Tag Archives: restoration

Annual chili cook-off heats up as weather cools down

September 29, 20223-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Local History, Recreation, Upcoming EventsBaseball, chili-cook off, Dan Verhil, restoration, Valley FieldJoanne

By D.A. Reed
WKTV Journal Contributor

Aerial view of Sullivan (Valley) Field (Courtesy, Paul Soltysiak)

Even though temperatures are cooling off in West Michigan, competition heats up at the annual Grand Rapids cook-off recently renamed Chili Cook-Off at the Ballpark.

Historic Sullivan (formerly Valley) Field will host Grand Rapids’ annual chili cook-off on Saturday, Oct. 1, with all proceeds benefiting Fans of Valley Field and the organization’s renovation and restoration project of the ballpark.

Saving a historical gem

Called a historical gem of the West Side, Sullivan Field has been actively used often throughout the years, from ball games to concerts and symphony performances, and much more.

Baseball legend Jackie Robinson shakes hands with former Negro League player and Grand Rapids Black Sox manager Ted Rasberry. (Courtesy, Grand Rapids Public Museum Collections)

“It’s fallen into disrepair,” said Dan Verhil, former Cottage Bar owner and Master of Ceremonies for the upcoming chili cook-off. “It needs a lot of TLC (tender loving care) to bring it back.” Verhil said the purpose of the cook-off is to help “raise the funds to restore this classical West Side beauty.”

Cottage Bar had hosted annual fall chili cook-offs since 1981, but “hit pause” in 2018 when Dan and his wife Lisa decided to sell the restaurant. Cottage Bar cook-off proceeds were donated to several different charities, with donations reaching approximately half a million dollars over 36 years.

In an effort to raise funds to renovate Sullivan Field, Fans of Valley Field approached the Verhils in 2021 and asked if Dan and Lisa would be willing to resurrect the chili cook-off if Fans of Valley Field did the legwork.

Passing the torch

“(Lisa and I) met with them, and we liked their sincerity and their integrity and said, ‘Let’s do it!’” said Verhil.

Already having the rules and framework for the cook-off in hand from previous years, Dan and Lisa shared their information with Fans of Valley Field. True to their word, Fans of Valley Field has done the legwork for both the 2021 and 2022 chili cook-offs, allowing Dan and Lisa to simply help guide the cook-off committee.

“Lisa and I are pretty much Master of Ceremonies now,” Verhil said. “Which is great because we can walk around and talk to friends, have fun, and MC the event.”

The first revival of the cook-off occurred in November of 2021 and was a big success even though it was late in the season, and Fans of Valley Field expect a good turnout again this year. The Chili Cook-off of the Ballpark boasts four live bands, 40 cooks—and some unique recipes.

Verhil said that, though all ingredients must be commercially processed for safety reasons, unique ingredients such as rattlesnake have been incorporated into recipes.

Discovering Grand Rapids’ own ‘Field of Dreams’

Learning about Sullivan Field has been enjoyable for Verhil. Though Verhil grew up in Grand Rapids, he lived on the southeast side and admitted that he never attended a game at Valley Field or knew much about the ballpark. When he joined Fans of Valley Field, however, that all changed.

Visitors to last year’s chili cook-off look over memorabilia of Sullivan (Valley) Field. (Courtesy, Paul Soltysiak)

“I researched it and explored the stadium,” said Verhil. “It’s just full of so much history, I became enraptured with the history of the project. It’s like a mini Wrigley Field. It’s really old school, but it’s old school cool.”

Verhil continued, “It was built in 1937 and, over the years, 95 MLB players have come through the system through Valley Field.” Included in that count of MLB players are Kirk Gibson, Al Kaline, Dave Rozema, and Mickey Stanley.

Verhil admitted that there were a lot of facts he did not know before joining Fans of Valley Field, and those facts are widely unknown throughout the Grand Rapids community. The purpose of restoring and revitalizing Sullivan Field is to help people become more aware of the stadium’s presence and all it offers the community.

For years, Valley Field has been used for city league and high school baseball games. “It’s still an active baseball field,” said Verhil. “It’s the home field for Union High School.”

In the past, Valley Field was also the home field for the famous Sullivan’s Furniture amateur baseball teams which won four national titles in the 60s and 70s. Before that, it was home to the Negro Leagues’ Grand Rapids Black Sox in the 40s and 50s.

A love for everything baseball

Howard J. Houghton (1936-2011) of Sheridan, Michigan, played baseball on Valley Field several times in the 60s. His daughter, Betsy Klingensmith of Fenwick, Michigan, said baseball was definitely a passion for her father.

Howard Houghton’s player pass for Valley Field. (Courtesy, Betsy Klingensmith)

“He played in high school and played on several leagues over the years,” Klingensmith said. “He did a lot of coaching while he was still playing. He loved to share his love and knowledge of baseball. We still have people he coached tell us about how much he helped them.”

Houghton not only shared his passion for baseball with people in the community, but with his family as well.

“When my oldest sister was old enough for Little League and came home upset that she couldn’t play baseball, Dad and Mom started a girls’ softball league and ran it for 13 years,” Klingensmith said. “He went back to (coaching) boys so he could coach my brother. He came out of retirement from coaching to coach with my sister for her daughter’s age group a couple of years before he passed.”

Klingensmith herself was only a couple weeks old when she attended her first baseball game.

Sharing their stories

“It’s a classic West Side gem,” said Verhil. “The West Side people are so passionate about this place. Most of the small, locally-owned businesses are all contributing something (to the cook-off). Everyone is so onboard to renovate this stadium because it seems like everybody has a story about Valley Field.”

When asked about his own personal Valley Field story, Verhil responds, “You guys are creating my story.”

To learn more about Chili Cook-Off of the Ballpark, click here: Chili Cook-Off

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

Volunteer group pushes forward on restoration of ‘Ecliptic’ at Rosa Parks Circle

November 10, 20203-bottom, Citizen JournalismArt, Grand Rapids, restorationJoanne

Ecliptic at Rosa Parks Circle will be renovated next spring 2021. (Photo courtesy of ArtPeers)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

People have danced on its staged. They have ice skated in its circle. They have sat on its steps to admire the Grand Rapids Art Museum and other surrounding landmarks in Michigan’s second largest city.

There is no doubt that Ecliptic at Rosa Parks Circle has become the epicenter of the City of Grand Rapids with an array of festivals, performances, and civic event taking place there. In fact, the amount of use Ecliptic has received has surpassed original expectations by nearly two-thirds more foot traffic than planned. As a result, the original materials are coming to the end of their useful lives.

“Ecliptic at Rosa Parks Circle has hosted numerous important moments in Grand Rapids history since its installation in 2000,” said Downtown Grand Rapids, Inc. (DGRI) president Tim Kelly. “Over 700,000 visitors each year use the park for recreation, entertainment, civic gatherings and much needed breathing space in a growing city. It’s imperative that we all contribute to the well-being of this asset.”

It is why a group of volunteers have come together through Ecliptic at Rosa Parks Circle Conservancy with the mission to restore, elevate and preserve the cherished landmark that was created as a work of art by the internationally renowned artist Maya Lin. Formed in 2018, Ecliptic at Rosa Parks Circle Conservancy is a partnership between the City of Grand Rapids and the DGRI.

Tripp Frey, leads the nonprofit *Ecliptic* at Rosa Parks Circle Conservancy. (Supplied)

“Public spaces have been and will continue to be a vital part of our society and the proposed restoration project intends to restore, elevate and preserve Ecliptic for the next century,” said Frey Foundation’s Tripp Frey, who is leads the nonprofit Conservancy. “In its first 20 years, it has become a beating heart of downtown Grand Rapids. Our goal with this effort is to preserve its integrity and beauty for future generations to experience and enjoy.”

The Conservancy is close to engaging construction firms to provide upgrades to the nearly 20-year-old Maya Lin-designed artwork at downtown Grand Rapids’ Rosa Parks Circle. The Conservancy has received significant support from various sources and is now finalizing plans that will ensure the Ecliptic at Rosa Parks Circle continues to serve visitors and residents of Grand Rapids for the next one hundred years.

Construction is planned to begin in spring 2021 with an expected completion date of Sept. 6, 2021, exactly 20 years to the day after the original dedication of the park.

This collaboration has resulted in the planning of a restoration project that will renovate the current artwork and park structures, upgrade each feature with new and more durable materials, and provide way showing and interpretive moments to make the artwork and park more accessible to visitors and community stakeholders.

Ecliptic at Rosa Parks Circle was named one of the American Planning Association’s Top-Ten Great Public Spaces in America in 2017, for excellence in urban planning and usage including stakeholder engagement at the local, state and federal level.

The amount of use *Ecliptic* has received has surpassed original expectations by nearly two-thirds more foot traffic than planned. (Supplied)

“Ecliptic is such a treasure to Grand Rapids, and now we are seeing the impacts of incredible use over the years, “ said David Marquardt, director, Grand Rapids Parks and Recreation. “This effort will ensure the longevity of the park as a work of art and as a place of meaning for the residents of Grand Rapids.”

To learn more about the renovation and fundraising efforts, individuals can go to the Ecliptic at Rosa Parks Circle Patronicity site at www.patronicity.com/ecliptic.

DreamWheels!: Steve’s Antique Auto Restoration makes classics snazzy and road-worthy

August 23, 20163-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Local BusinessAntiques, repair, restoration, Steve's, Steve's Antique Auto Repair, SturimJoanne

By Victoria Mullen and Mike DeWitt

WKTV

Dreamwheels and Metrocruise are all about the classic cars, but if you’re anything like most people, you absolutely love looking at them and have no idea what you would do if you had to fix one up. Fortunately, Steve’s Antique Auto Repair, at 1803 Farragut St SW in Wyoming, is here to help. Steve’s Antique Auto Repair is a licensed auto repair facility with full engine rebuilding capabilities. Its certified mechanics specialize in restoring vehicles 1972 and older.

“We bought [the garage] as just a hobby box for dad and I,” said Steve Sturim. “This is where we had kept our personal collection and we were working on our own vehicles and then nights and weekends on customers’ cars.”

For nearly 25 years, Steve and his father Rick have maintained and fully restored cars. Their business is thriving, fueled by classic car enthusiasts, automotive clubs and folks who simply appreciate a bygone era.

Car restoration isn’t for the faint of heart — or those short on patience. It requires meticulous attention to detail and an ability to ferret out parts that haven’t been on the market for decades. If you can’t find the parts, you must be able to improvise and craft them yourself.

And, it’s far more involved than simply making a vehicle’s exterior look pretty. A full-factory restoration involves replacing just about every part on the car with a newer, better working one — from dashboard gauges to the lining of the trunk walls.

The prize-winning 16,000-mile, 1928 Ford Model A Business Coupe

Diehard restorers — like Steve and Rick — aim to be as historically accurate as they can to make the car look precisely the way it did the day it rolled off the assembly line.

Father and son enter their lovingly restored classics in several different auto shows throughout the country. Last year, their 16,000-mile, 1928 Ford Model A Business Coupe — judged in the original class at the Model A Restorers Club national meet in Perrysburg, Ohio — scored 490 of a possible 500 points.

The 1928 Ford Model A Phaeton, serial number A495, was the 495th Model A ever built. Somehow, Steve managed to acquire the original engine block — amazing, when you think about it — then rebuilt the complete engine and made several chassis component restorations.

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From humble beginnings — working nights and weekends — to working full time, Steve’s and Rick’s business is now a full-fledged restoration garage that services cars from all over the Midwest. While the cars may be old, they’re each unique in what makes them tick.

“How many different engineers had different thoughts on how something should work?” Sturim mused. “As more automakers came out and more cars were designed and such like that, everyone had their own idea. They weren’t just cookie cutters. And that’s what I’ve learned and I’m relearning their engineering and them saying, ‘We’re going to design it this way and have it function this way.’ OK, well I have to learn why did they do that, why did they choose that, and then how am I going to repair it?”

That continued passion for learning has given Steve a reason to do what he loves.

“I don’t see these as antique cars, I see these as cars and machines and my passion,” said Sturim. “I see them as machines. If I wasn’t doing this, I’d be living under a bridge someplace.”

Make sure to check out the “DreamWheels” show which will be broadcasting live Saturday, Aug. 27 from 6 – 7:30 p.m. at Pal’s Diner, 6503 28th St. SE, and Rogers Plaza, 972 28th St. SW. The show will air Saturday, Sept. 3, at 7 p.m. on WKTV Channel 25.