Category Archives: WKTV Projects

Local artist shares her gratitude to healthcare workers through film

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Entertainment, medical moment, WKTV Projects, , , ,

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

A tragic situation lead local artist Kim Johnson to be a witness to the chaos world of the healthcare workers as they struggled to help those with COVID 19, which in turn has lead to an insightful and personal narrative of what Johnson saw.

“If My Paintings Were on These Walls” will premiere on Feb. 17 on WKTV’s Comcast Channel 25. (WKTV)

Friday, Feb. 17, WKTV will premiere Johnson’s short film “If My Paintings Were on this Wall” at 7 p.m. on Comcast Channel 25 or you can live stream it at WKTV.org. The film is a combination of watercolor paintings and an essay by Johnson with video clips, narrated by Grammy Award winner singer, actress and author Debby Boone.

“Having seen Kim’s artwork, I knew that she would do a beautiful job executing this project.” Boone said. “There is real emotion and humanity in these pictures that is quite beautiful and her essay really communicates the sacrifice [many] have been willing to provide for people during such a trying time with the pandemic and the overload in these hospitals.

“You know they are exhausted and their personal lives are maybe falling apart and yet, they still show up with love and compassion for the people they’re trying to serve.”

The story of Kim and Georgia Johnson

Covid 19 turned many people’s lives upside down and local artist Kim Johnson and her mother, Georgia thought that was going to be the case for them.

But a trip to the hospital lead to the discovery that Georgia did not have Covid like everyone thought, but rather metastasized breast cancer, which would take her life in 21 days.

During that time, Kim Johnson spent every waking hour at the hospital and when her mother was getting tested or sleeping, Johnson, with sketchpad in tow, would draw what see was seeing: the nurses looking so tired but kept going, health care workers being yelled and assaulted by frustrated and frightened patients; and those running from one hospital room to another to take care of patient needs.

“At the time, I was a pretty bitter person,” Johnson said. ”I disliked anyone in the healthcare field. I disliked [Georgia’s] doctor because I thought he could have caught it.

 

“I was pretty nasty and my attitude stunk in the time that she was there and a lot of times I left the room and took my sketchpad with me and God worked on my heart a little bit because one of the first things I saw, or rather heard, was there was a patient screaming. The F-bomb was flying right and left, and the next thing I know this nurse came out and she was balling…she crumbled to the floor in tears and someone came to console her.”

This would be the first of many sketches but after her mothers death, Johnson’s resentment toward anyone in the healthcare, caused her to pack up the drawings along with her art supplies. After selling the family home, she had no intention of having anything to do with art.

Finding compassion and gratitude

Six months later, Johnson began to have a change of heart, developing compassion for the healthcare workers. She rekindled her love for drawing and watercolor painting, and through most of her supplies were in storage, she was able to find a few supplies packed away including the sketchbook she had at the hospital.

One of the 38 paintings by Kim Johnson.

It is from that sketchbook she wrote her essay about her experiences and interactions within those 21 days and painted 38 4×6-inch paintings, all of which is included in the video.

Johnson has long followed and admired four daughters of legendary singer Pat Boone since 1977 when Debby Boone recored the song “You Light Up My Life.” She also was a fam of the 1979 Boone Family Easter Special. Through a meeting on the now defunct My Space, Johnson meet and became friends with Cherry Boone O’Neill, Debby Boone’s sister. It was through that friendship, which eventually migrated to Facebook, that she met Debby Boone, who upon hearing of the project agreed to narrate it.

“Honestly, I never thought that I would ever have the opportunity to meet Debby Boone, let alone work with her on a project I created,” Johnson said. “She narrated something I wrote. I still cannot believe that it is happening. I am beyond honored.”

There will be a private showing of the film at the WKTV Community Media Center in February. In March, there will be a public showing that will be followed by a brief appreciation recognition for healthcare workers in all capacities. The film also will be available on Kim Johnson’s YouTube channel at the end of March.

Spacewalk to be featured on WKTV

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Kids Activities, Upcoming Events, WKTV Projects, ,

By Kelly Taylor
WKTV Program Manager


On Tuesday, Nov. 15, WKTV will be featuring live coverage of the U.S. Spacewalk to install an IROSA (ISS Rollout Solar Array) modification kit on the starboard truss on the International Space Station.

The Artemis 1 mission will be televised Nov. 15 by NASA. It will air on WKTV 26 Governement Channel on Comcast and AT&T U-verse 99 Government Channel 99. (Courtesy, NASA)

Coverage begins at 6:30 a.m. with the actual spacewalk scheduled to start at 8 a.m.

Following the spacewalk at 4 p.m., there will be live coverage of the cryogenic fueling of the Space Launch System for launch on the Artemis 1 mission.

 

Artemis 1 is the first integrated flight test of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket, an un-crewed Orion spacecraft, and the ground systems at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida that will pave the way for a crewed test flight and future human lunar exploration.

The live coverage continues at 11 p.m. with the launch of the Space Launch System and the Orion spacecraft on the Artemis 1 mission. The actual launch is scheduled 1:04 a.m. with the post launch news conference tentatively scheduled for 4 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16.

Stay tuned for the Artemis/Orion outbound trajectory correction burn scheduled at 7:51 a.m., with the first imagery coverage starting at 10 a.m.

For more information on NASA TV or the International Space Station, log on to www.nasa.gov.

NASA TV can be seen on the WKTV 26 Government Channel on Comcast and AT&T U-verse 99 Government Channel 99.

Grand Rapids’ Sweet Adelines join the DreamWheels TV show

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Upcoming Events, West Michigan, WKTV Projects, , , ,

By Colleen Pierson
WKTV Community Contributor

Sweet Adelines perform on the red carpet for DreamWheels. (Supplied)

Picture This: A red carpet production featuring four-part harmony, classic cars and television production at its finest.

DreamWheels 2022 is back, taking place from 7-9 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27 at Rogers Plaza in Wyoming. The red carpet classic car event featuring the Grand Rapids Sweet Adelines will be available beginning Friday, Sept. 9 on WKTV on Demand.

This year’s one-hour show on the red carpet features musical entertainment from the Grand Rapids Chorus-Sweet Adelines, and some of the most beautiful classics from car owners and the Grand Rapids Auto Gallery.  Among the “stars” being featured are a 1960 Cadillac, a 1931 Duesenberg, a 1954 Buick Skylark, a 1959 Cadillac couple seville, and a 1942 Chrysler Woody Wagon. 

Strong partnership

“We have had a collaboration with the Grand Rapids Chorus-Sweet Adelines that goes back nearly 30 years,” said WKTV Community Media General Manager Tom Norton. “We think it is a perfect match to bring this professional ensemble to the red carpet for DreamWheels.”

There will be a number of classic cars heading down this year’s red carpet at “DreamWheels including a 1942 Chrysler Woody Wagon. (WKTV)

The Grand Rapids Chorus-Sweet Adelines Master Director Denise Van Dyken said she is very thankful for this opportunity

“We are very appreciative of the partnership,” Van Dyken said. “I thank WKTV for inviting us to participate in the DreamWheels production as part of the 2022 Metro Cruise. I’m absolutely thrilled to participate in the comeback of this amazing extravaganza. It will be such fun celebrating Grand Rapids’ timeless love affair with cars—and another American classic—barbershop harmony.”

The DreamWheels production will take place during the Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s 28th Street Metro Cruise, which is Friday and Saturday, Aug. 26 and 27. Starting Friday night, classic cars and car lovers will meet up at Rogers Plaza and Woodland Mall for an array of events, activities and music. For a complete schedule of the 28th Street Metro Cruise, visit 28thstreetmetrocruise.org

Summer revs up with Kentwood concerts, farmers market combo

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Kids Activities, Local Food, Recreation, Upcoming Events, WKTV Projects, , , ,

By John D. Gonzalez
WKTV Contributing Writer

Cabildo performs July 21 at Kentwood Summer Concert Series.

The Kentwood Summer Concert Series is not your typical outdoor community event.

Yes, you get live music, of course, and food trucks are on hand to keep you fed.

But you can also bring your own “adult beverages.”

“That’s one of the things that makes Kentwood a little more unique,” said Laura Barbrick, marketing and events coordinator for the City of Kentwood Parks & Recreation department.

Through a special permit with the local police department, attendees can bring their own alcohol (beer and wine) in a designated area. “It just has to stay in the concert zone,” she added.

Fans of the popular concert series will get to bring those “adult beverages” to the show when the Max Lockwood Band kicks off the series at 7 p.m. June 16 on the lawn behind Kentwood City Hall. Bring your own blankets and lawn chairs.

The weekly series continues on Thursday evenings through Aug. 11. See the schedule below. All will be recorded and aired on WKTV.

Another “unique” aspect of the Kentwood series is an opportunity to check out the local farmers market. About a decade ago the market used to be on Saturdays, but changed to Thursdays in this special partnership.

“We polled our residents and discovered there was a need for a weekday evening market,” Barbrick said.

The Kentwood Farmers Market will be from 4:30 – 7 p.m. Thursdays, right before the concert series. (Supplied)

In 2020 they had a few pop-up markets on Thursday nights, and they were very well attended, she said.

“To continue the momentum,” they decided to have the farmers market on the same day. “It’s a great way to cross-promote both events,” Barbrick added.

“People who attend the concert series might not have known about our Farmers Market before. But now our concertgoers love to shop the market and buy local products before grabbing a seat on the lawn for the show. It really has been a win-win and has helped grow both the market and our concert series.”

The Kentwood Farmers Market takes place next door from 4:30-7 p.m. in the parking lot behind City Hall.

Concerts take place from 7-8:30 p.m. on the lawn behind Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave. SE. Admission is free. A variety of food trucks also will be on hand.

The lineup of bands includes a variety of styles and diversity, which was intentional, Barbrick said.

 

“Typically, in January, we put out a poll on social media asking the community who they want in our lineup,” she said. “We take the results from the poll and go through all the band applications to determine the lineup.

“Diversity is very important to our selection. We serve a very diverse community and want our music selection to represent our residents and culture.”

Crowds can range from 500-1,000 people, depending on the popularity of acts.

But everyone has a great time, she said.

“We’ve received a lot of positive feedback from residents over the years. We have some families that come to every single show,” Barbrick said.

“People love the opportunity to be outdoors and enjoy a free concert. We love it when the crowd is dancing and asking for an encore. It’s very rewarding to see the smiles and hear the applause after each show.”

Parking for shows will be limited at both City Hall and the Library, according to the city’s website. Additional parking is available at the Kentwood Justice Center (4740 Walma SE), Kentwood Public Works (5068 Breton SE), Kentwood Baptist Church (2875 52nd St), and there is street parking in nearby neighborhoods.

Get more information at kentwood.us.

This year’s lineup includes:

All concerts will be live streamed by WKTV Community Media.

Watch the events live at: https://www.wktv.org/live25.html

If you miss a show you can watch it here at WKTV On Demand.

John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Kentwood to again celebrate Arbor Day, Tree City USA Designation with event and free seedlings

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City of Kentwood city leaders celebrate the city’s renewed designation as a Tree City USA, by planting a tree of course, in 2021. (Supplied)

By WKTV Staff 

The City of Kentwood will honor Arbor Day — and its renewed designation as a Tree City USA — by giving away 250 tree seedlings during an Arbor Day Celebration and tree planting on April 29.

Residents of all ages are invited to join Kentwood’s Arbor Day Celebration at Veterans Memorial Park, 355 48th St. SE., according to an announcement from the city. The event will begin at noon with an Arbor Day proclamation, followed by a tree planting and a half-mile guided tree identification walk in the park. Complimentary refreshments will be available at the concession stand.

Arbor Day is an annual day of observance typically held in the spring to celebrate trees and encourage tree planting. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the holiday.

“A healthy tree population and canopy help improve quality of life and promote happier, healthier communities,” Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley said in supplied material. “The Arbor Day Celebration enables Kentwood to engage our community members in environmental stewardship to help make the city a more vibrant and beautiful place to live.”

Arbor Day, locally and nationally

The Arbor Day Celebration engages and educates the community in planting and caring for the city’s trees and is part of Kentwood’s participation in the Tree City USA program.

The City of Kentwood will honor Arbor Day — and its renewed designation as a Tree City USA — by giving away 250 tree seedlings during an Arbor Day Celebration and tree planting on April 29. (Supplied)

Kentwood was recently recognized with the 2021 Tree City USA honor for promoting and caring for trees within the community, the second time the City has received the designation. The first was in 2020.

To become a Tree City USA, cities must have an annual Arbor Day observance, a community tree ordinance, a tree board or department and spend at least $2 per capita on urban forestry activities. The program provides the necessary framework for communities to manage and expand their public trees, celebrate the importance of an urban tree canopy and demonstrate their commitment to environmental change.

Residents invited to get trees, get involved

Leading up to the Arbor Day celebration, residents can pick up free red maple or white pine tree seedlings at the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE. The seedlings will be available during business hours Tuesday, April 26 through Friday, April 29 or until supplies are gone.

 

The City of Kentwood will honor Arbor Day — and its renewed designation as a Tree City USA — by giving away 250 tree seedlings during an Arbor Day Celebration and tree planting on April 29. (Supplied)

Residents are invited to post a picture of their planted seedling on social media using the hashtag #GreeningKentwood.

The Kentwood Activities Center is open 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday. During Arbor Day week, residents can check on tree seedling availability by calling the Parks and Recreation Department at 616-656-5270.


Residents who are looking for more ways to get involved beyond Arbor Day are invited to join the Kentwood Park Stewards, an environmentally focused program that helps preserve and maintain neighborhood parks, trails and public spaces.

More information about the program is available at kentwood.us/ParkStewards.

Ready for music’s ‘what’s hot’ on a hot summer day? A July trip to Chicago is in order

Entertainment, Reviews, Travel, Upcoming Events, WKTV Projects,
  • The National. (Supplied/Graham MacIndoe)
  • Pitchfork Music Festival 2021. (Supplied/Matt Lief Anderson)
  • CupcakKe. (Supplied)
  • Pitchfork Music Festival 2021 at Chicago’s Union Park. (Supplied/Julian Bajsel)
  • Japanese Breakfast. (Supplied/Peter Ash)
  • L’Rain (Supplied/Nathan Bajar)
  • Pitchfork Music Festival 2021 at Chicago’s Union Park. (Supplied/Julian Bajsel)
  • Magdalena Bay. (Supplied/Lissyelle Laricchia)

By K.D. Norris

kdnorris.com

Music festivals are returning in force this summer but if you want to get in on “the rising indie class” you might want to schedule a road trip to Chicago’s Union Park in mid-July. 

Pitchfork Music Festival will return Friday, July 15, through Sunday, July 17, with a line-up of the familiar — including headliners The National, Mitski, and The Roots — but also the “what’s next” in indie and alt and about half a dozen other genres undefinable.

“This year’s lineup is a celebration of the rising indie class, and those who continue to pave the way for innovation,” Puja Patel, editor in chief of Pitchfork, said in supplied material. “Our goal was to highlight a diverse group of artists who are taking their musical genres to new heights.”

Day 1

The Festival kicks off on Friday with The National, who played Pitchfork Music Festival’s first year in 2006,, as well as Spiritualized, Parquet Courts, Tierra Whack, Amber Mark, Dawn Richard, Tkay Maidza, Indigo De Souza, SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE, SPELLLING, Camp Cope, Wiki, Ethel Cain, and CupcakKe.

The National will be the “name” on that day/night/the weekend — the show marks a return to touring for the band in fact: “The last couple years have given us ample time for reflection and rejuvenation. Summer 2022 is a time for reunion. We look forward to gathering with friends, old and new. United in music and light, suspended in time,” the band states on their website.

But maybe the best of the early Friday acts will be the outstanding Parquet Courts — their late 2021 release Sympathy for Life was outstanding. And for the “I saw her when …” crowd, CupcakKe should be tasty.

Day 2

On Saturday, headliner Mitski will be joined by Japanese Breakfast, Lucy Dacus, Low, Magdalena Bay, Dry Cleaning, Karate, Iceage, yeule, Arooj Aftab, The Armed, Chubby & the Gang, Hyd, and Jeff Parker & the New Breed.

You can’t turn on a radio (over-the-air or celestial) these days without catching Mitski’s catchy 1980s-retro bad-girl hit “The Only Heartbreaker” off her 2022 release Laurel Hell. But Japanese Breakfast is sure to be tasty too.

Day 3

The festival closes Sunday with The Roots, Toro y Moi, Earl Sweatshirt, Noname, BADBADNOTGOOD, Cate Le Bon, Tirzah, Xenia Rubinos, Erika de Casier, Injury Reserve, KAINA, L’Rain, Sofia Kourtesis, and Pink Siifu.

Hey, I have grey hair … You had me at Roots …

Details, details …

Pitchfork Music Festival tickets are available, with three-day passes, single-day passes — and  “The Pitchfork PLUS”  For tickets and more information visit here.

The Pitchfork Music Festival showcases the best up-and-coming music from around the world, as well as “special performances from touring stalwarts and legends alike,” according to festival promotional material. It also features diverse vendors, including specialty record and craft fairs, and it works to support local businesses while promoting the Chicago arts and food communities as a whole.
 
The Pitchfork Music Festival will adhere to the city of Chicago’s current-at-the-time COVID-19 protocol, according to supplied material, and will remain in close contact with city and state officials as regulations evolve. Festival attendees will be updated on COVID-19 protocol via email, and can find the latest safety guidelines on Pitchfork Music Festival’s FAQ page, and by following @PitchforkFest on Instagram and Twitter. 


Pitchfork is one of the most read voices in music, and is often considered the preeminent resource for fans looking to discover and experience new music through reviews and features of the people, trends, and events shaping the music industry. Pitchfork hosts annual Music Festivals in Chicago and Paris. For more go to Pitchfork.com and follow @pitchfork.

Local non-profit, long an advocate for persons with disabilities, gains grant to expand service coverage

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Going Local, Health, Local Faces, Non-Profits, Senior Living, Upcoming Events, WKTV Projects,
  • Before and after — wheelchair access to homes is often an issue for disabled persons, according to Disability Advocates of Kent County. (Supplied)
  • Before and after — wheelchair access to homes is often an issue for disabled persons, according to Disability Advocates of Kent County. (Supplied

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org


Disability Advocates of Kent County, set to open a new headquarters in the new Special Olympics of Michigan campus in Byron Township and already one of the region’s leaders in advocacy for persons with disabilities, is set to become even more of a force for good in the region.

Disability Advocates has received a $975,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that will enable the organization to make “safety and functional home modifications and limited repairs to meet the needs of low-income senior homeowners that allow them to age in place,” according to an announcement from the non-profit.

The three-year grant will help 150 seniors in Allegan, Ionia, Mecosta, Montcalm, and Osceola counties — and there is anecdotal evidence that keeping seniors in their home environments longer is better for the seniors mental and physical health.

David Bulkowski, executive director of Disability Advocates of Kent County. (Supplied)

“While we do not have direct evidence for this, it would be safe to suggest that it is so as low-income folks have fewer financial resources to address the barriers themselves and would be more stressed by simple barriers in their homes and could lead to feelings of loneliness and despair,” David Bulkowski, executive director of Disability Advocates, said to WKTV.

Disability Advocates was the only organization in Michigan out of 32 nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, and public housing authorities nationwide to receive an award from HUD’s $30 million “Older Adults Home Modification Program”, according to the announcement.

The national goal is to deliver home modification services to more than 5,000 qualified beneficiaries in primarily rural areas.

The move to expand its services into more rural areas of West Michigan is part of a natural growth for the group.

“Our work began in Kent County and almost only in the Metro Six cities as we were pretty small back then,” Bulkowski said. “From there we spread out throughout the county and especially with Senior Millage funding in Kent County.
 

“As for other counties, we would ‘sneak out’ into Ionia and Montcalm and Mecosta and Osceola to a lesser degree through the years as much as our funding allowed. This new grant has enough capacity that we can assertively market the services availability in those four counties and Allegan.”

And while Disability Advocates offers a wide range of advocacy and services, facilitating often simple but often very necessary home improvements and repairs has always been one of its goals.

Grant-funded services and qualifications

Examples of the home modifications which are available through Disability Advocates include installation of grab bars, railings, and lever-handled doorknobs and faucets, as well as the installation of adaptive equipment, such as non-slip strips for tub/shower or stairs, according to the announcement. These enhancements will enable older adults to remain in their homes — to “age in place” — rather than move to nursing homes or other assisted care facilities.

Working with persons with disabilities, for Disability Advocates of Kent County, is often just listening to client’s issues such as wheelchair access, and the working on solutions. (Supplied)

The HUD grant was awarded in August 2021. For the past several months Disability Advocates has been finalizing its project plan and is now sharing the information in the rural counties to find senior homeowners that could benefit from these services.

To qualify, recipients need to be age 62 or older, have proof of ownership for the dwelling they live in, and have income that does not exceed 80 percent of the median income for their area. For more detailed information visit Disability Advocates of Kent County at dakc.us.

“This is an exciting endeavor for our organization because, as our name implies, we focus on Kent County, but the same needs apply to our friends in neighboring counties, so we are eager to expand our reach with this programming,” Bulkowski said in supplied material. “We are very grateful to our state representatives who guided as through the application process.”

One of the governmental advocates for the Disability Advocates’ grant was Kent County’s U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer.

“I am pleased that HUD recognized the good work Disability Associates of Kent County does for our community, and I know their organization will use this award to improve the lives of seniors right here in West Michigan,” Rep. Meijer said in supplied material.

New facility but same goals

Providing home assessments and independent living solutions have long been a “cornerstone” of the 41-year-old organization and will continue to be a major portion of the services it intends to offer at is soon-to-open new headquarters.

In September 2021, Disability Advocates announced the Building Opportunities, Creating Independence campaign, a $2.5 million fundraising effort to move their headquarters to the Special Olympics campus. To date, the campaign has reached 90 percent of its goal and plans to move into its new space in late April 2022.

“We are on track to open for operations at SOMI (Special Olympics of Michigan) on May 2 … our community open house and ribbon cutting is May 12 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.,” Bulkowski said.

The opening of the new headquarters will also be the opening of a new Home Accessibility Center program.

The organization is using “a sizable portion of the campaign funding” to help cover construction of its Home Accessibility Center program, which will be the area’s first space where people with disabilities can explore ways to renovate and retrofit their homes so they can be more independent.

Peggy Helsel, development director for Disability Advocates of Kent County. (Supplied)

It will serve as a “test space” and showroom where persons with disabilities, their families, healthcare, and design professionals and building contractors to “explore options for a safer home, including models and adaptive equipment,” according to supplied material.

“The Home Accessibility Center is a response to a demonstrated need,” Peggy Helsel, development director for Disability Advocates, said in supplied material. “Often people ask, ‘What does that mean?’ when we talk about universal design and the home, we are giving people a real-life model home to experience what a universally-accessible space can look like.”

Kent County’s Sexual Assault Prevention Action Team a ‘Success Story’, but survey shows work yet to do

3-bottom, Community Health, Crime Prevention, Health, Our Cities, WKTV Projects, ,

By D.A. Reed, WKTV Contributing Writer 

Recent Kent County-led but community-wide efforts to prevent sexual violence, including a recent survey directing public education and team training efforts, are garnering excitement and hope in the healthcare field.

But everybody knows work still needs to be done.

The Sexual Assault Prevention Action Team of Kent County (SAPAT) is a coalition of Kent County’s individuals and organizations dedicated to the elimination of sexual violence. The team’s goal is to stop sexual assault before it starts by providing education, training, and events to the community that will help people understand how they can prevent sexual assault from occurring.

In order to maximize SAPAT’s effectiveness, a team was formed to create a survey of 38 questions that was put before the general public in the fall of 2021. The results of that survey effort were important and enlightening.

(Pxhere)

“Sexual violence is a real issue that can impact anyone. Our goal was to see what the perceptions and experiences of people in West Michigan were in regard to sexual violence,” Aaron Toffoli, leader of the survey workgroup, said to WKTV. “We wanted to see … if they had experienced some sort of sexual violence, how law enforcement responded, how organizations meant to serve people who have experienced sexual violence worked for those people — or didn’t. What did they do good, what they could improve? We really wanted to get an idea of any gaps that were existing.”

The purpose of the survey was to allow SAPAT to gain a bigger picture of what was going on in regard to sexual violence in Kent County to drive their strategic planning and fill those existing gaps.

Survey results revealed that community members, when rating the seriousness of the problem of sexual violence in West Michigan from 1 (not at all a problem) to 10 (a serious problem), responded with a the median value of 7. Educating community members about intervention and knowing what education people would need to feel more comfortable intervening in a situation or reporting a situation, is one of SAPAT’s goals.
 

The survey also covered certain stereotypes and generalizations that people have and often make about victims and perpetrators. One such common stereotype is looking down on victims because of how they dress or how much alcohol they consume.

Toffoli said the survey data revealed 55.8 percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the statement: “If a person is raped while they are drunk, they are at least somewhat responsible for what happened.”
 

That particular statistic showed Toffoli that “we have a lot of work to do to dispel these myths and instead hold the perpetrator responsible,” she said. “We believe that no matter what a victim does or does not do, the choice to perpetrate sexual violence is 100 percent up to the perpetrator.”

Information and action

“(People) don’t realize that anybody can be a victim, and it blinds them to the reality of things and makes them think that they, or people they know, can’t or won’t be a victim,” Toffoli said. “We wanted to assess how prevalent those myths were and what education might be needed to dispel those myths and to educate people on the proper ways to intervene, and empower them to be able to act appropriately and mitigate those issues before they even happen.”

Toffoli hopes the observations collected during the survey will help shape organizational policies after they have enough data to know the true impact of SAPAT’s efforts.

“We hope to do this survey on a regular basis, say every three years, in order to establish trends,” she said. “Once you get two or three (surveys) together, then you can establish trends and compare it with the work that you’re doing and see if it’s having an impact.”

Strategic plans will be determined by late spring or early summer, and SAPAT will begin working on implementing those plans over the next three years. They will then run the survey again to create a plan for the subsequent three years.

Toffoli also urges the community to get involved.

“People can help by advocating for laws that hold perpetrators accountable, and push for funding of programs that expand education and services … or those affected and those who are potential perpetrators as well, to help prevent them from becoming perpetrators,” she said.

SAPAT focuses on primary prevention — stopping sexual violence before it starts. “It really starts in the home,” Toffoli said, “and parents need to be informed and empowered to do that.”

Resources available to public

There are many resources and hotlines available to community members that allow opportunities to receive help, and information on how to help others in need.

Local Resources:

Safe Haven Ministries – 24/7 Hotline: (616) 452-6664

YWCA West Central Michigan – 24/7 Hotline: (616) 454-YWCA (9922)

Children’s Advocacy Center of Kent County – (616) 336-5160

State Resources:

Michigan Coalition to End Domestic & Sexual Violence – Hotline: (855) VOICES4

Michigan Mandated Reporter Online Reporting – (855) 444-3911

Michigan Sexual Assault Hotline – (855) VOICES4

National Resources:

National Domestic Violence Hotline – 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY)

Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Teen Resources:

Teen Relationship Violence: A Resource Guide for Increasing Safety – Ohio Domestic Violence Network

Love is Respect

Meijer Gardens 2022 concert series to feature a lot familiar, a little new and some love for the community

Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Recreation, Reviews, Upcoming Events, WKTV Projects,
How you know its summer … a concert at Meijer Gardens. (Supplied/William Hebert)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Getting back to a large degree of summertime normalcy in West Michigan, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park’s Fifth Third Bank Summer Concerts will have a June-thorough-September series of 33 shows that will bring “an eclectic group of artists” to the amphitheater — maybe the region’s premier open-air venue and still at an intimate 1,900 seat capacity despite the massive renovations at the park.

The concert line-up will feature some familiar local faces and sounds —Elvis’s glasses and ZZ’s beards, Lyle’s country twang and Spearhead’s reggae rock, to name drop just a few  — but also some fresh faces and, maybe, new sounds.

Andrew Bird and Sam Beam of Iron & Wine. (Supplied)

Amos Lee (he of “Worry No More”, the mantra-like lead single from his outstanding new Dreamland release) may be unfamiliar to many but not to those with an ear to where alt/pop music is headed next. And while Andrew Bird and his space fiddle are no strangers to Meijer Gardens, his concert with Iron & Wine will undoubtedly be as unique and memorable as was his 2019 visit before … well, you know.

And, oh ya, an acoustic evening with Trey Anastasio, the heart and soul and jamming master of Phish, will be nearest you’ll likely come to a tie-died Woodstock evening this summer. Breathe it in …

Tickets go on sale April 23 for members and May 7 to the general public (details to follow), and many concerts sell out quickly.

Decemberists. (Supplied)

And speaking of getting those sometimes hard-to-come-by tickets, in their concert season announcement, Meijer Gardens introduced its new Concerts for the Community initiative, sponsored by The Steve & Amy Van Andel Foundation in partnership with the Kent District Library. The program will provide concert tickets, food and transportation to “guests that may not otherwise have the opportunity” to attend a summer concert.

Concerts for the Community is designed exclusively for those “facing economic hardship and is meant to diversify community exposure to world-class live music,” according to the announcement.

“Concerts at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park are a favorite summer activity for our family,” said Amy Van Andel. “We are … excited to help others make memories and experience the joy an evening of outdoor live music can bring.”

2022 Fifth Third Bank Summer Concerts at Meijer Gardens lineup 

Drumroll please …
 

Amos Lee (Supplied)

The concert series kicks off in June with Marc Cohn + Blind Boys of Alabama on June 12, followed by the aforementioned Amos Lee with Neal Francis on June 17, a doubleheader sure to have you up and dancing with Fitz & The Tantrums + St. Paul & The Broken Bones on June 19, An Acoustic Evening with Trey Anastasio on June 20, and Old Crow Medicine Show on June 23.

Then — get ready for this —Trombone Shorty’s Voodoo Threauxdown featuring Tank and The Bangas, Big Freedia, Cyril Neville: The Uptown Ruler, George Porter Jr. and Dumpstaphunk performing the music of The Meters and The Soul Rebels, all on June 24. Oh what title; oh what a night!

Closing out June will be The Temptations with Kimmie Horne on June 26, and Bluegrass Happening featuring Bela Fleck & My Bluegrass Heart, Sam Bush & The Jerry Douglas Band on June 27.

ZZ Top. (Supplied)


The summer concert season really gets hot in July with Sheryl Crow with Allison Russell on July 3, Corinne Bailey Rae with War & Treaty on July 6, ZZ Top on July 7, O.A.R. on July 8, and the first of several concerts featuring the Grand Rapids Symphony, Five for Fighting with the symphony on July 13.


Annual visits by two always welcome summer music makers are next: Michael Franti & Spearhead with The New Respects on July 14, and Lyle Lovett and his Large Band on July 15, followed by Norah Jones on July 17, Rick Springfield with the Grand Rapids Symphony on July 20, Buddy Guy + John Hiatt on July 21, America on July 27, and Arturo Sandoval with the Grand Rapids Symphony on July 28.

Elvis Costello. (Supplied)


Elvis will be in the building to start August as Mr. Costello & The Imposters with Nicole Atkins will visit on Aug. 4, followed by Andrew Bird + Iron & Wine with Meshell Ndegeocello on Aug.5, The Dead South with Tejon Street Corner Thieves on Aug. 10, Lake Street Dive with Madison Cunningham on Aug. 12, with the The Beach Boys making it a beach party night on Aug. 15.

August closes out with The Decemberists — one of my favorite bands — Aug. 17,
Boz Scaggs with the Robert Cray Band on Aug. 22, and Umphrey’s McGee on Aug. 24.

The concert season will close strong in the fall with Emmylou Harris + Mary Chapin Carpenter on Sept. 1, Australian Pink Floyd — which is about the closest you can get to the Dark Side of the Moon these days — on Sept. 12, Goo Goo Dolls with Blue October, on Sept. 15, She & Him on Sept. 16, and (what a way to close the venue for the season) Foreigner: The Greatest Hits Tour on Sept. 18.

Trey Anastasio, in concert at Carnegie Hall in 2021. (Supplied/Rene Huemer)

The details, please

Gate and show start times vary. All information is subject to change. All shows will take place rain or shine, and weather delays are possible. Check MeijerGardens.org/concerts for more details.

There are a lot of details to getting tickets, so much so that Meijer Gardens has created an Insider’s Guide to Buying Tickets, available at MeijerGardens.org/concerts.
 

The bottom line is that Meijer Gardens members have a members-only presale beginning 9 a.m., April 23, through midnight, May 6. Sales to the public begin at 9 a.m., May 7. Ordering is online at Etix.com (preferred method) or by phone at 800-514-etix (3849), both with per-order handling fee.


Hint: Get a membership, for early tickets and free entry to the grounds any time. To join or renew a Meijer Gardens membership before April 23, visit MeijerGardens.org/membership or call the Membership Department at 616-977-7689.

Frederik Meijer Gardens

Rededication of Meijer Gardens Volunteer Tribute Garden features expansion of ‘The Tribute’

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Renovations to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park’s Volunteer Tribute Garden will soon see plantings come out of their winter stillness, and it will soon have an updated “The Tribute”, by Oliviero Rainaldi, on display. (WKTV.K.D. Norris)

By WKTV Staff

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park appreciates its volunteers enough to give them, and the general public, a Volunteer Tribute Garden with its own work of art — “The Tribute”, by famed Italian artist Oliviero Rainaldi and commissioned for the site.

So it is fitting that as the Gardens readies the competition of renovation, and pending rededication of the tribute garden, still located just outside the hallway leading to the  Lena Meijer Tropical Conservatory, part of the renovation will be an expanded version of  Rainaldi’s circular work.

Fifteen years after the dedication of the Volunteer Tribute Garden and Rainaldi’s original sculpture, both the space and the sculpture are getting a new look, according to an announcement from Meijer Gardens.

Renovations to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park’s Volunteer Tribute Garden will include an updated “The Tribute”, by Italian artist Oliviero Rainaldi, on display. (Supplied)

The Tribute and the Volunteer Tribute Garden will be rededicated Wednesday, April 20, in a special ceremony at 4 p.m., proceeded on April 19 by “A Conversation with Oliviero Rainaldi” at 7 p.m., in the Huizenga Grand Room.

“In 2006, Rainaldi was first commissioned to create a work of art to honor the thousands of volunteers who give their time and talents to Meijer Gardens,” according to the announcement. “As the buildings, garden spaces and number of volunteers at Meijer Gardens grow, so too did this sculpture.”

The artwork was temporarily removed to accommodate the redesign of the Volunteer Tribute Garden.

(Meijer Gardens is always seeking new volunteers, who are “Wanted. Needed. Appreciated.” with various jobs and shifts. For more information contact Valerie Maciejewski at vmaciejewski@meijergardens.org or 616-974-5221.)

Garden, artwork expanded but remains unique

Designed by Progressive AE and the Meijer Gardens horticulture team, the tribute garden has been expanded and redesigned to be more accessible and improve views of the wetland, sculpture and horticulture.
 

The tribute garden area update includes a new boardwalk area and outdoor classroom that extends on top of a wetland, “providing a great opportunity to teach guests about the importance of the natural environment, water and the ecosystem.”

And, according to the announcement, newly designed aluminum panels are being inserted into the interior of “The Tribute”.

“The exterior bronze panels poetically tell the stories of a diverse group of Meijer Gardens guest experiences,” according to the announcement. “The two interior panels incorporate stories of place and the emotion of love.”

Rainaldi describes the central curve as “the heart of the sculpture, which should be dedicated exclusively to Fred and Lena Meijer, creating an idealized place where horticulture and sculpture dialog together.”

Rainaldi, well known for his artwork focused on the human figure in a post-war and contemporary setting, “takes a linear approach that emphasizes humanity’s most ideal and essential qualities,” according to the announcement.

The structure brings viewers into a water scene, where they look up at the sky through reeds and will notice an aerial view of the Great Lakes, “as if looking down upon the Earth. Water has historically been symbolic of life, power, purity and strength.”

These elements together represent and pay tribute to Fred and Lena Meijer, to the natural beauty of West Michigan, and to the thousands of dedicated volunteers who have donated their time and talents, according to the announcement.

While “A Conversation with Oliviero Rainaldi” — a conversation with Meijer Gardens President & CEO David Hooker and Amber Oudsema, Curator of Arts Education — is included with admission, registration is required at: MeijerGardens.org/calendar.

‘Anchors Away’ — United States Navy Band to present free concert at Grand Rapids Christian School 

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  • The United States Navy Concert Band is scheduled to perform April 27 at Grand Rapids Christian School, and all performances are free and open to the public. (Supplied)
  • The United States Navy Concert Band is scheduled to perform April 27 at Grand Rapids Christian School, and all performances are free and open to the public. (Supplied)
  • The United States Navy Concert Band is scheduled to perform April 27 at Grand Rapids Christian School, and all performances are free and open to the public. (Supplied)
  • The United States Navy Concert Band is scheduled to perform April 27 at Grand Rapids Christian School, and all performances are free and open to the public. (Supplied)

By WKTV Staff

Anchors Aweigh, my boys, Anchors Aweigh.

Farewell to foreign shores, We sail at break of day.

America’s Navy is famous for many stories, in peace and in war, with the medals and ribbons over their hearts, and stripes on their arms, telling a Navy man/woman’s story all by themselves.

And inspirational music, patriotic music, just plain fun music is one of the ways to tell those stories.

Part of that storytelling is the United States Navy Band, coming to Grand Rapids later this month as one of 13 cities spanning six states to host a performance during the group’s 2022 tour.

“For many years, Navy bands have been where it matters, when it matters, just like the rest of our Navy,” Capt. Kenneth Collins, U.S. Navy Band commanding officer, said in supplied material. “Today, we have Sailors performing around the world, improving relations with our allies abroad as well as telling the Navy story here at home.”

The United States Navy Concert Band will be telling its stories April 27, at 7:30 p.m., at Grand Rapids Christian School’s Richard and Helen DeVos Center for Arts and Worship. This concert, like all Navy Band performances, is free and open to the public.

The U.S. Navy Concert Band is the premier wind ensemble of the U.S. Navy. As the original ensemble of the Navy Band, the Concert Band has been performing public concerts and participating in high-profile events for more than 95 years, according to promotional material. The band performs a wide array of marches, patriotic selections, orchestral transcriptions and modern wind ensemble repertoire.

One of the U.S. Navy Band’s primary responsibilities involves touring the country.

All of the band’s primary performing units embark each year on concert tours throughout specified regions of the country, allowing the band to reach out to audiences in areas of the country that do not have opportunities to see the Navy’s premier musical ensembles on a regular basis. The concerts are family-friendly events, meant to be entertaining to veterans, families, individuals and those interested in joining the Navy.

The U.S. Navy Band, based at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., is the “flagship” musical organization of the Navy and one of 11 Navy bands located around the world.
 

The Navy Band has been touring the country since 1925. Sailors in the Navy Band are full-time professional musicians, and almost all of the Sailors in the Navy Band have undergraduate degrees in music, and most have graduate degrees.

For more information on the band visit U.S. Navy Concert Band. For more information on the concert visit here.

On seven seas we learn, Navy’s stern call

Faith, courage, service true, with honor, over honor, over all.

St. Cecilia Music Center to host “Jazz Party” Delfeayo Marsalis and his Uptown Jazz Orchestra this week

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It will be (jazz) party time at St. Cecilia Music Center his week with Delfeayo Marsalis (center) and his Jazz Orchestra in concert. (Supplied/Zac Smith)

By Philip Janowski, WKTV Contributing Writer

St. Cecilia Music Center will be hosting a Jazz Party this week, and what a band to be partying to — acclaimed trombonist, composer and producer Delfeayo Marsalis and his Uptown Jazz Orchestra — as the final concert of the venue’s 2021-22 jazz series on Thursday, April 14.

 

Delfeayo Marsalis will be leading his Uptown Jazz Orchestra. (Supplied)

Marsalis’ style “promotes the optimism and progressive musical thought coexisting in modern New Orleans jazz,” according to supplied promotional material.

“What the country and the world need now more than ever is some good New Orleans music to give everyone a little joy,” Marsalis said in a published interview with Voice of OC.

Tickets for the concert are still available and can be purchased online at scmc-online.org or by calling St. Cecilia Music Center at 616-459-2224.

 

Featuring as many as 18 accomplished musicians, the Uptown Jazz Orchestra “sets the global standard for celebrating jazz in its authentic musical form,” according to promotional material, “inspiring the next generation of jazz musicians, and promoting a culture of diversity, inclusion and accessibility in the arts.”

Oh, ya. And they love a good jazz party.

Marsalis and a family of jazz

Delfeayo Marsalis has dedicated his prolific career to music theater and education. As part of the Marsalis family of musicians, which included the patriarch of “America’s first family of jazz”, his late father, Ellis, the artist was destined to a life in music.

Delfeayo Marsalis, with his instrument of choice. (Supplied/Zac Smith)

Marsalis has toured internationally with jazz legends such as Ray Charles, Art Blakey, Max Roach, Elvin Jones and Slide Hampton. At the age of 17, Marsalis began his career as a producer and has to date produced over 120 recordings garnering a Grammy award and several nominations.

When it came to being the trombone player of the family, Delfeayo has often said it “kind of suited our personality,” as his dad was playing piano and two of his brothers (Wynton on trumpet and Branford on tenor sax) were soloists already.

Delfeayo Marsalis has a dual Bachelor’s degree in Music performance and Production from the Berklee College of Music, and a Masters in Jazz Performance from the University of Louisville, as well as a doctorate from the New England College. 

Health and Safety Requirements

According to supplied material, St. Cecilia currently requires proof of fully vaccinated status, or a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours, to attend a concert at the SCMC venue. Attendees need to bring photo ID and proof of vaccination, or a negative test, the night of a concert. Home tests are not accepted. All patrons will be required to wear a mask while in the building for the duration of the concert.

If patrons have tickets to an upcoming performance and are unwilling or unable to abide by this policy, please contact the SCMC box office for a refund at kelly@scmc-online.org a minimum of 48 hours prior to the concert date.

Inspirational stories run deep as City of Kentwood, Hanger Clinic host Limb Loss Awareness 5K April 30

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The City of Kentwood is again partnering with Hanger Clinic to host the fourth Limb Loss Awareness 5K, all-ages and all-abilities event, on Saturday, April 30. (Supplied)

WKTV Staff


There will be plenty of inspirational people and inspirational stories running around the City of Kentwood later this month — including local woman and double leg amputee Beth Lowman — as the city will again host a special community event in recognition of Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month.

Kentwood is again partnering with Hanger Clinic, to host the fourth Limb Loss Awareness 5K on Saturday, April 30. The all-ages and all-abilities event will begin with packet pickup at 9 a.m. at Bowen Station Park, 4499 Bowen Blvd. SE, followed by the race at 10 a.m.

The event seeks to increase awareness of limb loss, build community and raise funds for Kentwood’s adaptive recreation programs. These programs “empower people with various disabilities to participate in athletic activities in an adapted way to allow for a safe and fun experience,” according to the announcement.

Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department program coordinator Katelyn Bush and one of her Adaptive Recreation participants at 2021 The Vibe event. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

“Our Limb Loss Awareness 5K is more than a typical race,” Katelyn Bush, Kentwood recreation program coordinator, said in supplied material. “In addition to health and wellness, this run is focused on inclusivity, awareness, relationships and making a difference in our local community. We are thrilled this educational event has continued to grow in popularity since it began in 2018.”

All profits from the event will go toward improving and expanding the city’s adaptive recreation programs to encourage health and wellness, socialization and excellent quality of life for all. The programs – offered in collaboration with community partners – enable participants to enjoy the benefits that come with any athletic or recreational activity, such as a sense of camaraderie, improved confidence and new skills. To learn more visit kentwood.us/adaptive.
 

The accessible race route includes sections of the East-West and Paul Henry-Thornapple trails as well as a boardwalk — a “scenic spring route filled with woodlands, wetlands and wildlife.”
 

Online registration is available at RunSignUp.com. Registration is $35 through April 29. Race day registration is $45. Participants will receive a long sleeve t-shirt and swag bag as part of their registration. Packet pickup will also be available in advance of the event at the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE, during business hours beginning at noon Wednesday, April 27.
 

The kid-friendly event will also include a 1-mile fun run for children ages 12 and younger at 11 a.m. along the same route. The kids race costs $10 per child and includes a T-shirt and finisher ribbon. There is also a playground at the park for children to enjoy.

Beth’s story of resilience, resolve

Beth Lowman, a 35-year-old local woman who has experienced bilateral limb loss, will share her story at the Limb Loss Awareness 5K.

Six years ago, Lowman was an active, athletic mom whose life was turned upside down when she developed dystonia, a disorder that causes muscles to involuntarily contract, in her left foot and ankle, according to supplied material.

Beth Lowman, a 35-year-old local woman who has experienced bilateral limb loss, will share her story at the Limb Loss Awareness 5K. (Supplied)

She was unable to walk and, after several unsuccessful treatments, chose amputation. In February 2020, her left leg was amputated below the knee and she was able to walk for the first time in four years using a uniquely custom-designed bent-knee prosthesis fit by her prosthetic team at Hanger Clinic in Byron Center.

But after a fall in January 2021, Lowman developed dystonia in her right foot and ankle, and underwent the amputation of her right leg below the knee in July 2021. Despite the new challenge, she continued to push forward, learning to walk again on two prosthetic feet this time.

And on those two prosthetic feet, combined with personal goal and a support system around her, she plans to walk across the finish line at the Kentwood 5K.

Beth Lowman, with her family. (Supplied)

“I continuously remind myself that although my life turned out differently than I planned, my life as an amputee is still vibrant and active,” Lowman said in supplied material. “It is important to celebrate the small and large victories, because those are what makes life flourishing.

“I will forever see my life as a victory if I keep setting goals for myself and celebrating each step forward. The world wasn’t made for amputees, but it doesn’t mean we can’t flourish, cheer each other on and set the world ablaze with our successes!”

More than just a 5K run

Phil Tower, a West Michigan radio personality, amputee and advocate for people with disabilities, will serve as the DJ at the Limb Loss Awareness 5K.

Race organizers are also seeking volunteers for the event. Those interested may sign up at RunSignUp.com. Four first-place awards will be given to the first adult men and women amputees and nonamputees who cross the finish line. More information is available at kentwood.us/LimbLoss5K.

The City of Kentwood is again partnering with Hanger Clinic to host the fourth Limb Loss Awareness 5K, all-ages and all-abilities event, on Saturday, April 30. (Supplied)

This year’s event will also include educational components and a peer support table. These resources will enable participants and attendees to learn more about amputation, prosthetics and orthotics. They also will connect individuals who have experienced limb loss or limb difference with one another, enabling them to provide support and build relationships.

The event will also feature several informational booths from various sponsors, including ACV Centers, Airway Mobility and Rehab, Buist Electric, Creative Mobility Group, Hunt 2 Heal, ITC Incorporated, Life Beyond Barriers Rehabilitation group, Mercury Labs, Inc., Muskegon Surgical Associates, New Wave Prosthetics, Proteor USA, Spectrum Health Inpatient Rehabilitation Center and Summit Labs LLC.

“We want people who are experiencing limb loss or limb difference to know they are not alone,” Nikki Stoner, Hanger Clinic care coordinator, said in supplied material. “There is a community here to welcome them and support them through their journey. This event gives us an opportunity to raise awareness and connect those experiencing limb loss and limb difference with resources and others in the community.”

Hanger Clinic, a local prosthetic and orthotic patient care provider, will also feature a memorial activity for Winter, the dolphin with a prosthetic tail who made her movie debut in “Dolphin Tale” on Sept. 23, 2011. Winter lost her tail after it became entangled in a crab trap in 2005.

In 2006, Kevin Carroll, an expert prosthetist and vice president of prosthetics at Hanger Clinic, fit Winter with a prosthetic tail that allowed her to swim again.

Winter died in November 2021 following an intestinal abnormality. This year’s event will feature a card-making station to celebrate the dolphin’s life. The cards will be sent to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida where an ongoing memorial is offered to honor her legacy.

Female veterans, facing often unfair conditions on duty and at home, have local advocates, support

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  • Veteran Jurgen Nitzsche produced this work as part of veterans art project which led to the Yellow Ribbon ArtPrize entry. (Supplied/Pamela Alderman)
  • Zaneta Adams, Director of the MVAA, Judge Rosemarie Aqualina, and two attendees of Kent County Veterans Services’ 2021 Banquet for Female Veterans. (Supplied)
  • An attendee making art at one of Kent County Veterans Services’ women veterans events. (Supplied)
  • Colorful art and colorful veteran at one of Kent County Veterans Services’ women veterans events. (Supplied)
  • Local female veterans at a “female only” retreat early this year. (KC Veterans Services)

By D.A. Reed, WKTV Contributing Writer

Fair treatment for women serving on American military active duty, and as veterans, has been battle fought for decades — often with unsatisfactory results.

And while many local female veterans continue to fight against unfair treatment — including local veteran and advocate Theresa Robinson — several Kent County organizations and individuals strive to help female veterans and their families receive the acknowledgement and support they deserve.

Devoted specifically to supporting “all” veterans, Kent County Veterans Services (KCVS) has served the veterans of Kent County since 2008, connecting them with resources in the community as well as providing them with assistance in obtaining benefits they are entitled to from all levels of government.

And, in recent years, KCVS has focused heavily on female veterans and their needs.

“Our continued emphasis is going to be on making female veterans feel comfortable and welcome and helping them to recognize that they may be eligible for benefits, which is the primary part of what we do,” Martha Burkett, manager of KCVS, said to WKTV. “A lot of them don’t even know they have them.”

Burkett continued by saying that applying to the federal government for their benefits is often harder than the government claims. “It’s not easy to do the application process or follow it through. If they can deny you, they will deny you.”

Requests can be kicked back if forms are not filled out properly, for not providing adequate documentation, or not using the right words.

“That’s why the services we offer through our office are so important,” Burkett said. “The Veterans Services officers know all of that. They are trained and certified to do that work. We can do that for veterans on their behalf and make the process a lot smoother and easier for them.”

KCVS has been striving to expand their services to female veterans, not only assisting with benefits but providing help and engagement opportunities for veterans in different ways.

A semi-formal banquet in July celebrates female veterans annually, while a year-round wellness program offers yoga classes, art therapy, and various other opportunities for women.

Equine assisted therapy retreats with programing specifically for female veterans has also been made available since 2019. KCVS has also used grant money to facilitate a recreation program that includes kayaking, hiking, and other activities specifically for women.

For some, working to support veterans — all veterans — is personal.

  • Theresa Robinson at Kent County airport with other veterans welcoming home active duty military members. (Supplied)
  • Theresa Robinson, at Kent County Airport, arriving home from boot camp. (Supplied)
  • A veteran married to a veteran, Theresa and George Robinson. (Supplied)
  • Theresa Robinson, left, is active in many veterans organizations and efforts. (Supplied)
  • Theresa Robinson — veteran, veterans advocate, local businesswoman. (Supplied)

Individual issues but often common cause

Theresa Robinson, veteran, veteran advocate, and current realtor for 616 Realty, served her country in the U.S. Navy as a personnel specialist from 1974 through 1976, and has remained active in the efforts to bring fair treatment and recognition to women serving on active duty and to female veterans.

Robinson told WKTV she personally experienced the hardship of obtaining benefits, having a claim rejected and being told by other veterans that for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), “This is normal procedure … You just have to keep going back.”

“It’s sad because … any veteran deserves that care and earned that care,” Robinson said. “It should not be so hard.”

KCVS is also only one of many resources available to female veterans, Robinson pointed out, citing groups such as the American Legion, the Kent County Veterans Honor Guard, and the United Veterans Council of Kent County as great avenues for helping veterans and their families.

Robinson has served in all three organizations as a way to continue her service to other veterans and the country she loves.

“As a Vietnam Era veteran, I saw the treatment of veteran and active duty during that time in history and it motivated me to want to make a difference in how veterans are perceived to the public,” Robinson said. “Female veterans need to know if they go to the VA for health reasons, be it mental or physical heath, they can count on the VA being equipped to handle females and their needs.

“And female veterans need to know they are not alone … others that have served have experienced many of the same things they did and are there (to support) each other.”

Burkett also believes female veterans need to know there is support out there for them.

“Women have always been less likely to come forward,” Burkett said.

From fear of their careers being derailed if they speak up, to diving back into their civilian roles of mother and wife, to not realizing their problems could be combat-related, women have often kept silent.

“No matter the arena, women are less likely to present for treatment than men,” Burkett said.

Historic issues still present

Over the years, seeing so little change for women who serve is frustrating for Robinson.

“I should not be hearing from anyone 48 years after I served that behaviors unbecoming a military active member are still happening today,” Robinson said. “We and the military are better than this.”

To see that change happen, however, Robinson believes the community must get involved.

“It’s not only veterans that have to ask the VA and our government to be accountable to veterans. The general public needs to do that too,” she said. “The general public needs to tell their government officials that we belong — as human beings, as citizens of the United States of America.”

Robinson also thinks that despite changes, the VA system still needs improvement — “There has got to be a better system for reviewing claims when they come in.”

Most of all, it is important to Robinson that female veterans are “seen, recognized, and appreciated.” And that male and female veterans will be recognized as one group.

“I long for the day when I can speak on and about veterans,” Robinson said, “and not have to differentiate when speaking, female or male veteran.”

Some other groups support female veterans

Robinson speaks highly of the women veteran’s outreach campaign, She Is a Veteran.

“She Is a Veteran is all about empowering female veterans,” Robinson said. “We want female veterans to know they can make a difference in government, in real estate, in teaching, in their everyday lives.”

Women can also learn about advocacy for themselves and their community by attending the Michigan Women Veterans Conference in Lansing, scheduled for June 10-11, sponsored by the Michigan Women Veterans Coalition. Michigan Women Veterans Conference questions can be directed to Erika Hoover, Women Veterans and Special Populations Coordinator, Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency, 517-230-6090, HooverE2@michigan.gov.

Other resources and events for female veterans include:

“Woman Veteran Strong”

Theresa Robinson, Veteran and Advocate

Virtual Art Workshop with ArtPrize Artist Pamela Alderman

KCVS Events Calendar

‘Eat. Drink. Be Merry!’ wine-tasting fundraiser at St. Cecilia Music Center returning April 16

Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Local Food, Recreation, Restaurants, Upcoming Events, WKTV Projects, ,
  • Scene from the 2019 “Eat. Drink. Be Merry!” annual fundraising event hosted by Martha’s Vineyard to benefit St. Cecilia Music Center. (Supplied)
  • Scene from the 2019 “Eat. Drink. Be Merry!” annual fundraising event hosted by Martha’s Vineyard to benefit St. Cecilia Music Center. (Supplied)
  • Scene from the 2019 “Eat. Drink. Be Merry!” annual fundraising event hosted by Martha’s Vineyard to benefit St. Cecilia Music Center. (Supplied)
  • Scene from the 2019 “Eat. Drink. Be Merry!” annual fundraising event hosted by Martha’s Vineyard to benefit St. Cecilia Music Center. (Supplied)

By WKTV Staff

After a two-year hiatus due to pandemic restrictions, “Eat. Drink. Be Merry!”, an annual fundraising event hosted by Martha’s Vineyard to benefit St. Cecilia Music Center, will return Saturday, April 16, from 6 to 9 p.m.

St. Cecilia Music Center. (WKTV)

In past years, the fundraiser has brought more than 300 people to participate in wine-tasting, food sampling and a silent auction on three floors of the historic St. Cecilia Music Center (SCMC) building, according to an announcement from St. Cecilia.

“As an important fundraiser for SCMC, we’re grateful to Martha’s Vineyard for standing by us during these difficult times, and now bringing back this wonderful event to help fund our music and educational programs,” Cathy Holbrook, executive and artistic director, said in supplied material. “As a (non-profit) 501(C) 3 organization we depend on generous funding and donations.”

Eat. Drink. Be Merry! will include over 100 varietals of wines from around the world sold at Martha’s Vineyard. During the event, wine experts and vendors will present the wines and provide information. “Hearty hors d’oeuvres” will be served by Catering by Martha’s and Nantucket Baking Company.

Musical entertainment and a silent auction will also be a part of the festivities. The silent auction will focus on food and wine items donated by local restaurants and other businesses.

Eat. Drink. Be Merry! will be held at St. Cecilia, 24 Ransom NE, downtown Grand Rapids/ Tickets are $50 per person. Advance tickets can be purchased online at scmc-online.org, or by calling St. Cecilia Music Center at 616-459-2224.

City of Kentwood, Georgetown Seniors to host annual ‘Spotlight on Seniors Expo’ April 19

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Graphic from City of Kentwood promotional material.

By WKTV Staff

The City of Kentwood and Georgetown Seniors are inviting community members to have lunch and celebrate successful aging by connecting with resources from as many as 50 vendors, as well as free health screenings, at the 23rd annual Spotlight on Seniors Expo on Tuesday, April 19.

The free indoor event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE. For more information visit kentwood.us/events. Vendor space is still available. For more information, contact Ann Przybysz at 616-656-5284 or przybysza@kentwood.us.

The vendors will include a variety of senior-oriented businesses, the free health screenings will include blood pressure, posture, grip strength and mental health, and there will be door prizes as well as free snacks and lunch.

“The Spotlight on Seniors Expo is a meaningful way for seniors and other community members to come together in celebration of successful aging and to learn about local resources that support healthy lifestyles,” Kentwood Recreation Program Coordinator Ann Przybysz aid in supplied material. “Our partnership with Georgetown Seniors and our event sponsors is key to the long-term success of this community favorite.”

Participating vendors include professionals knowledgeable in everything from physical therapy and assisted living to home improvement and health care.

“Staying active, healthy and connected is paramount to our senior neighbors,” Pam Haverdink, director of the Georgetown Senior Center, said in supplied material. “We are pleased to partner with Kentwood Seniors and we are grateful to the vendors who help make it happen.”

Eyeing needs at junior high, Wyoming Public Schools seek district voter approval of ‘no property tax increase’ bond

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Wyoming Public Schools graphic of changes planned for the junior high building. (Supplied)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

In November 2017, Wyoming Public Schools district voters approved a bond proposal which transformed Wyoming High School, and accomplished much needed modernization of other schools and district buildings.

Wyoming Public Schools high school building classroom after the 2017 bond funded improvements. (Supplied)

With those priority projects done, or set to be done this summer, the district is looking at more needed district infrastructure work, especially at Wyoming Junior High School, and not just needed upgrades but again “transforming” the educational setting for district students.

To do that, the district is seeking a bond renewal on the May 3, 2022, ballot which would allow it to gain additional funds while having no property tax increase over the current rate for district residents.

(District property tax payers could actually see a decrease in total property tax with passage May 3 of the City of Wyoming’s Proposals 1 & 2, which are the city’s proposed income tax and millage reduction proposals for funding of the Wyoming’s Police, Fire and Parks & Recreation Departments.)

Wyoming Public Schools Superintendent Craig Hoekstra. (Supplied)

“If approved, the current (WPS bonding renewal) proposal would provide an additional $24.9 million for comprehensive renovations and the partial reconstruction of Wyoming Junior High School, a facility that has not seen major structural improvements in nearly forty-three years,” Wyoming Public Schools Superintendent Craig Hoekstra said district informational material on the bond proposal. “And just like in 2017, if passed, this proposal will not raise the property tax rate above the current rate. The current millage rate (which has remained the same since 2016 and is currently lower than 14 of 20 Kent County school districts) would be extended into the future.”

The 2017 bond, according to Superintendent Hoekstra, “paved the way to remodel and reconstruct outdated buildings throughout the District; bring them up to code; and improve security, air quality, and technology.”

But with funds set aside from the 2017 bond approval, the district could only lightly renovate portions of the junior high.

“Having experienced the successful transformation of the High School, the District is asking the community to consider improvements to the Junior High as extensive as those made at Wyoming High School,” Hoekstra said.

 

Wyoming Public Schools photos of some of the problems with the junior high building. (Supplied)

Renovations and improvements to the junior high to be funded by the bond renewal include, according the district, modern learning environments, new furniture, and integrated technology; adequate lab spaces and equipment; improved air quality; replacement of failing building systems (such as roofing, plumbing, and electrical) to become energy efficient and meet modern building codes; and site improvements to traffic flow, aging parking lots, and athletic facilities.

To learn more about the 2022 bond proposal, and to see images of the work completed to date with funds from the 2017 bond, visit wyomingps2022.com.

According to ballot information from the Kent County Elections Office, the estimated millage that will be levied for the proposed bonds in 2023, is 0.94 ($0.94 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a 0 mill net increase over the prior year’s levy.

How and when to vote on the bond renewal

All registered voters can either vote in person on Election Day or send in an absentee ballot. Absentee ballots became available March 19, and must be returned by May 3 at 8 p.m. You can request an absentee ballot by contacting the City Clerk’s Office online or by phone.

In-person voting will take place on May 3 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the polling location designated by the city. You will need to bring your voter ID.

If you’re not registered to vote, you have a few options to become registered to vote in this election: By mail on or before April 18; online at michigan.gov/vote on or before April 18; in person at the City of Wyoming City Clerk’s office through May 3.

Suzanne Ramljak, UM grad with Guggenheim experience, joins Meijer Gardens as chief curator

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Susanne Ramljak, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park Chief Curator. (Supplied)

By WKTV Staff

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park has appointed a new Chief Curator: Suzanne Ramljak, “a seasoned curator and art historian,” and a graduate of University of Michigan who has worked at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the institution announced Tuesday, March 29.

Ramljak, who started work March 28, will oversee Meijer Gardens’ expanding exhibition programing and acquisitions for the permanent collection. She joins an art team at the Gardens which includes Laurene Grunwald, Director of Sculpture, Art Collections, Exhibitions. Jochen Wierich, Assistant Curator and Researcher, has resigned his position as of the end of April, according to Meijer Gardens.
 

“In this newly created position, she (Ramljak) will lead our efforts to acquire and site sculpture and to curate engaging sculpture exhibitions,” David Hooker, Meijer Gardens President & CEO, said in supplied material. “Ramljak is ideally suited to help us realize Fred Meijer’s desire to create a world-class sculpture program. In addition, in this role she will serve as an officer of the institution.”

Ramljak comes to Meijer Gardens from the American Federation of Arts in New York City, where as curator for 10 years she organized numerous traveling museum exhibitions. Her own exhibition projects have centered on modern and contemporary sculpture, including “Natural Wonders: The Sublime in Contemporary Art”, “Case Studies: Art in a Valise” and the forthcoming “Mark Dion and Alexis Rockman: Journey to Nature’s Underworld.”

Ramljak has also worked in the curatorial departments of the Guggenheim, as well as the Detroit Institute of Arts and University of Michigan Museum of Art.

“I am delighted to join the outstanding team at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park to advance the mission of inspiring appreciation of sculpture and the natural environment,” Ramljak said in supplied material. “It is my fortune to be arriving during a time of impressive growth at Meijer Gardens and at a moment in our culture when the bracing forces of art and nature are more essential than ever.”

Meijer Gardens recently underwent a major $115 million expansion project that adds new major architectural features and renovations to current facilities.

A Michigan native, Ramljak earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in art history from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she also served as arts writer for the Ann Arbor News, according to the Meijer Gardens announcement. Ramljak pursued doctoral work and earned a Master of Philosophy in art history from the Graduate School, City University of New York, with dissertation research on the Venus de Milo in 20th-century art.

Along with her broad curatorial background, Ramljak has extensive publishing and writing experience. She was editor of Sculpture magazine for five years and held the editorship of Glass Quarterly and Metalsmith magazines. Ramljak has published widely on contemporary art.

Her writing on sculpture includes monographic essays on artists Louise Bourgeois, Michele Oka Doner, John Grade and Beverly Penn, among others. She has authored several books including “On Body and Soul: Contemporary Armor to Amulets” and, most recently, “Loaded: Guns in Contemporary Art”.

May 3 proposal could double fire department staffing, reduce response times

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By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

Currently there are 27 Wyoming firefighters. The department is down by 8 employees from 2000. (WKTV)

In the early morning hours of Jan. 25, the Wyoming Fire Department was called to a house fire on Canal Ave and shortly after, the department received a second call of a fire at the 28th Street Taco Bell.

“Thankfully another shift was on,” said Wyoming Chief Kim Koster. “The Taco Bell fire occurred at 6:30 a.m. Our next shift came on at 7 a.m., so we did have another shift of firefighters who could respond, and they were assisted by other departments.

“But what if we didn’t have that other shift coming on at that time?”

More than likely, a department from a neighboring city, such as Grandville, Grand Rapids, or Kentwood, would have been called. In fact, the City of Wyoming has had to call on those three cities 165 times in 2021 while in the same year providing return assistance 23 times.

The tide needs to turn, Koster said, adding “We need to provide mutual aid in the same manner that we receive it.”

The City of Wyoming is hoping to double its firefighting staffing from 27 to 54 and added 13 police officers and a crime analyst through two proposals on the May 3 ballot. The first proposal would be an income tax of up to 1 percent for city residents and up to .5 percent for non-residents such as commuters who work in the city. In the second proposal, the city is seeking to reduce its property tax by about 58 percent, from around 12 mills to 5. Both proposals must pass to take effect.

The passage would generate about $6 million for the city, of which $5.4 million would be dedicated to the Wyoming Department of Public Safety, which houses the city’s police and fire.

 

How would the city gain revenue if the property tax would go down? According to City Manager Curtis Holt at the March 24 income tax public information meeting, according to the U.S. Census there are about 34,000 non-Wyoming residents who work in the City of Wyoming who currently contribute zero toward the city roads or services. Through the first proposal, those residents would contribute up to a .5 percent of their income. City staff has estimated the total revenue raised from the income tax would be about $6 million annually with $3.3 million dedicated to the fire department, $2.1 million to the police department, and $600,000 to the parks.

With the additional $3.3 million, the City of Wyoming would be able to hire an additional 27 firefighters. This would add about 9 firefighters per shift and the city would be able to fully staff all four of its fire stations. Currently only two of the stations, Gezon and 36th Street, are fully staffed; however emergency calls are evenly distributed throughout the city, Koster said.

The city received about 7,155 calls in 2021, which is about 265 calls for service per firefighter. With the additional firefighters, calls for service per firefighter would decrease to around 133. In neighboring Kentwood, calls for service per firefighter is about 121. Kentwood has 42 firefighters serving a population of 51,898. The City of Grand Rapids has 195 firefighters serving a population of 201,013 with calls for service per firefighter around 123. Holt pointed out that this shows that Wyoming’s firefighters are answering a lot of calls.

The Wyoming Fire Department answered 7,155 calls in 2021, averaging 265 calls for service per firefighter. (WKTV)

The additional 27 firefighters would allow the city to fully staff all four of its stations, Koster said, adding that in return this would mean faster response times.

“Right now, we have to send our resources to where the calls are,” Koster said during the March 24 informational meeting. “Sometimes we have to send them all away across the city and then a call comes out from where they just came from. So then again, we have to send a unit from this side of the city all the way back. So our response times are higher that way.”

There would be more firefighters on each shift, again increasing response times along with providing enough officers to answer more than one call at a time. More officers not only increases the safety of residents but of the firefighters as well.

“Right now, we don’t have enough firefighters in the City of Wyoming to enter a burning building,” Koster said, adding that the rule is you have to have two out for the two going in a burning structure so the two out can rescue the two in if something happens.

Lastly, the increased staffing would reduce Wyoming’s dependence on mutual aid.

“It won’t eliminate it,” Koster said, adding that there will be times when another city’s department has to be called.

“It would increase the number of firefighters on each shift so when we have those structure fires we can handle them alone or at least leave some of those units available for some of those medical calls,” she said.

To learn more about the two May 3 proposals, visit wyomingmi.gov/FundingFortheFuture. The next informational meeting on the two proposals is April 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the KDL Wyoming Branch, 3350 Michael Ave. SW. 

Local man shares passion of ghost hunting to help educate, understand

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By Wayne Thomas
Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters

Wayne Thomas with Brandon Hoezee on a past episode of the Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters. (WKTV)

South West Michigan has a rich history when it comes to haunted locations, ghost stories, local urban legends, and paranormal folklore. Certain people and groups have separated themselves from the public mainstream, dedicating their time to chasing shadows during long nights of tedious investigations.

Many of the people pursuing the paranormal have had mysterious experiences at an early age. Brandon Hoezee had his first paranormal experience as an adolescent in his own home. It was there he saw haunting shadowy apparitions and it wouldn’t be the last time he would see ghosts. Hoezee began researching the paranormal early on and progressed to co-founding Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters, where he spent more than a decade investigating 100-plus private and residential locations.

Wanting to be more than a ghost hunter and recognizing the historical significance of some of the haunted locations, Hoezee created another team called Kent County Paranormal. This team adopted a vision with the intent of training new members to investigate not only ghosts but UFOs, Bigfoot, Dogman and other cryptids, lake monsters, and even elemental entities.

For the last two years Hoezee has gone to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for Bigfoot training with Rich Meyer and Jim Sherman of UPBSRO or the Upper Peninsula Bigfoot Sasquatch Research Organization. Currently Hoezee is producing and hosting WKTV’s, Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters Podcast as well as Hoezee Paranormal History Productions YouTube channel.

Brandon Hoezee has received training from the Upper Peninsula Bigfoot Sasquatch Research Organization. (pxhere.com)

As a ghost hunter, Hoezee reports his top three favorite haunted locations and investigations were at Nick Fink’s in Comstock Park, the Old Allegan County Jail Museum, and the LST 393 World War II Navy Ship, docked in Muskegon.

Nick Fink’s, the oldest bar in Grand Rapids and part of the Gilmore Collection, was first established in 1888 as Riversite Hotel but it has been a bar, hotel, barber shop, post office, and rumored to be a brothel as well as wakes being performed at the location. Another rumor has it that Al Capone would frequent Nick Fink’s and his name can be found on an old registry. It was also rumored that Nick Fink’s was haunted. Hoezee and the Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters have investigated Nick Fink’s several times, provided guided tours, ghost dinners, presentations, and annual Halloween parties.

Through the years, Hoezee has compiled several ghost voices, EVP’s or electronic voice phenomenon at this location. Team members names were often heard as EVP’s and several recordings suggest one spirit talking to another spirit and Hoezee even heard “Help” with just his ears, no electronic device used to enhance it. Recorded evidence suggests multiple ghosts may be haunting Nick Fink’s; one male (Larry or Ed), one older woman (Maggie or Clair), one child ghost with the Fink family name “Michael.” Ghosts have even been recorded whistling the song “Oh Susanna” at Nick Fink’s.

Just rumors right?  Be careful not to offend, judge, or disrespect the noisy dead!  

West Michigan native, Kentwood favorite, singer/songwriter to perform in Kentwood’s final Winter series concert March 31

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Nicholas James Thomasma will bring his VW van full of music to Kentwood’s Winter Concert Series this week. (He won’t actually bring the van into the library!) (Supplied)

By D.A. Reed, WKTV Contributing Writer

Singer-songwriter Nicholas James Thomasma, no stronger to the stage of Kentwood city concerts, will bring his family-friendly mix of Americana, folk, country, and rock music to the final Winter Concert Series show this week.

The City of Kentwood’s free-to-the-public concert is set for Thursday, Mar. 31, at the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE.

The songwriter, talking to WKTV, said he plans to combine stories and songs, creating an atmosphere that can be enjoyed by all ages.

“What we do, as musicians … everything centers around gathering people together for experiences,” Thomasma said. “My music is applicable to, and can appeal to, all ages.”

The concert will take place in the library’s Community Room, from 6:30-8 p.m., and guests are invited to bring their own beer, wine, or nonalcoholic beverages to enjoy during the show. Also available will be food from El Jalapeño, a local food truck featuring Mexican cuisine.

Though the singer frequently plays with a 6-piece band, The Bandwagon, Thomasma will be performing as a solo artist at the Kentwood show, incorporating acoustic guitar and harmonica into his performance, often playing both instruments at the same time.

Nicholas James Thomasma with his big band, Bandwagon. (Supplied)

A singer/songwriter’s journey

Thomasma’s journey into the music world began when the artist was in his twenties. Working as a radio DJ, Thomasma’s conversations with other musicians led him to the realization that he was on “the wrong side of the board.”

“What I really wanted to do was play music,” said Thomasma. “I started learning guitar. Almost as soon as I started learning how to play guitar, I started writing my own songs.”

When asked what inspires the songwriter and shapes his music, Thomasma said that he never forces his songs into a particular category.

“When I write songs, I try to treat them how they want to be treated,” he said. “Sometimes it’s a jazz song, sometimes it’s a folk song, sometimes it’s a country song, sometimes it’s a rock song. I just let that happen depending on what the song wants to be.”

Nicholas James Thomasma (Supplied)

Thomasma said he often jokes around at his shows that “This next song is a love song. Spoiler alert: they’re all love songs!”

Because of the emotions put into his work, Thomasma said there is a lot of love in all his songs.

“I’m writing songs from my heart, and whether they are love songs or not, they are often inspired by my real life.”

Keeping busy in unusual ways

Always looking for paying gig, Thomasma said he also creates custom songs upon request. And while he has written songs for various occasions, he said weddings are the most popular request.

“People will contact me shortly after they get engaged and say they want a song for their wedding,” Thomasma said, and that these songs create special moments that no one else has. “Other people can listen to it (the song), but the couple knows it is their song.”

Another unique service Thomasma offers music lovers and listeners are driveway concerts.

Nicholas James Thomasma, and his traveling VW van show. (Supplied)

“Driveway concerts are a pandemic pivot,” said Thomasma. “I’ve been playing house concerts as long as I’ve been performing, but during the pandemic we kind of switched to taking the house out of the equation.”

Thomasma said he doesn’t need a building to make music, traveling to outside venues and homes in his trademark orange 1973 Volkswagen Bus.

“I’ll pull up in your driveway, I’ll have the sound system, you invite your friends and your neighbors, and we’ll all sit in your front yard and have a good time,” said Thomasma, adding that the idea of driveway concerts has really taken off.

Finding various ways for community members to enjoy music isn’t the only way Thomasma honors his love of music. Future goals include helping other musicians find their footing in the music world as well.

Thomasma is currently enrolled in Grand Rapids Community College, working toward a degree in marketing.

“My goal is to help other artists survive similar to the way that I do,” he said. “I want to understand business and how the music business works so well that I can teach other artists how I do what I do in the hopes that they then can be successful on their own.”

To find out more about Thomasma and his music, visit nicholasjamesthomasma.com.

The public at Kentwood concerts are urged to follow current public health guidelines if attending the concert.

Sign of spring: Kentwood to resume brush and leaf drop-off for city residents

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A sign at the City of Kentwood Department of Public Works as the city’s fall leaf and brush drop-off programs returns in April. (City of Kentwood)

By WKTV Staff

The City of Kentwood has announced it will resume its brush and leaf drop-off services beginning Saturday, April 2, when residents can drop off brush, sticks, tree limbs, logs, loose leaves and grass clippings at the Kentwood Department of Public Works, 5068 Breton Ave. SE.

Drop-off is available noon to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, through May 27.

The services are available to Kentwood residents only and proof of residency is required, according to the announcement. Materials that cannot be accepted include trash, paper and plastic bags, dirt, concrete, asphalt, tires, rocks, stones, construction materials, glass and metal.

A past pile at the City of Kentwood Department of Public Works as the city’s fall leaf and brush drop-off programs returns in April. (City of Kentwood)

“This winter’s high winds and heavy snow have left behind tree debris that, if unchecked, can clog our roadways and storm drains,” Public Works Director Chad Griffin said in supplied material. “The City of Kentwood’s brush and leaf drop-off services provide residents with an easy and convenient way to clean up their yards and help keep our community’s infrastructure running smoothly.”

In addition to making yard maintenance easier, leaf and brush drop-off services also help residents stay in compliance with city ordinances, according to the city announcement. The accumulation of leaves and debris on a property or in the right-of-way is prohibited in the City of Kentwood, as well as burning leaves and brush.

More information about the City’s brush and leaf drop-off services is available at kentwood.us/BrushLeafDropOff.

St. Cecilia’s chamber music series finale examines ‘The Jazz Effect’ with works of Gershwin, Marsalis

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Several Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS) musicians will perform, including pianists Anne-Marie McDermott and Zhu Wang, as well as violinist Ida Kavafian and the Orion String Quartet (violinists Daniel Phillips, Todd Phillips and Steven Tenenbom, and cellist Timothy Eddy). (Supplied)

By WKTV Staff

St. Cecilia Music Center’s final Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center concert of the 2021-22 season, set for Thursday, March 31, will present classical music influenced by “The Jazz Effect” and featuring works by composers Wynton Marsalis, George Gershwin, Maurice Ravel and Darius Milhaud.

Seven Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS) musicians will perform, including pianists Anne-Marie McDermott and Zhu Wang — including in a rare “four hands” piece, as well as violinist Ida Kavafian and the Orion String Quartet (violinists Daniel Phillips, Todd Phillips and Steven Tenenbom, and cellist Timothy Eddy).

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS) pianists Anne-Marie McDermott and Zhu Wang will perform in a “four hands” piece. (Pixaby)

“The Jazz Effect” program will include Ravel’s Sonata for Violin and Piano, Marsalis’ Selections from At the Octoroon Balls for String Quartet, Milhaud’s La création du monde for piano quintet, Op. 81, and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue for piano, four hands (arr. Henry Levine).

Tickets for the concert are available and can be purchased online at scmc-online.org or by calling St. Cecilia Music Center at 616-459-2224.

While the series of short pieces by Marsalis may be among the more unique of the program — set to include “Come Long Fiddler”, “Mating Calls and Delta Rhythms”, “Creole Contradanzas”, “Many Gone”, “Hellbound Highball”, “Blue Light on the Bayou” and “Rampart Street Row House Rag” — the Gershwin work is set to close the night for good reason.

“In terms of pure musicality, George Gershwin was America’s Schubert,” according to promotional material. “He composed with a creativity and skill that immortalized his art, and hardly any of his works is more embedded in the world’s musical consciousness than Rhapsody in Blue, originally described by Gershwin as a “symphony” for piano solo and jazz band. This extraordinary chamber music program pays tribute to great composers who crossed the bridge between the classical and jazz idiom, with dazzling results.”

And having Ann-Marie McDermott and Zhu Wang, and their four hands, on the keyboard should be unforgettable.

Health and safety requirements 

According to supplied material, St. Cecilia currently requires proof of fully vaccinated status, or a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours, to attend a concert at the SCMC venue. Attendees need to bring photo ID and proof of vaccination, or a negative test, the night of a concert. Home tests are not accepted. All patrons will be required to wear a mask while in the building for the duration of the concert.

 

If patrons have tickets to an upcoming performance and are unwilling or unable to abide by this policy, please contact the SCMC box office for a refund at kelly@scmc-online.org a minimum of 48 hours prior to the concert date.

Watch WKTV for tonight’s Wyoming City Council special meeting on proposed income tax and property tax decrease proposals

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, Election, Upcoming Events, WKTV Projects,

By WKTV Staff

Wyoming City Council will hold a special session tonight, Thursday, March 24, at 7 p.m., to inform voters about the May 3 vote for Proposals 1 & 2, the city’s proposed income tax and property tax decrease proposals for funding of the Wyoming’s Police, Fire and Parks & Recreation Departments.

Watch it live on cable television in Wyoming and Kentwood on WKTV’s Comcast Channel 26 or on Facebook at the WKTV Community Media Facebook page.

Adventure on Mt. Kilimanjaro: Michigan woman reflects on climb with team of kidney donors

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As part of WKTV’s special coverage of World Kidney Day, which was March 10, we are presenting a series of stories, first about a Michigan donor leading an active lifestyle; then a West Michigan recipient living a lively future thanks to another; an adventure of a lifetime, for a cause — a climb of Africa’s tallest mountain; and finally — here — a first-hand story from a Michigan woman on the climb.

  • Michigan’s own Emily Polet-Monterosso, a member of the Kidney Donor Athletes (KDA) national group, was part of a team of “One Kidney Climbers” which climbed Africa’s Mt. Kilimanjaro in early March. The mountain, the tallest on the continent, is shrouded in the background. (Supplied by Emily Polet-Monterosso)
  • Members of the Kidney Donor Athletes (KDA) group on the trail leading up to Africa’s Mt. Kilimanjaro in early March. It was a multi-day trek to get to the mountain and then a multi-day climb. (Supplied by Emily Polet-Monterosso)
  • Members of the Kidney Donor Athletes (KDA) group climbed Africa’s Mt. Kilimanjaro in early March. The mountain is the tallest on the continent. (Supplied by Emily Polet-Monterosso)
  • Members of the Kidney Donor Athletes (KDA) group climbed Africa’s Mt. Kilimanjaro in early March. The mountain is the tallest on the continent. Shown is the group at the entrance to the Tanzania National Park. (Supplied by Emily Polet-Monterosso)
  • Members of the Kidney Donor Athletes (KDA) group which climbed Africa’s Mt. Kilimanjaro in early March. Shown is the evening meal tent on the mountain trail. (Supplied by Emily Polet-Monterosso)
  • Members of the Kidney Donor Athletes (KDA) group climbed Africa’s Mt. Kilimanjaro in early March. The mountain is the tallest on the continent. (Supplied by Emily Polet-Monterosso)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org


Adventures — even one for a cause — often do not turn out the way one plans, the way one envisions. But that does not lessen the adventure, or the importance of the cause.

Michigan’s own Emily Polet-Monterosso, a member of the Kidney Donor Athletes national group, was part of a team of “One Kidney Climbers” which, with support both in-country and back home, climbed Africa’s Mt. Kilimanjaro.

On the morning of March 10, in Africa, on World Kidney Day, the Kidney Donor Athlete team reached their goal — the peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro. (Supplied)

After a multi-day hike to the mountain and then a multi-day climb, most of the team summited the continent’s tallest peak on World Kidney Day, March 10. Emily got to the mountain, but not the summit.

WKTV has been following Emily’s African adventure, and as she returned from the trek, she talked about her effort, and how while she was disappointed fate denied her the peak of Kilimanjaro, the cause for which she and her companions got blisters for remained fulfilled.

“Out of 22 kidney donors from our group who made the climb, only 20 summited,” Emily wrote in a March 16 email. “Myself, and our President Bobby McLaughlin, did not summit. Bobby had a fever on summit night which prevented him from making it to the top, and I struggled with altitude sickness for most of the climb and was going on four days without any food at the time that the group attempted the summit … (the climb leaders were) not going to allow me to summit for safety reasons.”

(McLaughlin pointed out that “The fever I picked up had nothing to do with the climb itself — it was a random bug picked up somewhere, possibly even the day before the climb began.”)

Instead, Emily said, she waited at Barafu base camp  — still at approximately 15,000 feet above sea level — for her teammates to return from the summit so that they could all descend together.

“Neither my nor Bobby’s inability to summit had anything to do with our status as one-kidneyed people — both situations were a result of circumstances relating to the difficulty of the climb that could have been experienced by any other two-kidneyed climber.”

The climb was the first coordinated event by Kidney Donor Athletes (KDA) to bring attention to the need for living kidney donors and that those who donate can be “healthy and thrive” with one kidney.

According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), more than 97,000 people in the U.S. are on the waiting list for kidney transplants. Over 3,000 new patients are added to this list every month. With fewer donors than there are those in need, 13 people die every day waiting for a kidney.

“Our mission was to prove to ourselves and anybody watching us that you can donate a kidney and still experience life fully and without negative health consequences,” Emily said. “We believe we accomplished that mission, and our deepest hope is that someone heard about it and considers donation themselves.

“If even one life is saved as a result of our efforts, every ounce of difficulty we navigated will have paid off, and then some.”

The cause and the adventure

Emily Polet-Monterosso lives in Metro Detroit, but grew up in Holland, until 15 years old, and “still have lots of family there,” she proudly says. And she is a kidney donor — having donated one of her two healthy kidneys to someone badly in need — she also proudly says.

Emily is also a kidney donor athlete, and a member of KDA, founded by ultra-athlete Tracey Hulick who donated her kidney in 2017. Emily’s team, climbers from 16 metro areas across the United States and Canada, left on Feb. 28 for Tanzania, where their group will prepare for their climb.

The One Kidney Climber team had about 110 support staff in porters, guides and cooks helping them up the mountain, a 42-mile 8-day expedition led by hired experts on the mountain. Embark Exploration Company out of Portland, Oregon is the guide company.

Emily Polet-Monterosso was fit before donating a kidney, but she now is even more an athlete. (Supplied)

And while athletic endeavors are nothing new to Emily, her African endeavor for a cause she has come to really believe in, and believe in enough that she pushed herself to her physical limits — limits that most persons with two kidneys would only dare to do.

“Not having summited does not in any way negatively impact the experience I had,” Emily said. “I still engaged in the most challenging physical feat of my life for eight days, and I feel nothing but pride in what I’ve accomplished.”

And she made friends for life.

“I also feel extreme pride in my teammates for the effort and attitude they all brought forth,” she said. “I have never spent such a large amount of time in intimately close quarters with a more encouraging, upbeat, inspirational group of people.

“Additionally, the support staff from our guide company, Embark Exploration Co, deserves the highest praise for the job they did in getting us all safely up and down the mountain again.”

More information on KDA

For more information on the Kidney Donor Athletes climb, and other resources, visit kidneydonorathlete.org.

Founded in 2018, Kidney Donor Athletes is a 501(c)3 nonprofit whose mission is to promote the gift of life through living kidney donation among active individuals and athletes by building a community that inspires, supports, and educates people about the experience.

GR Ballet, supporting groups local and causes international, presents Jumpstart 2022 series

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The Grand Rapids Ballet will present a special donation-based performance of Jumpstart 2022 on Saturday, March 26 to support the refugees caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (which has its country colors being blue and yellow). (Supplied)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org


A performance of the Grand Rapids Ballet on the Peter Martin Wege Theatre stage is one of the most intimate experiences a viewer can have. And, yet, the world is much larger than that stage — a fact shown by the ballet’s special production of Jumpstart 2022, running March 25-27.

Grand Rapids Ballet dancers in rehearsal for the Jumpstart 2022 program. (Supplied)

Not only is the ballet again collaborating with various Grand Rapids-area arts and education institutions — including Grand Valley State University and Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University — to create eight world-premiere performances that bring “new artistic elements to the forefront.”

But with their hearts and minds clearly on the humanitarian crisis in Europe, the ballet will present a special donation-based performance of Jumpstart 2022 on Saturday, March 26, at 2 p.m., to support the refugees caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

James Sofranko. (photo by Andrew Weeks)

“The conflict in Ukraine and resulting refugee crisis is a horrific tragedy that the world is currently enduring. As artists, we sometimes feel helpless to make a difference, but one thing we can do is use our art to promote the common good,” James Sofranko, artistic director of the Grand Rapids Ballet, said in supplied material. “Please come support this cause and join me in thanking the dancers, actors, musicians, and crew members who are all donating this performance to the people of Ukraine displaced by war.”

All tickets for the special performance will be “donate what you can” (with a suggested $20 minimum donation) with all proceeds benefiting United Way’s United for Ukraine Fund to “support an immediate delivery of food, shelter, transportation, and childcare supplies to those fleeing the conflict.”

While the performance is a ”first-come, first served” event, even with a sellout the ballet will accept online donations for the cause.

Grand Rapids Ballet dancers in rehearsal for the Jumpstart 2022 program. (Supplied)

Ballet members ‘creating” with local groups

The ballet’s Jumpstart series is also an opportunity for the company to become actively involved with not only the artistic creation of new works but also logistical creation of new works — and working with community groups to do so.

“We are an organization dedicated to our community, and I am especially excited this year, in honor of our 50th anniversary, to be able to incorporate collaborations with multiple organizations from around the city, adding yet another layer of creativity and shining a light on how Grand Rapids can come together to create art,” Sofranko said.

In preparation for Jumpstart 2022, eight of the company’s dancers were challenged to “refocus their creative energies, moving into the role of choreographer, building works for other company dancers,” and not only created world premiere works but collaborated with local organizations, including GVSU, KCAD, Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM), Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, Grand Rapids Jazz Orchestra, and Opera Grand Rapids.

(Two Jumpstart 2022 works also will be revived from ballet’s 2020-21 virtual season, including a reworking of the film, “Amiss,” choreographed by resident choreographer Penny Saunders, and “Brothers” by Jennifer Archibald.)

The company dancer choreographers include Isaac Aoki, James Cunningham, Zach Manske, Alexandra Meister-Upleger, Yuka Oba-Muschiana, Emily Reed, Nigel Tau, and Adriana Wagenveld.
 

While rehearsals officially began in early March, the works have been well underway for months as the various community partners began their preparations.

 

The Grand Rapids Ballet worked with students from the Fashion Studies program at KCAD’s Pamella Roland DeVos School of Fashion on costume design. (Supplied)

Students from the Fashion Studies program at KCAD’s Pamella Roland DeVos School of Fashion began visiting in January, working in the costume shop, creating custom costumes that will be featured in Wagenveld’s work, “Peri physeōs,” based on Empedocles’ poem of the same name, which translates to “On Nature”.

“I am excited for our students to be working with GRB again this semester,” Lori Faulkner, Fashion Studies program chair and associate professor at KCAD, said in supplied material. “Collaborations are an important part of our program’s learning environment.”

In addition to costuming, community partners were also involved in production and visual elements of Jumpstart 2022. Eighteen students from GVSU worked on animation and movement exercises, which are being applied to Reed’s work, “No Longer Left Outside,” which centers around two pieces of music and includes excerpts from “A Conversation with Myself” by Alan Watts.

 

“The GVSU Department of Visual and Media Arts is thrilled to be partnering with GRB,” Julie Goldstein MFA, assistant professor at GVSU, said in supplied material. “The students in our second-level animation class are collaborating with Emily Reed to generate an immersive imaginary landscape for the Jumpstart performance.”

In addition, company dancer Tau’s work, “What Remains”, takes inspiration from Hwa-Jeen Na’s photography collection at GRAM, which depicts people in their daily lives, capturing “the fleeting moments of introspection,” Tau said.

All the creativity and collaboration also leads to very unique works, ballet artistic leader Sofranko said.

“Jumpstart is a program that I look forward to every season because the dancers always astound me with their abundant creativity and talent,” Sofranko said. “In a performance consisting of all world premieres, I never really know what the show is going to look like until opening night, and that makes for a very exciting process!”

For more information about Jumpstart 2022, and all Grand Rapids Ballet performances and programs, visit grballet.com.

Spring arrives at Woodland Mall with photos with a fun bunny, special Tea Party

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A spring bunny will be available for photos and visits at Woodland Mall starting this weekend. (Supplied)

By WKTV Staff

Photos with Santa are always a winter holiday family treat at Woodland Mall, and now a spring fling in the same vein is returning as starting March 26 photos with a big, fun “Springtime” bunny will be available through April 16.

And that is not all of the local family springtime events as the Mad Hatter Tea Party is set to return on Saturday, April 9.

“Seasonal family portraits are a beautiful way to capture memories of your loved ones,” Alyson Presser, marketing manager for Woodland Mall, said in supplied material. “You can either pose with the bunny or choose a spring-themed portrait area for a seasonal photo with your family, friends and pets.”

Pets can have their photo taken with a springtime bunny at Woodland Mall. (Supplied)

Bunny and family photos will be available in the Macy’s Court from noon to 7 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays; and noon to 6 p.m., Sundays. (For the last weekend before Easter Sunday, there will be extended hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, April 15, and Saturday, April 16.

Pets can join in for photos noon-7 p.m. every Monday. Feathered and whiskered pets of all kinds are welcome as long as they are kept on a leash or in a carrier at all times. (Owners must also sign a release.)

Reservations are encouraged and can be made online. Walk-up visits are permitted when space is available.

And that Mad Hatter Tea Party

On April 9 guests are invited to attend the Mad Hatter Tea Party from 10 a.m. to noon. The Alice in Wonderland-themed event will include special appearances by the Mad Hatter himself, as well as Alice and the Red Queen. There will also be spring-themed crafts, snacks and games.

The event is free and open to the public. Those who attend the tea party are encouraged to reserve their bunny photos the day of to win a $10 gift card to The Children’s Place, a children’s specialty apparel retailer.

“Our Mad Hatter Tea Party makes celebrating the arrival of spring and taking photos with the bunny all the more magical,” Presser said. “We welcome everyone to enjoy this fun and interactive take on a Lewis Carroll classic story with activities that bring out the child in all of us.”

Mall hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday; and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. For more information visit shopwoodlandmall.com.

Kentwood Police Department seeking applicants for ‘earn while you learn’ recruit program

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The Kentwood police department was present at the Woodland Mall for National Night Out. (WKTV/2019)

By WKTV Staff

The Kentwood Police Department announced recently that it is inviting community members who are interested in becoming a police officer to apply for its sponsored police recruit position.

The department will pay participants $23 an hour while they attend the Grand Valley State University Police Academy or another approved police training program, as well as cover the cost of training. Upon successful completion of training, background checks, orientation and other requirements, police recruits will be sworn in as patrol officers with the Kentwood Police Department.

Applications for the sponsored police recruit position will be accepted through April 15.

Kentwood Police Chief Bryan Litwin (shown when he was deputy chief). (Supplied)

“The Kentwood Police Department is committed to creating a local path to a career in law enforcement for both traditional and non-traditional students,” Police Chief Bryan Litwin said in supplied material. “This sponsored position has proven successful as part of our efforts to recruit and hire individuals who are representative of Kentwood’s diverse community. As our department continues to face staffing shortages, we believe sponsorships are critical to achieving appropriate staffing levels and remaining competitive with other police agencies.”

To be considered for this full-time employment opportunity, applicants must be at least 18 years old, have a valid driver’s license, be a U.S. citizen, have a high school or GED diploma, and have no prior felony convictions or certain misdemeanor convictions according to MCOLES guidelines.

For more information or to apply, visit kentwood.us/employment. For questions contact Capt. Ryan VanderVeen at vanderveenr@kentwood.us or 616-656-6503.

After renovations, Meijer Gardens sculpture galleries reopen with artistically commanding works of Yinka Shonibare

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  • Yinka Shonibare’s “Eden Painting”, courtesy of the artist and Stephen Friedman Gallery, London (Supplied)
  • Yinka Shonibare’s “Eden Painting” (detail),courtesy of the artist and Stephen Friedman Gallery, London (Supplied)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org


Yinka Shonibare, the featured artist as Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park reopens its sculpture galleries after more than a year of renovations, is commanding in his artistic vision and, yet, undoubtedly playful as well.

Shonibare — with “CBE” (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) attached to his name when necessary — is a self-proclaimed “postcolonial hybrid” of British-Nigerian heritage who has emerged as one of the leading artists in the global art world, with his works maybe best known for a playful combination of colorful Dutch wax-fabric patterns popular in West Africa with the fashion of upper-class Victorian culture.

Yinka Shonibare “Moving Up”, courtesy the artist and James Cohan Gallery, New York. (Supplied/Photo by Stephen White & Co. Supplied)

When the Garden’s remodeled sculpture galleries reopen in April, Shonibare’s works of the past three decades, many never shown in the United States, including sculptures, paintings, photographs, collages, embroidery, and film, will be featured in the exhibition “Yinka Shonibare CBE: Planets in My Head.” The show will run thorough October.

“Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is thrilled to host this major exhibition, one of Yinka Shonibare’s largest in the United States,” David Hooker, President & CEO of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, said in supplied material. “It will be a wonderful opportunity for hundreds of thousands of guests to experience works never before seen in the U.S. and learn more about this fascinating artist.”

The man and his works

Born in London to Nigerian parents and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, where he spoke Yoruba at home and English at the private school he attended, Shonibare has a bicultural heritage, according to supplied material. “His identity is shaped by the postcolonial experience of being in two places at once; of growing up located between center and margin of the British Empire.”

Yinka Shonibare in his studio in 2014. (Artist’s website photo by James Mollison)

Postcolonialism and hybridity define his artistic and political identity, and are major themes in his artistic output. While Shonibare embraces cross-cultural mixing and exchange in his work, he never shies from alluding to the postcolonial scars of cultural imperialism and exploitation.

“As this exhibition reveals, Shonibare thinks globally and uses his artistic imagination to comment on colonialism, art history, environment, education, knowledge, food justice, and other subjects of universal concern,” the Meijer Gardens’ announcement states.

Shonibare, born 1962, studied Fine Art at Byam Shaw School of Art, London (1989) and received his MFA from Goldsmiths, University of London (1991), according to the biography on his website.

Yinka Shonibare’s ‘Hybrid Mask (Fang Ngil). Courtesy the artist and Stephen Friedman Gallery, London. (Supplied/Photo by Stephen White & Co.)

His interdisciplinary practice uses “citations of Western art history and literature to question the validity of contemporary cultural and national identities within the context of globalisation. Through examining race, class and the construction of cultural identity, his works comment on the tangled interrelationship between Africa and Europe, and their respective economic and political histories.”

In 2004, he  was nominated for the Turner Prize and in 2008. In 2013, he was elected a Royal Academician, and was awarded the honour of ‘Commander of the Order of the British Empire’ in 2019. His installation ‘The British Library’ was acquired by Tate in 2019 and is currently on display at Tate Modern, London.

More recently, Shonibare was awarded the prestigious Whitechapel Gallery Art Icon Award. His works are in collections of, in addition to the Tate, the National Museum of African Art at the Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C; Museum of Modern Art, New York; and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago.

  • Yinka Shonibare’s ‘Creatures of the Mappa-Mundi – Bonnacon’. Courtesy the artist and Stephen Friedman Gallery, London. (Supplied photo by Mark Blower)
  • Yinka Shonibare’s ‘Creatures of the Mappa-Mundi – Bonnacon’ (detail). Courtesy the artist and Stephen Friedman Gallery, London. (Supplied photo by Mark Blower)

Exhibit-related special events

Among the many exhibition-related events are:

“A Fashion in Contemporary Art” — Saturday, June 18, a discussion by Suzanne Eberle, PhD, Professor Emerita, Kendall College of Art and Design.

“Abundance and Scarcity: Yinka Shonibare CBE and Food Justice” — Saturday, July 16, a discussion by Jochen Wierich, PhD, Assistant Curator & Researcher at Meijer Gardens and Associate Professor of Art History at Aquinas College.

“Complex Embodiment: Yinka Shonibare and Disability” — Saturdays, Sept. 3 and 10,  with Jessica Cooley, PhD candidate in the art history department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“Yinka Shonibare and the Pan-African Imagination” — Saturday, Oct. 1, 1with Antawan Byrd, PhD candidate in the art history department at Northwestern University, Weinberg Fellow, associate curator of photography and media at the Art Institute of Chicago.

A full list of exhibition activities can be found at MeijerGardens.org/Shonibare.

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

Local YMCAs, including Wyoming’s, seeking lifeguards, offering training — and not just for young adults

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  • YMCA lifeguarding training, and work, is for all ages. (Supplied/YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids)
  • YMCA lifeguarding training, and work, is for all ages. (Supplied/YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids)
  • YMCA lifeguarding training, and work, is for all ages. (Supplied/YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids)

By WKTV Staff

With many employment opportunities across the city and region, the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids invites current and “future” lifeguards to join their team and launch a fulfilling career, according to a recent announcement.

And while most lifeguards are high school and college students, the ranks are also made up of professionals, retirees and stay-at-home parents.

Maybe the Y’s greatest lifeguarding success story is YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids CEO Scott Lewis. Lewis began his tenure at the YMCA as a lifeguard at a New Jersey YMCA in 1986 where the organization “invested in his leadership potential,” according to the announcement.

“The role of lifeguard is one that can launch a great career, and I know from experience,” Lewis said in supplied material. “Providing a safe and exceptional experience, working with a diverse customer base, problem solving, and having an exceptional attention to detail are all skills that serve professionals long term.”

YMCA lifeguard training at an outdoor, summertime venue. (Supplied/YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids)

The organization has increased wages, according to the announcement, now offering $14.61 to $16.44 per hour, opened free training opportunities, and “invested in creating year-round, flexible hours for these aquatic leaders to develop life-long professional skills.”

 

However, maybe the most rewarding work as a YMCA lifeguard is the satisfaction of knowing you actively make an impact in the lives of others, while working with and guarding a group of diverse individuals.

“Becoming a YMCA lifeguard provides you a support network to be successful from the day you decide to pursue the opportunity,” YMCA Human Resources Director Peter Reiff said in supplied material.  “What’s more is that at the YMCA you are part of a larger team of leaders and health and wellness service providers that work together to meet the needs of the community year-round, every year.”
  

For more on the Y’s four lifeguard training classes planned between now and May, visit https://www.grymca.org/aquatics-careers/#training. For those already trained and wish to apply, visit www.grymca.org/careers. For more information on the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids visit grymca.org.

Citizens committee forms to launch ‘Yes’ campaign for Kentwood’s dedicated parks, recreation and trails millage

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Kentwood’s Veterans Park would be one of the many parks and recreation areas to see improvement from a proposed millage. (WKTV)

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org


A Kentwood citizens committee — Yes For Kentwood — has formed and recently launched a campaign for public support of the City of Kentwood’s dedicated parks, recreation and trails millage, set to be voted on as part of the Aug. 2 ballot.

Yes For Kentwood, according to an announcement from the group, is “a committee of involved residents, families, and business owners working together to make the city a better place to live.”

The proposed millage would provide “sustainable funding to improve, operate and maintain Kentwood’s parks, trails and recreational programming today and for future generations,” according to the group.

The millage would also fund construction of a new multigenerational recreation center and community City Campus. If approved, property homeowners would pay 1 mill annually. For example, a residential home with a taxable value of $100,000, the cost of 1 mill would be $100 per year, according to supplied material.

“Investing in better public spaces builds a higher quality of life for Kentwood residents,” Dustin Moseley, Yes For Kentwood co-chair, said in supplied material.

For an earlier WKTV story on the millage, including specific work to be done, visit here.

The millage will, according to the city, allow for every city park and trail to receive improvements within the first 5 years, with the remaining improvements to be completed within 10 years and construction of the city campus and community recreation center beginning in the second year.

“This millage will guarantee a fulfilling future for our residents and their families,” Robert Coughlin, Kentwood City Commissioner, and Parks and commissioner on the city’s Parks & Recreation Commission — which recommends and oversees programs for parks, playgrounds and recreational areas within Kentwood.

During the coming months, the Yes for Kentwood committee will communicate the benefits of voting “Yes” For Kentwood Parks, Trails and Recreation in August, according to the announcement.

“Good parks, trails and recreational programing provide kid’s places to play, promote good health, increase property values, strengthen community, and make the city and its neighborhoods more attractive places to live and work,” Ed Kape, Yes For Kentwood co-chair, said in supplied material.

For more information about the campaign, and to learn about ways to get involved, visit YesForKentwood.com.

 

Kentwood Winter Concert Series returns March 17 with unique sounds of cellist/vocalist Jordan Hamilton

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Jordan Hamilton, with his favorite instrument, at rest. (Supplied)

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org


West Michigan cellist and vocalist Jordan Hamilton is a busy man, even when he is alone on the stage … as he will be at Kentwood’s District Library, when he brings his unique sounds to the City of Kentwood’s Winter Concert Series this week.

 

Previous concert at the Kentwood Winter Concert series. (City of Kentwood)

Hamilton will be on stage Thursday, March 17, as part  of The City of Kentwood’s free-to-the-public Winter Concert Series is held at the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE.

WKTV will record the concert and replay it, as scheduled, on our cable channels as well as on WKTV.org (by hitting the “Watch Live” button), and also later on-demand at WKTVlive.org. Visit wktvjournal.org/wktv-on-air-schedule/ for a schedule of replays.

Hamilton “merges songwriting, loop pedals, sample machines, and vocals to create a sonic landscape of experimental hip-hop, folk, soul, and classical music,” according to his recording label’s website.

Jordan Hamilton, with his favorite instrument, in action. (Supplied)

“The Western Michigan University graduate aims to find new ways for the cello, a traditional instrument, to relate to a modern audience where it can be found playing the music of Bach, the Beatles, or Chance the Rapper. Filled with an eclectic range of songs, Jordan’s set is sure to capture the heart and mind while reflecting on new horizons.”

Hamilton is a member of Last Gasp Collective and the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra, he can be found performing primarily in the Midwest, where he has opened for national acts.

The Last Gasp Collective, out of Kalamazoo, according to the group’s website, is a “diverse group has been brought together by a mutual love of art. Their live arrangements are reminiscent of The Internet, The Roots, and Hiatus Kaiyote and Tank and The Bangas …  (the) Last Gasp Collective continues to debunk stereotypes one melody at a time, their music spreads to touch the hearts of people from all walks of life.”

Recording cover of “Vibrations”, the latest release by Jordan Hamilton. (Supplied)

Their most recent album, “Seen Not Heard”, earned two WYCE Jammies for Best Album by a new artist. Among his other projects, Hamilton has released three recordings: “ForRenLand”, “My Thoughts Are” and most recently “Vibrations” — a “compilation of feelings expressed in sound with no words.”

For a taste of Hamilton’s music and stage presence, see video here.

For more information on Hamilton visit his website and/or his Facebook page.

After Hamilton’s concert, the final concert will be Thursday, March 31, with singer and multi-instrumentalist Nicholas James Thomasmaperforming a mix of Americana, folk, country and rock music.

The concerts will take place in the library’s Community Room from 6:30-8 p.m. Guests are welcomed to bring their own beer, wine or nonalcoholic beverages to enjoy at the show. Also, according to the city announcement, “residents are encouraged to follow current public health guidelines to help stop the spread of COVID-19.”

More information is available at kentwood.us/WinterConcerts.

Climb of lifetime; gift of lifetime: Michigan woman, team of kidney donors, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro

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As part of WKTV’s special coverage of World Kidney Day, March 10, we are presenting a series of stories, first about a Michigan donor leading an active lifestyle; a West Michigan recipient living a lively future thanks to another; an adventure of a lifetime, for a cause — a climb of Africa’s tallest mountain; and finally a first-hand story from a Michigan woman on the climb. In this third story, a photo essay of the team of donors scaling African peak.

  • Mount Kilimanjaro viewed from Moshi (Wikimedia Commons)
  • The entire planned climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro. (Supplied)
  • It takes quite a village to take an American team of climbers, in this case the Kidney Donor Athletes team, up Mt. Kilimanjaro. (Supplied)
  • The progress of the Kidney Donor Athletes team’s climb as of March 7. The summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro is represented by #2 on the right. (Supplied)
  • Kidney Donor Athlete team of American kidney donors and climbers in progress in their climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro. (Supplied)
  • Kidney Donor Athletes team advances to base camp on Wednesday, March 9, for planned final push to summit of the mountain at sunrise, March 10. (Supplied)
  • Night falls on the camp of the Kidney Donor Athletes team of American kidney donors and climbers in progress in their climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro. (Supplied)
  • A beautiful sunrise as the Kidney Donor Athlete team reached their goal — the peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro. (Supplied)
  • On the morning of March 10, in Africa, on World Kidney Day, the Kidney Donor Athlete team reached their goal — the peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro. (Supplied)
  • On the morning of March 10, in Africa, on World Kidney Day, the Kidney Donor Athlete team reached their goal — the peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro. (Supplied)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org


They climbed for a cause: to bring awareness of the plight of those in need of a donation, awareness of the need for donors, and the awareness that a donor does not need to radically alter their lifestyle, even an athletic lifestyle.

That is why a team made up of the One Kidney Climber group climbed Africa’s Mt. Kilimanjaro, reaching the top today, on World Kidney Day, March 10.

WKTV is following the African adventure of one Michigan woman, Emily Polet-Monterosso, who is part of that climb. And, with us, you can see their adventure in photos.

The climb was the first coordinated event by Kidney Donor Athletes (KDA) to bring attention to the need for living kidney donors and that those who donate can be “healthy and thrive” with one kidney.

According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), more than 97,000 people in the U.S. are on the waiting list for kidney transplants. Over 3,000 new patients are added to this list every month. With fewer donors than there are those in need, 13 people die every day waiting for a kidney.

More information on KDA

For more information on the Kidney Donor Athletes climb, and other resources, visit kidneydonorathlete.org.

Founded in 2018, Kidney Donor Athletes is a 501(c)3 nonprofit whose mission is to promote the gift of life through living kidney donation among active individuals and athletes by building a community that inspires, supports, and educates people about the experience.

Tea time anyone? GR Ballet School’s Junior Company will stage ‘Aladdin’ after a two-year postponement

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  • A scene from Grand Rapids Ballet School’s Junior Company production of the ballet “Aladdin”. (Supplied/Scott Rasmussen)
  • A scene from Grand Rapids Ballet School’s Junior Company production of the ballet “Aladdin”. (Supplied/Scott Rasmussen)
  • A scene from Grand Rapids Ballet School’s Junior Company production of the ballet “Aladdin”. (Supplied/Scott Rasmussen)
  • A scene from Grand Rapids Ballet School’s Junior Company production of the ballet “Aladdin”. (Supplied/Scott Rasmussen)
  • A scene from Grand Rapids Ballet School’s Junior Company production of the ballet “Aladdin”. (Supplied/Scott Rasmussen)

By D.A. Reed, WKTV Contributing Writer

The talented young dancers of the Grand Rapids Ballet School’s junior company were all set to “recreate” the ballet “Aladdin” back in 2020, and then like many stages, their’s went dark as the pandemic dropped its curtain.

And while that moment was bitter for cast and crew, young and old, “Aladdin” will finally fly in, starting this weekend — with a special tea party available.

The ballet school’s junior company will take the stage March 11-13 and March 19-20 at Peter Martin Wege Theatre to “share the familiar story of ‘Aladdin’, an impoverished boy living in Agrabah who falls in love with the beautiful Princess Jasmine.”

A crop of promotional material from Grand Rapids Ballet School’s Junior Company production of the ballet “Aladdin”. (Supplied/Scott Rasmussen)

Choreographed by Grand Rapids Ballet School (GRBS) Director and Junior Company Artistic Director Attila Mosolygo, the ballet “Aladdin” was inspired from the folktale in the book, “One Thousand and One Nights.” The adventure features a thrilling quest with mysterious characters along the way including a fierce dragon, a magic genie, and a powerful sorcerer.

“It will be an amazing production of dancing and performance,” Mosolygo told WKTV.

This production, actually, has been two years in the making after GRBS had to cancel their planned performance on opening night in March 2020 due to the pandemic.

“The students have been working extremely hard the past three months helping me recreate this ballet and they are thrilled to be given this second chance to perform it,” Mosolygo said in supplied material.

Keeping ‘Aladdin’ ready to fly

The path to this opening night, however, was not an easy one.

The planned opening night of “Aladdin” in 2020 was one that GRBS dancer Serafina Wagneveld remembers well.

“There we were, at the height of excitement, ready to go,” said Wagenveld, who will perform the role of Jasmine in the 2022 production. “At the beginning of the day we still didn’t know if we would go on.”

Then came the announcement that “Aladdin” would be postponed.

“Even then, we didn’t fully grasp what was happening,” Wagenveld said. “We were sad but hadn’t lost hope.”

As the pandemic continued, however, it became obvious that the performance GRBS Junior Company had worked so hard for would not be taking the stage anytime soon.

Attila Mosolygo. (GR Ballet)

Mosolygo told WKTV that, due to pandemic restrictions, it was more than five weeks before he was allowed back into the building after the cancellation. Walking on stage with every curtain ready to be pulled, every prop in place, Mosolygo said — “I could almost hear the music — but nothing happened.”

 

Online classes began but were difficult for the dancers, many of them improvising in their homes by performing ballet on stairwells and on kitchen counters. “It was all new and we were doing our best,” said Wagenveld.

Mosolygo said he noticed a definite shift in the mindset of students over the last two years.

“Virtual classes work in some ways, and they don’t in others. When you come to an art form that is so hands-on, to try to learn anything off your iPhone, off your tablet, off your computer — over time it’s not fun. Their attention and willpower went away.”

Wagenveld personally felt the hardship of the ongoing pandemic — “There was nothing you could be sure of anymore.”

Because of the mental and emotional toll, the dancer decided last year to take a break from dancing. But she couldn’t stay away for long.

“It wasn’t long before I came back,” said Wagenveld. “It (dancing) brings out my creativity. It is a unique way of expressing myself that not all people get to experience.”

And the junior company’s leader understands his dancer perfectly.

“Ballet is an art form, a self-expression of who you are,” Mosolygo said. “Dancing goes beyond words.”

Through the hardships the pandemic brought, Wagenveld and her classmates were able to find a silver lining. And the ability to have in-person classes again this school year and the chance to perform “Aladdin” has created excitement among the dancers and staff, healing some of the heartbreak that came with having to set aside the performance two years ago.
 

“We are more appreciative of what we have, not taking them for granted,” Wagenveld said.

Tea with Aladdin & Jasmine

For an added experience, GRBS Junior Company is hosting Aladdin & Jasmine’s Royal Tea, a “unique and memorable event, fit for both princes and princesses alike,” on Sunday, March 13, at the Grand Rapids Downtown Market in the Greenhouse space. 

The event features a photo booth, a meet and greet with “Aladdin” characters,” a kid-friendly craft, all topped off with a brunch built for kids and adults. After the Royal Tea, attendees will travel to the land of Agrabah at Peter Martin Wege Theatre to experience the thrills of “Aladdin” beginning at 2 p.m.


Tickets for “Aladdin” are available now for $18 online, via phone at (616) 454-4771 ext. 10, or in-person at GRB’s Box Office. Tickets to Aladdin & Jasmine’s Royal Tea are available for $49 per person.

Kent County waives restaurant license fees using $1.2 million in federal pandemic relief funds

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Local Business, Local Food, Restaurants, WKTV Projects, ,
Craig’s Cruisers restaurant. (Supplied)

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org


Kent County announced Wednesday, March 9, that the county Board of Commissioners had voted unanimously to approve a one-time waiver of 2022-2023 food licensing fees for all existing food establishments in the county.

The approximate $1.2 million funding to offset the loss of the fees comes from the county’s portion of the American Rescue Plan Act, according to the announcement. In late 2021, Kent County was awarded more than $127 million to support the continued response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kent County Board of Commissioner Chair Stan Stek. (Supplied)

“We understand that restaurants are a major driver of our economy, and many establishments are still struggling to recover from the economic setbacks caused by the pandemic,” Kent County Board of Commissioners chair Stan Stek said in supplied material. “We trust this fee waiver will provide much-needed support to keep these businesses going and ensure that they can continue to serve our community.”

All 2,372 food service establishments in the county are licensed by the Kent County Health Department and license fees are based on the classification and type of operation.

“The restaurant business has always presented challenges and the pandemic made everything even harder,” Abby McClure, general manager at Walker Roadhouse, in Walker, said in supplied material. “We are grateful that our Kent County Commissioners voted to use these funds to help alleviate some of the pandemic related challenges we are still facing.”

Restaurants are required to submit a renewal application by April 30, 2022, which will ensure establishments remain licensed during the 2022-2023 operating period, according to the announcement. If an establishment does not intend to renew its license, the application still must be returned but include a signed note requesting its license be cancelled.

Annual renewal applications will be mailed to food service establishments by March 11, 2022.