Beltline Drive-In (Photo from the Wyoming Historical Commission)
For almost forty years, the Beltline Drive-In Theater was a beacon along 28th Street, welcoming movie lovers from allover West Michigan. In 1948, Jack looks jumped into the booming post-war drive-in theater business when he bought land on 28th Street in Wyoming to build the theater, which would eventually include a miniature golf course and “Bounce Land” trampoline court. The theater, which was known for its waving Bugs Bunny and Goofy, had a capacity of 850 cars.
The drive-in theater would eventually be replaced by Studio 28, the area’s first in-door multiplex movie theater that featured 20 theaters in one. Studio 28 would close in 2019. The site is now the home of HOM Flats, which faces Prairie Parkway, and Frankie V’s restaurant, facing 28th Street. Jack Looks theater company, which is still locally owned, evolved into Celebration! Cinema with theaters at RiverTown Mall, on the East Beltline and Knapp, and on Kalmazoo Avenue near the M-6 interchange.
The image is supplied by the Wyoming Historical Commission. The commission operates the Wyoming Mich. Historical Room at the KDL Wyoming Branch, 3350 Michael Ave. SW. The history room is open every Tuesday from 9:30 – noon. For more about the Wyoming Historical Commission, visit the organization’s Facebook page.
Kentwood resident Pattee Bender received the Sweet Adeline of the Year Award. (Supplied)
It was an award well deserved. This year’s Sweet Adeline of the Year Award went to Pattee Bender, who has been a contributing member for 24 years. Her strong work ethic, and superior knowledge of the barbershop art form, and the many roles she plays within the group led to the honor.
So, what exactly went through her mind when her name was announced as the winner?
“Whaattttt? They called my name?,” she said. “I didn’t think it would be me. I truly am so surprised, grateful and humbled.”
Bender serves as choreographer, is the showmanship leader and oversees costume and makeup teams for the Grand Rapids Chapter of Sweet Adelines. In addition, she serves as the coordinator of the singing group’s upcoming travels.
“Almost a year ago, with optimism and excitement, our chorus accepted the invitation to sing at Pearl Harbor for the 80th commemorative anniversary,” Bender said. “I have been the point person with our music tour company, and am responsible for coordinating registrations, hotel information, forms, payment schedules and communicating information to our performers and travelers.”
It may seem a bit overwhelming, but that is one of the reasons why Bender received her award. She goes about every task with unbridled enthusiasm, attention to details and immense talent.
Pattee Bender’s reaction when her name was announced.
Bender receives her award.
Master Director Denise VanDyken agrees.
“I was surprised at the number of candidates that were nominated for this award. They are all so talented,” VanDyken said. “Pattee is very deserving of this prestigious award and we are all very proud of her.”
The Grand Rapids Chapter of Sweet Adelines is an a cappella group that sings in four-part harmony. The group just marked its 70th anniversary, making it one of the longest running barbershop singing groups in the world.
For more about the Sweet Adelines Grand Rapids or to join the group, visit their website, www.grsa.net.
I turned on Christmas music for the first time last night as I was driving down U.S. 131 and seeing the lights at LMCU Ballpark, which is prepping for the annual Christmas Lite Show display. I can’t believe it’s their 24th year this season.
You know, I’m ready for the holidays.
How about you?
This weekend’s Gonzo’s Top 5 includes holiday events, a sports card shop opening, a chili cook-off and great Grand Rapids restaurants.
Enjoy.
Oh, and Winter Wonder Walks at the Christmas Lite Show in Comstock Park are next weekend (Nov. 11-14). For ticket information, click here.
As always, I welcome your input and recommendations for events to include in my Top 5 list. If you have something for me to consider, just send me an email at michigangonzo@gmail.com.
Here we go.
Craft season has started. This week’s featured show is Jenison Christian School. (Photo from Pxhere.com)
5. Craft Show Season
Many craft shows are returning this year, which is exciting for those who love to shop local and get some unique items. If you have a favorite show, please let me know. I plan to include them in our weekly list here on WKTV Journal. This weekend you can check out the annual Fall Arts & Crafts Festival at Jenison Christian School. The event is from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday (Nov. 6). You will find both original handmade crafts and baked goods. More info on the school’s Facebook page.
A sampling of items available at the Thornapple Sports Cards & Games opening on Saturday. (Thornapple Sports Cards & Games)
4. Thornapple Sports Cards & Games Grand Opening
I’m so nostalgic about sports cards. I collected them as a kid. Got back into the hobby after college. Then I got excited all over again when my kids were kids. Today, I don’t keep up with it like I used to, but I know there is a resurgence in collectibles, especially as NFTs become all the rage. (That’s another topic for another day.) This weekend Thornapple Sports Cards & Games in Hastings has its grand opening with special guest, outfielder/catcher Eric Haase of the Detroit Tigers. He’ll be signing from noon-2 p.m. Saturday (Nov. 6). Autographs are $20. I talked to owner Austin Ball the other day who is so excited to open his store, and bring in one of his favorite Tigers players. Learn more about what specials and deals you can get this weekend on the Thornapple Sports Cards & Games Facebook page. It is located at 107 E State St. Suite B., Hastings. Grand opening is from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Dan and Lis Verhil bring back their famous Chili Cook-Off this weekend.
3. Chili Cook-Off at the Ballpark (Sullivan Field)
It’s back! Lisa and Dan Verhil, former owners of the Cottage Bar in Grand Rapids, are excited that Fans of Valley Field wanted to bring back their popular chili cook-off. After a five-year hiatus, it returns Saturday (Nov. 6) at Sullivan Field, 650 Valley Ave NW, Grand Rapids. Proceeds benefit Kids’ Food Basket and Fans of Valley Field to help restore and renovate Sullivan/Valley Field.
“Dan and I are truly excited to bring back the chili cook off, especially when we’re raising money for two great causes, Valley Field and Kids’ Food Basket,” Lisa Verhil told Gonzo’s Top 5. “We’re also excited to see our favorite Chiliheads who have cooked with us during our previous chili cook-offs. Several of them are returning, and it will be great to see them.”
The event is from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday with live entertainment beginning at noon. Chili tasting and judging begins at 3 p.m. Traditional Red & Homestyle categories, with more than 30 teams. Admission is $5 in advance (includes 3 chili tastes), and $10 at the door. Tickets for chili tastes are $1 each. Yes, there will be adult beverages, too. More info, including a schedule of events, at ballparkchili.com.
2. Bridge Street Makers Market + Bar Hop
In the mood for some early holiday shopping? Traverse to the Stock-Bridge Neighborhood of Grand Rapids to shop 35 makers. Locations Include Harmony Hall, One Bourbon and Bridge Street Market. Products will be a wide variety of handmade goods such as jewelry, knit goods, home decor, metal working, prints, soap, paintings, candles, and more. The event is FREE to attend! You only pay for items you purchase, and the drinks, of course. This is designed as a family-friendly event. More info available on the Bridge Street’s Maker’s Market Facebook event page.
1. Restaurant Week GR
This is an event I have supported since it debuted more than 10 years ago. I’ve done many stories, judged events, dined with the Lovely Pam (we just celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary) and taken contest winners to some of the best restaurants in Grand Rapids. One thing I’ve learned over all these years: These chefs ALWAYS deliver. Restaurant Week GR begins today and runs through Nov. 13 with more than 50 restaurants offering some incredible meals. This year you can sign up for Restaurant Week GR’s Digital Pass, then use it to check in to at least three participating restaurants for a foodie-themed gift. Plus, you’ll earn a digital coupon for a return visit to each restaurant you visit. For a list of restaurants and more details go to experiencegr.com/restaurant-week.
Please let me know if you make any great restaurant discoveries during Restaurant Week GR.
John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He’s an early adopter of Social Media and SEO expert. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.
Together by St. Jude has just released a free coloring book that talks about the COVID-19 vaccine and how it protects people from the virus. (Together by St. Jude)
On the heels of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s emergency use approval for a COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has created a free coloring book to help children learn about vaccines and how they work to prevent COVID-19.
The coloring book was developed and reviewed by patient education and infectious disease specialists at St. Jude. It is available for download at the Together by St. Jude web-based resource.
A “St. Jude Coloring Book: COVID-19 Vaccines” answers questions about COVID-19 vaccines in words children can understand. “A COVID-19 vaccine uses the body’s immune system to fight the coronavirus,” the book reads. “Your immune system is like a team of superheroes that protect you from germs.” The book also uses simple pictures to show how the vaccine works to help your body make antibodies to fight the virus that causes COVID-19.
“The vaccine coloring book offers children the opportunity to learn more about the COVID -19 vaccine by coloring images of doctors, children, and the COVID-19 virus,” said Rachel Schmeizer, a child life specialist at St. Jude. “The illustrations in the book help to prepare children for the vaccination process and explains how the vaccine works to protect their bodies from COVID-19.”
Together by St. Jude published its first coloring book on COVID-19 in 2020. “Learning About the Coronavirus” helped children understand the virus and taught ways to stay healthy by keeping a distance, wearing a mask, and washing hands often. The coloring book was translated into 16 different languages and was downloaded more than 14,000 times in more than 150 countries and territories.
“Throughout the pandemic, parents have struggled through numerous difficult conversations with their children. We want to prepare our children for the significant changes in their daily lives and teach them how to stay safe, but how can we do this without scaring them?” said Niki Jurbergs, PhD., Jude Psychology Department. “We created these coloring books to prepare parents with the tools they need to introduce these new and potentially scary concepts in an age-appropriate way. Having a plan ahead of time, including talking points, can make parents feel more comfortable during this conversations.”
In addition to the two COVID-19 coloring books, Together by St. Jude has also released “Riley Takes a Medicine,” a coloring book that teaches children undergoing cancer treatment about the different types of drugs and the importance of medication compliance. All three coloring books are free to download.
Increasing more affordable housing would reduce the need for shelters, according to Family Promise of Grand Rapids officials.(pxhere.com)
By Emerson Wigand Capital News Service
As winter approaches, local officials worry that a reported drop in homelessness is misleading or temporary based on short-term pandemic relief.
Michigan’s Campaign to End Homelessness recently reported a 19% decrease in those seeking emergency shelter since 2019.
“Those numbers don’t tell you that homelessness is down,” said Cheryl Schuch, the chief executive officer for Family Promise of Grand Rapids. “What they tell you is that the number of people being served by our shelter system is down.”
Family Promise operates the only family shelter in Kent County. There’s been an increase in families facing homelessness here, Schuch said. Collecting data on the issue can be challenging, especially in the case of families.
Despite the reported decrease in homelessness, Family Promise is at capacity, she said.
Full shelters aren’t limited to West Michigan.
“I don’t see that the homeless population is going down,” said Michelle Munn, the case manager at New Hope Center, in Cadillac. “The numbers look good, but it’s only because there’s extra funds right now for COVID.”
New Hope Center is the only shelter provider in Wexford and Missaukee counties. Its shelters are generally full, with vacancies filled quickly by walk-ins or those on a waiting list, Munn said.
While Munn said she thinks this drop is positive, she worries about what will happen when pandemic relief programs end.
COVID impacts were a large part of the statewide decrease, said Eric Hufnagel, the executive director of the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness.
The biggest help was the eviction moratorium, which ended in August, Hufnagel said. Another factor was the Covid Emergency Rental Assistance funds that are still available.
“That was the No. 1 reason we saw our numbers decline,” Hufnagel said. “We believe that’s slowing down what could be a flood of evictions.”
Imagine a front door and back door, Hufnagel said: The front door is how people come into homelessness, the back door is how people are rehoused.
“Our hope is that we can put a dent in the flow through the front door,” he said. “The challenge we are seeing now is that back door.”
Michigan’s affordable housing stock is the weakest it’s been in decades, Hufnagel said. That means higher prices and rental rates for the housing that is available.
It’s even harder for people to move to new housing because there are fewer options, and existing options cost more.
“The majority of our families can’t afford housing even though they’re working,” Schuch said. “That has really been magnified in West Michigan.”
Family Hope of Grand Rapids has been working with Eastbrook Homes which is developing more affordable homes for the area. Also, Holland Home sold its former Fulton Manor to Hope Network, which plans to turn the former nursing home into a 120 affordable home. The nonprofit housing corporation ICCF is currently working on several affordable housing projects.
The pandemic has decreased shelter space in part due to fewer volunteers to staff facilities, Hufnagel said. Additionally, distancing recommendations have reduced available space in some shelters.
Rising COVID-19 cases adds to these concerns, said Susan Cancro, the executive director of Lansing-based Advent House Ministries. Increasing positive cases could halt new admittances for areas with limited shelters.
“That’s a problem for those on the street who are homeless,” Cancro said. “Especially as the weather becomes more cold and wet, and there’s nowhere to go.”
Schuch said it’s important to increase access to temporary housing to keep people safe for now.
“We have families staying in cars and other places,” Schuch said. “We have to make sure there’s adequate shelter available.”
Without more affordable housing, those problems will only get worse, Schuch said.
“Only investing in shelter doesn’t make sense. They won’t need our shelter if there’s enough housing.”
As temperatures in Northern Michigan are cooling down, Paddle Antrim warns paddlers to take precautions to protect themselves from heightened dangers of sudden, unexpected cold water immersion while on late season paddling outings.
“Whenever paddlers are out on the water, they should dress with the assumption they may end up in the water,” said Paddle Antrim Executive Director Deana Jerdee. “With the cooler weather, water temperatures have dropped and therefore a wetsuit or a full immersion drysuit with insulating layers is necessary.”
Sudden immersion in cold water can cause gasping and inhalation of water resulting in drowning and time spent in cold water will cause your body to lose, resulting in unconsciousness, and/or swimming failure as muscles become numb. Wearing a life jacket may keep your head above water and support your body should your swimming ability fail or you become unconscious.
In 2020 the US Coast Guard reported 271 canoe/kayak injuries or deaths (2020 Recreational Boating Statistics, US Coast Guard) accidents and of all the casualties that resulted in deaths, 79% of those who died were not wearing a life jacket. Of the casualties that didn’t result in death, hypothermia was the leading cause of injury. “Death and injury in kayaks or canoes are almost completely avoidable if a properly fitting PFD and cold water gear is worn,” said Jerdee. “Paddling is like any other sport – you need to wear the proper gear and have the proper skills to safely participate, especially during the colder months when the lower water temperatures can be extremely dangerous.”
Should you ever find yourself in the water it is recommended that you stay with – and preferably on top of – your boat. Never overestimate your swimming ability. All too often people underestimate the distance to shore or the effects of cold water and unfortunately drown while attempting to make it to safety.
Paddle Antrim makes the following recommendations to paddlers heading out on the water:
Always wear a properly fitted life jacket. Simply stated, life jackets save lives;
Dress for the water temperature;
Avoid boating alone and always let someone know where you are going and when you expect to return. Have a cell phone or VHF radio accessible, in a watertight bag, should you need to call for help;
Carry essential safety gear, signaling devices and whistles; and
Ashley Greenway — with husband Kyle, daughter Bailey and son Brody — is a wife and mother from Holland who has tested positive for Huntington’s Disease and is an advocate for the cause though her work with the Huntington’s Disease Society of America. (HDSA)
When it comes to Huntington’s disease, a fatal genetic disorder that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain, some people simply do not want to know if they have the defective gene.
According to the Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA), there are currently approximately 41,000 symptomatic Americans and more than 200,000 at-risk of inheriting the disease. The symptoms of HD are sometimes described as having ALS, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s — simultaneously. And it has no cure.
For Ashley Greenway, a wife and mother from Holland, Mich., who has tested positive for Huntington’s disease (HD) — leading to the knowledge that it may well impact her physical and mental abilities during her prime years and that her two children are at risk — testing was the right thing to do.
In her case, knowledge was and is power: the power to speak out; the power to advocate; the power to help others now and — maybe — her children in the future.
“Someday, my kids may need to take advantage of the resources HDSA has to offer and I wanted to make sure that I did my part,” Greenway said recently to WKTV. “It’s the same feeling when I participate in medical studies for HDSA. Last week I was in Wisconsin and had a lumbar puncture done so HDSA could have spinal fluid to assist in their efforts to better understand the disease and find a cure.
“A cure may not be available in my lifetime, but perhaps my kids could receive it. It’s very rewarding just thinking that I play a small part in helping understand and cure this disease.”
Finding out, finding ways to help
After first finding out she was at risk in 2006, then researching and agreeing to be tested, she tested positive in 2012. She then also faced inward soul-searching and outward reflection of her own family.
Ashley Greenway, with husband Kyle, daughter Bailey and son Brody. (HDSA)
“At the time of diagnosis I was working outside the home and a mother already,” Greenway said. “I do believe that if I had known my prognosis prior to having kids, it would have impacted my decision on starting a family. The first thing my parent with HD said to me when I told them I was positive was ‘I’m sorry’. … I can’t imagine the guilt I’ll feel if I find out I passed this on to my kids.”
But, she points out, now there are methods available for couples at risk of HD to have kids with no HD risk.
While she declined to talk much about her HD-positive parent — who is nearing 60 year old but with no symptoms — Greenway did say was the only one in her family, out of 20 at risk members (first cousins, their children, siblings, and nephews), that has been tested voluntarily.
“No one else is open about it or wants to know,” she said.
“I used to think of that day (when she learned the test results) as the day I was given my expiration date, but now I see it as the day I became a better person,” Greenway said in supplied material. “Surprisingly, I didn’t cry. I was too in shock to process. I was trying to figure out what this meant and how I felt. I have three siblings, two nephews, and my own two children that are at risk of inheriting this horrific disease and I’m the only one who’s been tested.”
And how did she respond to knowing?
In 2013, Greenway started to get more involved in the HD community, including involvement with the Predict HD medical study out of Rochester, New York. In 2014, Ashley was involved with the documentary film Alive and Well, the film follows seven people coming to terms with the reality of living with HD.
She went back to school, graduating in 2015 from Baker College of Muskegon with an associates degree in business. In 2019, she trained for the Chicago Marathon with Team Run for HD, but it was cancelled due to the pandemic. Recently she took part in the Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA) #LetsTalkAboutHD Stories.
Ashley Greenway’s daughter Bailey, shown with a quilt inspired by Ashley’s work with the West Michigan Team Hope run/walk, a fundraising event for the Huntington’s Disease Society of America. (HDSA)
She has also have become heavily involved with the annual HDSA’s West Michigan Team Hope Walk/5K Run — the West Michigan portion of HDSA’s largest national grassroots fundraising event, which takes place in over 100 cities across the U.S. and has raised more than $20 million for Huntington’s disease since its inception in 2007.
She has gained support from her family in her work as well — husband Kyle, daughter Bailey and son Brody — both with her fundraising and with her advocacy for the cause. To honor all that support, she even has made a quilt out of all her family’s and friend’s Team Hope shirts from previous years and donated it to HDSA as a silent auction raffle item.
She is now lead coordinator for the local event, and has seen the event though a rough time in this time of COVID.
“During 2020, HDSA had to cancel all of their in-person events,” Greenway said. “These events generate a lot of funds for social worker’s salaries, grants to scientists for trials, or money to families affected by HD for medical bills. Whatever the use of the funds, they were understandably lacking during the pandemic. … It was important to me that our group still meet our fundraising goal for the year.”
And, Greenway says, she leans on her HD-positive parent as she moves into the future.
“My HD positive parent is still here inspiring me to stay strong and encouraging me to get more involved in HDSA, without symptoms,” she said in supplied material. “My involvement in HDSA provides me with a sense of purpose I’ve never felt before. When HD takes me out of this world, I’ll be leaving it a better place because of how I’ve helped this HD Community.”
Huntington’s Disease Society of America
HDSA was founded in 1967 by Marjorie Guthrie, the wife of legendary folk singer Woody Guthrie. Woody died from HD complications when he was only 55 years old, but the Guthrie family legacy lives on at HDSA.
A sign at a West Michigan Team Hope run/walk, a fundraising event for the Huntington’s Disease Society of America. (HDSA)
The DNA error that causes HD is found in a gene called “huntingtin”. This gene was discovered in 1993. Everyone has the “huntingtin” gene, but only those that inherit the mistake, known as the HD mutation, will develop HD and risk passing it on to their children.
HDSA, according to supplied material, is the “premier nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of everyone affected by Huntington’s disease. From community services and education to advocacy and research, HDSA is the world’s leader in providing help for today, hope for tomorrow for people with Huntington’s disease and their families.”
One of its current efforts involved changes to federal rules which it comes to Medicare policy through advocacy for the HD Parity Act (HR 2050/S 868) in 2021.
“Without passage of the HD Parity Act, patients with Huntington’s disease will continue to suffer the mandated 2-year waiting period for Medicare benefits after qualifying for Social Security Disability Insurance,” according to an HDSA statement. “Individuals with HD have a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disorder. During those two years, patients continue to decline, and are falling through our social safety net by being denied access to Medicare when they need it most.”
D.A. Blodgett-St. Johns Communications Specialist Allyssa Murphy stands with boxes of toys received in last year’s D.A. Blodgett-St. Johns Virtual Toy Drive. This year’s drive is being held through Nov. 22. (Supplied)
By Sheila McGrath WKTV Contributing Writer
With shortages happening now in everything from groceries to computer chips to toys, D.A. Blodgett-St. Johns is hoping donors will get in the holiday spirit a little early this year.
Due to Covid-19-related supply chain issues and shipping delays, the nonprofit agency is closing its annual toy drive on Nov. 22, a few weeks earlier than usual. The drive, which opened on Oct. 1, provides gifts for children receiving services from the agency.
DABSJ, a Grand Rapids-based agency, provides services like foster care, adoption, family preservation, and children’s residential treatment.
“We help around 7,000 kids each year, and about 500 of those are kids we provide holiday gifts for,” said Allyssa Murphy, communications specialist with the agency. “Some of them are in foster homes, so they are not with their biological families. Some are in low-income households. We work with each social worker on our team and figure out who is in need and exactly how we can help.”
Closing the drive early will help ensure the gifts get in the hands of kids before the holidays, Murphy said. The gifts need to be shipped to the organization, then distributed to social workers, who get them to the families they support.
This is the second year the toy drive is being held virtually due to the pandemic. Donors can log onto the Virtual Holiday Gift Drive through a website called Roonga to view the gifts that are needed and decide what they might like to donate.
Toys received in last year’s D.A. Blodgett-St. Johns Virtual Toy Drive await distribution to West Michigan children. (Supplied)
Murphy said the vendor they are working with through Roonga put a limit on the number of certain toys they could request due to item shortages. Also, their contact at Roonga suggested they end the drive early to make up for expected delays due to a shortage of delivery drivers.
The toy drive site features items for all ages and price ranges along with basics like socks, underwear and hygiene kits, which are especially important, Murphy said.
“They’re not necessarily the most fun items, but they are necessary, and the kids we support really do need them,” Murphy said. “Gift cards are probably the highest needed item. That really makes up the difference for some families.”
Through Roonga, DABSJ has partnered with a third-party vendor that provides all the toys at wholesale prices, Murphy said. DABSJ typically gives a $50 gift card and at least three gifts per child, depending on how many gifts are donated.
“Sometimes we get more, sometimes less, but we try to give as much as we can,” Murphy said.
DABSJ President and CEO Mary Muliett said many of the kids they help have experienced some type of trauma, and the pandemic has not made things easier.
“These kids need our help now more than ever,” Muliett said. “They deserve a positive and magical holiday season, just like any other kid. We need help making that happen.”
To donate to the holiday gift drive, visit the drive webpage or dabsj.org. For more information or to discuss donation options for businesses, contact Allyssa Murphy at amurphy@dabsj.org.
Karla Black, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator at Kent County Health Department, was invited to Hands on Health to discuss COVID-19 and the vaccines with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services’ Nancy Piersma, Community Education Coordinator, and Rowan O’Dougherty, Board President. (WKTV)
Kentwood non-profit Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services is always looking for new ways to serve the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing communities. And WKTV Community Media is always looking for ways to work with groups in service of its Wyoming, Kentwood and West Michigan audience.
So the two this fall have partnered to begin a new multi-media project, Hands on Health, to provide health education in a format that is accessible to the Deaf, Deaf/Blind, Hard of Hearing — as well as other community members.
The first two episodes are now available on WKTV cable channels in Wyoming and Kentwood (check out the initial schedule below and WKTV cable schedule), on the WKTV Video Podcast page, and on the social media platforms of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (D&HHS) — YouTube and Facebook.
D&HHS, according to supplied material, has served the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing (D/DB/HH) communities across West Michigan for more than 25 years. The agency began after a deaf man’s medical emergency turned nearly fatal due to the emergency services’ lack of accessibility.
“The situation shone a light on the lack of access and services for the D/DB/HH communities,” Deb Atwood, D&HHS executive director, said in printed material. “Today, our agency serves 27 counties across West Michigan, providing a wide range of services specifically for the D/DB/HH communities.
“Each day, we work toward our mission of providing equal communication access, education, and advocacy to the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing in pursuit of all life’s opportunities.
The genesis of Hands On Health
A study published in 2016 by a group of University Medical Departments found that health literacy among the deaf is alarmingly low. When compared to their hearing counterparts, deaf participants were 6.9 times more likely to have inadequate health literacy.
These disparities are caused by several factors including communication barriers, fewer opportunities for incidental learning, and especially lack of accessible information. Many within the D/DB/HH communities are not given appropriate access to information that allows them to understand or practice autonomy over their own health.
“Our agency has recognized the of issue inadequate health literacy among the D/DB/HH in the Greater Grand Rapids area and throughout West Michigan,” Erica Chapin, D&HHS community and partnership manager, said in printed material. “These issues were made alarmingly clear throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. With limited accessible information about COVID-19 and vaccines, D/DB/HH individuals have been susceptible to misinformation and unable to make informed decisions about their health and safety.
“This situation has brought to light the lack of information on general health and wellness topics. To combat this issue, our agency is starting the ‘Hands On Health’ video series that provides health education in a format that is accessible to the D/DB/HH and other communities.”
These first two episodes feature two deaf hosts — Nancy Piersma, Community Education Coordinator, and Rowan O’Dougherty, Board President — with guest Karla Black, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator at Kent County Health Department, who was invited to discuss COVID-19 and the vaccines.
Hands on Health has premiered on WKTV Cable Channel 25 with Episode 1 continuing today, Oct. 21, at 5 p.m. Episode 2 will premiere Oct. 25 at 9 p.m., and continue Oct. 26 at 9:30 a.m., and Oct. 28 at 5 p.m. They may also run at different days and times; see the weekly schedule.
For more information and to donate to Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services, visit www.deafhhs.org/donate.
Hands on Health continues a discussion on COVID-19 and the vaccines, hosted by Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services’ Nancy Piersma, Community Education Coordinator, and Rowan O’Dougherty, Board President. (WKTV)
George Doornbos created this piece of a soldier kneeling in front of a grave. (Supplied)
By Sheila McGrath WKTV Contributing Writer
George Doornbos and Dewey Heetderks, two veterans residing at Holland Home’s Breton Woods campus, both took up woodworking in their retirement years and found the art form greatly enriched their lives.
So when an opportunity arose to take part in a veterans-only exhibit designed to bring healing through art, they both signed on.
Doornbos and Heetderks each showed woodworking pieces in Has Heart, an ArtPrize venue at Veterans Memorial Park in downtown Grand Rapids. ArtPrize 2021 ran Sept. 16 to Oct. 3.
The 21 works in the Has Heart collection were all created by military veterans, many of whom struggle with homelessness, PTSD, military sexual trauma, and thoughts of suicide.
Doornbos said working with wood helps keep his mind off aging and other unpleasant things. He was eager to participate in the exhibit hoping other veterans might also find peace through making art.
Artist George Doornbos (Supplied)
“I am very glad I went through it,” Doornbos said. “We were hoping to inspire some veterans or older people like myself to see if we could interest them in art or some other hobby to keep their mind off their troubles.”
Doornbos was in the Army from 1953 to 1955, serving as a radio operator. He took up woodworking seven years ago, at the age of 80, in the Holland Home wood shop. He works in a process called intarsia, which involves coloring and combining pieces of wood to form an art piece.
Dewey Heetderks creates hand carved wooden bowls using the grains and natural defects found in the wood to create unique and expressive works. (Supplied)
He typically creates animals, scenery or lighthouses, he said, but for the ArtPrize exhibit he entered a piece depicting a soldier kneeling over the grave of a fallen comrade. It was an idea that came to him about a year and a half ago, after he took part in an Honor Flight.
Honor Flights, funded by a nonprofit organization, transport American veterans to Washington D.C. to visit the memorials honoring those who have served and died for the country.
“We went to the cemetery and the various war monuments, and this impressed me – the number of people who have given their lives so we can live with the freedoms we have. I was moved by that whole experience that whole day,” Doornbos said.
Heetderks worked in the Army medical corps as a urologist from 1963 to 1965, after graduating from the University of Michigan. He began turning wood about 15 years ago, at the age of 75, while spending winters in Florida.
Heetderks hand carves wooden bowls, using the grains and natural defects found in wood to create unique and expressive works.
Artist Dewey Heetderks
“Wood is a beautiful product of our lord,” he said. “If it’s sanded and polished and given the opportunity with a beautiful finish, it’s lovely. I embellished every bowl I made. I made a special effort to create something unique, and that was a lot of fun.”
Neither of them had any plans to enter ArtPrize until a representative from the organization visited Holland Home to tell the residents about the veterans-only exhibit being created this year.
Both artists said the most important thing about the exhibit was giving veterans a creative outlet.
“For those that were involved, art for them was particularly important, particularly those that were suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome,” Heetderks said. “It was obviously a release for them. It’s wonderful.”
Cory Mcliechey, a descendent of Sojourner Truth, keeps his family’s legacy thriving with his recently released children’s book, “Keeping the Truth Alive.” (Supplied)
Cory P. Mcliechey, a 5th generation grandson to iconic historical figure Sojourner Truth, keeps his family’s legacy thriving with his recently released children’s book, “Keeping the Truth Alive.”
In Mcliechey’s debut tale, he strives to educate today’s youth about a historical woman and the trials she endured.
The cover of Cory Mcliechey’s recently released children’s book about Sojourner, “Keeping the Truth Alive.” (Supplied)
“Keeping the Truth Alive” contains colorful illustrations that Mcliechey himself designed and created, captivating readers as they learn about a heroine who stood against her oppressors and fought against inequality and racism, providing greatness to America despite the obstacles Sojourner Truth experienced.
Having recently lost his parents, Mcliechey told WKTV that he felt driven to finish the book as a way to keep his familial legacy alive.
“I dedicated it to the memory of my parents whom me and my siblings had to bury earlier this year,” Mcliechey, a Grand Rapids resident, said to WKTV “That was my motivation in getting the book done.”
Book an extension of community work
Following in the footsteps of his ancestors, Mcliechey has been a community advocate and activist for many years, “fighting for equality and justice,” he said.
Cory Mcliechey’s Top Notch Kids community program aims to change the narrative of the gun by providing real life opportunities to rejuvenate communities using the “GUNS” of home improvement — caulk guns, staple, guns, nail guns, and paint guns. (Supplied)
One of the goals he hopes to accomplish through his activism is helping people realize that, “Throughout all of the ‘isms,’ such as racism, the different hues and colors of people are a reflection of God’s majesty. Don’t get it mixed up with how we view it as humans.”
Mcliechey paused, then repeated, “Different hues, but human.”
Mcliechey has put action to his words, founding a non-profit organization, Descendants of the Truth, whose sole agenda is to educate youth on their history while teaching them life skills.
Top Notch Kids is one program among many under the umbrella of Descendants of the Truth. Designed to encourage and inspire youth to help revitalize their neighborhoods, this movement provides a fun and safe alternative to the culture of violence so prevalent in today’s world, he said.
(Supplied)
Top Notch Kids aims to change the narrative of the gun by providing real life opportunities to rejuvenate communities using the “GUNS” of home improvement, such as caulk guns, staple, guns, nail guns, and paint guns. This not only helps them take part in their community, it allows children to attain a valuable skill to help with career readiness.
The motto of Top Notch Kids emphasizes the objective: “We don’t kill with guns, we build with guns.”
Book part of series, documentary in work
When asked about his plans for the future, Mcliechey said that he intends to continue Sojourner Truth’s story as a series.
“I want to continue with Sojourner Truth’s story because there is so much to know about her. This (“Keeping the Truth Alive”) is just a small glimpse of what she’s done for society and America,” Mcliechey said.
The author is also preparing to create a Top Notch Kids children’s book that focuses more on current issues versus history. The main objective of the new work is stressing safety, improvement of self and community, and to guide children toward helping their community.
Cory Mcliechey’s artwork has gained admirers such as American feminist journalist and social-political activist Gloria Steinem. (Supplied)
A more immediate work-in-progress is a documentary on Sojourner Truth’s journey from enslavement to activism and advocacy.
Mcliechey has been working closely with Lateef Calloway, founder of the Phoeion Group LLC (dba Calliwood Productions LLC), and American feminist journalist and social-political activist Gloria Steinem, to showcase how Sojourner Truth’s teachings impacted Truth’s descendants’ individual lives and their views on civil rights, human rights, and women’s rights.
In fact, it was while working with Calloway that Mcliechey’s artistic side reignited.
“I’ve always been an artist,” Mcliechey said, “but it had become dormant. Lateef reignited my passion for art.”
Mcliechey attributes his ability to create the illustrations for “Keeping the Truth Alive” to Calloway and his mentorship.
Calloway also encouraged Mcliechey to design a painting for Steinem. As a way to draw attention to issues of women today and continue Gloria’s legacy, Mcliechey produced a painting of an African Goddess, featuring 24-Karat gold leaf imported from Thailand, which is now hanging in Steinem’s brownstone.
To order a copy of “Keeping the Truth Alive” by Cory P. Mcliechey, visit here.
To learn about the separate Sojourner Truth Memorial currently underway to honor the American icon, visit here.
A member of the Migrant Legal Aid staff gets a vaccine. (Supplied)
By Sheila McGrath WKTV Contributing Writer
A Sparta health clinic that went above and beyond the call of duty to vaccinate West Michigan farm workers will be honored at Migrant Legal Aid’s annual Harvest of Justice Luncheon this month.
The event, designed to share client success stories with donors and the community, will be held at noon on Wednesday, Oct. 13, at the Eberhard Center on GVSU’s downtown campus.
Clinics held at the Mercy Health Physician Partners office in Sparta last March vaccinated more than 500 migrant workers against COVID-19, according to Mary Bennett, CFO Of Migrant Legal Aid.
The clinic did an exemplary job organizing its vaccination site so farm workers could get in and out quickly without standing around waiting, according to Teresa Hendricks, executive director of the organization.
“It was an incredible logistical feat,” she said.
Migrant Legal Aid, a nonprofit that advocates for migrant workers’ rights, has assisted at several vaccination clinics in hopes of getting as many of the workers vaccinated as possible. The state doesn’t keep numbers on how many farm workers have been vaccinated for the virus, Hendricks said, but Migrant Legal Aid has assisted with vaccinating 625 people so far.
They’re not done with the work yet, and they hope to persuade more migrant workers to get the vaccine through a video recently produced by WKTV. In both English and Spanish, the video dispels common myths surrounding the vaccine and presents the facts. Appearing on the video are Spanish-speaking doctors who have gotten the vaccine themselves.
“We realized a peer-to-peer video speaking about the importance of it was going to be key,” Hendricks said.
(Right) Mirgrant Legal Aid Executive Director Teresa Hendricks shows off her vaccine shot with a staff member. (Supplied)
The video will be shared on Migrant Legal Aid’s website and YouTube channel along with other social media sites. It will also go out to listservs (a mailing list) for other migrant providers, Hendricks said.
The video can also be used at migrant camps, where Migrant Legal Aid staff can show it on an iPad when they’re visiting, Hendricks said. At future vaccination clinics, they can have it playing on a loop while people wait to get their shots.
The Harvest of Justice luncheon is an important event to spread the word about what Migrant Legal Aid does, Bennett said. In addition to the award presentation, the luncheon will feature highlights of the work the organization has done over the past year.
“We have table hosts we ask to bring guests who might not be familiar with our program and what we do. That grows the community awareness as well as our donor base. Most of them, after they hear what we do, are eager to help,” she said.
Last year’s luncheon was held online at the WKTV studio due to the pandemic. The online version got a wide audience and raised the interest of people who are excited to come in person this year, Bennett said.
This year’s keynote speaker will be Charlie LeDuff, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and investigative journalist.
In his research for articles about farm workers, LeDuff has embedded himself with migrants crossing the border and working in the fields in California to see what they go through. He nearly died while crossing the border during his investigative reporting, Hendricks said.
Tickets to the luncheon are free, but there will be an “ask” for donations, Bennett said. For tickets, go to www.migrantlegalaid.org.
“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe.”
Albert Einstein
Pulaski Days is the celebration of Polish/Lithuanian culture held every fall in Grand Rapids since 1973 . (Supplied)
Two words: Pulaski Days
After a year off due to COVID, Pulaski Days returns this weekend with three days packed full of fun. There are eating contests, a Saturday parade, a Sunday mass and of course plenty of food and drink. A total of 14 halls will be open offering an array of activities, food, and souvenirs. For more, check out John D. Gonzalez’s latest story.
Who could resist? (KC Animal Shelter)
Expand the Family
The Bissell Pet Foundation’s fall national “Empty the Shelters” adoption event, running Oct. 4-10, is a quarterly effort that has helped more than 61,787 pets in shelters find their “forever homes” by sponsoring reduced adoption fees for $25 or less. This fall’s event will be hosted in more than 180 shelters in 38 states, including about 11 in West Michigan such as the Kent County Animal Shelter and Crash’s Landing. So this weekend is a perfect time to start looking for that new family addition.
One Last Look
ArtPrize officially closes on Sunday, which means you have a few more days to check out the pieces, including the winners, which will be announced on Friday. There are items both inside and outside. A popular spot has been the Grand Rapids Public Museum, which features a number of outdoor pieces including the one pictured above, or just travel along Monroe Avenue and Monroe Center for some great “eye candy.”
Fun Fact: The Polish/American Hero
Kazimierz Michal Wladyslaw Wiktor Pulaski or Casimir Pulaski, was a Posh nobleman, solider and military commander. After being driven into exile for helping with an uprising in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Pulaski came to America at the recommendation of Benjamin Franklin. He would help in the American Revolutionary War, first by saving the life of George Washington and second helping to create the American cavalry. Pulaski died in the Battle of Savannah in 1779. He is buried in Monterey Square, Savannah, Georgia. Today, many events and places have been named after this war hero, including Grand Rapids’ Pulaski Days.
The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Jack O’Malley, R-Lake Ann, would make seizure action plans for students with epilepsy accessible for employees in contact with them. (pxhere.com)
LANSING — Advocates for children with epilepsy are pushing to train Michigan school employees to recognize seizures and provide necessary first aid.
The legislation would mandate education for all of the state’s school districts to help the 13,600 Michigan children with epilepsy and their families.
Elizabeth Stout, an Albion College student and youth consultant with Children’s Special Health Care Services of Michigan, said thebill is a great step.
“Every patient is different when it comes to their epilepsy and how you treat it,” said Stout, who has had epilepsy for the past 12 years. ”It’s hard when people assume things about a health condition, and it would be a lot easier if there was more education.”
The bill would require that all school employees be educated in seizure first aid and recognition. This one-hour training would be provided online for free, with in-person options as well. (pxhere.com)
The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Jack O’Malley, R-Lake Ann, would make seizure action plans for students with epilepsy accessible for employees in contact with them. Using information from parents, the plans are specific to each student’s needs, including information on medication or first aid.
The legislation would also mean each school would need have a full-time employee trained to administer emergency rescue medication in potentially life-threatening situations. Eleven other states have already passed seizure safe schools legislation.
“Most individuals we meet with, certainly on the legislative side, are surprised to know this training isn’t already in the repertoire for teachers,” said Brianna Romines, the president of the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan.
The bill would require that all school employees be educated in seizure first aid and recognition. This one-hour training would be provided online for free, with in-person options as well.
The training is also offered by the National Epilepsy Foundation, which allows broader access than the state’s chapter can provide, said Russ Derry, the Michigan Epilepsy Foundation’s director of education.
Romines said epilepsy training is as important as other safety training teachers receive. One school counselor, who was trained yearlyin the use of fire extinguishers, said she has never had to use one in over 15 years But the counselor has responded to between about five and 15 seizure emergencies each year.
The lack of education is a problem because it stigmatizes epilepsy, said Sierra Cameron, the CEO of the Michigan chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
“If a child goes into a seizure, it might not be as clinically bad as folks think it is,” Cameron said. “If you don’t have any familiarity with seizures, it might really daunt you.”
One of the consequences is that school employees call 911 and have children diagnosed with epilepsy taken from class to the emergency room, Romines said. This leads to trauma for the children and needless costs for families from hospitals, ambulance rides and lost wages for those who leave work.
“So, there are economic and emotional impacts to this,” Romines said. “But all of that could’ve been simply addressed with training.”
Another challenge is that school employees may be uncomfortable administering invasive rescue medication, Derry said. While nasal medication options are increasingly available, the primary rescue treatment for youth suffering seizures is administered rectally.
Derry empathizes with these employees, but he said rescue medication training is just as important as learning to use epipens for students with serious allergies. While a school nurse would ideally be administering the medication, all employees allowed to administer medication would receive training.
Derry said everyone should understand the needs of students with epilepsy as seizures can happen any time.
“In Michigan, we have one of the worst ratios of school nurses to students in the country,” Derry said. “We have about 4,200 students per school nurse.”
Stout said it’s also important to remember epilepsy is not just seizures with uncontrollable movements. Epilepsy can prompt staring spells that lead to students being disciplined for not paying attention, or to an assumption that they have attention deficit disorder, Romines said. Many effects of epilepsy and its medications are difficult to distinguish.
“That’s why we’re hopeful for this training,” Romines said. “Not only does it teach you seizure first aid, it teaches seizure recognition.”
The foundation says it hopes the House will hold hearings on the proposed Seizure Safety Act in October.
Stout said repeatedly explaining your condition is exhausting. While she was lucky to have teachers that were open to that conversation, that’s not always the case.
“If teachers and others within the education system understand epilepsy, then it’s easier for students to be honest about it, and share it,” Stout said.For youth diagnosed with epilepsy, and their families, in need of more support she recommends the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan’s Call and Connect Network.
Kent County Animal Shelter’s Angela Hollinshead with “George” — who has since found a home. But there are many more like George awaiting. (KC Animal Shelter)
The Kent County Animal Shelter’s staff members are always enthusiastic about participating in the Bissell Pet Foundation’s “Empty the Shelters” fall event, which starts next week, not only for the funding provided to support the adoption event but also for the publicity to make people aware of the event.
But they also know there is always a need for sheltering needy animals, and a year-around need to support current and possible future animal lovers in finding their perfect housemates.
“Bissell is wonderful in that they provide all the resources shelters need through media sites to make people aware of the event, as well as funding it,” Angela Hollinshead, division director of the Kent County Animal Shelter, said to WKTV. But “we will always need adopters. There will always be a need for people willing to adopt the pets that come through our door.”
Who could resist? (KC Animal Shelter)
The Bissell Pet Foundation’s fall national “Empty the Shelters” adoption event, running Oct. 4-10, is a quarterly effort that has helped more than 61,787 pets in shelters find their “forever homes” by sponsoring reduced adoption fees for $25 or less. This fall’s event will be hosted in more than 180 shelters in 38 states, including about 11 in West Michigan, including the Kent County Animal Shelter.
Founded in 2011 by Cathy Bissell, Bissell Pet Foundation began its “Empty the Shelters” campaign in 2016 by sponsoring adoptions across the country and in Canada.
“Shelters are in dire need of support in the wake of natural disasters and overcrowding due to obstacles such as increased length of stay and slowed adoptions for mid-to-large sized dogs,” Bissell said in supplied material. “Our fall ‘Empty the Shelters’ will support the adoption of thousands of pets across the country, helping shelters in this time of crisis. Opening your home to a shelter pet will save a life and create space to give another pet a chance.”
Among the participating West Michigan shelters are Al-Van Humane Society, Crash’s Landing, Faithful to Felines, Harbor Humane Society, Heaven Can Wait Animal Haven, Humane Society of West Michigan, SPCA of Southwest Michigan, Van Buren County Animal Control and Wishbone Pet Rescue Alliance.
Because every shelter is not participating for the full event, potential adopters are encouraged to visit the “Empty Shelters” website to find the nearest participating shelter and confirm their adoption day details.
Animal rescue, adoption efforts are year-round
“The pets who come to us are not broken or damaged, oftentimes coming to us through circumstances that are no fault of their own,” Hollinshead said. “We have met some truly wonderful animals.”
While the pet intake numbers fluctuate from month-to-month, Hollinshead said that they take in approximately 142 animals per month.
Need a little, or big, companion while working from home? Kent County Animal Shelter may have a perfect match awaiting. (KC Animal Shelter)
“These events help us a lot because we don’t turn away stray animals,” she said. “The reduced adoption fee helps us find homes for pets who have been here longer.”
Since 2019, Hollinshead has also noted a 48 percent decrease in pets coming into the shelter due to resources they are now able to offer current pet owners. Some of the resources available include spaying and neutering, food resources, and a behavior specialist who can help pet owners with training for their animals.
“These options allow us to focus more on each individual pet and its needs and provide better outcomes,” Hollinshead said.
If an individual or family is not able to adopt, Hollinshead also encourages community members to consider fostering shelter animals, volunteering at the shelter, and raising awareness of the need for continued help from the community.
Located on Fuller Avenue in Grand Rapids, the Kent County Animal Shelter will be participating for the full duration of the event, Oct. 4-9. Potential adopters may contact the shelter at 616-632-7300 if they have any questions.
Today’s the day that Metro Health — University of Michigan Health’s name officially changes to University of Michigan Health – West.
The new name, announced earlier this year, serves two purpose. It describes the organization’s role as part of the state’s top-ranked health system, University of Michigan Health. And it emphasizes a focus on West Michigan, where the organization had been working to advance healthcare for eight decades.
Peter Hahn, MD, MBA, president and CEO of Metro Health – University of Michigan Health (Supplied)
Visible changes will be gradual as physicians and staff receive new lab coats and uniforms, and correspondence and signage are updated for multiple sites across West Michigan. The transition is expected to continue into 2022. Throughout the process, the experience for patients will be seamless. Patients will not need to change anything in the way they connect with services.
“University of Michigan Health-West will have the same progressive, patient-focused culture as when we were known as Metro Health or Metropolitan Hospital or Grand Rapids Osteopathic Hospital,” said Dr. Peter Hahn, president and CEO, University of Michigan Health-West. “Our founding physicians would be proud of our identity today, as part of one of the world’s greatest health systems.”
Metro Health was found in 1942 as the Grand Rapids Osteopathic Hospital with a home on Lake Drive converted to serve the new facility. In 1957, the hospital moved to Boston Street in Grand Rapids. In 1985, the hospital’s name was changed to Metropolitan Hospital.
In 2003, construction began on the the Metro Health Village in Wyoming and in 2005 the hospital changed its name to Metro Health.In 2007, the Metro Health Village was open and two years later, the hospital began relationships with the University of Michigan Health in several areas: cancer, neurosciences, pulmonology, cardiology, endocrinology, pediatric cardiology and pediatric endocrinology.
The former Metro Health became the premier affiliate of University Michigan Health on Dec. 15, 2016.
“As we approach the fifth anniversary of the affiliation, the name change reminds us of what our relationship with University of Michigan Health has made possible,” said Hahn. “Sept. 27 will become another important milestone of our long, proud legacy of innovation, compassion and excellence.”
Gradual changes will take place with new signage and other details. (Supplied)
Recent years have see the addition of multiple services and capabilities, including more outpatient care sites, certification as a comprehensive stroke center, and groundbreaking regional partnerships to advance cancer and cardiovascular care. Earlier this year, the state grand approval to launch Michigan’s first new open-heart surgery program in nearly 20 years.
“These accomplishment are bringing world-class care close to home for the patients we serve across West Michigan,” Hahn said. “This really is a testament to the dedicated staff across our organization, as well as visionary leadership through the years that made us who we are today. Together, they have set the stage for an even brighter future as University of Michigan Health-West.”
The 208-bed acute-care osteopathic teaching hospital serves 250,000 patients and 61,500 emergency patients a year, with more than 500 physicians on staff. UM Health-West operates 30 neighborhood outpatient centers and offices in West Michigan.
Jaeger, and The Jaeger Foundation founder Jonathon Jacobs. The non-profit works to provide services dogs like Jaeger to other veterans. (The Jaeger Foundation)
What West Michigander James McCloughan went thorough in Vietnam in 1969-70 was no laughing matter — and he has the scars and Congressional Medal of Honor to prove it.
But local non-profit The Jaeger Foundation will be holding a “Special Farces” comedy night Oct. 8 in Muskegon to help provide McCloughan with a service dog as part of the foundation’s continuing efforts to provide service dogs to veterans and first responders who need them.
James McCloughan is presented the Congressional Medal of Honor for service in Vietnam — specifically in the May 13-15, 1969, battle of Tam Kỳ and the Nui Yon Hill — by then Secretary of Defense James Mattis (U.S. Defense Department)
“Mr. McCloughan is a true American Hero,” Jonathon Jacobs, chief executive officer of The Jaeger Foundation, said to WKTV. “He was an Army Medic in Vietnam. Mr. McCloughan took two blasts of shrapnel to his back and was shot through the arm and still never quit and kept going back for more wounded.”
The Jaeger foundation was born out of a need to provide service dogs to veterans and first responders suffering from PTSD and other disabilities, Jacobs said. And the planned comedy night is one of many ways the foundation raises money to do so.
One event is the Special Farces Comedy Competition, which will be held at Back Alley Comedy Club in Muskegon, Oct. 8, at 8 p.m. Tickets are available on the Back Alley Comedy Club website at backalleycomedyclub.com and the event page on Facebook.
The night will feature 9 stand up comics, battling head-to-head for the title of “Funniest Comedian”, as well as other prizes. The night will also include a 50/50 raffle and silent auction. The Jaeger Foundation also has t-shirts and decals on their website to raise funds to pay for the purchase and training of the service dogs.
For Jacobs, the goals of the foundation — even the foundation’s name — is personal.
Jaeger, at rest. (The Jaeger Foundation)
“The foundation was created in 2019 after going through to the journey to get my own service dog,” Jacobs said. “Naturally the foundation was named after my Service Dog, Jaeger. After reaching out to many programs, and not fitting within the limits of their program, we decided to start the foundation with the goal of getting service dogs in the hands of veterans and first responders with as little red tape as possible. So far we’ve helped about 15 People to receive service dogs at no charge to them.”
And “Mr. McCloughan” certainly deserves a service dog for all he has done, during wartime when he earned his Medal of Honor, and for what he has done for the community in West Michigan.
McCloughan was born in South Haven in 1946, was a four-sport varsity athlete at Bangor High School and went on to wrestle and play football and baseball at Olivet College. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in sociology and a teaching certificate in 1968, he accepted a teaching and coaching position with South Haven Public Schools. Three months later, McCloughan was drafted into the U.S. Army at the age of 22.
James McCloughan with a military dog in Vietnam, likely dated 1969. (U.S. Defense Department)
His service in Vietnam — specifically in the May 13-15, 1969, battle of Tam Kỳ and the Nui Yon Hill, which earned him his Medal of Honor — was nothing less than heroic. And deserves a completely separate story. (Which is detailed here.)
Following his service in Vietnam, McCloughan returned to his teaching and coaching profession. In 1972, he earned a Master of Arts in counseling and psychology from Western Michigan University, and then taught sociology and psychology at South Haven high until his retirement in 2008 earning him the Michigan Education Associations’ 40 years of Service Award.
He was also the recipient of the Wolverine Conference Distinguished Service Award for 38 years of coaching football and baseball in addition to 22 years of coaching wrestling.
He was inducted into the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1993, Michigan High School Coaches Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame 2008. McCloughan was also a Michigan High School Athletic Association wrestling official for 25 years.
That’s part of the message of “Created by Circumstance,” a collaboration between the Grand Rapids Ballet Company and Dégagé Ministries as part of ArtPrize 2021, which continues through Oct. 3 in downtown Grand Rapids.
Three performances of the six-minute show — created by GRB professional dancer Gretchen Steimle — are planned beginning at 5:30 tonight (Sept. 22), with additional shows Sept. 24 and 26.
The goal of the show, and collaboration, is to share a message of hope, help and awareness, said Thelma Ensink, executive director at Dégagé Ministries.
She said more than 800 people a night experience homelessness in Grand Rapids.
“It’s such a variety of circumstances that places someone in that position,” Ensink said. “I am constantly amazed at the stories I hear from the people we serve; some have Masters Degrees and above, and then experience a traumatic event in their life or struggle with mental health or whatever it may be… All of us are vulnerable to being in this position.”
“Created by Circumstance” offers a glimpse into the lives of those experiencing homelessness in the Heartside neighborhood.
Steimle, a member of the Grand Rapids Ballet, began the project last winter, where she communicated with staff, as well as musicians Thomas and Isaac, who knew first-hand of the resources that Dégagé provides the community.
She was at first “overwhelmed with the idea” of creating an artistic piece of work from their struggles.
Gretchen Steimle, a member of the Grand Rapids Ballet, was the creative force behind “Created by Circumstance.” (Supplied)
“I can only create from my perspective,” Steimle said, “so I really tried to find the ways we were connecting, and the commonality we were finding together in what we shared.”
And what they shared was “hope, and dance, and music, and art, and all of those things that all humans experience,” she said.
The six-minute, music and movement piece includes four dancers from the Grand Rapids Ballet Company, as well as saxophone and vocals from patrons Isaac and Thomas, who have been served by Dégagé.
Words in the piece are actual testimonials and quotes from patrons, as well as songs and rhythms.
“It’s really this big, community movement piece,” she said.
It’s a testimony of an organization that strives to keep up with the demand, especially after being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to ongoing services, Dégagé added new services such as job creation for patrons, hotel stays, extended shelter hours and PPE, according to reps.
In 2020, Dégagé served more than 60,000 meals, provided more than 7,200 loads of laundry, nearly 6,000 showers, and helped 52 women move into housing.
To see their community work turned into art is an awesome experience, Ensink said.
“I love that ballet and homelessness came together,” she said.
“That isn’t something you often think about as coming together…. Dance is an ancient art form, and I love that dance is expressing homelessness, It’s raw, it’s human. And that’s what homelessness is, it’s raw and it’s human.
Grand Rapids Ballet dancers and musicians Thomas and Isaac will perform “Created by Circumstance,” an ArtPrize 2021 entry. (Supplied)
“I love that dance is expressing this in such a beautiful way. I think people will be truly moved by this performance.”
As for ArtPrize, “Created by Circumstance” is included among other artist entries as a recipient of one of ArtPrize’s curatorial grants.
Each of the three performance locations also will include a QR code for visitors to scan with a chance of finding cash prizes ranging from $250 to $1,500 each to award to any participating artist which would directly impact Dégagé by supporting its mission.
In addition, Ensink said Dégagé is expanding and is in the middle of a $7.3 million capital campaign. Each performance will have information about the campaign available via QR codes.
Ensink hopes ArtPrize attendees will see all the good things they do for the community through their ministry.
“We are all people created in God’s image, and we are all connected,” she said. “We all have the potential of being friends, of being neighbors and of being a community that supports one another.”
John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He’s an early adopter of Social Media and SEO expert. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.
The six-minute performance will be done at three different locations in the city on Sept. 22, 24, and 26. (Supplied)
Ever wanted to se if you can outrun a jet airplane? Probably not. But you can run with the jets and support a local non-profit as, after a pandemic pause in 2020, the popular Runway 5K will return to the Gerald R. Ford International Airport on Saturday, Sept. 25.
And the Ford airport’s two commercial aviation runways will still be operational during the race.
Register is still available to be one of the 1,200 walkers and runners given the rare opportunity to compete on an actual airport runway. For more information and to register, visit triviumracing.com/event/grr5k2021/.
The course will begin north of the economy parking lot, looping on taxiway Juliet and runway 8L/26R, the Airport’s general aviation runway, before ending back at the parking lot.
A runner during the 2019 Runway 5K. (Supplied)
Race-day registration and packet pick-up begins at 7 a.m., with the race starting at 9 a.m. A one-mile fun run will begin at 9:05 a.m. Awards for the top three overall males and females, as well as age groups, will be presented at 10:15 a.m.
The race is being hosted by Trivium Racing, with this year’s charity partner being the Family Hope Foundation — a Jenison nonprofit which provides resources, activities, support and funding for therapies to families of children with special needs in West Michigan.
“The true impact of 2020 is beginning to come to light,” Jane Eppard, executive director of the Family Hope Foundation, said in supplied material. “Many children with special needs lost ground due to disruptions in school and routine in the past year. This was clearly evident in the 25 percent increase in scholarship requests we received this spring.
“The opportunity to be the charity partner for this year’s Runway 5K and the support it will bring to families in our community is deeply appreciated and gives the organization hope.”
In 2019, the Runway 5K raised nearly $14,600 for charity.
“We are delighted to welcome West Michigan back to the Airport for this year’s Runway 5K,” Torrance A. Richardson, president and CEO of the Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority, said in supplied material.
“We are also honored to support the good work of Family Hope Foundation, which provides therapy scholarships, family fun, advocacy, education and resources to families of children with special needs. We encourage runners and walkers of all abilities to come out and see the Airport from a perspective you will only get once a year.”
Registration includes a T-shirt, post-race snacks and beverages, awards for top finishers and other giveaways.
Katie Pew Wolters admitted she thought raising $40,000 was a monumental task for the dream of having a model apartment that showcased how people with disabilities can live independently.
“Now they are raising $2.5 million,” said the former executive director of the Grand Rapids Center For Independent Living which became Disability Advocates of Kent County.
The $2.5 million is for the Disability Advocates’ new expanded headquarters which the organization celebrated the start of construction on Sept. 14. The 8,600-square-foot facility, located in the future Special Olympics Michigan facility, 160 68th St. SW., will including a new Occupational Therapy home accessibility center.
Kate Pew Wolters, the first executive director for Disability Advocates, said she remember the challenges of raising $40,000 for the organization’s first model apartment. (WKTV)
“The $40,00 we raised was for a model apartment which was a corner of our office,” Wolters said. “It is nothing like what is being planned now. It had a bed and a very small kitchen but it was designed so people with disabilities would learn about being independent.”
The new Occupational Therapy home accessibility center builds on the initial concept that Wolters and her staff had in the early 1980s. (Diability Advocates was founded in 1981). The center will be a place where people with disabilities explore ways to renovated and retrofit their homes so they can be more independent. It will serve as a “test space” showroom where persons with disabilities, their families healthcare, and design professional and building contractors can explore options for a safer home, including models and adaptive equipment, something that is not offered anywhere in the region.
Disabilities Advocates Executive Director David Bulkowski said the center will be a national model where people can come “hang out and try new things to make themselves more independent.”
“The Home Accessibility Center is a response to a demonstrated need,” said Disabilities Advocates Development Director Peggy Helsel. “Often people ask, ‘What does that mean?’ When we talk about universal design and home, we are giving people a real-life model home to experience what a universally-accessible space can look.”
Through corporate sponsors and private fundraising, Disability Advocates have raised $1.75 million of the $2.5 million for the project. The organization launched its public campaign for the remaining $750,000 on Sept. 14. Bulkowski noted that they have received a matching challenge grant of up to $50,000 from the Frey Foundation to help get things rolling.
Disability Advocates of Kent County’s new headquarters will inline the Occupational Therapy home center. (WKTV)
“Dreams can come true even from 36 years ago,” Wolters said. “I am very excited about this opportunity. We knew we needed to keep going until we got it done.”
Disability Advocates will be one of nine disability organizations occupying the former South Christian High School, which is currently being transformed into the largest Special Olympics trading and inclusion center in the world. Special Olympics launched its own public phase of capital campaign in July to raise $20 million for the retrofitting and construction of the 127,000-square-foot facility that was once the South Christian High School.
Wolverine Building Group is the general contractor with Disabilities Advocates allocating 40-percent of its construction budget on engaging with local minority-owned contractors which include DHE Plumbing, Monte Christo Electric, and Grand Rapids Fire Suppression. Mathison l Mathison Architects is the architect. A move-in date has been set for April 22.
Thom Antor is a busy man. It is fairly evident when calling his cell phone as the voicemail is full. But despite being busy, he returns every call.
“That was a long few minutes,” said the District 2 Kent County Commissioner with a laugh. It was 40 minutes ago that he said he would call back in a few.
It happens when you are organizing one of the area’s biggest events that honors veterans, this Saturday’s annual Freedom Cruise, which attracts thousands of classic cars, motorcycles, and military vehicles. The people come with one purpose, to honor those who have served.
“It is just an amazing thing to see all these cars and people line up along the route, honoring those who have served,” Antor said.
The event is a 30-mile route that takes participants through the northern portion of Kent County. The route starts in Sparta and then heads to Algoma Township. It continues to Comstock Park, making its way through Alpine Township and finally returning to Sparta.
“The drive goes through the Comstock schools where there will be veterans there from World War II, Vietnam and other wars,” Antor said. “The school has students there and the band really does an incredible job celebrating the veterans, especially as the cruise moves through.”
Leading off the Freedom Cruise are a couple of large sedans and a black bus that carries the Gold Star Families. A Gold Star Family, an honor that no-one wants, is an immediate family member or members of a fallen service member who died while serving in a time of conflict.
Before every Freedom Cruise Honor Ride, there is a ceremony to recognize a fall hero. The event takes place at 1:30 p.m. at the Sparta High School football field, 475 W. Spartan Drive. The ceremony recognizes a local Gold Star Family with a special portrait of their fallen service member. This year, the solider being recognized is Army Sergeant First Class Richard J. Herrema, who died in 2006 at the age of 27. His parents are Mary and Richard Herrema of Hudsonville. WKTV will be covering this year’s event and producing a show to air on WKTV at a later time.
The ceremony lasts about 45 minutes with the cruise leaving from the Sparta High School.
“The most important thing we want these families to know is that we will never forget,” Antor said. “It is a promise we make to those families and we have had families say this has really made a difference to them.
“They have been to programs offered by the military, counseling and other things, but what has really touched them has been the Freedom Cruise and to me that is far more important than writing checks to help veterans or helping to improve the quality of life.”
“This all started with my dad,” Antor said. “He had gotten to a point where he could not live on his own and we did not have a lot of choices for him.”
A classic car makes its way through the Freedom Cruise. (Supplied)
Antor’s family had their father move into the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans and made the commitment that someone would be with him everyday while he was there.
“It was during that time that I started walking around the facility and seeing that there were some needs,” Antor said. “I talked to the director and he said what they really needed was help with the band shell, which had been a popular thing but was in need of repair.”
So Antor made the commitment to raise the funds for the band shell. He hosted the first Freedom Cruise in 2014.
“We raised enough money (around $70,000) to repair the bandshell along with provide some infrastructure and writing,” he said.
The popularity of the Cruise encouraged Antor to continue hosting the event, now in its eighth year. It also lead to the development of the Finish the Mission Veteran Relief Fund, which expanded it services to help serve as a support gap to veterans.
“If they need something, help with bills or repairs, then we provide a check to the organization that will be doing the work,” Antor said, adding that all veterans receiving assistance are first vetted to make sure they do not qualify for other existing programs before Finish the Mission steps in.
So because of the veterans — and especially the Gold Star Families — Antor does not mind being so busy that he cannot always get to his phone. That goes double this year as the Freedom Cruise falls on 9/11, a day the nation will be remembering and honoring those who died in the World Trade Tower and Pentagon attacks and died thwarting the hijacking of United Flight 93.
“We should always remember what they did,” Antor said.
Recently, the United Veterans Council of Kent County expanded its annual awards from one to three.
The organization will continue with its Veteran of the Year Award but has also added two new awards, Association Member of the Year and Raising Up Veterans, which is a non-veteran award.The Council is seeking nominations for these awards with the deadline being Sept. 14.
The purpose for the expansion, according to Harold Mast, who is serving as the UVCKC spokesperson for the awards, is to recognize and show appreciation for what veterans have done and are now doing outside of the service to their country.
“I think it is a very important thing for our community to recognize veterans,” Mast said. “Particularly today and in the past couple of weeks or last several weeks, recognizing what the military has done, what the military is going through and how much our citizens rely on the military for.”
The Veteran of the Year Award is presented to a veteran who is dedicated to helping veterans and goes beyond what is expected. It is not what the veteran did during their service but rather what they have done after that service. Mast said, who used the the 2019 award recipient as an example. Bob Green, a veteran living in Kentwood, has done a lot for AMVETS and has been instrumental in recognizing veterans, especially those in nursing homes, through pinning ceremonies.
The new Association Member of the Year Award is similar to the Veteran of the Year, but focuses on the Council’s associate group’s such as veteran organizations’ auxiliary groups. The Raising Up Veterans is for those non-veteran residents who help with programs and other veteran-related activities.
Mast said the Council puts out a call for nominees and then the member veteran organizations of the UVCKC nominate candidates who are then blind judge by a panel. The recipient of the award is announced at the Council’s Oct. 23 banquet.
All nominees must be a resident of Kent County and need to be nominated by a Council member organization. Mast said many of the council organizations are willing to work with any resident interested in nominating someone for an award. To nominate a person, Mast said he recommends residents visit the UVCKC website, www.UVCKC.org, where the nomination forms are available along with a list of member organizations. Residents may also contact Mast at hamast@comcst.net.
TheUnited Veterans Council has been serving Kent County for more than 70 years by hosting such events as the Veterans Day and Memorial Day parades, supporting Gold Star mothers, and erecting and maintaining the monuments in Veterans Park. The Council is formed from groups such s the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, AMVETS, Fleet Reserve Association, Marine Corps League, Order of the Purple Heart, and DAV, just to name a few.
Cora, a one-eyed, 9.5-year-old dog was all to find her fur-ever home in the Empty the Shelters: Big Dog and Cat Crisis campaign. (Supplied)
By Brittany Schlacter BISSELL Pet Foundation
More than 1,800 dogs and cats found forever homes over the course of six days through the emergency “Empty the Shelters: Big Dog & Cat Crisis” event with BISSELL Pet Foundation. The event was hosted in 97 shelters in 29 states. BISSELL Pet Foundation aided shelters experiencing overcrowding by sponsoring reduced fees for harder to place pets, including adult cats and large and senior dogs.
Approximately 808 adult cats and 997 large or senior dogs were adopted during the event hosted Aug. 16-22, 2021, including 33 cat and 49 dog “foster failures,” (when a foster family plans to adopt the pet) and a total of 1,887 animal lives were touched because of the effort.
Since Jan. 2021, BISSELL Pet Foundation has helped find homes for 12,427 pets and provided $927,100 in direct funding to the shelter partners through “Empty the Shelters.”
“With shelters struggling with overcrowding across the country, the adoptions through this emergency ‘Empty the Shelter’ have opened up space to help another 1,805 pets in need,” said Cathy Bissell, founder of BISSELL Pet Foundation. “We thank our partner shelters for the incredible work they did to help these pets find families, and of course a heartfelt thank you to all of the people who chose adoption and gave these pets a second chance at life.”
While thousands of lives were saved, here are just a few notable adoption stories from throughout the country:
Cora, a one-eyed, 9.5-year-old dog in Cummings, GA, found a fantastic home to live out her golden years after four months in the care of Animal Ark Rescue.
A diagnosis of kidney disease didn’t stop Sassy, the 14-year-old calico from Carsonville, MI, from securing her forever home during Sanilac County Humane Society’s event.
Houston Humane Society adopted out one of their longest residents during this emergency Empty the Shelters. Shelby, a six-year-old dog, found her family after 150 days at the shelter.
Retired Chaplain John Hooglund, from Holland Home at Breton Woods, produced this work as part of veterans art project which led to the Yellow Ribbon ArtPrize entry. (Supplied/Pamela Alderman)
A scene from veterans art project which led to the Yellow Ribbon ArtPrize entry. (Supplied/Pamela Alderman)
A scene from veterans art project which led to the Yellow Ribbon ArtPrize entry. (Supplied/Pamela Alderman)
Veteran Jurgen Nitzsche produced this work as part of veterans art project which led to the Yellow Ribbon ArtPrize entry. (Supplied/Pamela Alderman)
A scene from veterans art project which led to the Yellow Ribbon ArtPrize entry. (Supplied/Pamela Alderman)
Kent County Veterans Services had planned an in-doors Yellow Ribbon Gala this week to unveil the selected works of more than 100 local veterans created during veteran art workshops in 2020 and 2021, and led by local artist Pamela Alderman. But pandemic concerns caused that to be canceled.
But Alderman will still be showing off selected works which inspired and are included as part of her Yellow Ribbon ArtPrize work at an event Saturday, Aug. 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., behind Grand Valley State University’s L.V. Eberhard Center, on the Blue Bridge, in Grand Rapids. The program starts at 10:30 a.m.
The event will include Alderman’s Yellow Ribbon sculpture, made in collaboration with several veterans, as well as other individual art pieces made by veterans during the art workshops and also led by Alderman.
There will be live music performed by singer/songwriter and Navy veteran Drew Nelson. There will also be snacks and activities for kids, and county Veterans Services Officers on site to answer questions and set up future appointments for veterans and their families. Additionally the Veterans Services office will have a pop-up shop for making Kent County Veteran ID cards.
But the stars of the show will be the works of the veterans and how their works — and their stories — inspired Alderman’s work.
Pamela Alderman, the lead artist of the veterans art project which led to the Yellow Ribbon ArtPrize entry, with her son, who is in her first year in the military. (Supplied/Pamela Alderman)
“The community veteran ArtPrize work took two years to develop,” Alderman said to WKTV. “Over 100 veterans participated. Some families participated with three generations.”
About 14 veteran art workshops were held throughout the pandemic, some indoors and some outdoors in the Veterans Services parking lot. Some art supplies were event delivered door to door.
“The finished work (Alderman’s sculpture) showcases four Kent County veterans pieces, but on Saturday, we will highlight the work of over 100 veterans and family members, plus loved ones,” Alderman said.
The Saturday event will also highlight how Yellow Ribbon evolved into a bigger ArtPrize project with Michael Hyacinthe from [Has Heart] at Veterans Memorial Park. This ArtPrize venue, co-curated by Hyacinthe and Alderman, will host the work of 21 veteran entries along with the Yellow Ribbon work.
For Alderman, the two-year project was as much a passion as a project.
“I’m a veteran wife. My husband served as a Naval Officer for 20 years,” said. “I’m also a Blue Star Mother. My youngest son is training as a Navy pilot, and son-in-law also serves as Navy helicopter pilot.”
Artworks tell veteran’s stories
One of the works to be displayed, an abstract vision including a helicopter flying, was created by retired Chaplain John Hooglund from Holland Home at Breton Woods.
According to suppled material, Hooglund worked as an U.S. Army chaplain for 30 years. In Vietnam, he travelled by helicopter with two gunships. Stateside, he helped integrate church services across racial and gender lines. At the Pentagon, he worked with more than 1,400 chaplains — and assisted them in performing their most difficult duties.
“Once, when he walked into a bar wearing his chaplain’s uniform to deliver some sad news, the father burst into tears as soon as he saw him,” Alderman relayed to WKTV in an email. “Those kinds of experiences still follow John decades later.”
Another work, another abstract vision of a flag and a service member saluting, was created by Jurgen Nitzsche, who detailed his service in a statement relayed by Alderman.
“I served in the U.S. Army 394th station hospital unit for six years,” Nitzsche said. “In 1969, I was honorably discharged … During my time in service, I learned mechanical engineering and people skills, which helped me to become an engineer and plant manager. I believe the military is a great start in life for any young person. I’m 80 years old, and I am proud to have served in the United States Army, to help keep our country free and safe.”
Many local veterans groups helped
In addition to the support of Kent County Veterans Services, Alderman also thanked several local groups for their assistance with the workshops and with her project.
Among the groups supporting the project were 92 For 22 and the Kent County Veterans Treatment Court; Ottawa-North Kent Blue Star Mothers and Marne American Legion; Blue Star Mothers of South Kent and American Legion 305; Blue Star Mothers of Ionia, Kent and Montcalm and Ray I. Booth American Legion; Grand Rapids Home for Veterans; Holland Home; Finish the Mission; WINC: For All Women Veterans; and the GVSU Veterans Upward Bound Program.
The extension on foreclosure and eviction suspensions ends Saturday with some residents facing the fact that the mortgage payments they paused during the pandemic will need to be paid back. (pxhere.com)
With the federal extension on foreclosure and eviction suspensions set to end Saturday, representatives from Home Repair Services of Kent County says now is the time to communicate with your lender to work out a payment plan.
“What we’re seeing is a lot of people just hearing ‘call in’ and ‘pause mortgage payments’ without really understanding that eventually that money has to be paid back somehow,” said Rodrigo Ortiz, Housing Counseling and Education Program Manager at HRS. “It’s not something that’s forgiven.”
For example, a person who was making a $1,500 house payment but decided to ‘pause’ their payments for the last 12 months would owe $18,000 in back mortgage payments on top of the regular mortgage payments they now must pay. That hurdle, according to Home Repair Services Executive Director Joel Ruiter, can be challenging.
“It is important to be communicating with your lender and to start exploring possibilities and find solutions to avoid eviction,” Ruiter said.
Home Repair Services of Kent County is a non-profit program that works with homeowners to help educate them on their options before they lose their home along with providing classes on how to care for and improve a home. HRS is available to any resident in Kent County or counties that touch Kent County (Newaygo, Ottawa, Ionia, Barry, Muskegon, Allegan, and Montcalm). All of the HRS housing counselors are certified by the Housing and Urban Development to provide West Michigan homeowners a lifeline of counseling and education.
“We are willing to contact the lender and see what can be done,” Ruiter said, adding that in our example, HRS would see if the amount could be added on to the end of the loan. “You might go from paying on it for the next 25 years to 30, but you would still be in your home.”
Ruiter said they are not certain what the impact will be once the extension has expired. According to the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget, there where 342,000 Michiganders unemployed as of November 2020 compared to 190,000 the year before. About 21,500 residents are in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming area.
“In 2008 we had the tsunami of foreclosures,” Ruiter said. “It will be interesting to see what will happen next week and in the future. It will be a little different as it probably will not be as deep as 2008, but there are still going to be some folks who have gotten swept up in delaying those payments.
“It has been a challenging year and we know there are folks in the community who are facing the possibility of losing their home. When you lose your home your cost of living goes up because rents have gone up plus the upheaval of having to move. Then there is the amount of time it takes to get the credit you need to purchase another home and then the market barriers of just reentering the housing market. It really adds up which is why we just want people to stay in their homes.”
Taxes have never been suspended during the COVID pandemic as they pay for much of the local infrastructure and schools. (pxhere.com)
Property Taxes Were Never Exempt
Kent County Treasurer Peter MacGregor said he too wants people to stay in their homes which is why he works with Kent County residents who are delinquent on their property taxes. The county does not have anything to do with mortgages.
One thing many people do not realize is that property taxes were never exempt during the pandemic with people expected to pay the taxes as it goes toward funding local governments, schools and other millages such as the senior millage.
Kent County Treasurer Peter MacGregor (Supplied)
“What happens is when a property owner has been delinquent, the county then pays the local city or township the missing property taxes and then we become the enforcer to collect those taxes,” MacGregor said. The process can take up to three years before the county will foreclose on a house which means those who have not paid property taxes during the pandemic would face foreclosure in 2023.
“I often get calls just before the foreclosure is to happen asking for help,”MacGregor said, adding that people should not wait until then to reach out. “Communication is key.
“There are people who outright can’t pay their local taxes right now because they are struggling. Work with me to make an arrangement so that in two and half years I am not foreclosing on your home.”
Kent County residents who are delinquent on their property taxes can reach out to MacGregor, who is able to grant extensions however, MacGregor pointed out that he does have to follow statute and that there is interest that can accrue on delayed payments.
“I am here to help and I would much rather help than foreclose on a home,” MacGregor said. “To be honest the county does not want your house.”
In fact, MacGregor said his office has had about a 92/93 percent success rate in helping resolve delinquent property taxes.
For those in need of property tax assistance, contact the Kent County Treasurer’s Office at 616-632-7500. For mortgage assistance, Home Repair Services of Kent County, located at 1100 S. Division Ave., can be reached at 616-241-2601.
It is a City of Grand Rapids alleyway which will eventually bear the name of a local Latina woman and which the Latino Community Coalition hopes “will honor our rich history and the women to whom many families owe their legacies here in Grand Rapids.”
But the Latino Community Coalition knows that a woman who made an impact in Grand Rapids may well have lived and had family anywhere in West Michigan.
“Gentrification and displacement has been a significant factor shaping our migration story in Grand Rapids,” a spokesperson for the Latino Community Coalition Committee said to WKTV. “We encourage nominations from families across West Michigan and invite you to submit stories of your loved Latinas.”
“La gentrificación y el desplazamiento han sido un factor importante que ha dado forma a nuestra historia de migración en Grand Rapids. Alentamos las nominaciones de familias de West Michigan y los invitamos a enviar historias de sus amadas latinas.”
For information in Spanish see this. Para obtener información en español, consulte este.
The Latino Community Coalition is seeking nominations from the Latino community for a Latina women after whom they will be naming an alleyway downtown as part of the Downtown Grand Rapids alleyway activation initiative. They are calling their effort “HERencia.”
“We hope our community can help us by bringing forth a Latina woman who has passed on, but whose memory lives on in the minds and hearts of her family members,” according to an announcement this week from the coalition. “We want to honor the point of origin to which their family can trace their roots here in Grand Rapids.”
Instead of relying on accomplishments, awards and other merits, the group hopes to celebrate women who were the first in their family to set roots in Grand Rapid.
“We hope to elevate the stability they brought to their home, how they anchored the family for generations to come, and all the milestones and accomplishments for those generations we can now celebrate,” according to the coalition. “Her story is our story, and it will be archived at the Cook Library Center for future generations to always remember her. This alley will honor her life and legacy.”
The Downtown Grand Rapids alleyway activation initiative is meant to create permanent physical representation of our community in public places.
The Coalition is partnering with the Downtown Grand Rapids Inc on the project, as well as the Grand Rapids Community Foundation, which is located next to the alley which will bear the name.
“Grand Rapids Community Foundation is proud to partner with the Latino Community Coalition to honor the legacy of local Latina women who have helped shape our community,” Diana Sieger, president of the Grand Rapids Community Foundation, said in supplied material.
As part of that effort, the Latino Community Coalition is holding an online event July 20. Go here for the Facebook event details.
People in local Latino communities who would like to nominate a Latina from their family, neighborhood or community are encouraged to do so online in English or in Spanish at bit.ly/herenciaGR.
Nominations can also be submitted by visiting partnering agencies which can assist with filling out paper applications, including The Other Way Ministries, the Hispanic Center of West Michigan, the Latina Network of West Michigan, La Casa de la Cobija, Garfield Park Neighborhood Association, Isabel Media Studios, and the Grandville Ave Arts and Humanities.
The deadline to submit applications is July 31, after which the Latino Community Coalition will choose finalists and gather further information from each family, before making a final decision.
Brian Hartl, epidemiology supervisor for Kent County Health Department, talks about its mobile unit and why it is part of the effort to reach under vaccinated populations. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
Kent County Health Department’s mobile COVID-19 vaccination unit’s community outreach effort last week happened to be at a south Grand Rapids neighborhood, but it could have been — and could yet be — to any under-served, under-vaccinated neighborhood including ones in Wyoming and Kentwood.
Kent County Health Department nursing staff and mobile vaccine unit visited the Great Giant Supermarket in south Grand Rapids last week. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
The health department, which initially led the effort to establish mass vaccination sites, is transforming part of its efforts to team with local community groups and offer vaccination availability to persons not yet served — as they did July 8 when its nursing staff and mobile vaccine unit visited the Great Giant Supermarket, at 1226 Madison Ave. SE, for the first of four Thursdays in July, each from 1-3 p.m.
“We are finding more and more, with people who are kind of on the fence about vaccination … We have heard that it needs to be convenient for them,” Brian Hartl, epidemiology supervisor for the health department, said to WKTV. “So we have the mobile unit out, at a couple different locations each week.”
And why the selection of the south Grand Rapids location? The answer if two-fold: low vaccination rates and hesitancy to get vaccinated by the black community, and the partnership with a trusted community group.
A Kent County Health Department nurse gives a COVID-19 vaccination shot. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“This area has a low vacation rate, we know that from our data,” Hartl said. “And we really want to partner with community organizations that are in these neighborhoods and are trusted by the residents.”
In the case of the south Grand Rapids area, that “trusted” community organization is Seeds of Promise — a group who’s expressed goals include “building local resident leadership and trust, deep listening to community voices, and meeting the needs and wants that are expressed by the neighborhood.”
Ron Jimmerson, executive director of Seeds of Promise, said teaming with the health deportment meets all three of those goals.
Ron Jimmerson, executive director of Seeds of Promise. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“If we are going to service the people, we have to be able to bring the services to the people,” Jimmerson said to WKTV. “Many of our residents, over 50 percent of them, don’t have WiFi. They don’t have iPhones. So it was very difficult fo them to get signed up, and get transportation, and go to somewhere outside their community. So the residents wanted us to bring the service, the vaccinations, to the community.”
At last week’s event, Jimmerson praised the owners of the Great Giant Supermarket for allowing the mobile vaccination clinic to set up for several weeks. But the effort was not focused just on the people that would be shopping at the store, as its location is also in a neighborhood with a homeless population.
“The other concern that the residents had was that we have a large homeless population in this location, in this area,” Jimmerson said. “We want to be able to serve them, and work with other organizations to bring this service to them.”
The Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson vaccines will be available at all the mobile vaccine clinics, according to the health department. Appointments are not required and there is no charge for the vaccine. More information on vaccine locations can be at vaccinatewestmi.com/clinics.
For a person with sickle cell disease, a blood transfusion remains one of the most effective and proven treatments, according to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. So imagine heading to the hospital and possibly not being able to receive that treatment.
This is what many West Michigan hospitals and blood clinics are facing as blood donations have dropped “to critically levels” since the COVID pandemic, according to Kent County Health Department’s Administrative Health Officer Dr. Adam London.
“Donations have been down certainly due to the pandemic,” said Versiti Area Vice President and Director of Donor Services Dawn Kaiser, during a recent interview on A Matter of Public Health podcast, hosted by the Kent County Health Department. “We were down about 40 percent in 2020 and into 2021 because of high schools, colleges, and university not hosting — kids are at home learning — and that is where we get our brand new donors and about 40 percent of our blood.”
The same is true for many businesses, with people working from home, making it difficult for organizations to host mobile drives.
One such Versiti blood drive partner that has faced those struggles has been SpartanNash which has hosted blood drives at its offices and distribution center, both located in Byron Center, since 2015. The grocery company received the Beacon of Hope award in 2019 from Versiti for its blood drives which in had collected 560 donations treating about 1,680 patients that year. In the past six years, SpartanNash employees have donated more than 2,000 pints of blood.
According to Versiti Blood Center, it receives about 60 percent of its blood from mobile blood drives hosted by local businesses and other organizations. (pxhere.com)
“We have been a longtime Versiti blood drive partner,” said SpartanNash Community Engagement Specialist Courtney Carlson. “With COVID, we discovered we just couldn’t do that as our distribution center was overloaded with supply chain issues and the risk of safety, we had to cancel our drives, especially during the COVID time.”
SpartanNash was able to host a drive in March of 2020, just as the state was starting to shutdown. But like many manufacturing and distribution centers, visitors were not allowed in to the SpartanNash distribution center and many of their office workers worked from home.
As the world resets itself and more employees return to work, events like blood drives can happen, according to London.
“Blood donation sites are a very low risk place in terms of COVID,” London said during the A Matter of Public Health podcast. “I am not aware of any outbreaks associated with a blood draw event and the majority of the blood we have in our blood supply comes from the sort of community events at churches and schools and places of work. We really need those places to step up and allow Versiti and other blood banks to come in and do their important work.”
SpartanNash hosted offsite blood drives over the past several months but next week will be having its first onsite blood drive since the pandemic at its distribution center. While the offsite donation drives helped, Carlson said it is much easier for employees to donate at their work place since they can simply take an hour, donate, and then get back to work versus having to drive to another location.
As for safety, Carlson said they have confidence in Versiti which requires face masks, has temperature checks before donating, cleans between donors, and works at making everyone comfortable.
“We are hoping that by letting the community know that we are hosting mobile blood drives at our facilities that it will inspire other work places and organizations to do the same,” she said.
London noted that about one in several people visiting a hospital will need blood and that the shortage is critical.
While O-type is always needed, blood from a diverse pool is very important, Kaiser said.
“Everybody has an A, B, or O blood type. Everybody is pretty familiar with that,” she said. “There is also about an alphabet after that most people don’t know. So a little more specific type.”
For African-Americans, 44 percent of them have a blood type called RO in addition to their A, B, O blood type. According to the Centers for Disease control, one our of 365 African-Americans have sickle cell anemia with the major treatment being blood transfusions. A person with sickle cell anemia may have 10 to 15 units of blood in a month and because of that need, would benefit from blood from someone with the same or similar ethnicity, according to Kaiser.
“That is why we are asking communities of color to roll up their sleeves and give back to their communities,” she said.
To host a blood drive or to donate, visit Versiti’s website, Versiti.org.
YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids, which operates seven branch locations in the Grand Rapids area including the SpartanNash YMCA in Wyoming, announced this week that it has been awarded $189,000 from the Michigan Department of Education to provide summer learning opportunities for children in summer programs.
The grant is part of a larger $2.3 million given to Michigan YMCAs to “deliver a coordinated program which supports children, families, and schools while they recover from the pandemic and prepare for a successful return to the school year,” according to the announcement.
“The YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids is excited to expand and enhance our existing day camp program,” Nicole Hansen, district executive director of community engagement and youth development, said in supplied material. “Through intentional math, science, literacy, and social-emotional curriculum, we will ensure the youth in our community have an engaging summer full of education and connection.”
YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids is still accepting registrations for day camp programs. To sign up visit grymca.org/summer-day-camps. (Camp leaders are also still needed to staff the day camps. Applicants can visit grymca.org/careers for more information.)
The YMCA’s summer programs will “focus on fun, keeping kids safe, active, fed, and engaged with other children and adults.” The funding from the Michigan Department of Education allows YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids to offer traditional camp programs that are “enhanced to address the unique academic needs created by the pandemic,” according to the statement.
“The Y is prepared to work with schools to overcome the challenges facing students, families and communities,” Fran Talsma, executive director for the Michigan Alliance of YMCAs, said in supplied material. “To effectively combat COVID learning loss, in- and out-of-school learning needs to be connected and seamless.
“We have the capacity and expertise to support schools and help achieve positive outcomes for students. The Y is ready to meet the academic, social-emotional, physical, and nutritional needs of children and is committed to strong collaborations to improve the academic success and overall well-being of children.”
In addition to the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids’ branch locations, it also operates YMCA Camp Manitou-Lin, community outreach programs, and childcare sites. For more information visit grymca.org.
At the testing planned HIV testing site, certified test counselors will be onsite to answer questions and connect residents with additional services. (CDC)
In honor of National HIV Testing Day on June 27, the Kent County Health Department (KCHD) and the Grand Rapids Red Project will hold a free HIV testing and education event on Thursday, June 24, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The event will take place in the parking lot across the street from the Kent County Sheldon Complex, 121 Franklin St. SE, Grand Rapids.
Certified test counselors will be onsite to provide testing, answer questions, and connect residents with additional services, according to a KCHDS announcement. There will also be music, food and free gifts.
HIV self-testing is also an option. Persons interested in self testing for HIV at home, visit here to find out how to order a free HIV testing kit.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the KCHD recommend everyone know their HIV status,” April Hight, KCHD public health program supervisor, said in supplied material. “This knowledge is essential for getting helpful therapy and for protecting others from the virus.”
More than 1 million people in the United States are living with HIV, and one in eight people are infected with HIV without realizing it, according to the CDC. Nearly 40 people are diagnosed with HIV in Kent County every year, according to the KCHD announcement, and “the only way for a person to know their status is to get tested.”
HIV, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, attacks the cells that make up the body’s immune system. HIV can make it difficult for an infected individual to fight off diseases and, left untreated, it can develop into Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome — AIDS — which can be fatal.
Individuals who are at risk for HIV infection can take PrEP, a daily pill that is 99% effective at reducing the risk for HIV infection. PrEP is available at the KCHD Personal Health Services Clinic. For more information about PrEP or if you would like to be tested, call 616-632-7171.
Lori Gresnick, recreation program coordinator, City of Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department, discusses why the city added an early season food truck rally this year, at the May 19, 20231 event at the Kentwood City Complex. (WKTV)
The City of Kentwood and GR8 Food Trucks’s new early-season Food Truck Festival, the first of two this summer season, had some rain showers but plenty of family fun as well on Saturday, June 19.
On Juneteenth, June 19, the Kent County Black Caucus had a presence at the Kentwood food truck festival, attended here by Kentwood City Commissioners Maurice Groce and Betsy Artz. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
The “kickoff” of the Summer Food Truck Festival’s two-event schedule took place in the parking lot of the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard. L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE. To wrap up the summer season, another food truck festival is scheduled on Saturday, Sept. 11, at the same location.
The free-to-attend community event had 16 food trucks — with even more planned for the September event, Lori Gresnick, recreation program coordinator, City of Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department, said to WKTV.
There was also live music, a beer tent and food available for just about every taste.
There was also several community booths including the Kent County Black Caucus, as the day was also Juneteenth, attended early to by Kentwood City Commissioners Maurice Groce and Betsy Artz.
More information about the Summer Food Truck Festival is available at kentwood.us/SummerFoodTruckFestival. For a slideshow of photos from the event, see below (and click through).
The Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department, in partnership with the Georgetown Seniors, will host the 22nd annual Spotlight on Seniors Health and Fitness Expo on Tuesday, May 25 — this year as an outdoor event.
According to an announcement from the city, the free event will take place from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE. It will feature 40 vendors representing a variety of senior-oriented businesses, free health screenings for balance, blood pressure, stroke risk and more, as well as door prizes and free snacks and lunch.
“Our Spotlight on Seniors Expo offers a great opportunity for seniors and other community members to connect with one another, learn about local resources that can help them live healthy lives and celebrate successful aging,” Lorraine Beloncis, Kentwood Parks and Recreation assistant director, said in supplied material. “We are grateful for Georgetown Seniors and our sponsors in helping us provide this wonderful community event every year.”
Participating vendors include professionals in fields ranging from physical therapy and assisted living to home improvement and health care, according to the city’s statement.
“The challenges we have all faced over the past year during the pandemic make an event that promotes health, fitness and connections that much more important,” Pam Haverdink, director of the Georgetown Senior Center, said in supplied material. “We are pleased to partner with Kentwood Seniors on this expo and we are thankful to our vendors, who help make this fun and popular for residents in both communities.”
Among the sponsors of the Spotlight on Seniors Health & Fitness Expo are Health Alliance Plan (HAP), Health Bridge Post-Acute Rehabilitation, and Rivertown Ridge Senior Living. Other sponsors are Humana MarketPoint Inc., Laurels of Hudsonville, Sheldon Meadows, The Care Team, United Healthcare and We Care 4 U @ Home.
While limitations on in-person group experiences continue due to the pandemic, The Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies knows there has been no break in the need for supporting veterans recovering from the sometimes hidden wounds of war.
So Grand Valley State University’s Hauenstein Center and its partners, including the Kent County Veterans Services office, will go virtual this year as the Hidden Wounds of War Conference — this year with the conference theme of “Moral Injury” — will be held Thursday, May 6, and will be delivered online using Zoom.
“The Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies hosts the Hidden Wounds of War Conference as a community service effort to build awareness and educate the community about treatments and resources available to our veterans,” Brent Holmes, acting director of the center, said to WKTV. “The Hidden Wounds of War Conference stems from a Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies event that has held in June 2008. Through the years, the Hauenstein Center has partnered with veteran organizations to be able to host this impactful conference.”
U.S. Marines with Task Force Southwest depart a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter prior to an advisory meeting with Afghan National Army soldiers at Camp Hanson, Afghanistan, June 13, 2017. (U.S. Marine Corps photo)
And one reason for a presidential studies center to be focused on support of war veterans? It is presidents who send them to war.
“We desire to be more effective in serving those who serve and have served our communities and nation,” Holmes said. “Veterans, first responders, families, and communities struggle with the aftereffects of this service. Too often suffered in silence, the psychological trauma experienced by our men and women in uniform brings the hardship home. By embracing honest discussion and strong networks of support, winning the battle against these challenges is possible.”
The schedule of events for the day begins with opening remarks at 8:30 a.m., then moves into general session at 9 a.m., with Dr. Rita Nakashima Brock discussing “Moral Injury.”
Dr. Rita Nakashima Brock is Senior Vice President for Moral Injury Programs at Volunteers of America and a Commissioned Minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). (Courtesy/GVSU)
Moral injury refers to suffering due to moral emotions such as shame, guilt, remorse, outrage, despair, mistrust, and self-isolation, according to supplied material. It emerged as a concept among Veterans Affairs clinicians working with military combat veterans beginning in 1994.
This session will offer some of the factors in human beings that can lead to moral injury by examining how conscience is shaped; presenting several definitions of moral injury, both clinical and cultural/religious; identifying the range of morally injurious experiences that disrupt moral identity; and explaining the relationship of moral injury to other trauma, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
After a short break, there will be morning break-out sessions between 10:30 a.m. and noon, including sessions titled “Military Sexual Trauma”; “Military Culture, Families, and Relationships”; and “Suicide Prevention” — where participants “will gain an understanding of the scope of suicide with the United States and within the Veteran population and will know how to better identify a veteran who may be at risk for suicide.”
After a lunch break from noon to 1 p.m., there will be another general session with Dr. Nakashima Brock. The lecture will, among other topics, explain what constitutes recovery from moral injury and discuss validated programs for supporting recovery from moral injury. In addition, it will discuss strategies as yet to be validated but that seem promising, including the role of congregations and community organizations.
After another short break, there will be more afternoon break-out sessions from 2:30-4 p.m., including sessions titled “Community Resources”; another session on “Suicide Prevention”; and one on the local “Kent County Veteran Treatment Courts”, which will discuss trends and policies of such courts, and the courts’ mission — “Participants will leave with an understanding of the methodologies used in program development and operations and how KCVTC enhances public safety and enhances the community’s return on investment.”
This last weekend, reacting to Michigan’s Clean Slate Act coming into initial effect on April 11, two expungement resource fairs were held in West Michigan — “expungement” is the setting aside of a person’s record of criminal convictions for certain “lower level” crimes including older marijuana possessions offenses no longer even considered crimes.
The expungement resources fairs, held in Grand Rapids and Benton Harbor, are part of a wide-ranging series of actions being taken as part of the state’s criminal justice reform, specifically the Clean Slate Act, with actions by groups ranging from the office of Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, to Western Michigan University’s Cooley Law School, to the Black & Brown Cannabis Guild.
A photo from a previous Clean Slate Act expungement resource event promotional material. (Black & Brown Cannabis Guild)
“At both (expungement resource) events, volunteer attorneys and law students will assist registrants who appear to be eligible with filling out their expungement applications and give them general instructions on the expungement process,” Kamau Sandiford, a Kentwood based lawyer serving as WMU-Cooley’s Access to Justice staff attorney, said to WKTV before the events.
The resource fairs were co-hosted by the Black & Brown Cannabis Guild, a group which, among on other advocacy efforts, seeks to gain cleared criminal records for persons imprisoned for crimes related to outdated cannabis laws.
“As the United States moves away from the criminalization of cannabis … there remains the fundamental injustice inflicted upon those who have suffered criminal convictions and the consequences of those convictions,” as the guild states on its Last Prisoner Project webpage.
Even before the expungement resource fairs, Sandiford and WMU-Cooley Law School associate dean Tracey Brame have been hosting training sessions for attorneys on the new law including for the the Grand Rapids Bar Association and Legal Aid’s Spring Training Session early this year.
During the presentation, according to the WMU-Cooley website, Sandiford explained that under the new law, the state will be required to have an automated expungement program in place by April 2023.
That “automated expungement” system is, however, a cause of some concern from Kent County’s top criminal prosecutor.
“The Prosecuting Attorney’s Association of Michigan was generally supportive of the Clean Slate bills,” Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said to WKTV. “If someone has truly reformed their life and are doing well after past criminal convictions we did not see a problem in giving them a chance to have a clear record.
“If anything is wrong with it, I think the idea that we are going to have a computer system that is going to be able to ‘automatically’ clean convictions off records in two years is highly unlikely,” Becker continued. “The state is littered with computer programs/systems that were supposed to be developed and operational in a certain time, that took much longer than anticipated and never worked as promised. I fear something similar will happen here.”
Despite such concerns, the law will came into effect and the state is already working on a pilot program to aid people who have been hampered in their employment opportunities due to their past convictions and employers being able to gain access to such records.
Law’s history and state interim action
While Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the “Clean Slate” bill package into law in October of 2020, the efforts to move it forward started much earlier, driven in part by studies that showed not only the individuals involved but society as a whole benefits from such actions.
According to the state’s Michigan Courts website expungement “can help more people have the opportunity to find good jobs and secure safe and affordable housing. A ‘clean slate’ can help strengthen families, communities, local economies across the state, and promote public safety.”
Also, a 2020 study by two University of Michigan Law School professors found that those whose criminal records are set aside experience “a sharp upturn in their wage and employment trajectories.” The study stated that job seekers obtained employment at an increase of 11 percent and their income rose by 25 percent in two years.
And the state is not waiting for 2023, for the automated process to come into effect, to start aiding those persons with criminal records to better gain employment.
Last week, the state announced the launch of a $4 million investment in a “Clean Slate Pilot” program to assist “returning citizens” — convicted persons returning to the community and the workforce — with setting aside a conviction, through which the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) will awards funds to Michigan Works! Agencies to support local workforce efforts until the expungement system is in place.
“My goal since day one of taking office has been to build fundamental reforms to make our communities safer and improve the people’s outcomes going through our criminal justice system,” Lt. Gov. Gilchrist said in supplied material. “The bipartisan Clean Slate legislation fundamentally changed Michigan’s criminal history expungement laws, for the better … (and) the Clean Slate Pilot program offers a stop-gap for expungement services until the Clean Slate law goes into effect.”
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signing “Clean Slate” bill package into law on October 12, 2020. Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II is in b background. (Office of the Governor)
As part of the pilot program, returning citizens can get an order setting aside their conviction and, according to the state announcement, “can legally state on any job or school application that they have never been convicted of or arrested for that crime.”
They will also be able to state that they have not been convicted of that crime on applications for public benefits, housing or employment.
“Before this legislation and this pilot program, there were many barriers in place for returning citizens,” Susan Corbin, LEO director, said in supplied material. “These barriers to seeking criminal record expungement include a lack of information, time constraints, cost of retaining a private attorney and fear of the criminal justice system. With the Clean Slate Pilot program, Michigan Works! Agencies will help these citizens overcome many of these barriers and guide them on a path to success.”
The Clean Slate Pilot Program funding will be awarded to all 16 Michigan Works! Agencies throughout the state with each of the agencies providing localized efforts.
For more information on the Clean Slate pilot program, visit here. To contact the local Michigan Works! office visit westmiworks.org.
Details of Clean Slate Act eligibility
Setting aside a conviction is the process that clears a public criminal record. In Michigan, there is one process to set aside a conviction on an adult record — often called expungement — and a different process to set aside a juvenile conviction, called an adjudication.
In WMU-Cooley promotional material for the recent expungement fairs, it was explained that individuals will be eligible for expungement after a waiting period of 10 years for certain felonies, or seven years for certain misdemeanors. Most traffic offenses will be available for expungement except DUIs, offenses causing injury or death, and offenses while operating a commercial vehicle.
Additionally, those who qualify for automatic expungement can have no more than two felonies and four 93-day misdemeanors expunged during their lifetime.
The Clean Slate Act also specifically allows individuals convicted of low-level misdemeanor marijuana offenses to apply for expungement, as “the law creates a presumption that these offenses were based on activities that would not have been considered crimes on or after Dec. 6, 2018.”
Crimes that will not be considered for automatic expungement include, according to supplied material, “assaultive crimes; serious misdemeanors; crimes of dishonesty; offenses punishable by 10 or more years imprisonment; violations related to human trafficking; and crimes committed against minors, vulnerable adults, injury or serious impairment, or death.”
With the much-anticipated Christian McBride’s jazzy WinterFest Music Festival back on the schedule, St. Cecilia Music Center announced today an initial 2021-22 concert schedule — beginning with the Sam Bush Band bringing their folk-rock sounds to town in October — as the music center “fully intends to bring live-audience concerts back to Royce Auditorium.”
Christian McBride (Supplied/SCMC)
Live in-person concerts have been suspended since March 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions but initial plans have St. Cecilia featuring more than a dozen evenings of performances by jazz, folk and chamber music artists in what will be the music center’s 138th season.
But St. Cecilia executive and artistic director Cathy Holbrook said she is not only looking for live acts on the stage but live people in the audience.
“We are thrilled and thankful to begin again in 2021-2022 with live concerts featuring most of the artists who were scheduled to appear this past season and had to be sidelined due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Holbrook said in supplied material. “We so missed seeing our loyal supporters and music lovers in person and we’re looking forward to hosting a year of celebration with live music again.”
The St. Cecilia folk series kicks off the season, but chamber and jazz will not be far behind.
The Acoustic Café Folk Series will feature six concerts including the Sam Bush Band on Oct. 6, Rodney Crowell on Nov. 12, Leo Kottke on Nov. 19, the Milk Carton Kids on Dec. 2, 2021 and Watkins Family Hour on December 16. In the new year, singer-songwriter Shawn Colvin will perform in the spring on May 12, 2022 — and more Acoustic Cafe Folk concerts may be announced later.
Marc Cohn (Supplied/SCMC)
However, one summer 2021 Acoustic Cafe Folk Series concert is currently planned as a stand-alone concert and will feature Marc Cohn appearing on Aug. 21 — with tickets currently available.
SCMC and The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center will celebrate its 10th anniversary season of partnership CMS players will perform three concerts: “From Prague to Vienna” on Nov. 18 (in a program planned for April 2020 but cancelled due to COVID-19) with CMS co-artistic directors David Finckel and Wu Han on stage. The program also featured two 2022 concerts, “Romantic Perspectives” on Jan. 27, and “The Jazz Effect” on March 31.
The jazz series’ headline event will be WinterFest, featuring seven-time Grammy-winning jazz bassist McBride “with some of his most talented musical collaborators for a three-evening festival in Royce Auditorium,” Feb. 24 -26, 2022.
Other artists scheduled for 2022 as part of the jazz series will include saxophonist Joshua Redman on Jan. 20, Grammy and Tony Award-winning jazz singer Dee Dee Bridgewater together with phenomenal jazz pianist Bill Charlap on March 10, and acclaimed trombonist, composer and producer Delfeayo Marsalis with his Uptown Jazz Orchestra on April 14.
“These great artists are looking forward to getting back out on tour to perform in front of live audiences and to bring music back to concert stages in the U.S. and worldwide,” Holbrook said. “We are looking forward to this new season, especially in light of the inability to host live audiences within our beautiful hall last season.”
Subscription tickets for the 2021-22 series are now on sale, with individual concert tickets to go on sale June 1. For more information visit scmc-online.org.