Category Archives: Recreation

Kids & Family Expo on Jan. 27 will feature new attractions – and a lot of fun!

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The Kids & Family Expo will have some new attractions this year (Courtesy, MHF)


By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org


New and exciting attractions are adding fun to the Kids & Family Expo at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids on Saturday, Jan. 27 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

At the helm of the Expo will be the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) and be nice. program.


A dedication to community and family wellness

Though the MHF has participated in the Expo for 10 years, this is the first time the Foundation will host the event.

“The reason that we decided to take it on after we were approached last year was because this is a winter event that focuses on family, togetherness and community connection,” said Jessica Jones, Communications Director for MHF. “Those are all aspects of our organization that we promote within families.

The Expo will focus on overall family wellness (Courtesy, MHF)

“We’re really trying to tap into the community and promote good mental health.”

The Expo will look similar to previous years with additional enhancements and a focus on overall family wellness. Community resources information, hourly wellness presenters, and fun interactive and educational experiences for the entire family will be available during the event.

“The Expo helps provide that little bit of escape from the winter,” said Jones. “Families are trapped inside together if the weather hasn’t been great. Changing the scenery in the winter can be more empowering than we realize.

“This gives the family an opportunity to get out, be together and have some fun.”

What to expect: new and original features

A new aspect to the Kids & Family Expo will be that all attractions and rides are included in the ticket price.

All attractions and rides are included in the ticket price (Courtesy, MHF)

“There’s no extra nickel and diming once you’re in, which was really important to us,” said Jones.

New attractions will include the Pirate’s Revenge swinging boat and Turbo Tubs, which can accommodate both kids and adults.

A cakewalk sponsored by Nothing Bundt Cakes will take place every hour near the Empowerment Stage presented by Forest View Hospital.

“The Empowerment Stage is something new this year, and we have a rotation of fun things that are happening there,” said Jones.

Included in that rotation is WOOD TV8 Chief Meteorologist Ellen Bacca presenting the popular Weather Experience. There will also be several story times for children.

John Ball Zoo will be providing animals for patrons to enjoy (Courtesy, MHF)

“We’re going to be pushing out the be nice. action plan: notice, invite, challenge, and empower,” said MHF Founder Christy Buck in an interview with eightWest. “We’re going to be reading books to kids, and they can sit and listen to a book being read and how N.I.C.E. is implemented in this book.”

Additional activities include: a petting zoo, ponies, jumbo activities, a fire engine and police car, a photo booth, archery, face painting, snake petting and more.

Various information from community organizations will be available at the Expo in addition to activities and rides. Each resource distribution station will also feature an activity.

“We’ve got all this good information, all these great resources packaged, and a whole lot of rides and fun and games for the whole family,” said Buck on eightWest.

Expo = Positive Impact

Activity and FUN can help improve mental health (Courtesy, MHF)

Everything that we do in our lives, Buck said, has to do with our overall health and mental health.

Weather, nutrition and finances are also factors that play into mental health. The Expo will have presentations and information about each of these factors.

Jones said that events like the Expo can help improve mental health for some people.

“Being active, having things to look forward to, feeling empowered following some kind of activity or event, anything that makes you feel good,” said Jones.

“For kids, these are memories that they’re going to make as they have fun with the rides. Parents are going to make memories by being with the kids and providing this experience for them.”

Families can find a multitude of resources at the Expo (Courtesy, MHF)

Resources and links

Tickets for the Kids & Family Expo can be purchased at the door or online here or here.

For more information on the Mental Health Foundation and be nice. program, click here.

Dreams were born, and some fulfilled, at DeVos Place during the Camping, Trailer & RV Show last weekend

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  • Grand Rapids Camper, Trailer & RV Show 2024 (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
  • Grand Rapids Camper, Trailer & RV Show 2024 (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
  • Grand Rapids Camper, Trailer & RV Show 2024 (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
  • A patron checks out a hidden storage compartment at Grand Rapids Camper, Trailer & RV Show 2024 (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
  • Grand Rapids Camper, Trailer & RV Show 2024 (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
  • Grand Rapids Camper, Trailer & RV Show 2024 (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
  • Grand Rapids Camper, Trailer & RV Show 2024 (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
  • Grand Rapids Camper, Trailer & RV Show 2024 (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
  • Grand Rapids Camper, Trailer & RV Show 2024 (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org

Over 200,000 square feet of RVs and a dozen West Michigan RV dealers representing over 100+ lines descended upon DeVos Place in Grand Rapids last weekend, Jan. 18-21.

Camping and travel mean different things to different people – but they all involve dreams (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

Grand Rapids Camper, Travel & RV Show – Michigan’s largest RV and family vacation show – offered visitors hundreds of RV options and accessories, as well as campgrounds and travel destinations. Children’s activities, a pancake breakfast and free seminars rounded out the event.

Detroit residents Chris and Kate Ahlgren were among thousands who came to look at available RV options.

Dreaming big

When asked why they chose to attend the GR Show, Kate said they were looking to “keep up on current trends so when it is time to buy, we know what’s out there.”

  • Kate (left) and Chris Ahlgren from Detroit check out storage and hidden compartments in the Alliance Paradigm fifth wheel RV at Grand Rapids Camper, Trailer & RV Show 2024 (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
  • Grand Rapids Camper, Trailer & RV Show 2024 (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
  • Grand Rapids Camper, Trailer & RV Show 2024 (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

Current owners of a 2012 Rockwood Signature Ultralight 35-foot travel trailer, the Ahlgrens have decided it is time for an upgrade.

Frequent campers during the spring through fall months, the Ahlgrens and their four children have been dedicated campers for 16 years. Beginning with a tent and then borrowing a pop-up camper (“That is not for us!” said both Ahlgrens simultaneously), the couple moved on to a small travel trailer, finally purchasing the Rockwood in 2012.

Patrons could find everything from bare essentials to decorative accents (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

Though the Rockwood is holding up well, the Ahlgrens are looking to move into a fifth wheel RV.

Why a fifth wheel?

“I was looking for the flexibility to sleep lots of different people in lots of different combinations,” said Kate, adding that they can have upwards of 10 people or more camping with them at one time.

Chris liked the ease and safety of a fifth wheel. “Fifth wheels are easier and safer to tow because of the hitch point,” said Chris. “The pivot point moves versus your bumper. so they’re easier to back in and tow.

“And they’re safer because it’s a more solid connection versus just a two-inch ball.”

The small things matter

Ben Swathwood talks with the Ahlgrens about the Paradigm fifth wheel and Alliance mission (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

While at the Show, the Ahlgrens found an RV that “checked all the boxes” in a 41-foot Alliance Paradigm 380MP fifth wheel.

What helped check all of those boxes, the Ahlgrens said, were small things that Alliance took into consideration that most other RV companies do not.

And a lot of those “small things” revolved around Alliance’s choice to focus on communication and relationships with their customers versus simply following the latest trend.

“It all goes back to what’s best for our retail customers,” said Ben Swathwood, Alliance Regional Sales Manager. “Before we built a single unit, we crowdsourced from full-time RVers.

“We’re not just throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks and making changes later. We’re really taking our cues from them.”

A customer talks with Never Enough Auto Accessories vendor (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

And what was important to customers were high-quality parts and pieces, and a need for more efficiency. This increased the number of Alliance menu options available to retailers.

“That’s been revolutionary for us, to have that relationship,” said Swathwood. “And then our independence, being privately owned, allows us to say: This is what we’re going to do.”

Paradigm shows some of these customer-driven adjustments in several areas. Four flush slide-outs, large pass-through storage areas, dual power gas and electric water heaters, shut-off valves at every plumbing fixture, Azdel Onboard composite sidewalls, PVC roof material with a life-time warranty, fully functional windows, hardwood cabinetry, hardwired switches, and no carpet or floor vents were a few items on that list.

“We don’t use any Bluetooth technology,” Swathwood added. “We don’t have any tablets, so you don’t have to worry about connectivity issues.

“What happens if you can’t connect to that tablet? What happens if that tablet breaks?”

“Just listen…”

“Find joy in the journey” (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

The pillars of Alliance, Swathwood said, are: “Do the right thing, customer-obsessed, and then a relentless improvement on our side from the ground up. All of those things go back to that point of, let’s just listen.”

Chris and Kate Ahlgren appreciate that attention to detail and listening ear. For the Ahlgren family, camping is more than a cheap way to have a vacation.

“It’s time spent with our family with a whole lot less distractions,” said Kate, mentioning work, house chores and electronics as examples.

“Originally, when we started camping, the rule was no electronics,” said Kate. “We didn’t allow our kids to have them while camping. Our kids were outside and playing in the woods and building forts.”

And even though the Ahlgren’s trailer has a television, they do not use it.

“I couldn’t even tell you if my TV antenna goes up on the trailer,” Chris said with a shrug.

The Ahlgrens were pleased to find new options for campgrounds and details on towing equipment, though a larger number of accessory vendors in 2025 would be welcomed.

For more information on 2024 events/expos at DeVos Place, click here.

Kentwood to host Fourth Annual Flashlight Yeti Hunt on Friday, Jan. 26

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(Courtesy, City of Kentwood)



By WKTV Staff

greer@wktv.org



The City of Kentwood needs help finding the yeti again on Friday, Jan. 26 – and this year, he brought along some friends.

The fourth annual Flashlight Yeti Hunt will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Covenant Park, 3724 Shaffer Ave. SE. Participants will use flashlights to search for clues leading to the yeti – also known as the abominable snowman – and his two friends along a mile-long walking path.

“We’re excited to host the Flashlight Yeti Hunt again this year,” said Val Romeo, Parks and Recreation director. “This is a great opportunity for community members of all ages to come together for some winter fun. We look forward to seeing who can find the yeti and his friends first.”

The event will end at the park’s clubhouse, where participants can enjoy warm drinks, light refreshments and a chance for a photo with the yeti.

General admission is $7 per household, and participants are asked to bring their own flashlight.

To sign up and learn more, visit Kentwood.us/YetiHunt or call Kentwood Parks and Recreation at 616-656-5270.


 

Kentwood Parks and Rec offers new winter recreation opportunities

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By WKTV Staff

greer@wktv.org



Now that West Michigan has plunged headfirst into winter weather, the City of Kentwood’s Parks and Recreation Department is offering community members an opportunity to embrace the season and get active outdoors.  


Each weekend as weather permits, the Kentwood Parks and Rec team will offer snowshoe rentals at Covenant Park, 3724 Shaffer Ave SE. Rentals run 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and include snowshoes and poles for $5 per person. A five-rental punch pass is available for $20. Community members also are welcome to bring their own snowshoes and poles for free. 

Covenant Park offers groomed trails that are perfect for both first-time and experienced snowshoers to explore. The 1-mile loop trail designated specifically for snowshoeing, cross country skiing, walking and running winds community members through the middle of the park, offering spectacular views of the winter wonderland that has enveloped our part of the state.  

For residents who aren’t interested in strapping on snowshoes, there also is a dedicated 2-mile path for fat tire biking that takes bicyclists around the perimeter of the park, providing an equally stunning winter landscape. Community members need to bring their own bikes.  

(Courtesy, City of Kentwood)

Kentwood receives state grant to support trail improvements on the Paul Henry Thornapple Trail

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(Courtesy, City of Kentwood)



By WKTV Staff

greer@wktv.org


The City of Kentwood has been awarded a $300,000 grant from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund to support improvements to the Paul Henry Thornapple Trail.

MNRTF grants were awarded to eligible government agencies, school districts and recreation authorities. Groups across Michigan submitted funding applications which were evaluated based on criteria such as access to natural resources and proximity to large population groups. In its application, the City noted the Paul Henry Thornapple Trail’s interconnectedness within multiple Kentwood parks and surrounding cities and townships as well as its proximity to natural areas such as woods and ponds.

“We’re delighted to receive these funds from the Department of Natural Resources in support of our vision for Kentwood’s trail systems,” Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley said. “The grant is one example of our promise to voters in 2022 when they approved the parks millage that we would continue to pursue grant funding, ensuring taxpayer dollars go as far as possible to fund park and trail improvements.”

The City plans to use the funds to replace and restore asphalt portions of the Paul Henry Thornapple Trail running from Kalamazoo Avenue SE and 44th Street to East Paris Avenue and 60th Street, for a total of 2.8 miles of trail. These updates will enhance trail accessibility and create a sustainable trail foundation.


Walkers on the Paul Henry Thornapple Trail. (Courtesy, City of Kentwood)



“The Paul Henry Thornapple Trail is a well-used and well-loved recreation resource in our community,” said Val Romeo, Kentwood Parks and Recreation director. “We’re excited for this opportunity to invest in this resource so it can be enjoyed by community members of all ages and abilities for years to come.”

The funds will be distributed in the fall of 2024, and the City anticipates it will begin making trail improvements in 2025. A construction partner will be selected through the city’s bidding process.

The improvements also will be funded in part by the permanent parks millage passed in August 2022.

More information about the parks millage and upcoming park and trail projects can be found at kentwood.us/millage.


Draft of Five-Year Master Plan for Wyoming parks available for review

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View a draft of the Wyoming parks master plan and share your thoughts (Courtesy, pxhere.com)



By WKTV Staff

deborah@wktv.org


The City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation Commission and City Council recognized a need to improve the community’s parks and recreation options and promote the City as a quality sustainable place to live and play.


As part of this effort, they have chosen to develop a new Five-Year Parks & Recreation Master Plan. This document is intended to serve as a planning tool over the next five years for the Commission and City Officials to make decisions related to future park and recreation amenities and improvements. 


After seeking community input, a draft of the Five-Year Master Plan was created and can be reviewed on the City’s website here.


(Courtesy, Wyoming Parks and Recreation)

The Master Plan draft recommendation highlights include:

  • Improved ADA accessibility
  • Marquette Park redevelopment
  • Improving and expanding current park and recreation programs
    • Pickleball courts
    • Playground improvements
    • Walking trails/pathways
    • Pavilions
  • Restroom facility improvements
  • Focus on maintaining exist parks and new facility development
  • Safety improvements

Please share your opinion

Your opinion on the park priorities matters. Please let us know what you think of the plan, all feedback is requested by Dec. 21.

Click here to leave the Parks & Recreation office a note.
Call the Parks & Recreation office at (616) 530-3164.
Email the Parks & Recreation office at Parks_info@wyomingmi.gov.
Give feedback in person at:

  • Planning Commission Meeting November 21, 7 p.m. City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW
  • City Council Work Session December 11, 5:30 p.m. City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW  
  • Parks Commission December 13, 7 p.m. City Hall,  1155 28th St. SW

One Day Niche fills vital gap, provides activity-based program for those with disabilities

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Field trips are a daily part of One Day Niche programming (Courtesy, Alison Haraburda)

By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org

Alison Haraburda was frustrated with the lack of local social interaction and physical activity options for her disabled brother – so she took matters into her own hands and founded One Day Niche.

A non-profit organization that provides life skills and activities for individuals with disabilities, One Day Niche fills a gap long needed for those who have aged out of traditional schooling.

Engaging in the community and social interaction are important aspects of the program (Courtesy, Alison Haraburda)

“We want One Day Niche to be a place where people of all abilities can come together and enrich the lives of each other through shared experience,” Haraburda says on ODN’s website.

Shared experience with those possessing various levels of ability is nothing new to Haraburda. Her parents provided foster care for several individuals during Haraburda’s childhood, all with various disabilities. Three of those individuals eventually became Haraburda’s adopted siblings.

“Growing up, I learned how to care for individuals with various disabilities,” said Haraburda. “That was part of my upbringing.”

Haraburda’s adopted brother is now 35 years old but with a limited mental capacity of an individual much younger. She made several attempts to find programs her brother could participate in, all unsuccessful.

“He ended up sitting at home, watching TV all day,” said Haraburda. “[He would] go to bed, get up and do the same thing again. That’s not good for anybody’s health.”

That was when Haraburda embarked upon a quest to provide healthier options and programming herself.

Determination and dedication

Haraburda began talking to organizations, inquiring about programs offered to individuals. In addition, she spoke to nonprofit organizations to find out the feasibility of founding her own nonprofit.

After gleaning information from 25 organizations, Haraburda said there was a resounding theme.

Rebekah (left), Alison and Jason are committed to helping those with disabilities thrive (Courtesy, Alison Haraburda)

“I heard over and over, ‘Don’t quit, don’t quit, keep going,’” said Haraburda.

Haraburda took their advice to heart and, one year after launch, One Day Niche averages 7-13 individuals with varying levels of disabilities per outing, and owns two vehicles for transport.

“This is the first year I’ve been blessed to be able to hire two additional employees,” Haraburda added.

With the growth in attendance, extra help was desperately needed despite individuals attending on a rotating basis.

“The disabled have different struggles to deal with, so it varies when they can come,” said Haraburda. “But 85% of our individuals are pretty consistent on the days they come.”

How does One Day Niche work?

Participants meet at a designated place Monday through Friday at 9 a.m. Providers and caregivers may drop off participants, or One Day Niche employees pick up individuals as needed.

Each day includes a field trip and activities geared toward increasing basic living and social skills.

There is always fun to be had at One Day Niche (Courtesy, Alison Haraburda)

“Our focus is basic living within the community,” said Haraburda. “It can be job skills, but our focus is how we can be contributing members to the community at large.

“A lot of them struggle with social interactions; a lot of learning has taken place.”

Bowling, basketball, shopping, crafts, museums, parks, visiting Frederik Meijer Gardens and exploring ArtPrize are just a few examples of One Day Niche activities.

“In the fall, we spend a lot of time going to farms, doing fall activities [like] pumpkins, apple picking, hayrides and corn mazes,” said Haraburda.

Community engagement and giving back are an important aspect of One Day Niche.

“Thursday mornings we go to a church and give back,” said Haraburda. “We vacuum, take out the trash, wash windows and wipe down tables.”

Continuing to grow and dream

Haraburda’s initial idea was to have a large facility or gym that would allow them to have various activities on-site, as well as field trips.

“Buying a facility has been out of our reach so far,” Haraburda admitted. “It’s a long-term goal, to buy a place and have a site year-round where we can do activities.

“We have been very fortunate to make a lot of different connections, so every Wednesday we have access to a gym at a local church.”

Here’s how to join the fun

“We try to keep the registration process for the individuals and families very simple,” said Haraburda. “We know that caring for an individual with any type of disability is hard, so we try to make the process simple for anyone who would want to join in.”

Daily cost is $25 and includes six hours of the program and all activities for that day.

Haraburda said they are always looking for volunteers and college interns to help out.

“We have had families come and volunteer their time,” said Haraburda. “One family brought Nerf guns, so we had Nerf wars that day. It was a really fun day,” she added with a laugh.

To register as a volunteer, email admin@onedayniche.org or call 616-862-6612.

Help support their journey

“We are always looking for funding,” said Haraburda. “As a new nonprofit, that seems to be the hardest for us as we get off the ground. But we are expanding, and we love what we do and the services we have been able to offer the families.

“It’s been a journey, but it’s been a fun journey.”

To learn more about One Day Niche, visit onedayniche.org.

Wyoming community invited to celebrate fall with annual Trick-or-Treat Trail

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Wyoming’s annual Trick-or-Treat Trail is a free family-friendly event with a variety of activities (Courtesy, Wyoming Parks & Recreation Department)

By Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department

deborah@wktv.org

The spooky season is almost upon us! The City of Wyoming Parks & Recreation Department is excited to host its annual Trick-or-Treat Trail Saturday, Oct. 7 from 4 – 6 p.m. in Lamar Park, 2561 Porter Street SW.

This family-friendly, free event promises an afternoon filled with candy, costumes, face painting, music, bounce houses and more. Local businesses, clubs and organizations will be handing out treats as attendees stroll through the beautiful park.

“The Trick-or-Treat Trail was created to be a fun, safe event for the fall, providing an alternative to traditional Halloween events,” said Krashawn Martin, Director of Wyoming Parks & Recreation. “Trick-or-Treat Trail gives families an opportunity to interact with neighborhood businesses while enjoying all the amenities of Lamar Park and the beauty of the fall season.”

In previous years, the event has welcomed over 65 local businesses and organizations, and more than 6,000 attendees.

Wyoming Parks and Recreation hosts public input meetings, continues accepting community feedback

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Interactive boards provided opportunities for residents to show their priorities for the parks system. (WKTV/Deborah Reed)

By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org

Over 700 respondents have given feedback on the City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department’s five-year master plan, and the department is requesting even more input from the community.

Director of Parks and Recreation Krashawn Martin talked to WKTV about the importance of community feedback regarding the future of Wyoming’s parks (Courtesy, WKTV)

“The park master plan is very important for our long-range visioning for the park system,” said Parks & Recreation Director Krashawn Martin. “We have a beautiful parks system already here in Wyoming, but these opportunities really help us to get community input, which is really the driver of everything that we do.”

Together, the City and engineering firm Fleis & VandenBrink are working to ensure every option is heard. Two public input meetings have been held with plans for more public opinion opportunities still coming.

“This process is meant to give everyone a voice,” said Rick Stout, Registered Landscape Architect of engineering and architecture firm Fleis & VandenBrink Engineering. “We want to hear your thoughts.”

“We really pride ourselves and do our best to be community responsive,” said Martin, adding that the input helps the department know how people are passively using the parks system for recreation, and also the things they would like to actively see in the parks system.

Input from the community is encouraged by the Parks and Rec Department (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

The public input sessions provided three interactive boards that parallel the Parks & Rec online survey. The boards listed possible goals, objectives and priority elements.

During the public input sessions, community members were invited to place stickers next to their top three priorities in each section.

“What potential actions in the area of recreation do you see for the City of Wyoming,” Stout asked input session attendees. “What do they really need to focus on?”

How the planning process works

An approved Parks plan must be on file with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) no later than Feb. 1, 2024.

There will be a final public hearing and then approval by the Wyoming City Council based on compiled community feedback. Once approved, the plan will be available for a 30-day review period before submission to the DNR.

The ultimate goal, said Stout, is to have a draft plan finished within the next month and start the public review process early.

Landscape architect Rick Stout (right) explains what kinds of feedback will be helpful for the 5-year master plan (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

“Ideally, we would like to get this whole process wrapped up in December so we leave ourselves some room on the back end in case something does come up and it gets delayed,” Stout said.

Though a wide range of feedback has already been received from the public, Stout and Martin urge community members to continue involvement in the planning process.

“There will be multiple opportunities to get some more input as the plan gets developed, but in order for us to develop a draft plan and bounce some of these ideas off the recreation advisory committee, we need your feedback,” said Stout. “That’s why we want to reach out to you right now and make sure there is not an opportunity lost.”

Gaining perspective and meeting needs

Fleis & VandenBrink and the Parks & Rec Department have worked to create both broad and specific goals for the Parks plan. This, Stout said, will help them gain a more accurate perspective of what citizens and the general public want.

Aiming for a well-rounded process, the Parks department also plans to talk to youth at local schools since they are primary users of the parks.

Both broad and specific goals are included in the planning survey (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)

Many trends revealed from the community are fairly universal to all parks and speak to universal accessibility, featuring facilities that appeal to multiple age groups and a variety of activities.

As the City continues to grow, so does the number of people searching for quality recreational facilities.

“The younger generation wants quality of life,” said Stout. “They have high expectations of what their community has to offer for recreation.”

Recreation options can often be a tipping point in deciding whether individuals and families move into a community.

“Communities are known by their assets. Whether it be parks or public spaces or where people have a chance to socially interact, those things are key,” said Stout. “Those really define a community.”

Stout believes the City of Wyoming has made great efforts in defining a sense of place and striving to create those assets.

“I think the next 20 years are going to be really exciting for the City of Wyoming,” said Stout. “It’s a very diverse community, and it really wants to make sure it’s meeting the needs of everyone.”

How to submit feedback

The parks online survey is still available to receive feedback (Courtesy, Wyoming Parks & Recreation Department)

The online survey will continue to be open throughout the planning process and can be found on the City of Wyoming website and social media page.

Martin urges those unable to attend a meeting in person to fill out the online survey.

“We’re just excited to hear from the people,” said Martin. “Not just in this process, but anytime. We are always open to ideas for improvements or recreation programs that our community would like to see in the future.”

Metro Cruise is coming to 28th Street Aug. 25 and 26 with old favorites and new features

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Local Business, Recreation, West Michigan, Woodland Mall, , , , , ,
WKTV’s DreamWheels red carpet classic car show is always a Metro Cruise premiere event. (WKTV)

By Deborah Reed

deborah@wktv.org

The 28th Street Metro Cruise takes place annually in Wyoming and Kentwood. (Courtesy, Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)

Buckle up for the 18th annual 28th Street Metro Cruise this weekend!

15,000+ collector/sports/antique cars, two days, 17 hours, five cities, 13 miles, and hundreds of public and private events will descend upon 28th Street and the surrounding areas on Aug. 25 and 26.

An estimated 200,000 people participate in Metro Cruise related events during this annual two day event.

Since its inception in 2005, Metro Cruise has been a consistent celebration of cars, local business, great food, and family and friends while also continuing the car culture known in the Grand Rapids area.

A new era

Previously owned by the Wyoming-Kentwood Chamber of Commerce, Metro Cruise has recently come under new ownership through a privately owned entity.

Despite the change in proprietorship, Wyoming Police Lt. Andrew Koeller said, “The Wyoming Police and the City of Wyoming are providing the same services we have traditionally provided.”

Rogers Plaza mall parking lot in Wyoming is always a focal point for the 28th Street Metro Cruise. (WKACC)

Wyoming Police Department is staffing Metro Cruise with assistance from the Michigan State Police, Kent County Sheriff’s Office, Grandville Police, Walker Police, Kentwood Police, and Wyoming Fire Department.

Eventgoers can expect to see WYPD in marked police vehicles, police motorcycles, on bicycles, and on foot.

“The Wyoming Police Department is committed to providing a safe environment during the event for all to enjoy,” said Koeller.

Take a quick Pit Stop

“We are very excited to announce a feature of Metro Cruise we know you’ll love,” the Metro Cruise website states. “There are now more ways than ever to enjoy your favorite auto event.”

Three Pit Stop sites have been added to Metro Cruise. These sites will be smaller, more specialized, and offer easier access than the Main Event sites at Woodland Mall and Rogers Plaza.

Hosting a minimum of four key features – collector car club(s), food vendor(s), official Metro Cruise merchandise, and an entertainment feature – each Pit Stop site will be open to the public with space for free parking.

Popular events

The Metro Cruise Dust Off kicks off the event series each year (WKTV)

Official event times are 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 25, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 26. The Official Cruise time down 28th Street at 4 p.m. on Saturday. However, it is not unusual to see classic cars cruising along 28th Street all weekend long.

The Woodland Mall Main Event location will offer several family-friendly activities such as live music, Car Smash, RC Car building and racing, a climbing wall, a scavenger hunt, and much more.

Also featured at the Woodland Mall will be the annual DreamWheels Red Carpet Classic Car Show on Saturday from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. This premiere event allows audience members to gather along a 135 foot red carpet as beautiful classic cars are revealed and roll by.

Rogers Plaza is the second Main Event location and will also provide live music, various family-friendly activities, the DYNO area, Miss Metro Cruise Finale competition, and the Wyoming High School Color Guard and Drumline.

Plan your visit

Metro Cruise Information Tents at the Main Event sites will have free, full color, printed programs. A full list of events and times can also be found here.

Learn more about Metro Cruise at 28thstreetmetrocruise.org.

Share your photos with us!

Gene Billings and daughter Cathe DeLaney, Metro Cruise 2022 (WKTV)

We want see how much fun you had at Metro Cruise!

Submit your photos from wherever you are at Metro Cruise to general@wktv.org by Monday, Aug. 28 for a chance to have them included in WKTV Journal’s photo gallery.

City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department seeks residents’ input on park facilities

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Recreation, West Michigan, , ,
The City of Wyoming Marquette Park playground. (WKTV)

By WKTV Staff

deborah@wktv.org

With 700 acres of park property distributed among 21 parks within the City of Wyoming, developing and maintaining facilities and programs has always been a high priority for the Parks and Recreation Department.

As they look to update their five-year master plan, the Parks and Recreation Department is inviting residents, business owners and community members to provide input on the vision of its future.

Sunshine peeks through the trees at a City of Wyoming park

The master plan, which will be used to guide growth and development in the park system will be shaped by community input. The feedback received will help the department prioritize where and how to make investments in parks, facilities and programs.


Residents and business owners are being encouraged to share their thoughts through an online survey, in English and Spanish, designed to allow users to share areas where they feel there are opportunities for growth, improvement or areas that they enjoy within the City.

“We are excited to hear from the community as they help us shape the future of our parks and programs,” Director of Parks & Recreation Krashawn Martin said. “The plan will consider long-range goals for our community as well as recommended actions to guide updates and land use for the future.”


Residents interested in participating in the survey may do so online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WyomingParks or in person at Wyoming City Hall and the Wyoming
Branch of Kent District Library. The survey closes on Aug. 31.

Wyoming Parks & Recreation will soon announce community meetings as part of the process of updating
its master plan. Visit www.wyomingmi.gov for more information.

To learn more about the City of Wyoming parks, visit: City of Wyoming Parks.

Photo of the Week

Citizen Journalism, Local Business, Recreation, Sports, West Michigan, , ,
Sheri Toth, Stacy Potter, and Amy Stiles enjoy a round of golf at Maple Hill Golf Course (Courtesy, Deborah Reed, WKTV)

League golfers Sheri Toth, Stacy Potter and Amy Stiles enjoy an evening out at Maple Hill Golf.

Located at 5555 Ivanrest Ave. SW in Grandville, Maple Hill Golf has a variety of options for golfers of all experience levels. An 18-hole course, driving range, simulators, fitting center, and golf repair are all amenities to be found at this local venue.

Grand Rapids Ballet to perform outdoors at Millennium Park Aug. 5

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Kent County, Recreation, Upcoming Events, West Michigan, , , ,
Nigel Tau (left) and Rowan Allegra of the Grand Rapids Ballet (Courtesy, Ray Nard Imagemaker)

By Deborah Reed

deborah@wktv.org

Grand Rapids Ballet (GRB), Michigan’s only classical ballet company, announces their first partnership event with Trail.Club, a nonprofit focused on propelling fun on West Michigan trails through grants that support unexpected events and experiences on community assets.

See Grand Rapids Ballet in a new light as it presents a unique outdoor performance at Millennium Park in Walker, Michigan, on Saturday, August 5, 2023. The performances will be held on one of West Michigan’s most pristine walking trails – the Hansen Nature Trail – and will feature three different duets ranging in length from three to five minutes. The entire outdoor experience will last for just under an hour.

GRB dancers will move through the trails and trees, giving the audience the feeling of being part of the performance.

James Sofranko, Artistic Director of GRB, said that he crafted the event in such a way that each duet is a progression to the next.

“You’re going on a journey down this path, but you’re going on a journey with the man and woman who are dancing the duets as well,” said Sofranko. “The dancers are different for each duet, but they represent the same couple at a different point in their relationship and their journey together.”


With the beauty of nature surrounding them, audience members can walk alongside the dancers and experience the ballet up close from a perspective like never before.

A new experience for everyone

While audience members will be gaining a new experience and perspective, so will GRB dancers.

“Usually we have a stage, and usually we are in ballet shoes or pointe shoes or jazz shoes, but we are going to be in sneakers now,” said Sofranko. “That will be a different challenge for us.”

Sofranko said that dealing with the limited space has been fun for him as a choreographer.

Rowan Allegra and Nigel Tau of the Grand Rapids Ballet (Courtesy, Ray Nard Imagemaker)

“It’s unusual and different,” said Sofranko. “In some ways, it’s fun for us as choreographers to try to fit an idea to a limitation. When you have a blank slate, you can do anything you want. That’s almost harder because there are so many ideas. But when you’re forced into a specific boundary like the trail itself or the terrain, you can’t do certain things. It gives you problems to solve which sometimes makes it easier in the creative process.”

Sofranko engaged two other GRB dancers to choreograph the other two pieces, something he does regularly so they can become attuned to what it means to be a choreographer.

“We need the next generation of artists to experience and to practice,” said Sofranko. “I try to give opportunities throughout the year for them to choreograph. I feel really proud of the talent that has been cultivated throughout the ranks of our dancers.”

Family-friendly and free

This event is great for adults and children alike. Attendees can plan to bring family and friends along to enjoy this free performance, sponsored by Trail.Club. The three performances will take place at 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 12:00 p.m. on Saturday morning.

“We are excited to bring this unique, one-of-a-kind performance to Millennium Park and the people of West Michigan,” said Sofranko. “Ballet is a living and breathing art form, which this community event aims to capture. We hope those who are able will come out to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors in a new and engaging way.”

For more information, please visit GRBALLET.COM/TRAILCLUB

Grand Rapids Ballet gets ready for upcoming 2023-24 season

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Recreation,

By WKTV Staff

Grand Rapids Ballet brings back its popular “The Nutcracker” production. (Courtesy, Grand Rapids Ballet)

Grand Rapids Ballet (GRB), Michigan’s only classical ballet company, officially kicks off its 2023-24 season as tickets go on sale for all their upcoming productions.

The season is packed full of dynamic pieces in Contemporary Visions, Jumpstart 2024, and In The Upper Room, in the Peter Martin Wege Theatre. These unique ballets show a range of diverse styles and themes the professional company can offer.

Throughout their 23-24 season Grand Rapids Ballet continues to present beloved classical family-friendly ballets such as The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty on a grand scale at DeVos Performance Hall with accompaniment from the Grand Rapids Symphony.

The Grand Rapids Ballet School’s Junior Company is pleased to present two spectacular productions, Carnival of the Animals and Snow White, at the Peter Martin Wege Theatre.

“In the 23-24 season, our audience will be able to experience a full range of what makes ballet so exciting. From the classical tradition of Sleeping Beauty to the contemporary thrill of In The Upper Room to our free Summer Dance Festival that celebrates the diversity of dance in our community, I am confident that this season will amaze, inspire, and perhaps most of all, connect us through the arts,” Artistic Director James Sofranko said.

The company continues to take artistic risks and bring new styles of ballet to the stage for its audience to enjoy. With this new season, Grand Rapids Ballet will welcome seven new company dancers from all across the United States and even from Japan. As the dancers have a month more of summer break, the ballet eagerly awaits their company dancers’ return, veteran and new, to start working on an incredible season lineup.

 

“Our 23-24 Season continues to uphold the reputation of Grand Rapids Ballet as a leader in the arts community, presenting the best of classical and contemporary ballet as well as commissioning new and exciting works by in-demand choreographers,” James Sofranko, Artistic Director at Grand Rapids Ballet says.

Individual tickets and season subscriptions are on sale during the duration of the season. By becoming a season subscriber, patrons can take advantage of many benefits, including the best seats for the best price, discounts on additional tickets, ticket flexibility with worry-free exchanges, exclusive invites to special GRB events, and so much more. Patrons also can participate in the Sizzling Summer Sale, where they can purchase tickets to The Nutcracker for 50% off for performances Dec. 8-18. The sale is going on through July 26 and patrons can use the promo code: SIZZLE.

Wyoming celebrates its parks, people during National Parks and Rec Month

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Gezon Park was the most recent park to receive updates and improvements including a new splash pad. The park was completed last summer. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
WKTV Managing Editor

Residents playing coed softball as there are concerts going on at Lamar Park. Children playing in the splash pads while a family is having a birthday party in one of the shelters.

Krashawn Martin was named Parks and Recreation director in October. (WKTV)

These are just a few of things that warms Wyoming Parks and Recreation Director Krashawn Martin’s heart as she travels around the City of Wyoming visiting its 21 parks, which total about 700 acres of park property.

The parks are a mix of developed with a few that are not. The parks are scattered throughout the city with the most northern being the almost 14-acre Marquette Park, 1251 Marquette SW; and southern are the 94-acre Gezon Park, 5651 Gezon Court; and the 2.2-acre Frog Hollow, 2050 Metro Court. Just to note, Gezon is the city’s largest park.

July is Parks and Rec Month

“My office is the overflow area,” Martin said with a laugh as we walked into her office, which among the items has a few boxes with prizes and games.

Those items are for the department’s July Pop-Up in the Park events in celebration of the national Parks and Recreation Month, an annual event since 1985 that promotes building strong, vibrant and resilient communities through the power of parks and recognizes the staff and volunteers who maintain the parks.

Wyoming’s Pop-Up in the Park is every Wednesday from 1-4 p.m. with the park location announced Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. on the Park and Recreation Department’s Facebook page.

A Look Back and Ahead

“This year we are more into a planning year,” she said, adding that the department is kind of “exhaling” after all of the projects that have been completed over the past several years.

Several of the City of Wyoming Park’s have had new playgrounds installed in the past couple of years. This one is located at Ideal Park. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)

The flurry of activity started with Ferrand Park in 2018 followed by Ideal, Jackson and last year, Gezon. All the parks received new play equipment and shelters with Ideal, Jackson, and Gezon also adding splash pads and restroom facilities.

Martin said restrooms have been a priority this year with work being down on such facilities at various parks. The department also is looking at renovating the pickle ball courts located at Pinery Park.

But this year’s biggest focus has been on the department’s five-year master plan. Parks are being reviewed for possible projects along with evaluating the department’s other assets, such as the Wyoming Senior Center, to make certain that the Parks and Recreation Department is meeting residents’ interests and needs.

“We are surveying residents and talking to users about what type of recreational programs they want to see and what activities they would like to have at the parks,” Martin said, adding the goal is to meet current interests but also that those programs have longevity with resources being used many years down the road.

Some Other Changes

The Wyoming Department of Parks and Recreation oversee the city’s Concerts in the Park series. (WKTV)

Along with the construction work, the department has added special events now overseeing the annual Concerts in the Park series and the holiday celebration, Wyoming Gives Back. The Parks and Recreation Department also will be managing the 36th Street Market located on the northern section of the former 36th Street site, next to the Godwin football stadium. Opening date for the market is spring 2024 with construction set to start this summer, Martin said.

The past year also included Martin being selected as director for the Parks and Recreation Department. She started with the city six years ago, first serving as the the special events and marketing programmer. She then was the recreational supervisor followed by serving as an analyst in the city manager’s office before returning to Parks and Recreation as its director.

“I feel like I am doing what I have always been doing, only we a really cool team,” Martin said.

Just a Few More Things

Martin and her team currently are planning and preparing for the upcoming fall months, which will include a new Youth Flag Football program with Godwin Public Schools (register soon if you want to get in as the deadline is July 30) along with popular favorites, such as the Trick-n-Treat Trail.

Martin also points out that there is still plenty of summer left to enjoy the splash pads. The city has five, one at Gezon, Lamar, Jackson, Ideal, and Oriole, along with a dog park (membership required) at Marquette Park. The splash pads are open through Labor Day.

Other park amenities include playgrounds; basketball, pickle ball, and tennis courts; softball fields and walking trails. For activities, events or more information about the Wyoming Department of Parks and Recreation and the city’s 21 parks, visit wyomingmi.gov/city-departments/parks-and-recreation.

Housing care options for older adults avoiding nursing facility placement

3-bottom, Community Health, Recreation
Edna (from left without masks), Verna and Ellie, residents in adult foster care, tackle a holiday craft project with help from Fran, one of the residence aides who provide wrap-around services. (Photo courtesy, Care Resources)

By Care Resources

West Michigan offers a wide range of housing and care options for older adults. Determining the best fit can be difficult decision.

Year after year, surveys show the majority of adults prefer to remain in their own home and in their community as long as possible, rather than in a nursing facility. These wishes are in line with the goals of Care Resources, a community-based program that promotes healthy and independent living for people 55 years and older in West Michigan.

As a Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly, or PACE, Care Resources provides services tailored specifically to the needs of individual participants to help them avoid hospital or nursing home placement to the greatest extent possible.

While the organization’s ultimate goal is to keep participants living independently, there are circumstances where other options must be considered. That’s where housing alternatives like adult foster care and assisted living come in. These residential settings can provide an enhanced level of care for individuals who cannot live alone but want to avoid nursing facility placement.

To help meet the needs of participants in these situations, Care Resources partnered with Corewell Health (formerly Spectrum Health) to open adult foster care homes in 2022 for qualifying participants. The three homes on Kalamazoo Avenue, all adjacent to Care Resources, can house a total of 30 residents with staff working three shifts to provide support at all hours.

Annie, a resident in adult foster care, celebrates her birthday with Priscilla, one of the Care Resources residence aides who provide wrap-around support services. (Photo courtesy, Care Resources)

“Residence aides are on-site around-the-clock to help serve meals, monitor medications and provide any other one-on-one attention that may be needed,” Care Resources Social Services Manager Paula Lett said. “Our wraparound support services – doctors, therapists and social workers – also come directly to participants in the homes to provide specialized care.”

The homes are designed just like a regular house with bedrooms, bathrooms, a kitchen and common area where the residents can socialize. There’s also a small gym area for physical therapy and exercise.

“It’s an intimate setting with a personal home-life touch,” Lett said. “The participants enjoy meals together and really get to know the staff there – it becomes like a small family.”

While residents can live in the homes permanently, short-term respite stays of one to two weeks are more common.

“I like to explain it as a little bit of tune-up for those going in for respite,” said Kelly Malski, a social worker at Care Resources. “Participants get extra TLC, start taking their meds properly and get stronger while also giving their caregivers a break. It’s amazing what getting a temporary amount of this level of care can do for caregivers and participants alike. It can have an all-around positive impact.”

Lett and Malski shared other common scenarios for utilization of the housing:

  • Hospital discharge: Participants coming out of a hospital stay who need a higher level of care or closer medication monitoring in order to transition from hospital to home.
  • Unplanned, immediate need for support: Caregivers who are experiencing an emergency and have a sudden need for a safe place their loved one can go for proper supervision and care. 
  • Families going on vacation: Families who are unable to take their loved one with them on a trip and cannot find coverage for in-home support while they’re away.

So, how do caregivers know which housing alternative is right for their loved one? Participants of Care Resources can simply connect with their care team to start the conversation. For those not in the program, Malski recommends examining the situation from a few angles.

“If you’re at the point where you think your loved one should be placed into a nursing facility, it may be time to find out whether a program like Care Resources can help provide other solutions for keeping them in the home longer,” Malski said. “That could be a matter of increasing in-home care, visiting a day center more often, providing therapies or accessing other services.

“If you’ve felt you’ve exhausted all those options, then a housing alternative may be the best choice to avoid needing permanent placement in a nursing facility.”

To find the right fit, individuals can start with a call to Care Resources at 616-913-2006 or find more information online at CareResources.org.

Wyoming resident ‘hops’ up to help unwanted bunnies

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Pets/Animals, Recreation, ,
Wyoming resident Diane Dykema learned about how many unwanted bunnies there were, she started Bunnies-R-Us rescue. (Photo courtesy, Janet Vormittag)

By Janet Vormittag
WKTV Contributing Writer

Wyoming resident Diane Dykema has a passion for rabbits and thought breeding and selling bunnies would be a fun hobby. She changed her mind when people started asking her to take rabbits they no longer wanted.

“I didn’t realize how many unwanted bunnies there were,” Dykema said.

That realization compelled Dykema to transition from breeding to rescue. In July 2019, she started Bunnies–R–Us and began taking in unwanted rabbits and finding them new homes.

In 2022, Dykema adopted out 92 rabbits. She has a 100% rate of finding new homes for rabbits in less than two months.

Education the key

Dykema thinks most people get rid of rabbits because they aren’t educated on what is involved in caring for their new pet.

“You can’t put a rabbit in a cage and leave it there,” she said. “Having a rabbit is a big responsibility.”

Sp,e buddies bond with each other and become best buddies. (Photo courtesy, Janet Vormittag)

Before taking home one of Dykema’s rabbits, tentative adopters are required to sit through a one-on-one, hour-long educational session. Using handouts and videos, Dykema teaches them what rabbits should and shouldn’t be fed. She shows how to hold a rabbit and explains why exercise is important. 

Rabbits in Dykema’s care get out of their cages at least once a day to play with toys in an exercise pen.

People learn rabbits never look sick, have a high tolerance for pain, and can die from stress. Rabbits can also be trained to use a litter box.

Adopters leave with a folder full of information, a starter kit with litter, hay and bunny food, and Dykema’s telephone number.

“They know everything they need to know before they leave,” Dykema said. “They can also call me anytime.”

If people are hesitant about adopting, they can foster to adopt.

Some of the bunnies available for adoption at Bunnies-R-Us rescue. (Photo courtesy, Janet Vormittag)

Working to make an adoption a success

Besides owner-surrendered rabbits, Dykema gets rabbits from people who find domesticated bunnies roaming outside. “People think they can live like a wild bunny. They can’t.” She added that rabbits shouldn’t be released outside—they lack survival skills and are vulnerable to predators.

Recently Dykema took in seven bunnies from Traverse City Animal Control who got them from a rescue that had closed.

Adoption fees range from $30 to $100 and depends on age, breed and if the rabbit is spayed/neutered. Dykema doesn’t routinely spay/neuter rabbits but won’t adopt a male and female together unless one of them is fixed.

Dykema said adoption fees keep people from taking rabbits for snake food or meat.

Some rabbits bond with each other and become best buddies. Dykema won’t breakup a bonded pair or trio, but if the pair consists of a male and female, one must be spayed/neutered.

“I don’t adopt a male and female together. I learned that the hard way,” Dykema said. She also won’t adopt to someone who has a rabbit of the opposite sex at home. She explained that one gentleman adopted two females and neglected to tell her he had a male at home. He soon brought her a dozen young rabbits and the male rabbit.

Dykema is learning as she goes and now charges an intake fee and asks that a rabbit’s cage be included in the surrender to reduce the stress on the rabbit.

A family affair

When full, Dykema asks people to foster the rabbit they want to surrender until a new home can be found. She has room for about two dozen rabbits and she does most of the work of feeding and cleaning by herself. Recently, a 13-year-old girl started volunteering to help care for the bunnies.

Diane Dykema checks on the bunnies. (Photo courtesy, Janet Vormittag)

Dykema’s family is supportive of her rescue. Her husband, Russ, helps where he can and her daughter works on the website and makes bunny videos.

Dykema said rabbits are often a neglected animal and are usually looked at like a farm animal. She sees them differently and hopes to educate people about their true nature.

“They’re smart and clean,” she said. “They can be silly and are easy to care for. They each have their own personality. Each one is different and unique.” 

For more information visit www.bunniesrusrabbitry.com.

Janet Vormittag started Cats and Dogs, a Magazine Devoted to Companion Animals in 2006 as a monthly publication. It’s geared towards West Michigan readers and features pet-related advertisers, animals available for adoption, and articles about animal rescues and pets. In 2018, Cats and Dogs transitioned to a quarterly publication. The print edition is free and can be found at local libraries and businesses.

A ghost hunt leads to a revelation about unclaimed urns

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Recreation, ,
A final resting place is important in allowing a spirit to move on. (Pexels.com)

By Wayne Thomas
WKTV Contributing Writer

When Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters were asked to investigate at one of our areas largest local cemeteries it didn’t seem special. Now consider the unique coincidence that my mother, father, grandmother and cousin are all buried in this particular cemetery. Due to a signed confidentiality agreement the name of this location must remain anonymous but here are the fun facts of the case.

 

The key word in this paranormal investigation was “creepy”: creepy stuff, creepy feelings in both the office located in the middle of the cemetery and the Mausoleum located near this office. The manager had been mysteriously scratched on her arm while at her desk in the office and saw a dark humanoid figure out of the corner of her eye while looking toward the hallway. She also heard ghost voices on multiple occasions.

Another employee reported seeing dark figures sitting in the break room and in the office hallway where he also heard footsteps and different unexplained voices several times. A disembodied male voice was heard saying “Hey” and a woman’s voice was heard saying, “Hello.” A younger woman and an older woman’s voice were heard, apparently the older woman wanting “Help.” Other unexplained noises were heard by both employees in the office area along with ghostly voices and apparitions seen in the hallway.

During the original investigation things got interesting later in the night between 12:30 p.m. and 1 a.m. as our K-2 EMF detectors started lighting up indicating increased electromagnetic fields. At the same time, we were hearing what sounded like responses to our questions known as EVP’s or Electronic Voice Phenomena heard through our P-SB7 paranormal Spirit Box. Spirits answering our questions and interacting with the living indicates what Ghost Hunters call an intelligent haunting where ghosts typically have some sort of unfinished business.

 

Through examination of evidence and a preponderance of the clues we noticed certain patterns and were able to draw several intriguing parallels to the original client testimony. We concluded in our report that, “We believe the spirits are drawing us to the north end of the office hallway. Our EMF detectors were pointing us in that same direction and on the next visit we need to take a better look at the north end of the office hallway.”

We returned about a month later and a clue was revealed. Located at the very north end of the hallway was a locked door to a closet, a sort of vault that held the cremated remains of deceased individuals. We learned the deceased were all in limbo, waiting to either be buried in the cemetery or for interment in the mausoleum. At this time we were also informed that behind this locked door were several sets of cremated ashes being stored because they remained unclaimed. Additionally we were told of funeral homes in our area with the same predicament and those claims were confirmed.

Ashes can be buried at a cemetery, placed in a mausoleum or a columbarium. (Pxhere.com)

So how much of a wide spread problem had we uncovered? More than two million urns in funeral homes across North America are waiting to be collected. Thirty-one countries around the world practice cremation with 99% in Japan, 77% in the United Kingdom, as the United States approaches 60% with 1% unclaimed. (Michigan has about a 55 percent cremation rate.) The general consensus being, it’s important to find a final resting place for the deceased, not a funeral home. Different states have different rules as to how long they will store ashes before acting on them, sometimes burying them in mass graves.

Historically, with the exception of Buddhists favoring cremation, many religions were against cremation and regarded it as a less respectful way to deal with death. Obviously, a growing number of people now accept the process as a personal choice. Most agree that the cremains should be treated with the same dignity and respect as a traditional religious funeral or memorial service and placed in a permanent location for remembrance, like a columbaria in a church.

Ashes may be scattered with permission of a land owner, buried underground in a cemetery or even at sea. A modern choice is to plant a tree with the ashes and it’s relatively inexpensive. Have you inherited the cremated remains of a family member or someone you didn’t really know and have been storing them in the basement or a closet? Don’t underestimate the significance of the dignity and respect in the rituals and ceremonies surrounding the dead that all cultures and religions practice. To those spirits waiting in limbo for their final disposition, “Go in peace and be freed from your suffering, seek out the light.”      

Michigan native one of the stars in traveling ‘Frozen’ production

3-bottom, Entertainment, Kids Activities, Recreation, ,
Dominic Dorset as Kristoff and Collin Baja as Sven in the “Frozen” North American Tour. Photo by Matthew Murphy (Disney)

By John Gonzalez
WKTV Contributing Writer

If you call him “Kristoff,” Michigan native Dominic Dorset won’t mind.

“Yes, this is,” he said when we called him “Kristoff” answering the phone in a recent WKTV interview.

Is he tired of people calling him his character name?

“No, that’s alright,” he said. “I’m used to it by now, if anything.”

Dorset, a native of Saline, and 2022 graduate of the University of Michigan theater program, is excited to be on his first major tour in Disney’s “Frozen,” which plays this week (July 11-16) at DeVos Performance Hall, presented by Broadway Grand Rapids.

Bringing to life a familiar story to life

He’s learned a lot about the show, and being on the road, since the tour kicked off last September.

“I’ve gotten more comfortable with the part, having done the show eight times a week,” he said with a laugh.

Dominic Dorset (Courtesy)

“We have new cast members who come and go, so it changes, and the show has to adjust if the theater is bigger or the crowds livelier.”

The goal, he said, is to have consistent performances.

“But the reality is, we, as actors, have good days, and we have bad days,” he said. “We have days where we’re more energetic, and we have days where we’re a little slow. You’re never going to see the same show twice. But, overall, it’s always going to be ‘Frozen.’”

From the producers of “The Lion King” and “Aladdin,” The Tony-nominated “Frozen” brings back the familiar story – and songs – that fans of all ages know and love.

Something familiar

Wth music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and book by Jennifer Lee, “Frozen” the musical is based on the 2013 film of the same name and centers on the relationship between two sisters – Elsa and Anna – who are princesses.

As fans know, Elsa has magical powers to freeze objects, and people, which she has difficulty controlling. She inadvertently causes the kingdom to become frozen in an eternal winter, and nearly kills her sister.

Kristoff and his trusty reindeer companion, Sven, play a key role in the storyline.

Dorset said fans of the “Frozen” movies will love the musical because of the familiar songs, “but it’s going to be more than that, too.”

“It’s a Broadway production, which means it’s going to have the highest quality of dancing, singing, acting, set design, costume design, puppetry – EVERYTHING!” he said. “It’s top-notch quality. It’s amazing.”

Something new

Fans will also get to hear a lot of new songs not in the films.

“The writers wrote about a dozen new songs…so if you come see the show, you’re going to see the movie you know, but you’re going to see a lot more than that…You won’t hear these songs anywhere else except for on this stage.”

Dorset said he’s been a fan of the film from the time it came out, “along with the rest of the world.”

“I guess I consider myself to be a pretty big Disney fan,” he said, growing up on the Disney Channel.

He said his parents recount how, as a kid, he was “obsessed with Cinderella and Snow White.”

“Which is kind of funny,” he said. “I was really into Disney from the time I could walk.”

A love for theater

He started in local theater in fourth grade, then at Saline High School. A summer camp between his junior and senior year in high school on the campus of UM introduced him to theater students all across the country.

Lauren Nicole Chapman as Anna and Dominic Dorset as Kristoff in the “Frozen” North American Tour. Photo by Matthew Murphy (Disney)

“I got to see kids who were really, really good. Some who had already been on Broadway. That was eye-opening to me and showed me what was possible.”

He applied to several colleges, but was excited to land at the University of Michigan because it was so close to home.

He said the thrill of creating shared experiences on stage is the magic that has him hooked every night.

“I just love stepping into somebody else’s shoes,” he said. “That’s what it’s all about. It’s telling somebody else’s story, finding the similarities and differences between you and the character that you’re playing, and bringing the words to life for a live audience.

Whole different experience

“There is something about everybody going through the experience of that story in the same room together is really addicting to me.”

That’s why fans should come see “Frozen,” he said. It’s the familiar story of Elsa and Anna, but in a live setting.

“It’s their journey of finding love and acceptance with one another, and other people, but it definitely has some updates, some new interpretations and just things you won’t get from seeing the original movie.” Dorset said. “So you have to come see the stage production.” 

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 also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. 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.

Sounds of Summer kicks off July 6

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, Recreation,
Azz Izz Band has decades of experience performing a range of genres such as blues, country, soul, and rock. (Courtesy, Azz Izz Band)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
WKTV Managing Editor
joanne@wktv.org

Next week, the Sounds of Summer kicks off at Cutler Park with local favorite Azz Izz Band.

The concert is set for 7 p.m. Thursday, July 6, at the park, located at 6701 Cutler Park Dr. SW with the series set to run every Thursday through July at Cutler Park and then switching over to Byron Center’s Bicentennial Park, 8085 Byron Center Ave. SW, in August.

 

Sponsored by Byron Township and presented by P. Williams Productions and LW Studios, the community concert series is free. Residents are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets to sit on. The Juicy Wieners will be selling hot dogs and pork sandwiches also will be available.

P. Williams Productions tapes each concert, which are rebroadcasted on WKTV throughout the summer.

 

Visit the Sounds of Summer Facebook page for updates, weather information, and more.  

The line up is:

July 13: That Beatles Thing – A local cover band transports you back in time to hear the hits of John, Paul, George, and Ringo.

July 20: Ryan Curtis Band – This Michigan-born, Idaho-based artist covers anything from folk to bluegrass to rock to blues through personal stories and life lessons.

July 27: The Soul Syndicate – This party band tributes iconic funk, soul, and R&B artists with electric, high-energy performances.

The August series at Byron Center’s Bicentennial Park, 8085 Byron Center Ave. SW, includes:

Aug. 3: Great Scott! – This Grand Rapids-based party band has something for everyone, playing hits from the fifties through today.

Aug. 10: Carson Peters and Iron Mountain – Traveling all the way from East Tennessee, this award-winning bluegrass group has played at the Grand Ole Opry and around the world.

Aug. 17: The Soul Syndicate – A familiar group in Grand Rapids, the band performs funk, soul and R&B.

Woodland Mall helps local charity with ‘dress for success’ clothing

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, Recreation



By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
WKTV Managing Editor
joanne@wktv.org

Tatum Hawkins, director of development and communications for the Women’s Resource Center. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)

The smile on Tatum Hawkins said it all when J.Jill store manager Joell Austin told her there was up to $25,000 available for her to spend on clothing for the Women’s Resource Center’s Business Boutique.

“It’s like a fairy tale,” said Hawkins, who is the director of development and communications for the Women’s Resource Center.

Half hour into the shop, she stood in disbelief when Austin told her the amount had gone up to $35,000.

“This is just so amazing,” Tatum said. “For the women who we work with, clothing is so expensive and often times they are just trying to get food on the table. Having something that is new that looks professional and they feel good in often aids in helping them in a job interview.”

Helping Women Succeed

Set to mark its 50th anniversary, the Women’s Resource Center provides programs to help women secure stable, well-paying employment and achieve financial independence.

 

Women Resource Center represn
J. Jill store manager Joell Austin with Business Boutique volunteer Teresa VanWyk. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)

When a participant is job ready, she has the opportunity to shop for free at WRC’s Business Boutique, Hawkins said. Participants are able to select up to two outfits complete with accessories, under garments and make-up. Volunteers serve as their personal shoppers, helping a participant to select clothing items, Hawkins said.

All the clothing is donated and in fact, J. Jill stores at both RiverTown Mall and Woodland Mall have sent out-of-stock clothing to the boutique in the past. Austin said each of the J. Jill stores has a compassion fund that is dedicated to helping provide resources to women.

“We are thrilled that we can contribute to the Business Boutique along with helping them shop today for items that they need,” Austin said.

On Monday’s shop, Hawkins said she was looking for a range of sizes. The Business Boutique has quite a bit of winter clothes, so summer pieces and items that could be layered were a main focus.

“Sometimes a woman may have been sent to jail in the winter and comes out in the summer and they do not have anything for that season to go out on an interview or for the workplace,” Hawkins said.

New Partnership with Woodland Mall

Recognizing the importance of having the right attire for a potential job, Woodland Mall has formed a new partnership with the Business Boutique to regularly stock it with clothes and accessories from mall retailers and donation drives.

 

“Access to workplace attire can be a barrier to securing employment — and ultimately, economic independence for women,” said Mikia Ross, interim senior marketing director for Woodland Mall. “We are grateful to be able to support the Women’s Resource center’s efforts to address this with a partnership that will offer women an expanded selection of workplace-ready attire from our retailers and community.”

Utilizing a “store-within-a-store” concept, the mall will have a dedicated section of workplace apparel at the Boutique, which will be kept stocked year-round with clothes and accessories through donation drives and retailer partnerships.

The Women’s Resource Center is set to celebrate its new facility at 816 Madison Ave. SE with an open house on Wednesday, June 28, from 3-6 p.m. Within the new facility will be a new and improved Business Boutique that is scheduled to open later this month.

Book focuses on grassroots efforts to clean the watersheds

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Environment, Great Lakes, Recreation

By Jada Vasser
Capital News Service

John Hartig, the retired director of the U.S.-Canada Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, North America’s only international refuge. Credit: University of Windsor.

A new book about the Great Lakes is written to reflect that their problems, solutions and champions are interrelated, much like the ecosystem it portrays.

“This whole thing of bringing stakeholders together, creating a vision, co-producing knowledge, co-innovating solutions is in the book,” author John Hartig said. “You don’t get that anywhere else.”

Hartig’s “Great Lakes Champions: Grassroots Efforts to Clean Up Polluted Watersheds” (Michigan State University Press, $24.95) highlights 14 people who created programs and solutions to help communities that depend on the lakes.

These leaders took on the goal of restoring the Great Lakes through service and guidance at such environmental hotspots as the Detroit River, River Raisin, Rouge River and Muskegon Lake.

They all are hardworking and determined and share the same love for the lakes, Hartig said.

“The pollution problems of the Great Lakes are really people problems,” he said. “People created these problems and to solve them it’s going to take people working together.”

The retired director of the U.S.-Canada Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, North America’s only international refuge, Hartig continues his lifelong Great Lakes work as a visiting scholar at the University of Windsor and member of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy board of directors.

Through research, education and advocacy, he has fought for the cleanup of the lakes, demonstrating why action is necessary and significant to the communities that benefit from them. And he’s paid attention to people who have done similar work.

Hartig profiled people he deemed as Great Lakes champions. They share the same passion and help their communities remember how important the lakes are for people.

“They’re wel- respected in the community and they have trust,” Hartig said. “It takes sometimes decades to get trust.”

Such trust comes from advocacy groups, religious organizations, governments and industry, he said.

“They were these facilitators of the process and that takes a rare person.”

The champions include a married couple working to clean up Green Bay,Wisconsin, drain commissioners who brought communities together to do group service, members of the Water-keeper Alliance that led many efforts in keeping the water clean and safe to consume, local government officials who fought to clean up industrial processes. Many of these people worked on environmental justice before it was fashionable, especially in Detroit, Hartig said.

These champions realize it is important to know that when you do not know the answer, you should create boundaries on what you are an expert on and what you need to seek more knowledge on, Hartig said. It is a strategy that creates connections. People who are okay with saying they do not know everything create a sense of modesty and open the door for collaboration, Hartig said.

John Hartig notes that new Great Lakes champions can apply lessons learned in the past to emerging problems. Image: Michigan State University Press, $24.95).

And new Great Lakes champions are emerging, he said. People strive every day to help the lakes out and to continue the work of the earlier champions.

The lessons learned by the generation of champions he wrote about should not get lost as today’s problems call for a new  mechanisms and assets to solve them, Hartig said. Each generation comes with its set of environmental issues. Thirty years ago, science was more respected than it is now.

The misinformation that is prevalent today washes away the foundations of science, he said. Years ago, everyone just believed and trusted what was said about the environment.

That erosion of trust in science complicates problems like climate change. Emerging champions will have to learn to balance work in progress while staying up to date with what climate change is doing, he said.

“I think this generation has some other challenges to deal with like misinformation and disinformation,” Hartig said. “They have to fight that battle and then now I think they have to also be always thinking about climate change.”

Climate change is the most pressing environmental challenge of our time, he said.

It leads to intense storms, higher water runoff and more erosion that can contaminate food webs and chains. The emerging champions must have the same passion as the previous ones. But they are taking on distinct challenges with a new wave of environmental problems. Good facilitators and having a passionate support system fuels the involved individuals to becoming champions, he said.

What makes it different is that it manifests “the importance and the value and benefit of the ecosystem approach,” Hartig said.

“You can see in the real world how it’s done.”

Jada Vadder writes for Great Lakes Echo.

Cabildo takes the stage at both Wyoming and Kentwood

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Recreation

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
WKTV Managing Editor
joanne@wktv.org

The Latin sounds of Cabildo is the next concert in the Wyoming Concerts in the Park series.

The popular West Michigan 8-piece band will perform at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 27, at Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St. SW and again at Kentwood’s Summer Concert Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 29, at the Kentwood City Complex, 4900 Breton Rd. SE.

Those attending either concert are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs or blankets to sit-on and food of choice.

At the Wyoming concert, food trucks also will be on site along with with a pre-show and activities for all ages.

At the Kentwood Summer Concert series, a variety of food truck fare also will be available prior and during the event. Concertgoers also are welcomed to bring their own beer or wine to the show. The city’s Farmers Market takes place before the concert, running form 4:30-7:30 p.m.

Both cities take a break from the summer concerts next week in observance of July Fourth.

The Wyoming Concerts in the Park resume on July 11 with Sarena Rae and the Kentwood Summer Concert series returns on July13 with Chicago Farmer and the Fieldnotes.

Cats and coffee: the ‘purrfect’ experience for residents

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Pets/Animals, Recreation

By D.A. Reed
WKTV Contributor

Fig and Friends Pet Rescue, an all-volunteer and donation funded pet rescue, believes every animal deserves a chance and strives to help cats and dogs of all ages have an amazing life.

Julie Beukema, founder of Fig and Friends, with Latte. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)

Founded in March of 2022 by Julie Beukema, Fig and Friends takes on as many rescues as they can, even dogs and cats with severe medical needs.

“Not a lot of recues will take animals who need a lot of medical care,” Beukema said. “There (are) just not enough resources for people and their pets.”

The namesake of the pet rescue, Fig, was one such case of acute medical need.

A French bulldog, Fig was at a local shelter when Beukema became aware of the puppy and her medical needs. Pulling her from the shelter, Beukema fostered Fig and began the dive into her medical care.

Unable to walk due to a fused and calcified spine, Fig underwent major surgery in Detroit followed by rehab. Fig is now able to walk, is potty-trained, and dispenses joy and smiles daily.

Connecting to the Happy Cat Cafe

When Happy Cat Café (HHC) approached Beukema with an offer of partnership that would allow Fig and Friends to provide a safe environment for rescued cats to receive human interaction and love—while also providing that love and joy to the café’s visitors—Beukema agreed.

HHC owner Kati Quarto dreamed of creating a space where cat lovers in Grand Rapids could relax and enjoy delicious drinks and food while also connecting with adorable feline companions. In 2017, Quarto brought that dream to reality by opening Happy Cat Café.

Offering a warm atmosphere, a variety of drinks, and boasting visitors from as far as Italy and Chile, HHC offers visitors a tranquil setting where lasting memories can be made with feline friends, and often hosts events and workshops such as cat yoga, paint nights, and themed gatherings.

Adoption is an option for those visitors who find a special bond with a feline friend. Application forms for adoption can be found in the café’s cat room or they can call Fig and Friends directly to speak with Beukema.

Partnership with HCC has gone well, with the café running the business side—events, coffee and food, building maintenance, etc.—and Fig and Friends providing feline friends, volunteers for the cat room, food, litter, medical care, and facilitation of adoptions.

  • The Happy Cat Cafe has a variety of cat-themed products. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)
  • Happy Cat Cafe customers relax and unwind by visiting with the Fig and Friends cats. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)
  • There is a lot of fun toys for both cats and adults. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)
  • Volunteers take care of the area where the cats stay. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)

Filling a need

Though Beukema is a librarian at Grand Rapids Public Library, she has been involved in pet rescue for approximately ten years, volunteering at local shelters and fostering animals in need.

Beukema started her own rescue after finding her viewpoint on how to do things differed from many of the local rescues. “I had my own philosophy on how to do things,” said Beukema. “And there is a huge need.”

Exhibiting compassion rather than judgement when animals are abandoned, Beukema understands that not every situation is black and white.

“There can be a lot of different circumstances why someone does something like that,” Beukema said. “I’m not excusing what they did but somebody must be pretty desperate to do something like that. The world is filled with a lot of grays, and nothing is black and white.”

Beukema admits that being a director of a pet rescue is not always easy.

“Rescue is hard,” said Beukema. “There’s a lot of stress, there’s a lot of high emotions.” Seeing animals hurt and sometimes beyond rescue is especially hard for Beukema. “It wears on me…but I have a really good support system of volunteers.”

The story of Ray

One difficult yet rewarding story came with Ray, an 8-month-old black and white cat who came to Beukema at at 6-weeks-old with ruptured eyes and in need of surgery to have his eyes removed.

Julie Beukema with Ray. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)

Though completely blind, Ray is extremely social with the other cats and loves interacting with human visitors. “He is thriving here,” Beukema said with a smile.

Aware that times are difficult for everyone financially, Beukema offers information on affordable care for pets, one of them being CSNIP, a well-pet clinic that offers high-quality, reduced-cost veterinary care.

Beukema also urges community members to reach out and ask for help with their pets when they need it. “It never hurts to reach out and ask for help. We will do our best to help if we can.”

To learn more about Fig and Friends and/or donate, click here: Fig and Friends Pet Rescue

To learn more about Happy Cat Café and reserve time with feline friends, click here: Happy Cat Café

Good night for concerts in the park at Lamar

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Recreation

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
WKTV Managing Editor
joanne@wktv.org

Michael Hulett performs tonight’s Concerts in the Park. (Courtesy, Michael Hulett)

It will be the sweet sounds of jazz, pop and rock as Michael Hulett takes to the stage tonight for the City of Wyoming’s Concerts in the Park.

It will be the first concert of the season as last week’s performance, with Reverend Jesse Ray, was cancelled due to rain. That concert has been rescheduled for Aug. 15.

Hulett, who is considered one of the top solo performers in the country, is accomplished on 10 instruments including soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophone, oboe, flute, trumpet and even tuba. While the sounds from his instrumental renditions are rich, Hulett is also know for his voice which according to his site “reminds people of the stars from the past century of classic sounds.”

Having attended Georgia Southern University, where he studied music performance with an emphasis on jazz, Hulett also attended the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale. While he does perform the classics of Louis Armstrong, he also is known for his interpretations of other performers who also served as his inspirations — Johnny Hartman, Marvin Gaye, and Billy Eckstine.

Heading to the show

Concerts in the Park starts at 6 p.m. with a pre-show and activities for all ages. Food trucks also will be on site. Participants are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs.

2023 Concerts of the Park schedule

June 27: Cabildo is a West Michigan-based alternative Latin rock collective that brings a unique blend of cambia, ska, folk, and other genres of music from Latin America.

July 11: Sarena Rae is a Grand Rapids based vocalist covering a variety of musical genres.

July 18: Klay N’ The Mud is a West Michigan-based cover band.

July 25: La Furia Del Ritmo will perform Latin music.

Aug. 1: The Soul Syndicate offers up classic soul, R&B and funk.

Aug. 8: Patty Pershayla & The Mayhaps features a former small-town pageant queen who has turned into a rock ’n’ roll powerhouse. 

An orphaned chick leads to a story about acceptance

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Pets/Animals, Recreation

By Janet Vormittag
WKTV Contributor

Author Jean Davis with Kay-Kay and the book she wrote about Kay-Kay. (Courtesy, Janet Vormittag)

Jean Davis is an author of science fiction, fantasy, horror and a children’s picture book about a chicken.

Davis’s passions for writing and raising chickens and ducks collided last year. The Holland resident had signed up to attend a festival to sell books, but one of her chickens wasn’t feeling well. She didn’t want to leave Millie alone so she packed up the ailing chicken, along with her books, and took her to the festival where she could keep an eye on her.

“I was surprised at people’s excitement at seeing a chicken,” Davis said. She added that one person told her it made their day to pet a chicken.

Before the book, you need a chicken with a good story

Davis realized having a chicken drew people to her booth and gave her an opportunity to talk about her books. Book sales increased.

Millie’s health improved but she wasn’t happy going to shows. Another chicken, Laya, was more social and Davis trained her to wear a harness and walk on a leash. She regularly accompanied Davis to her weekend gigs.

Several people asked Davis if Laya was a character in one her books.

“No, but it’s a good idea,” she would tell them.

But Laya didn’t have a story. “A good story needs conflict and Laya had a happy life. There was nothing to write about,” Davis explained.

The chick that needed a home

Kay-Kay is a Silkie, a breed of chicken named after its fluffy plumage that feels like silk. (Courtesy, Janet Vormittag)

The two-month-old chick had been hatched in an incubator. She was smaller than the other chicks and had a leg that didn’t develop properly. The healthy chickens in the flock picked on her, which is what chickens do.

But fate soon brought Davis a chicken with a story. Her niece saw a post on Craigslist regarding a disabled chicken who needed a home with someone experienced with handicapped chickens.

After a lengthy discussion with the owner, Davis agreed to give the chick a home. She was surprised at her size. “She fit in my hand. She was the same size as a one-day-old duck.”

She named the new family member Kay-Kay after her niece, Kaylee, who had brought the homeless chicken to her attention.

Kay-Kay is a Silkie, which is a breed of chicken named after its fluffy plumage that feels like silk. Silkie’s feathers don’t have “teeth” so they don’t weave together. Instead they are fluffy.

“It looks like a feather explosion on their head,” Davis said. She has to give Kay-Kay a haircut so people can see her eyes.

Silkies are cuddly, calm and love sitting on laps. They also interact well with people, which make Kay-Kay the perfect companion at shows.

A chicken who needed a chick

Kay-Kay arrival coincided with a chicken raising a duckling.

Davis lives in a residential area where roosters are not allowed due to their crowing. Therefore, she never has baby chicks. But it is okay to have male ducks since they aren’t noisy like a rooster.

One of her Silkies, Henifer, often gets “broody” meaning she wants to sit on eggs. When that happens, Davis puts duck eggs under her.

All is well until mama Henifer tries to teach her young hatchlings how to be chickens.

“Henifer gets frustrated raising ducks—they can’t jump or roost,” Davis said. They also won’t scratch in the dirt looking for food.

Henifer just happened to be raising a duckling when Kay-Kay arrived.  Davis put the chick under Henifer.

 

“She took her over like one of her own,” she said. “Henifer had a chick to raise and I finally had a chicken with a story.”

A story is hatched

Davis wrote a children’s book about how Kay-Kay found a new family that accepted her with her disability. Davis revived her watercolor skills, which had been shelved for 30 years, to illustrate the story.

(Courtesy, Janet Vormittag)

Kay-Kay, The Littlest Chicken was released May 6 and is Davis’s 14th book.

Kay-Kay, who now weighs one pound, two ounces, accompanies Davis to her book events.

“It’s amazing how many people love chickens,” Davis said.

Kay-Kay, The Littlest Chicken can be bought on Amazon and other online retailers. In addition, it can be purchased at jeandavisauthor.com. Davis’s schedule is also on her website if you are interested in meeting her and Kay-Kay.

Janet Vormittag started Cats and Dogs, a Magazine Devoted to Companion Animals in 2006 as a monthly publication. It’s geared towards West Michigan readers and features pet-related advertisers, animals available for adoption, and articles about animal rescues and pets. In 2018, Cats and Dogs transitioned to a quarterly publication. The print edition is free and can be found at local libraries and businesses.

Harriet Stanaback celebrates 99th birthday at park she helped establish in Kentwood

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Recreation, West Michigan,
Harriet Stanaback (center) and two of her granddaughters look at the tree planted in her honor at a birthday celebration for Harriet Saturday at Stanaback Park, 3717 Whitebud Dr, Kentwood. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor



Stanaback Park in Kentwood has been enjoyed by the community since officially opening in 2008 and it recently hosted a special 99th birthday party for Harriet Stanaback, who played a big role in the park becoming a reality for Kentwood residents.

Harriet’s late husband Kenneth purchased that land in 1958 and 10 years after his passing in 1988 Harriet donated the land to the city. After that donation Harriet continued working with the city staff to create park plans that would be an asset to the community and in 2008 that vision came to fruition as Kenneth Stanaback Park opened.





A jewel in the middle of Kentwood, Stanaback Park is a 33-acre park that includes open land, two playgrounds, a basketball court, pavilion, picnic tables and paved walking trails.

Since then, countless local residents have enjoyed the park as has Harriet who enjoys seeing the park grow and become a treasure for the community.

“It’s really grown,” Harriet said. “I like it because it’s absolutely free. Anybody can come over here and have a dinner if they want to. Bring your lunch and eat it in the cabin. I’ve done it myself.”


Harriet Stanaback and family members look at the plaque and tree planted in her honor while celebrating her 99th birthday Saturday at Stanaback Park in Kentwood. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



Family and friends gathered Saturday afternoon at the park to celebrate Harriet’s 99th birthday. Harriet and her family also were able to see the tree that was planted along with a dedication plaque from the city of Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department recognizing her and her late husband’s donation to the city.

My grandmother used to live over there two houses away,” said Harriet’s granddaughter Kelly Martinez. “They had 50 something acres. She decided she wanted to donate this part of the land from their property so that everybody could enjoy the woods. She used to walk through the woods every day after work. That was her favorite thing to do.



“She just wanted everybody to be able to enjoy nature the way that we grew up running through the woods as kids. The way that she walked and enjoyed the woods and she taught us so many things about the trees and the bugs and the plants and the flowers and everything. It was her desire that everybody could have that same type of experience that she gave to us her grandkids and that she’s also enjoyed all these years.”

Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley also dropped in on the festivities to wish Harriet a happy birthday and thank her again on behalf of the city and the residents for her generous gift that has brought so much joy to others.

“This is a beautiful, beautiful park and we are so thankful for the family for donating this land back in 1998,” said Mayor Kepley. “It’s a beautiful sight. I was just talking to some of the family members that have memories of growing up here and enjoying the woods, enjoying the creeks, making mud pies. The blessing is so many more people can enjoy this land because of their gift.”

Harriet’s younger brother, Ron VanDam, 86, of Cutlerville, also was on hand to share the day with his older sister and has plenty of fond memories of the land.


Harriet Stanaback (middle) and her brother Ron VanDam and his wife Mary pose for a photo at Harriet’s 99th birthday party Saturday at Stanaback Park, 3717 Whitebud Dr., Kentwood. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



“I love it,” VanDam said. “We come here just to walk around and that’s what it’s for. It’s neat to have a greenspace where the deer can live and all the other wild animals.”  

Kentwood residents who were visiting the park Saturday took time out to share their appreciation with Harriet as well including Kyle White who was at the park to get some basketball in on the basketball court.


“It’s been more of a comfort zone for us,” White said. “We kind of just come here to meet up with friends. We’ve played here for the past 15 years so it’s been kind of a consistent thing. This park has just been home for us. Miss Stanaback, her life means so much to us, we meet here to have get togethers. This park is home to us. It’s a great appreciation. It’s one of the underlying things that we have in Kentwood. The parks make a big difference in how our community interacts and basketball has been one of them.”





Kentwood has some 16 parks and nature trails and Stanaback Park has taken its place as a special park in the city since opening in 2008 with its heavily wooded acres along with rolling hills and ravines. The park has over 5,000 feet of paved trails that wind through the hills and trees. 

GRAM focuses on digital art in upcoming exhibit

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Recreation,
LoVid, Make Room For, 2022. Dye-sublimation on poly canvas with machine and hand-sewing, 47 ½ x 72 5/8 inches. Collection of the Carl & Marilyn Thoma Foundation. © Postmasters Gallery

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

Twenty-three software, video, and light-based works of art will be on view this summer at the Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM) in Message from Our Planet: Digital Art from the Thoma Foundation. On view June 17 – Sept. 9, the exhibition proposes that digital technology offers distinct ways for artists to communicate with future generations.



“Message from Our Planet celebrates digital technologies as an incredible tool for today’s artists,” said GRAM Associate Curator Jennifer Wcisel. “The works in the exhibition encompass familiar technologies like digital video and photography to the unexpected visualization of data, assemblages of electronic components, and collages of found-video footage. We look forward to highlighting the myriad possibilities of digital art at GRAM and hope our guests leave with a new, broader understanding of the art form.”



Spanning the mid-1980s to today, the works in Message from Our Planet utilize a range of vintage and cutting-edge materials to create a polyphonic time-capsule, preserving their ideas, beliefs, and desires. The regional, national, and international artists featured in the exhibition include Ólafur Elíasson, Jenny Holzer, LoVid, Hong Hao, Matthew Angelo Harrison, Christian Marclay, and James Nares.



Message from Our Planet includes artwork that uses digital technologies as a tool for the creation of more traditional art objects—like a photograph, print, or sculpture—as well as art that is created, stored, and distributed by digital technology and employs their features as its medium.



The artists in Message from Our Planet engage with nontraditional mediums like video games, computer code, scanners, 3-D printers, online data, and even discarded electronic parts to create engaging works of digital art that capture the concerns and ambitions of our current era. The earliest work in the exhibition was created by Brazilian artist Eduardo Kac in 1986 with a now defunct Minitel terminal, a device used to access the most popular online service prior to the World Wide Web.

 

Detroit-based artist Matthew Angelo Harrison uses custom software and a handmade 3D printer to explore history, ancestry, and the relationship between African and African American culture. Harrison’s work, Braided Woman, is a 3D-printed sculpture of an imagined artifact. To create this work, Harrison scanned images of historic African masks from books and online sources, then digitally blended their shapes to generate a unique, composite object.

 

Featured Artists:
Brian Bress
Lia Chaia
Ólafur Elíasson
Nicholas Galanin
Sabrina Gschwandtner
Hong Hao
Matthew Angelo Harrison
Claudia Hart
Jenny Holzer
Eduardo Kac
LoVid
Christian Marclay
Lee Lee Nam
James Nares
Paul Pfeiffer
Tabita Rezaire
Michal Rovner
Jason Salavon
Elias Sime
Skawennati
Penelope Umbrico
Robert Wilson

Member Event:

Member Exhibition Opening: Message from Our Planet
Friday, June 16 | 7 – 9 pm 
Museum Members and their guests are invited to celebrate the opening of Message from Our Planet at the Grand Rapids Art Museum. Join us for an advance look at the exhibition, accompanied by hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar.



RSVP by June 8 | 616.831.2909 or artmuseumgr.org/memberopening



Message from Our Planet: Digital Art from the Thoma Collection is curated and supported by the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation. Support for this exhibition has been generously provided by Wege Foundation, with additional funding provided by GRAM Exhibition Society.

About the Grand Rapids Art Museum 

 Connecting people through art, creativity, and design. Established in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids, the art museum is internationally known for its distinguished design and LEED® Gold certified status. Founded in 1910 as the Grand Rapids Art Association, GRAM has grown to include more than 6,000 works of art, including American and European 19th and 20th-century painting and sculpture and more than 3,000 works on paper. Embracing the city’s legacy as a leading center of design and manufacturing, GRAM has a growing collection in the area of design and modern craft.  

For museum hours and admission fees, call 616.831.1000 or visit artmuseumgr.org.  

Cancelled: It will be a rockin’ start to the Wyoming Concerts in the Park

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Recreation, , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
WKTV Managing Editor
joanne@wktv.org

EDITOR’S NOTE: Due to rain, the Concerts in the Park with Reverend Jesse Ray has been rescheduled for Aug. 15.

Jesse Ray Cahue, a.k.a. Reverend Jesse Ray, performs Tuesday, June 13, at Lamar Park. (Courtesy, Reverend Jesse Ray)

“Prepare to rock ’n’ roll’ said Jesse Ray Cahue of Wyoming’s first Concerts in the Park for the 2023 summer season.

Set for Tuesday, June 13, Cahue will take the stage as Reverend Jesse Ray at the free event at Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St. SW.

“It’s all about having a good time,” said Cahue, who makes his debut at the Concerts in the Park on Tuesday. “I grab that electric guitar, tap out on my foot drums and perform a lot of danceable music. It features blues, swing, and rockabiliy. It’s about having fun and bringing the rock ’n’ roll.”

Cahue picked up a guitar at the age of 12 when his “Gumpy” bought his first six-string. Cahue then began playing open mic nights with his mama at his side to gain him entry into the bars. In 2013, Cahue formed Jesse Ray and The Carolina Catfish, which received a nomination for Best Roots/Americana Album at the 23rd Jammie Awards, presented by Grand Rapids radio station WYCE.

Expanding and growing

Looking for new and creative musical opportunities, Cahue developed Reverend Jesse Ray as a one-band blues and rock act. He is equipped with guitar, amplified harmonica, foot drums, and a voice that takes the audience back to the golden age of recorded music.

“Reverend Jesse first appeared as the opener for Rachael Brook at a Grand Rapids Art Museum outdoor concert,” Jesse said. “My band, Jesse Ray and the Carolina Catfish, was supposed to be my creative outlet but it has morphed into its own thing which is great.

“Through the Reverend Jesse act, I am able to do more things, such as original songs as well as pieces that may not quite have fit with the band, and pursue more performing opportunities.”

Some might be familiar with the Reverend Jesse Ray as he is a regular performer at the Tip Top Bar, located in downtown Grand Rapids.

Cahue said he looks forward to checking out the City of Wyoming and rocking out with attendees at Lamar Park.

Heading to the show

Concerts in the Park starts at 6 p.m. with a pre-show and activities for all ages. Food trucks also will be on site. Participants are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs.

All of the Concerts in the Park are recorded by WKTV Community Media and aired on Comcast 24 and streamed at wktv.org. Air times are 5 p.m. Wednesdays, and 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. Saturdays.

2023 Concerts of the Park schedule

June 20: Michael Hulett is a musician and vocalist who performs a variety of music such as jazz, R&B, pop, rock, and a sprinkling of country music.

June 27: Cabildo is a West Michigan-based alternative Latin rock collective that brings a unique blend of cambia, ska, folk, and other genres of music from Latin America.

July 11: Sarena Rae is a Grand Rapids based vocalist covering a variety of musical genres.

July 18: Klay N’ The Mud is a West Michigan-based cover band.

July 25: La Furia Del Ritmo will perform Latin music.

Aug. 1: The Soul Syndicate offers up classic soul, R&B and funk.

Aug. 8: Patty Pershayla & The Mayhaps features a former small-town pageant queen who has turned into a rock ’n’ roll powerhouse. 

Sounds of Summer expands to include July and August

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Recreation

By Adam Brown
WKTV Contributor

Sounds of Summer will expand its offerings, providing music in July at Cutler Park and in August at Byron Center’s Bicentennial Park. (Courtesy, Patty Williams)

With increased attendance, this summer the Sounds of Summer will be expanding and returning to where it all started.

The free community concert series, sponsored by Byron Township and presented by P. Williams Productions and LW Studios, will expand into August from its traditional July schedule. All the July performances will be at Cutler Park, in Cutlerville, with the August performances at Byron Center’s Bicentennial Park, which is where the series started in 2008.

 

Patty Williams, from P. Williams Production, said the expansion is a result of the event being hit with the public. The 2022 series drew more than 2,000 visitors to listen to a wide variety of bands.

“They know how to put on a very entertaining show,” Williams added, speaking of the bands performing and the production team behind them.

What music will I hear at Sounds of Summer?

Every Thursday at 7 p.m., listeners can gather in Cutler Park, 6701 Cutler Park Dr. SW, in July and Bicentennial Park in August to enjoy a night of music, games, and refreshments. Aiming to be inclusive for all crowds, the series features trivia games, CD giveaways, and catering by local vendors in addition to the bands.

The 2023 Series opens on July 6 at Cutler Park with a wide array of musical talent. This year’s Cutler Park lineup includes:

The Soul Syndicate will perform July 27 at Cutler Park. (Supplied by the band)

July 6: Azz Izz Band – With decades of experience, this group takes on blues, country, soul, and rock hits.

July 13: That Beatles Thing – A local cover band transports you back in time to hear the hits of John, Paul, George, and Ringo.

July 20: Ryan Curtis Band – This Michigan-born, Idaho-based artist covers anything from folk to bluegrass to rock to blues through personal stories and life lessons.

July 27: The Soul Syndicate – This party band tributes iconic funk, soul, and R&B artists with electric, high-energy performances.

The August series at Byron Center’s Bicentennial Park, 8085 Byron Center Ave. SW, includes:

Aug. 3: Great Scott! – This Grand Rapids-based party band has something for everyone, playing hits from the fifties through today.

Aug. 10: Carson Peters and Iron Mountain – Traveling all the way from East Tennessee, this award-winning bluegrass group has played at the Grand Ole Opry and around the world.

Aug. 17: The Soul Syndicate – A familiar group in Grand Rapids, the band performs funk, soul and R&B.

What Else is a Part of Sounds of Summer?

Sounds of Summer aims to provide a rewarding recreational experience in addition to the concerts, Williams said.

Cutler Park features a playground to keep the younger crowd entertained, as well as a walking path for exercise or dancing along to the music. The only things listeners need to bring are blankets, lawn chairs, and a listening ear. Hungry? Pick up a hot dog from the cart operated by Juicy Wieners. If Juicy Wieners aren’t your style, pork sandwiches also will be provided at this year’s event.

More information

P. Williams Productions tapes each concert, which are rebroadcasted on WKTV throughout the summer. This year’s series incorporates a new and expanded sound system.

Visit the Sounds of Summer Facebook page for updates, weather information, and more.

Museum’s traveling exhibit of racist imagery comes to Grand Rapids

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Kent County, Our Cities, Recreation

By D.A. Reed
WKTV Contributor

Left, Cyndi Tied, GRPM collections manager with Dr. David Pilgrim, founder and director of the Jim Crow Museum. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)

The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) has partnered with the Jim Crow Museum (JCM) at Ferris State University to host the premiere of the JCM’s traveling exhibit, Overcoming Hateful Things: Stories from the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Imagery, beginning June 3.

“We recognized that not everyone was going to come to the metropolis of Big Rapids, so we began creating traveling exhibits,” said Dr. David Pilgrim, founder and director of the Jim Crow Museum. “This is a taste of the stories we are trying to tell.”

Pilgrim hopes GRPM visitors will acquire an intelligent understanding of what the Jim Crow period was. He also hopes the exhibit will stimulate conversations. “This is one of the most successful ways that I have found to lead people to have meaningful, insightful discussions about race,” Pilgrim said.

When Pilgrim arrived at FSU in 1990, he brought approximately 3,200 Jim Crow pieces from his own private collection and donated them to the university with the understanding that they would be preserved and displayed. FSU agreed and now hosts the permanent JCM exhibit that has grown to more than 20,000 pieces.

Pilgrim went on to say that while many people believe the JCM is simply a large collection of racially insensitive objects, it is his intent to place those objects in their proper historical context in order to show people how they were created, why they were created, and what the consequences were of that creation.

“It is an opportunity to show people how you can use contemptible objects as teaching tools and how you can use them to facilitate intelligent discussions about race, race relations, and racism,” said Pilgrim. “We believe in the triumph of dialogue.”

What GRPM visitors can expect

Visitors to the JCM exhibit at GRPM will experience a variety of objects, pictures, and informational articles in both tangible and digital form.

A five-minute Roots of Racism film orients visitors to the content they will see at the Overcoming Hateful Things exhibit, and interactive tablets are available with video and audio content about the Jim Crow period.

An interactive Map of Terror allows visitors to see where Jim Crow violence occurred throughout the United States, while another multimedia piece displays portraits of African Americans living their daily lives.

“We see all these negative caricatures and imagery and stereotypes, (but) African Americans didn’t see themselves that way,” said Franklin Hughes, multimedia specialist of the JCM. “We want to show the pushback of regular, everyday people.”

An interactive station allows visitors to listen to Coon Song, a genre of music that presents a derogatory stereotype of African Americans, while reading along with the lyrics via sheet music. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)

Another interactive station allows visitors to listen to Coon Song, a genre of music that presents a derogatory stereotype of African Americans, while reading along with the lyrics via sheet music.

“It gives people an opportunity to see the songs in their full context,” Hughes said. “People still have those thoughts and ideas because it’s ingrained and embedded into our culture.”

Pilgrim believes that part of education is about history. “A mature nation will look at its past and be objective,” said the JCM director. “The purpose of the past is not to feel good or bad, it’s to have a better, deeper, more nuanced understanding of the past with the hope that we are better in the present and the future.”

Moving Forward

Left, Franklin Hughes talks with David Pilgrim, the founder and director of the Jim Crow Museum. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)

The JCM is currently in the early stages of a campaign to move into a two-story standalone facility that will allow them to contextualize the museum’s pieces.

“Each one of those 20,000 pieces,” said Pilgrim, “is currently being made, sometimes as reproductions, but sometimes the image has morphed into a modern manifestation. I believe that one of the most powerful parts of the new museum we are going to build will be a section of objects made in the last five to ten years.”

Pilgrim urges people to take a critical look at things currently produced in popular and in material culture and to remain vigilant.

“We are all on a racial journey in this country, whether we know it or not,” said Pilgrim. “(The museum) allows us to tell the story of how to make the world better as individuals, as communities, as states, and as a nation.”

To learn more about GRPM’s Overcoming Hateful Things: Stories from the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Imagery, visit Grand Rapids Public Museum.

To learn more about the JCM, visit The Jim Crow Museum

To learn more about the JCM Expansion and/or to donate toward the expansion, visit JCM Expansion

D. A. (Deborah) Reed is an award-winning author of young adult novels and a creative writing instructor from the Grand Rapids area. To find out more about D.A. Reed, visit her website: D.A. Reed Author

Draft club helps local farms during plow day events

3-bottom, architecture, Citizen Journalism, Kent County, Pets/Animals, Recreation,

By Janet Vormittag
WKTV Contributor

Paul Vander Laan grew up on a flashlight farm—his dad had a day job and worked the farm at night.

Dave Kamps Showing his 11-year-old granddaughter Libby Kleyn how to drive his team of Percherons. (Janet Vormittag)

“Mom wouldn’t let him get a tractor with headlights. She didn’t want him working all night,” said Vander Laan who lives in Walker.

When Vander Laan was 8-years-old, he recalls the last horse leaving the farm. Nostalgia of those long-gone days has turned into a hobby for him. Vander Laan owns two Percherons, a breed of draft horse that originated in France, and he is a member of the West Michigan Draft Horse Club, which has about 40 members.

One of the club’s activities is plow days where members bring their teams to a local farm and put them to work. Plow days are open to the public and signs are placed by nearby streets pointing the way for anyone interested in seeing draft horses pulling plows.

On May 13, the club met at a Christmas tree farm in Ottawa County and worked a field that will be planted with seedlings. A light drizzle didn’t stop club members from attending. By 9 a.m. several pickup trucks hauling horse trailers were already parked side by side, teams were unloading, hitched up and bring starting to plow. Both walk-behind and riding plows were used.

Owning Draft horses is An Expensive Hobby

Vander Laan estimated he spends $2,500 per horse annually and that doesn’t include a truck and trailer for hauling the animals. To offset the pricy pastime, he built a horse-drawn funeral coach. Last year, he was hired 21 times to be part of funeral processions, transporting the casket from church to cemetery. He handled the team and the minister or one family member can ride by his side.

Business card with a photo of Paul Vander Laan and his Percherons pulling a funeral coach. (Janet Vormittag)

Club member Dave Kamps compared the expense of owning a draft horse to not smoking. “If you don’t buy cigarettes, you can afford the feed for one of these guys,” Kamps said, adding that a pack of smokes is about $7 and that’s what it costs to feed one horse for one day—but it’s cheaper in the summer when the horses are pastured.

 

Kamps spent part of the plow day teaching his young grandchildren how to handle his Percheron team, Jasper and Sweet Pea. His daughter, Betsy Kleyn, said her kids enjoy helping with the horses.

“He’s always doing horse stuff and they always want to help him,” she said.

Besides spring plow days, the club offers wagon rides at special events and compete in draft horse shows including one at Michigan State University.

This year the Michigan Great Lakes International Draft Horse Show and Pull (www.mgli.org) is Oct. 12-15 and will be held at the MSU Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education. Included are competitions in halter, hitching, plowing, pulling and riding. The four-day event features 330 vendors, and 1,200 horses from 30 states and three Canadian provinces. More than 35,000 people attend the show.

Family Tradition

Martin Daling, one of the original members in the West Michigan Draft Horse Club, said he won the plowing competition last year at MSU. The year before he took second place. He explained that the dirt is judged, not the horses. Criteria include the depth and the straightness of the furrows.

Carrie Dalling plowing with her dad’s team of blond Belgians. (Janet Vormittag)

Daling owns a centennial farm in Tallmadge Township near Leonard Street and 8th Avenue and is the third generation to farm the land. Daling and his Belgian draft horse team work the fields and in the fall they harvest the hay, oats and corn that provide feed for the horses.

Daling’s daughter, Carrie Daling, said she’s been attending plow days with her dad for at least 30 years.

“Everyone is always here,” said Carrie Daling. “People I’ve known since I was a kid.”

When the plowing is complete, club members have a potluck.

Carrie Daling said she occasionally drives her dad’s team of blonde Belgians, Roy and Roger.

“Dad’s teams listens very well,” she said explaining that one horse always walks in the furrow. “You point him in the direction and he knows where to go.”

Janet Vormittag started Cats and Dogs, a Magazine Devoted to Companion Animals in 2006 as a monthly publication. It’s geared towards West Michigan readers and features pet-related advertisers, animals available for adoption, and articles about animal rescues and pets. In 2018, Cats and Dogs transitioned to a quarterly publication. The print edition is free and can be found at local libraries and businesses.

Cool off this summer with the Public Museum’s newest exhibits

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Education, Entertainment, Kent County, Kids Activities, Recreation, , ,
“Ice Age: Michgian’s Frozen Secrets” features how Michigan landscapes looked thousands of years ago. (Courtesy, Grand Rapids Public Museum)

By Adam Brown
WKTV Contributor

Have you ever wished to go back in time to the dawn of the Ice Age? Or look at the impacts of snow on a global scale? Now you can, with the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s new exhibits Ice Age: Michigan’s Frozen Secrets and Snow: Tiny Crystals, Global Impact.

What Are the New Exhibits?

Set to run May 20 through Sept. 3, the new exhibits put a unique Michigan spin on global events. In addition, they continue the GRPM’s mission of educating the public through immersive and enriching displays. Of the GRPM’s new additions, Public Museum’s Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations Dustin Tyler noted, “Ice Age: Michigan’s Frozen Secrets and Snow: Tiny Crystals, Global Impact are two incredibly unique and exciting exhibits that we are thrilled to bring to our community. We believe both exhibits will provide visitors with unforgettable educational experiences and inspire curiosity about Michigan’s history and the impact of snow on our environment.”

Ice Age: Michigan’s Frozen Secrets

Ice Age: Michigan’s Frozen Secrets localizes the historical period, focusing on modern-day West Michigan when prehistoric animals dominated the Earth. The exhibit depicts how the landscape looked thousands of years ago, with a chance to interact with some of the area’s native creatures. In addition, patrons can enjoy tactile experiences where they can handle actual fossilized bones and teeth from the era. The available bones come from a selection of a recently discovered mastodon in the Grand Rapids area.

Visitors will be able touch mastodon bones that were found in Grand Rapids. (Courtesy, Grand Rapids Public Museum)

In August 2022, mastodon bones were uncovered during a construction dig at the Grand Rapids property of Michael and Courtney Clapp. Wanting to keep the artifacts local and accessible to the public, the Clapps donated their namesake Clapp Family Mastodon to the Grand Rapids Public Museum. The recovered bones form the basis of the Ice Age exhibit. In this fully immersive experience, visitors are encouraged to touch and observe the bones and teeth, connecting them to the life of early humans in the area.

Though designed to supplement material learned in the classroom, Ice Age: Michigan’s Frozen Secrets is geared toward all ages, per GRPM Marketing Manager Sara Olsen. People naturally question what their home state might have looked like in the prehistoric era. This exhibit is designed to answer those burning questions by allowing museumgoers to physically interact with what came before.

Snow: Tiny Crystals, Global Impact 

Snow: Tiny Crystals, Global Impact takes the opposite route, looking at snow globally and how it impacts worldwide climate systems. No matter where we live, snow impacts us all. In this exhibit, patrons can examine all the ways this natural weather phenomenon affects the globe.

“Snow: Tiny Crystals, Global Impact” will look at how snow impacts worldwide climate systems. (Courtesy, Grand Rapids Public Museum)

While new to the GRPM, Snow: Tiny Crystals, Global Impact was initially developed by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) in Portland, Oregon. Like the GRPM, the OMSI is devoted to fostering learning and curiosity in its visitors through interactive experiments, exhibits, and demonstrations for a younger, school-age demographic.

In Snow: Tiny Crystals, Global Impact, guests answer one fundamental question. What is snow? An immersive digital snowstorm enables visitors to interact with snow crystals, examining how each is truly unique. While all ages may enjoy the exhibit, the tactile games make the experience especially rewarding for the younger crowd by allowing them to take an interactive role in the process, per Olson. Guests can also listen to oral histories about snow from elders and culture leaders of the Inupiaq tribes to supplement the interactive game. These elements seek to educate the public about the importance of snow in the worldwide climate system and how each tiny crystal has a global impact.

Despite differing scopes and content, the GRPM designed Ice Age: Michigan’s Frozen Secrets and Snow: Tiny Crystals, Global Impact to work in tandem with one another. Both offer glimpses into climate and weather patterns over time and allow patrons to interact with those patterns while building an understanding of the world around them.

 

Guests who purchase general admission tickets to the GRPM between May 20 and Sept. 3 can participate in the new exhibits, with free admission for those 17 and under. In addition, members can receive early access to the exhibits through an exclusive members only preview. Those interested may find information on museum hours and ticket prices at the GRPM’s official website.

Power of love underlying theme in ‘Hadestown’

3-bottom, Entertainment, Recreation, Upcoming Events,
Maria Christina Oliveras plays Persephone in the national tour of “Hadestown,” which comes to Grand Rapids this week. (Photo by T. Charles-Erickson)

By John D. Gonzalez
WKTV Contributor


Maria-Christina Oliveras, who plays Persephone in the Broadway national tour of “Hadestown,” said the premise of the musical is life changing:

 “Love is the greatest force of the universe and can recalibrate (us)!” she said in a recent phone interview with WKTV while on a tour stop in Milwaukee.

As the Greek goddess of the underworld ruled by Hades, Persephone may know a little bit about the universe, especially as it pertains to “Hadestown,” the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical that tells a modern retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.

Overall it won eight Tony Awards in 2019, including Best Musical, and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

The story is set in a post-apocalyptic, Depression-era America, where the world is plagued by poverty and despair. Orpheus, a talented musician, falls in love with Eurydice, a young woman who is struggling to make ends meet. As they navigate their relationship and the challenges of their world, they are drawn into the dark underworld of Hadestown, ruled by the charismatic but ruthless Hades.

It’s that storyline of “love” and its power to “recalibrate” the universe that makes the musical so powerful, Oliveras said.

“(Love) is the biggest force of reckoning in the universe, and I think we do that through our music and through the story we tell,” she said. “We all need to reconnect again.”

In this Greek tragedy, the story explores themes of love and sacrifice, as well as temptation, and the power of music to inspire hope and bring people together.

Written by Anaïs Mitchell, the score blends elements of folk, blues, and jazz, and features memorable songs such as “Way Down Hadestown,” “Wait for Me,” and “Why We Build the Wall.”

Because it’s based on a Greek tragedy, Oliveras said “we all know how the story ends,” but it’s their goal as a cast “to tell it again with hope, in hopes that it may turn out a little different.”

“Hadestown” is a musical presented primarily in song with the ensemble performing as a Greek chorus and the three Fates, the mythical personifications of destiny, to assist Hermes in telling the story. Most of the show’s seven-member band performs onstage on risers, perched on a setting that resembles New Orleans’ French Quarter.

Hannah Whitley as Eurydice and J. Antonio Rodriguez as Orpheus with the company in “Hadestown.” (Photo by T. Charles Erikson)

Oliveras, a classically trained actor, singer, educator and activist from the Bronx, New York, said it’s the show’s innovation, especially in staging, that has resonated with audiences and made it a Broadway hit.

Also, its wide range of music from New Orleans jazz to folk has made it appealing “even to people who don’t like traditional musical theater.”

A graduate of Yale University, with an M.F.A. in Acting from the National Theatre Conservatory, Oliveras said the show is also relevant to today’s audience, weaving in themes of “immigration, community and climate change.”

“It’s got this depth, and it really hits where we are at this moment in the world, and in America specifically,” Oliversa said. “The combination of all of that…. you can’t resist.  It’s really a phenomenon.”

It also captures what it is like to be human, in the spirit of “we’re in it together,” she said.

Overall we are inspired by these young lovers, in song and creativity.

“It’s about the power of art to really transform and change, and reginate and reinspire, particularly in those moments where we’re disconnected, which is really prevalent in the world today.”

Tickets are available online at BroadwayGrandRapids.com or at the Broadway Grand Rapids box office located at 122 Lyon St. NW. Group orders of 10 or more may be placed by calling 616-235-6285.

Upcoming: FROZEN, July 11-24, 2023

More info, including season ticket information for the 2023-2024 season, at https://broadwaygrandrapids.com.

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 also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. Learn more at amyandgonzo.com. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. Find his Channel on YouTube. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Circle Theatre spells success with its opening production

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Recreation, Upcoming Events, , ,

By Colleen Pierson
WKTV Contributor

Circle Theatre presents the “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” through May 20. (Courtesy, Circle Theatre)

How do you spell S-U-C-C-E-S-S?  One only has to be in the audience for Circle’s musical comedy to find out. The season opener is successful with tremendous audience appeal, superior talent, innovative staging and musical delights.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee follows six nerdy and eclectic tweens who are definitely quirky, interesting and share their life stories with effortless humor and emotion.  It’s a small cast with big voices.

  

“What is the language of origins?”  “Can you use that in a sentence?”  “What’s the definition please?” These phrases take us back to some of the spelling bees of our school days. But what is the most memorable are the life stories of every cast member. The stories emotionally connect us throughout.

Kudos to co-directors Chris and Jenna Grooms for directing what seem to be young characters, but has a cast of all ages portraying that specific age group. They all try to spell their way through words like “capybara,” qaymaqam” “Cystitis” and other words I have never heard of.

Who will win the spelling championship of a lifetime? Audience members are on the edge of their seats just waiting to find out. There is no intermission which just adds to the suspense of the plot.

The show was a winner of the Tony and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Book. Well-deserved as the jokes, storylines, and content are relatable, emotional, funny and as clever as the characters themselves.

 

Zachary Avery, in the role of Leaf, doesn’t know how to spell, but when he goes into a trance, the results are correct and humorous. (Courtesy, Circle Theatre)

Another interesting aspect of the show is four audience members are called upon to compete in the bee. This provides an audience immersion delight and tests the casts’ improvisational techniques.

 

Each cast member has their own unique way of competing to win the spelling bee. Braden Bacon, portraying the role of Barfee, spells the word out on the ground with his foot. He gets the visual and then speaks it. Zachary Avery, in the role of Leaf, doesn’t know how to spell, but when he goes into a trance, the results are correct and humorous.

Usually there are stand out performers in musicals. This cast are all stand outs. Impeccable comedic timing, excellent voice and diction skills, in depth characterizations and gifted singers make this show one of the best I have seen in a long time.

Choreographer Mary Lohman and Music Director Scott Patrick Bell should also be commended on their creative efforts and in-depth talents.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee runs at Circle Theatre through May 20. Tickets and information available at circletheatre.org.  The show runs May 4-6, 10-14 and 17-20, with May 14 being a matinee showing. Tickets are available for $26 – $30 at circletheatre.org. This season, Circle Theatre will present “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” “Blithe Spirit,” “Pippin,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”  Definitely a winning season and one that we have just come to expect from Circle Theater.