Category Archives: WKTV Journal In Focus

Swordsmanship Museum and Academy offers high-intensity combat, historical education, community building

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By Jaylah Lewis, WKTV Intern
Cris Greer, WKTV Managing Editor
greer@wktv.org



Jerry Berg’s passion for sword fighting didn’t arrive until his college days, but it has now exploded into more than a passion.

“Very simply put, I have my education and degree in public school teaching and I wanted to teach more freely, more interactively, more movement based and for whatever reason this small aspect of my life of sword fighting grew into this massive section of what I live for,” Berg explained. 

“It has become one of the most successful, interesting and exciting ways to teach history and create an amazing community together.”



The Swordsmanship Museum and Academy offers everything from high-intensity combat to historical education. (WKTV, Jaylah Lewis)



Video games gave Berg a great curiosity about history

Berg said back in the days when many people thought video games caused violence, his experience with them caused a great curiosity about history that developed into a passion.

“My passion for history started in my youth,” said Berg, who has a bachelor of arts degree with a double major in history and education from GVSU. 

The Swordsmanship Museum and Academy locations. (WKTV Jaylah Lewis)

The Swordsmanship Museum and Academy officially launched in September of 2019. Berg is not only the owner, but also is actively involved as an instructor and guide. The main location is in Comstock Park, but there are satellites in Muskegon, Holland and Kalamazoo.

The Museum exists to spread knowledge, action and appreciation of human history through exhibits, events and classes, more specifically, the human history of Swordsmanship, i.e., the Revolutionary War, the Renaissance period, and much more. 




Jerry Berg, owner of the Swordsmanship Museum and Academy. (WKTV, Jaylah Lewis)



Museum attracts those who like fantasy, history and athleticism

The Museum attracts those who enjoy fantasy, history and athleticism uniquely, with classes starting at $80 and events that can be attended for free, such as public library events and Renaissance Faire at Mill Creek Days. It’s for anyone ages 11 and up.

Swordsmanship educator Natalie Budnick said the Museum teaches Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA).

“Everything we do comes from an old manuscript,” said Budnick, who has taught at the Museum for three years. “We study swordsmanship from primary sources … from the 1300s.”



Educator Natalie Budnick of the Swordsmanship Museum and Academy. (WKTV, Jaylah Lewis)



Something for everyone

Berg said there’s something for everyone in the community at the Museum; learning how to sword fight, high-intensity combat, casual fan-base building, or even learning, education and research.

“I want everyone to follow their own path and how the Museum can help them achieve their goals.”

Teen Swordsman Club

Swordsmanship client Jessica Carmody takes her son Charles to the Museum for a Teen Swordsman Club for ages 11-16 on Wednesday nights, taught by Budnick. 

The Carmody’s learned about the Museum at their local library, where Berg and Budnick often demonstrate and allow audience interaction to intrigue the public.   

“We wanted to get him involved in something active, he’s really into Dungeons and Dragons and other fantasy type stuff so this was right up his alley,” Jessica said. “I see him practicing with the other kids and using moves he’s learned in past classes and I’m really impressed.”  



The Swordsmanship Museum and Academy offers everything from high-intensity combat to historical education. (WKTV, Jaylah Lewis)



When asked about any negative connotations to participating, Jessica said the expenses can start to add up.

“Purchasing equipment such as padding can get a bit pricey, but they have lots of equipment here for him to use.”  

Some may believe that a child learning combat skills to this extent could be dangerous or cause violence, but Jessica said, “This is like any other martial arts class, karate class. These are not violent kids, in fact one of the things they teach is control and holding back your power.”

Not all about combat

And it’s not all just about participating in combat, but about the Museum teaching the history of swordsmanship as well.

“Recommend this to anyone who has a kid who would be interested”  

“Every now and then he grabs a book off the shelf and reads and learns about something history related,” said Jessica, who is pleased with the staff. “The staff here is great, Natalie is great; I’m very happy with the instruction Charles is receiving here. I would recommend this to anyone who has a kid who would be interested.”  



(WKTV Jaylah, Lewis)



Berg wants to see the Museum grow in the future.

“Specifically towards acquiring a plot of land where we would create a living history park or village,” he explained. “Not only would it be a great facility for families and schools to visit, but we could teach a wider variety of classes there.

“I would also like to see a larger Museum facility with permanent exhibits, possibly at a different location from the living history park.”   

For more information, or to sign up for classes and events, click here: Swordsmanship Museum and Academy or to keep up with the Swordsmanship community, check out their Facebook.

State Rep. John Fitzgerald says new legislation aims to save lives of children, provides consistent message to caregivers

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By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org

New care seat safety legislation developed by State Representatives John Fitzgerald (District 83) and Carrie Rheingans (District 47) works to increase child safety and educate caregivers.

On Sept. 27, bills titled HB 4511 and HB 4512 passed through the Michigan House of Representatives.

In a recent interview with WKTV Journal, Rep. Fitzgerald said these companion bills are “intended to work together to make sure that we not only have the law, but also the enforcement mechanism by which we can hold drivers, and parents, and guardians, and caregivers accountable to make sure children are traveling safely here in the state of Michigan.”

Constructed by Rep. Rheingans, HB 4511 builds a framework ensuring children are in properly fitting car seats. Enforcement guidelines and educational components are introduced by Fitzgerald in HB 4512.

Education vs. Punishment

Rep. John Fitzgerald is focused on saving children’s lives and educating caregivers. (Courtesy, Supplied)

“There is a lot that goes into safe travel, and now what we see is that there will be an educational component to this bill,” said Fitzgerald.

Previous Michigan law did not match federal law or manufacturer standards, creating confusion among parents and caregivers. This new legislation will provide one consistent message, eliminating that uncertainty.

A common area of confusion revolves around the age of a child versus height and weight. The most important factor in an accident is height and weight, not age.

“That’s where physics comes into play,” said Fitzgerald. “We want to make sure children are in the right position, meaning forward-facing or rear-facing, and that they are using the correct belts.”

Primary vs. Secondary enforcement mechanisms

An enforcement structure has been put into place with this new legislation. The legislation only allows police officers to check a child safety seat in a vehicle already pulled over for primary traffic violations such as speeding or broken taillights.

Fitzgerald tells Deborah Reed, WKTV Managing Editor, and our viewers that “The goal is to save lives, not punish caregivers.”(WKTV)

If a child is not in a proper car seat or position upon inspection, the caregiver can then be assigned a civil infraction fee. However, that fee can now be waived if the caregiver acquires the right seat and education provided by a car seat safety professional.

Child car seat safety professionals can be found locally at the Public Safety Department and Fire Department in Wyoming.

“We are not trying to punish someone for having the wrong information or the wrong seat,” said Fitzgerald. “We want to help you. We want to help guide you along this journey as your child ages.

“The most important part of that is getting educated on why the right seat was needed, and how that is going to help your child travel safely now.”

Strong bipartisan support

Rep. John Fitzgerald has seen strong bipartisan support for these bills. (WKTV)

Many voices were taken into consideration during the process of the new legislation. Firefighters, police officers, professionals versed in medicine, and community members were all consulted while developing bills 4511 and 4512.

“When you craft this legislation, you are taking into consideration expert testimony, expert input on the bill, and also those of your community,” said Fitzgerald.

“We saw strong bipartisan support on both of these bills in the House of Representatives,” Fitzgerald continued. “That was a great first test of the bills and whether or not we thought that this was something that could be deployed throughout the state and made law.” 

As the bills move into the Senate, Fitzgerald is confident they will continue to see bipartisan support.

A theme of safety

Driver, public and traffic safety are of high importance to the legislature in Lansing.

Fitzgerald noted that recent legislation “has really pushed Michigan forward to consider good traffic safety laws that, I think, are responding to the twenty-first century nature of technology and driver safety.”

Michigan legislature is looking to increase traffic safety in all areas (Courtesy, pxhere.com)

Among that legislation is the new Michigan hands-free law that took effect on June 30, 2023.

“This isn’t really new,” said Fitzgerald, stating that other states have had a hands-free law in effect for some time. “But it is something to cut down on distracted driver accidents.”

Michigan legislators are also looking to use traffic enforcement cameras throughout the state for the first time. 

The House recently passed a law allowing for use of traffic enforcement cameras in work safety zones.

That law, however, includes specific qualifiers. Barriers between traffic and workers and a speed of 10 miles per hour over the posted limit are required in order to cite a violation.

Fitzgerald is currently developing another bill allowing for that same enforcement in school zones.

Contact your representative

Rep. Fitzgerald has standing drop-in hours at City Hall in Wyoming for those wishing to speak with him in person. Those hours are 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the second and fourth Mondays of each month.

The representative can also be reached at johnfitzgerald@house.mi.gov and 517-373-0835.

Training center helping more athletes through Midwest United Football Club

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Local Business, West Michigan, WKTV Featured sports, WKTV Journal In Focus, , , ,

By Philip Janowski

WKTV Contributing Writer

Local husband and wife business owners Daimond Dixon and Regina Russell-Dixon have landed a big win with their training company.


Alpha Human Performance, located at 3233 Eastern Ave., has been named the official Preferred Sport Performance Training Partner for the Midwest United Football Club. That’s the football that’s commonly known as soccer.

Alpha Human Performance co-owner Daimond Dixon stands alongside portraits of visiting athletes. (Philip Janowski)

Alpha Human Performance (Alpha for short) trains athletes from a variety of sports, including American football, basketball, softball, swimming and volleyball. 

“We are excited to get the opportunity to help so many soccer players reach their potential,” said Daimond, who was a walk-on member of the University of Miami 1991 national championship football team. “Our programs use various methods of training along with cutting edge technology while focusing on our Four Pillars: Mindset, Training, Performance and Recovery.” 

As Director of Operations, Daimond is responsible for training and Alpha’s fitness programs. Regina, a GVSU grad with a business degree, runs the administrative and business side of the company. The couple met in Michigan and has been together for nearly 20 years.

“Going into business with my wife was great; she’s very smart,” said Daimond, who played more than a decade of minor league football for several Midwest teams. “She set up the entire business side. I know training, I know performance. I’ve done it for two-and-a-half decades.

“So, we came together and crafted out an ideal formula for how we can take the training and actually make it into a business.”

Daimond began his training career in 1995, and since then has worked with teams and individuals at every level from high school to the professionals. Today, Alpha collaborates with local businesses such as Athleta, Clean Juice and Xtreme Cryo.

Becoming a Preferred Sport Performance Training Partner means offering direct training to Midwest United Football Club members. Alpha has become the standard for how Midwest United trains its athletes, and Midwest’s teams will be coming to Alpha to train.

Athletes train in Alpha Human Performance’s open turf area. (Philip Janowski)

Midwest United, which began in 1990 under the moniker GRASA (Grand Rapids Area Soccer Association), was the first youth select soccer club in Grand Rapids. The initial registration was 60 players from around the area and it was from these humble beginnings that it has evolved into one of the Midwest’s top clubs.

Alpha’s 6,500 square foot facility includes several options and opportunities for training. A Full Strength area includes up-to-date strength training and conditioning equipment. The open turf area is dedicated to movement-based training and sports performance. Upstairs is the recovery lounge, providing the latest tools for rest from the rigors of training and performance. 

Motivation and mindset are key parts of Alpha’s training. Alpha works with a journaling program called Win the Mental Game, a journal for athletes. Mindset involves building a competitive mindset, and being aware moment-by-moment during a game.

“It’s all about intrinsic motivation,” Daimond summarized. Alpha isn’t about traditional training where athletes are constantly given orders on what to do next. Athletes should be motivated to pursue better and better personal performance by their own energy.

Alpha Human Performance co-owner Daimond Dixon (lower right) trains athletes at his facility on 3233 Eastern Ave. (Philip Janowski)

Notable local athletes that Alpha has trained include NBA players Xavier Tillman of Michigan State and the Memphis Grizzlies, as well as Duane Washington Jr. of Ohio State and the Indiana Pacers. American Football player Mike Brown of the Minnesota Vikings has worked with Alpha, and in volleyball Aubrey O’Gorman of Michigan State.

Alpha offers programs for non-athletes as well, in Adult Performance Programs. Classes are similar to those that the pros follow, with an easier start, of course.

“It’s about human performance,” Daimond said. “Push, pull, rotate, squat, lunge. We train in things which every single person needs. Before you’re an athlete, you’re a human. We all do the same things.”

Daimond noted that he trained a lot of area trainers when they were kids.

“My wife says I should get a shirt that says ‘I trained your trainers’.”


For more information on Alpha, log on to alpha-hp.com

‘Caregiver’ Mary Wisinski, county’s ‘Vaccine Queen’, to retire from Health Department this month

3-bottom, Community Health, Health, Local Faces, Local History, WKTV Journal In Focus, ,

By D.A. Reed, WKTV Contributing Writer

After 15 years serving Kent County at the helm of the Kent County Health Department’s vaccine program, and more than 45 years in the health care field, Mary Wisinski will retire from her position as Immunization Program Supervisor on April 15.

And while she is respectively and affectionally known as the “Vaccine Queen” by her colleagues — a title given well before the COVID-19 pandemic but made all the more important during the last two years — her career as a caregiver is much deeper that.

The oldest of seven children, Wisinski always viewed herself as a “caregiver,” she said recently to WKTV. So, it was natural for her to turn to a career in healthcare, though she did look at medical school before settling on nursing.

“The more I looked at it, the more I liked the ability to spend more time with my patients as a nurse and get to know them,” Wisinski said.

(Public Domain photo)

Wisinski began her career in the maternal and child health field, serving 12 years in neonatal intensive care in Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo caring for premature babies (preemies).

“I was a transport nurse and a transport supervisor for them. We picked up babies from different hospitals to bring them back to Bronson on either an ambulance or a helicopter,” Wisinski said.

Wisinski moved back to Grand Rapids to get married and found her new vocation and her new home at the Kent County Health Department (KCHD).

“I’ve been with the Kent County Health Department for about 20 years,” Wisinski said. “I spent three years doing resource (work) at the Butterworth neonatal intensive care unit, and then in 2003 I came back to the county, and then became the Immunization Supervisor in 2007.”

Always knew vaccines saved lives

It was during her first few years in the immunization program that Wisinski became passionate about public health, especially vaccines.

“My passion grew as I worked here and learned more about what public health really is,” said Wisinski. “It’s just a different focus on nursing.”

Wisinski said that what drew her toward public health was the objective of preventing disease versus treating ailments.

A Kent County Health Department nurse gives a COVID-19 vaccination shot. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

“When you work in a hospital or a physician office, many times you’re working with ill clients. You’re treating the symptoms of their disease and trying to make them better,” Wisinski said. “In public health, our main goal is to prevent disease. We try to anticipate problems. We assess the entire community, and then work and strategize together to keep people healthy versus treating them when they become ill.”

Wisinski’s knowledge of nursing and vaccines earned her the nickname “Vaccine Queen” as colleagues and counterparts came to her with their questions. But the birth of that moniker, she said, was a friend who had previously worked with her in neonatal intensive care and, when asked a question about vaccines, would respond: “Hold on a minute, I’ll call the Vaccine Queen from Kent County!”

The nickname persisted throughout the years.

Several different components and programs are included in the focus of Wisinski’s immunization and vaccine team, among which is the Vaccines for Children Program in Kent County, a federally funded program that provides vaccines at no cost to children.

“Even though our immunization rates are low, we have very dedicated providers in Kent, and we are in one of the top counties in the state for getting our kids vaccinated,” Wisinski said.

Teaching and serving, even in pandemic times

Two nurses on Wisinski’s staff, as well as Wisinski herself, are Immunization Nurse Educators for the State of Michigan.

“I see my role as a teacher in order to give the people the information that they need to do the best and safest job possible to provide vaccines for the kids and the adults who need them,” Wisinski said. “We are seen as people that they can trust and come to, and I’ve been very transparent that as a health department, I am a partner to … our providers and our community.”

During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Wisinki and her staff have been the “boots on the ground” for testing and vaccinations. Wisinki was personally in charge of the long-term care testing and long-term care vaccinations.

“We went out not only to long-term care centers, but to adult foster homes, low-income senior housing, and (provided) vaccines for the homeless,” Wisinski said.

Kent County Health Department staff at a county COVID-19 testing station. (Kent County)

Though this is the longest vaccine outbreak Wisinski has been involved with, she chooses to look at the positive outcomes of the pandemic, noting the partnerships established in the community: “Many people here have committed to being part of that group … understanding what the health department is and does in the community.”

Bi-weekly meetings with the different community partners has allowed the health department to make sure they are working together and not “stumbling over each other, duplicating our efforts.”

Wisinski sees that as being a “tremendous achievement.”

Her and community moving forward

As Wisinski prepares to move on to the next part of her life’s journey, she wants the community to know that “public health works. Our job is to keep people safe and healthy as a community … I am extremely grateful to our scientists who have spent countless hours collaborating and cooperating with each other to come up with the best methods for vaccines and antiviral treatments.”

Wisinski says she hopes the community can, as we move forward, see the health department as an ally and not as an enemy.

“We did the best we could with the information we had at the time because we care about protecting people,” she said.

Though Wisinski says it is hard to leave because she loves serving her community, she is looking forward to some relaxation and time with her family. With weddings on the horizon for both her son and daughter, Wisinski’s immediate focus will be on plans for those festivities.

She does, however, plan to take a beach vacation and spend more time with her husband “because it’s been a little busy the last few years.”

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

3-bottom, Going Local, Local Faces, Local History, Voices, WKTV Journal In Focus,
Loie Ghannam, In Focus. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Local Faces, Local History, WKTV Journal In Focus, ,
WKTV Journal In Focus Teresa Branson, Kent County Chief Inclusion Officer, July 2021

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, Going Local, Local Business, Local Faces, Local History, Voices, WKTV Journal In Focus, ,

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

State Sen. Brinks visits WKTV Journal In Focus to talk Lansing actions and inactions, local workforce housing

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Hard News, Health, Local Faces, Our Cities, Politics, WKTV Journal In Focus,
WKTV Journal In Focus State Sen. Winnie Brinks, District 29, June 2021

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

On this episode pf WKTV Journal In Focus, State Sen. Winnie Brinks, a Democrat who was elected in 2018 as the first woman to represent Grand Rapids in the Michigan Senate since 1920. While the coverage area of her District 29 does not include Wyoming or Kentwood, the current vacancy in District 28 had left a void in local representation. So Sen. Brinks graciously offered to talk to us about what’s happening in Lansing this session.

WKTV asked her about two hot-button issues in Lansing, no-fault insurance and voting rights. With her serving on the Senate’s Health Policy and Human Resources committee, we talked to her about changes to part of the healthcare industry due to the continuing rollout of the state’s no-fault insurance law, as well as possible changes to the state’s voting laws.
 

But on the WKTV set, she also wanted to talk about an issue flying under the news radar this session — “attainable house”, sometimes known as “workforce housing”, a topic important to Wyoming and Kentwood as a large workforce housing project is in-progress on Division Avenue between the two cities.
 

“There is a bill, group of bills, we got it started in the senate and now it is making its way over to the house, we passed a group of bills that will help with attainable housing,” Sen. Brinks said to WKTV. “You hear a lot about government programing, particularly from the federal government, in terms of helping people with affordable housing — very important to do that. …

“But we worked on a set of bills, with local governments, to provide some tools to help people get into what we are calling attainable housing. And that would be available to those folks who don’t necessarily qualify for affordable housing but need a little bit of assistance, generally working (families). Some in the business community call it workforce housing. It is for people who are doing everything right but still can’t quite find something that works for them.”
 

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

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

3-bottom, Area Education, City of Kentwood, Kentwood Public Schools, Local Faces, Local History, Voices, WKTV Journal In Focus, , , ,
WKTV Voices: 9/11 at 20 Interview Kentwood residents Aamir and Halima Ismail. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

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

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

Kent County Administrator Wayman P. Britt. (WKTV)

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

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

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

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

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

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

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Biased representation and its consequences

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

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

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

Islam is more than one country, region

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

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

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

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

Similar lessons, different reactions to 9/11 questions 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sheriff LaJoye-Young talks department performance, body cameras and qualified immunity on latest WKTV Journal In Focus

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WKTV Journal In Focus with Kent County Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young, May 2021. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

On the latest episode of WKTV Journal In Focus, Kent County Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young says what’s on her mind on a wide range of subjects, from her office’s response time to incidents, how it handles those incidents, and how the staff — all of the staff — of the Kent County Correctional Facility excelled in this time of pandemic.

In May, her office presented a report to the county Board of Commissioners detailing the results of its yearly Performance Measurements Review — covering a period of time almost exclusively falling within the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Including among the measurements are the Sheriff’s office’s response time for both the 911 dispatch and deputies patrolling the roads, the department’s community engagement efforts, and the percentage of contacts resulting in use of force.

On the WKTV set, we talk with the Sheriff about those performance measurements, about what’s new in her department including the roll-out of body cameras, and — taking a cue from the current public scrutinization of law enforcement actions on the streets — we ask about her policy of de-escalation of citizen/deputy incidents and her opinion of law enforcement officers being granted qualified immunity from civil lawsuits.

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

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

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

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

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

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

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

Imam Dr. Sharif Sahibzada (WKTV)

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

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

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

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

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

New CEO of The Rapid talks mobility spectrum, community development on latest WKTV Journal In Focus

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Deborah Prato, new CEO of The Rapid, on the set of WKTV Journal In Focus. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Deborah Prato is the new CEO of The Rapid, the public transit system for the Grand Rapids metro area — a large area and an equally large transit system. But Prato, who took the position early this year, has leadership experience in what can only be described as huge transit systems, including New York City’s Metropolitan Transit Authority.

Prato recently visited the set of WKTV Journal In Focus to talk about what drew her to West Michigan, some of the similarities of services and differences of scale she now faces at The Rapid, and what the pubic needs to know about the present and future of the local transit system — including how articulated busses and motorized scooters can and should co-exist on the streets of Kent County.

“We are consistently reviewing, conducting analysis — what do we need, where do we need it, how do we serve the most?” Prato said. “I think it is not just mass transit, there is interest in a transportation network, and that includes personal mobility.”

Among the topics discussed in detail were how two of the special lines provided by The Rapid — the SilverLine and the Laker Line — are really cooperative ventures with The Rapid working with regional entities to satisfy specific transit needs while also working for the general public.

In addition, she discussed personal mobility and how — as pointed out on The Rapid’s website — “Beyond its fixed routes, The Rapid also operates demand response services for people with disabilities, and for those living outside the fixed-route service area.”

Deborah Prato, CEO of The Rapid, with host Ken Norris, in the WKTV studios. (WKTV)

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

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

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

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

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

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

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

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

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

Eyeing ‘redesign’ of education, locally led group’s pandemic ‘student recovery’ plan released by state

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Godfrey-Lee Public Schools Superintendent Kevin Polston, with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in the background, at a press conference when the formation of the Student Recovery Advisory Council of Michigan was announced early this year. (State of Michigan)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office, today, released the MI Blueprint for Comprehensive Student Recovery plan, which offers “guidance to help districts and schools create recovery plans that provide every Michigan student with the resources they need to thrive post-pandemic.”

The recovery plan is the work of the Student Recovery Advisory Council of Michigan, formed early this year and chaired by Godfrey-Lee Public Schools Superintendent Kevin Polston, which was tasked to “provide guidance and recommendations to ensure Michigan students have the tools and resources they need to get back on track.”

The council included dozens of school leaders, educators, public health practitioners, pediatricians, school board members, community and philanthropic leaders, legislators, parents, and students.
  

The Blueprint, according to the May 19 statement from the Governor’s office, “provides evidence-based recommendations to address challenges across wellness, academics, school culture and climate, family and community engagement and postsecondary education” across the state.

“Every recommendation is supported by leading research and designed to support Michigan students by those that know them best, leaders in education, health care, and child services from right here in Michigan,” Superintendent Polston said in the statement.

The plan also, according to Superintendent Polston, provides not just a return to normal but the path forward to a new normal for the state’s students.

“We believe recovery does not mean return, we believe recovery means let’s rebuild and redesign toward the reality that we want our children to experience in our schools,’ Polston said about the advisory council in a recent WKTV Journal In Focus interview. “The tremendous infusion of federal funds to support recovery efforts gives us the opportunity to make sure that each and every child has the resources necessary to thrive in our schools.

“We know the some students were not engaged with schools in the past year — some estimates were that 63,000 students were not coming to school or participating in remote learning. … So the guidance that we are providing for school leaders is how to provide this compressive recovery plan, in an equitable way, that the community can trust.”
         

Gov. Whitmer and state legislative leaders — several of which were on the council — will now work to push the recommendations forward.

“The most pressing challenges schools face aren’t new, but they have been exacerbated by the pandemic, resulting economic hardship, and social divisions,” Gov. Whitmer said in supplied material. “That is why I am so proud of the MI Blueprint for Comprehensive Student Recovery that the Advisory Council has created. It will not only help local education leaders comprehensively address immediate challenges, but it will also move us towards an education system that works better for all of our children.”
  

To view the governor’s Blueprint Print for Comprehensive Student Recovery, visit Michigan.gov/studentrecovery.

Unexpected legal impacts of no-fault insurance changes, trail court backlog on latest WKTV Journal In Focus

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WKTV Journal In Focus welcomes back to our studio Thomas Sinas, a partner in West Michigan’s Sinas Dramis Law Firm. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

WKTV Journal In Focus welcomes back to our studio local lawyer Thomas Sinas, a partner in West Michigan’s Sinas Dramis Law Firm, who has often helped WKTV Journal and our audience understand the state’s legal system, its changes and its intricacies.

During a recent discussion, we asked his opinion on two legal matters in the news currently. First the developing impact of pandemic-caused, trial-court delays on the state’s legal system — see a previous In Focus with Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker in which he discusses the trial delays.

But much of the discussion was on the still-evolving impact of Michigan Legislature’s changes to the state’s no-fault insurance law.

And, Sinas stressed, the confusion over what type of auto insurance coverage people should get is just the beginning of the possible problems with the 2019 changes to the no-fault insurance laws. In the discussion, he points out that unless addressed by the Michigan Legislature soon, changes to medical coverage rules under no-fault insurance will likely cause medical hardship for many injured person currently covered by the law.

Sinas has tried both civil and criminal cases, and has also lectured and authored numerous articles on trial practice and substantive law. Most recently, we talked to him about his work with the Kent County Legal Assistance Center.

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

Technology in schools, specifically Godfrey-Lee Pubic Schools, discussed on WKTV Journal In Focus

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Visiting WKTV Journal In Focus in this segment are district Superintendent Kevin Polston and Director of Technology Adrianne Rose. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

In early April, it was announced by AT&T and the nonprofit Connected Nation that Godfrey-Lee Public Schools would be one of 13 schools and nonprofits across Michigan that would receive free mobile hotspots and internet connectivity with the specific goal of serving at-risk students.

That news follows the district last November gaining voter approval of a $17.8 million bonding measure intended for building and infrastructure improvements. So there is big technology news happening in the Godfrey-Lee community.

Adrianne Rose, Director of Technology, Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, on WKTV Journal In Focus set. (WKTV)

Visiting WKTV Journal In Focus in this segment are district Superintendent Kevin Polston and Director of Technology Adrianne Rose. And we will not only talk specifically about the technology improvements in-work and planned, but also the status of the all the improvements that $18 million will fund.

Superintendent Polston also talks about his state-wide education work after being appointed early this year by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to lead the Student Recovery Advisory Council of Michigan. The group is looking at educational issues caused by the pandemic and is tasked to “provide guidance and recommendations to ensure Michigan students have the tools and resources they need to get back on track.”

So, coming full circle, the Godfrey-Lee schools leader talks about how technology and connectivity will also be an essential element of getting students back on track.

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

Godfrey-Lee superintendent selected as new Kentwood Public Schools leader

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Kevin Polston, selected to be the next Kentwood Public Schools superintendent, on the set of WKMTV Journal In Focus. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

If contract negotiations conclude as anticipated, Kevin Polston will have the same title in local education cycles — Superintendent — it is just that his office will be at Kentwood Public Schools rather than at Godfrey-Lee Public Schools.

Kentwood Public Schools Board of Education announced today that Polston has been selected to become the district’s next superintendent and that it is “engaging in contract negotiations” to finalize the selection. Current KPS superintendent Michael Zoerhoff will be retiring at the completion of this current school year.

“Our candidate pool was exceptionally strong and our internal leadership team is outstanding,” KPS board president Mimi Madden said in supplied material.  “The unanimous vote to offer the position to Superintendent Polston will continue the tradition of leadership excellence that our community has come to expect.”

Madden, in the KPS statement, said the board’s expectation is of a seamless transition.
 

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

“Superintendent Zoerhoff has nurtured and developed strong leaders on his administrative team,” Madden said. “These individuals have led their respective areas competently and capably before and during this global pandemic. We are confident that this commitment to the Kentwood mission will continue in the years to come.”

Prior to becoming a superintendent of Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, in 2017, Polston spent 15 years in the Grand Haven Area Public Schools, first as a teacher and then moving into administrative leadership as an assistant principal, curriculum specialist and finally principal, according to his Linked In page.

As superintendent at Godfrey-Lee, Polston led the largely minority-student district though a difficult transition of educational technology and school community image — including the high school’s sports teams becoming known as “The Legends” — as well as handling a 2019 partial building collapse at a middle and high school complex with some portions nearly 100 years old.

Godfrey-Lee Public Schools Superintendent Kevin Polston speaks at State Board of Education meeting in 2017. (State Board of Education)

He also, last year, led a community and educational leadership effort to pass a $17.8 million school district bond measure that will modernize the district’s building and infrastructure in nearly every aspect.

He and his team have also worked to make Godfrey-Lee’s heavily Spanish-speaking population an asset to the district and its students.

In the KPS announcement, it as noted that “his experience as the son of a Palestinian immigrant, and first generation college student, is a story that mirrors many Kentwood families. Mr. Polston’s work in West Michigan reflects his passion for the power of education and the importance of strong partnerships between school systems and the communities they serve.”

“I am humbled and honored to serve as the next superintendent of Kentwood Public Schools,” Polston said in supplied material. “My personal vision of ‘changing the world through opportunities for students’ is one Kentwood has carried out through the vision of ‘Excellence and Equity in Education’.

“I look forward to building positive relationships with staff, students, families, and the community of Kentwood as we collaboratively continue the longstanding tradition of excellence.”

Polston holds degrees from Grand Valley State University and from Michigan State University. He was also named by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer early this year to the lead the COVID-19 Return to School Advisory Council, a statewide body of educators and others.

WKTV premieres Chickasaw documentary

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WKTV will air “First Encounter” on Thursday, April 29, at 5 p.m. on WKTV Channel 25. (Supplied)

By Dana Lance
Chickasaw Films

The Chickasaw Nation Productions’ documentary “First Encounter” from the Chickasaw Heritage Series will air at 5 p.m., Thursday, April 29 in Wyoming, Michigan, on WKTV Community Access Channel 25 and online at WKTV.org.

The Chickasaw Heritage Series is a video project initiative from Chickasaw Nation Productions designed to inform, educate and entertain audiences about the resilient and persevering spirit of the Chickasaw Nation.

For more information, please visit ChickasawFilms.com.

 “First Encounter”

“First Encounter” explores the actions taken by Chickasaws in 1541 during their first contact with Europeans. The documentary highlights the encounters, struggles and perseverance of the Chickasaw people throughout the attempted conquest by Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto.

This encounter helped establish the reputation for which the tribe would be recognized for centuries and remains today – “unconquered and unconquerable.”

Chickasaw curriculum

Both Chickasaw Heritage Series “First Encounter” and “Bearer of the Morning” documentaries have been incorporated into an online curriculum produced by the Chickasaw Nation for elementary and secondary school levels. These and other lessons are available to homeschool and public school educators by visiting Chickasaw.net/AtHome.

These lessons might also interest anyone looking to dig deeper into the history and culture of the Chickasaw people, with reference materials and photographs presented much like a textbook.

Every lesson of the Chickasaw Nation curriculum is aligned with Oklahoma Academic Standards as outlined by the Oklahoma State Department of Education social studies guide.

Areas of study include history, social studies, geography and government. Students who dive into these studies will develop skills including reading, writing, critical thinking, test taking and artistic creation.

Each lesson is complete with its own lesson plan, reading material, discussion questions, student activity and reference list for convenience. This material can be easily incorporated into any educational setting.

Kent County Treasurer’s office launches new online payment service for delinquent property taxes

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By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Kent County taxpayers now have easier access to pay delinquent taxes, after Kent County Treasurer Peter MacGregor this week announced the launch of a new online platform to provide residents with greater access to contactless services.

The service is available though a Kent County website and a free mobile app — myKentCounty — and will allow individuals to pay their delinquent taxes online.

“Over the past year we have seen how important it is to give our residents the option of contactless services,” Treasurer MacGregor said in supplied material. “This new electronic service will allow residents to view and pay their delinquent taxes from the convenience of their home or business.”

To access this new service, residents should visit payments.mykentcounty.com or download the free myKentCounty app in the iPhone or Google Play (Android) app stores. They can then create an account with the internet payment site PayIt, select Kent County Delinquent Property Tax, and then view and pay bills as well as printing or digitally storing receipts.

Kent County Treasurer Peter MacGregor. (WKTV)

“We are excited to launch myKentCounty as it will greatly improve our payment system while simultaneously saving taxpayers time and potential penalties,” MacGregor said. “This is another important step in how my office will serve county residents and we will continue to work with PayIt to add future services to the platform.”

See a WKTV Journal In Focus video interview with Treasurer MacGregor.


Taxpayers can also pay their delinquent taxes by going to accesskent.com/Departments/Treasurer/ and selecting the Pay Delinquent Taxes button.

Residents with questions can contact the Treasurer’s Office at 616-632-7500 or kctreasurer@kentcountymi.gov.

Kent County Treasurer, ex-senator MacGregor talks continuing Lansing connections, door-to-door work in county on latest WKTV Journal In Focus

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By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

In November of last year, then state senator Peter MacGregor won election to the position of Kent County Treasurer, returning to work nearer his Rockford home after more than a decade of public service in Lansing as a state representative and then a senator.

Just after his election, when he resigned his senate seat and was sworn in as Treasurer, MacGregor told WKTV the duties of state senator and county treasurer were very different in most ways but that the common ground fits in with his skill-set and his personal outlook when it comes to taxpayers and use of their taxes.

Kent County Treasurer Peter MacGregor. (WKTV)

In early April, Kent County Treasurer MacGregor visited WKTV Journal In Focus to talk about his job transition, the sometimes little-known duties of the county treasurer, and where he now sees his public service priorities lay — including sometimes knocking on the door to help homeowners behind on their taxes.

Oh, ya, and we also asked how long it took him to stop answering the phone with “This is Senator MacGregor”?

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

Kentwood Police Chief Roberts details force’s accountability, community involvement on latest WKTV Journal In Focus

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City of Kentwood Police Chief Richard Roberts, as part of a discussion on WKTV Journal In Focus, talked about the changes in police vehicle camera technology — which at one point was dashboard cameras and VCRs in the trunk. (WKTV) 

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

The City of Kentwood Police Department prides itself on not only its transparency and accountably but also its community interaction and involvement. So, when Kentwood’s top police official, Chief Richard Roberts, visited WKTV Journal In Focus recently the conversation ranged from plans for expanded officer body camera use to working with local employees to help local restaurants and patrons.

In early March, the City of Kentwood announced its police department would equip its entire force with body cameras in an effort to enhance both accountably and transparency during community interactions. Chief Roberts detailed the program, its needs and goals, training and department protocol for use, and how body cameras are equally good for the community as they are for police officers.

(For a previous WKTV Journal In Focus interviews with Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker and Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young which included discussion of the use of law enforcement body cameras, visit Becker’s discussion here and LaJoye-Young’s discussion here.)

Additionally, in our interview with Chief Roberts, he discussed programs such as pop-up events in support of local restaurants and customers, as well as the planned Kentwood Police Youth Academy.

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

Kent County Prosecutor Becker talks court trial backlog, videos as witnesses on latest WKTV Journal In Focus

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By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

In March, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker gave a Performance Measurements Review to a committee of the county Board of Commissioners. While some of the review was mostly statistics and governmental detail, we at WKTV thought it an opportunity to get the county’s top attorney in to discuss a wide range of his office’s activities — including its goals, accomplishments and challenges.

In addition to his report to the Board of Commissioners, the county’s top attorney discussed how the current pandemic has impacted the state of the county’s criminal courts, last year and into the future. And, given the news of the day out of a Minneapolis courtroom, we got his take on the value of video evidence in criminal trials — are police body cameras or public cell phone video good witnesses?

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

WKTV Journal In Focus talks ‘Labor and Economic Opportunity’ with state official

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By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity has been in the news a lot over the last year for programs to support workers in the state in this time of pandemic economic hardships, including the Futures for Frontliners program, which is providing free tuition to certain Michigan essential workers for them to continue their education.

But that temporary program is only one of several ways the LEO, as it is often called, supports workers.

With us via Zoom is Susan Corbin, acting director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, who details Futures for Frontliners and well as other work by her department to support all workers in the state.

For more information about Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity visit michigan.gov/leo/.

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

WKTV Journal In Focus hosts county Commissioner Robert Womack to talk Black leadership at all levels

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By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

When you ask about community and governmental leadership to Kent County Commissioner Robert Womack, you better be prepared for his unvarnished take on the matter — especially if you give him more than a 30-second soundbite.

WKTV Journal In Focus recently talked with him for 15 minutes or so, and asked those questions of Commissioner Womack, who late last year was named to co-chair Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s new state initiative, the Black Leadership Advisory Council — a group intended to “develop, review, and recommend policies and actions designed to prevent and eradicate discrimination and racial inequity in Michigan.”

Commissioner Womack gave us his opinion on the Governor selecting him to offer advice, his take on the similarities and differences between leadership and “Black leadership”, and, yes, he caught us up on the current and future plans of the advisory council.

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

Expanded programs of Kent County Veterans Services on latest episode of WKTV Journal In Focus

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By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

You may have noticed some billboards around the area talking about new and expanded programs of the Kent County Veterans Services office. WKTV Journal In Focus, as part of our continuing effort to support our veterans and their families — and bring notice to groups who are really doing the job on the frontlines — wanted to find out what was going on at the county office.

And there is a lot going on: from a focus on reaching veterans and the families, to expanded dental services, to making sure veterans have other veterans to “walk with them” as they move through life’s ups and downs.

Visiting the WKTV studios is Martha Burkett, manager of Kent County Veterans Services, as well as Rachel Wustman, also from the Kent County office.

For more information about Kent County Veterans Services, visitaccesskent.com/Departments/VeteransServices/.

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

WKTV Journal In Focus hosts First Steps Kent, latest on Kent County early childhood support efforts

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By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

In November 2018, Kent County voters approved the Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage to fund more than $5 million annually, from 2018-2024, to be directed toward community-based early childhood health and support programs. First Steps Kent was selected to lead the program.

In late 2020, the latest round of funding was approved by the Kent County Board of Commissioners, after First Steps Kent and its Resident Proposal Review Committee recommended funding 12 programs — including a focus on parental outreach and involvement.

Continuing WKTV’s coverage of the program and its efforts, and to bring you details of the latest funding and the program’s overall status, we will talk in studio with Joslyn Ward, a Kentwood parent serving on the review committee, and we welcome back to WKTV —  this time via Zoom — Annemarie Valdez, First Steps Kent President.

For more information about First Steps Kent, visit FirstStepsKent.org.

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

Meijer Gardens — past, present and future — on special episode of WKTV Journal In Focus

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By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Every visit to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is a different experience than any other — there is always something new blooming in the gardens, or up on the art gallery’s walls, or a sculpture placed in a new or changed setting in the nearly 160 acres of land encompassing the West Michigan entertainment and cultural landmark.

And the last three years, there has even been even more changes to the Gardens’s buildings and grounds as part of a massive expansion — changes that are near completion with the recent opening of the new Welcome Center.

The WKTV Journal In Focus team recently visited for a special interview with David Hooker, president & CEO of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.

 

We talked about the Gardens nearing the end of its multi-year expansion, the successful completion of a $115 million dollar capital campaign that funded it all, as well as keeping the doors open in 2020 despite pandemic restrictions.

Mr. Hooker also discussed the beautiful mystery that is the future of the Garden’s “natural area” — a one-time golf course but at this time unplanned area of donated land adjacent to the current park.

Fred and Lena Meijer portraits hanging at the gardens.

And Mr. Hooker has plenty of stories about Fred and Lena, but did you ever hear the story about his beginning experience at Meijer Gardens? Bet it is not what you think!

For more information about Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, visit meijergardens.org.

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

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

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

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

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

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

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

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

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

County Sheriff, top administrator visit WKTV Journal In Focus to talk body cameras, community violence prevention

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Kent County Administrator Wayman Britt and Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young, during a recent visit to the studio of WKTV Journal In Focus. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Kent County, in recent months, has made two unique expenditures as part of its public safety efforts. One, taking a more traditional approach, saw the county spend more than $2 million to equip the Sheriff’s office with state-of-the-art equipment, most notably body cameras. The other, in a distinctively non-traditional approach, has the county funding nearly $500,000 in grants to non-profit community groups to prevent crime from occurring.

During a recent visit to the studio of WKTV Journal In Focus, we talked with Kent County Administrator Wayman Britt and Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young about the two expenditures and why they are important to the community.

Discussion includes the protocol for use of body cameras and vehicle dashboard cameras, and how both can protect law enforcement and the right of the pubic during sometimes tense interactions. Then we get their take on why the prevention of crime, specifically community violence, will take more than just law enforcement officers on the streets, and why the county is allocating funds to its new Community Violence Prevention Grant program.

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

Bethany Christian, part of Community Violence Prevention team, on new episode of WKTV Journal In Focus

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By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

During a recent visit to the studio of WKTV Journal In Focus, we talked with Antonio (Tony) Evans, a vocational trainer for Bethany Christian Services of Michigan, about the history of Bethany and some of its West Michigan services — especially its upcoming work funded by a Kent County Community Violence Prevention Grant.

But for Evans, it is clear that his work for Bethany Christian Services is more than simply providing any one service or fulfilling one grant action requirement.

“In order to work for Bethany Christian, in order to work for Grand Rapids Center for Community Transformation, it’s not a job, it’s a way of life,” Evans said to WKTV. “You have to be entrenched in it. … Our center is one of those spots where, whatever you need, we are going to help you.”

Bethany Christian Services of Michigan, part of a national group with several West Michigan locations including in Wyoming and Kentwood, has been approved for a Community Violence Prevention grant of nearly $150,000 to, quoting from the group’s application, “take a multi-acton approach at crime prevention by increasing opportunities, information, and activities to those within the south Grand Rapids’ 49507 zip code” — an area that borders both Wyoming and Kentwood.

For more information about Bethany Christian Services, visit bethany.org.

Antonio (Tony) Evans, left, a vocational trainer for Bethany Christian Services of Michigan, recently visited the set of WKTV Journal In Focus and talked with host Ken Norris. (WKTV)

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

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

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

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Handing the gavel to the next judge

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

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

Judge-elect Amanda Sterkenburg (City of Kentwood)

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

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

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

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

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

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