Tag Archives: City of Kentwood

WKTV Voices from the Front Line: Part 2 of a look inside the life of a Kentwood firefighter

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, West Michigan,
Kentwood firefighters Andy Biederman (left) and Jeff Bouwkamp at Fire Station 3. (WKTV/Cris Greer)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



EDITOR’S NOTE: WKTV recently spent an afternoon at Kentwood Fire Station 3 on Eastern Ave. as part of a documentary we produced called “Voices from the Front Line,” where we interviewed Lieutenant Jeff Bouwkamp and Engine Operator Andy Biederman. We talked about all the details of their job as a firefighter … from the most routine calls to the most dangerous, and everything in between. This is Part 2 of a two-part series on our very interesting and informative conversation below.

Let’s talk about the dangers of being a firefighter. When I walk through the doors at my office I don’t have to worry about saving lives or putting out fires. How often are you and the team put into dangerous, life-threatening situations? 

Andy Biederman, Engine Operator (a Kentwood firefighter for five years):

Every call we go to could potentially be life threatening or dangerous. We definitely don’t really know what we’re getting into once that alarm goes off. We’ve had times where we’ll get dispatched for a fall, and when we get there it’s a cardiac arrest. So, we have to be on our toes and be able to adapt to every different kind of situation. It’s no different if we get a burning complaint for somebody in the campfire in their backyard. And then when we get there, it’s a structure fire. Each call has its own different type of variables. It’s hard to pinpoint what’s going to be life threatening, or what’s going to be, you know, your run of the mill call, because I think these calls can turn into something that they’re not.






Talk about the physical and emotional toll. How do you deal with the stress and anxiety? Is there help or counseling available? 

ANDY:

Something that they’re trying to promote and push better is the whole mental health situation in the fire service. And with any kind of first responder or police officer they have seen a lot of suicides in this job, just due to the amount of stress and types of calls that we see, it starts building up. The older firefighters out there typically used to hold their feelings back, suppress them and not talk to anybody, when really that’s not beneficial. It’s easier to talk to somebody and get that information out to help you help other people. So it’s been a growing trend just to help talk to somebody and go that route.

Jeff Bouwkamp, Lieutenant (a Kentwood firefighter for 30 years):

We’re always watching each other … we’re that close. If somebody’s having a bad day you can tell. I pay close attention to the people that I’m working with because they’re very important to me. Because at one point or another we’re going to do something, we’re going to be out there together. I’m going to be relying on them, they’re going to be relying on me. We have to be there for each other. And I think the mental health aspect is a huge deal. So, I’m watching out for each one of the people here and each person is watching out for the other ones, because you may pick up on something and that’s huge, because yeah, that never used to happen. Or I can’t say never, but that really wasn’t in the forefront. People don’t talk about it.

Does the stress help you better manage your personal life stresses, if so, give an example?

ANDY:

I think the types of calls that we see here and having to think on our feet definitely helps at home. I tend to be a lot more relaxed, but I think that’s just a big factor from working here. Just seeing different things that happen and reacting to it. Because if you start freaking out on a fire scene or on a medical, you’re not helping anybody. You’re making things worse if you start running around or yelling; it doesn’t do any good. But if you remain calm, you can think clearer, you can figure out what’s going on and then go from there and make a plan.

JEFF:

The stuff that we see or the stuff that we come in contact with or the stuff that we train for, this definitely helps me when I’m out of here, because it helps me be like, ‘Oh, sorry, we’re gonna get through this, we can make this happen, we can make this work. It’s going to be okay.’ I don’t sweat the small stuff; not downplaying anybody’s issues outside of here, but it’s helped me out a lot. The firefighters that are here, the family that they have at home, I give them a lot of credit because I’m sure at some point or another they do take stuff home. And that’s what they have to deal with. I know what’s helped me out a lot is the crew that I work with because there are times I tend to get a little excited. And it’s really nice to be able to feed off these guys to where it helps keep me in check as well. And that’s part of where we all kind of watch each other. And last year, we ran 5,000 calls. You can take and divide that up between 365 days, and you can find an average, but there are days where maybe we run three or four calls. And then there’s days where maybe we run 10 calls. There are some times during the whole shift, the whole city may run six calls. And then the storm comes through, you know, and we run 25, there’s no routine. That’s one of the great things because you just never know. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve made dinner and it’s quarter to five, and we’re getting ready to eat and you end up running something and then you’re back at 10 o’clock at night, and okay, well, that’s ruined. There is no routine, but that’s just what makes this job so great.

Talk about the amount of hours it takes to put fires out and what’s the longest time you’ve spent doing so?

ANDY: 

Every fire call is different. I think on average you’re probably looking at around an hour, give or take from start to your last unit cleaning up. And I say this is a typical fire of about an hour, but not every fire’s typical. We’ve been on fires that have lasted eight hours, nine hours, you know, just the magnitude of the call.


Firefighter suits waiting in lockers for the next alarm at Kentwood Fire Station 3. (WKTV/Cris Greer)



JEFF:

We wear a suit that’s made of Nomex, which is fire resistant. During the winter, it’s nice because it’s a little bit warmer, and during the summer it gets hot. But it protects us from the heat, from the fires. So that’s the nice thing with technology. We get to a fire and we get a little protection. Gotta remember that we’re getting into a burning building, we have to be really careful that we’re not in there too long. We also have the SCBA (self-contained breathing apparatus) that we wear on our back. It’s been nice because with technology the bottles have gotten a little smaller, they’ve gotten a little lighter, but they carry about 30 minutes of oxygen in them and that helps out.









ANDY:

The thing that we have to remember, too, is we have all this equipment and the person that potentially is in the house fire doesn’t. So, it’s our job to effectively and efficiently search that house and try to find them to remove them as quickly as possible. Because not only do they not have any protection, there’s all that smoke and all those dangerous toxins in there and stuff that’s not conducive for life. It’s our job using that equipment to get them out. And it’s kind of scary on how good our equipment is and how much heat we can take without really knowing how much heat we’ll truly take. I don’t think there’s a statistic about it. I think it’s all situational. It’s all dependent on the fire, where they are in the fire. And there are a lot of factors that are just very endless because not everybody will survive a house fire. But it’s our job to give them the best chance that they have.

Can you give our readers some fire safety tips:

JEFF:

There’s a fire safety message that we push. 

*Have working smoke detectors inside bedrooms and throughout the house. There’s no reason to not call your local fire department if you don’t have them. Tell them, ‘Hey, my house doesn’t have enough smoke detectors or I don’t think they’re working.’ Call them and they’ll come out. And (you should) test them every month.

*Have working carbon monoxide alarms. 

*Don’t have anything near your stovetop. 

*Space heaters: Unplug them when you’re not using them and keep them 3 feet away from bedding, drapes and furniture, and combustible items. 

*Have exit drills in your home. We go into all these schools in October, November for Fire Prevention Month and we teach them about fire safety. We talk about exit drills in the home; have a plan to get out, have a meeting place.

Get Out, Call 911 and Don’t Go Back In!

ANDY:

Another thing, too, is to close your doors. It’s better to close your door at night in case you’re dealing with fire, you’re gonna have less fire spread to that room. And then when you’re leaving, try to close your doors as well, because that’ll help contain the fire in that room, ideally. Now, there are obviously circumstances where that doesn’t happen, but you’re usually in a panic, you want to get out as fast as possible, but closing your doors can help affect the limit and the spread of fire.



(WKTV/Cris Greer)

How often does it turn into a domestic situation?

ANDY:

There are situations where one person might be mad at the other … and now they’re yelling at each other. And so we have to attend to that emergency. But we also try to keep them apart and try to figure out what the best course of action is. We’re not police officers, but we’re also an advocate for patient care and advocate for them. It’s everything … from having a grandma or grandpa that falls all the way to a cardiac arrest. We are here for the citizens of Kentwood. If you call we’re going to come and help you out as best as we can. We’ve had kids who lock themselves in the bathroom, we go there and help them unlock it. It’s a wide variety of calls. 

Can you explain the certifications and training necessary to be a firefighter, and how much time you spend keeping up on that training and keeping equipment up to date?

JEFF:

We do a lot of hands on training, and a lot of it we do here. We can’t light a fire here, but we’ll practice pulling lines off the engine. Out behind the strip mall by the station there’s a hydrant we hook up to and we’ll practice pulling lines, we’ll practice stretching the lines, advancing them. A couple times a year we do what we call a block training where we’re off shift, we come back and do various strains. And during the wintertime, we do EMS training and codes. During the summer we’ll practice something that we can do outside. We’ll go to a training tower in the city of Wyoming or we can go to the city of Grand Rapids where they have some burn containers and we’ll do some fires there and practice. 

Fire Call Crossovers with other cities?

JEFF:

We have a mutual aid agreement. And there are areas where we’ll run a certain distance into Wyoming, and they run a certain distance into Kentwood. If we were to get a possible structure fire they would automatically be on that alarm. There are times we do that with Grand Rapids, we have it with Cascade, and we have it with Cutlerville and Dutton. We have all our neighboring departments, and it’s a good thing, because we help each other out. And then sometimes we actually will run into those municipalities and run calls for them when they’re tied up, and they don’t have the resources to get to them. So that’s kind of a nice thing, too, because they will reciprocate that to us. If we’re tied up somewhere, we have a fire or something and all of our equipment is in a certain area, and maybe we can’t get to it very quick … they’ll turn it over to a neighboring department, and they’ll run it as a mutual aid call. And they’ll cover that for us.

Talk about the calls that stick in your head?

ANDY:

I Think any kind of call that deals with children is a call that kind of sticks in the back of my head. Typically, we don’t like running calls that involve kids, because a lot of us have them. I think it hits home, and you know, all the pediatric calls that I’ve run, I remember them. But as long as you give your best and you do what’s right for the patient, I can sleep at night.

JEFF:

I’d have to say kids’ calls are the worst. A couple of things that just stand out in my mind are kids calls and just needless accidents that happen. People being careless.



EDITOR’S NOTE: To watch the entire program, click here: “Voices from the Front Line”

Kentwood to host dance opportunities for all abilities in June

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, West Michigan, ,
(Courtesy, City of Kentwood)



By WKTV Staff

greer@wktv.org



The Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department is inviting individuals to join them on the dance floor for two adaptive dance events in June.

On June 1, Kentwood Parks and Recreation will host its annual Spring Fling from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE. The event will offer individuals with disabilities ages 15 and older and their loved ones an opportunity to celebrate the start of summer with dancing, food, prizes and more.

The event costs $12 per person, and participants are asked to pre-register by May 25 online at bit.ly/AdaptiveSpringFling or by calling 616.656.5270.

On June 9, Parks and Recreation will host an inclusive dance workshop from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE. Community members of all abilities ages 3 and older are invited to join the workshop, where experienced dancers will teach participants a choreographed dance. At the end of the event, parents and caregivers will be invited to watch the final production. All moves will be inclusive of individuals who use a wheelchair, walker, crutches or other mobility aide.

The event also will include games, snacks and more. Siblings and friends are welcome to participate. The workshop costs $12 per person, and registration is available online at bit.ly/InclusiveDanceWorkshop or by calling 616-656-5270. 



(Courtesy, City of Kentwood)



“Our adaptive programs give individuals of all abilities a chance to connect, learn something new and have fun,” said Katelyn Bush, program coordinator with Kentwood Parks and Recreation. “Dancing is a great way to get active and build connections, and we’re looking forward to learning some new moves alongside participants.”

The Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department provides Michigan’s most comprehensive adaptive recreation programming. Programs are open to individuals of all abilities in Kentwood and beyond. To learn about current offerings, visit kentwood.us/adaptive.

Kentwood recently hosted Bark for the Park, a dog-friendly fundraiser at Kellogg Woods Park

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, West Michigan,
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By D.A. Reed

WKTV Contributor



It was all fun and games for pets and their owners at the Kentwood Parks & Recreation Department’s annual Bark for the Park fundraiser at Kellogg Woods Park on May 18.

This free community event is a dog-friendly fundraiser for enabling the city to add amenities to Kentwood’s Dog Park at Kellogg Woods Park.

“We have a ton of great amenities in our park system for humans, but want our community members to know that if you have a pet at home we have fun, social, safe spaces for them, too,” said Spencer McKellar, Lead Recreation Program Coordinator for KPRD. “We welcome (dogs) in our parks … and welcome them to come out and have fun just like humans do.”

Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley agreed, telling WKTV, “We have 54,000 bosses, and what do they want as a service from the city? We heard loud and clear that one of the things that they want is a place where they can take their dogs to play with other dogs and let them run free.”

Kepley went on to say the city has done as the community requested.

“We’ve created dog parks where owners can go to a fenced in area to release their dogs,” Kepley explained. “It’s a way for dogs to play with one another and for their owners to meet other dog owners. Everything costs money and to be able to raise funds to help build new ones and to maintain the ones we have is what we’re doing.”

Due to previous Bark for the Park fundraisers, Kentwood was recently able to purchase and install a drinking fountain near the Kellogg Woods Dog Park.


Artemis, the winner of the Doggie Fashion Show. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)



“This year, and moving forward, the funds raised will hopefully provide shade sails or some kind of shade structure,” McKellar said. “There is not a lot of shade for the dogs, and they get hot.”

Sponsorship dollars and donations enable KPRD to offer free admission to Bark for the Park, though donations are welcome via QR codes throughout the event if participants feel led to do so. Each attendee also was offered a goodie bag full of items from participating sponsors and vendors.

“We invite pet-related businesses and organizations in the area, but also anybody is welcome to sponsor and donate to our event,” McKellar said. “If they do, they are welcome to have a booth here and talk to our community members as they come through.”

Beastro, a restaurant designed specifically to cater to dogs and cats and owned by Jessica Ann Tyson, was one such sponsor at Bark for the Park.


Getting some dog treats at the Kentwood Bark for the Park fundraiser May 18. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)



Offering fresh canine cuisine, Beastro’s recipes are created by a Michigan pet nutritionist. “We love making food that is fresh for the animals,” Tyson said.

Dogs are allowed inside the restaurant for dining, or customers can order take out as well.

Also the owner of The Candied Yam on 44th Street, Tyson said she got the idea for Beastro from watching her customers.

“We started this because our customers would come in and they would have to leave their dogs outside, and we watched their dogs while they got their Candied Yam (order),” Tyson said.

Other vendors included Sierra Marie Photography, CLJ Counseling, Kent County Animal Shelter, Dogtopia of Grand Rapids, VCA Animal Hospitals, and many more.

Treats were provided for the dogs at various stations, and Dune Buggy and Underground Cookie Club food trucks were on site to provide food for pet owners.

Various activities included pet craft stations, a dog agility course, photo booth, and a doggie fashion show featuring many costumes and colored hair and fur.


Amara, a 14-week-old Husky Great Bernese mix sporting a tutu. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)



“They get really into it, and it’s fun,” McKellar said.

Attendees included Lainey Dennison, resident of Portage, Michigan, who heard about Bark for the Park through Facebook and attended with her one American Eskimo and four Husky dogs.

“I try to take them out and socialize them,” Dennison said of her well-mannered troupe of canines. “We go into stores and dog parks and stuff, so they are pretty used to this.”

To learn more about Kentwood and the city’s variety of parks, or to submit a donation, visit Kentwood Parks and Recreation.

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

Big trucks, food and fun; good times at the Kentwood Public Works Open House

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, Kent County, West Michigan, ,
  • (Courtesy, City of Kentwood/All photos taken by Ingrid Campos)
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By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



While making the rounds at the Kentwood Public Works Open House last Thursday, Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley said it best, “Little kids love big equipment.”

That was part of the appeal of the Open House, which was co-sponsored by the Kentwood Department of Public Works and the Kent County Road Commission. The event was held at the Kentwood Public Works facility at 5068 Breton Ave. 

It was not only kids taking part, but community members of all ages taking a look behind the scenes at how Public Works serves residents. 

“We’re here to celebrate the Department of Public Works and the staff who run it,” said Mayor Kepley, of the third annual event. “Kids light up when they see a big piece of equipment, and to be able to climb inside, feel the steering wheel and honk the horn. When I was a kid I was fascinated with excavators and bull dozers and I never got a chance to climb in one.


(WKTV/Vini Marconcin and Hayden Passig)



“It’s an opportunity for kids to see some big equipment, but also to educate the kids and the parents of what we do here in Public Works. People primarily focus in on police and fire, but they take for granted so many different things, for instance, our roads, our water, sanitary sewer, storm water, and also the Parks, and who maintains it all. When the Department of Public Works does its great job, it really goes unnoticed, because everything is working properly.

“When you turn on your water, do you get dirty water? No, you get clean water and that’s thanks to the Department of Public Works and their staff doing an excellent job.”

Mayor Kepley said he loves talking to students and classrooms about the different divisions at Public Works and how great the department operates, and jokingly apologizes to them about the lack of snow days.


“When I talk about roads and road maintenance (to students), I do apologize for us cleaning the roads really quickly and efficiently during the winter because chances are if you live in the City of Kentwood you have very few snow days because we do an excellent job of cleaning the road,” said Kepley with a grin. “If someone hits a deer who cleans that up? The Department of Public Works. They do so many different things.”


(Courtesy, City of Kentwood)



Kentwood Director of Public Works Chad Griffin talked about the opportunity the Open House provides for his staff to mingle with residents.

“We really love to have the community come out and see what we do,” said Griffin, who leads a staff of 37 full-time workers and 10 seasonal. “It’s a great chance for residents and employees to interact, meet one another and talk about the work that we do. 


“We had many families and kids attend the event … we are considering it a success. We counted nearly 300 in attendance.”


(Courtesy, City of Kentwood)



Griffin said complimentary grilled hotdogs, chips, freezer pops and bottled water was served and kids of all ages received coloring books, construction themed snap bracelets and construction equipment temporary tattoos. 


The Kentwood Department of Public Works has five divisions that work together to maintain the City’s infrastructure, which includes more than 150 miles of pipes underground and more than 155 miles of streets above ground, as well as parks and grounds, buildings and vehicles. The five divisions are building maintenance, fleet services, grounds maintenance, streets maintenance and utilities (water and wastewater) services. To learn more about Kentwood DPW, visit kentwood.us/DPW.

Kids’ Food Basket founder’s memoir about finding a purpose-driven life, inspiring others

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, West Michigan, ,
Mary K. Hoodhood (far left) with volunteers assembling dinners at the Kids’ Food Basket. (Courtesy, Kids’ Food Basket)


By K.D. Norris
WKTV Contributor


When you first glance at the book cover of Kids’ Food Basket founder Mary K. Hoodhood’s new memoir, you can read the title in at least two different ways.


You can see it as asking the question “What Can I Do,” as in resignation to the inability to tackle difficult social problems such as hunger among our youth.


But you can also see it as a call to action, personal action: “What I can do” to be part of the solution to such issues. The book was co-written with Lisa McNeilly, PhD.


The life story, so far, of “Mary K” as most people know her, is a testament to “doing what you can do” in one’s personal journey, even overcoming huge physical obstacles, to serve the community.


In Mary K’s life, serving the community, including founding Kids’ Food Basket (KFB), has been a driving force in moving her forward.  


“My upbringing and Catholic education helped me understand the importance of community and giving back,” Mary K. said to WKTV. “I was working at God’s Kitchen when I found out about kids not receiving an evening meal at home at the three GRPS (Grand Rapids Pubic Schools) schools KFB started with.





“I knew that this was an injustice, and it wasn’t the kids fault. I also knew that I could raise the money and get the volunteers to help.”



And raise the money, and get the volunteers/community/government support needed to run Kids’ Food Bank is exactly what she has done — this year, KFB sends 10,000 sack suppers to 60 schools across four counties every weekday.


Inspiring others to “Do what they can do,” that just came along naturally.



(WKTV/Katie Bogema)



Finding a calling after tragedy

In the introduction to “What I Can Do,” Mary K. dedicates the book to her husband, Jeff, with the words “My life is possible because of your love and devotion.”

And discussion in the book of her support network is an essential part of understanding her drive to serve the community as she overcame an automobile accident in her 20s that left her paralyzed from the chest down.


Instead of focusing on what she could no longer do, she states, she started repeating her mantra: “I will focus on what I can do.”


Successful before her accident, Mary K. Roach was born and raised in Grand Rapids and earned a degree in education from Michigan State University in 1973. One of her first jobs was working with the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Michigan, working with high school and community college counselors as well as the Michigan legislature.


But then came May 1980 and a car accident that left her in a wheelchair, but not idle. She got married, helped raise a stepdaughter, took in her teenage nieces and nephew, and began volunteering for the Meals on Wheels program at God’s Kitchen, a local food pantry.



Mary K. Hoodhood with one of the dinner bags distributed by Kids’ Food Basket. (Courtesy, Kids’ Food Basket)



There she saw the need to feed not only seniors and adults, but also school-age youth triggered by a 2002 phone call from a local school principal to say that students were regularly going into the cafeteria after school in search of food to take home.


With $3,000 and a handful of volunteers, she committed to seeking a solution to childhood hunger in our community and Kids’ Food Basket was founded.


“Many volunteers from God’s Kitchen followed me to KFB,” Mary K. said, and the group began feeding 125 meals a day. “What I didn’t anticipate is how much KFB has grown to increase access to good food for kids.”


The first big growth in 2008 and 2009

“There was a recession and we expanded our services outside GRPS to where there was need. I knew our numbers would increase and we would grow,” she said.


With the growth and recognition of Kids’ Food Basket, Mary K. has gained local, regional and national recognition, including being named one of The Grand Rapids Business Journal 50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan in 2018.


(Courtesy, Kids’ Food Basket)


But KFB is and will always be closest to her heart. She is past Chair and current member of the Kids’ Food Basket Board of Directors, and volunteers many hours every week, focusing on fund development and public relations, but also sometimes just working the line putting together “dinner” bags. 


That growth has led Kids’ Food Basket to becoming one of the largest non-profits in West Michigan, with staff and leadership carrying it into the future.


“Mary K.’s motto to ‘Do what I can do’ is one of many driving forces behind everything that we have built at Kids’ Food Basket,” Bridget Clark Whitney, President and Founding CEO of Kids’ Food Basket, said to WKTV.


“Food insecurity is a very real concern, and breaking down the barriers to good food access can feel overwhelming. At KFB, we create a space where people can make a real impact, one step at a time. Packing a single Sack Supper is easy, and together across three locations, it adds up to 10,000 healthy evening meals each school day.”


(Courtesy, Kids’ Food Basket)


What can you do?

Community volunteering and financial support has been a key factor in the growth and success of Kids’ Food Basket. Many people, it seems, believe in the title of Mary K.’s book — doing “What I Can Do.”


To find out what you can do, visit the Kids’ Food Basket website.




WKTV Voices from the Front Line: A two-part look inside the life of a Kentwood firefighter

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, West Michigan, ,
Kentwood firefighters Andy Biederman (left) and Jeff Bouwkamp at Fire Station 3. (WKTV/Cris Greer)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org


EDITOR’S NOTE: WKTV recently spent an afternoon at Kentwood Fire Station 3 on Eastern Ave. as part of a documentary we produced called “Voices from the Front Line,” where we interviewed Lieutenant Jeff Bouwkamp and Engine Operator Andy Biederman. We talked about all the details of their job as a firefighter … from the most routine calls to the most dangerous, and everything in between. This is Part 1 of a two-part series on our very interesting and informative conversation below.

Andy Biederman, Engine Operator (a Kentwood firefighter for five years):

What are your duties as Engine Operator?

Basically, I’m in charge of this whole engine behind me; I have to know everything that involves the engine. From the engine itself; the motor to the water pump to all the tools that are on it … how much hose we have on it. It’s a pretty extensive job and I have to get water supply for the firefighters in the fire. We carry 500 gallons on it, so it goes pretty quick. We have a 1,500 gallon-per-minute tank or pump. So it’s a pretty fast-paced job.






Jeff Bouwkamp, Lieutenant (a Kentwood firefighter for 30 years):

Talk about your responsibilities as a Lieutenant and the breakdown of shifts?

As the lieutenant here, I’m assigned to Engine 53. We have five people at this fire station; two lieutenants, one equipment operator, two firefighters. I manage day-to-day operations. I make sure the calls get run appropriately, get handled, that we do our jobs, and everything’s done correctly … and that we have a good time and everybody goes home safe at the end of the shift.


We run three different crews through our three different shifts. Each shift consists of two lieutenants, one equipment operator and two firefighters. The three shifts makes 15 people. We’ll run Engine 53 and Medic 53 out of the fire station. We work a 24-and-a-quarter hour shift starting at 6:45 in the morning and get done at seven o’clock the next morning, that gives us about 15 minutes to overlap and do a little shift exchange. And then we get 24 hours off. Our second day is another 24-hour shift and we get the fourth day off, and then we work the fifth day. So, we work three out of five 24-hour days, and we get four off at the end. It comes out to about 10 days of work a month. 


Talk about the warning system of alerting firefighters for calls:

ANDY:

When you’re a new guy here, you don’t want to miss a call. So, it’s all important to hear that call when it goes off. If you don’t wake up for that call it’s a bad day. A lot of it is just being excited to be here. We have a lot of new guys here and they want to run the calls so they’re going to wake up for them. There’s a study about when the alarms used to go off, they’re very loud and like an abrupt alarm. But now they’ve realized with the study that a gradual tone is easier on your heart.


If you hear that loud tone at 3 in the morning, you’re automatically gonna start getting an increased heart rate, you’re already starting to kind of get some anxiety, if you will. So, the gradual tone will help reduce that which is beneficial for everybody.

JEFF:

We used to get a phone call from dispatch and now we’re on the 900 megahertz system. We have a station alert from the Kent County Communications Center, which is the Kent County Sheriff’s Office. They dispatch us; they hit a button and it transmits over our intercom. And then they’ll say Medic 53 or Engine 53 and tell us what we have and they’ll give us the address and then we just get up and go out.




Many youngsters dream of being a firefighter or police officer. What age were you when you thought of this as a career, and was there someone who sparked your interest? 

ANDY: 

I grew up in the Chicago area and I have a cousin that works for the Deerfield-Bannockburn Fire Department, and ever since I was a little kid I always wanted to do that. We also had some close family friends who were firefighters in our local department where I used to live in Evanston. I would go there after school and the firefighters would basically treat me like I was one of their kids. After school, when my parents were still working, I would hang out at the firehouse until they were done working. I was immersed in that whole environment, my whole childhood. And that’s something I never wanted to leave.


When you see a fire truck go by, you think they’re going to a fire, and you don’t necessarily understand that they might be going to a cardiac arrest, or they can go into something else that isn’t necessarily a fire. In joining the fire service, you learn that. And it kind of adds a different perspective because every time you do see it, typically they are going for a true emergency. So, with that kind of in the back of your head, it changes your perspective about how it’s not always with just the fires that we change lives. It’s also the medical calls that we go through as well. You want to make a difference.


JEFF:

This is all I’ve ever wanted to do is be on the fire department. I’ve never wanted to do anything else. I used to hang out with Brent Looman, we were buddies growing up, and now he’s the fire chief in Kentwood. His dad was on the fire department and we would see him going to calls and we’d hear about them and that just kind of caught me. As I grew up it never left me.

Kentwood Fire Chief Brent Looman. (Courtesy, City of Kentwood)




I’ve had a few different jobs; worked as a plumber, worked in a factory. Nothing beats the fire department. This is the greatest job in the world. I still feel that to this day.


When you’re young, you see the big red fire engines, you see the lights, and you hear the sirens, and that’s what captures you. You work here and you start to see the impact that you make, and it kind of gives you satisfaction. It makes you feel good.


You’re helping somebody who’s in need, helping them with something that they can’t take care of themselves.



Talk about the tight-knit camaraderie you have here at the Fire Station: 


ANDY:

It’s kind of nice that everybody knows each other by their first name; they know their families. We’ve all interacted outside of work, which is huge, too, because that also helps build that camaraderie. At a bigger department sometimes you don’t necessarily know everybody. 

JEFF: 

We get together for different things. During the summer we get together for picnics and whoever can get together for our shift. And we also have a nice Christmas dinner together. We’ll do stuff like that off duty or on occasion we’ll go to a hockey game or a baseball game or whatever. And that’s a special thing because a lot of times the spouses and the families get involved. But what I would tell people is, even when I worked as a plumber, I worked at a good place. But we didn’t have near as much fun as what we have here.


The closeness that we have is just great. Other jobs, I didn’t know how many kids they had or how old they were. I know these guys, I know their kids and I know their families. They come in and we have a good time; we laugh, we joke around and that’s a special thing.


How does being a firefighter blend in with your family life?

JEFF: 

Last year, we ran almost 5,000 calls, and two years ago we ran over 5,000 calls. If you break that down for all of our shifts, we have half a day where we don’t run a call, and we can just be crisscrossing all over the place. So, we always have to be ready. In the beginning, it was a little difficult because my family was … ‘Well, you coming over for Thanksgiving? … uh, you’re coming over here for Christmas, right?’ If you have to work, they don’t quite understand that because people have Thanksgiving off, or maybe they have Christmas off. They don’t understand the schedule right away. That’s a little bit of a work in progress.


When your spouse needs help with the kids or whatever, and you’re not around, and you’re not going to be around until the next day, it makes it a little different. But you start to learn to adapt to that. One of the nice things is that we have days off during the week where my kids have done things with school, and I’ve been able to go on field trips with them. I’ve done things that some other dads aren’t fortunate enough to do. If I do work on their birthday, we’re going out on another day for their birthday. We’ve done Christmas almost a week early and a half a week late.



Kentwood’s Engine 55 at Fire Station 3. (WKTV/Cris Greer)



A day in the life…

JEFF: 

Our shift starts at 6:45 a.m. We get in our uniform, get our gear and put it by where we’re going to be for the day. We do a little shift exchange with the off-going crew and then we do our vehicle checks. After we do vehicle checks we have a shift meeting and a schedule comes out for the day. We get all of our errands run. We work three shifts, but what we’ll probably do is go grocery shopping the first day for the whole week, and get that out of the way.


We do our station cleaning: kitchens, hallways, bathrooms, showers, all of that. We do any training that needs to get done; a lot of online training, especially for our EMT license. The first of every month I get inspections so the lieutenants will go out and do inspections. We take the crews out; we get to go through buildings in the city. That’s really nice because you get into places that you don’t normally see. We see things that may become problematic and help them get that straightened out; it’s more of a safety inspection. After lunch, we finish up our daily duties. About three o’clock we work out for about an hour; we’ve got a treadmill and some free weights, elliptical and a whole host of things. We usually eat after 5 o’clock.


Some of us will finish up projects after five, but normally that’s our downtime. We’ll watch movies and play games or whatever. And then after 5 o’clock we have to make sure that throughout the day no matter what we’re doing we’re freed up for alarms or medicals or whatever may happen. At night, you really don’t sleep well here; it’s more resting between calls. You never know when you’re gonna get a call … that’s always on your mind. It’s really hard to just relax. Sometimes you run a couple calls at night, sometimes you’re up all night.

Can you explain the certifications and training necessary to be a firefighter, and how much time you spend keeping up on that training and equipment?

JEFF:

About 3 o’clock we work out for about an hour; we’ve got a treadmill and some free weights, an elliptical and a whole host of things. We do an annual physical agility test and that has eight different things that we have to accomplish within a set time. That has to do with swinging a sledgehammer a certain amount of times within a time limit, pulling some holes and hooking up pieces of equipment, carrying equipment up and down a set of stairs.


We make several trips to know your physical strength and your cardio. There’s another one where we use a mannequin full of heavy stuffing and we’ll drag that a certain distance around, in certain ways, and then come back. We do that annually. We’ll go to a doctor to make sure we’re physically fit to do the job. To work here we have Fire 1 and 2, which is the minimum that they would give you if you were to just apply at a department.


And then we’re also all EMTs. Certain people that we’ve hired have gone past that and have gotten a paramedic license. We do not operate as paramedics, but we’ve hired people who are paramedics. We also have a certification in hazardous materials. I have Ropes 1 and 2 for high and low rescue, and I have trench rescue and confined space.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Please look for Part 2 of this series on Friday. To watch the entire program, click here: “Voices from the Front Line”

High school students invited to apply for Kentwood Police Department Youth Academy; deadline extended to June 15

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Last year’s Kentwood Police Department Youth Academy. (Courtesy, City of Kentwood)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



The Kentwood Police Department is inviting high school students to apply for its youth academy set for July 24-27.

The academy is open to all graduating seniors and students who will be a sophomore, junior or senior in the 2023-24 school year. The program is designed to show young people who are interested in a career in law enforcement what it’s like to be a police officer. Participants do not need to live or attend school in Kentwood.

“Our youth academy allows us to connect with young people in our community and show them first-hand what a career in law enforcement is like,” said Chief Bryan Litwin. “Our officers are looking forward to sharing more about their career path, building relationships with students and helping answer questions they have about the profession.”



Last year’s Kentwood Police Department Youth Academy. (Courtesy, City of Kentwood)



The youth academy is free for participants and runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day at the Kentwood Police Department, 4742 Walma Ave. SE. Each participant is provided a uniform and daily lunch.

Hands-on experience in police training

The program gives students hands-on experience in police training and operations. Participants receive instruction in various aspects of policing and participate in training scenarios, including:

  • Drunken driving enforcement
  • Building searches
  • Handcuffing
  • Special Response Team

Eligible participants must pass a background check and be interviewed before being accepted into the program. Participants also are required to attend an informational meeting with a parent or guardian before the academy begins.

The youth academy application is available at kentwood.us/YouthAcademy. Applications are due by June 15 and can be submitted online, by email to wierengat@kentwood.us, in person at the Police Department or by mail to Sgt. Tim Wierenga at 4742 Walma Ave. SE, Kentwood, MI 49512. 

More information is available at kentwood.us/YouthAcademy. Interested applicants who have questions should contact Sgt. Wierenga at wierengat@kentwood.us or 616-656-6561.

Kevin Brewster Quartet performs on WKTV Jazz Works show

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By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



As a child, it was Kevin Brewster’s mom that helped steer him toward the saxophone.



The 2021 East Kentwood grad said his mom, Audrey Reed, often listened to gospel, R&B and soul music such as Fred Hammond, John P. Kee, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Earth, Wind & Fire. 



“I always wondered what the specific instrument I heard in those songs was until eventually I found out it was a saxophone which made me want to play it,” Brewster said. “I then began playing the saxophone at 11 years old.



“As far as I remember, growing up I was always into music, either if it was dancing, listening to music or singing. I grew up in the church which got me involved with playing the drums, saxophone and singing in the choir.”



Brewster, who just finished his second year of Jazz Studies at Michigan State University, was recently in the WKTV studio with his quartet taping a television program called Jazz Works, which will air soon on our station.

The other members of the quartet are Max Gage on piano, Judah Guerra, bass and Brian Allen, drums.



The Kevin Brewster Quartet recently performed on the WKTV Jazz Works program. Front, Kevin Brewster; from left; Max Gage, piano; Judah Guerra, bass and Brian Allen, drums. (WKTV/Cris Greer)



East Kentwood and MSU connection

Guerra also graduated from EK High School, while Allen went to Grand Rapids Christian and Gage, Northview. All members study music at Michigan State University.



Brewster said they all met while in high school and began practicing together.



“We had one of our first gigs at a restaurant and I knew ever since then I wanted to keep playing with these guys,” Brewster explained. “We formally got together in 2021, and then we gigged throughout the summer our first year of college.”



The quartet has performed locally at the Grand Rapids Foodie Fest, GRNoir Jazz Club, GR Festival of the Arts and the Kentwood Winter Concert Series.



While at East Kentwood, Brewster performed in the marching band, wind ensemble and jazz ensemble I.



He’s counting on his high school and college experiences to guide him through his career.



“After I graduate college, my goal is to attend graduate school to pursue my masters in jazz performance while continuing to put out music and eventually become a recording artist. I also want to tour around the world as a band leader and/or sideman, and then soon become a college professor to teach jazz saxophone.”

East Kentwood boys lacrosse team making big strides

City of Kentwood, Sports, ,
The East Kentwood lacrosse team goes through drills prior to facing off against Vicksburg last Saturday. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor



The East Kentwood boys lacrosse team has only been a varsity program since 2019 and during that short period of time the Falcons have made big strides and is experiencing plenty of success this season.

The Falcons took another step forward Saturday when they dropped a 7-6 decision to Vicksburg in a match that wasn’t decided until the final seconds.

In a match that featured two teams bringing in winning records to the contest, Vicksburg scored a goal with just 28 seconds remaining on the clock to earn the win.

“I thought the boys from both teams did an incredible job battling and playing lacrosse,” East Kentwood coach Keegan Neitzke said. “The stats from the game show how evenly matched both teams were. I was so proud of our players. These seniors played Vicksburg in 2021 and lost 18-1. To play to a 7-6 loss with the winning goal coming in the last 35 seconds shows the massive growth these kids have taken.


“Our defense and goalie played outstanding and the offense put the ball in the back of the net when we needed it, we just ran out of time at the end.”

 

Sophomore goalie Shawn Delano turned in a big game for the Falcons in net. Delano saved 9-of-16 shots on goal to finish with a 69 percent save percentage. That save percentage was higher than his season average of 62 percent.

“Shawn has two years of experience,” Neitzke said. “He has gotten better every game he has played.”

Delano received plenty of support from Falcon defenders Jaiden Woodson and Corey Hall. Hall caused three turnovers and came up with two ground balls during the match while Woodson caused one turnover and captured four ground balls.

Woodson has been a defensive leader all season for the Falcons.

“Jaiden is an athletic defender who uses his speed and footwork to create turnovers,” Neitzke said. “He has three years of experience and he will continue his playing career at Aquinas College next year.”

For the season, Woodson has totaled 46 ground balls and caused 28 turnovers.



The East Kentwood lacrosse team breaks a huddle during action from Saturday’s match against Vicksburg. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



Defense has been a strong point for the Falcons this season as only two teams have scored in double figures against the Kentwood defense.

 

Ben Cash and Harrison Stidolph led the Falcons on offense. Cash totaled four goals and two assists against Vicksburg, while Stidolph added a pair of goals.

“Ben is a high-energy competitor and is our go-to offensive weapon,” Neitzke said. “Harrison loves the game of lacrosse and is being recruited by the University of Michigan-Dearborn.”

For the season, Cash has 57 goals and 20 assists, while Stidolph has 24 goals and 11 assists. 

EK offense has several high-scoring games

The East Kentwood offense has recorded a number of high-scoring outputs this season, including an 18-goal game against both Coopersville and Kalamazoo Central and games of 17 and 16 goals against Northview.

 

The Falcons also have been receiving strong play from midfielder Waseem Ayad and long-stick middle/attacker Isaiah Ramirez. Ayad has 78 ground balls, 28 assists and caused 22 turnovers this season, while Ramirez has 37 ground balls, created 11 turnovers, added 11 assists and four goals.

“Waseem is the point guard of the offense and a two-way player,” Neitzke said. “He has three years of experience.”

Isaiah is a do-it-all player. He played long-stick middle the last two seasons, but does attack and long-stick mid to help the team. He has three years of experience and will continue his career at Aquinas College next year.”

Seniors help rebuild

This year’s seniors have helped build back the program from the hit it took from the covid pandemic that decimated numbers in 2021.

“I had around 16 kids come out and most of them had zero lacrosse experience,” Neitzke said. “Fast forward to this season and most of the seniors only have two to three years of lacrosse experience. The team has bought in and put in the work to get better on and off the field. Our records have increased each of the last three seasons and we are still learning.


“We are a growing program that started with a youth program so we have made an effort to build and grow lacrosse in the community. 2023 is our first year with a junior-varsity lacrosse team and we have started a middle school speed ball league to offset the expense of lacrosse.”

East Kentwood (8-7) is looking to finish the season strong.

“We have four games left that we believe we can win if we play up to the East Kentwood lacrosse standard,” said Neitzke after the Vicksburg loss. “If we win the next four games, we will finish the season with the most wins in a season in program history. The program is moving in the right direction and we continue to grow the game of lacrosse in the Kentwood community. It’s an exciting time for East Kentwood lacrosse.”      


NOTE: East Kentwood beat Coopersville 22-1 Tuesday, and now only needs three wins to finish with the most wins in a season in program history.  

Kentwood to host Bark for the Park May 18 to benefit Kellogg Woods Dog Park

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Last year’s annual Bark for the Park event. (Courtesy, City of Kentwood)



WKTV Staff

greer@wktv.org


The City of Kentwood’s Bark for the Park event is set for Thursday, May 18 to raise funds for new amenities at the dog park at Kellogg Woods Park. 

The dog-friendly event takes place 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Kellogg Woods Park, 275 Kellogg Woods Park Drive SE. Admission is free, and financial donations are accepted throughout the event. No registration is required. 

Pet vendors, vet clinics, Wyoming K9 unit and more

Attendees and their canine companions can explore a variety of local pet vendors and community booths, including veterinary clinics, the Wyoming Police K9 unit and more. The event also will include a pet craft station, photo booth and dog agility course. A doggie bag filled with dog treats and other favors will will be available for participants to take home.  


The Wyoming Police K9 unit will be at Bark for the Park. (Courtesy, City of Kentwood)


At 6:30 p.m., attendees will have a chance to show off their pup’s style by participating in a doggy fashion show. The crowd favorite will receive a gift basket.

Dune Buggy and Underground Cookie Club food trucks will be on-site with burgers, fries, ice cream sandwiches and beverages available for purchase. T-shirts also will be for sale at the Kentwood Parks and Recreation tent.

“The dog park at Kellogg Woods Park is a unique amenity we’re proud to be able to offer the dogs and dog lovers in our community,” said Spencer McKellar, the City of Kentwood’s lead recreation program coordinator. “This event is a fun opportunity to gather together to showcase this space to the community and raise money to ensure it remains a premier canine hangout for years to come.”






Funds raised at this year’s event will go toward the purchase of a shade structure at the park.  Champion sponsors include Beastro Fresh Canine Cuisine, Bloom Sluggett, PC, Consumers Energy Home Energy Analysis, Metronet, VCA Woodland Animal Hospital and Whiskers Resort & Pet Spa. Advocate sponsors include Red Barn Veterinary Clinic, Simply Pet Cremation Services and Sinclair Recreation, LLC. 

For more event information, visit kentwood.us/BarkForThePark.


Last year’s annual Bark for the Park event. (Courtesy, City of Kentwood)

Kentwood Announces Summer Road Projects on nearly 28 miles of roads

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, West Michigan



By WKTV Staff

greer@wktv.org



The City of Kentwood has announced its tentative road construction and maintenance schedule for the summer.

The $9.7 million reconstruction, resurfacing and maintenance program has been approved by the City Commission and includes improvements to approximately 27.5 miles of major and local roads. Work is expected to begin this month and be completed by the end of October. 

Planned street reconstruction, resurfacing and maintenance projects

  • Full reconstruction of 52nd Avenue SE from Kalamazoo Avenue to Breton Avenue. 
  • Full reconstruction of Meadowlane Drive SE. 
  • Other preventative street maintenance work throughout the city, including routine street marking, crack sealing and patching.

Message boards on major streets will give drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists advance notice of when closures will begin.

“We are committed to ensuring Kentwood has quality roads, which contribute to public safety and sound city infrastructure,” City Engineer Brad Boomstra said. “We know construction can cause disruptions to daily life, so our contractors will work diligently to minimize the impact felt by our community.

“We appreciate the support of our residents and businesses as we complete this critical work to improve our roads.”

The full reconstruction project on 52nd Street will begin this month and include a new water main on the north side of the street, new asphalt pavement surface on the roadway and a new traffic signal at the intersection of 52nd Street and Stauffer Avenue. 

During construction, 52nd Street will remain open to one-way traffic in the eastbound direction only. Westbound traffic will need to follow a posted detour using Kalamazoo Avenue, 44th Street and Breton Avenue.

Meadowlane Drive project

The Meadowlane Drive project also will begin this month and include a new concrete curb and gutter, new concrete sidewalks and concrete driveway approaches, asphalt pavement surface on the roadway, storm sewer installation, water main installation and sanitary sewer installation. Meadowlane Drive will remain open throughout construction to residents and their guests. At times, access to properties may be from a single direction on a one-way gravel lane. There will be times throughout the project where driveways will be inaccessible and residents will need to park on the street.

Property owners affected by the 52nd Street and Meadowlane Drive projects were informed by letter. Mail delivery and trash pickup will not be disrupted.

Patching and sealing in June

Patching and crack sealing work will take place on several neighborhood streets in June to prepare them for cape sealing in August. Cape sealing is designed to create a smooth surface with increased durability. Cape seal projects take two non-consecutive days, with the cape seal treatment requiring up to a few hours to dry before being ready for traffic.  

Homeowners in the neighborhoods where these projects will take place will be informed by letter. Residents are asked to drive slowly during the road work and follow the crew’s instructions for the best access to their homes. On-street parking will not be allowed during cape sealing.

The City’s road maintenance decisions are based on a variety of data, including ratings from the annual Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating system, or PASER. This rating system provides a basis for comparing the quality of roadway segments and assigns a rating of 1-10 for road pavement conditions based on visual inspections, with 10 representing good and 1 poor.

Kentwood maintains one of the highest-rated major street networks in Kent County, according to data compiled by the Grand Valley Metro Council that is based on PASER ratings.

Last year, the City invested in improvements to 30 miles of major and local roads. Major streets included in the 2022 reconstruction, resurfacing and maintenance program were:

  • East Paris Avenue SE from 28th Street to 36th Street
  • Jefferson Avenue SE from 44th Street to Montebello Street
  • Burton Street SE from East Paris Avenue to Patterson Avenue

For more information, including a map of street resurfacing and repairs, visit kentwood.us/construction. Community members can sign up to be notified when construction updates are added to the City’s website and receive updates via Facebook and Twitter.

Kentwood elected officials celebrate National Law Day with Q&A and panel discussion Monday

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, West Michigan,
Kent County Office of the Defender Defense Attorney Justin McCarthy (left) and retired Judge William G. Kelly during Kentwood’s National Law Day on May 1. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)



By D.A. Reed

WKTV Contributor

The Kentwood Justice Center opened its doors to the community to celebrate National Law Day with a panel discussion and Q&A session with elected officials on May 1.

Law Day, a national day dedicated to celebrating the rule of law, was celebrated at Kentwood’s 62-B District Court with a theme of Cornerstones of Democracy: Civics, Civility and Collaboration.

Envisioned by American Bar Association president Charles S. Rhyne in 1957 and put into practice by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1958, Law Day provides an opportunity for community members to cultivate a deeper understanding of the legal profession.


Judge Amanda Sterkenburg (left) talks to DCA/Magistrate Michele White during National Law Day Monday at the Kentwood Justice Center. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)



The panel was moderated by 62-B District Court Administrator/Magistrate Michele White, with panelists including 62-B District Court Judge Amanda Sterkenburg, Kentwood City Commissioner Ron Draayer, Kentwood City Commissioner Clarkston Morgan, Deputy City Administrator Shay Gallagher, Kent County Assistant Prosecutor Courtney Panter, and Kent County Office of the Defender Defense Attorney Justin McCarthy.

One topic discussed was racial disparity in the justice system and how to eliminate that inequality.


“It all starts with equal protection,” McCarthy said, “and it all starts with everyone being treated fairly.”

The Michigan Indigent Defense Commission (MIDC) ensures the state’s public defense system is fair, cost-effective, and constitutional while simultaneously protecting public safety and accountability.

“What (the MIDC) is intended to do is to bring more dollars into the criminal justice system so that people that are appointed counsel are getting a fair shake and they are getting the same type of resources that prosecutors have,” McCarthy said.

“Inequity in the justice system is really tied to historical inequalities within our communities,” Sterkenburg said. “We need to look at it as a holistic problem and take the approach that economic, environmental, educational elements all play into what we see as disparities within the justice system.”



Kentwood Commissioner Clarkston Morgan answers a question (far right) as Kent County Defense Attorney Justin McCarthy and Judge Amanda Sterkenburg listen. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)



Translation services have helped eliminate language barriers and helped individuals feel they are being heard as counsel represents them.

“There is a real desire on the part of those of us within city government to do as much as we can to ensure that it is a fair justice system … for people who live and work within the City of Kentwood,” said Draayer. “I take real pride in that, but also as a challenge that we still have a lot of work to do.”

Also discussed was the importance of citizen collaboration and interaction with all branches of government in addressing challenges facing the community.

Your voice matters

Morgan said citizens need to understand their voice matters. “You own the community you live in. You also own the community we all engage in … be the voice of change.”

That change comes with engaging with the local community leaders.

“The best vehicle to engage with the government is to engage with your representatives,” McCarthy said. “Because that engagement then drives policies, it drives statutes, it drives ordinances that we officials work with and react to.”

Draayer agreed.



“We try to do everything we can to stress to citizens that you really do matter, and when you come and speak, we are paying attention to you.”

Demystifying the counsel chamber and rebuilding trust

Maintaining public access and using language easily understood to create transparency within the counsel chamber also was brought into the conversation.

“For my part,” said Sterkenburg, “if they are coming in to me, I am talking to them … with language that is understandable and respectful, and not from a position of authority, but from a position that we can really lift up those whom the court is here to serve.”

Digital and physical access to the courtrooms, in-person engagement with citizens via schools and community events, providing easy access to the Freedom of Information Act, and updating citizens via eblasts, e-newsletter, and Facebook helps elected officials maintain transparency.



Deputy City Administrator Shay Gallagher (left) at the Kentwood National Law Day. (WKTV/D.A. Reed)



“We try to reach folks where they’re at,” Gallagher said.

 

Surveys also have been a productive tool in striving to find better ways to communicate with and serve residents.

“In Kentwood, our leaders make a point to talk with the community, to try and make sure there is always open communication,” Sterkenburg said.

Restoring civility

Realizing that everyone comes from different backgrounds and how that shapes their perspective—and allowing their perspective to have a voice as equal as his own—is how Morgan believes civility can be restored.

“I think if we come out recognizing that we want more people whole than just what it is to be right, we can actually change things,” Morgan said.

McCarthy agreed.



“If we allow that airspace for other people to be heard, solutions will appear.”

“I think listening is key,” Sterkenburg said. “I think empathy is key. And I think that we (elected officials) have to lead by example in modeling those behaviors.”


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

East Kentwood hosts first-ever cornhole tournament for school students around the state Saturday

Sports, West Michigan, , ,
The East Kentwood Ice Arena played host to the first-ever East Kentwood Cornhole Invitational Saturday. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor

East Kentwood High School was home to a first of its kind event in the state of Michigan on Saturday as over 40 students from elementary school through high school took part in the inaugural East Kentwood Cornhole Invitational.

Two rows of cornhole boards filled nearly the entire floor space of the Kentwood Ice Arena where the competition took place with students of all ages and skill levels tossing bags back and forth.


The event was sponsored by the Michigan Cornhole League and the Youth Cornhole Organization, two of the main organizations for cornhole in the state of Michigan. Joey Williamson, a member of the staff at the East Kentwood Ice Arena, coordinated the event that drew students from all across Michigan.


Competitors came from schools like Woodhaven and Anchor Bay on the east side of the state, Montabella, Chippewa Hills and Mason County Central from farther north of the Grand Rapids area along with local competitors from schools like Wayland, Caledonia, Grandville, Byron Center, St. John Vianney, Jenison and East Kentwood.

“This is the first tournament just for school kids in the state and we’re putting it on,” Williamson said. “This has been a dream of mine for about two years. I love the sport of cornhole. It is a great community sport and a great way to make friends. It’s an easy sport to play and almost anyone can play regardless of age or skill level.”

The sport of cornhole is still evolving, but is beginning to gain in popularity around the country with events even getting broadcast on national television including ESPN.



School kids from across the state competed at the East Kentwood Cornhole Invitational. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)

Adrian College cornhole

One of the teams that competed on ESPN’s national broadcasts was the college cornhole team from Adrian College. Adrian College is the lone college in the United States that has a school-supported cornhole team and Coach Max Benedict was in attendance at the East Kentwood Invitational getting the word out about college cornhole and helping to grow the sport.

“I’d really like to see cornhole get into the high schools and become a school sport,” Benedict said. “That would help us have a pool of kids to draw from. It’s not like football or basketball where every school has a team. I like getting out to the schools and putting on exhibitions to show the schools they could get a cornhole program going.”

Unlike sports like football and hockey that require large amounts of money for equipment and ice time and other expenses, cornhole is an inexpensive sport that requires just a few boards and some bags.

A push for high school cornhole

Gregg Devitto, who runs Michigan High School Cornholehub.com also was in attendance at the Kentwood tournament. DeVitto is developing an organization that is working to get geographic clusters of high schools in regions across the state playing competitive cornhole.

“Our goal is to eventually have cornhole become a Michigan High School Athletic Association sponsored sport in a few years,” DeVitto said. “We are developing a cluster of schools in Lenawee County that will be playing cornhole and we are hoping for two or three other clusters across the state.”

If Saturday’s event at East Kentwood was any indication, the sport of cornhole is primed to grow quickly among school-age participants who enjoyed the tournament at the East Kentwood Ice Arena.

“I like the idea of the tournament,” said Jayden, a student from Grand Rapids. “No one else has a tournament like this. I like being able to compete against other kids and I know this will grow the game.”

Hudson, who has been playing for a year, also enjoyed the tournament.

“It’s pretty fun,” Hudson said. “It’s just great being able to get out and throw and have fun with the other kids.”

Having fun and meeting other kids is a big attraction to cornhole for youth as it is for adults who play in cornhole leagues across West Michigan as much for the social aspect of the sport as it is the competitive side, similar to a sport like bowling.

Professional player Daniela Luna on hand

“I started playing backyard cornhole about four years ago,” said Daniela Luna, who is a professional cornhole player and was on hand from the Youth Cornhole Organization helping to run the tournament. “We want to get more and more kids involved in the sport. It’s a sport anyone can play and have a lot of fun doing it.”

Luna was joined at the tournament by Joyce Mandala also from the Youth Cornhole Organization.

“We want to get more kids involved,” Mandala said. “In Detroit, Jarron Jackson, who is also part of our organization, has five schools playing cornhole. It gives the kids who don’t play basketball or football a sport that they can play. Not everyone is tall and can play basketball. Cornhole is a sport that anyone can play and they can play after leaving school. It’s a great sport and the kids just love it.”

Williamson believes that once the word gets out the sport of cornhole will only grow not just across the state, but also in the area.

“We are looking for cornhole to start out as a club sport in the schools,” Williamson said. “Someday it will become a varsity sport in the schools. We had kids of all ages here. A lot of the younger kids are really good and even beat the older kids.



“We set up the tournament where we have pool play and the winners of the pools went on to play the other pool winners. After pool play it was set up based on the records in the pools. The kids really had a good time with it.”         

         

East Kentwood’s Lacey-Pierce one of several area boxing champs at Michigan Golden Gloves finals Saturday

City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Sports, West Michigan, , ,
Justin Lacey-Pierce (left) looks for an opening during his match against Jason Jackson in the 165-pound Elite Open class final at the Michigan Golden Gloves state finals Saturday at West Catholic. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor

East Kentwood graduate Justin Lacey-Pierce led the list of area boxers who brought home state titles at the 2023 Michigan Golden Gloves state championship finals on Saturday evening at West Catholic High School.

Lacey-Pierce, a 2017 grad of East Kentwood, turned in a solid performance as he won a decision against Jason Jackson of the Holland Westside Boxing Club in the 165-pound Elite Open division final. Lacey-Pierce, who defeated Jackson in last week’s West Michigan Golden Gloves finals, took charge of the bout from the opening bell and carried the action throughout the match.


Lacey-Pierce, like all the other champions from the state finals, now heads to the Golden Gloves of America National Tournament from May 8-14 in Philadelphia.

“Winning the state title feels ok, but what I really want is the national championship,” Lacey-Pierce said. “I’ve won a national championship before and what I want is to win a Golden Gloves national championship. That is my main goal.”

Lacey-Pierce cleared the next hurdle in reaching that goal by taking care of business against Jackson which gave him his second Golden Gloves state title of his career.

“It was a rematch of last week,” Lacey-Pierce said. “It was pretty much the same thing again. He (Jackson) is a very tough fighter. He’s durable and tough. I just tried to keep jabbing and sneak in some body shots and try to wear him out.”

Junior Rios gets fifth state title

While Lacey-Pierce won his second state title, former Wyoming Pride Boxing Club boxer Aneudy “Junior” Rios won his fifth state title. Like Lacey-Pierce, Rios fought a familiar foe in the title match as he squared off against Gentle Gibson of Kalamazoo who he defeated in last week’s West Michigan state finals in the 132-pound open division. Like the previous fight, Rios relied on his speed and quickness to carry him to the decision.

Junior Rios (right) squares off against Gentle Gibson of Kalamazoo in the 132-pound Elite Open class at the Michigan Golden Gloves state finals. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)

“He (Gibson) was going for the knockout,” Rios said. “I used my quickness against him. I have quicker hands and quicker feet and I used that to my advantage. His gameplan was to land a knockout punch. It was definitely a good fight. He tried to knock me out but I knew I could outbox him.”

Winning a fifth state title meant plenty to Rios who plans to turn professional after making a run at qualifying for the 2024 Olympics.

“This feels great,” Rios said. “I have dreamed about this moment and to come out on top really means a lot to me. I’m looking forward to the national tournament and I feel right now I’m in better shape that I’ve ever been in during all the years of going to nationals. I feel way quicker, have way more experience and have a way better boxing IQ.”

Mo Mercado 125-pound open division champ

Like his training partner Rios, Guillermo “Mo” Mercado is another multi-time state champion and faced a rematch in his title bout in the 125-pound open division. Like he did the week prior, Mercado utilized his outstanding boxing skills to win a decision against Jason Wells.

Guillermo Mercado (left) looks to set up his shot during his match against Jason Wells in the 125-pound Elite Open class final at the Michigan Golden Gloves state finals. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



“I went into the match trying to stay focused and to get the job done,” Mercado said. “I knew that I could outbox him and that was my plan. He tried some different things but I just stayed composed and outboxed him.”

The state title meant plenty to Mercado who also plans to turn professional after the Golen Gloves.

“This is a tremendous feeling,” Mercado said. “I put my heart on the line for this one. I’ve went through a lot of adversity to get this one and this really means a lot to me.”

Catholic Central grad Ulysses Campos wins at 147 pounds

Ulysses Campos, a 2018 graduate of Grand Rapids Catholic Central High School is another area boxer who was looking to add to his collection of state titles before turning pro later this year. Campos won a decision against Tyrone Welch of Saginaw in the finals at 147 pounds. The title was the sixth Golden Gloves title for Campos and the fourth Golden Gloves state championship on his resume.

“I won my first Golden Gloves title when I was 16-years old,” said the 23-year old Campos, who also was part of a state championship soccer team while at Catholic Central. “This one is pretty special. It is my last one and I knew it was going to be a tough one. My opponent is really tough and I knew it was going to be a big challenge.”

Bryan Caceres wins fourth state title

Bryan Caceres rounded out the area open champions. Caceres, who won a fourth state title for his career, needed to avenge a loss from last week’s West Michigan finals to earn his title. In a match that was just as hard-fought as last week’s title match at 139 pounds, Caceres won a decision against Marcos Saucedo Jr. of Holland. Like the other area open division boxers, Caceres is also planning on turning professional later this year.

Also claiming open-division titles were Nicholas Young of Flint at 156 pounds, KeiShawn Partee of Muskegon, 176 pounds, Solomon Jagun of Lansing, 203 pounds, and Shaquan Cox of Flint, 203-plus division.

Sarah Batenburg takes 146-pound title in the female division

There also were three uncontested open division champions all in the female division. Sarah Batenburg of Hudsonville won at 146 pounds, Zoe Hicks of Lansing won at 110 pounds and Kimberly Green of Lansing was the 178 pounds-plus champion.

In novice action, Michael Guzman of Grand Rapids won the 132-pound novice title with a decision against Gage Stafford of Flint.

“It feels good,” Guzman said. “I’ve loved fighting in the Golden Gloves this year. It’s a great feeling to be the last man standing.”

Guzman’s twin brother Mike Guzman just missed a state title of his own as he dropped a close decision to Brant Bowlin of Lansing at 139 pounds. 

In the 147-pound novice division, Alejandro Hernandez of the Anahuac Boxing Club, located in southwest Grand Rapids, won a decision against Stephen Ramirez. The bout was a rematch of last week’s West Michigan finals contest and Hernandez used a similar formula to get the win.

“(He) Ramirez was not as aggressive as last week,” Hernandez said. “Like I did last week, I just tried to outbox him. Winning the state title feel so good. It feels good to see all my hard work pay off.”

At 203 pounds, Zachary Brayton of Traverse City Significant Strikes won a decision against Austin Connors of the Kalamazoo Boxing Club in a rematch of their fight last week. Brayton, who improved his record to 7-0 over the weekend, also was named the Outstanding Novice Boxer for this year’s state finals.

Also winning state titles in the novice division were Van Davis (125 pounds) of Muskegon, Brant Bowling (139) of Lansing, Ndeye Diouf (female-146 pounds) of Flint and Monjuan Walker (156) of Flint. Uncontested novice champions included Sulliman Aamer (112) of Holland, Abel Vilchis-Mendoza (176) of Muskegon and Cody Leonard (203-plus) of Muskegon.

Kentwood Community Cleanup Day May 6

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, West Michigan,
(Image Courtesy, City of Kentwood)



By WKTV Staff

greer@wktv.org



The City of Kentwood will offer its annual Community Cleanup Day on Saturday, May 6 to help residents “spring clean” their homes and yards.

Residents can drop off 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.

After the cleanup event, the City’s brush and leaf drop-off site, also located at Kentwood’s Public Works facility, will remain open through Saturday, May 26. Hours of operation for the drop-off site are noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.


“Our Community Cleanup Day brings free collection services for a variety of items to one convenient location, helping residents expedite their spring-cleaning efforts,” said Chad Griffin, Department of Public Works director. “We encourage residents who are decluttering their homes and properties to join us.”

The cleanup day and brush/leaf drop-off service 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. 

GFL Environmental will be on-site for Kentwood’s Community Cleanup Day to accept general debris and trash, including mattresses, for disposal. Tires cannot be accepted.

The City of Kentwood will be collecting electronic waste to recycle. Electronic waste includes items such as mobile phones, computers and fax machines. Smoke alarms are not accepted for recycling, but can be disposed of at the event.

The City of Kentwood will accept yard waste at the brush drop-off site, including brush, sticks, tree limbs and logs as well as leaves and grass clippings. Leaves should be loose when dropped off, not left in bags.

Items for donation and household hazardous materials will not be accepted during this year’s cleanup event. Residents 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 Public Works facility from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays.

Kentwood’s 62-B Court to host Law Day Celebration on May 1

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, West Michigan,
The Kentwood Justice Center houses 62-B District Court and the Kentwood Police Department. (WKTV)



By WKTV Staff

greer@wktv.org



The 62-B District Court is inviting community members to celebrate Law Day 2023 with a free community event May 1.

The Law Day event will take place 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Kentwood Justice Center, 4740 Walma Ave. SE. It will kick off with a meet and greet, followed by a panel discussion, Q&A session and closing remarks. Refreshments will be provided. 

Panelists will include:

  • 62-B District Court Judge Amanda Sterkenburg 
  • City of Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley 
  • City of Kentwood City Commissioner Ron Draayer 
  • Kent County Assistant Prosecutor Kourtney Stone  
  • Kent County Office of the Defender Defense Attorney Justin McCarthy

The panel will be moderated by 62-B District Court Administrator/Magistrate Michele White. Panelists will take questions from event attendees and discuss rebuilding trust in legal institutions and how the public, their elected officials and the branches of government can collaborate to address various challenges faced by the nation, such as a lack of affordable housing, the recent increase in assaultive offenses and racial disparities in the justice system. 

This year’s Law Day event theme is Cornerstones of Democracy: Civics, Civility and Collaboration. Students wishing to participate are encouraged to create a short video, poem, art piece or written question relating to the event theme that may be selected for panel discussion. 

Student entries are due by April 17 and will be displayed in the courthouse during the Law Day celebration. Submissions can be attached to the registration form or dropped off in person at the Kentwood Justice Center, 4740 Walma Ave. SE, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. 

Pre-registration is required for the event. A registration form and additional event details can be found at kentwood.us/LawDay. 

Law Day, established in 1958 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, is a national observance celebrated each year on May 1. The holiday celebrates the role of the law in our society and cultivates a deeper understanding of the legal profession.

Kentwood and Hanger Clinic to host annual Hanger Limb Loss Awareness 5K April 29

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, ,
Last year’s event. (Courtesy, City of Kentwood)



By WKTV Staff

greer@wktv.org



The City of Kentwood and local orthotic and prosthetic care provider Hanger Clinic are again partnering to host the fifth annual Hanger Limb Loss Awareness 5K on Saturday, April 29 in honor of Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month.

The all-ages, all-abilities event will begin with packet pickup at 9 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Park, 355 48th St. SE, followed by a Show Your Mettle photo at 9:45 a.m. The race, which begins at 10 a.m., will include a new route this year that will take runners through Veteran’s Memorial Park and part of the East West Trail.

The race seeks to increase awareness of limb loss and limb difference, build community and raise funds for Kentwood’s adaptive recreation programs. These programs provide quality recreation and enrichment programs for people of all abilities and offer opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in athletic activities in an adapted way to allow for a safe, fun experience. 

“Our Limb Loss Awareness 5K is focused on inclusivity, awareness, relationships and making a difference in our local community,” said Katelyn Bush, Kentwood recreation program coordinator. “We’re honored to host this event alongside Hanger Clinic and are thrilled about its growing popularity since the first one in 2018.” 

Register today

Online registration is available at RunSignUp.com. Registration is $35 through April 28 and $45 on race day. Participants will receive a long-sleeved T-shirt and swag bag as part of their registration. To guarantee a shirt, please be sure to register by April 14. Packet pickup will be available at the event and in advance at the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE, during business hours beginning Thursday, April 27.



Last year’s Hanger Limb Loss Awareness 5K. (Courtesy, City of Kentwood)



Four first-place awards will be given to the first adult men and women amputees and nonamputees who cross the finish line. The event is set to conclude at 1 p.m. 

The kid-friendly event will also include a fun run for ages 12 and younger at 11 a.m. in the park. The kids race costs $10 per child and includes a T-shirt and finisher ribbon. There also is a Family Fun area with yard games, chalk and more for all ages to enjoy.



Last year’s Hanger Limb Loss Awareness 5K. (Courtesy, City of Kentwood)



This year’s event will feature two speakers: Kelly Allen and RJ Myler. 

Allen was born missing a femur, tibia and patella and with a hip that is not fully developed on her left side due to a limb difference called proximal femoral focal deficiency. She was fit for her first prosthetic at just 3 months old. 

She was born into a family of athletes, but there was not an adaptive sports community near her home. So, she competed in able-bodied sports, working hard to keep up with her peers on the field and court. In 2006, her prosthetist introduced her to the Extremity Games, an extreme sport competition for athletes with disabilities. This was her first introduction to adaptive sports, and it had a big impact on her view of her disability. 

“In a flash, I went from being the only person I knew with a prosthetic leg to being surrounded by people who shared similar life experiences to me,” Allen said. “I walked away from this event with a second-place medal in rock climbing and with a new sense of belonging and pride in my disability.”

Allen’s love of sports and participation in adaptive recreation took her many places. She trained and competed in adaptive skiing in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. While recovering from a ski injury, she was introduced to paracanoe and became a paralympic kayaker, representing the U.S. on the world stage for 10 years in Hungary, Portugal, Germany, Poland and Brazil. 

Myler experienced a workplace accident that led to his left leg being amputated from the hip down in June 2022. Due to the accident, he suffered a broken left femur and humerus, a broken pelvis, two broken hips, a fractured right femur, tibia and fibula, a fractured heel and a severely dislocated right knee that tore all four major ligaments. Upon waking up on a ventilator and finding his left leg amputated, Myler knew he had a long road to recovery ahead.  

He spent three months at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital rebuilding strength in his right leg and preparing to use a prosthetic limb. During this time, he said it was hard to focus on the bright side of his new life when he was often faced with thoughts of activities he would no longer be able to do. 

A supportive community made all the difference for Myler. 

“Fortunately, I have an amazing wife, family, friends and neighbors who rallied behind me and gave me something to fight for,” Myler said.  “I knew I wasn’t alone in this.” 

“I hope others read this and know help is always available to those who ask.”

Myler returned home from the hospital in October, was fit with his first prosthetic leg at Hanger Clinic in December, and recently returned to work as a dispatcher, where he enjoys encouraging others to approach life with a positive mindset. 

Radio personality Phil Tower will DJ the event

Phil Tower, a West Michigan radio personality, amputee and advocate for people with disabilities, will serve as the event’s DJ. Tower has more than 40 years of broadcasting experience and a background in higher education and talent coaching. 

Along with the race, there will be activities and educational opportunities to raise awareness about limb loss and limb difference. These resources will help participants and attendees learn more about amputation, prosthetics and orthotics as well as connect individuals who have experienced limb loss or limb difference and to build relationships. Several informational booths from various sponsors also will be at the event.



 

Last year’s Hanger Limb Loss Awareness 5K. (Courtesy, City of Kentwood)



Sponsors include Corewell Health, Mary Free Bed Orthotics & Prosthetics + Bionics, Buist Electric, Green Shield Deck Builders, Life Beyond Barriers Rehabilitation Group, College Park, Metronet, Muskegon Surgical Associates, Summit Labs LLC, Amazon, Foot and Ankle Specialists and Willow Wood.

“We have a vibrant, supportive community for people experiencing limb loss and limb difference in West Michigan as well as many local resources,” said Nikki Stoner, Hanger Clinic care coordinator and a lower limb amputee herself. “This event gives us an opportunity to raise awareness and let individuals know they aren’t in this alone – we’re here to help.”

 

Volunteers are needed for the event. Those interested may sign up at RunSignUp.com.

 

More information on the Hanger Limb Loss Awareness 5K is available at kentwood.us/LimbLoss5K.

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

Kentwood to celebrate Arbor Day with community event and tree seedling giveaway April 28

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, West Michigan,
Last year’s Arbor Day event. (Courtesy, City of Kentwood)



By WKTV Staff

greer@wktv.org



The City of Kentwood will once again honor Arbor Day with a tree planting and celebration, which will include a free tree seedling giveaway.  

Residents of all ages are invited to join Kentwood’s Arbor Day Celebration at noon Friday, April 28 at Kellogg Woods Park, 275 Kellogg Woods Park Drive SE. The event will begin at noon with an Arbor Day proclamation, followed by a tree planting and guided tree identification walk in the park. Complimentary refreshments also will be provided. 

Arbor Day is an annual observance held each spring to recognize the impact of trees in the community and encourage tree planting. 

“Healthy tree populations provide not just beauty to our city, but create a cleaner environment for us all,” Mayor Stephen Kepley said. “Our Arbor Day Celebration allows us to connect with community members and work together to improve and maintain our city’s tree canopy for the enjoyment and benefit now and for future generations.”


Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley at last year’s Arbor Day event. (Courtesy, City of Kentwood)



Residents can pick up free red maple, red cedar or white pine tree seedlings at the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE ahead of the celebration. The seedlings will be available during business hours Tuesday, April 25 through Friday, April 28 while supplies last.

Community members can check on tree seedling availability by calling the Parks and Recreation Department at 616-656-5270. The Kentwood Activities Center is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday.

Residents are invited to share a photo of their planted seedling on social media using the hashtag #GreeningKentwood. More information about Kentwood’s Arbor Day Celebration can be found at kentwood.us/ArborDay.



Last year’s Arbor Day community event in Kentwood. (Courtesy, City of Kentwood)



Railtown Brewing Company, 3595 68th St. SE, held a fundraiser through March where a portion of the proceeds from every Bike Ride Blonde ale purchased went towards supporting the planting of trees in Kentwood for Arbor Day.

For community members who are looking for more ways to get involved beyond Arbor Day are invited to join the Kentwood Park Stewards, an environmentally focused program that helps preserve and maintain neighborhood parks, trails and public spaces. More information about the program is available at kentwood.us/ParkStewards.

Kentwood, Wyoming police to host Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 22 

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, West Michigan,
(Courtesy, City of Kentwood)



By WKTV Staff

greer@wktv.org



Both the Wyoming Department of Public Safety and the Kentwood Police Department will be hosting a Drug Take Back Day, Saturday, April 22.

The event is part of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back initiative, which seeks to offer a safe, convenient way for community members to dispose of prescription drugs and provides education about medication abuse. The service is free and anonymous, with no questions asked.

Kentwood

Residents can drop off any unused, unwanted or expired prescription pills and patches from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Kentwood Police Department, 4742 Walma Ave. SE. Liquids, needles and sharp objects cannot be accepted.

“Drug Take Back Day gives the community an opportunity to work together to prevent medication abuse and save lives,” Kentwood Police Chief Bryan Litwin said. “When medication is properly disposed, it helps protect the environment and prevent identity theft, accidental poisonings, drug addiction and overdose deaths. We encourage community members to gather unneeded medications from their home and join us April 22 as we work together to keep our community safe.”



(Courtesy, City of Kentwood)



Prescription and over-the-counter medications can be safely disposed of year-round in the Kentwood Police Department’s lobby from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Visit kentwood.us/DrugTakeBack to learn more about Kentwood’s year-round Drug Take Back program.

Wyoming

Wyoming residents may drop off any unused, unwanted or expired prescription pills and patches from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Wyoming Police Department, 2300 DeHoop Ave. or U of M Health West’s Campus, 5900 Byron Center Ave. SW. Liquids, needles and sharp objects cannot be accepted.

“Taking advantage of this free and anonymous Drug Take Back Day can help save lives in our community,” said Wyoming Public Safety Chief Kim Koster. “Proper medication disposal prevents accidental poisons, drug addiction and overdose deaths. It can also help preserve the environment by reducing the number of medications in landfills and sewer systems.”

Community members can also safely dispose of unused and/or expired prescription medications year-round at the Wyoming Police Department’s lobby from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

To learn more about Wyoming’s year-round Drug Take Back Program, visit wyomingmi.gov/safemeds.

Sharps and other items

The Kent County Department of Public Works does provide a list of places that medications can be taken year around at www.reimaginetrash.org/safehomes/. The site includes information on the SafeMeds, SafeSharps, and SafeChem program where residents can dispose of medications and hazardous materials. Note, most of the Kent County sites take only non-controlled medications. Controlled medications need to be turned into a police department.

Twice a year, law enforcement agencies throughout the United States partner with the DEA to host a Drug Take Back Day as part of ongoing efforts to combat prescription drug misuse and overdose deaths. The events take place in April and October. The events give residents an opportunity to dispose of unneeded medications safely and securely to help address this public safety and public health issue. Studies have shown most abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, often from a home medicine cabinet.

Tips on disposing of medication from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.

Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department earns two state awards

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, Recreation, West Michigan,
From Left: Ann Przybysz, recreation program coordinator with City of Kentwood Parks and Recreation; Clay Summers, executive director of mParks; Katelyn Bush, recreation program coordinator with City of Kentwood Parks and Recreation. Bush is holding the Excellence in Therapeutic Recreation Programming Award. (Courtesy, mParks). 



By WKTV Staff

greer@wktv.org



The City of Kentwood’s Parks and Recreation Department has received two awards from the Michigan Recreation & Park Association.

The department was honored with the Excellence in Therapeutic Recreation Programming Award for its adaptive programs and the Integrated Marketing Campaign Award for its 2022 parks millage campaign. Department representatives accepted the awards during the Michigan Recreation & Park Association’s annual conference and trade show earlier this month in Lansing.

“We’re proud to have our innovative programs and initiatives recognized by mParks,” Parks and Recreation Director Val Romeo said. “Michigan is home to many impressive recreation departments, so we’re delighted to have our hard work and dedication to the community celebrated at a statewide level.” 

The Excellence in Therapeutic Recreation Programming Award is given to an organization for innovation and breadth of service in therapeutic recreation program development and recognizes accomplishments and consistently high standards in clinical and community settings. The Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department provides the most comprehensive adaptive recreation programming in Michigan. Kentwood’s adaptive recreation offerings are designed to encourage health and wellness, socialization and excellent quality of life for all and include adaptive programs such as archery, bowling, water skiing and more. 

The Integrated Marketing Campaign Award recognizes an individual or organization that has developed an outstanding campaign using a variety of coordinated mediums to effectively deliver a message to key audiences. In January 2022, the City of Kentwood launched a seven-month campaign to educate residents on the park millage proposal set to appear on the August ballot. The campaign included web pages, social media, digital media, printed materials, direct mailings and more to show voters all the benefits of a permanent parks millage. The millage passed with 63 percent of voters in favor.  



From left: Clay Summers, executive director of mParks; Laura Barbrick, marketing and events coordinator for City of Kentwood Parks and Recreation. Barbrick is holding the Outstanding Integrated Marketing Campaign Award. (Photo Courtesy, mParks)



“The City of Kentwood has an exceptional recreation presence in Michigan, and it’s truly an honor to have that work recognized at the state level,” Mayor Stephen Kepley said. “We’re eager to keep serving our residents and the West Michigan community and to continue improving our parks, trails and programming so these amenities can be enjoyed for generations to come.”

 

More information about the Michigan Recreation & Park Association can be found at mparks.org. To learn more about Kentwood’s Parks and Recreation department, visit kentwood.us/parks. 

Michigan Golden Gloves Championships begin 91st tournament; Opening night April 1 at West Catholic High School

City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Sports, West Michigan, ,
Local boxer Junior Rios (right) and his coach Anbrocio Ledesma. Rios will be one of the top open division boxers to watch at this year’s Michigan Golden Gloves Championships. (Courtesy, Junior Rios)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor



If it’s April in West Michigan it must be time for some Golden Gloves boxing and this year is one of transition for the fabled boxing tournament.

The 91st annual Michigan Golden Gloves Championships begin this weekend, Saturday, April 1. This year’s tournament will be held at West Catholic High School (1801 Bristol Ave. NW, Grand Rapids) as the DeltaPlex, which hosted the tournament the past several years, closed its doors earlier this year.





“The Golden Gloves is one of the most prestigious tournaments in boxing,” said tournament co-director Brian Lentz. “The Golden Gloves is an exciting five-day event. The first three days are the West Michigan Championships and the final two days are the Michigan State Finals.”


Began in 1923

The Golden Gloves began in Chicago in 1923 and the Chicago Golden Gloves is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. This year’s Michigan Golden Gloves will be the 91st running of the tournament that began in 1932. Over the past 90-plus years, the Michigan Golden Gloves has produced some of the greatest boxers to have ever come out of the state of Michigan.

Floyd Mayweather and many other big names were Golden Gloves Champs

One of the greatest boxers of all time, Floyd Mayweather, is a former Golden Gloves champion from West Michigan along with a host of other champions, including Tony Tucker, Buster Mathis Jr., Roger Mayweather, Chris Byrd, Tim Littles, Andre Dirrell, Anthony Dirrell, Ra’eese Aleem, Fabian Williams, Roger Turner and Peter Quillin to name a few.

38 gyms represented

There are a total of 38 gyms in Michigan and this year’s tournament hopes to have representatives from all of those gyms. The first three days of the event will be the West Michigan Championships where boxers from Lansing to the west will compete. The East Michigan Championships will be held for boxers from east of Lansing. The final two dates will be the state championships where the winner and runner-up boxers in each division from the east will square off against the top two boxers in each division from the west with a spot on the Michigan team for the National Golden Gloves tournament on the line. This year’s National Golden Gloves Tournament is scheduled to take place in Philadelphia, PA. from May 8 through May 13.

Three divisions

The Golden Gloves is split into different divisions. There is a novice division, for beginning boxers that have had fewer than 10 fights, and an open division for more experienced boxers. There also is a female division.  

WKTV will televise the tournament (see below)

WKTV will televise all five nights of this year’s tournament. WKTV commentator Bob Serulla is in his 23rd year of working the Golden Gloves and is excited about this year’s tournament. 

“I think we are going to have a heck of a year,” Serulla said. “There is a lot of good, young talent and some highly-ranked fighters this year. Obviously, the Golden Gloves is going through a transition with the closing of the DeltaPlex, but I’m looking forward to a big year.”

Among the open division boxers are some highly-ranked local boxers. Justin Lacy-Pierce is a former national champion who recently qualified to compete for a spot on the USA National team. Lacy-Pierce is ranked fourth in his weight class by USA Boxing in their recent rankings at the end of last year.



Local boxer Junior Rios will be one of the top open division boxers to watch. (Courtesy, Junior Rios)



Junior Rios is another local standout who placed second at the regional qualifier for USA Boxing that took place March 18-25 in Detroit. Maurice Davis of Kalamazoo is another standout in the open division to watch along with Ulysses Campos of Grand Rapids, while Zoe Hicks of Lansing is a nationally-ranked female boxer in the 114-pound weight class.

Another name to keep an eye on is Ryan Schmidt. A member of the famed Schmidt family of boxers from the west side of Grand Rapids, Schmidt is making a comeback to the Golden Gloves at age 38. Schmidt was a five-time state champion from 2001-2005 and also was a silver and bronze medal winner at the National Golden Gloves during that time. 

Along with the big names, the tournament is the birthplace of boxing dreams for young boxers making their first appearances in the ring.

“Opening night is a night you have some of the best fights,” Serulla said. “A lot of guys match up who have never fought before. You see people who come out of nowhere put on a show, especially in the novice division. I love opening night at the Gloves. You see some out and out wars on the first night.” 

The opening night of this year’s Golden Gloves takes place Saturday, April 1. Boxing begins at 7 p.m. Action continues Wednesday, April 12 and Saturday April 15 with the state finals scheduled for Friday and Saturday April 21 and 22. Bouts begin at 7 p.m. each day with the doors opening at 6 p.m.


WKTV Golden Gloves Schedule

Catch all the action on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-verse 99 with a live tape delayed airing of each night. You also can stream WKTV at WKTV25Live 

West Michigan Preliminaries

Saturday, April 1 

 Airs Wednesday, April 5 at 5 p.m.

West Michigan Semifinals

Wednesday, April 12

Airs Saturday, April 15 at 11 a.m. and Tuesday, April 18 at 11 p.m.

West Michigan Finals

Saturday, April 15

Airs Sunday, April 16 at 12 p.m. and Wednesday, April 19 at 5 p.m.

State Semifinals 

Friday, April 21 

 Airs Saturday, April 22 at 11 a.m. and Wednesday, April 26 at 5 p.m. 

State Finals 

Saturday, April 22  

 Airs Sunday, April 23 at 12 p.m. and Wednesday, May 3 at 5 p.m.

Friday Night Highlights Special Edition: Host Zach Fanko interviews Tri-unity and South Christian teams after both finish second in state

City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Sports, , ,



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org




Take a look at our boys basketball state finals edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights, where host Zach Fanko interviews Tri-unity Coach Mark Keeler and players Roy Fogg and Owen Rosendall in the first half of the show, followed by South Christian Coach Taylor Johnson and player Sam Medendorp in the second half.



You will enjoy watching both coaches talk through some season highlight reels, giving their play-by-play analysis of these games.


From Left: South Christian center Sam Medendorp, Coach Taylor Johnson and WKTV Friday Night Highlights host Zach Fanko taped a special edition Wednesday honoring the Sailors second-place finish in the Division 2 state finals. (WKTV)





From Left: Tri-unity Christian boys basketball guard Owen Rosendall, forward Roy Fogg, Coach Mark Keeler and Friday Night Highlights host Zach Fanko taped a special edition Wednesday honoring the Defenders second-place finish in the Division 4 state finals. (WKTV)

East Kentwood boys basketball team and Coach Thomas turn things around; OK Red and district champs

City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, ,
East Kentwood boys basketball coach Mike Thomas. (Courtesy, East Kentwood High School)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



East Kentwood boys basketball Coach Mike Thomas knew right away he wanted to create a “gotta-get-it” mentality when he took over the team last fall.

“The only thing I know about last year is that they didn’t have a winning season, and I knew right away that I wanted to come in and kind of change that,” Thomas said. “I knew right away that I wanted to create a gotta-get-it mentality, and the meaning of a gotta-get-it mentality is to create a sense of urgency, to accomplish unforeseen goals without making any excuses along the way.

“We wanted to create some goals, create some expectations, and then teach them how to work for this year. And we started off early in the year back in the fall with a lot of training, running bleachers, conditioning, all of that stuff. And they didn’t quite realize or understand what it was for, but towards the end of the year, they could see and understand how all of that stuff helped us become successful this year.”


The East Kentwood basketball team celebrates with the district trophy after defeating Byron Center 62-45 in a district title game. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



OK Red and District Champs

Thomas talked about taking first in the OK Red at 11-3 and finishing 18-7 overall with a district title as well, compared to 6-15 overall last year with a 6-8 conference record.

“Oh, this was huge for us,” Thomas said. “I think it’s a statement for where we’re trying to go as the foundation; we established that right away. And it’s unfortunate that we’re losing some seniors, but I told those seniors that whatever we do this year is the start of us accomplishing our ultimate goal and that’s to win a state title. Our seniors have done a really good job by creating a strong foundation of what it takes to be successful.

“They were able to set the stage for us moving forward winning the district and winning the conference title.”

Captain Marshaun Flakes: ‘Willing to do whatever’

“I was able to coach at some special places, special schools; I was able to coach some special players and Marshaun fits in the category of being one of my all time special players,” Thomas said. “He had a huge impact on winning. It’s just unfortunate that I was only able to coach him for one year. I’m going to miss him.


East Kentwood’s Marshaun Flakes. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)




“But you’re talking about a guy who has the power and the energy to control a community, control a school, control a team. When he wants it, we’re all going to get it, and he has a gotta-get-it mentality. He was our leading scorer and he did everything for us. He was Mr. Utility guy. He was willing to do whatever.”

Flakes led the Falcons with 21 points per game and averaged 7 rebounds, four assists and 2-1/2 steals a game as well. He was first team, all conference and Thomas said he’d be the Conference MVP if there was such an award.

“Based on what he did, he was able to turn this program around from sixth place to first place,” Thomas continued. “This guy just did everything.”



Captain Jah Hatchett: ‘Setting the tone’

Another player that played a big role was Jah Hatchett, who averaged 15 points, 4-1/2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1-1/2 steals per game. He also was first team, all conference as well. 


East Kentwood sophomore guard Jah Hatchett sets up the offense during action in the district championship game. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)

“He’s going to go down as one of my all time special players,” Thomas said. “Here he is a sophomore, he’s just a baby. And he shows some great leadership skills. He was one of the guys that set the tone for us … for workouts, morning shoots, offseason workouts, he was always there.

“At one point in the season he was our leading scorer. And I think teams started to key on that. And that’s when Marshaun stepped up. When you have those two guys on the court at the same time great things are going to happen for you.


“Jah is going to be a very, very special player for East Kentwood.” 

Hatchett said it felt good to win an OK Red and district title.

“Especially since we haven’t won conference in eight years,” Hatchett continued. “It feels good and then in districts, we did even better.

“The highlight of my season was coming together as a team and going on our little run up, seven-game winning streak.”


Hatchett began playing basketball at age five.

“When I was little, I was always a two-sport athlete, playing football and basketball. But I just found more interest in playing basketball.” 

Sophomore point guard Darryl Thompkins

“We were very lucky to have him return back to Grand Rapids, as he did some really, really good things for us,” Thomas said. “He was our floor general. He got everybody involved. There were a couple games this year where he had double figures in assists. He also was first team all league.” 

I take my hat off to those two sophomores (Hatchett and Thompkins) just simply because they had to compete against some really, really tough seniors and upperclassmen.”

Coach Thomas’s highlight of the season?

“I would say the highlight of the season was just being able to turn the program around in a short period of time, and just simply having fun mentoring young men. This is nothing but fun to me. Coaching is what I love to do. This is who I am.

“But you can also add winning the conference championship and district title as a highlight. But an even bigger highlight is just being able to see the community, the response of the community, the support of the community, especially within those last couple of games. You can kind of feel that they believe in what we’re trying to do.”

Along with Flakes, Thomas also talked about graduating Rasheed Watkins and Nate Cobbs.

“We’re losing Rasheed Watkins, who was a big time energy guy for us,” Thomas explained. “He started some games, came off the bench for us, but he was always ready when his number was called. He does some really good things for us, but we’ll also miss Nate Cobbs. He’s a football player, wrestler and track star. He’s going to play Division 2 football at Davenport University. He came off the bench and gave us a spark when we needed it, especially against Grandville. He was that big time, muscle guy for us to kind of contain some people and was always ready when his number was called.

“But, for next year, great things are gonna happen for us. We have Jah Hatchett and and Darryl Thompkins returning along with Christian Humphrey-Rembert.”

Ford International Airport expecting busy spring break; ‘pack your patience’

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Travel, West Michigan, ,
Gerald R. Ford International Airport. (Courtesy, Ford Airport)



By WKTV Staff

greer@wktv.org



As we approach spring break travel, the Gerald R. Ford International Airport is expecting a busy week and is reminding guests to pack their patience. 

With the upcoming spring break travel season happening between March 30 and April 11, Ford International Airport is gearing up to ensure the more than 150,000 passengers visiting the terminal that week are ready for a safe and smooth travel experience. As a reminder, the terminal building never closes; however, the security screening checkpoint opens at 4 a.m. or 60 minutes before the earliest departure. 

“We are once again prepared to ensure safe and happy travels for spring break passengers,” Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority Chief Operating Officer Alex Peric said. “We look forward to another busy travel season and are grateful to the many teams and partners who make it possible.”

Important Travel Tips and Numbers

Some of the top prohibited, voluntarily abandoned items for spring break travelers include:

•Sunscreen lotion and tanning lotion

•Water bottles with water in them

•Gel and spray deodorants

•Liquid makeup and perfumes


Be sure to keep all liquids, gels, creams under 3.4 oz.

Arrive at least two hours prior to your scheduled departure to begin the check-in procedure. Parking will be busy, so please give yourself extra time to find a space.

Passenger Traffic: Guest traffic is currently surpassing 2019 levels, which was a record-breaking year for the Airport. “We expect to be at or above our 2019 spring break travel levels and 8 percent above our 2022 spring break traffic.”

Peak Holiday Travel Dates: March 30 through April 11. Peak departure dates are March 30 and April 2. Expected peak return dates for passengers are April 8 and 9. 

Expected Spring Break Travel: 150,000-plus total passengers from March 30 through April 11. This includes both departing and arriving passengers. As many as 13,000-plus passengers on peak days.

Top Destinations: Punta Gorda, Orlando, Clearwater, Tampa, Sarasota and Washington D.C. 

In addition, to kick off one of the most anticipated weeks of vacation, the Airport will host a Passenger Appreciation Day on March 31 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Passengers will be greeted with a live band, special costumed characters, a puppy parade and more. 

Airline Contacts

Individual airlines are responsible for the check-in process, all matters related to gates (including departures and deplanings), the handling of passenger luggage, their plane de-icing process, cancellation or delay of flights, passenger ticketing and rebooking options.

If you have questions related to any of the items listed above, please contact your airline.

South Christian leans on defense to beat Unity in Division 2 state quarterfinals; advances to MSU Friday

City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, , ,
South Christian’s Jake DeHaan takes a jump shot during the Division 2 state quarterfinal game against Unity Christian. DeHaan led the Sailors with 27 points. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor



The South Christian basketball team played without a familiar face in the lineup in a Division 2 state quarterfinal game against Hudsonville Unity Christian Tuesday at Calvin University, but its trademark lockdown team defense still made the trip and proved to be the difference in the 61-38 win over Unity Christian.

While a pair of broken wrists suffered in the regional finals ended the season for South Christian standout sophomore Carson Vis, the Sailors didn’t skip a beat in the quarters as their team defense stifled Unity from the opening tip to the final whistle. Their defense propelled them to the win and to Michigan State University where they’ll face Romulus Summit Academy North in the Division 2 state semifinals at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Breslin Center.

“I felt we did a really good job of playing team defense,” said South Christian Coach Taylor Johnson. “To hold a team like Unity Christian to just 38 points is impressive. We wanted to take away the three-point shot from them and we did that by holding them to five threes for the game. We are a defensive team. For us it’s all about getting stops. We chart how many stops we get during the game and we got a lot of them tonight.”

Sailors led 15-5 after first quarter

The Sailors recorded several stops in the opening quarter of the game as they limited Unity to a pair of field goals and a free throw as they jumped out to a 15-5 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Jake DeHaan gets game-high 27 points

On the offensive end of the floor, South senior guard Jake DeHaan stepped up and proved to be a reliable source of points. DeHaan scored 10 of South’s 15 points in the first quarter and didn’t stop pouring in buckets. DeHaan finished with a game-high 27 points for the Sailors.

“My teammates did a great job of finding me,” DeHaan said. “Without Carson it was a next man up situation for us. We just trust the next man and that made the difference. Carson is such a great player and such a great teammate so it was different for sure without him out there.”



South Christian’s Sam Medendorp (20) and Sam Weiss (23) prepare to block out a Unity Christian player during a free throw attempt in the Division 2 state quarterfinals. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



Both teams played tenacious defense during the second quarter. Unity was able to connect on a pair of three-point shots early in the second quarter as they whittled the Sailor lead to 18-14 midway through the quarter. South, however, answered late in the half with a three-point shot from Jake Vermaas and a bucket by DeHaan to take a 23-16 lead into halftime.

South stormed out of the locker room after halftime and took control of the game during the third quarter. DeHaan scored the first four points of the second half as South stretched the advantage to 29-13. The Sailors then began to flex their muscles inside led by senior big man Sam Medendorp.

Medendorp came up with one of his four blocked shots in the game midway through the third quarter that led to a bucket on the other end of the floor. Two possessions later Medendorp came up with a steal and then went in for a rim-rattling dunk that pumped the Sailor crowd into a frenzy and staked the Sailors to a 34-18 lead.

“We play for each other out there,” Medendorp said. “We’ve had some tough injuries this year. Jaxson Rynbrandt tore his ACL earlier this season and then Carson got injured in the last game. It’s huge for us to play together as a team. To play for our brothers.”

Medendorp turned in a huge all-around game for the Sailors. Along with scoring 16 points, Medendorp pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds, four blocked shots and a steal.

“I think Sam is one of the best big men in the state,” Johnson said. “He had 16 points and 11 rebounds tonight. His putbacks on the offensive end were huge. Some college coach is going to be really lucky to get Sam on his team next season.”

South Christian pushes lead to 20 points in fourth

South led 42-30 at the end of the third quarter and upped the lead to over 20 points midway through the final quarter.

“This win means a lot,” DeHaan said. “First, we win the state football title last fall and now this. It feels great.”

With the win, South Christian improved to 24-3 for the season, while Unity Christian closed out the season with an 18-10 record.

Junior guard Jake Vermaas joined DeHaan and Medendorp in double figures for South, totaling 14 points along with five assists and two steals.

“It’s special defeating Unity Christian,” Johnson said. “It’s a special rivalry. We have a love-hate relationship with them. We have a ton of respect for Scott (Unity Christian coach Scott Soodsma) and a ton or respect for their team.”

Junior guard Colin Nieuwenhuis led Unity Christian with 18 points, while Dylan Shaban added seven.        

Spring brush and leaf drop-off service available to Kentwood residents beginning April 1

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, West Michigan,
(courtesy, pxhere.com)



By WKTV Staff

greer@wktv.org



The City of Kentwood will once again offer its brush and leaf drop-off service for residents starting on Saturday, April 1.

Residents may drop off brush, sticks, tree limbs, logs, loose leaves and grass clippings at the Kentwood Department of Public Works, 5068 Breton Ave. SE. Drop-off is available noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday through Friday, May 26. The site will be closed Sunday, April 9. 

The service is available to Kentwood residents only and proof of residency is required, via a driver’s license or recent tax or water bill.

The following materials won’t be accepted:

  • trash
  • paper and plastic bags
  • dirt
  • concrete
  • asphalt
  • tires
  • rocks
  • stones
  • construction materials
  • glass
  • metal


“As the season of spring cleaning gets underway, we want to offer an easy, convenient way to help residents get rid of yard debris,” Public Works Director Chad Griffin said. “Winter weather can create debris in the public right-of-way that leads to clogged storm drains and roadways. Our brush and leaf drop-off service provides help with yard maintenance and keeps our community’s infrastructure operating reliably.”

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

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

Boys Basketball: South Christian, Tri-unity advance to regional finals Wednesday

City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Sports, West Michigan, , , , ,
Tri-unity’s Jordan VankKlompenberg led the Defenders with 20 points in his team’s regional semifinal victory. (Courtesy, Tri-unity)


By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org


Division 1

Regional 3 at West Ottawa

Semifinal: Hudsonville 55, Rockford 50

Semifinal: Muskegon 68, East Kentwood 48

Regional Final: Muskegon vs. Hudsonville at 7 pm Wednesday at West Ottawa

Division 2

Regional 12 at Vicksburg

Semifinal: South Christian 72, Niles 33

(SC: Nate Brinks, 15 points. The Sailors had 10 3’s.)

Semifinal: Hamilton 63, Marshall 62

Regional Final: South Christian (22-3) vs. Hamilton (22-4) at 7 pm Wednesday at Vicksburg

Division 4

Regional 29 at Fowler

Semifinal: Tri-Unity Christian 79, Baldwin 36

(TU: Jordan VanKlompenberg, 20 points; Roy Fogg, 16; Wesley Kaman, 15; Akais Giplaye, 10 points, 8 rebounds; Fogg and Keaton Blanker, 5 assists apiece)

Semifinal: Lansing Christian 51, Fruitport Calvary Christian 40

Regional Final: Tri-unity (19-6) vs. Lansing Christian (16-9) at 7 pm Wednesday at Fowler

Watch our latest WKTV Friday Night Highlights show HERE, March 10! Featuring boys basketball districts

City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Sports, , ,



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org

Take a look at our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights right now, Friday, March 10.

 

Check out our local boys teams’ district highlights here … our last highlights show of the season!

Many thanks to all you coaches, players and fans for watching our show all season long! It has been a rewarding and fun season covering our local boys and girls basketball teams.



We’ll be back with great highlights and a weekly show during football. Look for our continued coverage of the boys playoffs with stories and updates on this website: wktvjournal.org

Thanks Again!!

East Kentwood boys turn up the heat on defense to stop Byron Center in district final Friday

City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, ,
The East Kentwood basketball team celebrates with the district trophy after defeating Byron Center 62-45 in the district title game. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor

The old saying that defense wins championships was certainly spot on for the East Kentwood basketball team in Friday’s district championship game with Byron Center.


Thanks to a stifling defense that closed like a vise as the game progressed, East Kentwood won its first district championship since 2019 by defeating Byron Center 62-45. With the win, the Falcons move on to Monday’s regional semifinal at Holland West Ottawa where they will square off with Muskegon.

Byron Center had the upper hand for most of the early going, but as the second half wore on the East Kentwood defense became a more difficult puzzle to solve for the Bulldogs. In the fourth quarter, that defense paid dividends in a big way as the Falcons quickly seized the lead and never looked back.

“March is about dancing and we want to dance after every game,” said East Kentwood Coach Michael Thomas. “We are on a mission. Our guys have all bought in and believe in our system. We have a list of goals and we are checking them off.”

Bulldogs up 15-9 to end first quarter

Byron Center came out determined to prevent the Falcons from checking off the goal of winning a district championship and at the end of the opening quarter the Bulldogs were up 15-9.

East Kentwood roared back in the early going of the second quarter with a 9-0 run that put the Falcons up 18-15. Byron Center weathered that storm and regrouped during the remainder of the half, taking a 24-20 lead into halftime.

Byron Center continued to make things difficult for the Falcons in the third quarter. Displaying patience on offense and avoiding turnovers, Byron Center built its lead to 37-30 by the end of the third quarter.

The Falcons, however, continued to play solid halfcourt defense and picked up the intensity with their full-court defense in the fourth quarter. The constant pressure began to pay off in the final quarter. Trailing 39-36, Kentwood senior guard Marshaun Flakes stepped up on defense and turned the momentum of the game totally around.


East Kentwood senior guard Marshaun Flakes (5) applies defensive pressure during the district championship game. Flakes came up with a pair of key steals in the fourth quarter to break the game open. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



With 6:36 remaining in the game, Flakes came up with a steal that he quickly turned into two points on the other end of the floor. Seconds later Flakes struck again as he stole a Bulldog pass and raced down the floor on a drive to the bucket that put the Falcons up 40-39 and whipped the large Kentwood cheering section into a frenzy.

“Marshaun reminds me of Dwyane Wade in the way that he is all over the court and can make sudden plays,” Thomas said. “He’s a slasher who can make big plays on offense or defense at any time.”

EK puts up an 18-2 run in fourth

The impact plays by Flakes highlighted an 18-2 run that East Kentwood went on to start the fourth quarter and take control of the game. The run was capped by two more buckets from Flakes that put the Falcons up 48-39 with 3:15 remaining in the game.

“We did a good job with our defense of speeding them up on offense,” Flakes said. “My teammates were playing great defense and I just rotated over and got the steals. Winning this district feels really good because there is some really good competition in this district. Our schedule was also really competitive during the season and that got us ready for the tournament.”

That run took Byron Center out of its rhythm and changed the tempo of the game. East Kentwood continued to put their foot on the gas and outscored the Bulldogs 14-6 to close out the game. Junior Christian Humphrey also gave the Falcon fans plenty to cheer about as he delivered three breakaway slam dunks in the final two minutes of the game that provided the icing on the district cake.

Flakes, who scored 12 points during the fourth quarter, led the Falcons in scoring with 22 points. Jamell Hatchett added 16 points, followed by Humphrey with 14.

With the win, East Kentwood improved to 18-6 for the season.



East Kentwood sophomore guard Jamell Hatchett sets up the offense during action in the district championship game. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



“This feels good,” Hatchett said. “Coach changed the culture when he came in. We all believe in each other and we are a brotherhood. That is a big reason for our success.”

Byron Center finished the season at 14-11. Austin Buckley led the Bulldogs with 21 points and Camden Karel added 13. 

South Christian wins Division 2 District at Plainwell

South Christian won the district title at the Division 2 Plainwell district in a big way. The Sailors put up 64 points on the scoreboard and limited Otsego to 29 points to earn the win. 

With the win, South Christian improved to 21-3 for the season while Otsego ended the season with an 18-5 record.

South Christian will head to the Vicksburg regional on Monday where it faces Niles.

Tri-unity wins Division 4 District at Martin

Tri-unity added another district title to its vast trophy case by turning back Zion Christian 61-27 to win the title at the Martin district.

With the win, Tri-unity improved to 18-6 for the season. Zion Christian ended the season with an 11-13 record.

Tri-unity heads to the Fowler regional on Monday where it faces Baldwin. 

Kentwood Traffic Alert for Thursday, March 9

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, West Michigan,
(Image Courtesy, City of Kentwood)



By WKTV Staff

greer@wktv.org


A temporary four-way stop will be in place Thursday, March 9 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the intersection of 32nd Street SE and Breton Avenue SE while traffic signal maintenance is completed. 

 

Drivers are asked to use caution when driving through the area and to be prepared for delays. If possible, it is recommended to seek an alternate route to avoid possible slowdowns.

 

For more information or questions, contact the Department of Public Works at 616-554-0817 or ePublicWorks@kentwood.us. 

East Kentwood wrestler Corey Mitchell shows strength as leader, eclipses expectations

City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Sports, West Michigan, ,
East Kentwood wrestler Corey Mitchell won first place in the OK Red tournament at 215 lbs. earlier this season. (Courtesy, Sara Kohns)



By D.A. Reed

WKTV Contributor



East Kentwood wrestler Corey Mitchell shows that strength and sportsmanship go hand in hand.

With 27 pins on the wrestling mat this season, and a record of 36-8, Mitchell is no stranger to showing physical strength. His senior year of high school brought the OK Red Conference and District titles at 215-lbs, as well as state tournament qualification for 2023.

“He has eclipsed even his own expectations,” said EK wrestling Coach Eric Foster.

But Foster said physical strength and skill are only part of what make Mitchell a great team leader.

“We look for hard-working, strong, and dedicated athletes,” Foster. “As a teammate, we are looking for individuals who care for their teammates and support each other to be the best they can.”

Mitchell embodies those characteristics.

“Corey has had moments off the mat where he demonstrated a strong leadership with the team,” Foster said. “He is a loud supporter of each teammate when they are on the mat and has encouraging words for them in times of difficulty.”

Not all about the medals

While Mitchell’s accomplishments are numerous, he doesn’t mention medals or awards when asked about the highlights of his wrestling season. Instead, his attention turns toward relationships with teammates and having friends and family present at meets.

“The highlight of my wrestling career would be the sounds of my friends and family that cheer me on while I wrestle,” Mitchell said. “Even if sometimes I don’t live up to their expectations, I know they respect me as their captain.”

Sara Kohns, Mitchell’s mother, says she sees both the team spirit and the hard work her son puts in on a daily basis.


“I have faith in him that he is going to do great regardless of if he wins or not. Corey has the heart.”

That heart extends to more than just wrestling.

Football also is a big part of Mitchell’s life, and he plans to pursue football in college while majoring in Business. Three colleges have already extended offers to include Mitchell as part of their football team, including Kalamazoo College and Olivet College.


East Kentwood wrestler Corey Mitchell won first place in the OK Red tournament at 215 lbs. earlier this season. (Courtesy, Sara Kohns)



When asked about professional athletic role models, Mitchell admitted, “I don’t really watch any type of sports; I know it’s something that can boost my craft as an athlete. But I like learning upfront.”

The youngest of Kohns’ three sons, Mitchell is described as quiet yet dedicated by both his mother and coach.

“He is quiet, but a great listener and follows directions,” Kohn said. “Corey has taught me so much from watching him wrestle … he is the total package and one awesome son.”

‘Hard-working student athlete’

Foster has a similar view of the athlete.

“Corey is a hard-working student athlete who loves playing football and being part of a team,” Foster said. “He is a dedicated son and quiet soul. Corey lets his actions speak for him in most instances and has excelled throughout.”

Mitchell enjoys working out when he isn’t wrestling or playing football, but he also understands the importance of keeping his grades up, admitting that he does “a lot of homework.”

Kohns says Mitchell’s journey is one she is proud of: “I have loved every minute of watching him grow into the young man he has become!”



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

Check out the local boys basketball district brackets for First Round and Semis

City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Sports, West Michigan, ,
First Round of the local boys basketball district tournaments on Monday, March 6. (WKTV/Scott Baisden)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



Semifinals of the local boys basketball district tournaments on Wednesday, March 8. (WKTV/Scott Baisden)

Watch our latest WKTV Friday Night Highlights show HERE, March 3!

City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Sports, West Michigan, ,



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



Take a look at our latest edition of WKTV Friday Night Highlights right now, Friday, March 3!


Check out our local girls district final highlights here (East Kentwood, South Christian and Potter’s House) and our boys district bracket preview.



Thanks for watching, and see you next Friday!



East Kentwood girls fall short against Byron Center in district final; Potter’s House and South Christian also runners-up

City of Kentwood, Sports, West Michigan, , ,
East Kentwood’s Jaevym Montgomery (11) and Santana Eubanks (5) look to stop Byron Center’s McKenna Ferguson (23) during Friday’s Division 1 district title game. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor



Led by one of the top players in West Michigan, Byron Center put an end to the season for the East Kentwood girls basketball team Friday evening.



Byron Center junior Lillian Zeinstra poured in 33 points and led the Bulldogs to a 69-57 decision over East Kentwood in a Division 1 district championship game at Wyoming High School.



Zeinstra, who is committed to play her college basketball at Butler University, not only gave East Kentwood problems with her scoring skills, but the multi-dimensional guard also played havoc with Kentwood’s pressure defense with her ability to handle the basketball and took advantage of Kentwood’s lack of size on the defensive boards. Making Zeinstra’s effort even more impressive was the fact she overcame an ankle injury in the second quarter.

“I think Lily showed her grit tonight,” said East Kentwood Coach Eric Large. “You could see it when she got banged up. I think one of her greatest assets is her leadership. Her rebounding is also a big asset. We missed a lot of 50-50 shots and she was there to get the rebound. One of our strong points is our defensive pressure and she was also able to take that away from us with the way she handles the ball against our pressure.”



East Kentwood’s Harmonie Belton (1) looks over the Byron Center defense during action in their Division 1 district championship game. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



East Kentwood stayed close in the game’s early going until Byron Center closed out the opening stanza with a 6-2 run to take an 18-13 lead into the second quarter. Zeinstra was at the heart of the run on offense for Byron Center as she scored 13 of the Bulldogs’ 18 first-quarter points.

Byron Center stretched the lead to 24-15 midway through the second quarter before Zeinstra fell to the floor with an ankle injury. After limping off the floor, Zeinstra came back into the game two minutes later and helped Byron Center take a 31-20 lead into halftime.

“Lily is one of our team leaders,” said Byron Center Coach Jen Slot. “She rolled her ankle in the second quarter, but was able to tough it out. She had a really nice game tonight and gave it everything she had. She does whatever it takes to win.”



Falcons cut lead in half

East Kentwood quickly cut the deficit in half in the early moments of the second half. Harmonie Belton came up with back-to-back steals that led to back-to-back three-pointers by Sophia Wozniak, cutting the margin to five points just a minute into the third quarter.

Byron Center, however, quickly regrouped and outscored Kentwood 8-2 to regain a double-digit lead at 39-28. The two teams then traded buckets the remainder of the third quarter with Byron Center up 48-36 going into the final quarter.

With Zeinstra and senior guard McKenna Ferguson handling East Kentwood’s defensive pressure in the final quarter, the Falcons were unable to get the margin under double figures the remainder of the game.



East Kentwood’s Jaevym Montgomery (11) and Tianna Daye (23) prepare to box out Byron Center’s Lillian Zeinstra (10). Zeinstra finished the game with 33 points for Byron Center. (WKTV/Greg Chrapek)



“I think in the second half we came out and matched their intensity,” Large said. “I think we were a little tight in the first half. Our tallest players are 5-foot-6 and 5-foot-7 so we had a tough time matching up with them on the boards. Our kids fought to the end and I was proud of them.”

Makayla Porter led East Kentwood with 16 points and Tianna Daye added 13. Sophia Wozniak scored nine points, followed by Harmonie Belton and Santana Eubanks with six apiece.



East Kentwood closed out the season with a 16-8 overall record and finished third in the O-K Red at 9-5.

Large said girls should ‘hold their heads high’

“I’m not disappointed with the season at all,” Large said. “The girls should hold their heads high. They continued to get better all season. I saw a lot of improvement all throughout the season. The O-K Red is the toughest conference in the state and I’m proud of the way my girls battled the entire way.”



Large also is looking forward to next season.

“We had two seniors on the team, Jaevym Montgomery and Tianna Daye, and both of them were all-conference players,” Large said. “We will miss both of them. We will have five or six juniors returning and Landen Smith is a sophomore who really played well tonight. We will have some good players to build around next season.”

Byron Center improved to 21-3 win the win. The Bulldogs were champions of the O-K White Conference this season with a 14-0 record. Along with 33 points from Zeinstra, the Bulldogs received 13 points from Makenna Crandell and 12 from McKenna Ferguson. 

     

Division 2 District Championship at Kelloggsville:

Grand Rapids Christian defeated South Christian 49-41

South Christian ended the season with a 16-8 record and finished second place in the O-K Gold at 10-4.


Division 3 District Championship at Calvin Christian:

NorthPointe Christian beat Potter’s House 41-24

Potter’s House ended the season with an 18-7 record and won the Alliance League title at 7-0 for the second straight year.

Tuesday night boys basketball scores and team leaders, February 28

City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Sports, West Michigan, ,
Ny’Zhem Marshall had 33 points and 10 rebounds in Lee’s win over Benton Harbor Countryside Tuesday. (Photo Courtesy, Lee High School)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



Lee 76, Benton Harbor Countryside 50

(LEE: Ny’Zhem Marshall, 33 points, 10 rebounds; Marc Whitfield and Joe Russau, 10 points apiece; Whitfield, 11 boards and 15 assists; Russau, 10 boards)


Jake Vermaas led South Christian with 23 points in a win over East Kentwood Tuesday.



South Christian 64, East Kentwood 48

(SC: Jake Vermaas, 23 points; Jake DeHaan, 21; Carson Vis, 12. EK: Marshaun Flakes, 14 points; Christian Humphrey and Darryl Thompkins Jr., 11 apiece)







Tri-unity 63, Fennville 40

(TU: Roy Fogg, 11 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists; Keaton Blanker, 10 points)



Unity Christian 69, Wyoming 61

(WY: Alyjah Chandler, 22 points; Avonte’ Wiggins, 17)


West Michigan Aviation’s Luke Riebel led with 20 points in his team’s win over Allegan Tuesday. (Courtesy, Austin Riebel)


West Michigan Aviation 74, Allegan 42

(WMAA: Luke Riebel, 20 points, 2 steals, 4 turnovers; Ethan Dyksterhouse, 18 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals, 5 blocks; Heath Tamlyn, 16 points, 1 steal, 2 turnovers)