Tag Archives: Holiday

Muskegon’s Hackley and Hume homes open for holiday tours

Citizen Journalism,
The Hackley and Hume homes in Muskegon will be open for holiday tours. (Supplied)

By Adrienne Brown-Reasner
West Michigan Tourist Association

The Hackley & Hume Historic Sites at Lakeshore Museum Center are proud to return with a beloved family tradition. From Saturday, November 28th, to December 30, guests have the chance to view the Historic Houses dressed for the holidays during the 2020 Holiday Tours.

“We’re so excited to continue the tradition this year,” said Program Manager Erin Schmitz. “Despite how different 2020 has been, we are thrilled to bring back holiday tours that families have come to know and love.”

This year, LMC had the help of Linda Potter & Cathy Norkus, the Women’s Division Chamber of Commerce, Janet Arndt & Barb Lloyd, Delta Kappa Gamma, the Shoreline Victorian Ladies Society, Minerva Dill Questers, the Greater Muskegon Women’s Club and Merilee & Friends who volunteered to decorate the site.

Experience the houses this holiday season on this 45-minute guided tour as you explore through the Hackley and Hume Houses all decorated for Christmas while learning the history of our many holiday traditions! In addition to touring the homes, Perry’s Pines will be selling trees in the courtyard throughout the season.

Additional holiday tour dates are as follows:
● Saturday, November 28 from 2-7 pm
● Sunday, November 29 from 2-7 pm
● Saturday, December 5 from 2-7 pm
● Saturday, December 12 from 2-7 pm
● Saturday, December 19 from 2-7 pm
● Tuesday, December 29 from 2-7 pm
● Wednesday, December 30 from 2-7 pm



Hackley and Hume members receive free admission during all of the holiday tour days/hours. For non-members, tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors 65 and older, and $5 for kids ages 2-12. Space is limited, and tickets can be purchased at the door. For more information about the Hackley and Hume Historic Homes or their upcoming events, call (231) 722-7578 or visit their website.


St. Joseph lights luminaries to kick off the holiday shopping season

Entertainment, Local Entertainment,
St. Joseph hosts its Luminary display Nov. 20. (West Michigan Tourist Association)

By Amy Zapal
St. Jospeh Today

The holiday season will begin with the warm glow of hundreds of luminaries lining the streets of downtown St. Joseph from 5 – 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20. Luminary, sponsored by The Boulevard Inn & Bistro and Holt Bosse, creates a joyful atmosphere for all ages to enjoy sales/promotions, specialty items, drawings/giveaways, free gift wrapping and gift ideas galore from participating restaurants and shopkeepers.

“All ages are invited to head downtown for this festive event,” said Amy Zapal, executive director of St. Joseph Today. “Whether you’re looking to enjoy a delicious cup of hot chocolate, grab a sweet treat, or get a jump start on your holiday gift shopping it’s a great way to kick off the holiday season.”

Additionally, St. Joseph Today will kick off the holiday music a little earlier this year. Zapal says, “SJT added holiday music throughout downtown in 2019 as part of Window Wonderland.” Zapal goes on to say, “This year we wanted to start the holiday festivities a little earlier during the unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season. We’re hoping to spread a little extra cheer this year!”

Participating locations include 221 Main, Baroda Founders, Caffe Tosi, DK Boutique, G&M Variety, Grins, Oh My Darlings, Olive Cart, Perennial Accents, ReVive Spa, Silver Harbor Brewing, State Street Stuff, The Buck Burgers & Brew, The Natural Gem, Third Coast Surf Shop, and White Pine Winery.

NEW THIS YEAR: St. Joseph Today, Southwestern Michigan Tourist Council, City of St. Joseph, Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber, and Cornerstone Alliance have partnered together this winter season to create a magical experience that will bring more consumers and business to downtown St. Joseph.

Through this partnership, new winter lights will be placed downtown along State Street (from Elm Street to Ship Street) as well as Broad Street and Ship Street (Lake Boulevard. to Main Street) and Pleasant Street (Lake Bpi;evard. to Court Street). The winter lights will kick off Friday, Nov. 20, Luminary weekend, and remain up through February in conjunction with Light up the Bluff.

“Our hope is to make outdoor spaces more inviting during the winter.” Zapal goes on to say, “Downtown St. Joseph will transform into a winter wonderland, enticing visitors, shoppers and diners alike, for the holidays and throughout the winter. We invite the community to enjoy this winter season and support local businesses.”

For more information on Luminary visit stjoetoday.com/luminary.

Catch these upcoming fall and winter events:

  • Small Business Saturday: Saturday, Nov. 28 (all day)
  • Window Wonderland: Friday, Dec. 4 (7 – 8:30 p.m.)
  • Reindog Holiday Parade: Saturday, Dec. 5 (3 p.m.)



For more information, call St. Joseph Today at 269-985 1111 or visit stjoetoday.com.

Wyoming Gives Back goes virtual with Santa visits, prize drawings

3-bottom, City of Wyoming,
Mayor Jack Poll near the truck during a previous Wyoming Gives Back event. (WKTV)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

With restrictions on gatherings still in place due to COVID-19, many annual holiday events have had to be reimagined. This holds true for the popular Wyoming Gives Back.

The charitable event in which the City of Wyoming partners with local business and the community to celebrate the holiday season and collects toys for the Salvation Army Angel Tree has traditionally taken place at Rogers Plaza Mall. This year, the event will be a LIVE broadcast on WKTV Comcast Channel 25 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 at 7 p.m. Dec. 3. Mayor Jack Poll and Michele DeSelms from WOOD TV8 will emcee the program. The WKTV’s Facebook page and wktv.org will be live streaming the event as well. 

“Although we won’t be able to gather in the way we typically do, Wyoming Gives Back is more important than ever,” said City of Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll. “With such a difficult year, our community’s children need a bit of holiday cheer and that’s what this event is all about. We support this toy drive for the Salvation Army Angel Tree to spread joy to children in need.”

WKTV General Manager Tom Norton said the station is excited to be able to bring this time honored Wyoming tradition to the community with the station arranging to have Santa and Mrs. Claus visiting with area children through a live call-in. To have your child participate in the call-in, email santa@wktv.org.

Last year, Wyoming Gives Back received more than 800 donated toys. (WKTV)

Residents will have the month of November to visit one of several local businesses to drop off unwrapped toys and receive their raffle tickets. Businesses will be handing out raffle tickets one per new toy just like at past events. On Dec. 3, the raffle drawing will take place with winning raffle numbers being announced. Winners will pick up their items from Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW. 

“We’re thankful for our community members who donate toys and for our local businesses that have stepped up to host toy donation sites and donate prizes,” Poll said. “We have some great prizes this year so make sure to tune-in for the live holiday celebration!”

Wyoming Gives Back drop-off locations are:

Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW, Monday – Thursdays, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Marge’s Donut Den, 1751 28th St. SW, Monday – Saturday, 4 a.m. – 4 p.m., Sunday, 6 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Pizza Hut, 132 28th St. SW., Monday – Sunday, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Godwin Plumbing & Hardware, 3703 S. Division Ave., Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday, 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Russo’s Pizza, 1760 44th St. SW, Monday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m., Sunday 3 – 10 p.m.

Last year, more than 800 toys were collected for donation, and with the support of the participating busi­nesses, the City raffled nearly $4,000 in prizes.

Also as part of the activities, Wyoming Gives Back has added a Santa’s Kids Coloring Contest. Area students will be able to submit coloring pages or drawings for a chance to win a prize. Templates can be picked up at City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW; the KDL Wyoming Branch, 3350 Michael Ave. SW; or downloaded from the event webpage. Santa will announce the winners during the Wyoming Gives Back live broadcast.

West Michigan companies join statewide effort to recruit expats back ‘home’ that Thanksgiving

3-bottom, Local Business,
This year’s ReThink event will be held virtually. (Supplied)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

On Nov. 19, The Right Place, Inc. and Hello West Michigan will partner to attract talent back to West Michigan. The two organizations and several local businesses will host the ninth annual ReThink West Michigan event, a virtual career fair to attract former West Michiganders back to the region.

Thanksgiving is usually a time when former Michiganders visit “home.” With Covid-19 and a reduction in visits and traveling, the nostalgia for home is even higher than usual. Together with 24 companies, Hello West Michigan will convince them that it is time to “rethink” West Michigan.

This year ReThink West Michigan will take the form of a virtual career fair and move to a new date: Nov. 19. Job seekers can chat one-on-one with recruiters from hiring companies. Community ambassadors will be on hand to answer questions about the area.

The event is set for Thursday, Nov. 19, from 3 – 7 p.m. The event is open-house style and attendees do not hav etc be logged on the entire time. Registration is free. To register visit www.backtomichigan.com.

Rachel Gray, executive director for Hello West Michigan (Supplied)

“Covid-19 has affected the status of many in person events,” said Hello West Michigan Executive Director Rachel Gray. “But ReThink West Michigan is our signature event and a fantastic tool for talent attraction. With Covid-related relocations on the rise, we knew we needed to give job seekers the chance to explore what a move to West Michigan could look like for them.”

Spectrum Health is the Region Champion Sponsor for the event. West Michigan Works! Is a Region Supporting Sponsor.

“As the largest employer in West Michigan, we are excited to sponsor this event,” said Spectrum Health Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Pamela Ries. “ReThink enables important connections and highlights amazing personal and professional possibilities when relocating to West Michigan. We need to continue to foster growth in our region and attract individuals who make West Michigan a great place to live and work.”

This year, ReThink West Michigan will be a part of a larger statewide effort under the umbrella brand Back To Michigan.­ With support from the Michigan Labor and Economic Opportunity’s Office of Employment & Training and sponsored by Consumers Energy, 12 organizations from across the state will host eight virtual events from Nov. 17-24. 

ReThink West Michigan and all Back To Michigan events are targeted to people living outside of West Michigan, people who recently relocated, or people who are local and unemployed. Companies are hiring in many fields, including IT, engineering, finance, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, art and design, professional services, government, hospitality and more. The event is free to attend, only requiring interested attendees to register online at: www.backtomichigan.com.

West Michigan companies that are participating are Bethany Christian Services, Consumers Energy, County of Muskegon, Dicastal, DTE, Famiy Healthcare, Flo’s Collection, Grand Rapids Public Schools, Herman Miller, JR Automation, LG Chem, Magna, Meijer, Mercy Health, North Lake correctional Facility, ODL, Perrigo, Peterson Farms, SpartanNash, Spectrum Health, Steelcase, TGG Solutions, the City of Grand Rapids, The Enterprises, Veteran Health Administration Vocation and Rehab.

A virtually Celtic Christmas comes Holland with streaming holiday concert

Entertainment, Local Entertainment

By Jay Allen
Holland Civic Center

Deck the halls and grab the Eggnog!  A Virtually Celtic Christmas concert is coming to the Holland Civic Center Place on Sunday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m. Tickets are available by ordering through this link –www.showtix4u.com/event-details/42364. and will stream on the ShowTix4U platform.

Purchasing a ticket for A Virtually Celtic Christmas will give access to a wonderful Holiday show performed by some of Ireland’s most talented artists and will also lend your support to both the Ottawa Area Schools Doing More. Together. initiative, a unique partnership program among schools, employers, and community organizations throughout the region with a shared goal of preparing students for their future, and the Holland Civic Center Place during these difficult times.

Filmed at the National Opera House of Ireland, the festive Holiday concert features the ethereal voice of top Irish tenor Michael Londra, backed by the Irish Concert Orchestra, two nationally acclaimed choirs (Valda Choir and The Presentation Children’s Choir), and top-class guest singers and musicians from the island of Ireland.

A Virtually Celtic Christmas features a mix of heartwarming traditional carols such as The Wexford Carol performed in the county it was composed, haunting ancient Gaelic hymns, Holiday standards and original songs that audiences familiar with Michael’s recordings will know well. In short, a wonderful array of songs to warm the listener on a winter’s evening.

Renowned Irish composer Liam Bates serves as musical director and conductor for the show and indeed is responsible for the concert’s beautiful choral arrangements. Special guests for the night include Eoin Colfer, New York Times bestselling author of Artemis Fowl. Friends since childhood, Bates and Colfer teamed up in 2017 to compose a new Holiday Musical called NOËL, songs from which are featured in A Virtually Celtic Christmas, and are beautifully performed by West End star and Northern Ireland native Zoë Rainey (Hairspray, Wicked).

Leading tenor Michael Londra is originally from County Wexford in Ireland, home of the National Opera House and birthplace of the National Opera Festival. Londra was the first local artist to perform at the beautiful space on opening night 2009. Over the past year Londra has spent a lot of time in his homeland filming a new series for Public Television called Ireland with Michael. The travel and music show featuring some of Ireland’s biggest stars, will debut on PBS in the spring of 2021. Audiences of A Virtually Celtic Christmas will get a sneak preview of the show during the concert.

Londra is best known as the lead voice of Riverdance on Broadway and for his Emmy® nominated show Beyond Celtic, on PBS.

Tickets Types and Pricing

  • $25 – Unique streaming link to A Virtually Celtic Christmas – valid for up to 48 hours after the concert date.
  • $35 – Unique streaming link to A Virtually Celtic Christmas – valid for up to 48 hours after the concert date & Signed DVD of the show delivered to your home.
  • $50 – Unique streaming link to A Virtually Celtic Christmas – valid for up to 48 hours after the concert date & Signed DVD of the show delivered to your home & a personal Meet and Greet via Zoom with Michael Londra.

More information about Doing More. Together.and to support the initiative directly, please visit their website: doingmoretogether.org

Visit www.civiccenterplace.com to learn more about this and other events happening at our venue.

7 ways to get ready for visiting family

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Food, Health, How-To's, Senior Living, Travel, ,
Courtesy Vista Springs Assisted Living

By Vista Springs Assisted Living


It can seem daunting to have the family over for the holidays. Whether you are at your home, or if you are celebrating the holidays in an assisted living community, the pressure to be a good host for their visit can be overwhelming. No matter where you are, having guests can make you feel frantic. Here is a list of ways to prepare for family so everyone—including you— has a happy and carefree holiday.

Get overnight plans in order early

If your family is planning on staying overnight, either for one night or for a few days, the earlier you get plans together the better. Make sure you have a head count for how exactly many guests are coming, and make sure you have the rooms, beds, or couches that you need if you are planning on having family stay with you.


If you don’t have the space (or don’t want the headache), booking a hotel is a great way to make sure your family is close, but not too close. The earlier you start looking at prices and booking rooms, the less expensive and less competitive shopping for rooms will be. While it’s too late to get November rates, it still helps everyone avoid traveling stress to have plans made well in advance.

Spruce up your home

Sprucing up your home, whether that’s rearranging furniture to make room for opening presents or just making sure everything is nice and clean, is a great way to get ready for family. Make sure that the kitchen, bathrooms, and living spaces are guest-ready, and your place is looking fresh.


If you are in a new place for the holidays, then having your place ready to go will make a great first impression on family, and it will help you feel good as well to know that your home was appreciated. Having your space looking nice can help you feeling less stressed and more welcoming.

Get out the decorations

Celebrate the season with fun decorations! A small tree, fun and festive lights, winter-scented bath soaps, red and green kitchen towels, holiday knick knacks, and other decorations can help your home shine extra bright. Traveling family will appreciate walking into a home that looks ready for all the festivities, and it can help spread the holiday spirit among tired family.

Plan activities in advance

While you might have your own daily activities, making sure you have enough things planned to fill the days with family is just as important. Crafts and other activities can help keep everyone engaged, especially if you have younger ones visiting.


Some ideas for activities include:

  • Homemade Christmas cards
  • Cookie cutter ornaments
  • Popcorn garland
  • Gingerbread houses (if you don’t have the time to make gingerbread, many stores sell kits so you can get right into the decorating fun!)
  • A holiday movie night
  • Caroling (this can work especially well in an assisted living community, and your neighbors will love the music you and your family bring.)

Play holiday music

Another way to set the holiday atmosphere is to play holiday music. If you are tech-savvy—or have a helpful grandchild—making a holiday playlist on a music streaming service is a good way to keep the spirit bright. Have everyone send you a list of their favorite holiday songs, and combine them together so everyone can enjoy.

Get out of the house

If you have family coming for several days, then you might need to plan something bigger than gingerbread. See what local activities your community is planning for the holidays, like a holiday play or music concerts. Window shopping, holiday parades, Santa’s village, or driving around to look at light displays are all ways to get the most out of the holidays, and get out of the house for a bit.

Make a sweet treat

You may already know the best ways for you to eat right this winter, but the holidays can be a time to be a little naughty. It’s always best to have meals planned out beforehand to save yourself time and stress, and having something homemade is another way to enjoy holiday fun. Something as simple as cookies any senior can make is a great way to show the family you care. And everyone can get involved in the baking or decorating!


The holidays can be a stressful time, even without the added pressure of entertaining family. Being prepared in advance is the best way to ensure that you aren’t scrambling at the last minute. Having family over can mean a lot of prep work on your part, but the memories you create and the joy that you can spread among those you love the most will make it all worth it.


Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.

Yes, you can lose weight during the holiday season

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Food, Health, Holidays, How-To's, Senior Living, , , , ,

Courtesy Michigan State University Extension

By Pamela Daniels, Michigan State University Extension

 

With food temptations at their greatest, it may seem impossible to lose any weight during the holiday season, but if you pay close attention to detail, losing or maintaining a healthy weight can be done during the holidays. Most of us would agree that holidays are healthier when we can maintain a healthy weight.

 

Here are some tips from Michigan State University Extension:

  • Be recipe ready. As you search and shop for holiday recipes, search for those already incorporating low or reduced fat. Other substitutions include:
    • Replace high fat oil(s) — Applesauce and canned pumpkin are good substitutes in most baked good recipes. Look for trans-fat-free oils, spreads and butter. Instead of oil, use low-fat or non-fat cooking sprays to coat and cook meat, sauté vegetables or prepare omelets.
    • Cut down on sugar — Keeping tabs on how much sugar you’re swallowing is an important part of a heart-healthy lifestyle, especially if you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes. Explore using sugar substitutes like stevia which can be used in drinks and for baking. The good news, according to the American Heart Association (AHA) is that cutting down on sugar may be easier than you think. Read food labels to identify sugar and hidden sugars.
    • Garnish not! — Skip the added butter, whip cream, gravy & cream sauces. Going plain allows you to enjoy 100 percent of the foods natural flavor.
    • Explore your menu options — The internet, the library and most newspapers include articles that offer step by step tips for healthier baking, shopping and cooking.
  • You bite it, you write it — What if just by making one change in your habits you could double your weight loss? It may sound too good to be true, but many experts say that the simple act of keeping a food diary can encourage you to eat fewer calories — and thus lose weight. Don’t deny yourself of your favorite holiday foods, instead watch your portion size and track what you eat. Food tracking reveals:
    • What’s missing — Food tracking or food journaling allows you to see how much and what you are eating. You also see what you’re not eating (good carbs vs. bad carbs, fiber and hidden sugars) and perhaps your diet is lacking fruits or vegetables.
    • Food triggers — Food tracking can also reveal and identify triggers to avoid, such as not eating enough throughout the day and then overeating at night, or overeating when drinking alcohol.
  • Track your physical activity — In almost all plans to lose or maintain a healthy weight, you have to stay active. As a start, the CDC recommends that adults need to do two hours and 30 minutes of both aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical activities weekly.

Set your goal to lose or at least maintain your weight during this upcoming holiday season.  There is a tendency to gain weight in adulthood, but being overweight increases the risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and certain types of cancer, arthritis, breathing problems and other illness. Therefore, most adults should not gain weight. If you are uncertain about your risk of developing a problem associated with being overweight, you should consult a health professional.

 

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

Christmas Lite Show returns with new experiences

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Kids Activities, Senior Living, Upcoming Events, , ,

Courtesy Christmas Lite Show

By Amy Bajema, Christmas Lite Show

 

This year marks the twenty-first anniversary of celebrating the holidays for Christmas Lite Show — a Grand Rapids-area holiday attraction. Christmas Lite Show is West Michigan’s largest, animated, drive-through light show. Located at Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park, the attraction maintains almost two miles of lights, tunnels, and animated displays and entertained over 70,000 visitors last year.

 

Founder, Bill Schrader hopes to continue “Making Lifetime Memories” for other West Michigan families like his own, who helped him open and grow the attraction throughout its twenty-one years.

 

The popular Memory Lane Train will return for a second season. Guests can experience maximum views under the sky on this open-air train ride. Also new this year is the 2018 Season Pass Giveaway. The Lite Show will be giving away 21 Season Passes, announced Saturday, Dec. 1st. Santa will visit the Christmas Lite Show on select dates in November and December. To find these dates and more information, please visit christmasliteshow.com.

 

This year, the Lite Show will open Wednesday, Nov. 21st and run until Monday, Dec. 31st, including all holidays, from 5:30pm until 9:30pm. The Bicycle Blast family bike ride through the lights will take place Friday, Nov. 16th from 6pm until 8:30pm and the Red Nose Run will take place Saturday, Nov. 17th from 6pm until 8:30pm New this year is the Winter Wonder Walk, which lets guests walk through the show at their own pace and take close-up photos. The walk will begin at 7pm on Saturday, Nov. 17th, just after the Red Nose Run.

 

Tickets for these events can be found at www.christmasliteshow.com.

Holiday show wraps up 2017 Michigan Wurlitzer Organ Concert Series

Entertainment, , ,

John Lauter

Join the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) for the final Mighty Wurlitzer Organ Concerts of the 2017 series with special holiday music performances by John Lauter on Friday, Dec. 15 and Saturday, Dec. 16.

 

Lauter will present holiday cheer this season bringing to life favorite holiday songs on the GRPM’s 1928 Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ. Tickets are recommended to be purchased early, as they are likely to sell out.

 

A Detroit native, Lauter began his organ, piano and music studies at age 14, with his public debut at the Redford Theatre at age 16. He has presented concerts in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Boston, San Francisco, Phoenix, Denver, Wichita, Chicago, Cleveland, Atlanta, Toronto and more. John has been on the staff of the Fox Theatre, and was staff organist of the Michigan Theatre in Ann Arbor for 17 years. He is the musical curator of the Stahl Museum in Chesterfield and just completed the installation of a large Wurlitzer Theatre Organ there.

 

Shows will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 15, and at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16, in the Meijer Theater at the GRPM.

 

Tickets for individual concerts are $8 for Museum member adults, $4 for Museum member children, $10 for non-member adults and $5 for non-member children. Tickets are available by visiting www.grpm.org/Organ or by calling 616-929-1700.

GR Symphony kicks off the holidays with ‘The Snowman’ film and music, Nov. 11

Entertainment, , , ,

Many agree that November is a little too early for holiday music, but every rule has an exception.

 

Back by popular demand, the Grand Rapids Symphony performs “The Snowman” at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11 for the DTE Energy Foundation series program in DeVos Performance Hall.

 

Based on Raymond Briggs’s beloved children’s tale about a boy and a snowman who comes to life for an evening of adventure, the animated short was nominated for a 1982 Academy Award. See the film while the Grand Rapids Symphony performs Howard Blake’s score featuring the song, “Walking in the Air,” sung by members of the Grand Rapids Symphony Youth Chorus.

 

Associate conductor John Varineau also will lead the orchestra in music including Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride” and highlights from the film score to “The Polar Express” during the one-hour concert especially for children ages 8 to 13 with the families.

 

Pre-concert activities begin at 2 p.m. including a musical instrument petting zoo and craft projects inspired by the film.

 

Tickets are $15 adults and $5 children, available at the GRS ticket office, weekdays 9 am-5 pm at 300 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 100, (located across from the Calder Plaza), or by calling 616.454.9451 x 4. (Phone orders will be charged a $2 per ticket service fee, with a $12 maximum.)

 

Tickets are available at the DeVos Place box office, weekdays 10 am – 6 pm or on the day of the concert beginning two hours prior to the performance. Tickets also may be purchased online at GRSymphony.org.

Looking to Return a Techie Gift this Holiday? Make Sure to Clear Your Data!

Tech Trends, , , , , , , ,

returned tabletBy: Mark Hachman – MacWorld

The first tip that something wasn’t quite right about the open-box tablet I had purchased from Fry’s Electronics was that fact that Marvel Contest of Champions appeared on the home screen.

I had sought out the most run-down, crappiest tablet I could buy for our buying guide on productivity tablets, as an example of what not to buy during the holiday season. The Visual Land tablet I found for about $70 was two years old, with visible pixels and a loose power connector. I powered it up, just to ensure that it would work… and discovered that it was still keyed to someone else.

Almost as soon as the tablet connected to my local Wi-Fi, a notification popped up: “Account Action Required” for the user’s account, and that there was a corresponding sign-in error as well. The user had obviously changed his or her password after sending back the tablet, meaning that anyone who had purchased it (me) couldn’t access any critical personal information. Nor did I want to; I factory reset it, sending whatever personal information was stored on the tablet into oblivion.

Why this matters: Every digital device you own is a potential portal that someone can use to peer into your personal life: providing access to your email, social media, cloud storage, and other accounts. Yes, most of us have internalized some security practices: antivirus software is now a way of life, we advise friends and relatives not to click on suspicious email, and we usually know what to do if we lose a phone. But with all the rushing around we do these days, sometimes something as small as erasing a tablet falls through the cracks. And once you’ve returned a device to a store, it’s out of your hands.

Lessons to learn

The lesson to take away from all this, however, is not to do what the person who owned and then returned this tablet did. Yes, changing your password after you’ve returned a phone, tablet, or computer may lock out other prying eyes from accessing your account and other personal information. But if you downloaded email, photos, apps, or other data, any information stored locally will remain for anyone who wants to pore through your personal life.

So how do you ensure that your device is wiped clean of all data? Follow these steps. Just be sure that anything stored on the device is backed up to the cloud or elsewhere. Once the reset is performed, all the data on the device is gone forever.

Always make sure that you reset the device before returning or disposing of it.
Always make sure that you reset the device before returning or disposing of it.

Android:

Access the Settings menu, either by swiping down from the top of the screen and clicking the “gear” icon, or tapping the Settings icon directly. Scroll down to the “Backup and reset” option, and click. Play it safe and ensure the process completes before boxing up your return.

Note that this process should work for both phones and tablets alike.

iOS:

To reset an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, access the Settings menu, then select General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. If you were using the Find My iPhone option, the device will ask your for your iCloud password to turn it off.

Apple OS X:

Macworld has an excellent in-depth primer on how to go about securely erasing your drive.

Windows 8 or 8.1:

Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Settings, and then tap Change PC settings. (If you’re using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, click Settings, and then click Change PC settings.) Then select Update and Recovery, then Recovery. Then click Remove Everything and Reinstall Windows. You’ll also have an option to either quickly or thoroughly clean your data; if you’re the paranoid type, select “Thoroughly.”

Windows 10:

Go to the Settings menu, then Update & Security > Recovery > Reset This PC. Make sure you select the option to remove everything, including your personal files. (You probably don’t need to apply the “scorched earth” policy of overwriting the data on the drives, although if you’re actually going to dispose of the PC, it’s not a bad idea.)

Windows Phones:

Swipe to access the Settings Menu, then click “About.” You’ll see an option to reset your phone.

Some devices also provide the option of remotely wiping them, or erasing their data, either using the native OS or a third-party app. But it’s far more reassuring to perform the reset yourself, with the device in front of you.

Wyoming’s Great Candy Cane Hunt

Holidays, Local Faces, Our Cities, Recreation, Upcoming Events, , , , , , , , ,

Candy Cane HuntThis Saturday, December 12, a multitude of children will find themselves waiting patiently at Pinery Park in hopes that Santa will arrive. However, instead of appearing on his sleigh pulled by reindeer, Santa will be coming in hot thanks to the Wyoming Fire Department!

After the spirited arrival, the real fun can begin with Santa leading the children on a Great Candy Cane Hunt throughout the park. Immediately following the hunt, the adventure continues as the group scampers across the street to the Wyoming Senior Center to play board games, color, eat lunch, and sit down with Santa to share their holiday wish list.

Candy CaneThis year, the Wyoming Senior Center will have some new “life-size” games for the everyone to enjoy. Enlarged Jenga pieces and giant Connect Four boards are sure to bring some extra magic to an event already beaming with it.

The Great Candy Cane Hunt is a timeless Wyoming tradition and a kick-off to the ensuing Christmas and Holiday seasons.

“I plan a lot of events, but this event is special,” exclaimed City of Wyoming Recreation Programmer Kenny Westrate. Westrate has planned the Great Candy Cane Hunt for the past eleven years. “You get to see the smiling faces of the kids during the hunt and when they see Santa. You get to see families playing board games and enjoying each other. You don’t always see that with other events, but it’s guaranteed every December.”

Come on out to Pinery Park this Saturday for a fun-filled day of laughs, smiles, family, and Santa!

Pre-registration is required. You can download a registration form here or you can register online.

Event details are below:

Date: Saturday, December 12
Time: 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Location: Pinery Park for the hunt followed by lunch at the Wyoming Senior Center
Age: All ages
Cost: Ages 3-14 – $4 Resident, $6 Non-Resident (All others – $2)

Remember, the Great Candy Cane Hunt is outdoors, so dress accordingly!

Thanksgiving, we are thankful for you. No, seriously! Stop laughing…

Citizen Journalism, Holidays, , , , ,

turkeySmushed in-between Halloween and Christmas, Thanksgiving sometimes feels like a lost holiday. The constant Christmas creep paired with shopping extravaganzas can give Thanksgiving the feeling of “meh.” Coupled with a forced inclusion of family and conversation topics that are sure to touch on sure-fire small talk such as religion and politics, Thanksgiving can seem like a hassle.

Seriously, Thanksgiving has been pushed so far down the list of holidays that it has become a placeholder, a pre-game if you will, for football, America’s favorite holiday no matter which day it’s on!

That’s why I’m here, to fight for Thanksgiving and its rightful place at the table next to Christmas instead of banished to the children’s table and forgotten about.

Thanksgiving, you are a beautiful and under appreciated holiday, and I am thankful for you! Here are some things to think about next time your mind flutters towards Christmas with Thanksgiving still on the horizon. Seriously, Christmas music BEFORE Thanksgiving!? Have you no shame…

Food

ThanksgivingLet’s address the elephant in the room right away. I don’t have the true numbers right in front of me, but I took a completely unscientific poll this morning on my walk into work and came away with the indisputable proof that food is the best part of Thanksgiving for 98.8 percent of people. The other 1.2 percent laughed at me and walked away. That’s basically an answer for food, moving the results to 100 percent. Don’t even try to prove me wrong, you cannot win.

So, about the food! Thanksgiving is the one day a year where it is completely acceptable to eat as much as you want, and if anyone even thinks about judging you, tell them to stuff it – with stuffing of course. Stuffing is amazing and should be enjoyed by all. They were just judging you because they wanted your stuffing anyway.

But what about the guilt? Oh, yes, the guilt. I have met some people in my day who feel guilty that they’re eating so much. They’re on a diet and trying to lose weight, maybe they’re in the presence of a new significant other and her family and don’t want to look like a pig, or possibly the wife keeps nagging her poor husband about the tire around his stomach that continues to expand.

I have one phrase for everyone even feeling slightly guilty or judged… “Cheat Day.”

A cheat day is the greatest phrase in the world. You see, the world’s best athletes and body builders have them in their schedule, so you can too, right? The concept of a cheat day is simple, you stick to a strict diet for a week and you get one cheat day to eat whatever the heck you want. One day doesn’t kill you, whereas eating poorly over a long period of time will.

Thanksgiving is the ultimate cheat day! Start your diet tomorrow or just tell people you started a week ago. Whatever, it doesn’t really matter. All you have to say is “cheat day” and everyone will immediately dismount from your back. This is your day. Enjoy it. If it’s good enough for the most in-shape people on planet earth, it’s good enough for you.

Family

thanksgiving rehearsal dinnerThis one can be a big holdup for a lot of people. Your family can be great and awful for the same reason: There is absolutely no filter. Aunt Sally is going to talk politics no matter what and she doesn’t care which side of the aisle you’re on. Someone is definitely bringing up religion, positively or negatively. On top of those big two, you’re going to be asked about your lack of a significant other, if you’d be interested in so-in-so’s friend, why you don’t have a better job, when you’re moving closer to home, and on and on it goes.

Instead of stressing about the impending questions of doom, switch gears in that dome of yours and revel in the fact that you have the opportunity to show off the best of your creative skills! These aren’t necessarily lies, they’re a part of being a thespian on Thanksgiving. How outrageous can an answer be while also keeping it believable?

“What happened to Taylor? I thought you two were so great together!”

“You see Grandma, within the past year I learned to fly. That’s not a metaphor either, I can actually, literally, fly. The fact that she couldn’t fly held me back. Why should I be with someone who can’t fly? I used to be at the bottom with the other lobsters, now I’m in the sky like birds and helicopters.”

Creative? Maybe. Use of song lyrics to confuse Grandma? Check. Believable? Depends on how much wine she’s enjoyed. Did it end the immediate conversation and any future questions pertaining to the situation? Absolutely. Mission accomplished? MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

Work

black fridayThanksgiving always lands on a Thursday, and since most jobs give Thanksgiving off, it makes for a long weekend. Not having to work is always a net positive. Also, since it’s a National Holiday, if you do have to work you’re (hopefully) being paid time and a half. That’s never a bad thing!

However, if you have to work on Black Friday or at a location that runs one of those “Black Friday” sales that actually start in the evening on Thanksgiving, then bless your soul. I’m sorry for your loss, but I’m also thankful I don’t have to work and attempt to corral the madness.

Everyone avoiding working on Black Friday, extend your thankfulness to someone in need, and then shove them over on your way to that new big screen marked over 50-percent off!

Football

This is a lost cause for all us Lions fans. There is no hope. There is never hope. It’s impossible to be thankful for the pit of doom and despair that is the Detroit Lions.

If you aren’t a Lions fan, be thankful… be very thankful.

Friends

With the new phenomenon called “Friends-giving” you have all the actual joys of Thanksgiving but with the added benefit of being around people you actually want to see. An old soul once gave me great words of wisdom, “Choose your wife wisely, she’s the only member of your family you have that luxury with.”

A friends-giving is an excuse to celebrate the holiday with those that you choose to be around! No excessive travel, no stressful questions, and no real commitment if something comes up. Be thankful for Thanksgiving because it brought us the notion of a friends-giving.

From the Citizen Journalism Team here at WKTV, everyone have a Happy Thanksgiving!