By Alan Headbloom, Feel Like You Belong
Fridah Kanini talks about the journey that led her to Michigan from her native Kenya: hardships, tenacity, and the drive to create community. An entrepreneur at heart, she talks about founding the first-ever African Festival coming to Grand Rapids on Aug. 10.
By WKTV Staff
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
Mark Twain
For many of our immigrant ancestors, the process of coming to this country was relatively simple. It is much more complicated today. Understanding your own family history and immigration story can help put the current discussion about immigration in context. Go here for more info.
The latest episode of WKTV Journal’s In Focus series of podcasts focuses on the anti-discrimination public policies — a timely topic as the City of Grand Rapids City Commission just this last passed a Human Rights Ordnance which will be the basis of the formation of future public policies. Go here.
Egads! It’s that time of year again — when insects seek a nice, cozy place to spend the winter. Meet your new neighbors here.
The beaks of octopuses and squids (yes, they have beaks) are made of keratin, the same material that a bird’s beak — and our fingernails — are made of. Say hello to your newfound relatives.
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By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
Fountain Street Church, housed in maybe the most historic house of prayer in downtown Grand Rapids but with members Kent County wide and beyond, prides itself on many things — not the least of which is often being seen as the most liberal church in the region.
So while the church has been honoring its past during its 150th anniversary year, a multi-event celebration reaching its peak Sunday, Sept. 15, with its Grand Celebration Street Party, it is also looking forward to what’s next for the church.
Part of the reason for the street party, however, is to invite the greater Grand Rapids community to learn more about Fountain Street and, maybe, become part of its future.
“In order to look into the future, you have to be willing to look into the past. And that is what we are doing,” Todd Johnson, co-chair of the chruch’s 150th Celebration committee, said to WKTV. “We are saying ‘Look at all we have done in the last 150 years, let celebrate that. And then let’s say ‘What is the future for Fountain Street Church?’ … We are celebrating the past as a step into the future.”
(For a unique look at the history of Fountain Street Church, WKTV asked Senior Minister W. Frederick Wooden for his pivotal persons in the life of the church. Read the story here.)
Judy Botts, a coordinator of the street party, detailed the many facets of the free-to-the public Sept. 15 event, which will run from 12-4 p.m. and will take place in a closed-to-traffic block between the Grand Rapids Public Library and Fountain Street Church. The party will include face painting and a Henna tattoo artist on site, individual and family photographs, a bounce house and corn hole tournament, cotton candy and snow cones, live music from the B-Side Growlers, a mime artist, food, and a welcoming address from former Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell, who will deliver a speech titled: “Why Grand Rapids Needs Fountain Street Church.”
WKTV Community Media’s Voices project is also partnering with Fountain Street Church on a special oral history project, with a WKTV representative present to talk about the project. Voices is the personal and family oral history project with the mission “to collect, share and preserve the narratives of people in our community … (stories) of our lives; of people from all walks of life.” (For more information on Voices, visit wktvvoices.org .)
“What we want to happen is, yes, many Fountain Streeters to come — past and present people who attend this church,” Botts said. But it is not just for those who know Fountain Street and its many facets. “This is a diverse group of people that seek answers to questions that they have regarding religion. It is a very open community. We welcome all people and their thoughts. We will share the different groups we have here that they (the public) might be interested in joining.”
The 150th celebration events so far have certainly showed that diversity.
After starting with a kickoff party in December of last year, in March there were special programs on the History of Women at Fountain Street Church, in April many members of the church went to Brewery Vivant for a celebration of a special brew release — the “Fountain Streeter” — and they liked it so much then did it again in August. There was also a Spirit of the Arts show, a sort of talent show for Fountain Streeters, and a special Memorial Concert “The Spirit Sings!” featuring the church’s Oratorio Choir and the Aquinas College Chorus highlighted by the world premiere of “Tell All the Truth” by Nicholas Palmer.
Maybe the most well attended, both by church members as well as the community in general, was the first and now annual Pride Service, at the beginning of LGBTQ+ Pride Month in June.
The church’s more recent moves to embrace the LGBTQ+ community, as well as the local minority, refugee and homeless communities, was part of a discussion WKTV had with Rev. Wooden, as well as Johnson and Botts, when we asked about their most treasured memories of the church. (Read that story here.)
For more information about the Fountain Street Church 150th Anniversary Grand Celebration Street Party, visit here.
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By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
W. Frederick Wooden, who has been Senior Minister at Fountain Street Church since 2005 but will be leaving the calling in 2020, is two things without a doubt: he is a very knowledgable historian of the Grand Rapids church and he is passionate about all aspects of social justice.
And, maybe one more thing, he is rarely at a loss for words.
So he had plenty to say when asked to name a few “pivotal” moments or personalties in the history of Fountain Street Church — which was founded in 1869 as Fountain Street Baptist Church but transformed to embrace more liberal ideals first in 1886 and then again in 1962, when “Baptist” was dropped from its name.
Along the way, the church which holds dear its “Liberal Legacy” — the name of the two-volume history of the church — took up its current downtown location in 1877, which nearly burned to the ground in 1917, and has been the center of the local religious and social debate throughout the 150 years it is currently celebrating.
And there have been many pivotal personalities, arguably the most well know and revered being Dr. Duncan E. Littlefair (1912-2004), who led Fountain Street Church from 1945 to 1979. But Wooden, with all due respect, chose others to highlight.
“The temptation is to pick out all the heroic things, which are great. But there are other things,” Wooden said to WKTV. “Something I did not know until recently is that Samuel T. Graves, who was minister here for five or six years, back in the late 1800s. He went from here to serve at Atlanta Baptist Seminary. You know what that place is called now? Moorehouse College.
“There is a hall, a dormitory, named after him, Graves Hall, where Spike Lee and Martin Luther King (Jr.) and other young men lived as students. So the legacy of Fountain Street, as a Baptist Church, is one we should be more eager to claim because even before we became notable as liberal religionists, there was strain in this church that was trying to— quote, unquote — live your faith in a way that impacted the world for the better. I think that is something that we (at Fountain Street) have not acknowledged as consistently over the years.”
While Fountain Street has its roots in the Baptist faith and Baptist activism in Grand Rapids, its path to become its current “non-creedal, non-denominational, liberal church,” as its website states, started with a succession of clergy coming to the church from 1896 to 1944, including John Herman Randall, Alfred Wesley Wishart and Milton McGorrill before Littlefair.
During those years, all of its leaders were Baptist in name and training but “moved the church toward the conclusion that no profession of denominational faith was needed to be a person of faith. One could worship here as a Christian, an agnostic, or an atheist, because the task of organized religion is not to secure unity of belief, but to demand integrity of mind and spirit,” again, according to its website.
One of those leaders, John Herman Randle, was the next “pivotal” person Wooden wanted to talk about. But the story starts a little before Randle.
“John L. Jackson (who led the church in the 1890s) was the first guy who said ‘You know, maybe Darwin wasn’t evil.’ It was like opening the door, a little crack,” Wooden said. “And when he left, John Erin Randle came. A young buck out of Chicago. He didn’t know nothing, but he had that cocky quality only a 26-year-old can have. And he was really great.
“If I had to pick someone who really changed the church into what it is, it would be him. Because he is the one that made it possible for us to think that we could be Christian and modern. That we did not have to choose one or the other. And it is that path that we have been on ever since.”
Randle left Fountain Street around 1906 to lead Mount Morris Baptist Church of New York City. But there continued a streak of liberal leaning leaders through the five decades of the 20th Century, climaxed by the beginning of Littlefair’s tenure.
Under Littlefair’s four decades leadership, the church dropped the name “Baptist” and, according to its website, for a time considered affiliating with the Unitarian Universalists because of similar liberal views — Littlefair had Unitarian Universalist ties. But the church opted, instead, to maintain its independence. Littlefair is credited, among other accomplishments, with cementing Fountain Street Church’s reputation as being the most liberal Christian institution in the the city, advocacy for women’s rights including reproductive rights, free-thinking religiousness, and community and social activism.
In Wooden’s opinion, however, Littlefair’s tenure might never have happened had it not been for a woman, Dorothy Stansbury Leonard Judd, a member of the church at the time, and letter she wrote to Littlefair soon after he gained his Doctorate from University of Chicago.
“There was a woman, Dorothy Judd, who finagled Duncan Littlefair to come here,” Wooden said. “He did not want to come. He thought this was a backwater church with nothing to offer. But she said ‘Consider the possibilities.’ I’m paraphrasing obviously. But she said “Man, you have room here to do something no other church would give you.’
“In the history of the church, and it is recorded, he came here and said the worst day of his life was the day he started here. He was in a backwater town that was completely enthralled with Evangelicalism but, as he put it, ‘I’m just going to do whatever I wanted.’ … He just showed up and messed with everybody’s head at exactly the right moment.
“And it was Dorothy Judd, a woman of privilege by the way … her family was Leonard, as in Leonard Street, she was at the top of the Grand Rapids social ladder. But this guy (Littlefair) came along because she wrote him a letter.”
The final of Wooden’s “pivotal” persons was not a religious leader but a woman who had as much a passion for social justice as any pastor who ever took the pulpit at Fountain Street.
“Another person that needs to be lifted up is Viva Flaherty. She was the staffer that worked with the guy in the painting during the furniture strike,” Wooden said, waving his hand in the direction of painting of Alfred Wesley Wishart, who succeeded Randle as leader of Fountain Street and was present during the 1911 Furniture Workers Strike which divided the city and the church. “Flaherty was what we called the social secretary, basically the (church’s) social worker, she sided with the unions. The reality was that the two key staffers at this church were on opposite sides of the furniture strike.”
Wishart and many of the church leaders sided with the business leaders — “the people who wrote the checks to the church,” Wooden said. “But Flaherty spent her time with the emigrants and she saw their point of view. We have a portrait of him, but we don’t even have a picture of her. I want to say, Viva Flaherty was on the side of the angels. … She was a woman who dared to stand up to the powerful, to stand with the workers.”
Wooden clearly has an affinity for social activism, as shown by Flaherty in the early 1900s and by Littlefair in the 1960s through the 1980s. And the soon-to-depart leader of Fountain Street may well be known in the future for his own social activism.
Just don’t expect him to say the job is complete with the work he has done.
Despite his fervent support of women’s and reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ recognition and support, as well as outreach to and support of minority and homeless populations who do not even attend Fountain Street, Wooden says he leaves the job unfinished.
“The great agenda for us, for every church, for every house of worship, is that we haven’t yet stepped up to the question of racial justice,” Wooden said about his tenure. “That doesn’t mean we don’t care. It doesn’t mean we are not involved. It means that organizationally we have not seen that as key function of our community. It has been a key part of my ministry but that is my choice.”
Wooden currently works with groups such as the Urban League, the NAACP, with the Grand Rapids Pastors Association (sometimes inexactly referred to as the “Black Pastors Association) “because that is important to me. And I am hoping the church will see, as part of its future, to advocate for genuine racial and social justice.”
He also hopes the church, as it moves into its second 150 years, will continue his advocacy for the poor in our community.
“We have to have a relationship with the people who are struggling in our community,” he said. “Our name, as an institution, should be present in a wider range in this community. … We are a community institution, for the community as well as for ourselves.”
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
The Fountain Street Church community has been honoring its past and looking to its future during its 150th anniversary year, and its collective memory is deep with history and tradition.
But if you ask individual members — those who attend Sunday for its more traditional Sanctuary Service in the awesome and history sanctuary, or its it very non-traditional Chapel Service in its humble but equally historic chapel, or those who are at Fountain Street for the multitude of activities and groups throughout the rest of the week — it is the individual memories that often stand out.
WKTV asked three Fountain Streeters what their most cherished memories were, and the answers ranged from a special prom for youth who do not fit into the “straight” prom scene, to a woman’s group focused on community outreach, to the smiles on the faces of children reenacting the Christmas Story.
If that does not tell the story of the spectrum of people at Fountain Street, nothing will.
“The thing I remember, that means the most to me, is when we instituted the Family Christmas Pageant, on Christmas Eve,” said Todd Johnson, co-chair of the church’s 150th Celebration committee. “We’d been holding an 8 o’clock and and 11 o’clock service, but for many of us with children that was too late for them. They’d fall asleep. So we started a 5 o’clock service and it was just great.
“For the kids, we basically reenact the Christmas story. We have Mary and Joseph, and someone reads the story, and the innkeeper and the kings and the angels and the shepherds. The kids would participate in this wonderful service. It would culminate with each kid taking a little candle, a 4-inch candle, they’d light it and they’d put it in the front of the chancel.
“It was just beautiful,” he said, fighting back tears of beautiful memories. “They’d turn the lights out and we’d all sing ‘Silent Night’. It is just a beautiful service.”
Memories, and lifelong friends, are also made outside the church.
One of the many community outreach activities of the church, which has members and attendees all across West Michigan, are having Districts, geographical divisions with district leaders who work with fellow Fountain Streeters on activities, gatherings and projects — and, sometimes, personal needs.
“I’ve been a District leader for like 14, 15 years,” said Judy Botts, a coordinator of the Fountain Street Church 150th Anniversary Grand Celebration Street Party. “It started off being a group of 14 or 15 of us, and over the years we are down to about five people. But we come together once a month and our purpose is to help people within our geographic district that we’ve been assigned to, in terms of any care services they have, to involve people in social action kinds of things, and just plan fun things within our districts so that people can get to know each other better, to make stronger connections.
“That is what makes the church, the connections that you have,” she said. “There is long term friendships that have been established here. … That is part of what a church is about.”
Even the senior minister of Fountain Street, W. Frederick Wooden, a man whose efforts and accomplishments are too long to list, will — if pressed — pick one memory that stands out.
“There are too many wonderful moments. That is what keeps a clergy person going,” Wooden said. “It is the moments of real meaning and power, and they do come.
“But the one I’ll pick, because it is different from the others, is the Fountain Club meetings of our high school (age) youth. Seven years ago, maybe upwards of 10, we had the idea that there were kids their age in high schools around the area that could not go to their prom because they did not identify as ‘straight’. And if they went as themselves, they would be ridiculed, bullied or harassed.
“And they (the club), they came up with the idea that we should host a prom for all those who did not feel welcomed at their prom. … Every year since, we have had a dance for LGBTQ kids — and their friends, it is not just for LGBTQ kids but everybody else. … They come in all shapes and sizes and colors … and they are just having the best of time in the world.
“There is nothing that makes you feel more hopeful about the future,” he said. “If this is what America is going to look like, I am all for it.”
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal’s In Focus series of podcasts, we discuss the anti-discrimination public policies — a timely topic as the City of Grand Rapids City Commission just this last passed a Human Rights Ordnance which will be the basis of the formation of future public policies.
Visiting our studios, each with unique perspectives on the subject, are Kentwood City Commissioner and community advocate Emily Bridson; Patti Caudill, manager of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion for the City of Grand Rapids; and Skot Welch of Global Bridgebuilders which, according to its website, has the “core belief that inclusion is a business discipline.”
For a link to the ‘Anti-discrimination Policies” audio podcast, click here; for a link to the episode’s interview video, click here and scan down the list to the Sept. 5 In Focus podcast. (If you’d like to give us some feedback on our special In Focus podcasts, please contact Ken Norris at ken@wktv.org.)
Regular episodes of 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 (see our Weekly On-air Schedule for dates and times).
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
As his team “went to work” at practice this week in preparation for a high school football Week 2 game at Northview High School, Wyoming high head football coach Irv Sigler Jr. sounded like an X’s and O’s football coach as he talked to WKTV.
He praised his offensive line play in the team’s dominating 59-25 win over Holland opening week. He praised his opponent this week and said his team would need to be better to beat the Wildcats on their home field — a game which WKTV’s Featured Game sports coverage crew will be covering. UPDATE: Due to technical issues, WKTV was unable to video record the game.
But Coach Sigler also went a bit beyond the X’s and O’s by talking about the “culture” of his program, which has a modest 5-13 record in his first two years but may be about to turn the competitive corner.
“We’ve grown a great deal in our ability to practice with purpose, with having a sense of urgency about getting better every day when we come out … the little things are the difference between being good and great,” Coach Sigler said in a WKTV interview. (See the entire interview on YouTube here.) “I describe our kids as lunchbox kids. They come here every day. They got a lunch box and they go to work.”
In their opening night games, Northview defeated Comstock Park 28-7 while Wyoming defeated Holland 59-25 in a game which was began on Thursday night but finished on Friday night due to storms moving through the area.
For the Wolves, junior running back (and linebacker) Cameron (Cam) Simon rushed for just shy of 200 yards and scored four touchdowns, while junior quarterback Matthew Berg passed for three TDs.
Northview, out of OK White, had 10 new starters on defense against Comstock Park but still held the Panthers to a single touchdown. Running back Jakaurie Kirkland had 220 yards on 23 carries. Senior quarterback Dan Frey went 7-of-11 for 72 yards, with two touchdown passes to sophomore Kyler VanderJact.
Northview, last season, was 7-3 including an opening round playoff loss to Grand Rapids Christian, which ended a six-game winning streak. They were 5-1 in OK White and finished second to Cedar Springs, their only conference loss.
All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.org.
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week, any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and feature stories on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/.
By Victoria Mullen, WKTV
Three women with very different backgrounds—and one thing in common: Each shared her unique journey with WKTV’s VOICES, a personal and family oral history project. The project’s mission is “to collect, share and preserve the narratives of people in our community”—of our lives; of people from all walks of life.
Since its launch in September 2017 at ArtPrize Nine, VOICES has collected the conversations of people from a myriad of places, such as Indonesia, Kenya, Rwanda, Australia, Spain, as well as the U.S. (California and Michigan (including Wyoming, Grand Rapids, and Lansing).
A free public service, VOICES travels throughout the West Michigan region to encourage neighbors, friends and family to tell their stories—the narratives that make us human—of our lives, experiences, sorrows, triumphs and tragedies. We all benefit from knowing each other’s background; the shared bond that helps us build community.
VOICES offers a comfortable, mobile video recording studio with a relaxed atmosphere, and utilizes high-tech video and audio equipment to capture the narratives for posterity. Conversations usually take place between two people who know and care about each other. These can be friends, family, or mere acquaintances. Any topic may be explored, whether a specific event in a person’s life, a childhood memory, a family tragedy—no subject is off limits.
Those who step inside VOICES’s 1958 Airstream trailer—outfitted as a mobile studio— are welcomed into an inviting atmosphere to sit back, relax, and have a conversation. All VOICES conversations are audio- and video-recorded to provide participants with a link to each conversation and for possible airing on Channel 25 in Wyoming, Kentwood and Gaines Township (U-Verse Channel 99).
Jimmy King, who shared his experiences as a young man with autism, said, “The experience was absolutely incredible. They really listened to me and had a genuine interest in my voice.”
Every second Saturday, VOICES is at Marge’s Donut Den at 1751 28th St, SW for ‘Second Saturday at Marge’s’. The next date is April 14. It’s free, just go here to reserve a time.
By Sharon Wylie, Crash’s Landing
Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet—or few—from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Crash’s Landing. Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary rescue organizations were founded by Jennifer Denyes, DVM (Dr. Jen), who is on staff at Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic (4245 Clyde Park Ave SW).
We were contacted in early July by this gorgeous girl’s owners (who had adopted her back in April of 2013) whose complaint was that she had been leaving pee spots all around their house since they brought her home, that they had tried everything to curb this activity, and that they simply couldn’t deal with it anymore. It should be stated that there was another cat in the household who could have been the culprit.
At Crash’s Landing, we strive to match adopters with a cat who will be a life-long family member. We realize that sometimes things just do not work out as anticipated, and our policy is to gladly take any Crash cat back, any time.
Such was the case with Clawdette. Dr. Jen responded to the owners asking that all previous medical records be forwarded in advance of Clawdette’s return. Unfortunately, the owners had never taken Clawdette to be seen for her presumed urinary issues and, indeed, had taken her only once to be seen by a vet, back in 2014.
When Clawdette arrived at the clinic, Dr. Jen discovered that the poor girl was crawling with fleas, which had prompted her to over-groom to try to control the flea problem. This in turn caused a secondary skin infection. In addition, Clawdette was in dire need of dental work and extractions; her lab work reflected all that was wrong with her, and quite a few drugs and treatments were needed to correct the problems that neglect had caused.
Thankfully Clawdette, our pudgy princess who was born in the fall of 2011, bounced back as if nothing had ever happened, and even though she had been gone for over 6 years, she was as welcoming and accepting of us as if she had never left.
However, she isn’t used to being surrounded by so many other cats, and consequently she isn’t afraid to vocalize her opinions about her new roomies. Because she is a bit of a darling little diva (well, ok big diva, as she weighs in at almost 12#), we would like to find her an indoor home of her very own. She spends most of her days lounging around, laying belly up and patiently waiting for a tummy rub. She has shown us her playful side as well, but attention is what she craves most, and we are more than happy to give it to her.
We have had absolutely no issues with any sort of aberrant litter box habits; if a cat is going to act up and piddle outside of the box, a shelter/multiple cat situation is where this type of behavior would likely surface. Clawdette had been set up by her former housemate.
Clawdette has been nothing short of perfect since she returned. We can’t help but think that if she were the problem in her former home, circumstances surrounding her were causative, but in all reality, none of us who have spent time with her believe that she was naughty by nature. She is such a lovely cat—everyone who meets her is simply smitten with her—that there is no doubt that she is going to make the consummate companion for someone.
Want to adopt Clawdette? Learn about the adoption process here. Fill out a pre-adoption form here.
Interested in volunteering at one of the cat shelters? Email volunteer@crashslanding.org.
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal In Focus, one of the interviews is a special high school sports segment with South Christian High School’s new head football coach Danny Brown, of whom it would not be an understatement to say he bleeds Sailor Blue.
Coach Brown is no stranger to the Sailors’ program having served as an assistant coach since 2011 and as defensive coordinator for the past five seasons under Mark Tamminga, who retired after last season. Being a Sailor runs deep for Brown, having played varsity football at South Christian in the early 2000s. Brown attended Hope College and now is a small business owner in Byron Center.
For a YouTube video of the interview visit here.
During the discussion, Coach Brown talks about working with Coach Tamminga, playing for the late Bob Blacquiere, who was head coach when Brown played for the Sailors and was a big influence on his becoming a coach, and Brown’s transition from running the South Christian defense to being the man in charge of the entire program.
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 (see our Weekly On-air Schedule for dates and times). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
By Adrienne Brown-Reasner, West Michigan Tourist Association
There is no shortage of tasty things to tempt your taste buds in West Michigan. From farm-fresh produce, homemade goodies, and dockside dining to locally crafted brews, wines, and desserts, here are some mouthwatering options for you to try.
Find more foodie tips in our Carefree Travel Guide.
Greater Lansing sets the table with diverse restaurants with locally sourced menu items that will tantalize your taste buds and take you for a trip around the globe. Whether you’re looking for some comfort food and enjoy Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives recommendations or enjoy a great food truck or a terrific farm-to-table experience, Greater Lansing is the perfect destination for your inner foodie.
Head to Pierce Cedar Creek Institute in Hastings for BBQ, Music, and Family Game Night Sunday, Aug. 11th. Dinner is at 5pm, music and games 6-7:30pm. Come enjoy the last days of summer vacation with good food, great music provided by the Hastings Community Music School, lawn games, family-friendly relay races and more. Member adults $16, children $8; Non-member adults $19, children $10.
Home to many locally owned and operated diners, restaurants, and pubs, Coldwater Country is the place to grab a delicious quick breakfast, find a destination restaurant, or a gourmet dinner.
Crane’s Pie Pantry bakery and restaurant offer farm-fresh products that will make you think it came right from grandma’s kitchen. Specializing in Michigan fruit pies and desserts, Crane’s bakery also includes bread, cinnamon rolls, muffins, cookies, apple cider donuts, and much more to make your mouth water. They offer a complete menu of handcrafted meals including soups, salads, and American mains, served in a historical surrounding of local memorabilia and antiques. Stop in to the Saugatuck Tasting Bar or Fennville Restaurant & Winery to grab a taste.
If you’re in Mecosta County to tempt your taste buds, then you have come to the right place. With great food, good times, and phenomenal service, the restaurants throughout Mecosta County need to be scheduled into your next visit. For more places that will “Tempt Your Taste Buds”, check out the Mecosta County Restaurant Guide.
Bring the kids to Kitchen 242 at The Muskegon Farmers Market for a “Princess Party” with Chef Char Saturday, Aug. 10th from 10:30–11:30am. Bake cookies with Chef Char and Princess Tiana and Princess Elsa. There will be plenty of opportunities for photos with the princesses. Each little princess will roll, decorate, and bake a dozen princess-themed cookies to take home. This is for ages 5 and up. The cost is $45 and tickets are available through Eventbrite.
Ludington dining options include ’50s diners, Italian restaurants, breweries, barbeque, and the best ice cream in the Midwest.
Herman’s Boy is a great Rockford stop for a made-to-order deli sandwich. Everything is done in-house, a 100-year-old farmhouse to be exact, from fresh baked bagels to smoked meat & cheeses. Herman’s Boy is also “Home of the Bagel Dog” — a German-style wiener wrapped in bagel dough and topped with the fixings of your choosing. Herman’s Boy is a local roastery, bakery, confectionary, deli, smokehouse, kitchen, grilling gadget shop. Be sure to check out these and other treats, snacks, and coffees all done in house.
Throughout the Holland area, you will find an array of dining options that are sure to satisfy any craving. Grab a slice of pie made with fresh Michigan fruits or enjoy a lake perch dinner. This year welcomed a few new restaurants to downtown, which include HopCat, and Sperry’s Moviehouse Restaurant. Click through for more information on Holland’s local dining options.
HopCat restaurants in West Michigan have launched new brunch and lunch menus for guests in need of either a quick weekday meal or a well-earned weekend fun day. The restaurant family’s 9 Under $9 lunch menu is a selection of quick-service items created for guests who have places to be and budgets to watch. It includes exciting new choices like the California Club Sandwich, Pork Tostadas, and the Dbl Smash Burger alongside updated HopCat favorites like the Madtown Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Better Living Through Tacos entrée, available from 11am to 2pm Monday-Friday, alongside HopCat’s regular menu. The restaurants have also unveiled new brunch menus with mouthwatering options. The updated selections are available at HopCat’s locations in Kalamazoo, Holland, and Grand Rapids, where the original downtown restaurant now serves brunch from its recently renovated kitchen.
Grand Traverse Resort and Spa’s Aerie Restaurant & Lounge is proud to announce its third consecutive Wine Spectator Award of Excellence win. Wine Spectator magazine bestows the Award of Excellence to restaurants with wine lists featuring at least 90 selections that include a well-chosen assortment of quality producers along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style.
From family friendly and casual to fine dining, Shanty Creek Resort in Bellaire has what you crave. With stunning sunsets, award-winning steaks, pasta, and homemade desserts, The Lakeview Restaurant offers simple, local, social dining. Enjoy the Macadamia Crusted Whitefish, Twisted Pasta with shrimp and lobster, or a traditional steak. The River Bistro at Shanty Creek Resort offers a more casual atmosphere to enjoy burgers, sandwiches, pizza, and classic dinner entrees including fish & chips, salmon, stir-fry, and more. Enjoy a fresh-squeezed cocktail or one of more than 45 regional or international beers while playing pub games including foosball, darts, pool, and more. Both restaurants are also open for breakfast and lunch.
From daily Summer Nights on the Patio to al fresco dining in the estate vineyard, Black Star Farms near Suttons Bay has something for every palate.
Crystal Mountain’s Farm-to-Table dining series brings the fresh flavors of northern Michigan to the Thistle Pub & Grille at the resort in Thompsonville the third weekend of each month, May through September. Their chefs work with local farms, making personal visits to many of them, to build a custom three-course menu.
Come to Traverse City and enjoy the ultimate Bonobo Winery experience. Join Cornel, Bonobo’s winemaker, on the patio for a three-course lunch. Learn more about the wines paired with each course by the winemaker himself while taking in views of the rolling vineyard with Grand Traverse Bay in the distance. Picnic lunches in the vineyard are available at 12pm and 1:30pm Monday through Friday. Just reserve a table for $50 (seats up to six people), buy your lunch from the picnic menu, and select your favorite bottle of Bonobo wine. They’ll drive you out to your special place among the vines. Reservations recommended.
Click through for more mouth-watering places to try around West Michigan.
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
The Lee High School boys soccer broke open a tight, defensive struggle with two goals near the end of the first half, and then ran their early-season record to 7-0 overall and 3-0 in OK Conference Silver with a 5-1 win over cross-town rival Godwin Heights on Thursday, Aug. 29.
The game was televised by WKTV Community Media’s high school sports coverage team with special Spanish-language announcing by local soccer instructor and radio host Jesus “Chucho” Cruz. The Spanish language audio game telecast will be replayed Saturday, Aug. 31, at 11 a.m., and then again Wednesday, Sept. 4, at 6:30 p.m. on WKTV cable channels. It will also be available both with Spanish and English announcers on-demand at WKTVlive.org. (See note below for details.)
Cruz is a goalie trainer for GRAS Academy of Grand Rapids and hosts the local La Mejor GR radio program.
In the actual game between Lee and Godwin Heights, Legends junior Gerardo Montañez broke the scoreless tie with about 4 minutes remaining in the first half, then about two minutes later sophomore Edgar Vasquez scored to push the score to 2-0. Lee and Vasquez wasted little time getting on the board in the second as he scored again with only about seven minutes played in the second half.
Lee pushed the score to 5-0 with goals by junior Willi Diaz and senior Michael Esqueda before Godwin sophomore Mario Aguilar tallied late for the final 5-1 score. Senior Godwin goalkeeper senior Eric Truong had several good saves despite the one-sided score. Lee sophomore Jacob Flores faced relatively few threats on goal as the Legends defense played very well.
With the loss, Godwin Heights’ record is now 1-1-1 overall and 0-1-1 in conference play.
In the lead-up to the contest, WKTV interviewed Lee coach Jamie Ramirez on the state of this current team and the school’s soccer program. For a story visit here. For a video, visit here.
WKTV broadcasts on Wyoming and Kentwood cable channels. On Comcast cable, Channel 25 is the Community Channel, where sports events and other community events are shown; Channel 26 is the Government Channel, where local government meetings and events are shown. On AT&T cable throughout the Grand Rapids area, viewers go to Channel 99, and then are given the choice to watch Wyoming (or Kentwood) Community (Channel 25) or Government (Channel 26) channels.
For complete schedules of programs on WKTV channels, see our Weekly On-air Schedule.
All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.org .
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week, any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and feature stories on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/.
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
Lee High School boys soccer coach Jaime Ramirez likes the state of his program, top to bottom, from the nearly 40 kids in the middle school program to the deep, talented varsity roster that has posted a 6-0 early-season record heading into a cross-town rivalry with Godwin Heights on Thursday, Aug. 29.
But Ramirez and his newly-named Legends expect more after last season’s 18-7 record including two playoff wins with an 8-3 record in OK Conference Silver standings, and this season’s fast start including a 2-1 comeback road win over Grandville Calvin Christian in conference play.
“The kids are working really hard. They have ambitions to make history on their own this year. The last conference championship we had was in 2010,” Rameriez said to WKTV early this week. “They are anxious to put another conference championship on their shoulders.”
The Lee boys soccer game at Godwin Heights will be this week’s WKTV High School Sports Featured Game of the Week.
Lee lost only two players from last year’s squad and feature not only five seniors and five juniors on the varsity roster, but also several young players who are too good to keep off the varsity roster.
“That is what is making the team pretty strong,” Ramirez said. “This is my dream team. I can substitute like four of them and not notice a big difference on the team, which is what I believe all the coaches dream for.”
Coach (reluctantly) pointed out several players who are the “players to watch” on the offensive side of the squad, starting with senior Raul Antonio Montañez — “He is one ofr the best leaders I have. He works hard every single game and, right now, he is the number one we are looking for. … but like I said, we have a lot of good players coming back.”
Among those “good players coming back” is senior goalkeeper Jorge Andres Montes — “He is another straight-up leader.” As is junior Gerardo Montañez and senior Tristan Perez.
“I’ve got quite a few of them,” Ramirez said. “On defense I’ve got (sophomore) Alexander Ruiz, he is really good. And I’ve got a couple others coming back … (but) my midfielders are new this year. Wili Diaz has been playing really good. And Leonardo Maldonado, I put him up (on varsity), he was playing JV last year. … We have a lot of good players, it is hard for me to name just a few.”
The depth, on the varsity team and in the program, is not something the Legends have had in past years.
“We have, if I’m not mistaken, something like 38 kids in the middle school program, and we are shooting to have two teams,” Ramirez said. “Back in 2007, when I started as a coach, I had 13 players on varsity. That’s it. That says something right there.
“The program is getting better and better. We’ve got more kids joining and we got a girls (program building the numbers) too. … The kids they really want to do things.”
And what the varsity “kids” want to do is win a conference title for a school which has struggled in many varsity sports in recent years.
“I talked to the guys and I keep telling them ‘We’ve got a lot of chances, a lot of potential to become OK champs this year.’ I’m not going to say we will, because I don’t like to say that. I’m going to say we’re going to try really hard.”
All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvlive.org.
For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week, any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and feature stories on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/.
By Sharon Wylie, Crash’s Landing
Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet—or few—from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Crash’s Landing. Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary rescue organizations were founded by Jennifer Denyes, DVM (Dr. Jen), who is on staff at Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic (4245 Clyde Park Ave SW).
Gratiot Area Animals in Need (G.A.I.N.) contacted us in early July of 2019 in hopes of us being able to accommodate a FIV+ girl they had in their foster program. Although she had been with them since April, she wasn’t tested until her spay appointment in June, and when her viral status was discovered, they were in need of locating a shelter, such as ours, that caters to their special status. The only way the virus can be transmitted is through bite wounds, so at some point she was injured by another cat.
Lyanna hasn’t a mean bone in her lovely three-year-old body (born in the summer of 2016); in fact, she has proven to be one of our most outgoing, gregarious girls. In the words of our volunteers:
“Lyanna definitely goes against the “torti rules” by being the sweetest little thing. She enjoys gazing through the French doors to the lobby just waiting for one of the volunteers to pop in, scoop her up, and give her the attention she adores so much. She loves to follow us around and watch everything that is going on. I’ve seen her sass a few of the bigger boys and stand her ground when challenged, but she is not at all physically aggressive. She’d make the perfect companion for a home with kids, maybe a smaller dog, (she was fostered with dogs) and access to plenty of playtime. I’d worry a little about her trying to get outside because she does try her darnedest to sneak in to the lobby on occasion, so that should be taken into consideration.”
“Lyanna is the perfect mix of sweet and sassy. She loves people, but doesn’t have a ton of time to be held or sit in laps, as there is just too much to do! She is very playful and loves to chase bell toys around. She will sometimes play with other cats, but other times she wants nothing to do with them. She has one of the biggest appetites of all our residents—probably to fuel her high level of energy!”
We firmly believe that being FIV+ is not going to hinder her from finding a home as her charming personality, pawsitively stunning looks, and non-torti temperament (they are typically quite opinionated and, shall we say, less than agreeable) make her an awesome candidate for companionship. A word of friendly advice: don’t miss out on the chance to make lovely Lyanna yours!
Want to adopt Lyanna? Learn about the adoption process here. Fill out a pre-adoption form here.
Interested in volunteering at one of the cat shelters? Email volunteer@crashslanding.org.
By Alan Headbloom, Feel Like You Belong
Swithina Mboko is a professor at the Seidman college of business at Grand Valley State University. In this interview, she discusses the culture differences between Zimbabwe and the US, the trials of teaching in a foreign country, and her qualitative research surrounding refugee entrepreneurs.
By WKTV Staff
“Only one is a wanderer; two together are always going somewhere.”
Madeleine Elster/Judy Barton from ‘Vertigo’
Ladies and gentlemen, the days you’ve all been waiting for — this year’s Metro Cruise is Friday and Saturday, Aug. 23 and 24, and it’s packed with more to do and see, according to organizers. Started 15 years ago by the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce to encourage businesses and patrons to travel the “Sunset Strip of Grand Rapids,” the annual event has become a two-day car extravaganza with more than 100,000 people attending. Go here for the scoop.
Admission is free to the Dozynki Polish Harvest Festival at Rosa Parks Circle, 135 Monroe Center, this weekend Friday-Sunday, Aug. 23-25, and there will be plenty of inexpensive parking in Parking Lot Areas 7, 8, and 9 for those who don’t mind a short walk. Fun activities during the festival include music, dancing, authentic Polish food, the paczki eating contest, crowning of the busia queen and more. Learn all about it here.
Part science fair, part county fair, and part something entirely new, Maker Faire is an all-ages gathering of tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers, science clubs, authors, artists, students, and commercial exhibitors. It happens Saturday, Aug. 24 from 10am-5pm at the GRPM. More info here.
Hey, they really wanted to continue their 50th Anniversary Tour at the VanAndel Arena tonight, but lead singer Randy Owen’s ongoing complications with cluster migraines and vertigo have laid him low. The group had hoped to continue its record-breaking 50-city tour, however, doctors have advised more time is needed for Owen to fully recover. Rescheduled dates for the tour will be announced in the coming weeks.
Alabama’s lead singer, Randy Owen joins roughly 69 million people—nearly one-third of people over the age of 40 in the U.S.—who experience vertigo at least once in their lives. Curiously, dancing can make it better. Hey! Hie thee down to the Dozynki Polish Harvest Festival this weekend and put it to the test.
By Matt Gryczan
In honor of the 40th anniversary of its annual Dozynki Polish Harvest Festival, the Polish Heritage Society of Grand Rapids has turbocharged the free event this upcoming weekend with top-notch entertainment and demonstrations of Polish cooking, dance and crafts.
This year, the festival features:
“A lot of the activities will center around our demonstration tent, which we liken to a visit to your busia’s (grandmother’s) kitchen — the place where all the fun stuff is going on,” said Marilyn Lignell, past society president and demonstrator of the Wigilia feast.
In addition, the Polish Heritage Society is bringing the internationally known Lenny Gomulka & Chicago Push band to play two nights of the three-day event, along with other well-regarded polka bands, including Gerry Kaminski’s Polka Network, Dave Slivinski & The Noteables, Gary Szotko’s GPS Polka Band, the Polski Chix Polka Band and Ray Watkoski’s Family Band.
Gomulka is considered a living legend in the polka community; he’s developed a huge base of followers in the United States and Canada since he formed the Chicago Push in 1980. Nominated for 12 Grammy awards in the polka genre, he was inducted into the International Polka Music Hall of Fame & Museum in his hometown of Chicago in 2016.
Admission is free to the Dozynki Polish Harvest Festival at Rosa Parks Circle, 135 Monroe Center, from Aug. 23-25, and there will be plenty of inexpensive parking in Parking Lot Areas 7, 8, and 9 for those who don’t mind a short walk.
Other fun activities during the festival include the paczki eating contest, crowning of the busia queen and a performance by the P.R.C.U.A. Malbork Dance Ensemble, a dance group for youth ages 3-18 that teaches traditional Polish folk dances with authentic garb.
The Polish Heritage Society also selects a local not-for-profit group for special recognition during the festival as a way to build awareness and support for the organization, and this year the society is highlighting the Wolverine Worldwide Family YMCA in Belmont. Representatives of The Y will be present during the afternoons of the festival to educate visitors about the offerings and mission of the organization.
The Dozynki Polish Harvest Festival is the major fundraiser for the Polish Heritage Society of Grand Rapids, a non-profit organization founded in 1963 to perpetuate and advance the Polish culture that has been so integral to metro Grand Rapids. Among a number of its activities, the society awards scholarships annually to students of Polish descent who attend Aquinas College, Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids Community College, and Davenport University.
For a full calendar of events for the three-day Dozynki Polish Harvest Festival, please view the society’s website at Polish Heritage Society of Grand Rapids.
By Sharon Wylie, Crash’s Landing
Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet—or few—from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Crash’s Landing. Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary rescue organizations were founded by Jennifer Denyes, DVM (Dr. Jen), who is on staff at Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic (4245 Clyde Park Ave SW).
On March 2nd and again on March 17th, we had what we believe to be an entire family of terrified cats dumped off in carriers. ‘The Shy Seven’ were the first to arrive and then three more joined us, rounding things out to ‘The Timid Ten’.
Needless to say it was a HUGE ordeal for all involved, from the stunned volunteers who kept pulling cat after cat out of cramped carriers, to the traumatized kitties who had no idea what was going on, and finally to Dr. Jen, who spent the greater part of two weekends at the clinic getting them program-ready. The latter was no small feat, as every single cat (yup, all 10 of them) were intact; 4 of the 5 girls were pregnant, and all 10 were clearly out of their element and having major trust issues.
Adding various medical issues to the mix, like fleas and a variety of internal parasites, dental disease and chronic herpes virus—suffice it to say that we ended up having a heaping handful of kitties who needed a great deal of help, not only physically but probably more importantly, mentally.
It was clear from the onset that the family had been neglected and lacking human contact for quite some time given their poor body condition, painfully long nails, and a shyness that went beyond anything we have seen before—and we have seen a lot. We have no idea where they came from, or why someone thought it was a good idea to displace them as they did without regard for our space or financial capabilities, but Dr. Jen believes a kindhearted, elderly person owned them and, for whatever reason, let them breed and multiply, running rampant in the house and growing wilder and more wary as the days wore on. This person could have then passed away (or moved away) and the cats were left to fend for themselves until a family member (or landlord) came in and booted the entire lot of them out—and onto our doorstep.
Regardless, we’d like to think they were loved by someone at some point, as this helps us believe in the goodness of people, enough so as to offset the stupidity and callousness of others.
Let’s just say that for the most part, the journey we have all been on together is ever evolving—and it is going to be a long road full of bumps, setbacks and yes, triumphs along the way. It is now a few months since the arrival of this family, and we are just now able to share their stories, as it has taken a great deal of time (and patience) to get to this point.
Although we can’t verify their twisted family tree, Dr. Jen believes they were all born in late 2016. In any case, we have learned who is independent, who absolutely needs to be part of a duo (or trio), and who is going to be our most challenging and in need of the most convincing that we are good and that we will do no harm.
Quiet Ann is blossoming before our eyes, becoming much more accepting of being petted, but we’re still not able to physically pick her up for more than a few minutes, or panic ensues. She is, as her name states, a soft-spoken (meowing) little lady who is as stunning as she is sweet. She’d pair up well with Roller who needs to go with another one of the 10 who will complement him nicely as the more self-assured dame of the duo.
Potential adopters should be aware that it will more than likely be a tough transition for any of them, but once they settle in, get themselves familiarized with their new surroundings, and develop a new routine, they are going to be amazing cats. They are 100% worth the effort, but they will require more patience, time and energy than your average shelter cat.
Honestly though, we feel each and every one of our cats is above average, especially this family, who have come so far since they day they were dumped on our doorstep. Their transformation has been nothing short of remarkable.
We want to reiterate that at our free-roaming facility, cats like these have all the time in the world to acclimate and adjust—at a snail’s pace if that is what is necessary. We have no cages, no time limits, no rules or regulations—each individual cat gets to stretch his legs at his own speed; each kitty gets to spread her furry little wings and fly when she is ready to leave the nest. We offer a peaceful, secure environment to each and every cat in our care as long as they need it—and us. Slow and steady wins the race, and we firmly believe that with love, all things are possible; we surely can see endless possibilities and bright futures full of promise for this family of ours.
To help potential adopters see what we do, if you are interested in meeting one or more of the family members, we’ll set up special ‘quiet times’ for you to come visit them. They really thrive in calm surroundings, so we want to showcase them at their best!
Want to adopt Quiet Ann? Learn about the adoption process here. Fill out a pre-adoption form here.
Interested in volunteering at one of the cat shelters? Email volunteer@crashslanding.org.
By WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org
In the wake of recent mass shootings, state and federal efforts to introduce and pass so-called “Red Flag” laws — which would allow persons with access to guns to be investigated as being possible dangers to themselves and others, and to give authorities the ability to seize that person’s guns — was one topic discussed as part of a wide-ranging inter-governmental leaders meeting Monday, Aug. 12, at the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s Government Matters Committee’s monthly forum at Wyoming City Hall.
With bipartisan bills being introduced both in Lansing and in Washington, D.C., Peter Dickow, West Michigan Regional Director for U.S. Sen Gary Peters (D-Mi.) echoed other leader at the meeting by saying: “There is room for common sense legislation” on this issue.
The Government Matters meeting is rebroadcast on WKTV’s channels and on-demand website (wktvlive.org). This month’s meeting is available here.
The Government Matters meeting brings together representatives from the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood, Kent County commissioners, local Michigan state senators and representatives, as well as often representatives of Michigan’s U.S. senators and U.S. congressman who represent the Wyoming and Kentwood area.
The next meeting will be Sept. 9 at Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW, from 8 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.
The intergovernmental discussion hosted by the chamber focuses on issues that effect residents and businesses in the two cities.
For more information about the chamber and Government Matters visit southkent.org.
The meetings are on the second Monday of each month, starting at 8 a.m. WKTV Journal will produce a highlight story after the meeting. But WKTV also offers replays of the latest meeting on Wednesdays at 7 p.m., as well as on select Saturdays, on Comcast Cable Government Channel 26. For a highlight schedule of WKTV cable programs visit wktvjournal.org .
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
Anybody who has rebuilt a classic car will tell you there are somethings that just have to be modernized, that some of the original mechanicals simply can no longer be renovated.
That is especially true with classic pickups, most of which were bought and used as work vehicles — farm vehicles often — including Mitch Miller’s 1955 Chevrolet, a now annual visitor at the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2019 28th Street Metro Cruise, this year on Aug. 23-24.
So while “Old Yeller” carries much history with it — including its original bright yellow paint job and his mother’s graduation tassel hanging from its rear view mirror — it also carries something few classic pickups possess: a fuel system running off of ethanol.
“It’s named ‘Old Yeller’ because it had that name, that color, when we bought it,” Miller said to WKTV. But in another way it is very, very different from when it was new or when it came into the family.
“One of the interesting things is I converted it to E85,” he said. “I put a Quick Fuel (Technology) carburetor on it. Replaced the fuel lines and cleaned the fuel tank. It runs great on 85 percent ethanol and that is the only fuel I run through it now. That is kind of a thing (when he shows it off). I’m an ethanol producer, we have the NuVu (Fuels) gas stations, and we wanted to do a little bit of proving that ethanol can run great on older vehicles. It burns really clean and has good power.”
While the ’55 may have modern technology and a little bit of modern purpose associated with it, it also carries a family history that will be passed on in the family, Miller said.
“My father bought the truck in 1992, 27 years ago, in Bismarck, North Dakota … It was his favorite year of pickup. He was a Chevy guy for a lot of years,” Miller said. “But it had basically sat in a barn, in storage, for 15 years in Bismarck … I have had an interest in older vehicles, and have redone a number of vehicles — a ’74 Corvette, a ’68 Camaro — so I asked my brothers to ship that truck to me.”
As with almost any classic car rebuilt, the vehicle was in worse shape than he thought when it was finally parked in his garage — “A lot of pickups were used as farm trucks and they were really abused. I think they are more rare than the cars. … just preserving the history and keeping them on the road.
“I spent the winter of 2016, into 2017, just going through all the mechanical. Brakes. We added power steering. Radiator. Rims and tires. Took the dash out if it, got all the old gages working. … We were having trouble with the original straight six cylinder motor and we put a Crate 350 in it. So it has a little more horsepower. So, just got it road worthy. … Now it’s a great cruiser. We use it on the Interstate. It’ll run 75 miles an hour down the road.”
And with a reminder of its family history hanging from its rearview mirror, it will likely stay cruising down the Miller family road for a while.
“When my dad first bought it, my mom put her 1970 graduate class tassel on the rear view mirror and that would never be touched by our family. That stays there,” he said. “This truck will go down to my brother’s son, or my son. It will stay in the family.”
WKTV Community Media will produce a 1-hour special live broadcast scheduled to air at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 23, on WKTVLive.org as well as on WKTV Comcast Cable Channel 25 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99, and, later on demand at WKTV.org.
For more information Metro Cruise 2019, visit the chamber’s website at southkent.org and keep up on the latest news of Metro Cruise and DreamWheels at WKTVjournal.org.
By Sharon Wylie, Crash’s Landing
Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet—or few—from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Crash’s Landing. Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary rescue organizations were founded by Jennifer Denyes, DVM (Dr. Jen), who is on staff at Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic (4245 Clyde Park Ave SW).
We cannot begin to express our intense dislike for non-breakaway collars placed on cats who are allowed to go outside; plain and simple—they are NOT safe, and in Axil’s case, wearing one became traumatic.
We have no idea just how long he had been wandering around in a neighborhood nearby Crash’s with just such a collar digging into the tender flesh of his right armpit, unable to free himself from the shackle that had rubbed his skin raw until it embedded itself deep within the tissue since it had no other place to go. We also have no idea how he finally broke free—if a kindhearted person cut it off and cut him loose—but by the time he was rescued in late June of 2018, the delicate and dainty boy (born in June of 2014) was still suffering the consequences of that dreaded collar.
Sue realized he had a wound on the outside of his arm, but she had no idea just how damaged, raw and angry the skin was medially; it was not a pretty sight to see on such a pretty guy.
Axillary wounds such as his are very difficult to successfully treat, as healing is delayed drastically when a moist environment is present. Add in the fact that bacteria loves pockets such as armpits AND that it is an almost impossible area to bandage, and well, Dr. Jen had her work cut out for her.
For the first four weeks his skin was treated topically, first with therapeutic honey, then Silvadene cream, and although some healing had taken place, Dr. Jen had to go in and surgically debride excessive granulation tissue that his body formed in trying to heal itself. Dr. Jen then used silver nitrate to cauterize the open wound in hopes of stimulating healing and resumed treating kitty topically.
However, in August, Dr. Jen had resolved herself to the fact that nothing topical was going to cut it, and she ended up taking Axil to surgery to amputate the foreleg in order to remove the affected skin and delicately close the wound defect without causing too much tension.
When all was said and done, and Axil had spent several days at Dr. Jen’s home recuperating, one of our volunteers offered to foster him in order to keep a close eye on him; we were concerned he would overdo it at our free-roaming facility and wanted to give him ample time to fully heal.
Jan worked diligently for the next 6 months to slowly acclimate Axil into her furry fold, but no matter what she tried, our feisty little tripod took too much delight in terrorizing two of her shy cats to the point they had to be separated. It was with a heavy heart that she decided it was best for her household to return him to Crash’s, and although it broke her heart, she does get to visit him every week on her shift.
We were apprehensive as to how Axil would respond to now being a ‘big fish in a little pond’, but he has settled in quite nicely; in fact Tully, one of our biggest sweethearts is making it his personal goal to be Axil’s BFF, whether he likes it or not. Ideally we want to find Axil a home where he is the only cat, or at least have a buddy that will stand up to him when he gets a bit big for his beautiful britches!
In the meantime we are going to work with him on his manners and delight in seeing him hop around our place with ease and grace.
Want to adopt Axil? Learn about the adoption process here. Fill out a pre-adoption form here.
Interested in volunteering at one of the cat shelters? Email volunteer@crashslanding.org.
By Alan Headbloom, Feel Like You Belong
Vishavjit Singh is a first-generation South Asian-American cartoonist, writer, and performance artist. He joins us to talk about growing up Sikh in North America, living in New York after the 9-11 terrorist attack, and using one’s superpowers for good.
Plaster Creek Stewards (PCS) have yet again received national recognition for their work. This summer, the Urban Waters Learning Network, Groundwork USA, River Network, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, awarded PCS the Learning Network Signature Award. The award, which was presented at a conference in Cleveland, Ohio, honors individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the network of urban waters practitioners and to the field of urban waters protection and restoration.
Plaster Creek Stewards is an initiative of Calvin University that is dedicated to returning health and beauty to one of the most contaminated urban waterways in West Michigan. Now in its tenth year, PCS has involved students, staff, faculty, community members, and partners in education, research, and many different on-the-ground restoration efforts.
A major goal of this work is to reduce the amount of stormwater runoff that enters Plaster Creek. Over the years, the runoff has created all kinds of problems for Plaster Creek: high levels of bacteria, heavy sediment loads, reduced aquatic life, and flooding. It has taken more than 100 years for the Plaster Creek watershed to become so degraded and PCS leaders know it will take at least 15-20 years of concerted effort to reverse the damage.
“When we began this work we thought our job was to help clean up a contaminated creek,” said Dave Warners, biology professor at Calvin University. “But before long we realized the creek wasn’t the problem, it was a symptom. The problem is the way people are living in the watershed and the disregard that watershed residents show for the creek. So now PCS focuses on restoring the damaged relationship between people and their creek. We are trying to get people to care for this neglected and abused part of God’s creation.”
Gail Heffner, Calvin’s director of community engagement, started PCS with Warners back in 2009. The two accepted the Signature Award this summer during the Urban Waters Learning Forum in Cleveland. In reflecting on PCS’ work over the past decade, Heffner says simply: “it’s an embodiment of Calvin’s mission.”
“Calvin’s mission asks us to think deeply. We’ve taken an interdisciplinary approach in looking into what’s causing the problems in this local watershed. What we’ve discovered is that there are populations of people and particular neighborhoods that are disproportionately affected by the contaminated runoff,” said Heffner. “Our mission also demands us to act justly. So when we discover that this environmental injustice is happening, we are compelled to do something about it.”
And that’s what Plaster Creek Stewards have done over the past ten years.
During that time, Plaster Creek Stewards have secured 18 grants totaling more than $2.7 million.These grants have supported research: 63 student summer researchers and faculty from six academic backgrounds have received funding to study the problems and possible solutions to the challenges faced by urban waterways like Plaster Creek.
These grants have also supported the education of hundreds of people, not just in the college classroom but from pre-school through post-retirement, helping people learn how to care for their local place. Since 2009, Plaster Creek Stewards have worked with more than 26 local schools and more than 18 local houses of worship to educate and help them take restorative action in the Plaster Creek watershed.
These grants have also supported numerous on-the-ground restoration projects to capture stormwater where it lands, preventing stormwater runoff which helps improve water quality. This restoration work has included a variety of projects from a large floodplain restoration project in an upstream county park to bioswales in suburban areas and curb-cut rain gardens in urban neighborhoods. Since 2009 Plaster Creek Stewards have expanded their native plant nursery by building two additional greenhouses and now grow more than 100,000 native Michigan plants per year that are used in these various projects throughout the watershed.
PCS has also hosted a Green Team comprised of urban high school students who learn about watershed ecology and green infrastructure installation, while simultaneously being encouraged to consider college as part of their future. Grant funding and numerous individual donors have supported the Green Team program, which has provided 96 high school positions to students in the Plaster Creek and the Rogue River watersheds over the past seven years. This has been a rich learning environment for high school students and the college student mentors who have worked alongside them.
The year 2019 celebrates the first ten years of Plaster Creek Stewards. This fall, PCS will host their final 10th anniversary celebration in collaboration with the Art Department and the English Department under the theme of Dwelling: Our Watershed in Image and Word, followed by opportunities for attenders to roll up their sleeves and take part in some tangible restorative action on behalf of the creek. Heffner and Warners say that restoration is hard but hopeful work, and that it points to a future when even urban streams will once again be places of delight and beauty for the communities through which they travel.
Reprinted with permission from Calvin University.
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
Dr. Jochen Wierich, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park new Curator of Sculpture and Sculpture Exhibitions, comes to Grand Rapids with extensive art curatorial experience, having most recently led curated exhibitions at Nashville’s renown Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art including a much admired exhibition “Jaume Plensa: Human Landscape” in 2015-16.
He also has an equally impressive resume as an art historian and teacher, which includes being a lecturer on art history at prestigious institutions of higher education including Vanderbilt University — and he now holds the Lena E. S. Meijer Professorship in Art History at Aquinas College.
But the “American” portion of the German-born Wierich’s art history resume only hints at his depth of knowledge and appreciation of art, and his desire to share his knowledge and appreciation with local students and the general public visiting Meijer Gardens.
During one of his first in-depth interviews after coming to Meijer Gardens in late July, Wierich wore his curatorial jacket as he discussed his admiration for the Meijer Gardens sculptural art collection as well as some works which surprised him on his initial tours of the gardens. (See the following video.)
During the WKTV interview, however, he also discussed his views on the differences between art education in Europe and America, as well as his conviction that understanding history and culture is essential to understanding art.
“I see a number of differences in the role of art and art education in Europe and in the United States,” Wierich said to WKTV. “From my own perspective, in Europe young people grow up understanding that art is a part of a kind of cultural heritage, a part of a kind of patrimony, that we inherit. So even outside the classroom education, that is something that young people in Germany, in Europe, they just bring to their college education.
“In the United States, I would say that museums have done a great job of helping, educating young people, in the arts. Encouraging them to be creative. And then to appreciate art. But, still, art is not as much imbedded in the broader education sphere in the United States. And so, when the students come to college, they just don’t quite bring that background, that kind of familiarity with the arts, that I see in Germany and in Europe.”
But passing on his passion for art is where Wierich’s passion for education comes into play.
“That is something that, especially as a college teacher, I also want to help with,” he said. “Being part of the Aquinas faculty, and interacting with the students in the classroom, and possibly encouraging them to come out here and explore the sculpture collection, that is going to be part of my job. … And maybe bridge that gap a little bit.”
Another stop in Wierich’s American journey was at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane, Wa. — a place which cemented his belief in the importance of culture and historic context in understanding and appreciating modern art.
“The issue of understanding art within the historic and cultural context, to me, it is something that I think about all the time,” Wierich said. “My background, as you know, is in art history and American studies. So I thrive in museum environments that are multi-disciplinary, if you want (to call it such). And, for example, here at Meijer Gardens, you have art and horticulture, and you have programs that bring music and literature to this institution, and create this conversation across different disciplines.
“At the MAC, the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, you might see in one visit a Native American contemporary artist painting landscapes, you might see additional plateau Indian baskets, and then you might see an exhibition of German and Italian immigrants who came to the inland Northwest as farmers. And so, each of these exhibitions contributes to, in a sense, framing the art.”
When it comes to modern and contemporary art appreciation and art history “I think that learning about the context (is important), that none of these works was created in a vacuum. That each of these works can help us understand what the historical circumstances were that, maybe, inspired the artist,” he said. “Think about the great Picasso painting “Guernica”, without understanding the (Spanish Civil) War, that painting is not quite the same.”
And he brings that idea home to Meijer Gardens.
“Even with the artists here in the sculpture park — Ai Weiwei, Jaume Plensa — you can really understand what an artist like Ai Weiwei is processing in terms of his growing up in contemporary China, and struggling with the changes in China,” Wierich said. “Or Jaume Plensa, somebody who grew up right after the dictatorship of Franco, and when Spain became a democracy. This are all stories that allow us to have a greater appreciation of the modern and contemporary art works.”
Prior to his work at Vanderbilt, Wierich held teaching positions at Whitman College, Free University in Berlin and Belmont University.
He earned a Master of Arts degree from the Universitat Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Universitat Dusseldorf, Dusseldorf, Germany. He has a master’s degree in American Studies from Goethe University of Frankfurt and a Ph.D. in American Studies from the College of William and Mary in Virginia — where his dissertation is titled “The Domestication of History in American Art, 1848-1876”.
Joseph Becherer, who previously held both the Meijer Gardens and Aquinas College positions, was named director of the Snite Museum of Art at the University of Notre Dame last fall.
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By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
Doug Deweerdt’s history with his 1951 Chevrolet pickup is not unlike a lot of stories about guys rebuilding classic cars — it started out with rusty years in a pole barn somewhere, it’s always more work than they initially thought, and it often has a strong family connection.
But the story of Doug’s dad wanting to leave classic cars to both sons, and his deceased dad’s involvement Deweerdt’s rebuilding process, is unique.
“My father picked this vehicle up, probably, about 30 years ago, for him and I to restore,” Deweerdt said to WKTV. “He already had a 1947 Dodge business coupe. He picked up the truck for he and I to do, so my brother would get the car and he’d leave the truck to me.
“Well, life and kids got in the way and it sat in his pole barn for like 20 years, then he pushed it off into my garage for like five or six (years). He passed away in January 2013 and in December I decided, you know, its time to do the truck.”
While he was working on the renovation of the truck, done in about 2-1/2 years, he was constantly reminded of his father, though.
Deweerdt spent “a lot of time in the shop, after work,” working on the pickup, he said. And “I’ve got a picture of him standing next to his ’47 that hung on my shop wall the entire time,” — his voice trailing off in memories — “there is definitely a connection.”
Deweerdt, who is plant manager of Grand Rapids’ tortilla maker El Milagro of Michigan, Inc., told us the story of the actual work required that involved both family and a new friend.
“At the time (he started the rebuild) I had an acquaintance that had built a couple (cars), Jeff Myles, and I asked if he would stop by and take a look at it. You know, give me some ideas,” he said. “So he did, and, you know, in talking to him, I asked him if he would mentor me. I told him I’m not asking him to help me, just kind of walk me through certain sections of it. Which he did, and he’s become a very, very good friend of mine now.”
While Deweerdt did “about 90 percent of the work,” including a frame swap, to give him more modern brakes and other mechanicals, he finished it with a special paint job from a shop in Muskegon. He has been showing the ’51 for three years.
“I tried to keep it as original as I could,” he said. “A lot of guys really modify the bodies, shave the doorhandles and all of that. I really didn’t want to do that. I really wanted to keep it as original as possible and yet I wanted that look (pointing to the vehicle) and I wanted a more modern-day ride, with the suspension.”
One other thing that is not “original” is the truck’s bed — but that, too, is more a personal story.
“The bed wood, we get a ton of complements on that,” Deweerdt said. “A lot of them just do the normal wood shade. … (but) I had seen a sample of the dark wood on the internet. My wife piddles with woodworking, we both do. So I gave her a sample of the wood and said ‘This is what I want.” And she played around with a couple different combinations and this is what we came up with. … we get a lot of people commenting on that.”
And there will broadly be more comments on the ’51 at the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2019 28th Street Metro Cruise on Aug. 23-24.
WKTV Community Media will produce a 1-hour special live broadcast scheduled to air at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 23, on WKTVLive.org as well as on WKTV Comcast Cable Channel 25 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99, and, later on demand at WKTV.org.
For more information Metro Cruise 2019, visit the chamber’s website at southkent.org and keep up on the latest news of Metro Cruise and DreamWheels at WKTVjournal.org .
By Sharon Wylie, Crash’s Landing
Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet—or few—from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Crash’s Landing. Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary rescue organizations were founded by Jennifer Denyes, DVM (Dr. Jen), who is on staff at Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic (4245 Clyde Park Ave SW).
Slink, born in the spring of 2011, was aptly named by his persistent, pint-sized rescuer, none other than Sandi D. Seems this elusive and evasive guy preferred to avoid all human contact and sneak around the feral feeding station Sandi supplied rather than risk getting snagged and snipped; having been intact well into his senior citizenhood, we guess we really can’t blame him.
Not one to shy away from a challenge, Sandi laid down the law and told him how things were gonna go, and finally, after weeks of setting her trap, Slink allowed himself to be caught. A week after his trip to CSNIP to remove his manhood in late April, Sandi brought him in to see Dr. Jen as he wasn’t feeling well; as it turns out his neuter site had abscessed, he was running a fever and his white blood cell count was astronomically high.
To top things off, he had a fractured tooth with root retention that was causing him oral pain, major stud tail and was matted and scabby, all from living a rough life out on the mean city streets. And of course, he tested a very strong positive for FIV, a virus transmitted primarily from cat to cat by fighting, which it appeared he had done his fair share of.
Poor old guy. We didn’t have any room at our sanctuary at that time so, Sandi took Slink on home after Dr. Jen tended to his variety of medical needs and let him recover in the cozy confines of her makeshift living room shelter. A week later, he had healed beautifully, so Dr. Jen was able to vaccinate him, and in early June he came back out to see the good doc for his follow-up test, booster vaccines and a long overdue bath and brush out; the hair Dr. Jen removed from him could have made an entirely new cat!
Slink may have been a bit bald when he finally made it down to Big Sid’s, but he was definitely beautiful. His large jowls (fat-headed status comes form being intact and hormonal) had shrunk down nicely, his tail was no longer greasy and he had put on good weight. Our solid, sturdy boy was ready to join the ranks and become a resident.
However, over the next few weeks it was obvious that his mouth was giving him more trouble, as can be very common with FIV+ kitties, so Dr. Jen wasn’t surprised when she had to remove all of his teeth, with the exception of his canines, in late June. Although this sounds shocking, in all honesty we have a sizable population of cats that have very few, or in some case NO teeth, and once that source of chronic pain and inflammation is gone, these cats pork right on out as it is no longer problematic to eat.
Sure Slink may meow with a bit of a lisp, but he is happy and much healthier now!
We asked our shelter director and manager to weigh in on his personality thus far to give everyone an idea of what type of cat he is:
“Slink is slowly but surely coming out of his shell. He was so terrified that he hid under a bed for the first week or so, only coming out when Sandi would come and visit him. He now hangs out in a cubby or on top of the cat walk but will explore the shelter when it’s quiet. If you approach him slowly, he will let you pet him and really enjoys it. He is very passionate about canned food and treats! I would like to see him have a buddy or two in his home to give him confidence and show him how great it is to be an indoor cat.”
“In the past couple of weeks, Slink has gone from cowering behind a bed in a cage to hanging out with us in the meds room. Sandi visited him several times in the first few days, and she must have had a talk with him because suddenly he’s out and about looking for attention. He is not one bit aggressive but a little shy, so we’ve gone a little slower on handling him. We did discover he actually enjoys being brushed — he will be silky soft and shiny in no time. He’ll need a buddy or two to live with to help boost his confidence. I’m going to say dogs and small kids may be a bit too much for him.”
As Slink comes out of his shell more and more each day, we have to smile with pride. He is going to make a fabulous friend for someone who can provide a mellow, quiet life for him, one where he can lounge lazily in a sunbeam after filling his tummy, soaking up the warmth of the type of home he had only been able to dream of for far too long.
Want to adopt Slink? Learn about the adoption process here. Fill out a pre-adoption form here.
Interested in volunteering at one of the cat shelters? Email volunteer@crashslanding.org.
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
Kai and Bentley, a German Shepard and a Goldendoodle, respectively, were friendly but not very talkative as they were introducing themselves around City of Wyoming’s 62-A District Court earlier this summer as part of Kent County’s Courthouse Therapy Dog Program pending expansion.
That’s okay, though, it’s sort of what they are trained to do as therapy dogs: to present a smiling dog face, a scratch-able ear, and a transferable sense of calmness to humans in stressful situations.
And, anyway, as WKTV hung out with Kai and Bentley and several of their 4-legged friends while the dogs prepared to start duty in Wyoming, their West Michigan Therapy Dogs, Inc. handlers and Kent County 17th Circuit Court Judge Kathleen Feeney — a driving force behind the program — had plenty to say on the dog’s behalf.
“They have been going to the different courthouses, getting used to the victim witness units, and in the courtrooms,” Judge Feeney said to WKTV in late June. “So they could be available for children who are victims of crime … and for vulnerable adults, who are also preyed upon, unfortunately, in criminal circumstances.
“We work them (the dogs) in two-hour shifts because that is about all they can handle because, believe it or not, they absorb a lot of the stress the kids are under.”
As of last week, Judge Feeney said several dogs have been “trained for Wyoming, Walker and Grandville (courts), as well as the 63rd and 61st District courts,” but have not yet started working in Wyoming.
In late 2018, Kent County’s Courthouse Therapy Dog Program began a trial effort in Judge Feeney’s court, along with the 61st and 63rd District Courts in Kent County. The program is a joint effort of Judge Feeney, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker and his office, as well as with West Michigan Therapy Dogs, Inc.
“Prosecutor Chris Becker and I had talked about having dogs brought into the courthouse for a couple years now, and when we started hearing about more and more courts in Michigan having dogs coming into the courthouse, courthouse dogs … We thought, OK, we need to start looking into this more, and he was very open to it,” she said.
Maybe not so incidentally, Judge Feeney has a personal connection to therapy dogs and to the local therapy dog group.
“My now four-year-old Bernese Mountain Dog, Rosie, is a West Michigan Therapy dog,” she said. “So we do dog therapy, in addition to the 400 other people who belong to this organization throughout West Michigan. And so I thought, okay, this is perfect. Let’s see if we can’t bring West Michigan Therapy Dogs into the prosecutor’s office and the courts.”
And the trial program, less than a year old, is already proving its success.
“The evolution is how people are valuing it, Judge Feeney said. “At first we only got a couple calls from victims or victim advocates … for dogs, but all of a sudden, they started seeing how positive it was for the victims, for the families, who are also very stressed and concerned about what is going on. Now there are a lot more requests.”
So what sort of dogs work well as therapy dogs? Just how do they do their jobs? Kai and Bentley let their handlers tell us.
Kai’s “been doing therapy work for two years. He’s an 8-year-old dog and he’s been a court dog since October (2018),” Mary Hovingh said to WKTV. His “personality is calm, sweet, and in his case, he likes kids. Everything he does as a therapy dog is with children, no adults.
“I read the child. If the child does not want to touch the dog, they can sit near the dog, play games. If they want to pet the dog, they can. I’ve had kids show him pictures, they’ll read a book and show him a picture. And he will, oddly, look at the pictures.”
Hovingh explained that in addition to working in courts, “my dog goes to schools, he’s up to eight or nine different schools now, during the school year. And he does libraries. About a third of his people, the children who read to him, are special needs kids. He has ridiculous amounts of patience for children.”
Three-year-old Bentley, according to handler Val Bares, has a similar demeanor and work ethic.
“What traits make a good therapy dog?” she repeated a question from WKTV. “Mostly you look at the personality, you want the dog to be friendly with people. There are people dogs and there are dog dogs, and you want a people dog, one that loves to be petted. Their temperament is key. You want them to be calm.”
Bentley and Bares have been together since he was a puppy, and they work together in hospitals, a burn unit camp and at an assisted living center, she said. And she would not trade her work with Bentley for anything.
“I don’t know where it is more rewarding, for him or for me,” she said. “ Their intuition to people that are hurting or that are sad, is just unbelievable. It is such a blessing to be able to do this with him, in this program.”
By WKTV Staff
“It always helps to have people we love beside us when we have to do difficult things in life.”
From The World According to Mister Rogers (p. 45).
Started in 1984, National Night Out has evolved to neighborhoods hosting block parties, festival, parades, cookouts and other community events with safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personal, exhibits and much more. More here.
Be a fake tourist for a day. Go to local museums, parks, festival events or even the town historical sites and city hall. You might be amazed about how much local history sits buried in these locations that most people don’t know a lot about. Go here for more day trip ideas.
Comedy-drama, Superior Donuts by Tony® Award- and Pulitzer Prize–winning author Tracy Letts, explores the challenges of embracing the past and the redemptive power of friendship. It opens Aug. 8th at Circle Theatre. Go here for the deets.
That’s the reason Fred Rogers (aka Mr. Rogers) got into television. When he turned on a set, all he saw was angry people throwing pies in each others’ faces, and he vowed to use the medium to make the world a better place.
By Ashlee McGreevy, Circle Theatre
Circle Theatre continues its 67th Main Stage season with a production of Superior Donuts opening on Thursday, Aug. 8 at 7:30pm inside the Performing Arts Center on the campus of Aquinas College. Superior Donuts is brought to the Circle stage by Production Sponsor Steelcase and is rated R for strong language and adult situations.
“This is a show about being stuck in life. Stuck because of past mistakes, stuck because of one’s upbringing or background, or maybe stuck because of a crippling anxiety, guilt or fear. This is a show about overcoming these paralyses in order to find freedom, even when opposed by literal violence.” — Andrew Manion, Cast Member (Kevin Magee)
Under the direction of Mike Hull, Superior Donuts tells the story of Arthur, a Polish-American, who owns a decrepit donut shop in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago. Franco Wicks, a black teenager who is his only employee, wants to change the shop for the better.
This comedy-drama by Tony® Award- and Pulitzer Prize–winning author Tracy Letts explores the challenges of embracing the past and the redemptive power of friendship.
Circle Theatre audience members can take advantage of the Lobby Bar on select nights throughout the summer, including the Aug. 9 performance of Superior Donuts. On Aug. 9, Michigan craft beer and wine as well as donuts from Marge’s Donut Den will be available starting at 7pm; beverages can be enjoyed inside the theatre on that evening.
“Our show is the story of the American Dream as told by ordinary people. If you are someone who believes that America can be the best it can be for all of its people than this is a show that will hopefully inspire some questions and no small degree of hope.” — Mike Hull, Director
Superior Donuts will run Aug. 8-10, 14-17, 21-24 at 7:30pm, and Aug. 18 at 5:30pm. For more information or to purchase tickets, please call the box office at 616.456.6656 or visit Circle’s website at circletheatre.org.
By Sharon Wylie, Crash’s Landing
Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet—or few—from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Crash’s Landing. Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary rescue organizations were founded by Jennifer Denyes, DVM (Dr. Jen), who is on staff at Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic (4245 Clyde Park Ave SW).
These two boys had it really rough prior to their rescue, and both had significant health issues that needed prompt medical attention. But probably most important of all, they are absolutely enamored by one another. In fact, their bond was almost immediate and has since grown to the point that we will strive to adopt them out as a duo because, honestly, one is rarely seen without the other close by.
We’ll begin with Caboose, a one-year-old fella (born in early 2018) from Lansing who found himself in dire straits when his rectum prolapsed (due to chronic diarrhea secondary to internal parasites). Thankfully, his rescuer took him to emergency immediately, and surgery corrected his issue. Unfortunately, he tested FIV+ (and upon retest, a faint FELV+), and although his rescuer was smitten with this darling boy, she had a houseful to think of for the long haul, so she contacted us for help.
All was going quite well after his arrival, but just three days into his stay at our sanctuary, Caboose prolapsed again — and this time had to have a portion of that pooching rectal tissue amputated. The second time around proved to be successful, and now (a month after his arrival) he is off all meds and pooping like a trooper.
Four days after Caboose came into our program, we opened our doors to a bedraggled but beautiful brown tabby — Snickerz — who hailed from the east side of the state. His rescuer came across him a month earlier, living outside of a local business, begging for dinner from food trucks on the property; he supposedly had caretakers but it was painfully obvious that this five-or-so-year-old fella (we think he was born in early 2014) was suffering, not only from a nasty respiratory infection, but heavy internal parasites, a nasty ear infection, and a horribly rotten mouth that attributed to his malnutrition and poor body weight. He also tested positive for both viruses.
Since his immune system was so run-down, Snickerz also came down with calici virus, an infectious, transmissible feline illness that causes painful oral ulcers, fever and lethargy. However, through it all, nothing dragged him down, and we all truly believe that the comfort he found in cuddling up next to his caring comrade Caboose expedited the healing process.
The two perfect peas-in-a pod have similar personalities as well as being bosom buddies, and it has been delightful watching them interact. Here is what our volunteers had to say:
“Caboose — I just love this cat! He’s really doing well slowly starting to socialize, and likes to hang out now in different rooms. I love how he perks up when he sees me, almost like he’s proud of himself for being so much more brave and outgoing. He will eat bowl after bowl of wet food, and piles of Temptations. He’s doing great after his surgery and I think it’s obvious he feels good — look at the weight he’s gained! He doesn’t mind being picked up, LOVES belly rubs, and has sat on my lap a few times. Caboose is really starting to come out of his shell. He was so shy for a while, but he has settled in just great. He loves attention and has a great purr almost like Scherzer (our resident pigeon).”
“Snickerz is a bit on the shy side but is starting to show his personality. He prefers to be lying in his big puffy bed (with the stuffed lion his rescuer brought in with him) next to his other lounging friends. To me, he’s very kitten-like because he’s a little on the small size. He’s not real crazy about being picked up, but will curl up in your arms if you sit down with him. He enjoys treats and wet food, along with chin scratches. Being that he’s so shy he’s going to take some patience. Snickerz is a quiet boy who is really enjoying the comforts of indoor life. He’s such a happy and content guy that he has been caught purring in his sleep on numerous occasions.”
Both boys need to go into a quieter home, no small kids or boisterous dogs, and most definitely with one another; how could you separate these soulmates? We would love for nothing more than to give them the storybook ending they so deserve, a happily ever after that includes the both of them not necessarily riding off into the sunset, but rather napping side by side, contentedly, in complete bliss for countless days to come!
Want to adopt these great guys? Learn about the adoption process here. Fill out a pre-adoption form here.
Interested in volunteering at one of the cat shelters? Email volunteer@crashslanding.org.
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal In Focus is an update on the June partial building collapse at Lee Middle and High School. District Superintendent Kevin Polston separates the facts from the fictions of the incident and the aftermath. Also, Kent County recently adopted an extensive Strategic Plan that not only sets out its mission and vision but also a set of values that will drive its priorities and goals. With us is both the county’s lead administrator and Wyoming’s own representative on the County Commission.
First In Focus is Godfrey Lee Public Schools Superintendent Kevin Polston, who’s summer took a hard turn in June with the collapse of a portion of the Lee Middle and High School complex of buildings. Recently, he has held a series of meetings to inform parents, the general public and the school district community about the collapse as well as where the district goes from here, both in the short and long term. We invited him into our studios to reach out to our WKTV audience with the information. See the In Focus Video here.
Then In Focus is Kent County’s new Strategic Plan, set to cover the years 2019 to 2023 and designed to establish and detail the county government’s, “mission, vision, values, and strategic priorities and goals.” With us is County Administrator Wayman Britt, who after serving as county controller was promoted to the dual role of administrator and controller in early 2018, also joining us is County Commissioner Harold Voorhees, whose District 8 is — as he likes to say “entirely within the City of Wyoming”. See the In Focus video here.
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 (see our Weekly On-air Schedule for dates and times). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
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By WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org
Whenever you visit WKTV Community Media, all hours day and all days of the week, there are almost always volunteers working in the building on their own unique projects or working out in the community with our various community coverage projects.
WKTV appreciates its volunteers all year around, but once a year they are honored with at a special event. This year, in late June, WKTV held its Volunteer Recognition Picnic at Douglas Walker Park in Byron Center.
“For nearly 50 years, the community volunteers at WKTV Community Media have been the heart and soul of this organization, and that continues today,” said Tom Norton, executive director of WKTV Community Media. “We have volunteers working on their own unique projects to be shared on WKTV, volunteers who work with sports coverage and the newsroom programs, we have volunteers whose work helps keep this organization running. We are grateful to them all.”
At the event, top honors were given to Becci Schumaker and Bill Rinderknecht with Volunteer of the Year Awards, with Schumaker able to accept in person. The award for Community Service Programming was given to Gary Vande Velde.
Recognition was given to volunteers for both years of volunteer service as well as hours of service in 2018. Following is a list of those recognized as well as their programs or volunteer areas for those honored for years of service.
25 Years: Rose Hammond – Idlewild Documentary; Kim Johnson – Dynamic Praise Program/ Memorial Tributes/ Princess Diana.
20 Years: Judy Bergsma – The Reading Train; Pat Williams – Reading Train/ Community Awareness/ Anything!
15 Years: Jeff Steere – Rescue 1 FireSafety; Patty Williams – Bluegrass On Stage & Sounds Of Summer.
10 Years: Carrie Bradstreet – You’ve Got To be Kidding Me America/Plus.
5 Years: Kara Boorsma – News/ Plus; Randy Galaszewski – You’ve Got To be Kidding Me America/ Plus; Shahied “DJ” Word – Michigan’s Finest Talent.
100 Hour Club included Garion Adams, Tom Sibley, Gary Vande Velde, Tyler Darland, Marisol Martinez, Joiman Davis, Becci Schumaker, Bill Rinderkencht, Kriss Boom Boom, Matt Zuby, Rose Hammond, Mike Moll, Val Fisher, Ben Aki, Doug Remtema, Kyle Cortez, Stephanie Norton, Kathy Norton, Mike Bacon, Michael McCallum, Scott Baisden.
Those with 51–99 hours included Mark Bergsma, Shahied “DJ” Word, Randy Galaszewski.
With 26-50 hours were Patty Williams, Pat Williams, Rene Karadsheh, Larry Swanson, Carrie Bradstreet, Scott Wiseman.
With 1-25 hours Mike Boorsma, Kara Boorsma, Jim Dohm, Monique Keels, Phyllis Koslow, Pat Moll, Hung Nguyen, Les Raebel, Charlotte Rinderknecht, Mike Van Druemel, Gina Wiseman, Meochia Thompson, Judy Bergsma, Kim Johnson, Dan Kuipers, Dick Visser, Darious Young, Mike Endres, Travis Mandenburg, Edward Jay Nelson, Mark Tangen, Sophia Maslowski, Don Schumaker, Mark Lange.
By Sharon Wylie, Crash’s Landing
Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet—or few—from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Crash’s Landing. Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary rescue organizations were founded by Jennifer Denyes, DVM (Dr. Jen), who is on staff at Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic (4245 Clyde Park Ave SW).
TERRIFIC is one of many fabulous words we can use to describe Tinker, a charming little chap (born in May of 2017) who came to us mid-November, 2018. Rescue dynamo Sandi D. was out and about making her rounds on Quarry St. NW in Grand Rapids when she stumbled across this handsome black-and-white guy who had been abandoned by his owners. Not one to let any grass grow under her feet, she scooped him up and took him on home; five days later Dr. Jen was able to work him up at the clinic with the intention of taking him into our program.
Unfortunately he tested a faint positive for Feline Leukemia, a transmissible virus that befalls too many outdoor cats in our area who don’t receive proper care and vaccinations, so instead of making his way down to Crash’s he got to pack his little kitty bags and head on over to Big Sid’s. On his one month follow-up, he still retested a faint positive, so he is an official resident of our sanctuary, or Sid’s Kid as we call them.
No worries though, as from the get-go Tinker has been absolutely thrilled with his new surroundings—he is SO darn excited to be indoors and receiving three squares a day. He cannot absorb enough attention from his human caretakers and finds it fun to hang out high above everyone’s heads where he can look down and survey the activity.
He has been known to be a bit aggressive towards certain cats, but over time he is learning that it is a hoot to engage in play versus swatting and swiping at his feline roomies. Because the virus is transmitted by sharing of bodily fluids (saliva, blood), we feel it is best he go into a home with another positive kitty—or none at all, since he would wholeheartedly enjoy being the king of his very own castle.
Everyone simply adores this little busybody! When kids come to our Meet and Greets, he enthusiastically welcomes them and shows off a bit, matching their energy and eagerness to have a good time. Tinker is going to make a spectacular addition to any household who wants an outgoing, adventurous companion. He loves to climb, so keep that in mind if you have your eye on this great guy.
We are sure that once you meet him you will come to agree that he is too cute for words.
Want to adopt Tinker? Learn about the adoption process here. Fill out a pre-adoption form here.
Interested in volunteering at one of the cat shelters? Email volunteer@crashslanding.org.
By Sharon Wylie, Crash’s Landing
Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet—or few—from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Crash’s Landing. Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary rescue organizations were founded by Jennifer Denyes, DVM (Dr. Jen), who is on staff at Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic (4245 Clyde Park Ave SW).
In April of 2019, while out tending to her feral colonies, our favorite cat wrangler, Sandy D., came across this beaten-down and bedraggled, intact boy who had obviously been having a hard time on the streets. Suffering from a ruptured cat bite abscess on the left cheek, the 3-year-old (born in the spring of 2016) was a smelly, sticky, matted mess of draining pus and dead tissue. Graphic, but true.
Sandy brought kitty out to the clinic so that Dr. Jen could tend to his medical needs, and in doing so, the good doc discovered that he was FIV+ (no big surprise there); he also had a nasty toenail injury, greasy stud tail, major intestinal parasites and was downright filthy. After deep-cleaning not only his wound site but his entire body, Dr. Jen neutered him, got antibiotics and pain meds on board, dewormed and vaccinated him—he wasn’t ready to go into our program at Big Sid’s, but he was at least squeaky clean and feelin’ fine for his foster time at Sandy’s.
Although Dr. Jen is quite partial to the big boys she affectionately call ‘fat-heads’, it is a cryin’ shame that this darling, dapper fellow had to roam the streets a fully functioning, fighting male for so long. Given the fact that his face was in such rough shape when he arrived, Dr. Jen thought naming him Montana (think Scarface) was more than appropriate, though at his recheck exam three weeks later, his facial fur was growing in very nicely, covering the gooey grossness he was sporting when they first met. In fact, this sweetheart healed so remarkably well that to look at him now you’d never know what injuries he had once sustained.
Indoor life suits Montana to a ‘T’, and he has acclimated to his surroundings better than we all had anticipated, given his history. Here are some astute observations from our volunteers:
“Montana is a pretty laid-back guy, but does have a tendency to get a little upset at times if another cat gets in his way. He loves people, attention, and just hanging out in the windowsill. He’s a nice, big, solid boy and would make the perfect cat for a household with older kids who would know to respect his space.”
“Montana is a very chill boy. He doesn’t do much other than perch himself on a windowsill and watch birds all day long. He keeps to himself most of the time, but he doesn’t mind sharing his preferred perch with a cat or two, so he could probably live with or without a buddy. He’s not one to look for attention, but he is very accepting of love when you seek him out. He has a tendency to nip when he’s had enough of you, so he should probably go to a home without young children.”
Overall we are very pleased with his progress in the time we have had him—it’s not even three weeks after he became a Sid’s Kid that we are sharing his story. We are enjoying watching him transform into a silky, stunning (former) stud, but even more so, we are delighting in how happy he simply is enjoying his view of the world, now from the inside out. To see him lounge on the floor with his legs stretched out in front of him, relaxing and soaking in the sun, accepting a gentle head scratch or back stroke brings us all so much joy; after all, this boy right here deserves all of the pampering he can get!
Want to adopt Montana? Learn about the adoption process here. Fill out a pre-adoption form here.
Interested in volunteering at one of the cat shelters? Email volunteer@crashslanding.org.
Can’t adopt, but still want to help? Find out how you can sponsor a cat!
By WKTV Staff
Ken@wktv.org
Knowledge is Power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.
Kofi Annan
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal’s In Focus series of podcasts, we discuss the various aspects of what is sometimes called the Pink Tax, public policies including taxation that are often viewed as discriminatory toward females. For the complete story and link to Podcast, visit here.
The City of Kentwood has released its tentative road construction and maintenance schedule for the summer. The City Commission approved the resurfacing and maintenance program, which includes improvements to 30 miles of major and local roads, at a cost of $1.4 million. For the complete story and a map, visit here.
Sen. Peter MacGregor (R-28th District) offered his views on the status of Michigan’s current budget problems and West Michigan’s pending mental health services changes as part of a wide-ranging inter-governmental leaders meeting at the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s Government Matters meeting. For the story and a link to the video, visit here.
In 2018, the ratio of women’s to men’s median weekly full-time earnings was 81.1 percent, a decrease of 0.7 percent since 2017. Source
