South West Michigan has a rich history when it comes to ghost stories, local urban legends, and paranormal folklore. Some investigating teams and authors are not content in just repeating unsubstantiated details and are on a mission to separate fact from fiction. Responsibly and collectively asking the questions, how many local legends are just myth and how many ghost stories are pure fabrication, is a lofty goal. Kathleen Rydel Tedsen and Todd Clements were previously highlighted as authors seeking the truth.
Two more names of paranormal authors that have emerged to the forefront as myth busters are the married couple Nicole (Bray) and the Reverend Robert Du Shane. The dynamic Du Shane duo has authored an impressive list of spooky books including; “Michigan’s Haunted Nightlife,” “Haunted History of Kalamazoo,” “Paranormal Lansing,” and also co-authored “Ghosts of Grand Rapids” with Julie Rathsack. “Ghosts of Grand Rapids” details the real truth of the often told Hell’s Bridge urban legend and uncovered the actual facts of the Michigan Bell Building and the Ada Witch legend. Through their research, the paranormal detectives discovered that the infamous villain of Hell’s Bridge never existed and there is no historical record of a mass murder of children.
Nicole and Robert Du Shane
One of Grand Rapids’ most sensational ghost stories revolves around the old Michigan Bell Building and the murder/suicide victims, Warren and Virginia Randall. Tedious research revealed the names and dates in this tragedy have been changed. Did an insanely jealous husband brutally bludgeon his wife to death with his wooden leg? The truth is in the book.
What of the Ada Witch legend? A secret love affair where a cheating wife, her lover, and her enraged husband all end up dead and have haunted the general area ever since. Although no one has been able to prove the grisly details of this legend, the story continues to spread as fact, resulting in disrespect of the dead and the senseless destruction of their final resting place.
The Du Shanes both grew up in homes that were haunted and have shared their paranormal interests for several years. Nicole formed the West Michigan Ghost Hunters Society and the Reverend Robert Du Shane founded WPARanormal Talk Radio, where the couple works together on these and other projects and, eventually, married one another. Each year the Du Shanes also host Ghosts of Grand Rapids Tour and Haunted History of Kalamazoo Tours. Check out these two living legends of the paranormal on WKTV Journal episode #33 of Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters Podcast. The Du Shanes are scheduled to be on WKTV, The Whole Picture Podcast in August.
Bell’s Eccentric Café in Kalamazoo is now sporting a fitting mural by Dream Scene Placemaking, and mural artists Anna Lee Roeder and Erik Vasilauskas. (Dream Scene Placemaking)
The next time you are in Kalamazoo, looking for Bell’s Eccentric Café, and your Siri directions have your running in circles, just stop and look for the wall of hops — the big wall of big hops.
A new outdoor mural at Bell’s Eccentric Café, created and installed by Dream Scene Placemaking, is now one of the largest murals in downtown Kalamazoo and the imagery reflects the brewing process — including a wall of hops — as well as Bell’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
The murals are part of the the Café’s celebration of its 28 anniversary, officially set for on June 11. (Fun fact: Did you know that Bell’s was the first Michigan brewery to sell beer by the glass, on site, since Prohibition?)
Anyway, back to the murals …
Even before the Eccentric Café opened in 1993, Bell’s Brewing has “been committed to its community and re-vitalizing its areas in downtown Kalamazoo,” according to supplied material, and the murals are another example of “that commitment to breathe new life into the community.”
The Kalamazoo-based Dream Scene Placemaking, and mural artists Anna Lee Roeder and Erik Vasilauskas, began working on the mural on April 19.
Another wall of the Bell’s Eccentric Café mural by Dream Scene Placemaking. (Dream Scene Placemaking)
This mural project had been in the planning stages for a few years. Work was scheduled to begin just before the COVID-19 Pandemic hit in March 2020. It was completed on May 14.
The mural incorporates images and messaging that represent what Bell’s is passionate about, according to supplied material, including the highest quality ingredients (hops), innovation along with high quality and consistent craft beer no matter how much the brewery grows over time (silhouette of our original brewery).
It also features the Brewers Associations’ Independent Seal, which can only be used by breweries who fit the trade group’s definition of small, independent craft brewers. Bell’s is proud to remain 100 percent family-owned and “fiercely independent.”
The company’s commitment to being “Open to All” is also well-represented.
“‘Open to All’ greets everyone who visits any of our buildings, whether that’s our pub, store, or our Comstock Brewery,” Carrie Yunker, Bell’s executive vice president, said in supplied material. “We are firmly committed to an environment that is rooted in diversity, equity, and inclusion for our employees and our guests. This mural makes that statement loud and clear.”
Last month, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer saddled up to the bar at Grand Rapids’ Long Road Distillers and … wait for it … signed a series of senate bills which “will make it easier for distillers and retailers to distribute and sell mixed spirit drinks, offering consumers more choices and growing our economy,” according to a statement from her office.
Canned cocktails represent a growing part of the spirits industry, and Senate Bills 141-144 will allow for an expanded array of canned cocktails to be sold in Michigan. Previously, canned cocktails were capped at 10 percent alcohol-by-volume. These bills will allow for private wholesalers — often distilleries based in Michigan, such as Long Trail — to distribute canned cocktails up to 13.5 percent alcohol-by-volume.
Jon O’Connor, owner of Long Road Distillers, (middle), and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Sen. Winnie Brinks of Grand Rapids, and others at the singing of several state bills supporting the craft distilling industry. (State of Michigan)
“We thank the governor and the bi-partisan efforts in both the House and Senate for recognizing the importance of the craft distilling industry in Michigan as well as the need to make these changes which create new opportunities to get products to market,” Jon O’Connor, co-founder of Long Road Distillers and president of the Michigan Craft Distillers Association (MCDA), said in supplied material. “We believe this is the beginning of continued and expanded support for future efforts related to enhancing opportunities for Michigan small distillers.”
One of the bills was sponsored by state Sen. Winnie Brinks of Grand Rapids.
“This is commonsense legislation to allow our small businesses to distribute new products to people all over Michigan,” Sen. Brinks said in supplied material. “Grand Rapids may be known as ‘Beer City,’ but we have many innovative craft distillers who contribute to our economy and culture in West Michigan. Now that many national sellers are pushing seltzers and canned cocktail drinks, it’s only practical that we give our local businesses a fair chance to get their products in front of consumers easily and quickly.”
After a year off, GR International Wine, Beer & Food Festival set for November
The 14th Annual Grand Rapids International Wine, Beer & Food Festival has announced its 2021 dates as Nov. 18-20 at DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids. And this year it will “kick off the holiday season with an unprecedented and diverse display of food, beverage and culinary entertainment presented by the area’s finest chefs, restaurants and purveyors of libations from around the globe,” according to supplied material.
Since its inception in 2008, the festival — named in 2019 as one of a dozen “Fall Wine Festivals In North America You Don’t Want to Miss” — has grown to be the largest and of its kind in the Midwest.
“Following the brunt of the pandemic, people will be looking to finally spread their wings and gather with their friends,” Henri Boucher, show producer, said in supplied material. “We are excited to once again welcome our exhibitors, presenters and the public to join us as we celebrate the return of events in a safe and welcoming venue.”
Rockford Brewing Co. plans to add pizza pub near its brew pub
When Rockford Brewing Co. first opened its doors patrons could order a beer from the bar and order a pizza from nearby Vitale’s Pizza. Both would magically show up at your table.
Who would have thought beer and pizza would go together? Like everybody!
Malphs Pizza Pub rendering (Rockford Brewing Co.)
Anyway, it was announced last month that Malph’s Pizza Pub, created by the owners of Rockford Brewing Co., will take the place of Vitale’s Pizza of Rockford by spring of 2023 and will contain a new pizzeria, distillery and brewery inside a historic building “following an extensive restoration.”
According to multiple media reports, the remodeled 5,764-square-foot space will offer “substantial seating, including two separate bars and gorgeous views of the historic Rogue River Dam and downtown Rockford. Building plans also feature expansive outdoor seating complete with a large beer garden patio and an elevated deck.”
Malph’s Pizza Pub, we are told, takes its name from Rockford Brewing’s Malph’s Premium Beer, a throwback to the lager styles popular in the post-war era.
The City of Kentwood community last week welcomed the return of the Kentwood Farmers Market, which began its seventh season of bringing food and fun to town, this year on Thursdays, June 3 through Aug. 26, with 20 local vendors and a variety of special activities.
Young and old found something they liked at the opening of the Kentwood Farmers Market last week. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
And market manager Kristina Colby, also a Kentwood recreation program coordinator, could not have been more happy.
“We at the City of Kentwood are so excited to get back around the community with our masks off and see smiling faces,” Colby said to WKTV. “It is great just to get together again and have a good time together.”
The market will take place 4:30-7:30 p.m. each Thursday in front of the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE.
The market will provide the community weekly opportunities to buy a variety of goods ranging from fresh produce, baked goods, syrup and cheese, to fresh-cut flowers, coffee and handmade items.
In addition to the range of “farmers market” items for purchase, the market will also offer free classes and special events before or after shopping — on June 10 there will be a meet and greet with animals from John Ball Zoo at 5 p.m.
The Soul Syndicate will kick off the Kentwood concerts on June 24. (Soul Syndicate)
In addition, the just announced City of Kentwood’s Summer Concert Series will occur on several of the market’s Thursday evening nights.
“Six of the markets will actually occur on the same night as the Kentwood Summer Concert Series,” Colby said. “So you come here, get some food, get some snacks, and then stay for a free concert.”
There are also spots available for vendors. Those who are interested can reserve a spot for $10 per day or $50 for the full season. More information about the Kentwood Farmers Market, including vendor applications, is available at KentwoodFarmersMarket.com.
Having been open for almost 30 years, Williamson Employment Services, Inc., has been helping to fill staffing needs for area residents. A member of the Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, the organization continues to build on its reputation for building endearing relationships with its client companies and its employees in order to find the perfect match.
Name of business: Williamson Employment Services, Inc., 3940 Broadmoor Ave. SE.
What is your business? Full service staffing, recruiting, and human resources.
How long has your business been operating? 29 Years
How did your business get started? Peg Williamson started Williamson in 1992 when she saw a need for a business that assisted people in finding the right job. Since opening the corporate office in St Joseph, Michigan, she opened our office in Kentwood in 1998, and another office in Niles, Michigan, which is now located in Mishawaka, Indiana. Her daughter and son-in-law, Judee and Jeff Hopwood, have owned and operated the company since 2012.
Why did you decide to locate your business in the Wyoming/Kentwood area? The previous owner, Peg, opened an office in Kentwood because she felt it had a good market for employment agencies.
What has been the greatest challenge for your business? In the most recent year, it has been finding candidates for our open positions. The pandemic has definitely played a huge part in that challenge.
What is the most popular product/item at your business/restaurant? Since we don’t offer an actual product, but instead a service, I would say entry level positions are the most sought out position that we assist with.
What is a Wyoming/Kentwood business you like to visit during your free time? Our staff frequently visit local businesses! A few worth mentioning would be The Candied Yam, Shanghai Ichiban, Woodland Mall, and Craig’s Cruisers. I’m sure there are many more worth listing as both cities are full of great businesses!
Hopes for 2021: Our hope for 2021 would be a shift in the candidate market. I know we are not the only business that is experiencing a serious need to fill vacancies, so our hope is that more candidates become available for work and seek employment assistance with our office.
As with any high school graduation, including the dozens of local ceremonies this week and last, Lee High School and East Lee Alternative School seniors celebrated with fiends and families after of year of overcoming hardships including the pandemic.
But some of the stories of positive outlook despite hardships overcome relayed by members of the “Legendary” Class of 2021 were extraordinary — and none more so than that of Wilson ‘Rocky’ Lopez-Ramos.
Wilson ‘Rocky’ Lopez-Ramos. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“Rocky” may not have been one of the East Lee “Top Three Students” — those were Ashia Hernandez, Eliot Argueta-Rebolledo and Santiago Miguel-Garcia — but Lopez-Ramos was the most honored, chosen to be the Class of 2021 Representative/Speaker while also gaining the GLEA Scholarship and the Principal’s Award.
“This year was very difficult because most of it was online,” Lopez-Ramos said to WKTV on the night of the graduation, May 27. “I think the hardest part was to focus in (that) environment … for us this was our toughest year because we have to push ourselves to graduate. To graduate on time and graduate with our friends.”
The Godfrey-Lee Public School’s East Lee Campus is the district’s alternative school for students that are not on track for graduation. There are smaller class sizes and additional supports to help students find success and graduate on time.
College may or may not be in the future for Lopez-Ramos, he said, as he already works in automobile repair, loves doing so, and plans to open his own repair shop. He said studying at Grand Rapids Community College is possible.
And while he credited several of his teachers for helping him, pushing him to graduate, he gives special credit to his girlfriend — “She is graduating with me this year. She reminds me everyday to be proud, whether I do well or not. She says: ‘Please do your best. I’m always here for you if you need me’.”
And what advice would he give to others who are struggling to finish high school?
“Think about what it would mean to their family. … Do your best to focus. Find guidance. Don’t be afraid to ask.”
Other top grads, other good advice
While the Lee graduation ceremony included more than 100 Lee high students, several were given special honors and several offered their advice to their fellow graduates.
Regan Mockerman was not only the Salutatory, and addressed the crowd, but also gained several other awards including the English Language Arts department award and the Si Jelte Award given to a female athlete. (The top male athlete honor, the Harold Sabin Award, was given to Gerardo Montañez.)
Maybe Mockerman’s highest hurdle to overcome, however, was the expectations of being the daughter of Godfrey-Lee Public Schools Board of Education president Eric Mockerman.
Then again, the senior Mockerman, in his address to the crowd, admitted that he “was not the smartest” member of his household.
The valedictorian of the class was Christian Loredo-Duran, who talked about not only the challenge of the classroom but of life.
“If you ever get knocked down, but are given a second chance, get back up quickly,” he said in his address. “Take advantage of the opportunity you are given. … To the class of 2021, our life is there in front of us.”
Class president Alfredo Medina-Ortega, in his address to the crowd, also touched on the support he gained both from home and his advice for the other graduates.
“I am beyond grateful to have siblings who love me for who I am …,” he said. ““The scariest part of this evening is knowing that it is actually just a beginning … Be the person who makes you happy.”
Walk or drive past Wyoming’s Jackson Park and you can not help but notice that there has been a lot of activity over there.
One of the targeted parks on the city’s park improvement campaign, the City of Wyoming approved a $1.4 million investment to Jackson Park last year. This allowed for several new features at the parking such as a splash pad, playground shelter, parking lot, and security lighting. These are all features that came from resident input into the designs, said City of Wyoming Director Rebecca Rynbrandt.
After being closed for about a year due to construction, Wyoming residents are invited to celebrate the grand reopening of Jackson Park at a special event this Saturday at 10 a.m. at the park, 1331 33rd St. SW. The hour-long celebration will feature family activities and opportunities to play on the new constructed splash pad.
When the city talked to residents about what they wanted at Jackson Park, many stated a splash pad. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
“We are excited to reopen Jackson Park for our residents”, said Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll, who added the redevelopment has been highly anticipated by area residents with the city happy to have the park complete.
Design work on the park started in 2015, with the city collecting input from residents, Rynbrandt said. But the economy and mother nature forced the city to reprioritize funds to Ideal Park which had been severely impacted by tornadoes and flooding, she said.
Last spring, during the pandemic, the city approved a $1.3 million contract with Katerberg Verhage for the work at Jackson Park. Katerberg Verhage also lead the redevelopment of Ideal Park.
Crews were able to keep working on the park through the pandemic with construction completed on time for the planned reopening this summer.
“We are pleased to celebrate the grand reopening of Jackson Park,” Rynbrandt said. “We pride ourselves on excellent facilities and know that the improved accessibility of Jackson Park will be a great asset to the families of our community.”
Also new at Jackson Park are the covered seating areas. WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
Jackson Park is approximately 22 acres. It resides in a densely populated residential area of the City of Wyoming which is made up of single-family homes and borders the Wyoming Intermediate School.
Along with the new additions, Jackson Park has eight tennis courts, a basketball court and a play area located by the school. The park also hosts a large green space which provides for storm-water storage for the neighborhood during heavy rain events.
Funding for the project is being provided through the City’s Capital Projects Revolving Fund, with staff support through the City’s dedicated Parks and Recreation Operational Millage.
Jackson Park is the third park in a period of four years to have been redeveloped. The pocket park Ferrand Park, located along Byron Center Avenue, was completed in 2018 with Ideal Park completed in 2020. The city has a total of 21 parks.
The City of Kentwood Summer Concert Series will return with free concerts at 7 p.m. on select Thursday nights beginning June 24, the city officially announced last week.
The Soul Syndicate will kick off the Kentwood concerts on June 24. (Soul Syndicate)
This year’s lineup West Michigan’s own The Accidentals, Bootstrap Boys, Benzing Graves Collective and The Soul Syndicate, as well as other Michigan bands.
“We’re pleased to be able offer another fantastic lineup of bands for community members to enjoy live music outdoors,” Val Romeo, Kentwood Parks and Recreation director, said in supplied material. “We welcome concertgoers of all ages to celebrate summer in Kentwood with us on the lawn behind City Hall.”
All concerts will begin at 7 p.m., and conclude around 8:30 p.m., on the lawn behind Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave. SE. Concertgoers are encouraged to bring a blanket or chair. Each concert will feature food trucks, which will have food and beverages available for purchase. Guests may also bring their own food and beer or wine.
The schedule, with links to the band’s FaceBook page, is as follows:
New this year, Kentwood will offer essential workers and their guests special VIP seating near the stage. Essential workers who are interested can RSVP online prior to each concert.
Concerts will be livestreamed by WKTV for those who would prefer to enjoy the performances from home.
All are also invited to visit the Kentwood Farmers Market, which overlaps with the concert schedule. Starting June 3, the market will take place 4:30-7:30 p.m. each Thursday in front of the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE.
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter the words, but to live by them.”
— John F. Kennedy
The flags in front of the Michigan Homes for Veterans at Grand Rapids. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
The City of Wyoming
The City of Wyoming will host its annual Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday, May 31, at the Veteran’s Memorial Garden, in front of the Wyoming Department of Public Safety, 2300 DeHoop ave. SW. The event will begin at 7 p.m. Go here for the story.
The City of Grand Rapids
Due to pandemic precautions, a planned Memorial Day tribute at the Michigan Veterans Homes at Grand Rapids will be an invite-only event. But the public can pay their respect at the cemetery, where 5,000 small flags honor the fallen. Go here for the story.
The City of Hudsonville
The City of Hudsonville will have its annual Memorial Day Service May 31 at takes Veteran’s Memorial Park in Hudsonville. The service will begin at 10 a.m. Go here for the story.
Unfathomable fact:
593,000deaths
The the COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. topped 500,000 early this year, it matched the number of Americans killed in World War II, Korea and Vietnam combined. The number as of this Memorial Day is at about 593,000.
Local Boy and Girl scout troops and volunteers recently planted more than 5,000 flags at the “gravesites of fallen heroes” at the local veterans cemetery adjacent to the Michigan Veterans Homes at Grand Rapids. (Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs)
Due to ongoing pandemic precautions at the Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids, a planned Memorial Day tribute to America’s fallen heroes will be an invite-only event with a large turnout from the home’s members and their families.
The flags in front of the Michigan Veterans Homes at Grand Rapids. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
But the public can pay their respect with a walk around the veterans cemetery, now honoring veterans with small flags on the thousands of headstones, an effort made possible by the effort of local Boy and Girls scout organizations and well as other volunteers.
The Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids (MVHGR), previously known as the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, is located at 3000 Monroe Avenue, NE.The cemetery is adjacent to the veterans facility.
The state veterans cemetery was dedicated on May 31, 1886, 135 years ago this May, and hosts the graves of veterans dating back to the Civil War. according to supplied material. Formed in the shape of a Maltese cross, initially the cemetery was plotted for 262 graves with room for 1,048 but has grown to more than 5,000 gravesites today. The cemetery is open for visitation this weekend and visitors can access the cemetery through the main entrance on Lamberton Street NE.
Honoring veterans with flags of remembrance
The Michigan Veteran Homes, a branch of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, recently received assistance from local scout troops and volunteers to plant more than 5,000 flags at the “gravesites of fallen heroes” at the local veterans cemetery adjacent to the MVHGR.
Local Girls Scouts are also involved in the annual flag-planting effort. (Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs)
While family, residents, staff and community members have been placing flags individually over the years, the massive volunteer effort to blanket the cemetery with flags began more than 30 years ago. Bob Porter, a former financial management supervisor for the local facility who helped formalize the effort in 1991, said it began with a promise of a soda, according to supplied material.
“Al Hulsapple and Bill Gerber, who were members of the Home and volunteer scouts, would enlist the help of 10-20 scouts to plant flags in the cemetery,” Porter, who himself was involved as a scout leader for Boy Scout Troop 230 in Grand Rapids, said in supplied material. “It would take the scouts a few hours to blanket the cemetery and Al and Bill would toss them a soda at the end of the day and say come back again next year.”
While the effort began with the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts have become involved in recent years as well.
“The Girl Scouts appreciate the opportunity to join the legacy flag-planting event at Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids,” Krystan Krucki, director of marketing and communications for The Girl Scouts of Michigan Shore to Shore, said in supplied material. “It really does help inspire girls of all ages to honor veterans, honor our troops and find their own way to recognize the sacrifices that have been made by these individuals for our country.”
The placement of each flag includes a recognition of the veteran. (Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs)
Scouts are given instructions on how to properly honor the veterans buried at the cemetery. The process begins with a scout placing a flag to the left of the headstone, followed by reciting the veterans name and rendering a salute. Flags are delivered each year by the United Veterans Council of Kent County with special care taken to replace any flags that are torn or tattered.
“The City of Grand Rapids and its employees have been instrumental in raising funds to supply flags annually to make sure an American flag is placed at every veterans headstone within the city limits for Memorial Day,” Eric Nelson, a Navy veteran and commander of the United Veterans Council of Kent County, said in supplied material. “Each year we replace on average, 3,500 worn or tattered flags at the cemetery at Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids.”
While this year’s effort lacked elements of years past, the home hopes to return to celebrating the contributions by the scouts and local community in 2022.
“We’ve had anywhere from 500-800 scouts join us in the past,” Tiffany Carr, director of relations for the Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids, said in supplied material. “Even with restrictions and concerns related to COVID-19, all 5,000 plus flags were planted by the afternoon on May 20 as planned to honor our fallen veterans.”
Kentwood chaplain part of private ceremony
The Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, and Michigan Veteran Homes, Memorial Day event will include remarks by U.S. Army Brigadier General Scott Hiipakka, assistant adjutant general of the Michigan Army National Guard; Theresa Robinson, past commander of the United Veterans Council of Kent County; Bruce Johnson, DAV representative; Bruce Kalish, chaplain of the MVHGR; and Father Peter Vu, chaplain of the MVHGR and pastor of Saint Mary Magdalen Parish in Kentwood.
The ceremony will include a posting of the colors led by the MVHGR Member Color Guard, a rifle salute and Taps led by the Kent County Veterans Honor Guard and music by the Belmont Armory 126 Army Band and soloist Valerie Holstege.
Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce members meet in person for the first time at the May Third Friday Networking Luncheon. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
On May 21, the members of the Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce did something they have not done in more than a year — they met in person.
“It’s exciting to see people sitting next to folks and talking,” said Keith Morgan, owner of All Clean Again and the host of the chamber’s 3rd Friday Networking Luncheon, which took place on May 21 at Kentwood’s Amped Reality.
Morgan said business leaders meeting face-to-face helps demonstrate what the community should do and hopefully help encourage people to move forward.
A chamber member checked out Kentwood’s Amped Reality’s virtual offerings. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
The Chamber’s Friday Networking Luncheons are designed to give local businesses leaders the opportunity to connect with each other and build relationships. For more than a year, the luncheons have been taking place via Zoom.
“It is really great to be able to talk to someone face-to-face,” said Ashlynne Gibert, the office manager to her husband’s (Allen Gilbert) company Blue Frost It, a veteran-owned IT consulting and managed service provider.
Diane Druckenmiller, with Arrowaste, agreed.
“This is one of my first opportunities to be face-to-face with other business people,” Druckenmiller said.
For many of the business people attending the May 21 networking luncheon, they have all been out in the public, meeting with customers, so they have had some contact with people. But as Morgan said, it was nice to be able to meet and talk about the issues they are facing now.
At the five-member table I sat with, the discussion ranged from what people have been doing to the current employment crisis. There was also some discussion about the Whitecaps as Lake Michigan Credit Union Audrey Zapata was at the table handing out schedules. LMCU recently became the field sponsor with the Whitecaps now playing at the LMCU Ballpark.
A3-D printer owned by Amped Reality creates a miniature sculpture. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
Every networking luncheon also focuses on a chamber business, this time Amped Reality, 2923 28th St. SE. Amped Reality offers virtual reality experiences as well as summer camps focused on STEM activities.
Wyoming Kentwood Chamber President and CEO Bob O’Callaghan said the chamber is planning for all of its events to be in-person. Next up is the Connected Chamber Women June 4 with the next Third Friday Networking Luncheon June 18.
The City of Kentwood announced this week that the Kentwood Farmers Market will return for its seventh season Thursdays, June 3 through Aug. 26, with 20 local vendors and a variety of special activities.
The market will take place 4:30-7:30 p.m. each Thursday in front of the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE.
Vendors of all types will be active at the City of Kentwood’s Farmers Market. (WKTV)
The market will provide the community weekly opportunities to buy a variety of goods ranging from fresh produce, baked goods, syrup and cheese to fresh-cut flowers, coffee and handmade items, according to the statement.
“We are looking forward to welcoming community members back to the Farmers Market for another season with a great lineup of vendors and special activities,” Kristina Colby, Kentwood’s recreation program coordinator, said in supplied material. “Please join us this season for fun outdoors connecting with and supporting our local farmers and vendors.”
In addition to the range of “farmers market” items for purchase, the market will also offer free classes and special events before or after shopping.
(In addition, the just announced City of Kentwood’s Summer Concert Series will occur on several of the market’s Thursday evening nights.)
The schedule of free classes, special events and concerts includes:
The Accidentals in private concert. (Special for WKTV)
June 3: Yoga class at 6 p.m.
June 10: Meet and greet with animals from John Ball Zoo at 5 p.m.
June 17: Makers and Crafters Day 4:30-7:30 p.m.
June 24: Concert at 7 p.m. – The Soul Syndicate
July 1: Hip-hop fit class at 6 p.m.
July 8: Herb demonstration 4:30-7:30 p.m.; concert at 7 p.m. – The Bootstrap Boys
July 15: Concert at 7 p.m. – Benzing Graves Collective
There are also spots available for vendors. Those who are interested can reserve a spot for $10 per day or $50 for the full season. More information about the Kentwood Farmers Market, including vendor applications, is available at KentwoodFarmersMarket.com.
The City of Kentwood announced last week that it had created two advisory committees and an online survey for community members to share input on the development of the city’s Covenant Park and its 109 acres.
The community survey will help “inform” the committees’ planned work, according to the statement. To share input on the park’s future, community members are invited to take the online survey by Friday, June 4. The survey takes 10-15 minutes to complete and includes questions about Kentwood’s other parks, trails, recreational programming and facilities.
Individuals who want to take the survey in a different language can call the Parks and Recreation Department at 616-656-5270 for assistance.
An aerial view of a portion of the City of Kentwood’s Covenant Park. (City of Kentwood)
The two advisory committees are tasked to gather, review and prioritize improvement ideas, concepts and plans for Covenant Park, and then to make recommendations to the City Commission on future development, according to the statement.
“This community engagement process will ultimately determine how the property will align with existing local parks and recreational needs identified in the Parks and Recreation Business Plan, Parks Master Plan and Non-Motorized Trail Plan,” according to the statement.
The two committees have held a joint kickoff meeting and the next meeting will be also held jointly to review the survey data.
One committee is focused on opportunities for passive and active recreation at the park, while the other is exploring the potential to incorporate regional competitive sports on the property as well, according to the city statement.
Covenant Park’s sign. (City of Kentwood)
Formerly known as the Christian Athletic Complex, Covenant Park is located at 3724 Shaffer Ave. SE. The city accepted a donation of the 109-acre parcel in May through a substantial gift to the Kentwood Community Foundation from an anonymous donor.
Covenant Park features open spaces, walking trails, softball fields and a clubhouse.
The committees include broad community representation with more than 20 members on each, including parks and recreation commissioners, city commissioners, planning commissioners, residents and business owners.
The Covenant Park Advisory Committee for Active and Passive Recreation is focused on opportunities for both active and passive recreation on the property. Active recreation refers to structured activities — either for individuals or teams — that require the use of special facilities, courses, fields or equipment. Examples include baseball, basketball, football, golf, soccer, softball, tennis and rugby, according to the statement.
Passive recreation refers to activities that do not require prepared facilities such as sports fields or pavilions. Examples include bicycling, cross-country skiing, walking, hiking, picnicking, running and wildlife viewing.
In addition to serving as a public recreational amenity for local residents, the park also has the potential to accommodate a regional competitive sports component, according to the city’s statement. So, the Covenant Park Advisory Committee for Regional Competitive Sports is exploring the feasibility of and community interest in this possibility.
The committees are expected to make a final recommendation to the City Commission later this year. More information and updates about the committees, including a meeting schedule can be found on the City’s website at kentwood.us/CovenantParkPlanning. WKTV will continue to report on the work of the committees.
Landscape photographer and nature enthusiast Thomas Hegewald, hosts a series exploring what West Michigan has to offer in form of nature parks and preserves. The new series, called “Exploring, will air on WKTV Channel 25, at 6 p.m. Tuesdays and 7:30 p.m. Fridays starting June 1.
“Exploring” features nature parks and preserves in Kent and Ottawa counties. Each exploration features simple photography tips and techniques for capturing different aspects of the locations. Hegewald’s landscape photographs have been featured in numerous regional art exhibits over the years. The series actually got its start in 2019 when Hegewald was creating pieces for “Preserved!,” a bi-annual show for the Land Conservancy of West Michigan. As one of the featured artists, Hegewald traveled around West Michigan exploring and photographing some of the nature preserves that LCWM manages.
“I was so impressed with the work that the Land Conservancy of West Michigan was doing at Wege Natural Area, in the form of forest recovery, that I wanted to share that story,” Hegewald said.
With the introduction in 2020 of lockdowns and social distancing due to Covid-19, Hegewald turned to nature parks and preserves as a way of counter-acting the stress.
“Life slows down out in nature,” he said. “By sharing my appreciation for nature and vision as a photographer, I hope viewers seek out new nature parks or preserves to explore.”
Things are starting to get back to normal at West Michigan’s veteran-care facility, including last week’s small ceremony to raise a 30- by 50-foot flag just off Monroe Avenue NE across from Grand Rapids’ Riverside Park, as it has been raised annually for more than 20 years.
West Michigan’s veteran-care facility, last week, held a small ceremony to raise a 30- by 50-foot flag just off Monroe Avenue NE across from Grand Rapids’ Riverside Park. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
But with the near completion of several buildings that will make up the new veteran-care facility, there will also be a new normal for Michigan veterans in need of services.
Starting with the subtle but meaningful change of the title from the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans to the “Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids” — notice the plural of “home” — evidence abounds of not only the decentralization of the state’s veterans care system but also a functional modernization of the local facility, set to be fully opened by Christmas of this year.
A new of the old fountain and a new building at the Michigan Veterans Homes at Grand Rapids. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
The new facility, located at 3000 Monroe She. NE, was described as being about 90 percent complete in late April when WKTV was invited in to accompany the first resident to tour the new main building.
The building has a huge common area and then separate wings providing individual pods of “homes” with private bathrooms for individual clients, small kitchens with food service staffs and dining areas for each pod, and a central wellness center for client medical and rehabilitation care as well as other needs.
And Tracy Nelson, administrator of local Homes for Veterans, also refers to the facility’s occupants as “members” — another bit of evidence of the change in service delivery model.
“When I started here about four years ago, we had well over 300 members,” Nelson said to WKTV. “The type of service we delivered for that many people was a bit different, because it is not a small home model.”
Now “we are about where we need to be, about 128 men and women, but we are accepting admissions, now and as we move into the new facility. We currently have some folks who are going to be transferring to Chesterfield Township, which is the home that is three months ahead of us.”
Prior to a complete review and redesign of the state’s veterans care program began in 2016 there was a single, large old facility in Grand Rapids. Now there will be three Homes for Veterans led by the Michigan Veterans’ Facility Authority: one Chesterfield Township, one Marquette and the new one in Grand Rapids located adjacent to the existing facility.
“We plan for a soft opening which means we will bring in our first eight members, so we can get certified, in August,” Nelson said. “After that (certification from the state and the federal Veterans Administration) we will be moving everyone else over. By Christmas, we will be complete.”
And while many of the changes will allow for delivery of care, some are simply to make the members feel more comfortable during their stays, long- or short-term — to make it “a home instead of an institution.”
Tracy Nelson, administrator of local Homes for Veterans facility, and
“member” Lee Walton, tour the still-unfinished building. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“Over at the existing campus, at one time, there would be four men — or four women — who shared one room and one bathroom. And then there was a central shower — they would have to come out of their room, go down the hall to a central shower, and then come back,” Nelson said as she described the differences coming in new facility. “That was a traditional setting. This is state of the art. This is a home.”
The first member to get a look at his soon-to-be home was Lee Walton, an Air Force veteran who worked many years in the Fremont area in the construction field, and someone who was known to pay close attention to the construction of the new buildings.
“Its going to be wonderful, I’m excited,” Walton said to WKTV. “We’ll have our own room, our own bathroom — that’s a big plus. And having our own kitchen and dining area. They have really done a nice job here.”
A care and rehab facility as well as a home
While a huge part of the facility upgrades at the Michigan Veterans Homes at Grand Rapids will be in the member amenities offered, Nelson is equally proud of the upgraded medical and rehabilitation facilities, including each pod having a central wellness center and an unique outdoor facility that will aid persons regaining real world independent mobility.
A memorial and a new building at West Michigan’s veteran-care facility. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“The wellness center is really a home of our therapists — physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists — but in there they put all sorts of activities geared to get people to their maximum level of being independent,” Nelson said. “There is also an area back there for a physician. We are lucky enough to have a full-time physician, and a full-time nurse practitioner. And there are outside services that will come in — so dental, vision, other things. This (facility) has a distinct, separate place for those types of services to be rendered.”
And another element of the new facility will be an open-air, center-court area that looks a little like a big-person’s playground but has a very serious rehabilitation function.
“Most (mobility rehabilitation) facilities are not set up for all the different textures for walking, for them to get used to those different textures,” Nelson said. “When you go outside, there is cobblestone, there is pavement, there is gravel — it takes totally different skills to walk on those different surfaces. … It is designed for maximum success for our members who want to come to us for therapy and then go home.”
(During the WKTV visit, the feature was still under construction but some elements of it were visible.)
Moving forward during a time of pandemic
Facility upgrades, and some elements of change in member care, were in process before the COVID-19 crisis hit early last year, and the project was only sightly delayed from a construction standpoint.
The new facility was constructed on southern edge of the existing 90-acre property, at Monroe Avenue and Three Mile Road, with a price tag initially reported to be about $49 million.
And, the tightly controlled pandemic operational model adopted by facility leadership and workforce also gained praise from Nelson.
“The pandemic has really shifted the culture change rapidly,” Nelson said. “With this environment, you are doing multiple jobs based on the situation — as people became sick, we all pitched in and did what needed to be done to make sure our members needs were met.
“We had one office person who worked 20 hours of overtime one week and weekend, just to make sure our guys got outside for some fresh air and to walk. … We just wanted to maintain the best quality of life for our members that we could.”
The Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department, in partnership with the Georgetown Seniors, will host the 22nd annual Spotlight on Seniors Health and Fitness Expo on Tuesday, May 25 — this year as an outdoor event.
According to an announcement from the city, the free event will take place from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE. It will feature 40 vendors representing a variety of senior-oriented businesses, free health screenings for balance, blood pressure, stroke risk and more, as well as door prizes and free snacks and lunch.
“Our Spotlight on Seniors Expo offers a great opportunity for seniors and other community members to connect with one another, learn about local resources that can help them live healthy lives and celebrate successful aging,” Lorraine Beloncis, Kentwood Parks and Recreation assistant director, said in supplied material. “We are grateful for Georgetown Seniors and our sponsors in helping us provide this wonderful community event every year.”
Participating vendors include professionals in fields ranging from physical therapy and assisted living to home improvement and health care, according to the city’s statement.
“The challenges we have all faced over the past year during the pandemic make an event that promotes health, fitness and connections that much more important,” Pam Haverdink, director of the Georgetown Senior Center, said in supplied material. “We are pleased to partner with Kentwood Seniors on this expo and we are thankful to our vendors, who help make this fun and popular for residents in both communities.”
Among the sponsors of the Spotlight on Seniors Health & Fitness Expo are Health Alliance Plan (HAP), Health Bridge Post-Acute Rehabilitation, and Rivertown Ridge Senior Living. Other sponsors are Humana MarketPoint Inc., Laurels of Hudsonville, Sheldon Meadows, The Care Team, United Healthcare and We Care 4 U @ Home.
WKTV Community Media has teamed up with the City of Kentwood to produce a video inviting locals seeking outdoor summer work to join the city’s seasonal team.
“Do you enjoy a little fun and working outdoors? Kentwood has 15 parks, 13 miles of trails and more than 400 acres of grass to keep mowed,” Mayor Stephen Kepley says in the video. “We want you to work in Kentwood, for Kentwood. Join our team, where your work will be appreciated by thousands of residents who enjoy our parks, trails and events. And the best part, you get paid to do it.”
The city is recruiting seasonal maintenance workers to join its Public Works Department to help maintain City parks, buildings and other facilities. The City’s Parks and Recreation Department is also looking to hire seasonal park attendants to help maintain Kentwood parks and trails throughout the summer. For more information and to apply, visit kentwood.us/employment.
Last year, the pandemic forced the City of Kentwood to replace its usual “open the garage door” National Public Works Week celebration at the city’s Department of Public Works with a citywide parade through various neighborhoods.
This year, as part of the Kent County-wide “Fleets Through the Streets’ event, the Department of Public Works (DPW) will again take its vehicles, accompanied by a Kent County vehicle, to the streets on Saturday, May 22.
The Kentwood Public Works Department hosted a parade of trucks in May 2020. (City of Kentwood)
The parade will begin at 9 a.m. on the western border of the city near the intersection of Division Avenue and Maplelawn Street, and travel toward the eastern border of the city, ending around 11 a.m. near the intersection of Burton Street and Forest Meadows Court. For a complete map of the parade, visit the city website here.
“We invite residents to enjoy the parade from their porch, yard or driveway to allow for safe physical distancing outdoors,” the city states on its website. “Please feel free to give us a wave as we pass by!”
In addition to the parade, the city will be giving away tree seedlings from noon to 8 p.m., Thursday, May 20, through Saturday, May 22, at the brush and leaf drop-off sites located at the DPW lot, 5068 Breton Ave. SE — while supplies last.
The parade is part of a larger “fleets through the streets” community celebration of National Public Works Week with other local public works and road agencies.
This year’s National Public Works Week theme is “Stronger Together,” challenging residents to think about the role public works plays in creating a great place to live, work and play.
“By working together, the impact residents and public works professionals can have on their communities is magnified and results in the ability to accomplish goals once thought unattainable,” according to supplied material.
Since 1960, the American Public Works Association (APWA) has sponsored National Public Works Week. Across North America, more than 29,000 members in the United States and Canada use this week to energize and educate the public on the importance of public works to their daily lives.
The Kentwood Place Department’s Traffic Services Bureau launched a safety campaign during the 2019-20 school year partially focused on Kentwood, Kelloggsville, and Forest Hills school buses when students were boarding and departing. (City of Kentwood)
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
The City of Kentwood announced last week that the Kentwood Police Department has received the 2020 Outstanding Traffic Achievement Award from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Advisory Commission in recognition of its school safety campaign.
The GTSAC honors organizations, programs and individuals for outstanding contributions to traffic safety, according to supplied material. The virtual awards ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, May 27.
“We are grateful to the state for this high honor, which is a reflection of our department’s ongoing commitment to increasing traffic safety and our Traffic Services Bureau’s hard work to help make school zones safer for students and drivers,” Kentwood Police Chief Richard Roberts said in supplied material.
The Traffic Services Bureau includes one sergeant, three traffic specialists and one police cadet. The team’s primary responsibility is to enforce traffic laws. Other services include abandoned vehicle follow-ups, salvaged vehicle inspections, traffic engineering studies, speed monitoring and accident investigations.
The police department’s Traffic Services Bureau launched a safety campaign during the 2019-20 school year that provided dedicated personnel to monitor and enforce residential speed limits near schools on 60th Street SE and whether drivers stopped for Kentwood, Kelloggsville, and Forest Hills school buses when students were boarding and departing.
The police department had received complaints about drivers speeding in properly posted school zones and not stopping for buses when their red flashers were on, according to supplied material.
The initiative started in October 2019 and ended early in March 2020 due to school closures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly 184 personnel hours were dedicated to the five-month campaign, which yielded 428 school speed zone violations and 31 school bus violations.
This enforcement resulted in an 800 percent increase for school speed zone violations and a 300 percent jump in school bus violations from the previous school year. Fifty-one school speed zone violations and 10 school bus violations were issued in 2018-19.
During the first month of the campaign, 93 school speed zone violations were issued. That number peaked at 104 in February 2020 before dropping to 31 in the final month.
“This was a successful effort that changed behaviors and garnered positive feedback from our community, with many parents stopping to thank our officers,” Chief Roberts said.
The safety campaign encompassed Kentwood, Kelloggsville and Forest Hills schools. It resumed in October 2020 and went through December, resulting in four school speed violations and eight school bus violations.
More information about the Kentwood Police Department is available at kentwood.us/police.
The Accidentials in private concert. (Special for WKTV)
A little entertainment by The Accidentals
If The Accidentals plan works the way they envision, Katie, Sav and Michael will be playing music off their just-dropped release, “TIME OUT (Session 1)”, live and in front of an audience in Kentwood and elsewhere this fall — that is, after all, where they felt most at home before the pandemic. Go here for the story and video.
Sophomore Wolves pitcher Bryce Bosovich went seven innings for the win against Mona Shores May 11. (WKTV)
A little baseball with Wyoming high
In a WKTV Sports Featured Game Tuesday this week, the Wyoming Wolves baseball team played small ball to perfection as they overcame a 2-0 deficit by stringing together four straight bunt singles, bracketed by swing-away singles, to score four runs in what ended as a 4-3 win in seven innings. Go here for the story and video.
Adrianne Rose, Director of Technology, Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, on WKTV Journal In Focus set. (WKTV)
A good-new discussion about Godfrey-Lee schools
Godfrey-Lee Public Schools will be one of 13 schools and nonprofits across Michigan that would receive free mobile hotspots and internet connectivity with the specific goal of serving at-risk students … and the district is also in process of using a $17.8 million in bond measure funds for building and infrastructure improvements. Go here for the story and video.
Fun fact:
5 billion
Almost 5 billion videos are watched on Youtube every single day (as of January 2021). Source.
Teresa Branson, Kent County Chief Inclusion Officer. (Kent County)
Kent County announced last week that it has selected Teresa Branson as its first Chief Inclusion Officer — a position that will report to the Kent County Administrator and underscore “the organization’s commitment to fully embedding diversity, equity and inclusion in its strategic priorities,” according to the announcement.
Branson currently serves as the Deputy Administrative Health Officer for the Kent County Health Department (KCHD). Prior to that, she held numerous public health education positions within KCHD, Child & Family Services of West MI, Inc., and Arbor Circle Corporation. She will start her new position May 24.
“We are fortunate to have someone as qualified as Teresa serve as our first Chief Inclusion Officer,” Kent County Administrator Wayman Britt said in supplied material. “We elevated this role because we are committed to accelerating our efforts to be an inclusive workforce and to ensure we are being equitable in our service delivery. I am excited for Teresa to fulfill this role and help us expand our diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.”
According to the announcement, Branson brings to the job “extensive experience implementing strategic diversity and inclusion programs and processes.” During her tenure at KCHD, she provided direction for the department’s health equity initiatives and led several successful programs aimed at reducing health disparities. She has also facilitated health equity and social justice training sessions.
Branson serves on numerous community and statewide boards, including the Michigan Community Action Team of the Governor’s COVID-19 Racial Disparities Task Force.
“It is an honor to be selected as the first person filling this role at Kent County,” Branson said in supplied material. “I look forward to working with our leadership teams, employees and community partners to build on the work that has already been done and to implement meaningful change that will make county government more responsive in meeting diverse needs of our employees and community.”
“Inclusive Participation” was one of five strategic priorities identified in the county’s 2019 strategic plan. Over the past several years, the Kent County Board of Commissioners and administration have invested in programs to increase equity and inclusion in hiring, training and service delivery.
Branson will oversee all the county’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts and identify ways to improve the county’s ability to serve its employees and residents.
“Teresa has a wealth of experience that will help us develop best practices and break through potential barriers,” Britt said. “Our goal is to build a more welcoming workforce and community.”
Branson holds a Master of Health Administration from Grand Valley State University and a Bachelor of Science in Public Health Education from Central Michigan University.
If The Accidentals plan works the way they envision, Katie, Sav and Michael will be playing music off their just-dropped release, “TIME OUT (Session 1)”, live and in front of an audience in Kentwood and elsewhere this fall — that is, after all, where they felt most at home before the pandemic hit the fan(s) and the bands.
It is not that their 2020 was a complete loss, as they made clear during a late April interview with WKTV‚ where they debuted a live cut of “Might As Well Be Gold”, a song co-written with Maia Sharp.
The Accidentals in private concert. (Special for WKTV)
“Might As Well Be Gold” is included on the “TIME OUT (Session 1), which was released May 7, a collection of songs which includes the single “Wildfire”, co-written by Kim Richey — who has worked with the likes ofTrisha Yearwood, Radney Foster, Brooks & Dunn — and which is getting The Accidentals a fair amount of national notice and airplay.
The appropriately named “TIME OUT” EP was, in fact, written during quarantine over Zooms with Richey and other legendary songwriters including Tom Paxton, Dar Williams and Mary Gauthier and more. And they found their pandemic hibernation led them to a new, maybe more introspective, way of writing music.
“We found things that work for us and found things that didn’t work for us,” said Savannah “Sav” Buist, who along with Katie Larson and Michael Dause, make up The Accidentals. “But I think it was just nice to have the time … We tired so consistently that when we come home Katie and I just tend to spit out songs within a week and then not really look back. It was nice to look back … This year I learned to take my time, to come back to a song.”
The Accidentals (Supplied/Courtesy Aryn Madigan)
The Traverse City based power pop trio with a soft, classical heart talked with WKTV about coming home from Nashville when things went south due to the pandemic, about writing music via Zoom, and how a “ping pong” of musical ideas bouncing back and forth helped keep them stay sane and productive during the long, quiet months.
The also talked about the anticipation of getting back on the road after years of playing something like 200 shows a year at festivals such as the Rocky Mountain Folk Fest, Summerfest, SXSW, and Electric Forest, and well as sharing the same stage with the likes of Brandi Carlile, Joan Baez, Andrew Bird, and The Decemberists.
For more information on The Accidentals and their new release, visit theaccidentalsmusic.com.
With few items on Kent County’s May 4 ballot, and the corresponding low voter turnout, local voters backed property tax funded financial requests from both Kentwood Public Schools and Kelloggsville Public Schools.
With unofficial final results from the Kent County Elections office, Kentwood district voters approved a bond measure, by a margin of 3,739 to 1,776, the will allow the Kentwood school district to be able to borrow up to about $192 million and issue general obligation tax bonds to repay it.
The turnout was about 11 percent of the almost 50,000 registered voters in the district, according to the county elections office.
Superintendent Michael Zoerhoff, Kentwood Public schools. (Supplied/KPS)
“The outcome of this election demonstrates the strong partnership between the Kentwood community and Kentwood Public Schools,” Kentwood Public Schools Superintendent Michael Zoerhoff said to WKTV. “Together with our staff, parents, partners and volunteers, we remain committed to providing an education of equity and excellence to every student in a Kentwood school.”
In addition, “we are pleased that our facilities are utilized by all ages within our community. From the pools to the tracks, from seniors to toddlers, Kentwood Public Schools is a resource for the entire community. This vote demonstrates that our community recognizes the district as a center point of engagement for all ages and backgrounds.”
In the Kelloggsville school district, with unofficial final results from the Kent County Elections office, voters approved an extension of an existing non-residential, non ”homestead”, property millage, as well as an additional temporary 2-year 0.5 mill increase, by a margin of 486-240.
The turnout was about 8 percent of the about 9,200 registered voters in the district, according to the county elections office.
“Thank you (to the voters) for your continued support of Kelloggsville Public Schools,” Eric Alcorn, Kelloggsville Public Schools director of human resources, said to WKTV. “We are grateful for the trust you have in us to make sound educational decisions for the district and our students.”
Kentwood bond measure details
Nearly every building in the Kentwood Public Schools system will see improvements paid for by the bond proposal — yet the proposal will lower the net millage from the prior year of a school system already the lowest in Kent County, according to district information.
Kentwood Public Schools serves about 9,000 students. (Supplied/KPS)
Overall, the bond proposal would fund 10-plus years of improvements to district infrastructure and educational technology, that “would provide programs, technology, and facilities for current and future needs,” according to a district statement prior to the vote.
Kentwood Public Schools serves more than 9,000 students, includes about 1,200 staff, and is responsible for 22 buildings, including 17 schools, totaling over one million square feet of structures on over 450 acres of sites.
“This bond referendum will allow us to enhance health and safety features within our facilities,” Superintendent Zoerhoff said. “For instance, our child nutrition food service teams are excited about having full service kitchens in each of our schools. The fresh food that will be provided for our students, in every building, will empower them to learn and succeed.
“In addition, while we cannot predict the next pandemic or problem that our society will face, we can predict that technology will continue to play a critical role in the lives of our students.”
Kelloggsville millage extension details
The Kelloggsville Public Schools district received voter support of a millage two years ago, and the current and approved extension would allow that millage to “be renewed by 18.0181 mills ($18.0181 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of 2 years, 2022 and 2023, and also be increased by 0.5 mill ($0.50 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of 2 years, 2022 and 2023,” according to the official Kent County elections ballot proposal information.
According to information supplied by the district, the proposal “is a renewal to be levied against non-homestead property. Resident properties are exempt from being taxed by this proposal (no cost to the homeowner). This is a renewal on business properties and not homes. The renewal will notcost the homeowner any additional taxes.”
While community groups and entertainment venues tentatively plan for a fall with more relaxed COVID-19 related restrictions — with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, in fact, laying out a plan for return to normal focused on a 70 percent vaccination total — most government and health officials agree that vaccination rates will be a key factor.
And as vaccination rates begin to slow, in West Michigan and across the United States, vaccination availability has become more easily available, to more people in more age groups, than ever before.
(WKTV)
“In order to support the state’s goal of herd immunity, we are doing everything possible to ensure Kent County residents have the information and access they need to get vaccinated,” Dr. Adam London, director of the Kent County Health Department, said last week to WKTV. “We have overcome many barriers people have faced when trying to schedule an appointment, including scheduling assistance, providing transportation options and opening community clinics throughout hard to reach areas. As vaccine supply has increased, some of our clinics are able to accommodate walk-ins.”
London stressed that Kent County residents have a one-stop on-line location for vaccination information and scheduling — vaccinatewestmi.com.
State government goals, results and actions
While Michigan’s top governmental leadership and health officials recently established a detailed timeline and plan for easing of restrictions, based on levels of vaccinations, and this week touted progress toward the goal, there is some governmental and citizen opposition.
Gov. Whitmer’s office and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) recently announced that Michigan has administered 7 Million vaccinations and that 50 percent of eligible Michiganders have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
That 50 percent level is significant as last week the governor Whitmer and MDHHS outlined a “Michigan Vaccine to Normal Plan” providing a four-step plan for easing restrictions based on vaccine rates and starting at a then 48.8 percentage level.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, front, last week, discussing a plan for return to normal focused on a 70 percent vaccination total. (Office of the Governor)
“We’ve put shots in arms of 1 in 2 Michiganders 16 and up and over 1 in 3 are fully vaccinated, including 2 in 3 seniors. Our rollout continues to speed up,“ Gov. Whitmer said in an announcement from her office. “As we get closer to achieving our goal of equitably vaccinating 70 percent of Michiganders 16 and up, we have to remember that we are still in this fight against the virus. … The way to put this pandemic behind us, however, is to get vaccinated.”
The announced back-to-normal plan steps are:
Step One: Two weeks after 4.5 million Michiganders, or 55 percent of those eligible, have received their first shot, MDHHS will lift the requirement for employers to require remote work when feasible.
Step Two: Two weeks after 4.9 million Michiganders, or 60 percent of those eligible, have received their first shot MDHHS will increase indoor capacity at sports stadiums and other crowd-focused locations to 25 percent; increase capacity limits at gyms to 50 percent; and lift the curfew on bars and restaurants.
Step Three: Two weeks after 5.3 million Michiganders, or 65 percent of those eligible, have received their first shot MDHHS will lift all indoor capacity limits, only requiring social distancing between parties; and relax the limits on residential social gatherings.
Step Four: Two weeks after 5.67 million Michiganders, or 70 percent of those eligible, have received their first shot MDHHS will lift the gatherings and face masks order and no longer impose mitigation measures of that kind “unless the virus threatens to overwhelm the medical system or some other unanticipated circumstance arises.”
But not all government leaders, including Republican legislative leaders, believe vaccine rates should be the only metric Gov. Whitmer’s administration considers.
In recent media reports, both Michigan House of Representatives Republican Speaker Jason Wentworth and Senate Republican Majority Leader MIke Shirkey expressed concern with the plan, saying they fear inoculation rates may soon “plateau” given growing vaccine hesitancy among some persons.
“What if we don’t ever get to 70” percent, Wentworth reportedly said last week in a virtual roundtable hosted by the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce. “That’s a possibility.”
But the Governor’s plan has gained support from Michigan State Medical Society, and others.
Gov. Whitmer’s plan“lays out the path to returning our economy and much of our daily lives back to pre-pandemic norms, which is what we all want,” Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, president of the Michigan State Medical Society, said in statement, while also noting that “COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective, and readily available to everyone 16 years and older in Michigan.”
Local actions by health department, medical providers
Last week, the Kent County Health Department announced a change to its quarantine guidelines for people exposed to coronavirus “to align with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).” Effective immediately, the new guidance shortens the quarantine period for exposed people from 14 days to 10 days under certain scenarios.
“The previous 14-day quarantine period was based on the full incubation period of the virus,” according to the announcement. “However, data confirms 90 to 99 percent of COVID-19 infections occur within 10 days of exposure.”
In addition, residents can be released from quarantine after 10-days, without testing, if they conduct daily symptom monitoring through day 10 after the last exposure, and they do not have any symptoms or clinical evidence of COVID-19.
If a potentially exposed individual develops symptoms during the 10-days, they should seek testing and self-isolate while awaiting results. Additionally, a 10-day quarantine period does not apply to persons residing in congregate living settings or who work with individuals in high-risk groups.
“This change will make it easier for individuals to complete their quarantine and still reduce the spread of the virus,” KCHD Medical Director Dr. Nirali Bora said in supplied material. “However, we encourage residents to remain vigilant against the virus and to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”
And a big player in the vaccination program also announced changes. Metro Health — University of Michigan Health, which has vaccinated more than 38,000 people against COVID-19, announced this week that vaccine scheduling is now open to anyone 16 years of age or older.
The COVID-19 vaccination effort is continuing to expand. (U.S. Government).
For more information and to schedule an appointment visit metrohealth.vaccine.mychart.com. Persons can also call 616-252-6161 to schedule a vaccine appointment or with any questions. The telephone line is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday; but they note that “call volume is very heavy” and calls will be answered “as soon as we can.”
Also announced by Metro Health-UM Health is that “As recommended by local, state and federal health agencies,” they have resumed distribution of the single-dose Janssen/Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.
“After investigating reports of blood clots, an independent panel of scientists found the risk to be extremely low and concentrated among women younger than 50 years,” as stated in a Metro Health-UM Health announcement. “As an extra precaution, Metro Health – University of Michigan Health will not distribute this vaccine to women in this age group.”
Rite Aid pharmacies also announced last week that it is administering COVID-19 vaccines on a walk-in basis in all its Michigan stores, and anyone 16 or older is eligible. However, they still recommend scheduling appointments in advance to reduce wait time and guarantee availability of the vaccine.
All three COVID-19 vaccines available in the U.S. — Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson – are being administered at Rite Aid. Individuals 18 and older can schedule appointments online. Those ages 16 and 17 can schedule an appointment with parent or guardian consent at any store administering the Pfizer vaccine by contacting the store’s pharmacy directly. For more information visit riteaid.com/covid-19.
While limitations on in-person group experiences continue due to the pandemic, The Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies knows there has been no break in the need for supporting veterans recovering from the sometimes hidden wounds of war.
So Grand Valley State University’s Hauenstein Center and its partners, including the Kent County Veterans Services office, will go virtual this year as the Hidden Wounds of War Conference — this year with the conference theme of “Moral Injury” — will be held Thursday, May 6, and will be delivered online using Zoom.
“The Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies hosts the Hidden Wounds of War Conference as a community service effort to build awareness and educate the community about treatments and resources available to our veterans,” Brent Holmes, acting director of the center, said to WKTV. “The Hidden Wounds of War Conference stems from a Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies event that has held in June 2008. Through the years, the Hauenstein Center has partnered with veteran organizations to be able to host this impactful conference.”
U.S. Marines with Task Force Southwest depart a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter prior to an advisory meeting with Afghan National Army soldiers at Camp Hanson, Afghanistan, June 13, 2017. (U.S. Marine Corps photo)
And one reason for a presidential studies center to be focused on support of war veterans? It is presidents who send them to war.
“We desire to be more effective in serving those who serve and have served our communities and nation,” Holmes said. “Veterans, first responders, families, and communities struggle with the aftereffects of this service. Too often suffered in silence, the psychological trauma experienced by our men and women in uniform brings the hardship home. By embracing honest discussion and strong networks of support, winning the battle against these challenges is possible.”
The schedule of events for the day begins with opening remarks at 8:30 a.m., then moves into general session at 9 a.m., with Dr. Rita Nakashima Brock discussing “Moral Injury.”
Dr. Rita Nakashima Brock is Senior Vice President for Moral Injury Programs at Volunteers of America and a Commissioned Minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). (Courtesy/GVSU)
Moral injury refers to suffering due to moral emotions such as shame, guilt, remorse, outrage, despair, mistrust, and self-isolation, according to supplied material. It emerged as a concept among Veterans Affairs clinicians working with military combat veterans beginning in 1994.
This session will offer some of the factors in human beings that can lead to moral injury by examining how conscience is shaped; presenting several definitions of moral injury, both clinical and cultural/religious; identifying the range of morally injurious experiences that disrupt moral identity; and explaining the relationship of moral injury to other trauma, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
After a short break, there will be morning break-out sessions between 10:30 a.m. and noon, including sessions titled “Military Sexual Trauma”; “Military Culture, Families, and Relationships”; and “Suicide Prevention” — where participants “will gain an understanding of the scope of suicide with the United States and within the Veteran population and will know how to better identify a veteran who may be at risk for suicide.”
After a lunch break from noon to 1 p.m., there will be another general session with Dr. Nakashima Brock. The lecture will, among other topics, explain what constitutes recovery from moral injury and discuss validated programs for supporting recovery from moral injury. In addition, it will discuss strategies as yet to be validated but that seem promising, including the role of congregations and community organizations.
After another short break, there will be more afternoon break-out sessions from 2:30-4 p.m., including sessions titled “Community Resources”; another session on “Suicide Prevention”; and one on the local “Kent County Veteran Treatment Courts”, which will discuss trends and policies of such courts, and the courts’ mission — “Participants will leave with an understanding of the methodologies used in program development and operations and how KCVTC enhances public safety and enhances the community’s return on investment.”
“The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it’s a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good and that could be again.”
James Earl Jones … Can you guess the movie? (See bottom of this story)
WKTV DreamWheels red carpet show (circa. 2013-15/WKTV)
Dust off those classic cars this weekend
The 28th Street Metro Cruise will be back in full swing this August. And, to start the celebration of cars, the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce hosts the return of the “dust off” event on Saturday, May 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Wyoming Moose Lodge #763, at 2630 Burlingame Ave. SW, in Wyoming. Go here for the story.
A probably sold-out crowd at Meijer Gardens Summer Concert series evening. (Supplied Meijer Gardens/Tony Norkus)
Meijer Gardens outdoor concerts to return
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park’s Fifth Third Bank Summer Concerts — including three special Grand Rapids Symphony dates — as well as its Tuesday Evening Music Club and the new Jim & Marie Preston Sunday Strings are tentatively planned to return this summer and into the fall. Go here for the story.
The West Michigan Whitecaps will soon begin play at the newly named LMCU Ballpark. (Supplied/West Michigan Whitecaps)
Opening day for the West Michigan Whitecaps
With opening day on May 4 and first home game May 11, the West Michigan Whitecaps are gearing up for a season that is bound to be unlike any they have had in the past due to the pandemic. But the fan experience will still be fun for Whitecaps fans at the now-named LMCU (Lake Michigan Credit Union) Ballpark. Go here for the story.
Fun fact:
‘Field of Dreams’ forever
Field of Dreams is a 1989 American film written and directed by Phil Alden Anderson, adapting W. P. Kinsella’s 1982 novel Shoeless Joe. The cast includes Kevin Costner, Amy Madigan, James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta and Burt Lancaster in his final film role. In 2017, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. Source.
Historic Metro Cruise photos, from 2013-15. (Courtesy of WKTV)
By WKTV Staff
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic last year, the local community saw what turned out to be a brief interruption to the annual pilgrimage of classic cars to one of the busiest strips in the State of Michigan — 28th Street in Wyoming and Kentwood.
This year, though, the 28th Street Metro Cruise will be in full swing again this August. And, to start the celebration of cars, the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce announces the return of the “dust off” event on Saturday, May 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Wyoming Moose Lodge #763, at 2630 Burlingame Ave. SW, in Wyoming.
At the event, classic car owners will have that first spring opportunity to roll their rides back down the street to be admired and, as the Carly Simon song says, “get a few eyeballs” on them.
And as vaccinations continue to filter through the general population and with CDC further relaxing mask requirements among vaccinated people, the hope among organizers is that turn out will be large and even larger for the return of the 28th Street Metro Cruise, Aug. 27 and 28. While social distancing will still be respected, the entire event Saturday, May 1, will be out of doors. For more information, visit the Metro Cruise website at 28thstreetmetrocruise.com.
In addition to its ongoing yard waste drop-off program, the City of Kentwood is assisting residents with general trash and debris, as well electronics, disposal as it will again offer its annual Community Cleanup Day on Saturday, May 1 for residents wanting to “spring clean” their homes and yards.
In a Monday, May 26, announcement to WKTV, the city stated this year’s Community Cleanup Day will accept yard waste, trash and general debris for disposal, and electronics for recycling, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Kentwood Department of Public Works, 5068 Breton Ave. SE.
Following the cleanup event, the city’s yard debris (including brush and leaf debris) drop-off sites, also located at Kentwood’s DPW facility, will remain open through Saturday, May 29. Hours of operation for the yard debris drop-off sites will be noon to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
“Our Community Cleanup Day offers residents a timely opportunity to dispose or recycle items as part of their spring-cleaning efforts,” John Gorney, Department of Public Works director, said in supplied material. “We encourage residents wanting to declutter their homes and property to take advantage of these free collection services.”
Most electronics can be recycled at local community clean-up days, including one planned for Kentwood residents. (Supplied/Comprenew)
The City of Kentwood’s yard waste drop-off site includes accepting brush, sticks, tree limbs and logs at the brush drop-off site, as well as leaves and grass clippings at the leaf drop-off site. Leaves should be loose when dropped off, not left in bags.
Red Creek Waste Services will be on hand for Kentwood’s Community Cleanup Day to accept general debris and trash for disposal.
Comprenew will be on-site to recycle electronic waste, such as mobile phones, computers and fax machines. Individuals with questions about other electronics that can be accepted are asked to call the toll-free number at 833-266-7736.
Items for donation and household hazardous materials will not be accepted during this year’s cleanup event. Those looking to safely dispose of household hazardous materials may utilize the Kent County Department of Public Works’ SafeChem program, which remains available to residents at the Kentwood Department of Public Works facility, 5068 Breton Ave. SE, 1:30 to 5:30 p.m., on Tuesdays.
The cleanup day and drop-off services are available to Kentwood residents only.
Anyone wishing to participate is asked to enter the drive off Breton Avenue where staff will check ID for residency and direct traffic flow to maintain physical distancing. For the safety of City staff and community members, all participants are asked to adhere to CDC guidelines, including staying at least 6 feet from other people and wearing face coverings.
With the passing of a filing deadline this week, the Kent County election office reports that there will be at least six candidates running for the open 28th District State Senate seat — including local state Rep. Tommy Brand — and there will be five contested elections in the City of Kentwood, including for mayor, city commissioners and the city clerk.
According to the Kent County Elections website, the 2021 elections cycle will include an Aug. 3 special election primary for the state senate seat, where there will be three Republicans and two Democrats running for a spot on the Nov. 2 general election ballot.
On August primary ballot to compete the term of ex-state Sen. Peter MacGregor in the state Senate’s 28th District are Democrats Keith Courtade of Wyoming and Gidget Groendyk of Rockford; and Republicans Kevin Green of Cedar Springs, Mark Huizenga of Walker and Rep. Brann of Wyoming.
The winners of the Republican and Democratic primaries will face off in November, with at least one independent candidate, US Taxpayers Party candidate Theodore Gerrard, of Kentwood, and possibly others.
“Candidates with no party affiliation, or minor party candidates who are nominated at county conventions rather than via a primary, (can) file by 4 p.m. on August 20,” according to a spokesperson for the Kent County Clerk’s office.
The winner of the state senate special election will finish out the remaining term and will need to run again in 2022.
City of Kentwood primary, general elections
The City of Kentwood will have just one seat up for vote in the August primary, the City Commissioner Ward 2 where incumbent Tom McKelvey has two challengers: Jessica A. Tyson and Dan VanderMolen. The top two vote-getters will move on to the November general election (unless one of the primary candidates get 50 percent plus 1 vote in the primary, in which case they will win the seat).
Races already on the November non-partisan ballot for City of Kentwood have incumbent Mayor Stephen Kepley challenged by current City Commissioner Emily Bridson, incumbent Commissioner-At Large Betsy Artz challenged by Leonica Riley Erwin, and two candidates will look to fill the Ward 1 seat vacated by Bridson, Clarkston Morgan and Meochia Thompson.
Also, there will be a race for City Clerk as incumbent Dan Kasunic will be challenged by Taylor VanderLaan.
Running uncontested in the City of Kentwood is incumbent Treasurer Laurie Sheldon.
All City of Kentwood seats are for 4-year terms.
WKTV’s We The People available to candidates
As always, WKTV Community Media’s election season candidate coverage will include our We The People candidate videos. We The People gives all candidates the opportunity to record up-to-5-minute videos using their own scripts and unedited by WKTV.
Then-Kent County Commissioner Harold Voorhees during a previous election season’s We The People video series. (WKTV)
For the August primary special election, all of the candidates on the ballot will be invited to record the videos in late June and early July, and they will be run on our cable channels, Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel, and will be posted on YouTube at WKTVvideos about a month before the August election day. The videos are also provided to the candidates for their use.
For the November election all candidates (including unopposed candidates) will be invited to record videos in late September and early October for run and posting in early October.
Kentwood Public Schools serves more than 9,000 students, many of which are shown in this undated photo from a pre-pandemic student gathering. (Supplied/KPS)
Nearly every building in the Kentwood Public Schools system would see improvements should voters support a bond proposal by the district on the May 4 ballot — a proposal which would actually lower the net millage from the prior year of a school system already the lowest in Kent County.
But two of the items of focus in the stated planned uses of the building and infrastructure funding are in direct response to lessons learned about the need for workforce training for students and for heightened health and safety capabilities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“A number of improvements are being made in light of the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to the district’s 2021 Bond Proposal Fact Sheet. “These changes focus on student health and wellness.
“As a vibrant growing community, KPS needs additional facilities to maintain small class sizes and safe distancing in key areas. In a COVID-19 era, facility renovations and additions such as kitchens and cafeterias, athletic facilities, playgrounds and restroom modifications help to ensure health and safety for students and staff.”
One of the students in the Kentwood Public Schools’ “very hands on” Red Storm Robotics program. (Supplied/KPS)
The fact sheet also takes notice of the need for workforce options for students — “Our community needs skilled plumbers, carpenters, auto mechanics, and first responders. This bond will enhance the facilities that serve these areas and provide students with cutting-edge vocational learning opportunities that will serve our community for years to come.”
Overall, the bond proposal would fund 10-plus years of improvements to district infrastructure and educational technology, that “would provide programs, technology, and facilities for current and future needs.”
Kentwood Public Schools serves more than 9,000 students, includes about 1,200 staff, and is responsible for 22 buildings, including 17 schools, totaling over one million square feet of structures on more than 450 acres of sites.
Official ballot proposal info
If passed by voters, Kentwood Public Schools would be able to “borrow the sum of not to exceed One Hundred Ninety-Two Million One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($192,150,000) and issue its general obligation unlimited tax bonds …” according to the Kent County elections office ballot statement.
“The estimated millage that will be levied for the proposed bonds in 2022 is 0.21 mill ($0.21 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation), for a net 0.25 mill decrease from the prior year’s levy. The maximum number of years the bonds of any series may be outstanding, exclusive of any refunding, is thirty (30) years. The estimated simple average annual millage anticipated to be required to retire this bond debt is 2.26 mills ($2.26 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation).”
One of Kentwood Public Schools’ 22 buildings, including 17 schools, totaling over one million square feet of structures on more than 450 acres of sites. (Supplied/KPS)
As further explained in district-supplied material, if approved, this bond would extend the current debt tax levy from 2044 to 2058. It would decrease the debt tax rate by .25 mills, from 4.25 mills to 4.00 mills in 2022, and “the debt tax rate is projected to remain at 4.00 mills through 2038 and projected to decline further in the future.”
Also detailed in district-supplied material, such bond proposals are the means by which a public school district asks its community for authorization to borrow money to pay for capital expenditures. Voter-approved bond funds can be spent on new construction, additions, remodeling, site improvements, athletic facilities, playgrounds, buses, furnishings, equipment, technology, and other capital needs.
“Funds raised through the sale of bonds cannot be used on operational expenses such as employee salaries and benefits, school supplies, and textbooks,” according to the material.
Funds from such bond proposals are independent of the support the district receives from the State of Michigan for annual operations on a per pupil basis, but “the bond would likely have a positive impact on the annual operating budget for existing facilities.
“It would allow the district to reallocate operating funds that are currently being spent on aging facilities, mechanical systems, and technology. The savings generated from new and cost-efficient facilities could be redirected to student programs and resources.”
For more information about Kentwood Public Schools bond proposal visit the district website at kentwoodps.org/bond2021.
How and when to vote
The Michigan Secretary of State recommends that to register to vote by mail for the May 4 ballot voters should do so by Monday, April 19. Individuals may also register to vote online at Michigan.gov/vote, or in-person at the City of Kentwood City Clerk’s office through May 4, with the required documentation.
An undated State of Michigan Absentee Ballot return envelope. (WKTV)
According to supplied material, due to COVID-19, the Secretary of State will continue mailing absentee voter ballot applications to all registered voters. Registered voters must complete and submit the application to receive their absentee voter ballot. To vote by mail, fill out the application and sign it, and then mail or email it to the city clerk. (When filling out the application, if you check the box to be added to the permanent absentee voter list, you will get an application mailed to you before every election.)
If you registered to vote after absentee voter ballot applications were mailed, applications may be obtained online at Michigan.gov/vote. Absentee voter ballots are available by through May 4, 2021.
On Thursday, April 15, WKTV will be featuring live coverage of the Change of Command Ceremony of the International Space Station Expedition 64-65, where cosmonaut Sergey Ryzhikov turns over the space station command to astronaut Shannon Walker. The ceremony begins at 3:45 p.m.
NASA Astronaut Shannon Walker (NASA)
On Friday, April 16, for the Expedition 64 farewells as NASA astronaut Rubin and Roscosmos cosmonauts Ryzhikov and Kud-Sverchkov prepare to return to earth on the Soyuz MS-17. Coverage of the farewells begin at 5:45 p.m., with the hatch closure of the Soyuz MS-17 scheduled for 6:05 p.m.
Coverage continues at 11:30 p.m. with the deorbit burn and landing of the Soyuz MS-17. The deorbit burn is scheduled at 12:01 a.m. with the landing near Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan scheduled for 12:56 a.m.
For more information on NASA TV or the International Space Station, log on to www.nasa.gov.
A sure sign that this spring and summer will be different than last (we can hope) is the return of the Starkbierfest — “strong beer festival” — to Cedar Springs Brewing Company, scheduled for Saturday, April 17, from 3-9 p.m., in downtown Cedar Springs.
The rain-or-shine event will feature a heated tent — you know those Michigan Aprils, right? — with live music, limited beer release, and all the sausage you can eat.
“Besides the famous Oktoberfest, Starkbierfest … or Frühlingsfest, are the second big German beer festival times during the year,” according to promotional material of the event. “Historically, monks brewed strong beer or Bockbier which was higher in calories and a bit stronger to substitute for food during Lenten fasting. This “Liquid Bread” and annual brewing specialties have survived the times.”
The event is open to aged 21+ (w/valid ID) and $10 cover includes 2 hospitality tickets, valid for food or beverage. Tickets are available for pre-purchase and will also available for purchase at the door on the day of the event.
Among the beers to be released are a Küsterer Pale Weizenbock — one of my favorites — and a Wilderness Trail Barrel Aged Dunkel Lager (both in limited quantities), as well as eight other beers.
The live music scheduled includes Rudi Tegethoff, who we are told plays “energetic German polka” music, from about 2-4 p.m.; then Tony Halchak Music’s “Craft Brewed Americana”, from about 4:15-6:15 p.m.; and Hazy Past’s “vintage rock” from about 6:30-9 p.m.
A little Dutch heritage with Knickerbocker Gin at Tulip Time
Holland’s Tulip Time is just around the corner — scheduled to return May 1-9 — and we are told that means over 37,000 tulips will be in bloom in Holland. And New Holland Brewing is getting into the spirit, literally!
To celebrate New Holland’s Dutch heritage, and the return of the Tulip Time Festival for 2021 after being canceled last year, New Holland’s distillery is set to release a collectible Knickerbocker Gin bottle featuring delftware artwork.
New Holland Knickerbocker gin in special bottle. (Supplied)
This commemorative bottle will be available for preorder through Sunday, April 25 (or as long as supplies last.) It will be sold as a single 750mL bottle for $29.99 (plus tax). Pickups will take place at our Holland or Grand Rapids store locations from Friday, April 29 through Sunday, May 9.
New Holland promotional material notes that all preorders must be placed through their online store, however, the bottles will not be available for shipping. And every person picking up orders must present a valid ID showing proof of age of 21+.
For more information on Holland’s Tulip Time 2021 visit tuliptime.com. For more information on the special Knickerbocker Gin bottles, visit here, or visit newhollandbrew.com and click on Shop/Online Store.
When you feed Dragon’s Milk to a Wolverine …
New Holland Brewing’s joint project with Wolverine — a limited edition Dragon’s Milk x 1000 Mile boot that also serves to support the Bartender Emergency Assistance Program — is on the verge of being sold out, according to the wolverine.com website.
Wolverine’s New Holland Dragon’s Milk boots, and some reason to walk 1,000 miles. (Supplied/Wolverine)
The “Deliciously Dark” Stout-colored leather boot is “inspired by the rich hues and notes of coffee, chocolate, vanilla, and oak found in Dragon’s Milk,” according to promotional material.
The boot also includes the iconic Dragon’s Milk logo transformed into a metal fob and heat-embossed onto the boot, just like the burnishing on the barrels the stout is aged in. And we are told “Just as Dragon’s Milk develops its unmistakable taste through its aging process, this timeless handcrafted boot will gain character with every wear.”
Wolverine will be donating 10 percent of all sales of this limited edition collaboration to the Bartender Emergency Assistance Program. For more information visit here.
And if you are heading up the Traverse Road
Northern Latitudes Distillery recently announced it is opening its complementary tasting room in Lake Leelanau, with three new spirits — including, we are told, a Horseradish Vodka that a taste of can serve as the “world’s smallest Bloody Mary.”
“We have our tasting room set up to keep you and our spirit guides as safe as possible with plexiglass dividers, disposable tasting glasses, cleaning between customers, and strictly limited numbers to assure social distancing,” according to promotional material.
And after a tasting, you can settle in on their deck for, among other cocktails, a Plum Rum Mule, which features both their Whaleback Spiced Rum and Visions of Sugar Plums Liqueur. (Ps. The Plum Rum Mule recipe is 1 oz. Visions of Sugar Plums Liqueur, 1 oz. Whaleback Spiced Rum, squeeze of half a lime, and ginger beer — squeeze lime into a copper mug or rocks glass with ice. Drop squeezed half into cup as garnish. Add spirits. Top with ginger beer and stir.)
Note, the indoor cocktail bar remains temporarily closed due to COVID safety cautions.
Northern Latitudes Distillery is located at 112 E Philip St (M-204), Lake Leelanau. For more information visit their Facebook page here.
Grand Rapids’ Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, along with the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation and the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies at Grand Valley State University, continue to offer virtual programs this month.
The next program, available via Zoom meeting, will be “Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead”, a virtual book talk with Gen. James M. Mattis (Ret.) — a retired U.S. Marine officer, U.S. Secretary of State, and now book author — on Wednesday, April 21, starting at 7 p.m.
To register for this free event, including on the day of, visit here.
Following the talk by Gen. Mattis, on Thursday, April 22, Prof. H.W. Brands will offer a virtual talk “John Brown and Abraham Lincoln and the Struggle for Freedom”, based on Brands’ recent book “The Zealot and the Emancipator: John Brown and Abraham Lincoln and the Struggle for Freedom”. The talk will begin at 7 p.m.
To register for this free event, including on the day of, visit here.
A general talks leadership, in war and peace
“Call Sign Chaos”, according to supplied material, is the account of Gen. Mattis’s storied career, from wide-ranging leadership roles in three wars to ultimately commanding a quarter of a million troops across the Middle East.
James H. Mattis (Ford Presidential Museum)
Along the way, Mattis recounts his “foundational experiences as a leader, extracting the lessons he has learned about the nature of war-fighting and peacemaking,” the importance of allies, and the strategic dilemmas and short-sighted thinking now facing our nation.
“He makes it clear why America must return to a strategic footing so as not to continue winning battles but fighting inconclusive wars,” the supplied material states.
Call Sign Chaos is a memoir of a life of war-fighting and lifelong learning, following along as Mattis rises from Marine recruit to four-star general. It is a journey about learning to lead and a story about how he, through constant study and action, developed a unique leadership philosophy, one relevant to us all.
‘The Zealot and the Emancipator’
“The Zealot and the Emancipator” is acclaimed historian H. W. Brands’s account of “how two American giants shaped the war for freedom,” according to supplied material.
John Brown was a charismatic and deeply religious man who heard the God of the Old Testament speaking to him, telling him to destroy slavery by any means. When Congress opened Kansas territory to slavery in 1854, Brown raised a band of followers to wage war. Three years later, Brown and his men assaulted the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, hoping to arm slaves with weapons for a race war that would cleanse the nation of slavery.
Brown’s violence pointed ambitious Illinois lawyer and former officeholder Abraham Lincoln toward a different solution to slavery: politics.
Lincoln spoke cautiously and dreamed big, plotting his path back to Washington and perhaps to the White House. Yet his caution could not protect him from the vortex of violence Brown had set in motion. After Brown’s arrest, his righteous dignity on the way to the gallows led many in the North to see him as a martyr to liberty. Southerners responded with anger and horror to a terrorist being made into a saint.
Lincoln, Brands argues, “shrewdly threaded the needle between the opposing voices of the fractured nation and won election as president. But the time for moderation had passed, and Lincoln’s fervent belief that democracy could resolve its moral crises peacefully faced its ultimate test” — the Civil War.
For more information on the Ford Museum’s scheduled of events, visit here. For more information on the museum, visit here.
Singer/songwriter Josh Rose, who once prowled the football sidelines as a coach, is a person who found music to be his life’s playbook. (Supplied/SCMC)
St. Cecilia Music Center, like most live music venues in Wet Michigan, are looking toward the fall of this year with hopeful ears open for a return to filled seats for its chamber, jazz and acoustic folk series. But in the meantime, the center is offering three more virtual concerts in April — two of them “live” from the Royce Auditorium stage.
The first of the three concerts will be this week, Thursday, April 8, starting at 7 p.m., when Jen Sygit and Josh Rose will perform from the Royce Auditorium stage in a performance streaming free of charge on St. Cecilia’s Facebook and YouTube channels, and accessed through scmc-online.org.
Also on the free-streaming concert schedule are Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra, on Thursday, April 15, as well as jazz-plus pianist Rufus Ferguson, Wednesday, April 21, with the Ferguson concert again ‘Live” from the Royce Auditorium stage. Both concerts will begin streaming at 7 p.m.
For a complete list of all virtual concerts offered by St. Cecilia for home viewing, see scmc-online.org/virtual/.
Jen Sygit and Josh Rose
Well-known local musicians Sygit and Rose will share the stage, swapping stories and songs “for an hour of fantastic folk,” according to supplied material.
Sometimes traditional, sometimes contemporary, when it comes to her “folk”, singer/songwriter Jen Sygit has released four solo albums with her latest, “It’s About Time”. (Supplied/SCMC)
Sometimes traditional, sometimes contemporary, when it comes to her “folk”, singer/songwriter Sygit has released four solo albums. Her latest, “It’s About Time”, was produced by long-time friend and collaborator Dominic John Davis (bassist to Jack White and Buddy Miller) and features guest performances from Luther Dickinson, Colin Linden, The McCrary Sisters and Rachael Davis.
The album’s title track won “Best Americana Song” at the 2019 Independent Music Awards in New York City and her music video for the tune “Love is Wild” won the “Vox Pop Fan Favorite- Best Director of a Short Form Music Video” the same year.
In addition to her solo career, Sygit co-fronts the roots rock Lincoln County Process with Ann Arbor-based songwriter Sam Corbin, is a founding member of the all-female string band Stella! and is also a veteran session vocalist appearing on over 50 albums nationwide.
Singer/songwriter Rose, who once prowled the football sidelines as a coach, is a person who found music to be his life’s playbook. With his guitar in hand, he has played shows throughout the Midwest for 16 years and has recorded three studio albums — with another on the way, according to supplied material.
“Rose’s wistful songs allow all curious listeners to extract what they can from the cloud, to open the floodgates, and to share in the beauty of music, earth, humanity and air,” we are told.
Delfeayo Marsalis and his Uptown Jazz Orchestra
Delfeayo Marsalis and his Uptown Jazz Orchestra were scheduled to appear as part of the St. Cecilia Jazz Series in the Royce Auditorium on April 15, but were not able to be in-person this year — however, St. Cecilia is working on a reschedule date for the 2021-22 season!
However, local audiences can enjoy the music virtually with a recorded show — on April 15.
Over the course of his prolific music career, acclaimed trombonist, composer and producer Delfeayo Marsalis has been praised for his “technical excellence, inventive mind and frequent touches of humor,” and heralded as hailed as one of “the best, most imaginative and musical of the trombonists of his generation,” according to supplied material.
The latest Uptown Jazz Orchestra release, “Jazz Party”, pays tribute to the soulful and funky sounds of celebration in music, with a jazz sensibility. But the band’s repertoire consists of material that spans the 100+ years of American music with a contemporary flare, with influences from Louis Armstrong to Count Basie, James Brown to J Cole.
Rufus Ferguson
Pianist Rufus Ferguson is into jazz and so much more. He is an educator who earned degrees from Western Michigan University under the mentorship of Jeremy Siskind and Matthew Fries. And he has shared the stage with artists such as Dwight Adams, Bob Hurst, Rodney Whitaker, Ali Jackson, The Temptations and many more.
Rufus Ferguson (Supplied/SCMC)
Rufus is equally well-versed in multiple genres of music which has made him a fixture in the regional jazz, R&B and gospel music scenes. His jazz arrangements have most recently been presented by his 9-piece ensemble at the 2018 Gilmore Keyboard Festival and his orchestral arrangements have been performed by the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra.
Rufus has performed at several festivals such as the Summer Solstice Jazz Festival in Lansing, Michigan, Notre Dame Jazz Festival, Elmhurst Jazz Festival, Flint Jazz Festival and the Jazz Education Network (JEN) Conference in Louisville, KY.
A City of Kentwood Police Department officer shows police car controls and features to participants during a lesson about traffic stops, from the Kentwood Police Department’s 2019 Youth Academy. (City of Kentwood)
The City of Kentwood Police Department knows that local youth often consider the field of law enforcement to be something they might want to pursue after graduation, but they also know that those same youth might not really know what the career field is all about.
The Kentwood Police Department’s Youth Academy, currently accepting applications for this year’s academy scheduled for July, gives those youth that “first-hand” knowledge.
The academy allows “them to just come in and see what it is like to be a police officer, to be involved with some of the training, some of the scenarios,” Kentwood Police Chief Richard Roberts said to WKTV during a recent visit to our studios. “We think that is important to offer that to individuals who might be considering law enforcement.”
Chief Roberts also pointed out that “we are offering (the academy) to any high schooler — they don’t have to be a Kentwood high schooler — as long as they are graduating this year, or they will be (a returning high school student next year) …, if they are interested in law enforcement.”
This year’s four-day program will take place Monday to Thursday, July 26-29, and is open to all graduating seniors and students who will be a sophomore, junior or senior in the 2021-22 school year. Applications are due May 14.
The free program will run 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day at the Kentwood Police Department, 4742 Walma Ave. SE, with COVID-19 safety precautions in place, according to a statement from the City of Kentwood.
Students will experience a wide-range of police training activities including traffic stops, drunken driving enforcement, building searches, subject control and handcuffing, as well as tactics of the Special Response Team.
Eligible participants “must possess good moral character and pass a background check,” according to the statement. They will be interviewed before being accepted into the program and will be required to attend a pre-academy informational meeting with a parent or guardian. Each participant will be provided a uniform and daily lunch.
To participate, students must contact Sgt. Tim Wierenga for an initial screening and application at wierengat@kentwood.us or 616-656-6561. Applications may be delivered in person at the Kentwood Police Department or by mail to Sgt. Wierenga at 4742 Walma Ave. SE, Kentwood, MI 49512. Applications are available online here.
The City of Kentwood Police Department and Lacks Enterprises, Inc., last week held another pop-up event, and thanks to a $1,000 donation from Lacks, the pair were able to surprise about 100 customers at two local restaurants by helping to pay for lunch. Here, Off. Jeff Augustyn is with workers and a customer at El Ganadero Mexican Grille. (City of Kentwood)
In December of last year, the City of Kentwood Police Department and Lacks Enterprises, Inc. — both understanding the importance to the community of small businesses, including local eateries, in this time of COVID-19 dining restrictions — partnered to help both two Kentwood restaurants and their customers.
The two partners, last week held another pop-up event, and thanks to a $1,000 donation from Lacks, the Kentwood Police Department were able to surprise about 100 customers of El Ganadero Mexican Grille and Mr. Burger with $10 toward their lunch orders “as a thank-you for supporting local restaurants,” according to a statement from the city.
El Ganadero Mexican Grille is located at 4208 Division Ave. SE, and Mr. Burger is at 1750 44th St. SE.
Kentwood police Chief Richard Roberts, in the WKTV studios for an interview last week, spoke of the program and it being part of a wider effort by the police and the city to support the residential, workforce and business community.
“We’ve been partnering with some great businesses in our city,” Chief Roberts said to WKTV. “One of our great partners, Lacks Enterprises, they have so many people who live in our community, work in their manufacturing, they like to give back. And they like to give back though the police department, through a partnership — it is a great way to partner for the community.”
The event was the second in the Police Department’s local business showcase series to “support Kentwood businesses and create positive experiences with the community during these difficult times,” according to the city statement.
“Lacks Enterprises believes you need a lot of different components to make a community a place for people to live and raise their families,” Jim Green, executive director of human resources at Lacks, said to WKTV at one of the pop-up event sites in December. “But the real backbone of this community is the small businesses. Without that you would not have all the other things that make the community what it is today.”
The series highlights businesses within Kentwood — both those donating to restaurants to create similar pop-up events and the local businesses supported by the donations. Local businesses interested in participating, either by donating or by being possibly involved with the pop-up events, can call Sergeant Tim Wierenga at 616-656-6561.
“We just wanted to give our small businesses a little support,” Sgt. Wierenga said to WKTV at the first pop-up event. “What we’d like to see of this is (to continue) showcasing our business community and showcasing the city that we love. We would love for this to develop into something more. … We’d love to have some more showcase events.”
