Tag Archives: WKTV Community Faces

WKTV Community Connection: Leslie Vaas, working, staying in touch, and a remote birthday party

3-bottom, Going Local, Local Faces, Volunteers, WKTV Projects
WKTV volunteer Leslie Vaas in station’s remote coverage truck during a 2019 high school sports event. (WKTV)

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

WKTV Community Media is all about the communities of Wyoming and Kentwood, as well as our community volunteers who live all over West Michigan — community people who bring life to our building and to our work. So in these days of social distancing we at WKTV wanted to keep us a little more connected.

So, we asked people to “Tell us how are spending your time?” How has your life and work changed due to the COVID-19 restrictions? What has stayed the same in your life. What advice would you give to the other WKTV community members, and the public at  large?

Leslie Vaas, high school sports remote, in-studio crew 

“I’m working from home now, and since my coworkers normally do most of their work face-to-face with students at their schools, we’re cancelling everything we had planned for the spring and summer and figuring out new ways to continue providing services. So that’s been a challenge,” Vaas said to WKTV in an email.

Leslie Vaas

“But not all the changes to my life have been bad. It’s just as easy to video chat with a friend in New York as a friend in Michigan, so I’m seeing a lot more of people I don’t normally make weekend plans with. I also attended my first ever online birthday celebration, for a friend in Chicago who decided to host his party on Zoom. So even though it’s a bummer not to be able to spend time with people in person, it’s cool to see how creative people are getting.

“My family continues to get along well even though we’re all spending a lot more time at home, and so far we’re all still healthy. And as I already mentioned, I’m still able to do things with friends and family outside my household, thanks to technology. I’ve always done my workouts either at home or outside, so that required no change. I can still read books, and write stories, and continue watching a lot of my favorite movies, shows, and YouTubers, so most of my solo free time activities are still possible. And of course, Michigan’s weather remains as unpredictable as ever.”

And her words of wisdom:

“Whether you’re super busy now or have more free time than you know what to do with, try to find at least a little bit of time for things that help you stay sane or help brighten someone else’s day (while still maintaining social distancing). These are crazy times, but like High School Musical says, we’re all in this together. Stay safe, be kind, and hang in there, everyone.”

Thank you Leslie, for all you do.

Interested in learning more about WKTV Community Media, maybe getting involved with our volunteer community? Visit https://wktv.org.

WKTV volunteer Leslie Vaas in station’s remote coverage truck during a 2019 high school sports event. (WKTV)

Other WKTV Community Connections:

Paul Kabelman, high school sports announcer

Becci Schumaker, cameraperson extraordinaire

Mike Moll, high school sports director and announcer

Bill Rinderknecht, volunteer cameraman and content contributor

Cory Dalton, high school sports announcer and sports show host

Riley Zoet, volunteer cameraperson and sports intern

Dan Stevens, long-time WKTV volunteer, video partner (and humorist)

WKTV Community Connection: How are you spending your time, Mike Moll?

3-bottom, Going Local, Local Faces, Sports, Volunteers, WKTV Projects,
Volunteer WKTV Sports Director Mike Moll, right, loves talking sports. But these days his life is much more than sports. (WKTV)

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

WKTV Community Media is all about the communities of Wyoming and Kentwood, as well as our community volunteers who live all over West Michigan — community people who bring life to our building and to our work. So in these days of social distancing we at WKTV wanted to keep us a little more connected.

So, we asked people to “Tell us how are spending your time?” How has your life and work changed due to the COVID-19 restrictions? What has stayed the same in your life. What advice would you give to the other WKTV community members, and the public at  large?

Mike Moll, high school sports director and announcer

“I am still working each day as we are considered to be an essential business … the hours are being cut way back though as there simply are not enough other businesses that remain open for us to service. As a result, it will be interesting over the next several weeks to see how we are affected.

WKTV’s Mike Moll.

“This is certainly a different time for all of us, not just in our lifetimes, but in the generations around us as well. Even as much as I enjoy watching, calling, and participating in sports, I think it’s a time where we have the opportunity to ‘re-focus’ and really look at what is ‘important’ in our lives, but more-so, what SHOULD be ‘important’ in our lives.

“I find it more than coincidental this all happened around the time of year where sports are at their highest in our world.  Between college basketball and March Madness, but also basketball, hockey, and baseball being in the small window where all major professional sports seasons overlap for a period of time and became more of a daily routine in many lives.  We turn on the television to watch or to get the results of the games, or listen on the radio for the same.

 

“I think this is giving us a chance to look elsewhere for the where, and the what, is the purpose of our lives and how we can show others around us as well.”

And his words of wisdom:

“We (he and wife Pat, also a longtime WKTV volunteer) have much more recognizance of what and who is around us, as well as how and what we do on a daily basis. As we see and read more of the daily struggles of so many, we lift our family, friends, communities, country, and world up in prayer knowing that they are all being held by much bigger and stronger hands than ours could ever be.  May we feel that touch of those hands each day of our lives in some way, but then may we share that feeling somehow with someone else.

“Here is the hope that you all stay healthy and may we all change our focus point to be a little higher than what is in visibly in front of us each day.  I know I’m trying!”

Thank you Mike — and Pat, for all you do.

Interested in learning more about WKTV Community Media, maybe getting involved with volunteer community? Visit https://wktv.org.

Other WKTV Community Faces:

Paul Kabelman, high school sports announcer

Becci Schumaker, cameraperson extraordinaire




WKTV Community Faces: How are you spending your time, Paul Kabelman?

3-bottom, Community Health, Local Faces, Sports, WKTV Projects,

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

WKTV Community Media is all about the communities of Wyoming and Kentwood, as well as our community volunteers who live all over West Michigan — community people who bring life to our building and to our work. So in these days of social distancing we at WKTV wanted to keep us a little more connected.

So, we asked people to “Tell us how are spending your time?” How has your life and work changed due to the COVID-19 restrictions? What has stayed the same in your life. What advice would you give to the other WKTV community members, and the public at  large?

Paul Kabelman, long-time high school sports announcer

 

“Being retired, not much has changed other than lack of flexibility of going somewhere and not having church on Sunday,” Paul said in an email. “Obviously one change is being more cautious about what you touch and constantly washing your hands, as well as avoiding getting close to someone.”

And his words of wisdom:

“My advise would be to continue to lift our country and its populace in prayer, especially those affected by the virus and those service personnel that are trying to help see us through this time.”

Thank you Paul, for all you do.

Interested in learning more about WKTV Community Media, maybe getting involved with volunteer community? Visit https://wktv.org.