the entity that provides day-to-day operational oversight of the state’s veteran homes on behalf of the Michigan Veterans Facility Authority and is a branch of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.

The MVH operates the Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids, the Michigan Veteran Homes D.J. Jacobetti in Marquette and the new Michigan Veteran Homes at Chesterfield Township.

For more information on the MVH visit: michigan.gov/mvh.

With primary Aug. 3, WKTV Election 2021 stories you might have missed

3-bottom, Election, Going Local, Local Faces, Local History, Politics, Upcoming Events, We The People,

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

Quote of the Day

“The most important office, and the one which all of us can and should fill, is that of private citizen” casting their vote.

Louis Brandeis, justice on the Supreme Court of the United States from 1916-39

2021 primary and general local election summary

When 2021 election filing deadline passed in April, the Kent County election office reported six candidates running for the open 28th District State Senate seat (more could be added if independents file) and there will be five contested elections in the City of Kentwood, including for mayor, city commissioners and the city clerk. Go here for the story.

Primary election, City of Kentwood, Commissioner Ward 2

The City of Kentwood Ward 2 includes three non-partisan candidates: incumbent Tom McKelvey and challengers Jessica Ann Tyson and Dan VanderMolen. The top two vote-getters will move on to the November general election (unless one of the primary candidates get 50 percent plus 1 vote in the primary, in which case they will win the seat). Go here for the story.

Primary election, 28th District Senate

Last year, Peter MacGregor stepped away from the 28th District Senate seat to take over the position of Kent County treasurer, leaving the seat open until the governor called a special election. Five candidates, two Democrats and three Republicans are seeking the nomination from their respective parties in the Aug. 3 primary. The top vote getters in each of the party elections (and possible independent candidates) will face off in the November general election. Go here for the story.

Fun fact:

80 million

More Americans voted in 2020 than in any other presidential-year election in 120 years. About 67 percent of eligible voters cast ballots, but that still means a third did not. That amounts to about 80 million people. Source.

WKTV Voices: 9/11 at 20: Kentwood ‘working family man’, yet Muslim who sometimes feels like an outsider

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By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Continuing the WKTV Journal In Focus series “WKTV Voices: 9/11 at 20 — Our Islamic neighbors 20 years later”, Hamid Elmorabeti, who was born and raised Morocco, leads a classic American immigrant family.

He and his family live in a quiet neighborhood in Kentwood where everybody had great lawns and kids ride their bikes. After first operating a trucking company with his family, he now works in truck maintenance. His wife, Mirsada, also works locally, and their son, Marwin, attends Kentwood Pubic Schools.

In our interview, Elmorabeti talks about his and his family’s journey to West Michigan and American citizenship, about that fateful 9/11 day 20 years ago when his wife advised him to not leave the house, and about how things have gotten better for local Muslims as that tragic day has become more history than nightly news.
 

The Kentwood family of Hamid Elmorabeti, at home prayer during COVID-19 mosque closure. (Courtesy of Elmorabeti Family)

But Elmorabeti, who has deep roots in the community — decades-long roots, admits he often still feels like an outsider.

“Yes, sometimes I do,”  Elmorabeti said in the interview. “Society, they choose how they look at us. We try as hard as we can to fit in. But sometimes it is really hard. I remember one time I was driving a truck … ”

This special WKTV Voices project presents video interviews, and online/print stories, covering a range of personal stories of the 9/11 attacks and their impact over the following two decades.

Following previous background interviews dealing with American Islamic history and global politics, we now present the voices of Muslim community leaders and, most importantly, local Muslim American citizens, especially young people who grew up in the age of 9/11.

WKTV Journal’s “Voices: 9/11 at 20 — Our Islamic neighbors 20 years later” airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos. Online/print stories are available by searching “9/11 at 20” on WKTVJournal.org. You can also search Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with the Hashtag #voices9/11at20.

Latino Community Coalition seeking nominations to have downtown alleyway named for local Latina

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By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

It is a City of Grand Rapids alleyway which will eventually bear the name of a local Latina woman and which the Latino Community Coalition hopes “will honor our rich history and the women to whom many families owe their legacies here in Grand Rapids.”

But the Latino Community Coalition knows that a woman who made an impact in Grand Rapids may well have lived and had family anywhere in West Michigan.

“Gentrification and displacement has been a significant factor shaping our migration story in Grand Rapids,” a spokesperson for the Latino Community Coalition Committee said to WKTV. “We encourage nominations from families across West Michigan and invite you to submit stories of your loved Latinas.”

“La gentrificación y el desplazamiento han sido un factor importante que ha dado forma a nuestra historia de migración en Grand Rapids. Alentamos las nominaciones de familias de West Michigan y los invitamos a enviar historias de sus amadas latinas.”

For information in Spanish see this. Para obtener información en español, consulte este.

HERencia_spanishDownload

The Latino Community Coalition is seeking nominations from the Latino community for a Latina women after whom they will be naming an alleyway downtown as part of the Downtown Grand Rapids alleyway activation initiative. They are calling their effort “HERencia.”

“We hope our community can help us by bringing forth a Latina woman who has passed on, but whose memory lives on in the minds and hearts of her family members,” according to an announcement this week from the coalition. “We want to honor the point of origin to which their family can trace their roots here in Grand Rapids.”

Instead of relying on accomplishments, awards and other merits, the group hopes to celebrate women who were the first in their family to set roots in Grand Rapid.

“We hope to elevate the stability they brought to their home, how they anchored the family for generations to come, and all the milestones and accomplishments for those generations we can now celebrate,” according to the coalition. “Her story is our story, and it will be archived at the Cook Library Center for future generations to always remember her. This alley will honor her life and legacy.”

The Downtown Grand Rapids alleyway activation initiative is meant to create permanent physical representation of our community in public places.

The Coalition is partnering with the Downtown Grand Rapids Inc on the project, as well as the Grand Rapids Community Foundation, which is located next to the alley which will bear the name.

“Grand Rapids Community Foundation is proud to partner with the Latino Community Coalition to honor the legacy of local Latina women who have helped shape our community,” Diana Sieger, president of the Grand Rapids Community Foundation, said in supplied material.
 

As part of that effort, the Latino Community Coalition is holding an online event July 20. Go here for the Facebook event details.

People in local Latino communities who would like to nominate a Latina from their family, neighborhood or community are encouraged to do so online in English or in Spanish at bit.ly/herenciaGR.

Nominations can also be submitted by visiting partnering agencies which can assist with filling out paper applications, including The Other Way Ministries, the Hispanic Center of West Michigan, the Latina Network of West Michigan, La Casa de la Cobija, Garfield Park Neighborhood Association, Isabel Media Studios, and the Grandville Ave Arts and Humanities.

The deadline to submit applications is July 31, after which the Latino Community Coalition will choose finalists and gather further information from each family, before making a final decision.

We the People 2021 Primary Election: City of Kentwood’s City Commissioner Ward 2

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By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

Note: For the Michigan Aug. 3 primary election, WKTV’s We The People program invited participation from all candidates. If they participated, their videos are linked here, For those who did not participate, either a candidate-provided biography/issues statement, or simply their name is listed. All videos are 5-minutes or less, and were not edited in any way by WKTV.

The City of Kentwood Ward 2 includes voting Precincts 10-18, roughly the east and northeast areas of the city. For a precinct and ward map, click here.

The non-partisan candidates are incumbent Tom McKelvey and challengers Jessica Ann Tyson and Dan VanderMolen. The top two vote-getters will move on to the November general election (unless one of the primary candidates get 50 percent plus 1 vote in the primary, in which case they will win the seat).

Note: Commissioner McKelvey chose not to record a We The People video

Tom McKelvey – Incumbent

Occupation: President of Leadership Consulting Associates

Why did you decide to run for this position?

When I decided to run in 2017, I ran because I wanted to get involved and make a difference in Kentwood. Over the past 4 years, I have grown into a stronger leader for Kentwood citizens. I am running again, because I feel with my proven leadership experience, I can continue to help Kentwood create a vision for the future, that will create a strong, economically viable city for many years.

Please list two to three issues you feel your voters are facing:

Kentwood citizens and businesses have just come out of a challenging year. It’s time now that we use the funds that have been given to us to build a stronger business community through loans and grants, that we improve our parks and quality of life, and that we stay within our budget so that we don’t need to ask the citizens of Kentwood to increase their taxes. We have the funds to do all these things, we just need to have the discipline to manage citizen tax dollars wisely and fairly.


  

Jessica Ann Tyson — Candidate

Occupation: Business owner of The Candied Yam — Delightful Southern Cuisine; JA PR Group, LLC; Pink Lounge Dry Salt Therapy

Why did you decide to run for this position?

I want to continue and expand my volunteer service to the community I love, work and live in.

Please list two to three issues you feel your voters are facing:

Involved leadership — If you serve the community you must be genuinely and authenticity involved. You only know what the community needs if you show up. Lack of involved leadership will only cause further disconnect. Our community is changing and deserves leadership involvement.
 

The community of Kentwood is facing space deficits. From crisis with housing to available land for zoning uses, the right leadership can support with expertise and knowledge. The city needs active and forward thinkers in utilization and creation of spaces available that will make sense for our community and generations to come.

 

Dan VanderMolen — Candidate

Occupation: Project Coordinator at First Steps Kent

Why did you decide to run for this position?

I’m running for this position because I believe that the residents of Kentwood want a solutions-focused government that works for them, with them, to tackle the important issues facing the city. Kentwood has an incredible opportunity right now to establish a future of long term growth and development, and for that to happen we need to leverage all of our available resources and create intentional, strategic partnerships with the amazing people and organizations in our area. I have made community collaboration the focus of my career over the past ten years and know for a fact that If we work cooperatively we can create a thriving city that works for everyone. However, we’ll only be able to accomplish that if we pledge to focus on what brings us together, not what tears us apart.

Please list two to three issues you feel your voters are facing:

Affordable Housing: It’s no secret that Kent County currently suffers from an affordable housing crisis which extends to the community of Kentwood. Far too often our residents are faced with the difficult decision of whether to pay their rent or mortgage, or spend money on basic needs. As housing costs continue to climb, pricing many people out of the market, it is imperative that we provide effective measures to help people find safe, attainable housing no matter what the budget.

High quality, affordable child care: The Covid-19 pandemic illuminated a number of things about our world, one of which is just how important access to child care is to the health of our families, our community, and our economy. To address this crisis, we need to tackle it on two fronts: Lower costs for families and higher wages for providers. The only way to accomplish that is through targeted financial investment at the local, state, and federal levels.

Broadband internet: Another issue that became abundantly clear over the past year and a half is that not everyone in our community has equal access to the broadband internet services absolutely necessary to support remote learning and work. By working with local tech companies and internet providers we can develop the much needed infrastructure required to assure that nobody in Kentwood is ever left behind again.

As Wyoming’s own Brann’s Steakhouse turns 50, businessman/legislator Tommy Brann looks back, forward with his ‘family’

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Tommy Brann — small business owner and operator, and current State Representative — talks to WKTV about he and his restaurant family came together at the start of the pandemic shutdown. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Tommy Brann — the small business owner and operator, not the current State Representative and State Senate candidate — remembers his first day of work at Brann’s Steakhouse and Grill like it was yesterday.

But it was 50 years ago, and on Monday, July 5, Brann’s Steakhouse will celebrate 50 years of “serving sizzling steaks” to the West Michigan community with a special appreciation reception for its employees and customers from 5-7 p.m.

And, of course, Tommy will be there all day, wearing his customary blue apron, bussing tables, and talking up the staff and customers.

Tommy Brann in an undated historic photo. (Supplied) See more photos from over the years in slideshow below.

“July 5th, 1971,” Brann said about his first day, when he was just 19 years old, during a recent interview with WKTV. “We served 97 dinners and I remember one customer came in that day … a friend of my dad’s … and he bought the whole restaurant a drink. It was a hard working day for us.”

During the interview, he also stressed that he was a restaurant businessman before he was elected to serve the community in Lansing as a State Representative, and that no matter what happens in the next year or so, he will stay being a restaurant businessman.

(Rep. Brann is running for the open State Senate seat from District 28, with the Republican primary set for Aug. 3; and if he is not elected to the Senate, he will be term-limited out as a State Representative in 2022.)

“I really believe small business in the backbone of our country, of our state,” Brann said. “I really believe small businesses are job creators. … That is what I bring to Lansing.”

Brann also talked about how his restaurant survived the pandemic shutdown and business slowdown — due both to the “family” he has at his steakhouse and to his aversion to debt. (See video clip above for a story on the Brann’s “family.”)
 

And the restaurant survived. And so on Monday, July 5, it will be all about celebrating Tommy the restauranteur and the 50 years of Brann’s Steakhouse and Grill, located on Division Avenue in Wyoming.

Family, and work family, reflect on Tommy

“I am incredibly proud of my brother, Tommy Brann, for his dedication and commitment to being a business owner and restaurateur these 50 years,” Johnny Brann, Sr., owner of Grand Rapids-based, Brann’s Steakhouse and Grille, said in supplied material. “Tommy has made his restaurant a community icon and is known for his service and dedication not just to the business, but more importantly to his employees and customers.”

For most of those 50 years, Tommy opened and closed his restaurant, working from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m., 6 days a week, doing what is needed — from cooking to dishwashing to to bussing tables, and other less glamorous jobs.

Tommy has also spent 50 years being more than simply a boss to the employees at the steakhouse.

Tommy Brann, with his restaurant family from June 2021. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

“I have been an employee of Brann’s steakhouse for over 40 years,” senior executive waitress Jennie Lehnertz said in supplied material. “It truly is a family business. I work here, my daughter works here and now my grandson works here. It is my second home.”

The family atmosphere is echoed by Jermaine Jennings, executive waiter for about 30 years — “Tommy is not just a boss. He works alongside his employees and instills in us a sense of purpose. He’s always willing to help those in need and considers all of us who work for him and his customers his family.”

Five decades of restaurant ownership has brought ups and downs, especially throughout the past year in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. What has kept Tommy going has been his strong work ethic, his tenacity, and his belief that he can make a difference in the lives of others.

“I care about serving my community and helping others in need,” Tommy Brann said in supplied material. “My wife, Sue, and I are committed to making our employees and customers our family. We have used our restaurant as a way to provide food to the homeless and provide jobs for those who need one, including those with developmental disabilities. There’s no greater joy to me than seeing the smile on the face of someone we’ve helped.”

WKTV Voices: 9/11 at 20: Kentwood Muslim American couple work for American dream, remember fateful day

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WKTV Voices: 9/11 at 20 Interview Kentwood residents Aamir and Halima Ismail. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Continuing WKTV Journal’s series “WKTV Voices: 9/11 at 20 — Our Islamic neighbors 20 years later”, a modern American family working hard to attain the American Dream — who just happen to be Muslim.

Aamir and Halima Ismail are residents of Kentwood and members of Islamic Center of West Michigan. Aamir works as manager of financial systems for Amway and Halima works as a school improvement administrator for Grand Rapids Public Schools. The couple have two children, teenage boys Ibrahim and Da’ud , both of whom attend Kentwood Public Schools.

This special WKTV Voices project presents video interviews, and online/print stories, covering a range of personal stories of the 9/11 attacks and their impact over the following two decades. Following previous background interviews dealing with American Islamic history, global politics, and the current Islamic world, we present the voices of Muslim community leaders and, most importantly, local Muslim American citizens, especially young people who grew up in the age of 9/11. (If you have a story to tell us, contact Ken@wktv.org.)

The Ismails — she was born in the United States while he emigrated from Pakistan — have worked hard and prospered in West Michigan. They love the diversity of students in Kentwood Public Schools and live here partially due to that diversity.

But it does not mean they haven’t had to have “that talk” with their sons, a talk to prepare them in case they face any discrimination or other forms of bias.
 

“I think we have had to explain to them that there are matters of the faith and what they do represents the faith, and so I think we have used that to our benefit to help them see what they do is a representation of the faith, ” Halima Ismail said in the interview. “They haven’t necessarily come to us with instances of hostility but they have been encouraged to explain their faith, have been interested in sharing that information with their school and in their classes.

“But we do feel that, as parents, we have had to sit down (with them) and say ‘If you feel bullied, if this happens, if you are in the hostile environment, to walk away and speak to an adult.’ That is something, we have had those conversations.”

WKTV Journal’s “Voices: 9/11 at 20 — Our Islamic neighbors 20 years later” airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos. Online/print stories are available by searching “9/11 at 20” on WKTVJournal.org. You can also search Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with the Hashtag #voices9/11at20.

Aamir and Halima Ismail on the set of WKTV Journal In Focus June 2021. (WKTV)

Kent County Board of Commissioners select Ottawa County leader as new county administrator

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

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

After hosting a community forum and conducting third round interviews today, June 24, at a Kent County Board of Commissioners meeting, Kent County announced today that the board has selected Al Vanderberg, currently Ottawa County Administrator but with a history of working for Kent County, as its choice for the next county Administrator/Controller.

According to the announcement, Board of Commissioners chair Mandy Bolter “will enter immediate contract negotiations with Vanderberg with the aim of presenting a final contract for board approval” at the commission meeting on July 22.

 

Al Vanderberg (Ottawa County)

“This has been an exciting, thorough and transparent process that culminated with the selection of a strong, visionary and highly competent individual,” Bolter said in supplied material. “Thanks to our dedicated search subcommittee, our board of commissioners and the high level of community engagement in the process, I’m confident that Al will be the kind of leader who reflects the community’s priorities and can leverage Kent County’s assets for sustained growth and innovative service to our residents.”

Pending contract approval, Vanderberg is expected to take over the local job later this summer. He has been the administrator in Ottawa County since 2003 managing 1,200 employees who serve a population of about 300,000 residents. Immediately prior to joining Ottawa County, he was the Deputy County Administrator/Controller in Kent County from 1999-2003.

Vanderberg will take over Kent County’s top administrative position from Wayman P. Britt, who notified the board of his intention to retire last October. Britt has been with the county administration for more than 17 years and has served in the top spot since January 2018.

According to supplied material, the process to select Vanderberg was “a multi-faceted market outreach campaign targeting highly diverse recruitment sites across the country.”
 

A county-hired recruiting firm identified over 140 prospects and contacted more than 100 potential candidates and sources. From this group, the firm identified 13 external and one internal candidate to present for search subcommittee consideration on May 14. The subcommittee selected five candidates for first round interviews at public meetings on June 9 and 10, and three were advanced as finalists.

In all, the subcommittee met 10 times over the course of eight months, with all meetings noticed and open to the public.

Vanderberg’s resume

At his current position, Vanderberg is responsible for oversight of administrative and other departments within Ottawa County and serves on boards, committees and workgroups for numerous Ottawa County and community agencies and organizations, according to supplied material. Those duties included chair of the County Brownfield Redevelopment Board, president of the County Economic Development Corporation Board, and membership on the Grand Valley Metro Council Board, Lakeshore Advantage Board and Housing Next Board.

He began his career in Lenawee County in 1986, and subsequently served in city management in Greenville and South Haven.

Additionally, Vanderberg was appointed in 2018 by the Michigan Civil Rights Department to serve on the Michigan Council for Local Government and Education on Equity and Inclusion. In 2017, he was appointed to the Michigan Child Lead Exposure Elimination Commission by Governor Snyder and reappointed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2019. He is a member of the Government Finance Officers Association and the National Association of County Administrators.

He was president of the board of the Michigan Association of County Administrative Officials in 2011 and of the Michigan Local Government Management Association in 2010 and retains membership in both organizations.

WKTV Journal In Focus welcomes County Administrator Britt to talk business in the year of COVID, his pending retirement

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WKTV Journal In Focus with Kent County Administrator Wayman P. Britt, from May 2021. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

On the latest episode of WKTV Journal In Focus, Kent County Administrator Wayman Britt, who has been in the WKTV studio many times over the last four years since he took the position of lead administrator in 2018. But the next time he visits he will have a new title as on July 30 he will be ending his service to the country and its nearly 700 thousand residents, service which goes back almost two decades, to 2004.
 

On the WKTV set, we talk with Britt about current news within the county governance — including the county’s impressive and cooperative handling of the COVID-19 pandemic over the last year, several new county facility projects moving full-speed ahead despite the pandemic, and his personal challenge of leadership in this unexpectedly difficult time.

Kent County Administrator Wayman P. Britt. (WKTV)

He also details why he and the Kent County Board of Commissioners made diversity, equity and inclusion, in county leadership and staffing from top to bottom, such a priority that they recently hired Teresa Branson as its first Chief Inclusion Officer.

“We understand what (inclusion) is and what it means,” Britt said to WKTV. “And it is very, very important the we identify how do we increase the number of people in our community that are empowered and engaged to make our community a better place to live, to work.”

We also talk with Britt about the importance of coaching — on the baseball court and in government administration — and what’s next for the man whose motor is always running. (Hint: there’s a book in the works …)
 

WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.

Young Muslim American ‘brothers’ — only children in 2001 — living with shadow of 9/11

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Loie Ghannam, Mohamed Abdirahamn and Hamza Khan (from right with series writer/producer Ken Norris at far right) discuss growing up as Muslim Americans in the age of 9/11. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Loie Ghannam, Hamza Khan, Mohamed Abdirahamn and Mohamed Dahir — “there are a lot of Mohameds” in Muslim American society, you might be humorously told — are similar in many ways.

They are all currently college kids, they all have that certain style and vocabulary of American Gen Zers, and they are all not afraid to tell you what they think.

But the four are also “Brothers in Islam”, Muslim Americans who balance their deeply historic religion with their rightful place in modern American society, brothers who have grown up in the two decades since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on their country …

… brothers who have experienced the same misconceptions about their culture and their religion … experienced the same subtle if not blatant discrimination, as children and now as young men … brothers who, none-the-less, are working to thrive in today’s high tech economy and West Michigan community.

And while from different cultural backgrounds, their common experiences as youth brought them tougher.

“All our parents are of the same group, you know, we all kind of just got here, we’re trying to learn the language, trying to start a family here. So we quickly bonded,” Abdirahaman said during an early, informal discussion at the WKTV studios in May as part if the WKTV Voices 9/11 at 20 project. “Why we are good, close friends is that we grew up in America, but also shared our religion, our culture. We go to school together but we also go to prayer five times a day. We get together.”
 

Abdirahaman is a Grand Valley State University student, majoring in engineering. His family is of Somali heritage, and he came to America at age 2 when parents immigrated nearly 20 years ago.

Khan is a Michigan State University student, studying neuroscience. His family is of Pakistani heritage, but he was born in America after his parents immigrated more than 20 years ago.

Dahir is a Grand Rapids Community College student, studying information technology. His family is of Somali heritage, but he was born in Nairobi, Kenya, where his parents fled as they worked to immigrate to America, which occurred in 2004.

Ghannam is also Grand Valley State University student, studying supply chain management. While his family is of Palestinian heritage, he too was born in Grand Rapids after his parents immigrated to American 25 years ago.

Despite their common religious beliefs, their working for the American Dream like any other young person, the four had different and highly personal stories to tell when it came to how they first learned what happened on 9/11, how they react to people who out of ignorance or malice grouped the terrorists and every other Muslim together, and how they deal with that Islamophobia.

Biased representation and its consequences

“9/11 has impacted all of us in some way,” Dahir said. “What’s big for us, as Muslims, is (lack of) representation. There is not as many Muslims, here in the United States, as other parts of the world. For us, representation is key. Especially in the media, you know.

“9/11 has really impacted the media. If you ever go on and see a TV show … and you see any representation of Islam, it always has to do with something about terrorists. You know. … So many people watch that thing and have that exact representation of what the religion is like. … Some people are not around Muslims and they use that media to represent us.”

And that uninformed stereotyping has real world consequences — “I like to travel, I love traveling,” Dahir said. “But it is like at the TSA (airport security) at Grand Rapids, in the TSA lines. It’s like — ‘Oh, snap!’ — here comes another major check for us. Everybody else gets to go through but the guy named Mohamed has to stay back and answer some more questions.”

Islam is more than one country, region

“Other races, other ethnicities, face bias as well — but for us, there is an ‘X, Y, Z people all look the same’ (bias), but our countries could be thousands of miles apart,” Khan said.

“What bothers me, specifically in my case, is that if you take a look at our faith, at the countries where our faith is the religious majority. … You have African countries where Islam is the majority. You have Arab countries where Islam is the majority. You have Asian countries where Islam is the majority. Yet for some reason people lump us together.”

And that lumping together of people impacts Muslims of widely diverse background who share a religion but little more, yet also share being somehow tied to 9/11.

“Our religion is something within our hearts, something that we practice in private,” he said. “Yet being a Muslim, for some, puts a bull’s eye on our back. … It is something that we deal with.”

Similar lessons, different reactions to 9/11 questions 

Learning how to answer questions about the September 2001 attacks, how to react to the sometimes uninformed opinions, is something that each of the four brothers had to deal with — each in their own way.

“That is something we all have to kind of grow up with, figure out how to overcome,” Abdirahaman said. “I started hearing about (the 9/11 attacks), I didn’t know anything about it until I was like seven or eight years old. I started hearing about it and the jokes were coming, and all that stuff. And people were like … ‘What do you think about it?’

“For a long time I did not know the right answer. All I could say was ‘Of course it’s wrong, it’s bad. You can’t kill people.’ To this day, that is still the right answer. But at the same time it is like … Why is it my responsibility to say ‘That is bad’? It is those people (the terrorists) who should be accountable.

“What happened (on that day) was it put Muslims in a box. It put Islam in a box. It put the Arabic culture, language, all that stuff, in the box too. It was all the stereotypes, you put that into the box …. but Islam is more than just that. The whole meaning of Islam is peace.”

For Ghannam — whose Palestinian heritage includes struggles for a homeland that both predates 2001 and continues in current news — dealing with being a Muslim in the age of 9/11 was a lesson learned young.

“For me personally it started at a really young age, I remember going all the way back to kindergarten,” Ghannam said. “My parents would sit me down and say ‘You know, when somebody brings this up to you you always say “No. This is a religion of peace.”.’ That is the key catch phrase.

“It even got to a point where, you know, without me even knowing, I was speaking against my own religion just for the approval of the person in front of me. … But as I grew older, it wasn’t until recently, that I, like, think back to that situation and … think if they choose not to accept me, that’s on them.”

WKTV Voices: 9/11 at 20: leader of oldest local Muslim mosque, Islamic center saw local support in days after

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WKTV Voices: 9/11 at 20 Interview Imam Dr. Sharif Sahibzada, Islamic Center of West Michigan

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Continuing WKTV Journal’s series “WKTV Voices: 9/11 at 20 — Our Islamic neighbors 20 years later”, Imam Dr. Sharif Sahibzada, the spiritual leader and director of the Islamic Center of West Michigan, the first mosque and Islamic center in West Michigan, dating from 1985.

He has a wide-ranging perspective on the local Muslim American community as his mosque has often been the local landing point for Muslim immigrants from all over the world. But he also has a unique experience associated with the September 2001 attacks on America as he arrived just  months before that terrible day.

However, his strongest memory is not one of the bias he and his fellow local Muslims faced in the immediate aftermath, but the support he and they received.
 

Imam Dr. Sharif Sahibzada (WKTV)

“Overall, and in general, our host community, the Christians, they welcomed us, spoke with us,” Dr. Sahibzada said on the set of the WKTV interview. “There was one example at that time, there was one church, on Kalamazoo and 36th Street … they invited our whole community over for a dinner.”
 

This special WKTV Voices project presents video interviews, and online/print stories, covering a range of personal stories of the 9/11 attacks and their impact over the following two decades. After initial background interviews dealing with American Islamic history, global politics, and the current Islamic world, we will present the voices of Muslim community leaders and, most importantly, local Muslim American citizens, especially young people who grew up in the age of 9/11.

Among the topics Dr. Sahibzada discussed was the history of his mosque and Islamic center, his journey here to West Michigan and his Kashmirian background, and how the local Muslim American community is not just immigrants from the Middle East but of such diverse backgrounds as Bosnian and Somalian.
 

He also talks about his deep belief that God brought him to this place and this time 20 years ago, and brought him here for a reason.

WKTV Journal’s “Voices: 9/11 at 20 — Our Islamic neighbors 20 years later” airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos. Online/print stories are available by searching “9/11 at 20” on WKTVJournal.org. You can also search the web with the Hashtag #voices911at20.

Godfrey-Lee schools name interim superintendent as process to replace Kevin Polston begins

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Lee Middle and High School. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Anybody who knows Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, who has been inside the walls of the middle/high school complex and its other schools, knows that the last four years have been extraordinarily good years under the leadership of outgoing Superintendent Kevin Polston.

But life, and the ‘legendary’ educational and facility advancement of the district, will continue its movement forward as Polston leaves later this month to take over leadership of the Kentwood Public Schools system.

Dirk Weeldreyer (Supplied)

And the first step in that continuing path is the June 11 announcement that the Godfrey-Lee Public Schools Board of Education has appointed Dirk Weeldreyer to become interim superintendent effective July 1.

While Board of Education President Eric Mockerman had nothing but praise for the departing superintendent, he and the board see the district continuing to move forward, both in the interim and longterm.

“We have been blessed to have Kevin with us for the last four years and with his leadership we have gotten through some very tough times. Kevin has helped to build a very strong team and prepare us for a bright future,” Mockerman said to WKTV. “I am excited to have Dirk come on board with us and help us through this process. His experience and knowledge of our district as well as his other interim experiences will help to make this transition easier.”

Weeldreyer is expected to serve for six months to allow time for the district to complete a search process and appoint a full-time superintendent.

“We will take this time to establish a profile for who we want for our next leader and go through the process of searching for the right candidate,” Mockerman said.

Weeldreyer comes to Godfrey-Lee with nearly 20 years of educational leadership experience including nine years as the superintendent of Fennville Public Schools where he retired in 2017, according to supplied material. His more recent school district service includes serving as interim superintendent at both Caledonia Community Schools and Muskegon Public Schools.

He currently serves as the Executive Director of the School Equity Caucus, a statewide organization of approximately 200 school districts that seeks adequate and equitable school funding in Michigan.

“I’m very excited for the opportunity to serve the Godfrey-Lee Public Schools during this time of transition,” Weeldreyer said in supplied material. “The district has a well-deserved reputation for providing an outstanding educational experience for its students, and the many similarities between my previous district, Fennville, and Godfrey-Lee make me feel right at home.

“I look forward to building relationships with the staff, students, families, and community as we continue to provide an excellent education for our children.”

While there will still be plenty of work to do for a superintendent, in the short and long term, at Godfrey-Lee, the district has in the past four years accomplished much. It has cemented its reputation as a making its “minority majority” student population a strong and proud reputation, transitioned is sports image and district outlook moniker to become “The Legends”, and survived a partial collapse of the middle/high school building by, in part, getting passed a local bond measure to not only repair the damage but to fund massive facility and infrastructure improvements.

All of which were led by Superintendent Polston.
 

“I have been fortunate to serve the Godfrey-Lee community over the past four years,” Polston said to WKTV. “It is a truly special place because of the amazing people that call this district home. It will always have a special place in my heart and I will take the Legend spirit with me long into the future.”

WKTV Voices: 9/11 at 20: GVSU professor details Muslim-American social, political challenges and changes

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WKTV Voices: 9/11 at 20 interview with GVSU professor Dr. Dr. Gamal Gasim. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Continuing WKTV Journal’s series “WKTV Voices: 9/11 at 20 — Our Islamic neighbors 20 years later”, Grand Valley State University professor Dr. Gamal Gasim visited the studios to give some background on Muslin American culture and politics in the two decades since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Among several topics discussed was the current increase, if still small, influence of Muslim American political power.

“Like many other minorities who were subject before to discrimination in this country, from African-Americans, Jewish-Americans, Irish-Americans … other ethno-religious groups, Muslim Americans felt that in order for them to protect their civil rights, and to advance their own causes, they needed to engage politically, throughout the political process,” Gasim said.

(An “ethno-religious group” is defined as an ethnic group whose members are also unified by a common religious background.)

This special WKTV Voices project presents video interviews, and online/print stories, covering a range of personal stories of the 9/11 attacks and their impact over the following two decades. After initial background interviews dealing with American Islamic history, global politics, and the current Islamic world, we will present the voices of Muslim community leaders and, most importantly, local Muslim American citizens, especially young people who grew up in the age of 9/11.

Dr. Gasim’s field of study is comparative politics and Middle Eastern Politics. WKTV first met Dr. Gasim when lectured at the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan on the subject of the Arabian Peninsula country of Yemen, and he has written or contributed to many scholarly works, as well as articles for the Huffington Post, Al Jazeera and the Arab Daily News. He has also extensively studied and written on the subject of Muslim American culture and politics.

WKTV Journal’s “Voices: 9/11 at 20 — Our Islamic neighbors 20 years later” airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos. Online/print stories are available by searching “9/11 at 20” on WKTVJournal.org.

WKTV Journal In Focus talks past, present and future with soon-to-retire KPS Superintendent Zoerhoff

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WKTV Journal In Focus recently welcomed Kentwood Public Schools Superintendent Michael Zoerhoff in to talk about his years of service to the school system and its students. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Michael Zoerhoff has held many titles in the Kentwood Public Schools community over the last three decades, the latest of which has been Superintendent of Schools since 2013. He started as a teacher and, people will tell you, never quite got that out of this system. At the end of this unusually trying school year, he will be retiring.

Superintendent Michael Zoerhoff, Kentwood Public schools. (Supplied/KPS)

WKTV Journal In Focus recently welcomed Superintendent Zoerhoff in to talk about his years of service to the school system and its students, about ending his tenure during an unprecedented, unpredictable time for education, and — of course — we’ll find out what’s next on his journey.

Recently, when the KPS Board of Education announced its selection to become the district’s next superintendent, board president Mimi Madden said about about Zoerhoff that he “has nurtured and developed strong leaders on his administrative team.” Talking to WKTV, we go in-depth about his accomplishments, including always being teacher to students and a mentor to younger educators.

WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.

Michigan Veterans Homes GR’s Memorial Day includes private ceremony but public display of 5,000 flags

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Local Boy and Girl scout troops and volunteers recently planted more than 5,000 flags at the “gravesites of fallen heroes” at the local veterans cemetery adjacent to the Michigan Veterans Homes at Grand Rapids. (Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Due to ongoing pandemic precautions at the Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids, a planned Memorial Day tribute to America’s fallen heroes will be an invite-only event with a large turnout from the home’s members and their families.

The flags in front of the Michigan Veterans Homes at Grand Rapids. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

But the public can pay their respect with a walk around the veterans cemetery, now honoring veterans with small flags on the thousands of headstones, an effort made possible by the effort of local Boy and Girls scout organizations and well as other volunteers.

The Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids (MVHGR), previously known as the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, is located at 3000 Monroe Avenue, NE.The cemetery is adjacent to the veterans facility.

The state veterans cemetery was dedicated on May 31, 1886, 135 years ago this May, and hosts the graves of veterans dating back to the Civil War. according to supplied material. Formed in the shape of a Maltese cross, initially the cemetery was plotted for 262 graves with room for 1,048 but has grown to more than 5,000 gravesites today. The cemetery is open for visitation this weekend and visitors can access the cemetery through the main entrance on Lamberton Street NE.

Honoring veterans with flags of remembrance

The Michigan Veteran Homes, a branch of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, recently received assistance from local scout troops and volunteers to plant more than 5,000 flags at the “gravesites of fallen heroes” at the local veterans cemetery adjacent to the MVHGR.

Local Girls Scouts are also involved in the annual flag-planting effort. (Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs)

While family, residents, staff and community members have been placing flags individually over the years, the massive volunteer effort to blanket the cemetery with flags began more than 30 years ago. Bob Porter, a former financial management supervisor for the local facility who helped formalize the effort in 1991, said it began with a promise of a soda, according to supplied material.

“Al Hulsapple and Bill Gerber, who were members of the Home and volunteer scouts, would enlist the help of 10-20 scouts to plant flags in the cemetery,” Porter, who himself was involved as a scout leader for Boy Scout Troop 230 in Grand Rapids, said in supplied material. “It would take the scouts a few hours to blanket the cemetery and Al and Bill would toss them a soda at the end of the day and say come back again next year.”

While the effort began with the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts have become involved in recent years as well.

“The Girl Scouts appreciate the opportunity to join the legacy flag-planting event at Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids,” Krystan Krucki, director of marketing and communications for The Girl Scouts of Michigan Shore to Shore, said in supplied material. “It really does help inspire girls of all ages to honor veterans, honor our troops and find their own way to recognize the sacrifices that have been made by these individuals for our country.”

The placement of each flag includes a recognition of the veteran. (Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs)

Scouts are given instructions on how to properly honor the veterans buried at the cemetery. The process begins with a scout placing a flag to the left of the headstone, followed by reciting the veterans name and rendering a salute. Flags are delivered each year by the United Veterans Council of Kent County with special care taken to replace any flags that are torn or tattered.

“The City of Grand Rapids and its employees have been instrumental in raising funds to supply flags annually to make sure an American flag is placed at every veterans headstone within the city limits for Memorial Day,” Eric Nelson, a Navy veteran and commander of the United Veterans Council of Kent County, said in supplied material. “Each year we replace on average, 3,500 worn or tattered flags at the cemetery at Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids.”

While this year’s effort lacked elements of years past, the home hopes to return to celebrating the contributions by the scouts and local community in 2022.

“We’ve had anywhere from 500-800 scouts join us in the past,” Tiffany Carr, director of relations for the Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids, said in supplied material. “Even with restrictions and concerns related to COVID-19, all 5,000 plus flags were planted by the afternoon on May 20 as planned to honor our fallen veterans.”

Kentwood chaplain part of private ceremony

The Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, and Michigan Veteran Homes, Memorial Day event will include remarks by U.S. Army Brigadier General Scott Hiipakka, assistant adjutant general of the Michigan Army National Guard; Theresa Robinson, past commander of the United Veterans Council of Kent County; Bruce Johnson, DAV representative; Bruce Kalish, chaplain of the MVHGR; and Father Peter Vu, chaplain of the MVHGR and pastor of Saint Mary Magdalen Parish in Kentwood.
 

The ceremony will include a posting of the colors led by the MVHGR Member Color Guard, a rifle salute and Taps led by the Kent County Veterans Honor Guard and music by the Belmont Armory 126 Army Band and soloist Valerie Holstege.

WKTV introduces new series — Voices: 9/11 at 20 — with GVSU professor talking history, causes of attacks

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WKTV Voices: 9/11 at 20 Interview #1 Dr. Abdullah F. Alrebh, GVSU professor

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

WKTV Journal recently welcomed into our studio Grand Valley State University professor Dr. Abdullah F. Alrebh for the premier episode of “WKTV Voices: 9/11 at 20 — Our Islamic neighbors 20 years later”.

This special WKTV Voices project will present video interviews, and online/print stories, covering a range of personal stories of the 9/11 attacks and their impact over the following two decades. After initial background interviews dealing with American Islamic history, global politics, and the current Islamic world, we will present the voices of local Muslim community leaders and, finally, Muslim American citizens, especially young people who grew up in the age of 9/11.

Dr. Alrebh’s field of study is in Sociology of Religion and Sociological Theory, and he has published a number of academic articles and essays focusing on religion, the Middle East and its social movements, and education.

He is also very knowledgeable about the Arabian Peninsula region and specifically Saudi Arabia — a country forever linked to the 9/11 terrorist attacks as the plan’s leader, Osama bin Laden, who was the initial leader of the pan-Islamic militant organization al-Qaeda, was a Saudi.

WKTV Journal’s “Voices: 9/11 at 20 — Our Islamic neighbors 20 years later” airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos. Online/print stories are available by searching “9/11 at 20” on WKTVJournal.org.

‘Diversity, equity and inclusion’ at heart of Kent County’s creation of 1st Chief Inclusion Officer

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By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Teresa Branson, Kent County Chief Inclusion Officer. (Kent County)

Kent County announced last week that it has selected Teresa Branson as its first Chief Inclusion Officer — a position that will report to the Kent County Administrator and underscore “the organization’s commitment to fully embedding diversity, equity and inclusion in its strategic priorities,” according to the announcement.

Branson currently serves as the Deputy Administrative Health Officer for the Kent County Health Department (KCHD). Prior to that, she held numerous public health education positions within KCHD, Child & Family Services of West MI, Inc., and Arbor Circle Corporation. She will start her new  position May 24.

“We are fortunate to have someone as qualified as Teresa serve as our first Chief Inclusion Officer,” Kent  County Administrator Wayman Britt said in supplied material. “We elevated this role because we are committed to accelerating our efforts to be an inclusive workforce and to ensure we are being equitable in our service delivery. I am excited for Teresa to fulfill this role and help us expand our diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.”
 

According to the announcement, Branson brings to the job “extensive experience implementing strategic diversity and inclusion programs and processes.” During her tenure at KCHD, she provided direction for the department’s health equity initiatives and led several successful programs aimed at reducing health disparities. She has also facilitated health equity and social justice training sessions.

Branson serves on numerous community and statewide boards, including the Michigan Community Action Team of the Governor’s COVID-19 Racial Disparities Task Force.

“It is an honor to be selected as the first person filling this role at Kent County,” Branson said in supplied material. “I look forward to working with our leadership teams, employees and community partners to build on the work that has already been done and to implement meaningful change that will make county government more responsive in meeting diverse needs of our employees and community.”

“Inclusive Participation” was one of five strategic priorities identified in the county’s 2019 strategic plan. Over the past several years, the Kent County Board of Commissioners and administration have invested in programs to increase equity and inclusion in hiring, training and service delivery.

Branson will oversee all the county’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts and identify ways to improve the county’s ability to serve its employees and residents.

“Teresa has a wealth of experience that will help us develop best practices and break through potential barriers,” Britt said. “Our goal is to build a more welcoming workforce and community.”

Branson holds a Master of Health Administration from Grand Valley State University and a Bachelor of Science in Public Health Education from Central Michigan University.

Two sisters share the stories of haunted Michigan

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By Wayne Thomas
Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters

While dinning at a restaurant called The Whitney in Detroit, Beverlee Rydel took a photo that remains unexplained. The paranormal possibilities of this photo fueled a passion that lead to a 12-year crusade, often traveling tens of thousands of miles per year across Michigan to research paranormal activity. Rydel and her sister Kathleen Tedsen shared the adventure as they bravely ventured into a world of the unknown.

This paranormal pilgrimage and their tedious historical research culminated in Rydel and Tedsen becoming the award winning authors of “Haunted Travels of Michigan.” This three book series is a unique book and website interactive experience. Each story has its own “Secret Room” offering audio, video, and behind the scene colored photos online, where evidence can be reviewed. Rydel and Tedsen included several of Michigan’s top paranormal investigating teams at many of the haunted locations. Their common goal was to separate fact from fiction when it comes to ghost stories, urban legends, folklore, and myth. 

Beverlee Rydel

Honorably, if the authors were investigating a location and “no ghostly activity was identified,” they made it clear, “didn’t turn up any paranormal evidence,” and were not afraid to say “no ghosts” here at this time. Hunting ghosts can be a hazardous hobby with inherent risks and real dangers and is not recommended for amateurs. The serious side of the supernatural is explored as Rydell and Tedsen detail accounts of demons and deliverance. Deliverance is needed when obsession nears possession and can be defined as an exorcism.

Rydel and Tedsen followed their highly successful “Haunted Travels of Michigan” book series with their final book, a collaboration titled “Stepping Into Darkness.” Gone but never to be forgotten, Rydel passed away before the book was completed. Tedsen completed the project with chapter one covering Eloise Psychiatric Hospital, considered to be one of Michigan’s top ten most haunted sites. The author’s special connection introduces the reader to “Mark” a patient at the hospital. The personal insights are astonishingly detailed and descriptive.

Kathleen Tedsen

Another chapter is titled, “Lost Boy of Mackinac Island.” In this story the sisters put together clues from the previous year and are able to encourage the spirit of a young boy to cross over to the other side. Channeling peace to the living and the dead is the ultimate goal of ghost hunters. According to Rydel and Tedsen, “Something does exist out there…Something that can’t be explained…Something paranormal.”

Disclaimer: Since my last article on Mackinac Island, I interviewed Todd Clements and he no longer supports the details of “The Drowning Pool” story.  

Muskegon Museum of Arts exhibits celebrate 100th anniversary of Friends of Art support

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Ansel Adams (American, 1902-1984), “Half Dome, Merced River, Winter from The Photographs of Yosemite Suite” (Silverprint photograph, 1938. Gift of the Friends of Art, 1989)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

This year, the Muskegon Museum of Art is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Friends of Art, an independent non-profit organization established in 1921 that promotes the study of art and supports the museum.

Two exhibitions organized by the MMA recognize the contributions of the Friends of Art, highlighting works of art that the group has contributed to the MMA over the past century — including one exhibit featuring iconic photographs of Ansel Adams which opened Feb. 18.

The exhibit “Friends of Art: 100 Years” features almost 30 artworks donated by the “Friends” to the museum’s permanent collection over the decades.

Tunis Ponsen (American, 1891-1968), “Yacht Club Pier” (Oil on canvas, 1931. Gift of Friends of Art, 1931)

“Visitors will discover a rich diversity of objects along with some of the museum’s most significant works of art, including pieces by James Richmond Barthé and Paul Howard Manship and one of our signature paintings, Tunis Ponsen’s ‘Yacht Club Pier’,” Art Martin, MMA senior curator, said in supplied material.

The exhibition runs through May 2, and includes a video, “Friends of Art 100th Year Anniversary”, which tells the story of the history of the group through the years. The video and exhibition information can be found here.

Also on exhibit as part of the celebration is “Ansel Adams: The Photographs of Yosemite Suite” which features 24 iconic images taken in the 1940s of Yosemite National Park — the location and pictures that defined Adams’s internationally celebrated career.

In preview material of the exhibit, it is stated: “The artistic and technical contributions Ansel Adams made to photography established him as a legendary figure in American art. Seen by millions of viewers during his lifetime, Adams’s images documented the American wilderness, capturing transitory moments of light and weather that gave his subjects an emotive power not previously seen in landscape photography.”

Friends of Art members purchased the photographs for the museum collection in 1989. The exhibition runs through May 9.

Paul Howard Manship (American, 1885-1966), “Flight of Europa” (Bronze on onyx base, 1928. Gift of the Friends of Art, 1944)

The museum is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays, and closed Mondays. Health and safety measures include limited occupancy in galleries and other public spaces, enhanced cleaning, and mask wearing is required for guests and staff.

Visit muskegonartmuseum.org for museum updates, visitor information, and exhibition information.

Woodland Mall to host ‘LOVE.ART.HISTORY.’ exhibit, local documentary film during Valentine’s weekend

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(Woodland Mall event poster)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

In honor of Black History Month, Woodland Mall will host the first LOVE.ART.HISTORY. art exhibit as well as screenings of “In Between the Trees,” a documentary about African American history in the Michigan produced with the support of WKTV Community Media, over Valentine’s Day weekend, Feb. 12-14.

With themes of love, Black culture and Black history, the pop-up art exhibit by ArtXchangeGR, will “acknowledge and celebrate talented local artists of color, Black History Month and Valentine’s Day,” according to a statement from Woodland Mall.

Shoppers will be able to view original works of fine art and reproductions available for purchase during the three-day exhibit, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., starting Friday and Saturday, Feb. 12-13, and noon-6 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 14. The free show will be located in the mall’s center court.

“We are honored to host this timely pop-up art exhibit to lift up local artists of color,” Cecily McCabe, marketing manager for Woodland Mall, said in supplied material. “We appreciate the opportunity to showcase an amazing group of artists and their artwork, which will highlight Black culture and history.”

Artists who will be featured throughout the weekend include Olivia Thorns, Lowell Reynolds and Steven Reynolds. ArtXchangeGR will hold a reception for all participating artists at the mall from noon to 3 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 13.

Rare Idlewild photos collected by Rose Hammond. (Supplied)

Across the hall from the exhibit, Rose Hammond will be showing her documentary, “In Between the Trees,” multiple times a day. The film, which has just been selected to be shown at the Montreal Independent Film Festival, is loosely based on Hammond’s book “Idlewild & Woodland Park, MI (An African American Remembers).”

Hammond, who has a long history as a community volunteer and producer at WKTV, edited much of the film at WKTV.

Inspired by her grandparents’ stories, Hammond’s film shares what life in Idlewild and Woodland Park, Mich., was like for people of color “with the intent to educate youth and individuals of the African American history in our country,” according to supplied material.

“After seeing the racial justice events that occurred throughout our nation last year, many of us made a promise to educate ourselves,” McCabe said. “Presenting this documentary allows Woodland Mall to provide the opportunity for our community to continue engaging in these important conversations.”

Woodland Mall asks all guests to follow CDC pandemic recommendations by using the hand sanitizer stations located throughout the mall, wearing face coverings and practicing physical distancing.

In order to comply with Michigan health department requirements, occupancy numbers remain limited as the mall operates on reduced hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 8 a.m., Friday through Saturday; and noon to 6 p.m., Sunday.

Snapshots: Things to do this weekend

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By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.

Martin Luther King, Jr.


Pretty Lights

The wintery fun continues downtown with the exhibit “Ice Luminaries” running this weekend only, Jan. 29 – Feb. 2. The exhibit features 10 giant icicles with lights frozen in the center that will light the way along the Gillett Bridge located near Ah-Nab-Awen Park. While out and about, make sure to check out the other exhibits such as HYBYCOZO,” a series of large-scale installations and artworks that investigate geometric exploration and patterns through light, shadow, and perception, located at Ah-Nab-Awen Park. For more, click here.


Strike!

WKTV is presenting high school bowling this winter as part of its sports coverage. Hosted by WKTV volunteer Bill Rinderknecht, the WKTV Sports Connection recently sat down with the coaches of the East Kentwood bowling teams to talk about winter sports during the pandemic and the opportunity to have a bowling season. WKTV will be covering another bowling match this Monday, Feb. 1, at 3 p.m.


Got a Second?

We are suppose to be getting a snowstorm on Sunday, which means you might have some downtime. If so, the Kent ISD Board of Education is asking community members for their input on Kent ISD’s next superintendent. The 14-question survey, which takes about 10 minutes to complete, asks participants to rank skills, character and education traits in determining what qualities would make a good superintendent. Surveys must be turned in by Jan. 31.


William Livingstone Memorial Lighthouse on Detroit’s Belle Isle Park. (Wikipedia/Public Domain)

Fun Fact

Michigan has the distinction of the state with the most lighthouses and perhaps one of the most unique is the William Livingstone Memorial Lighthouse, which is made entirely of George marble. Located on Detroit’s Belle Isle, the marble was selected because the builders knew that it would have to withstand Michigan weather. The 58-foot structure has a 47-foot shaft with a bronze light at the top that still functions today. It was completed in 1930 at the cost of about $100,000. William Livingstone was a prominent Detroit resident who was best known for his shipping accomplishments on the Great Lakes, including the creation of a deep-water channel in the lower Detroit River which became known as the Livingstone Channel. For a peek inside the lighthouse, click here.

Feeding America West Michigan, looking back and forward, on new episode of WKTV Journal In Focus

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Juliana Ludema, communication specialist for Feeding America West Michigan, with host Ken Norris, on the set of WKTV Journal In Focus in January 2021. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

During a recent visit to the studio of WKTV Journal In Focus, Feeding America West Michigan is looking back on 40 years of helping to feed those at risk of hunger after experiencing a 2020 that presented both challenges and opportunities.

Juliana Ludema, communication specialist for Feeding America West Michigan, on the set of WKTV Journal In Focus in January 2021. (WKTV)

The local non-profit will be honoring 40 people who have been part of this journey through its “40 Years 40 Faces” series. With us is Juliana Ludema, communication specialist from the organization, and we will talk with her about what food banks do, the history of Feeding America West Michigan, and find out about its efforts before, during and after the current pandemic time of extraordinary local need.

For more information about Feeding America West Michigan, visit feedwm.org.

WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.

Fifth annual ‘Roger That!’ celebration will be virtual

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Roger B. Chaffee Photo courtesy of the Grand Rapids Public Museum

By Kate Kocienski
Grand Rapids Public Museum

The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) and Grand Valley State University announced today that the annual Roger That! conference and event is returning on Friday, Feb. 19, and Saturday, Feb. 20. Roger That! celebrates space exploration and the life of Grand Rapids native, Roger B. Chaffee, with a multi-day virtual experience, hosted by both organizations. 

“The Museum is thrilled to partner with GVSU for the fifth year to celebrate the life of Roger B. Chaffee and space exploration through a series of free public events,” said Rob Schuitema, the GRPM’s Director of Public Programs. “Although the celebration is virtual this year, attendees are going to be fully engaged and intrigued by the incredible lineup of guest speakers and presentations that address space, science, art and more.”

GVSU will host a virtual academic conference consisting of a diverse lineup of panelists including meteor scientists, engineers, artists, experts on virtual reality, physicists, space collection curators and astronauts. Registration required. For more information on GVSU’s guest lecture lineup, schedule and to register, visit gvsu.edu/rogerthat.

Roger Chaffee died with his fellow astronauts in a training exercise. (Grand Rapids Public Museum)

“Going virtual has allowed us to include speakers from around the country and around the world (Australia and Vatican City) and will also allow conference participants to tune in from everywhere,” said Deana Weibel, event co-organizer and GVSU professor of anthropology. “For instance, we have a visual effects panel composed of Hugo, Emmy and Oscar awardees. Since this year’s event is virtual, we felt it was important to include discussion from members of an industry that helps take us where we can’t be.”

Public events hosted as part of Roger That! include a livestream of a 1925 sci-fi silent film “Our Heavenly Bodies,” accompanied by the acoustics of the GRPM’s Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ; a webinar led by Dr. Brent Bos, who is a West Michigan native and NASA scientist; and a science fiction panel discussion featuring Hollywood special effects artists. To learn more about public presentations taking place as part of Roger That! visit grpm.org/RogerThat.

Public Virtual Events

 

The GRPM will kick off its public celebration on Friday, February 19 at 7:30 p.m. with a special virtual presentation of the 1925 sci-fi German silent film, “Our Heavenly Bodies,” accompanied by the dynamic sounds of the 1928 Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ. This performance will be live streamed from the GRPM’s Meijer Theater and will be available to watch via a Zoom link. Tickets are free, but must be reserved in advance due to limited spots. Tickets are available by visiting grpm.org/RogerThat.

On Saturday, Feb. 20, at noon Dr. Brent Bos, West Michigan native, senior research physicist at NASA Goddard Flight Center, and camera operator of the OSIRIS-REx asteroid mission, will host a webinar titled Bombshells at Bennu: Revelations from NASA’s First Asteroid Sample Return Mission. This webinar will be live streamed from the GRPM’s Meijer Theater and will be available to watch via a Zoom link. Tickets are free, but must be reserved in advance due to limited spots. Tickets are available by visiting grpm.org/RogerThat.

The celebration will conclude with a panel discussion, Art and Special Effects in Science Fiction, on February 20, starting at 3 p.m. The panel will be led by four Hollywood special effects artists: Vincent Di Fate, Ron Miller, Robert Skotak and Rick Sternbach. This group of artists have produced Oscar, Emmy and Hugo winning achievements, and will discuss the role of art in science fiction, while focusing on the introduction of special effects in silent films. The panelists will reflect on Friday’s silent film of “Our Heavenly Bodies” as well as share their own stories, experiences and artwork. Q and A will follow. The panel discussion will be available to watch via a Zoom link. Tickets are free, but must be reserved in advance due to limited spots. Register at gvsu.edu/rogerthat.

Visitors are encouraged to continue celebrating space exploration by visiting the GRPM’s Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium, which features a new show Incoming! that explores asteroids, comets and meteors. A live show, created by the GRPM, will accompany the movie portion of Incoming! in partnership with NASA scientist Brent Bos. In addition to the show, the GRPM also partnered with Brent Bos and created a set of new interactive experiences outside of the Chaffee Planetarium. These include a lunar crater station, meteors under a microscope and a meteor pinball machine.

 

The Planetarium lobby also features an exhibit with Roger B. Chaffee related artifacts that tell a detailed story of his life.

The GRPM is open during regular business hours with capacity limits. Advance tickets are required for entry. Planetarium lobby interactives and displays are included with general admission. Planetarium shows are an additional cost and can be purchased at grpm.org/planetarium.

Roger B. Chaffee and the Apollo Tragedy

 

On Jan. 27, 1967, tragedy struck NASA’s Apollo program when a flash fire occurred in command module 012 during a launch pad test of the Apollo/Saturn space vehicle being prepared for the first piloted flight, the AS-204 mission. Three astronauts, Lt. Col. Virgil I. Grissom, a veteran of Mercury and Gemini missions; Lt. Col. Edward H. White, the astronaut who had performed the first United States extravehicular activity during the Gemini program; and Grand Rapids Native Roger B. Chaffee, an astronaut preparing for his first spaceflight, died in this tragic accident. The Grand Rapids Public Museum renamed its planetarium to the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium the same year. The Planetarium was originally opened in 1994 and has gone through renovations to provide the best experience for Planetarium visitors.

Roger B. Chaffee, born in Grand Rapids, MI, was an American naval officer and aviator, aeronautical engineer, and NASA astronaut in the Apollo program.

Local Feeding America non-profit celebrates 40-year history with the public invited to share stories

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Feeding America West Michigan, along with its partners and supporters, have been fighting hunger alongside in West Michigan and the Upper Peninsula for 40 years. (FeedWM)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Feeding America West Michigan is celebrating its 40th year of fighting hunger alongside its partners and supporters in 2021. And, throughout the year, the local non-profit will be honoring 40 people who have been part of this journey through its “40 Years 40 Faces” series.

While the group announced its first honored person last week — the Rev. Donald Eddy, who in 1980 worked with Grant-area farmers to get unmarketable fresh vegetables into the hands of the needy and hungry — the local Feeding America is looking for the general public to submit stories and persons who have helped “feed America” locally.

“Countless people have played a role in our 40-year history,” Molly Kooi, Feeding America West Michigan’s communication manager, said to WKTV. “We want to honor 40 of them in our 40 Years 40 Faces series … (and the public can) nominate someone to be featured, or to share your own story.

To share a story or nominate someone, go to FeedWM.org/40-years and click on the share your story button, she said.

People, stories of people feeding people

Rev. Don Eddy (FeedWM)

The Rev. Eddy’s story is a prime example that small actions can make a difference. In early 1980, he saw a truckload of perfectly good carrots being composted on a farm in Grant, according to supplied material. As director of United Methodist Metropolitan Ministries, he knew many people who faced hunger, so he asked the farmers to stop dumping them and said he could ensure the carrots got to families who could really use them.

A year later, on April 23, 1981, the food bank that became Feeding America West Michigan (FeedWM) formed. That small beginning has culminated in the food bank’s current network that serves 40 counties across West Michigan and the Upper Peninsula.

As the year 2021 goes on, each 40 Years 40 Faces story will be shared on social media (@feedingwestmich) and on the food bank’s website (FeedWM.org/40-years).

The series will feature FeedWM staff — like its longest tenure executive director, John Arnold and current CEO, Kenneth Estelle, as well as board members, volunteers, farmers, donors and others who have been part of the food bank’s ongoing journey toward a hunger-free community. And there are opening for others.

Mobile Food Pantry boxes, undated. (FeedWM)

In addition to the story series, the food bank will release a historical timeline and photo album. The food bank welcomes the public to submit photos here to be included.

“We are excited to share about the food bank’s 40-year journey and honor some of the many people who have been a part of our story,” Estelle said in supplied material. “Our partners and supporters have made and continue to make our work possible.”

  

Serving local families in need since 1981, Feeding America West Michigan reclaims millions of meals’ worth of safe, surplus food from various sources, according to supplied material. With the help of countless volunteers, the food bank sorts, stores and distributes this food through a network of more than 900 partners to fill hundreds of thousands of neighbors’ plates instead of landfills.

For more information, visit FeedWM.org or call 616-784-3250.

With expansion fundraising complete, Meijer Gardens opens new Welcome Center as final phase of work begins

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David Hooker, president and CEO of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, talked to WKTV at the Welcome Center opening Monday, Jan. 11. (WKTV video)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

With the 2017 launch of the Welcoming the World: Honoring a Legacy of Love $115 million capital campaign, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park was honoring the legacy of Fred and Lena Meijer’s past community vision and well as initial and continuing financial support.

But Meijer Gardens — a bedrock cultural and artistic landmark in West Michigan — was also acknowledging that for it to move boldly into the future, for it to “Welcome the World”, it needed to get buy-in from the West Michigan community, including businesses large and small, and civic-minded individuals.

That buy-in — the fact that the capital campaign had attained it fundraising goal, and thus stayed on-track with its massive and near-complete 4-year facility expansion — was clearly evidenced by a wall of donors in its just-opened expanded Welcome Center.

Also evident was the intent of the leadership of the Meijer Gardens to make sure the community and tourism focal point of the region stayed vital and vigorous for generations to come.

“This is not monument to one person or one family, the community is making this happen and that is critically important,” David Hooker, president and CEO of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, said to WKTV at the Welcome Center opening Monday, Jan. 11. “We, as an organization, have no time horizon. Our goal is to be here until the very end of time. For that to happen, everybody has to rally around, to own the place. (To be) stewards of it. This generation, the next, and the next.”

While the opening of the Welcome Center is not the end of construction at Meijer Gardens supported by the capital campaign, it will allow the end of use of a temporary entrance and work to be completed on a new Garden Pavilion and a veranda to expanded Tassell-Wisner-Bottrall English Perennial Garden — one of the final pieces of the multi-year effort.

An August 2020 aerial view of the new Welcome Center at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park (at right and lower right, still under construction). The Welcome Center had a “soft” opened this week that will allow the closure the temporary entrance (center) and a final phased of work to be done. (Meijer Gardens Website)

In all, the highlights of the expansion and renovation effort included the 69,000 square foot Welcome Center, the 20,000 square foot Covenant Learning Center, the Peter C. and Emajean Cook Transportation Center, the expanded and upgraded Frederik Meijer Gardens Amphitheater, and the Padnos Families Rooftop Sculpture Garden.

The need for expansion was evidenced by a 2016 economic impact study, conducted by Grand Valley State University, that estimated that Meijer Gardens supports or contributes more than $75 million to the Kent County economy each year. More than 12 million people from around the world have visited since it opened in 1995, according to supplied material.

The project also addresses facility needs that include expanded annual horticulture exhibitions, more galleries for sculpture exhibitions, additional parking capacity and improved vehicle flow.

The Welcome Center’s architect is Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects/Partners, with local partners Progressive AE and Owen-Ames-Kimball, Co.

One area of the Welcome Center not yet complete is the Garden Pavilion, a central room where Jaume Plensa’s “Utopia” will be located. For the four walls of the Garden Pavilion, Plensa created a sculpture using one female face on each wall representing different ethnic backgrounds, according to supplied material. The faces “represent universal symbols of the beauty inherent in humanity,” and was specifically commissioned for the Garden Pavilion and is scheduled to open later this year.

Changing of the judgeship in Kentwood coming, with public invited to attend virtually

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City of Kentwood 62-B District Court’s long-time Judge William G. Kelly is retiring at the end of the year. (City of Kentwood)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

There will be a changing of the guard at the leadership of the City of Kentwood’s 62-B District Court this month as Amanda Sterkenburg will be sworn into the post and will take over for retiring long-time Judge William G. Kelly on Jan. 1, 2021.

And the public is invited to witness the changeover with two virtual ceremonies.

Judge-elect Sterkenburg’s investiture is set for Wednesday, Dec. 16, at 3 p.m., with the swearing-in ceremony to be fittingly conducted by Judge Kelly. Members of the community are invited to attend via Zoom (Meeting ID 4280940961) or on the 62-B District Court’s YouTube channel.

Then, on Wednesday, Dec. 30, also at 3 p.m., the public is invited to attend Judge Kelly’s virtual retirement celebration via Zoom (Meeting ID 4280940961) or also on the court’s YouTube channel. The event will include remarks by Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack and other distinguished speakers.

Judge Kelly, In Focus, from August 2020. (WKTV)

Kelly has served the Kentwood community as the city’s first and only district court judge since 1979. He was elected in November 1978, following his father, Joseph Kelly, who served as Kentwood’s municipal judge from 1971-79. In 2014, he was re-elected for his seventh and final six-year term. The district court judge leads a team of nearly 25 court personnel.

In August, WKTV Journal In Focus talked with Judge Kelly about his years on the bench and his retirement. See the video here.

“Judge Kelly has been an invaluable asset to Kentwood and the West Michigan area,” Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley said in supplied material. “His dedication to our community has been demonstrated by his service on the bench along with his many accomplishments for our court system. We wish Judge Kelly the best as he moves into retirement and we sincerely thank him for his leadership in directing Kentwood’s 62-B District Court for these past 42 years.”

During his tenure, Judge Kelly instituted several programs, including the Sobriety Court and meditation of small claims cases. Kelly also conducted more than 4,000 weddings throughout his time as district court judge.

Additionally, Kelly explored ways technology could better serve the justice system and Kentwood community. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, 62-B District Court quickly adapted and created a virtual court on Zoom with a livestream on its YouTube Channel. Kelly also has worked with the Supreme Court to implement a paperless system throughout the state to begin in the near future.

“I have been fortunate to have had a great law career,” Judge Kelly said in supplied material. “I have loved serving this community for so many years and I am grateful for all the opportunities that have helped me become a better judge. We have a great team at 62-B District Court, and I look forward to seeing the court’s future accomplishments and growth.”

Handing the gavel to the next judge

With the new year, Sterkenburg will lead preside over the 62-B District Court for a six-year term after being elected to the post in November. (To see her WKTV We The People candidate video, visit here.)

The 62-B District Court settles disputes, processes criminal charges and manages legal appeals. Common offenses heard by a district court judge include operating while intoxicated, domestic violence and retail fraud less than $1,000. The court also conducts weddings, maintains legal records and provides resources for community members.

Judge-elect Amanda Sterkenburg (City of Kentwood)

“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve our community in this capacity,” Sterkenburg said in supplied material. “As 62-B District Court judge, I will remain committed to ensuring well-reasoned sentences, proportionate punishment and fair rulings that reflect the unique circumstances of every matter that comes before me.”

Sterkenburg has represented criminal and civil defendants, landlords, tenants and litigants with many different types of claims throughout her career as an attorney, according to supplied material. Her experience includes successful jury trials on assault, theft and retail fraud offenses. She has more than 90 hours of mediation training and has handled matters in many local circuit and district courts, including the 62-B District Court.

Sterkenburg is active in many local organizations, including the Kentwood Aquatics Club, Glenwood Elementary Parent-Teacher Council, Kentwood Baseball League and Mediation Services of Ottawa and Allegan counties. She and her family attend Kentwood Community Church.

The 62-B District Court judgeship must go to a Kentwood resident.

“We are delighted to welcome Judge-elect Sterkenburg to the 62-B District Court,” Mayor Kepley said. “I have confidence she will follow in Judge Kelly’s footsteps in demonstrating outstanding dedication to justice and service to the Kentwood community.”

Sterkenburg graduated cum laude from Franklin College and Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Drawn to the “diversity and opportunity in Kentwood,” Sterkenburg moved to the city with her two children almost 10 years ago, according to supplied material.

A year without the Santa Claus Girls, on this episode of WKTV Journal In Focus

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By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

On this holiday episode of WKTV Journal In Focus, we catch up with the Santa Claus Girls, a local non-profit which has been a Christmastime staple in West Michigan for more than 100 years. . . . Until this year.

This holiday season, instead of being bustling preparing thousands of gifts for local children in need, the group and its army of volunteers are quiet due to the pandemic and due to its loss of home facility.

WKTV first reported the news back in November, see the story here.

But late last month In Focus caught up with the group for a video report. First we will offer a recent WKTV short video about the Santa Claus Girls, then we talk with Maggie Moerdyke, Interim President of Santa Claus Girls. She tell us about what led to the group’s decision to suspend operations in 2020, and it is not just due to the pandemic.
 

We will also talk about the current and future needs of the group, as well as their hope for a better 2021.
 

WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.

After 110 years, local Santa Claus Girls effort stymied by COVID-19, need for new space

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(Supplied/Santa Claus Girls)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

After more than a century of providing holiday season gift bundles to thousands of western Michigan kids, the Santa Claus Girls will be still this holiday season as the double hit of both COVID-10 and the need for a new home facility has forced the program into hiatus for 2020.
 

The Santa Claus Girls’s history in Kent County dates from 1909 and from their most recent home in Kentwood at the Knoll Inc. building on 36th Avenue, the all-volunteer group delivered more than 13,500 gift packages in 2018 and topped that number last year.

“Santa Claus Girls has taken a pause for the 2020 season,” Maggie Moerdyke, Interim President of Santa Claus Girls, said to WKTV. “Knoll was sold and the charity inventory is packed in 4 trailers awaiting a new home. It was a tough decision for the board to pass for the holiday season yet the pandemic had made it impossible to carry forward for 2020.”

Undated historic photo of Santa Claus Girls. (Supplied/Santa Claus Girls)

Usually, the Santa Claus Girls packages and delivers gift bags through which in-need kids get a new toy and candy but also get hand-made, knitted winter hats and mittens. Depending on the age of the kids, families can also receive infant receiving blankets, crocheted or knitted or out of flannel, infant toys, and age-appropriate 1-year-old and 2-year-old stuffed animals.

To accomplish such an effort, there is a small army providing gift wrapping and package-assembly, as well volunteers to join another small army of drivers to deliver the packages in mid-December.

But the army will be at home this season.

“The volunteers, the space, the production, are all side by side and the ability to maintain 6 foot of space between was not an option,” Moerdyke said. “The 350 drivers were also on the mind of the board and to send them into the neighborhoods to deliver was not an option either with COVID spreading so rapidly. Safety and health was foremost on the mind of each of us through the cancellation process.”

She said the non-profit’s governing board had to make the decision that “with heavy heart (we) cannot reach the 13,000 children that are serviced during the giving season. The goal is to return in 2021, bigger and better.”

The board is also working a new model for the non-profit but, she said, they “truly need a workshop to make it happen.”

A new home needed for program

Knoll Inc. housed Santa Claus Girls for six years, including all utilities and the company’s maintenance staff.

Knoll had “a heart of gold to support the families in the community, the volunteers, and the charity,” she said. “Just maybe (we) will be fortunate to find another similar blessing.”

According to Moerdyke, Santa Claus Girls needs a facility between 25,000-75,000 square feet. The ideal, she said, would be 75,000 square feet which comes into use during the six weeks of assembling and delivery. The lower square footage figure would be for storage during the other 10 months of the year.

Moerdyke also said “the master plan is to have a facility to accommodate Santa Claus Girls, Y-Service Club (White Elephant Sale) and Toys For Tots.  All three charities have worked together for several years yet in separate facilities and moved from one place to another as needed incorporating the use of trailers for storage whenever necessary.”

As with every year, the Santa Claus Girls are also seeking community support both in volunteerism and financial donations.
   

For more information visit santaclausgirls.org or visit their Facebook page.

WKTV video captures local World War II ‘Greatest Generation’ celebration’s military plane flyover

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WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

The 75th anniversary of the end of World War II was commemorated locally Sept. 1-2 with local ceremonies including a socially distant Grand Rapids area flyover of war-era military aircraft.

In our own effort of remembrance of the “Greatest Generation”, WKTV sent camera persons out Sept. 2 to capture the local flyover of three restored military aircraft from the Yankee Air Museum, including a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain military transport, and a North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber.

In response to our video of the ‘Greatest Generation” celebration local military plane flyover, viewer David Knight shared this video of the event.

Longtime local judge William G. Kelly, soon to leave office, visits WKTV Journal In Focus

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, Crime Prevention, Going Local, Local Faces, Local History, WKTV Journal In Focus,

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

This fall the residents of the City of Kentwood will select a new judge for the 62 B District Court. But before that happens, WKTV Journal In Focus sat down with Judge William G. Kelly, who after more than 40 years on the bench of Kentwood’s district court will be giving up his seat this year due to state law mandated age restrictions.

Judge Kelly has served the Kentwood community as the city’s first and only district court judge since 1979, following his father, Joseph Kelly, who served as Kentwood’s municipal judge from 1971 to 1979. Judge Kelly is also known as a historian of Michigan’s court system, and will we talk with him about how courts have changed over the years, especially the District court system, which is often called the public’s court.

On In Focus, Judge Kelly talks about the changes his court has seen over the years, both in technology and jurisprudence, as well as his offering a bit of advice to the person who will take his gavel.

WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.