The City of Kentwood and GR8 Food Trucks will again partner to offer a Food Truck Festival with more than 20 vendors to both help the community support small businesses and make the most of the end of the summer season.
The event will take place Saturday, Sept. 11, in the parking lot of the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard. L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE, according to a Sept. 7 statement from the city.
The free-to-attend community event will run 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and feature 24 food trucks, live music and a beer and wine tent.
This year’s event will coincide with the 20th anniversary of 9/11. The event will include a moment of silence led by Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley, at 5 p.m., to honor the victims of 9/11, followed by a brief performance by local bagpiper Tom Bradley. There will also be posters from the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York on display in the Library Community Room.
“We’re looking forward to the return of our Food Truck Festival, which has become one of our community’s favorite events to enjoy great food and music as we near the end of summer,” Val Romeo, Kentwood Parks and Recreation director. said in supplied material. “We’ve developed a great lineup of food trucks with GR8 Food Trucks, as well as several musicians for a full day of fun outdoors.”
There will be a wide variety of sweet and savory food options available for purchase, according to the statement, with participating food trucks including Bigfoot Burger, Big Mike’s Kettle Corn, Beecher’s Pretzels, Curry in a Hurry, Daddy’s Dough Cookies, El Jalapeño, Fire and Rice Paella, Kool Breze, Kona Ice of Lowell, Lazy Man BBQ, Mapocho Fresh Sanwishes, Mexcellente, Nick’s Gyros, Olly’s Donuts, Patty Matters, PJW Creole Cuisine, Pressed in Time, Saladino Smoke, Sanse Filipino Cuisine, Street Frites, Touch O’ Dutch, Arcane Pizza, Whipped, a Brunch Truck, and UCC Desserts.
The City of Kentwood will continue to monitor public health guidance and orders, according to the statement, which may require changes to the event. Residents are encouraged to follow current public health guidelines to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
There was already roadwork being done Aug. 31 but there will be intermittent road closures during the next week in Kentwood on 32nd Street SE from the west city limits, just west of Pheasant Ridge Drive, to Breton Avenue while the section of roadway is repaved. (WKTV)
There was already roadwork being done Aug. 31 but there will be intermittent road closures during the next week in Kentwood on 32nd Street SE from the west city limits, just west of Pheasant Ridge Drive, to Breton Avenue while the section of roadway is repaved. (WKTV)
There was already roadwork being done Aug. 31 but there will be intermittent road closures during the next week in Kentwood on 32nd Street SE from the west city limits, just west of Pheasant Ridge Drive, to Breton Avenue while the section of roadway is repaved. (WKTV)
There was already roadwork being done Aug. 31 but there will be intermittent road closures during the next week in Kentwood on 32nd Street SE from the west city limits, just west of Pheasant Ridge Drive, to Breton Avenue while the section of roadway is repaved. (WKTV)
There was already roadwork being done Aug. 31 but there will be intermittent road closures during the next week in Kentwood on 32nd Street SE from the west city limits, just west of Pheasant Ridge Drive, to Breton Avenue while the section of roadway is repaved. (WKTV)
The City of Kentwood announced Tuesday, Aug. 31, that intermittent road closures are expected this week on 32nd Street SE from the west city limits, just west of Pheasant Ridge Drive, to Breton Avenue while the section of roadway is repaved.
The street will be totally closed between Pheasant Ridge Drive and Breton Avenue on Wednesday, Sept. 1, and Friday, Sept. 3. Additionally, the street may be closed in one direction or fully closed intermittently during construction.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the work is expected to be completed by Wednesday, Sept. 8, according to the announcement.
Drivers are encouraged to plan ahead and seek an alternate route or take the detour from Kalamazoo Avenue to 28th Street to Breton Avenue. Emergency, residential and business access will remain open. Area businesses and residents should utilize Breton Avenue or 32nd Street west of the project limits whenever possible.
Community members may sign up to receive biweekly updates on the City’s road construction projects by contacting Kentwood city engineer Brad Boomstra at boomstrab@kentwood.us or 616-554-0740.
Retired Chaplain John Hooglund, from Holland Home at Breton Woods, produced this work as part of veterans art project which led to the Yellow Ribbon ArtPrize entry. (Supplied/Pamela Alderman)
A scene from veterans art project which led to the Yellow Ribbon ArtPrize entry. (Supplied/Pamela Alderman)
A scene from veterans art project which led to the Yellow Ribbon ArtPrize entry. (Supplied/Pamela Alderman)
Veteran Jurgen Nitzsche produced this work as part of veterans art project which led to the Yellow Ribbon ArtPrize entry. (Supplied/Pamela Alderman)
A scene from veterans art project which led to the Yellow Ribbon ArtPrize entry. (Supplied/Pamela Alderman)
Kent County Veterans Services had planned an in-doors Yellow Ribbon Gala this week to unveil the selected works of more than 100 local veterans created during veteran art workshops in 2020 and 2021, and led by local artist Pamela Alderman. But pandemic concerns caused that to be canceled.
But Alderman will still be showing off selected works which inspired and are included as part of her Yellow Ribbon ArtPrize work at an event Saturday, Aug. 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., behind Grand Valley State University’s L.V. Eberhard Center, on the Blue Bridge, in Grand Rapids. The program starts at 10:30 a.m.
The event will include Alderman’s Yellow Ribbon sculpture, made in collaboration with several veterans, as well as other individual art pieces made by veterans during the art workshops and also led by Alderman.
There will be live music performed by singer/songwriter and Navy veteran Drew Nelson. There will also be snacks and activities for kids, and county Veterans Services Officers on site to answer questions and set up future appointments for veterans and their families. Additionally the Veterans Services office will have a pop-up shop for making Kent County Veteran ID cards.
But the stars of the show will be the works of the veterans and how their works — and their stories — inspired Alderman’s work.
Pamela Alderman, the lead artist of the veterans art project which led to the Yellow Ribbon ArtPrize entry, with her son, who is in her first year in the military. (Supplied/Pamela Alderman)
“The community veteran ArtPrize work took two years to develop,” Alderman said to WKTV. “Over 100 veterans participated. Some families participated with three generations.”
About 14 veteran art workshops were held throughout the pandemic, some indoors and some outdoors in the Veterans Services parking lot. Some art supplies were event delivered door to door.
“The finished work (Alderman’s sculpture) showcases four Kent County veterans pieces, but on Saturday, we will highlight the work of over 100 veterans and family members, plus loved ones,” Alderman said.
The Saturday event will also highlight how Yellow Ribbon evolved into a bigger ArtPrize project with Michael Hyacinthe from [Has Heart] at Veterans Memorial Park. This ArtPrize venue, co-curated by Hyacinthe and Alderman, will host the work of 21 veteran entries along with the Yellow Ribbon work.
For Alderman, the two-year project was as much a passion as a project.
“I’m a veteran wife. My husband served as a Naval Officer for 20 years,” said. “I’m also a Blue Star Mother. My youngest son is training as a Navy pilot, and son-in-law also serves as Navy helicopter pilot.”
Artworks tell veteran’s stories
One of the works to be displayed, an abstract vision including a helicopter flying, was created by retired Chaplain John Hooglund from Holland Home at Breton Woods.
According to suppled material, Hooglund worked as an U.S. Army chaplain for 30 years. In Vietnam, he travelled by helicopter with two gunships. Stateside, he helped integrate church services across racial and gender lines. At the Pentagon, he worked with more than 1,400 chaplains — and assisted them in performing their most difficult duties.
“Once, when he walked into a bar wearing his chaplain’s uniform to deliver some sad news, the father burst into tears as soon as he saw him,” Alderman relayed to WKTV in an email. “Those kinds of experiences still follow John decades later.”
Another work, another abstract vision of a flag and a service member saluting, was created by Jurgen Nitzsche, who detailed his service in a statement relayed by Alderman.
“I served in the U.S. Army 394th station hospital unit for six years,” Nitzsche said. “In 1969, I was honorably discharged … During my time in service, I learned mechanical engineering and people skills, which helped me to become an engineer and plant manager. I believe the military is a great start in life for any young person. I’m 80 years old, and I am proud to have served in the United States Army, to help keep our country free and safe.”
Many local veterans groups helped
In addition to the support of Kent County Veterans Services, Alderman also thanked several local groups for their assistance with the workshops and with her project.
Among the groups supporting the project were 92 For 22 and the Kent County Veterans Treatment Court; Ottawa-North Kent Blue Star Mothers and Marne American Legion; Blue Star Mothers of South Kent and American Legion 305; Blue Star Mothers of Ionia, Kent and Montcalm and Ray I. Booth American Legion; Grand Rapids Home for Veterans; Holland Home; Finish the Mission; WINC: For All Women Veterans; and the GVSU Veterans Upward Bound Program.
The 28th Street Metro Cruise takes place Aug. 27 and 28 in Wyoming and Kentwood. But Cascade will host a “Warm-Up” — with lots of fun and cars — on Thursday, Aug. 26. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
After being canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cascade Metro Cruise Warm-Up returns to Cascade Township where it will welcome classic car lovers and community members of all ages.
This year’s event will take place from 4:30-8:30 p.m., on Thursday, Aug. 26, in the parking lot at Fowling Warehouse Grand Rapids, 6797 Cascade Road SE. The free-to-attend event will feature activities for car enthusiasts, music lovers, families and children, including classic show cars, music by The Soul Syndicate, and face painting and balloon sculpting for the little ones.
There will also be variety of dinner and dessert options available from local food trucks, including Patty Matters, The Grilled Greek, O’Hana Ice and Mexcellente.
“The Cascade Metro Cruise Warm-Up is a wonderful way for residents of all ages to get outdoors, have fun and connect with neighbors,” Sandra Korhorn, Cascade Township economic development director, said in supplied material. “We are beyond excited to return this year and gather with the community to listen to great music, grab a bite to eat and, of course, admire dozens of classic cars.”
The Cascade Metro Cruise Warm-Up leads into the 28th Street Metro Cruise, West Michigan’s premiere auto cruise and car show set for Friday, Aug. 27 through Saturday, Aug. 28, at Wyoming’s Rogers Plaza and Kentwood’s Woodland Mall.
Cascade’s Metro Cruise Warm-Up will also feature a silent auction that will benefit the Kent County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit. The Kent County Sheriff’s Office will auction off two ride-alongs with the K-9 Unit. Each ride-along will consist of a six-hour patrol shift that will “give participants the opportunity to see the role of law enforcement from a unique perspective,” according to supplied material. Participants must be 18 years or older and pass a criminal background check. The K-9 Unit will also perform a live demonstration at 7 p.m.
For more information on the Cascade Metro Cruise Warm-Up visit the Township’s website or the event’s Facebook page.
The three-night WinterFest Jazz Festival will feature Christian McBride and plenty of his “friends”, including on Feb. 25 special guest jazz singer Cyrille Aimée will be featured. (Supplied)
“RoundAgain” is the title of a 2020 studio album by a quartet consisting of modern jazz powerhouses Joshua Redman on saxophone, Brad Mehldau on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Brian Blade on drums.
The album was released without the usual touring support July 2020 after being recorded in New York City, in September 2019 — just before the music world’s abrupt touring shutdown as the COVID-19 pandemic hit us all.
St. Cecilia Music Center, as part of its 2021-22 concert season filled with “hope of bringing audiences back to Royce Auditorium” after its own shutdown, has its own plans to bring touring jazz “round again” — with Redman and McBride leading the effort as both are scheduled to make appearances in 2022, including McBride hosting the delayed WinterFest Music Festival in February.
“We are thrilled and thankful to begin again in 2021–22 with live concerts featuring most of the artists who were scheduled to appear this past season and had to be sidelined due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Cathy Holbrook, St. Cecilia executive and artistic director said in supplied material at the time of the season announcement. “These great artists are looking forward to getting back out on tour to perform in front of live audiences and to bring music back to concert stages in the U.S. and worldwide.”
And local jazz fans can’t wait for their return as well.
Joshua Redman Quartet (Supplied)
St. Cecilia’s jazz offerings will include WinterFest, an event featuring 7-time Grammy-winning jazz bassist McBride “with some of his most talented musical collaborators” for a three-evening festival Feb. 24 -26.
The St. Cecilia Spectacular Jazz Series itself will include saxophonist Redman on Jan. 20, Grammy and Tony award-winning jazz singer Dee Dee Bridgewater together with pianist Bill Charlap on March 10, and acclaimed trombonist, composer and producer Delfeayo Marsalis with his Uptown Jazz Orchestra on April 14.
“It was important to us to bring the artists we had booked this past season for the upcoming 2021-22 season … Recreating that amazing line-up gives us hope for the future.” Holbrook said. “We are also thrilled to announce that our new WinterFest Jazz Festival was able to be rescheduled for the same week” just one year later.
Jazz season opens in January, but tickets available now
Joshua Redman on Jan. 20. Redman, a ceaselessly innovative saxophonist, and his band “evoke a sound that is both challenging and provocative to hard-swinging, melodic, and soulful – music with a joyous and celebratory spirit,” according to supplied material. Redmond’s latest album is “Come What May” was released in Spring 2019 — at which tome JazzTimes said of Redman, he is “unparalleled among horn players today.”
Dee Dee Bridgewater (Supplied)
Dee Dee Bridgewater and Bill Charlap on March 10. Two Grammy winners will share the stage as Grammy and Tony Award-winning jazz vocalist Bridgewater and world- renowned pianist Bill Charlap pay a visit. Bridgewater, over the course of a multifaceted career spanning four decades, “has ascended to the upper echelon of vocalists, putting her unique spin on standards, as well as taking intrepid leaps of faith in re-envisioning jazz classics,” according to supplied material. Charlap has performed and recorded with many leading artists of our time, ranging from jazz masters Phil Woods and Wynton Marsalis to singers Tony Bennett and Barbra Streisand. Since 1997, he has led the Bill Charlap Trio, now recognized as one of the leading groups in jazz.
Delfeayo Marsalis on April 14. Marsalis — of the deep and deeply-talented Marsalis musical family — will lead his Uptown Jazz Orchestra in a performance of big band favorites. Over the course of his music career, acclaimed trombonist, composer and producer Marsalis has been praised for his “technical excellence, inventive mind and frequent touches of humor.” He has also been called one of “the best, most imaginative and musical of the trombonists of his generation.” Marsalis, an NEA Jazz Master, has shared the bandstand with jazz legends Art Blakey, Max Roach and Elvin Jones, as well as pop icons Fats Domino, Ray Charles and George Clinton.
St. Cecilia WinterFest Jazz Festival 2022
Acclaimed Grammy–winning jazz bassist McBride will bring plenty of his “friends” to town for a three-day festival: Feb. 24 will feature McBride and Edgar Meyer for a double “double bass” extravaganza; Feb. 25 will be a traditional jazz show showcasing McBride’s celebrated jazz career with his trio and special guest jazz singer Cyrille Aimée; Feb. 26 will be an evening with Christian McBride’s quintet, Inside Straight, for “an unforgettable night of energetic and inspiring jazz.”
Christian McBride, no stranger to St. Cecilia Music Center, will return in a big way in 2021 (Supplied)
McBride, deservedly, has been called a “force of nature, fusing the fire and fury of a virtuoso with the depth and grounding of a seasoned journeyman.” With a career now into its third decade, the Philadelphia native has become one of the most requested, most recorded, and most respected figures in the music world today.
His range and recording span the spectrum of music: from jazz (McCoy Tyner, Roy Haynes, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny) to R&B (Isaac Hayes, Chaka Khan, Natalie Cole, and the one and only Godfather of Soul himself, James Brown) to pop/rock (Sting, Paul McCartney, Carly Simon) to hip-hop/neo-soul (The Roots, Queen Latifah) to classical (Kathleen Battle, Edgar Meyer, Shanghai Quartet).
Meyer is in demand as both a performer and a composer. The New Yorker called him “…the most remarkable virtuoso in the relatively un-chronicled history of his instrument”, Meyer’s unparalleled technique and musicianship in combination with his gift for composition have brought him to the forefront, where he is appreciated by a vast, varied audience.
Grammy-nominated vocalist Aimée ventured from singing on street corners in Europe to dazzling audiences at the world’s most prestigious jazz festivals; from sneaking out to sing in gypsy encampments in her native France to acting on Broadway; from braving the notoriously tough audiences at New York’s Apollo Theatre to being called a “rising star in the galaxy of jazz singers” by The New York Times.
Inside Straight is Christian McBride’s quintet formed in 2009. “Kind of Brown,” the quintet’s debut studio album, was released in 2009 when Will Lyman of PopMatters wrote “This music is unselfconsciously traditional: it’s fun; it swings…it’s not experimental, but it gives superb voice to several brilliant players and one new discovery. In 2013, the quintet released “People Music”, which one reviewer said “The new album finds the quintet in hard-swing mode, delivering what they call “more road-tested, ‘lived-in’ Inside Straight” in an accessible way, and one that makes the audience part of the experience.”
Tickets and COVID pandemic details
Season subscription and single concert tickets to the 2022 SCMC WinterFest Jazz Festival and Spectacular Jazz Series are available online at scmc-online.org or by calling 616-459-2224.
At this date, St. Cecilia states on its website that it “will require proof of fully-vaccinated status, or a negative COVID test taken within 48 hours, to attend a concert at our venue…. SCMC is also highly recommending that all attendees wear a mask while in the building. Attendees will need to bring ID and proof of vaccination the night of a concert. We will continue to monitor the COVID environment and may change policies at any time if necessary. … All ticket holders will be notified if mandatory mask requirements are in effect for a particular show by an artist.”
If SCMC is able to offer post-concert CD-signing receptions, all ticket-holders may be able to meet some of the artists and obtain signed CDs of their releases. Further information will be announced closer to the start of the season on whether COVID restrictions will allow SCMC to hold receptions.
SCMC WinterFest Jazz Festival individual concerts include Christian McBride and Edgar Meyer on Thursday, Feb. 24, with single tickets at $50 and $55; Christian McBride Trio and Cyrille Aimee on Friday, Feb. 25, with single tickets at $40 and $45; and Christian McBride & Inside Straight on Saturday, Feb. 26, with single tickets at $40 and $45.
The Kent County Board of Commissioners is seeking “qualified and interested” residents to serve the community through appointment to various boards, commissions, and committees.
Some positions require certain experience in select fields, while other simply require people to be interested in serving their community. Some, but not all appointments, require an individual to be a resident or a registered voter of Kent County.
All applications for appointment must be filed with the Board of Commissioner’s office by close of business, Friday, Sept. 30.
One open position which requires a citizen of Wyoming is on the Kent District Library Board, with an opening for a Region 8 resident member from the City of Wyoming. (Also available is the Region 4 resident member from either Bowne, Lowell,Vergennes Township or City of Lowell).
Other boards, commissions, and committees that have openings for terms effective Jan. 1, 2022 (unless otherwise noted) include:
Agricultural Preservation Board (openings for agricultural interest representative and conservation representative).
Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan, Board of Directors (must be 60 years or older).
Community Health Advisory Committee (openings for at-large member, community-based organization representative, health care provider representative, and Kent ISD representative).
Community Mental Health Authority Board (Network 180) Board (Term begins April 1,2022).
County Building Authority.
Friend of the Court Citizens’ Advisory Committee (attorney who engages primarily in Family Law and one representative of the public).
Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRFIA) Authority Board.
Housing Commission.
Jury Commission.
Kent County Community Action Advisory Governing Board (openings for one consumer sector member and one public sector member).
Kent County Family & Children’s Coordinating Council (private agency representatives, private funding representatives).
Kent Hospital Finance Authority (two openings for County Representative members).
Officers’ Compensation Commission (four member openings).
Remonumentation Peer Review Group (openings for four professional surveyor members).
Veterans Services Committee (openings for four U.S. armed forces veteran members).
Qualified residents may apply by completing an online application on the County’s website at accessKent.com/boardappointments. Resumes and cover letters are encouraged. The application deadline is 5 p.m. on Sept. 30, 2021.
For additional information on the boards and commissions visit the Kent County website here or contact the Board of Commissioner’s office at 616-632-7580.
Bob O’Callaghan, President/CEO of the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, talks about the chamber’s Metro Cruise expanding out to a second location in 2021, at the Woodland Mall.
People who have a history of cruising with the 28th Street Metro Cruise know it once extended from Cascade to Wyoming, with Woodland Mall a good middle point turnaround for some.
Bob O’Callaghan, President/CEO of the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, the hosting organization of the Metro Cruise, would like to see those days return.
But this year, just having the event extend its footprint and have a presence at Woodland Mall is a big step in the right direction.
“Woodland (Mall) has been an endpoint for a lot of folks going east,” O’Callaghan said to WKTV. “We are trying to get more people in Cascade, or whatever, doing events that go all the way, the full 13 miles. But at this point Woodland has been a great way to do that.”
The 28th Street Metro Cruise officially kicks-off Friday, Aug. 27, at 4 p.m., at its usual and main location at Rogers Plaza in Wyoming, and will continue Saturday, Aug. 28.
Rogers Plaza mall parking lot in Wyoming is always a focal point for the 28th Street Metro Cruise. (WKACC)
As in past years, the Rogers Plaza mall parking lot will feature food trucks and concessionaires, hundreds of collector cars, a kid’s entertainment area, a community awards ceremony, the crowd-favorite Miss Metro Cruise competition finals, live music on the Metro-Main Stage, and the popular Dynamometer car testing area where attendees can see cars rev up to 160 mph. (For more information and schedule of events visit 28thstreetmetrocruise.com.)
But at the second Main Event site, located on the off 28th Street at Woodland Mall, on Saturday, Aug. 28, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., will feature a wide array of collector, sports, and antique cars. It will also feature multiple food vendors including local food trucks, and official Metro Cruise merchandise.
“The good thing about this event here at Woodland Mall is that it is an opportunity for some of the folks in Cascade, Ada, who usually drive down to Rogers Plaza but don’t want to, have a closer venue,” O’Callaghan said. “We’ll have a lot of folks come into see the cars, and we’ll have a lot of folks just want see what it is. … It is a great opportunity for people to come in, park, look at the cars, and have a good time.”
O’Callaghan also expressed gratitude to the management of Woodland Mall for working with the Metro Cruise — “We are glad to have them be part of this for this year and hope it grows.”
And Woodland Mall is happy to be part of the festivities.
“We are looking forward again to welcoming the 28th Street Metro Cruise to Woodland Mall,” Mikia Ross, interim senior marketing director for Woodland Mall, said to WKTV. “In addition to providing shoppers and guests with an excellent selection of shopping, dining and entertainment offerings, we also host many free events and programs for the community to enjoy year-round. … Metro Cruise is one of many events we’ve been grateful to be a part of again this year to bring the West Michigan community together.”
Five contestants, including at least two from Kentwood, pulled out their cutlery and their eye for beauty recently as the the Kentwood Farmers Market held its first-ever Charcuterie Challenge, which had the entries given 30 minutes to first buy items from the market and then prepare a charcuterie plater for pubic vote.
The Aug. 12 challenge, eventually won by Lisa Hopkins, included contestants Amy Richey, Marne Becker-Baratta, Trang Wilbur and Joshua Knepper.
The competition took place during the Kentwood Farmers Market, located weekly behind Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave. SE, with the finished boards on display and market-goers able to watch the competitors build their boards and then vote for their favorite. The winner received a gift courtesy of the Kentwood Farmers Market.
In the French tradition, charcuterie (pronounced “shahr-ku-tuh-ree”) is the art of preparing and assembling cured meats and meat products. The idea of charcuterie has evolved over the years to include an assortment of meats, cheeses, veggies and other items.
The market randomly selected five challengers out of a group of applicants to each receive $25 and 30 minutes to shop the market and assemble a one-of-a-kind charcuterie board using only those purchased ingredients.
“Charcuterie has become such a fun, popular way to display and enjoy a variety of food,” market manager Kristina Colby said prior to the event. “We are looking forward to seeing all the creative ways challengers showcase local foods found at the Kentwood Farmers Market and use the beautiful, handmade charcuterie boards Handcrafted by Fellow is suppling for the competition.”
The Kentwood Farmers Market’s first-ever Charcuterie Challenge Aug. 12. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
At the Kentwood Farmers Market’s first-ever Charcuterie Challenge Aug. 12, farmers market manager Kristina Colby, center, prepares the chefs for the challenge. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
At the Kentwood Farmers Market’s first-ever Charcuterie Challenge Aug. 12, contestant Joshua Knepper is out shopping at the market. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
At the Kentwood Farmers Market’s first-ever Charcuterie Challenge Aug. 12, contestant Amy Richey (of Kentwood) is out shopping at the market. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
At the Kentwood Farmers Market’s first-ever Charcuterie Challenge Aug. 12, the contestants start their work. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
At the Kentwood Farmers Market’s first-ever Charcuterie Challenge Aug. 12, contestant Lisa Hopkins — and eventual winner — prepares her plate. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
At the Kentwood Farmers Market’s first-ever Charcuterie Challenge Aug. 12, contestant Joshua Knepper prepares his plate. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
At the Kentwood Farmers Market’s first-ever Charcuterie Challenge Aug. 12, contestant Marne Becker-Baratta (of Kentwood) prepares her plate. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
At the Kentwood Farmers Market’s first-ever Charcuterie Challenge Aug. 12, contestant Trang Wilbur prepares her plate. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
Anybody who has stood inside the Sistine Chapel in Rome and witnessed the power and the glory of Michelangelo’s masterpiece, you know the feeling of heavenly art if not an actual connection with God.
For those of us who haven’t, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum will bring to Grand Rapids the feeling of being in the chapel when it hosts “Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition” this fall. (The museum is currently open but with limited capacity.)
The immersive visual experience that is “Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel”, presented by Los Angeles-based SEE Attractions, “recreates one of the world’s greatest artistic achievements through photographic reproduction displayed in its original size,” according to an exhibition announcement.
The exhibition opens on Oct. 22 and runs through Feb. 20, 2022.
“Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition” will be the museum’s feature exhibit in 2021, and Brooke Clement, acting director of the Ford Museum, said in supplied material that the support from the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation was pivotal in the exhibit’s scheduling.
“This is an epic exhibit, and we are proud to partner with our friends at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum to bring Michelangelo’s iconic images to West Michigan,” Gleaves Whitney, executive director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, said in supplied material. “There is something in these timeless paintings to delight and teach every visitor — from students who are learning about how art tells our most important stories to seasoned travelers who have toured the Sistine Chapel in person and seek to deepen their knowledge.”
Local ties by exhibit producer
The path for a Los Angeles-born entertainment exhibit, by a German-born producer, to make its way to Grand Rapids, is really a story of local ties.
“I first came to Grand Rapids as an exchange student from Germany in 1975 and graduated from Forest Hills Northern High School,” Martin Biallas, CEO of SEE Attractions, said in supplied material. “That experience inspired me to stay in the US and start my entertainment business, so it’s a special honor for me to be able to bring one of my productions to Grand Rapids.”
The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum entrance. (Supplied)
“Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition”, in addition images of timeless masterpieces including the “Creation of Adam” and “The Last Judgment”, includes the ceiling paintings from the Sistine Chapel, all of which have been reproduced in a truly unique way using licensed high-definition photos.
“Brought to life using a special printing technique that emulates the look and feel of the original paintings, visitors are given a chance to engage with the artwork in ways that were never before possible: seeing every detail, every brushstroke, and every color of the artist’s 34 frescoes,” according to supplied material.
Each image is accompanied by informative signage, and audio guides are available to rent for an even more in-depth experience.
For more information about “Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition”, visit chapelsistine.com/
The Ford Museum is currently open on Wednesday-Friday, 2-5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m,. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, non to 5 p.m. Tickets are limited to a 50-person capacity and available for purchase online at buy.acmeticketing.com/events/277/list.
The City of Kentwood has reopened its brush drop-off site for residents to dispose of tree debris resulting from recent storms. Residents can also report debris on city streets to the Department of Public Works, according to a statement from the city.
The drop-off site typically is closed in the summer.
Beginning today, Aug. 12, and running through Aug. 21 city residents can drop off brush, sticks, tree limbs, logs, loose leaves and loose grass clippings from storm damage at the Kentwood Department of Public Works, 5068 Breton Ave. SE. The facility will be open from noon-8 p.m., Monday-Friday, and noon-6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.
“Our crews are working hard to help clean up storm debris throughout Kentwood,” interim Public Works Director Jerry DeRuiter said in supplied material. “We’re reopening our brush drop-off site to help residents take care of the trees, branches and brush that have fallen on their properties.”
The service is available to Kentwood residents only. Staff will be on-site checking for proof of residency and appropriate materials. Materials that cannot be accepted include paper and plastic bags, trash, dirt, concrete, asphalt, tires, rocks, stones, construction materials, glass and metal.
Residents can report downed tree limbs and other debris obstructing city streets to the Department of Public Works at 616-554-0817 or 911. Non-emergency street or sidewalk concerns can be reported online at kentwood.us/psr/index.php.
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park announced today, Aug. 11, that the Friday, Aug. 13, concert with Mat Kearney has been postponed until Sept. 8 due to a positive test for COVID-19 by the singer.
And while Kearney is full vaccinated, and is in good health, he is exercising caution.
Mat Kearney. (Supplied)
“Despite my best efforts, I have tested positive for COVID-19. I’m thankfully vaccinated, and just feeling a bit under the weather,” Kearney said in supplied material. “For the health and safety of the band, crew and fans, we will be rescheduling Friday’s show … I’m so bummed. I’ve only missed one show in my life, and can’t wait to see you all again.”
(He also asked for “Your binge-worthy tv recommendations,” and we respectively suggest “Queen’s Gambit”, if not already on his board.)
Tickets purchased for the Aug.13 concert will be honored on Sept. 8, according to the Meijer Gardens statement. But for those who cannot attend the Sept. 8, refunds will be available through Etix through Aug. 20. Please note, according to the statement, ticket fees are non-refundable. To request a refund, please click visit bit.ly/KearneyRefundRequest.
Any returned tickets for the sold-out show will be available for purchase beginning on Aug. 21 via Etix.com.
More than 20 regional businesses will showcase their goods and services during the return of the Black-Owned Business Showcase at Woodland Mall on Saturday, Aug. 14 — and there are still booths available.
The event enjoyed a strong response from the local community at its debut in 2020, according to an announcement from the mall, and will again feature booths with Black-owned businesses offering fashion apparel, food, shoes, jewelry, cosmetics, kitchen items, gifts, stationery and cards, financial planning, health and wellness items, photography, home services and goods, and more.
Shoppers will be able to browse, sample, buy and connect during the day-long showcase from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
“In response to strong consumer demand, we are so pleased to offer this showcase for a second consecutive year,” Mikia Ross, interim senior marketing director for Woodland Mall, said in supplied material. “We appreciate the opportunity to open the mall’s doors to support Black-owned businesses serving our community. There will truly be something for everyone at this event, and we look forward to welcoming these entrepreneurs and their companies.”
Woodland Mall is owned by PREIT, which launched its Support Black-Owned Business and Brands 365 in February as part of an ongoing effort to spotlight Black-owned entrepreneurs and brands within its portfolio of top-tier and region-leading properties in eight states.
Woodland is one of 10 PREIT properties to offer a Black-Owned Business Showcase in August. PREIT properties have hosted activities throughout the year, including art exhibits, documentary screenings and food festivals, as a way to highlight the importance of Black-owned businesses and brands.
Gil Romeyn, a World War II veteran pilot and current resident of Kentwood’s Breton Woods of Holland Home, remembers in great detail his training to fly with the Army Air Corps in 1942. And he also remembers his first airplane with a bit of humor.
Romeyn was one of nine veterans from the local independent living facility who were treated to a flight in a restored 1940 Boeing Stearman biplane Aug. 6 as part of a Dream Flight event at the Sparta airport offered the non-profit Dream Flights program and Breton Woods of Holland Home.
A 1940 Boeing Stearman biplane in flight, at right, from another day of Dream Flights. (Supplied)
“That’s the type of plane I learned to fly in the United States Army Air Corps in World War II,” Romeyn, who served in the precursor of the U.S. Air Force from 1941-45, said to WKTV after his flight. “We started with that aircraft (the Stearman), then went to basic flight training — that’s the (Vultee) BT-13.
“Then we went to advanced, that’s an (Beechcraft) AT-10, a multi-engine (aircraft),” he said, going into great detail. “Then I went to a (Douglas) C-47 transport plane — that’s where I flew in the war zone. North Africa, Italy.”
And while the flight “brought back pleasant memories,” Romeyn said, he also found a little humor in his being in the back in the cockpit — how low he sat in the seat this time. (For a video of Romeyn detailing why he sat lower, and why it was humorous, see video above and here.)
The restored WWII-era biplane stop is part of Operation September Freedom, a barnstorming event led by nonprofit Dream Flights.
Dream Flights pilot Marcus Smith, left, with veteran Martin Sharda, after a flight on restored 1940 Boeing Stearman biplane. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
The Holland Home veterans are among the 100,000 members of the “Greatest Generation” — World War II veterans — still alive today, according to supplied material. They are also among the 1,000 or so WWII veterans located in more than 300 US cities that will be honored during Dream Flights’ 61-day tour that began Aug. 1.
According to supplied material, when Dream Flights was told that Holland Home has 11 WWII veterans, the organization said they have never had so many veterans participate from a single senior living community. The oldest veteran participating in 98 and the youngest is 95.
Holland Home bused the veterans, as well as spouses and other veteran residents to the airport, and families and friends are also invited to attend. In addition to the flights, there was also a noontime ceremony with a color guard, national anthem and lunch served.
History in the air
Flying the Stearman out of Paul Miller Airport in Sparta for each of the about 30-minute Dream Flights was pilot Marcus Smith, who works for Dream Flights, out of Carson City, Nevada.
Dream Flights pilot Marcus Smith. (WKTV)
“It was a World War II trainer. … It was the original primary trainer, the first airplane that they flew,” Smith said to WKTV in between flights. “If they did not solo with the airplane within eight to 10 hours of flight time, they were washed out of the program. From there, they went into advanced training, after that they went into either bombers or fighters.”
And the history of this specific restored aircraft?
“This specific airplane was used by the U.S. Army Air Corps for training pilots. Then afterwards it as sold for surplus and in 1946 it was bought by the president of our foundation’s grandfather,” Smith said. “So this specific airplane has been in the family ever since. From then on, it was a crop duster — they put metal wings on it, they put 600 horsepower on it, and they dusted crops in Washington state for a long time. And then after that, it was restored to its original condition and now it is on the road with us fulfilling our mission.”
According to Dream Flights official webpage, the mission of the organization is “honoring military veterans and seniors with the adventure of a lifetime: a flight in a Boeing Stearman biplane.
“As we make these heroes wishes come true, our Dream Flights inspire them to share their stories. We collect, preserve and share those stories of how they survived through times of great strife to remind us of our shared humanity, our connection to each other and the value of listening. Our Dream Flights close the generation gap and open us up to a clearer understanding of ourselves and our world.”
The Kent County Health Department announced Friday that the Jamestown Canyon virus has been detected in tested mosquitoes in Kent County. The discovery was made during ongoing surveillance and testing conducted by the health department in the 49504 ZIP code (westside Grand Rapids and Walker).
This is the first time the Jamestown Canyon virus has been detected in Kent County, and the county stresses that the finding was not a human case but in planned mosquito testing.
“Jamestown Canyon virus is similar to West Nile virus in a couple different ways: one is that they are both transmitted by mosquitoes and that they are both quite serious,” Paul Bellamy, KCHD public health epidemiologist, said to WKTV. “However, they differ in the amount that we see them here in the midwest. West Nile virus has been occurring, reoccurring for many years. Jamestown Canyon virus has only been seen over the last (few) years. … over the last decade, we have seen an uptick in the amount of mosquito-born viruses across the U.S. This is one of the symptoms of that (mosquito population increase).”
For a detailed discussion on how Jamestown Canyon virus was discovered, and why Bellamy believes it happened now, see video at top or here.
West Nile and Jamestown viruses can also have similar symptoms, but also are similar in the rarity of their causing serious illness, Bellamy said.
“Both have very similar presentations, as far as when people do become ill,” he said. “A lot of them are asymptotic, but those that do have … fevers, malaise, chills, like that. But it has the potential of becoming serious. … (But) Jamestown Canyon virus has a very low potential of having that happen.”
While the virus has been detected throughout much of the United States, most cases to date have occurred in the upper Midwest. Jamestown Canyon virus can rarely cause severe disease, including infection of the brain (encephalitis) or the lining around the brain (meningitis). There are no vaccines to prevent or medicines to treat Jamestown Canyon virus infection.
“Fortunately, the measures that people can take to protect themselves from other mosquito borne illnesses like West Nile Virus will work,” Bellamy said in supplied material. “This time of year, it is good to practice simple and proven steps that we already know work in preventing mosquito bites.”
The KCHD recommends the following prevention tactics: using a mosquito repellant that contains 10-35 percent DEET; wearing light colored clothing and long-sleeved shirts and pants; staying indoors during dusk hours; remove or refresh water in bird baths, children’s wading pools, pet water bowls; and empty other small containers that can collect water in your yard.
The City of Kentwood Farmers Market is seeking five competitors for its first-ever Charcuterie Challenge, described in a city statement as “a food assembly showdown using only farmers market ingredients” and slated for Thursday, Aug. 12.
Individuals who are interested in the competition must submit an online application by Monday, Aug. 9. The market will select up to five challengers out of the group of applicants to each receive $25 and 30 minutes to shop the market and assemble a one-of-a-kind charcuterie board using only those purchased ingredients.
The beauty of food will be on display and the Kentwood Farmers Market’s “Charcuterie Challenge”. (WKTV)
“Charcuterie has become such a fun, popular way to display and enjoy a variety of food,” farmers market manager Kristina Colby said in supplied material. “We are looking forward to seeing all the creative ways challengers showcase local foods found at the Kentwood Farmers Market and use the beautiful, handmade charcuterie boards Handcrafted by Fellow is suppling for the competition.”
In the French tradition, charcuterie (pronounced “shahr-ku-tuh-ree”) is the art of preparing and assembling cured meats and meat products. The idea of charcuterie has evolved over the years to include an assortment of meats, cheeses, veggies and other items.
The “friendly” competition will take place during the Farmers Market, from 5-5:30 p.m., behind Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave. SE, and the boards will remain on display until 7:30 p.m. Marketgoers can watch the competitors build their boards and then vote for their favorite. The winner will receive a gift courtesy of the Kentwood Farmers Market.
Handcrafted by Fellows, a husband-and-wife duo, will be on-site selling their charcuterie boards and other handmade wood decor items. An additional 20 vendors will be at the market, from 4:30-7:30 p.m., selling staples such as fresh produce, cheese, honey, jam, bread and more. Food trucks El Jalapeño and Ohana Hawaiian Ice will also be on-site. Live music entertainment by Just Jill will be available 6-7 p.m.
In its seventh season, the Kentwood Farmers Market provides the community weekly opportunities each summer to buy a variety of goods from local vendors. This year’s market is offered every Thursday, 4:30-7:30 p.m., behind Kentwood City Hall. In addition to exploring an array of items for purchase, marketgoers can enjoy free classes and special events tied into the market’s schedule.
Other special events planned in August include: On Aug. 19, Makers and Crafters Day featuring more than 40 vendors, with a free concert at 7 p.m. featuring The Soul Syndicate; and on Aug. 26, free yoga at 6 p.m.
Police and the community mixed at Ada Bible Church on East Paris Avenue as part of the City of Kentwood’s National Night Out celebration. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
Police and the community mixed at Ada Bible Church on East Paris Avenue as part of the City of Kentwood’s National Night Out celebration. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
Police and the community mixed at Ada Bible Church on East Paris Avenue as part of the City of Kentwood’s National Night Out celebration. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
Police and the community mixed at Ada Bible Church on East Paris Avenue as part of the City of Kentwood’s National Night Out celebration. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
Police and the community mixed at Ada Bible Church on East Paris Avenue as part of the City of Kentwood’s National Night Out celebration. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
Police and the community mixed at Ada Bible Church on East Paris Avenue as part of the City of Kentwood’s National Night Out celebration. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
Police and the community mixed at Ada Bible Church on East Paris Avenue as part of the City of Kentwood’s National Night Out celebration. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
The City of Kentwood’s National Night Out community celebration this week had police and other city personal at more than 15 locations throughout the city, but events at three local churches clearly showed a shared desire to engage the community after a long period of pandemic distancing.
On the evening of Aug. 3, at Ada Bible Church on East Paris Avenue — which along with Faith Baptist Church and Pentecostals Church on 44th Street hosted special large scale events — Kentwood Police Chief Richard Roberts and Ada Bible pastor Jason Ross talked to WKTV about their shared focus on the community.
Kentwood police Chief Richard Roberts and Ada Bible Church Pastor Jason Ross, at the church’s National Night Out event. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“What we share, is we desire to connect with the community in a positive way,” pastor Ross said. “We can do that as a church. We can also do that with the people, within Ada Bible Church, as well as in the community. … We want you to feel like you are welcome here.”
Chief Roberts also talked about the shared focus and the great opportunity of interacting with the community at local churches.
“We are privileged to be invited to Ada Bible Church … This just gives us a great opportunity, especially given this past year, for us to all come out and celebrate in a special way on National Night Out,” Chief Roberts said.
McGruff and a future Detroit Lions fan had a moment at Woodland Mall. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
The City of Kentwood was truly bustling with block parties, neighborhood events and other activities — including a special presence at Woodland Mall — on National Night Out, a nationwide annual event that “promotes community-police partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make communities safer.”
Kentwood police officers, firefighters and city leaders joined residents, who had the opportunity to explore police cruisers, fire engines and other emergency response vehicles at events, as well as learn about a variety of safety topics.
“Positive interactions with residents are invaluable for fostering strong community relationships and safer neighborhoods,” Chief Roberts previously said in supplied material. “National Night Out creates a wonderful opportunity to bring officers and community members together in a fun and relaxing setting. Members of our department always look forward to getting to know residents better and encourage more open lines of communication.”
National Night Out was created in the 1980s through an established network of law enforcement agencies, neighborhood watch groups, crime prevention associations and volunteers across the nation. It began with a goal to promote safer, better neighborhoods by uniting community members and police against neighborhood crimes.
The Accidentals, talking to WKTV early this year, said they could not wait to leave their pandemic quiet places in their hometown of Traverse City and get back on the road — but they were productive in their time off.
“We found things that work for us and found things that didn’t work for us,” Savannah “Sav” Buist — who along with Katie Larson and Michael Dause make up The Accidentals — said to WKTV in May. “But I think it was just nice to have the time … We toured so consistently that when we come home Katie and I just tend to spit out songs within a week and then not really look back. It was nice to look back … I learned to take my time, to come back to a song.”
Back on the road with their usual hectic pace of concerts across Michigan and the region, the band will be making a stop Thursday, Aug. 5, at the outdoor Kentwood Summer Concerts free series hitting the stage at 7 p.m.
And songs familiar and new will be on the set list.
The Accidentals (Supplied/Courtesy Aryn Madigan)
“Might As Well Be Gold” is one of the new songs, included on the “TIME OUT (Session 1), which was released May 7. The EP is a collection of songs which includes the single “Wildfire”, co-written by Kim Richey — who has worked with the likes ofTrisha Yearwood, Radney Foster, Brooks & Dunn — and which is getting The Accidentals a fair amount of national notice and airplay.
The Kentwood Summer Concert Series has one more Thursday night date, a rescheduled night with The Soul Syndicate on Aug. 19.
While most of the series of concerts have been livestreamed by WKTV, contractual restrictions by the band’s record label will prevent The Accidentals from being shown live or on-demand.
All concerts will begin at 7 p.m., and conclude around 8:30 p.m., on the lawn behind Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave. SE. Concertgoers are encouraged to bring a blanket or chair. Each concert will feature food trucks, which will have food and beverages available for purchase. Guests may also bring their own food and beer or wine.
All are also invited to visit the Kentwood Farmers Market, which overlaps with the concert schedule as the market will take place 4:30-7:30 p.m. each Thursday in front of the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE.
“Democracy is about voting and it’s about a majority vote. And it’s time that we started exercising the Democratic process.”
Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow
Voters at the voting booth. (Photo by Jeff Miller/UW-Madison)
Voting in Kentwood and Wyoming
There will be contested primary elections happening in both Kentwood and Wyoming, with a Kentwood City Commission race possibly settled, and local Democrats and Republicans set to decide who from their part will be on the ballot for a State Senate seat up for final vote in the fall. Go here for the story.
National Night Out is all about getting people out and mixing with local public service employees including police and firefighters. (NATA.org)
Night out in Kentwood
The City of Kentwood will be bustling with block parties, neighborhood events and other activities as part of the city-and-community celebration of National Night Out, a nationwide annual event that “promotes community-police partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make communities safer.” Go here for the story.
Night out in Wyoming
A change for this year’s Wyoming National Night Out event will be that the city will host two main sites — Grand Rapids First, 2100 44th St. SW, and Grace Christian University, 1011 Alden St. SW. Both locations will be open from 5 to 7 p.m. Go here for the story.
Fun fact:
71
Number of cities in Michigan which have registered to be involved in National Night Out. Source.
It is fitting, for many reasons, that Ani Di Franco’s just released album is titled “Revolutionary Love” — one reason being the fact that the musician and social activist has a long history of writing songs as reflections of not only her personal life but also society at large.
It is also fitting, as the audience will see Aug. 23 when Di Franco hits the stage at Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, that the new release is on her Righteous Babe Records label.
Ani Di Franco. (Daymon Gardner)
With the current divisions and strife in our world, Di Franco states that “Revolutionary Love” is necessary now, for her and for the message she wants to bring.
“It’s about carrying the energy of love and compassion into the center of our social movements and making it the driving force,” Di Franco said in supplied material. “It’s about finding it within ourselves to stay curious about our opponents instead of shutting down.”
Tickets for the Meijer Gardens show are still available. Visit more information visit meijergardens.org.
Di Franco wrote many of the new tracks on the road prior to returning home to New Orleans in February 2020 — just days before the touring music businesses shut down.
While the country soon encountered COVID and solitary lives, Di Franco felt the urgent need to collaborate creatively and record the new music. After being off the road due to the pandemic, Di Franco is back on tour beginning Aug. 19, and her stop at the Fifth Third Banks Summer Concerts series will be one of her first shows. Elizabeth Moen is expected to open.
“My songs have always reflected an acute connection between my personal life and the life of my society,” Di Franco said in supplied material. “As I started to come out of dealing with years of personal hardship, I saw that my entire country was struggling with the same problems: the same themes of how much damage we do to each other and how much pain we’re carrying, and the same question of how to keep going when we’re so broken.”
Inspiration for new music came from another activist
With its exploration of so many complex emotional states — forgiveness, shame, empathy, resilience — “Revolutionary Love” opens on its title track, a “profoundly resolute” piece inspired by Sikh-American activist/filmmaker/lawyer/author Valarie Kaur.
Album cover of Ani DiFranco’s “Revolutionary Love”. (Supplied)
“A lot of the language in that song comes from Kaur’s book ‘See No Stranger’,” saidDiFranco, who connected with Kaur after watching a talk she’d given in the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election.
Throughout “Revolutionary Love — the song and the collection — DiFranco hits a potent balance of determination and dreamy reflection, a dynamic that echoes one of the central lessons of Kaur’s teachings: “If we don’t push, we will die. If we don’t breathe, we will die.”
“I wanted to have these moments where, after you acknowledge all the insanity and the strife, we step back and shake off that anxiety and fear,” DiFranco said. “We all need that quiet space to reconnect with ourselves and our hope.”
A little history, a little video
While sometimes considered a feminist icon, Grammy winner Ani Di Franco is the mother of the DIY recording movement, being one of the first artists to create her own record label in 1990. While she has been known as the “Little Folksinger,” her music has embraced punk, funk, hip hop, jazz, soul, electronica and even more distant sounds.
Her collaborators have included everyone from Utah Phillips to legendary R&B saxophonist Maceo Parker to Prince. She has shared stages with Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Seeger, Kris Kristofferson, Greg Brown, Billy Bragg, Michael Franti, Chuck D. and many more.
Di Franco also recently released “Revolutionary Love: Live at Big Blue”, a 95-minute concert documentary film from herself, Terence Higgins and special guest Ivan Neville, and is available for download and on CD via the Righteous Babe store and Bandcamp.
But, heck, see the Righteous Babe live if you can.
At a special announcement at Woodland Mall this week, new mall movie-theater tenant Phoenix Theaters’ management team made clear that “big company” high-tech visuals, solid sound and premium seats will be the standard when the mall’s theater building reopens as early as this fall.
But Phoenix Theatres CEO Cory Jacobson also made clear to the small crowd at the mall Tuesday, July 27, that, in his “small” movie-theater company, families come first at Phoenix and in its theaters, and COO John Scanlan, talking to WKTV, made clear that Phoenix’s nimble “small” company structure is one of the reasons they were able to take advantage of the Woodland Mall opportunity.
Phoenix Theatres CEO Cory Jacobson. (WKTV)
The company is a 21-year-old independently owned movie theatre company that plans to invest $4 million to refurbish the 14-screen theatre, according to supplied material, a project which will expand a company which operates several theaters in Southeast Michigan as well as one each in Iowa and Massachusetts.
It is also a company which prides itself on having employees who have worked their way up from taking tickets and popping popcorn, to top-level management.
“All these people have something in common. They have all worked for our company for many, many years,” Jacobson said as he introduced his management team to the crowd at Woodland Mall. “All of the senior staff started out popping popcorn, ripping tickets, selling concession items.”
After Jacobson and others of the management team talked to the Woodland Mall crowd about his company’s “family” outlook, and his theaters’ amenities including plush twin seats that can be opened up for customer “families,” Scanlan also talked to WKTV about how being a now-not-so-small family-owned company allowed it to move quickly when the Woodland Mall opportunity presented itself. (See complete discussion in video below.)
“We are still nimble enough to pivot, and move, and we all work so closely together that we are able to make these decision fairly quickly,” Scanlon said. “We have one owner (Cory Jacobson), we do not have to worry about having a group thought. … Cory can make decisions on the fly and that allows us to make decisions on the fly as well.”
Phoenix Theatres at Woodland Mall is the first major post-pandemic theatre investment in West Michigan, “signaling renewed confidence in the strength of this property and the regional economy,” according to PREIT, the mall’s parent company.
For Phoenix Theatres CEO Jacobson, the Woodland Mall expansion just felt right from the moment he first visited.
“Phoenix Theatres has always been a neighborhood theatre company, and that’s something we’re very proud of,” Jacobson said in supplied material. “After spending several weeks exploring the city, we felt very much at home in the culture of the community. Movie theatres are places where people come together to enjoy themselves. Creating an environment that celebrates community has always been our highest goal.”
After the renovations at the Woodland Mall location, the theater will be a 14-screen theatre within the 47,000-square-foot building, and will feature all-new premium reclining heated seating, 4K digital projection, Dolby Atmos, first-run movies and “family-friendly pricing.”
If you were thinking about getting tickets to see St. Cecilia Music Center’s first live folk concert in more than 18 months, Grammy award winning singer/songwriter Marc Cohn’s twice rescheduled visit on Aug. 21, the venue has a deal for you.
To mark the first live show since March 2020, St. Cecilia announced this week that tickets to Cohn’s performance were available with a “buy one, get one free” offer. The deal is only good through Friday, July 30, however.
Marc Cohn concert tickets are $40 and $45 and can be purchased by calling St. Cecilia Music Center at 616-459-2224 or visiting the box office at 24 Ransom Ave. NE. Tickets can also be purchased online at scmc-online.org.
Since Cohn was last at St. Cecilia, in Spring 2017, he has spent time on the road with legendary Michael McDonald, worked closely with David Crosby and other American music greats including soul survivor William Bell, who won his first Grammy at age 78 with Marc’s help in creating Bell’s celebrated album, “This is Where I Live”.
In August 2019, just months before the pandemic shutdown and his originally scheduled visit to St. Cecilia, Cohn released a soul/gospel/pop album “Work to Do”, along with Grammy Award winners Blind Boys of Alabama. The album’s collection “combined Cohn’s unique vocal and songwriting talents with the sanctified genius of these veteran gospel stars,” according to supplied material.
Cohn originally rose to musical fame when he won the Grammy for his soulful ballad “Walking in Memphis,” and since that time he has solidified his place as one of this generation’s “most compelling singer-songwriters, combining the precision of a brilliant tunesmith with the passion of a great soul man,” according to supplied material.
No less of a singer/songwriter than Bonnie Raitt reportedly said, “Marc is one of the most soulful, talented artists I know. I love his songs, he’s an incredible singer, and I marvel at his ability to mesmerize every audience he plays for.”
The City of Kentwood will be bustling with block parties, neighborhood events and other activities Tuesday, Aug. 3, as part of the city-and-community celebration of National Night Out, a nationwide annual event that “promotes community-police partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make communities safer.”
According to information provided by the city, National Night Out encourages people to turn their porch lights on and come outside to meet their neighbors, as well as community leaders, police and fire department personnel who will be out and about. The city also “encourages residents to continue to follow current public health guidelines.”
Kentwood police officers, firefighters and city leaders will join residents at more than 15 gatherings, most of which will take place between 6-8 p.m. Residents will have the opportunity to explore police cruisers, fire engines and other emergency response vehicles at events, as well as learn about a variety of safety topics.
“Positive interactions with residents are invaluable for fostering strong community relationships and safer neighborhoods,” Kentwood Police Chief Richard Roberts said in supplied material. “National Night Out creates a wonderful opportunity to bring officers and community members together in a fun and relaxing setting. Members of our department always look forward to getting to know residents better and encourage more open lines of communication.”
The Kentwood Police Department will once again partner with Woodland Mall to offer community members an up-close look at police vehicles inside the mall, from 3-5 p.m. Shoppers will be able to learn about and explore a police cruiser and motorcycle and enjoy giveaways.
In addition, several community-based events will be hosted throughout the evening and feature a variety of free activities, including appearances from McGruff the Crime Dog. Among the major event locations are:
Ada Bible Church, 1640 East Paris Ave. SE, which will offer food and activities from 5-8 p.m.
Faith Baptist Church, 1412 44th St. SE, which will have food trucks, live bands and prizes from 7-9 p.m.
Pentecostals Church, 2627 44th St. SE, which will host a party from 6-8 p.m., featuring a bounce house, food and games.
“National Night Out’s message of neighborhood connections and the importance of caring for one another is right in line with Kentwood’s community effort,” Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley said in supplied material. “The City’s leadership team is looking forward to a fun evening connecting with residents, celebrating community and learning about ways we can work together to keep Kentwood a wonderful and safe place to call home.”
More information about National Night Out events in Kentwood is available at kentwood.us/NNO.
National Night Out was created in the 1980s through an established network of law enforcement agencies, neighborhood watch groups, crime prevention associations and volunteers across the nation. It began with a goal to promote safer, better neighborhoods by uniting community members and police against neighborhood crimes.
All sides within the Kent County courts’ criminal trials system know that after more than a 18 months of a pandemic-related pause of in-person trials there will be issues as courts slowly resume a courtroom calendar — most especially a backlog of criminal and civil cases awaiting trial, a backlog that could take more than a year to clear.
All Kent County courts handing criminal trials — from the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood’s smaller 62A and 62B district courts, to the larger countywide 63rd District and 17th Circuit courts — are now scheduling trials.
Kentwood’s 62B recently reported it held its first in-person trial in June and currently has a dozen or so scheduled through the end of the year — “We have a slight back log of cases waiting trial … All other hearings are current at 62B District Court,” a spokesperson for Judge Amanda Sterkenburg’s office told WKTV.
The 63rd District Court, however, will not begin criminal trials until mid-August, and their backlog could stretch out well into 2022 before a “sense of normal” returns, a situation most larger courts across the state are facing.
63rd district court Judge Sara J. Smolenski (Kent County)
“What is a sense of normal in the court system, that is a good question,” 63rd district court Judge Sara J. Smolenski said to WKTV. “Obviously, the pandemic has taken its toll on every aspect of our lives. Here at the Court, we are working daily to have things be more normal or resume to normal, but it is constantly evolving. A good guess would hopefully be by the end of 2021.”
While Judge Smolenski is, maybe, optimistic about the backlog, the leaders of the two criminal trial lawyer groups often in opposition in the courtroom — the Kent County Prosecutor’s Office and Kent County Office of the Defender — are not so optimistic.
“It will take at least a year to get back to ‘normal’ in my estimation,” Prosecutor Chris Becker said to WKTV. “There is such a backlog of cases, while adding new ones through all of this, there just is not an easy and fast way to catch up. It is going to take time to work through all of them.”
“Misdemeanors (in District Court) are a little better positioned for returning to normal sooner than felonies in Circuit Court,” Chris Dennie, Director, Kent County Office of the Defender, said to WKTV. “Even though there is quite a backlog, I can see getting close to usual in about a year.”
In general, the Kent County District Court system handles trials of civil suits involving $25,000 or less, and adult criminal misdemeanor offenses punishable by up to one year’s imprisonment. The Kent County Circuit Court is the trial court in all civil cases involving more than $25,000, in all criminal cases where the offense is a felony or a serious misdemeanor, as well as all domestic relations cases, and all child abuse, neglect, and delinquency cases.
No shortcuts in criminal cases during pandemic
All sides in the county’s legal system also make clear that while judges and opposing lowers have been “creative” is handling cases during the pandemic, nothing has been done to simply push cases through.
“Every case is dealt with on an individual basis,” Judge Smolenski said. “The right to a speedy trial is very important, but no one has ever been through a pandemic like this where for many months you couldn’t bring jurors together for a case. Defense attorneys and prosecutors are working together to resolve the cases that can be resolved.”
Prosecutor Becker and Defender Dennie might argue that judicial point, however.
“The judges have tried to encourage resolving cases throughout the pause in jury trials,” Dennie said. “However, the prosecutors (both county and city) must be willing and the offices have made it clear they do not want to have what they call a “fire sale” on cases. There has been some work to resolve cases, but not enough to make a big difference.”
“I’ve told my staff to know and go over their cases and make the best possible offer they can, without violating the norms of what we do,” Becker said. “I’m sure if I offered a misdemeanor larceny $200-1,000 to someone charged with an armed robbery felony, they would take that deal. We could ‘catch up’ the docket pretty quick that way. We are not going to do that however; we still have to consider plea offers in relationship to long term public safety and the victims who were impacted by the crime.
“We have done things around the edges more, we have given more sentence recommendations perhaps, but nothing extreme. Judges have gotten involved more as well in this area.”
Backlog not only problem awaiting return to ‘normal’
Two other issues which could come into play with the resumption of jury trials after about 18-months is the as-yet resolved issue of defendants not gaining a “speedy” trial during and of a possible reluctance of citizen jurors returning to their civic duties live and in the courtrooms.
Becker, however, does not think the denial of a speedy trial will be a big issue, but he does hedge his bets a bit.
The idea “has been raised in other places, and I’m sure it will be brought up again. So I can’t say it is a settled part of the law at all,” Becker said. “I’m not sure how successful it will be however, when you had the (State of Michigan) Supreme Court saying trials were not allowed for a large portion of the pandemic. It is fairly unprecedented, but not sure how you can hold a trial when being told not do by the people who run the court system to some extent.”
However, when it comes to the issue of juror reluctance, Judge Smolenski, Prosecutor Becker and Defender Dennie each expressed concern.
“It has been the jury trials, wherein we were prohibited from having groups of jurors in the courtroom, that has become our biggest focus to resolve,” Judge Smolenski said.
“Not sure (but) hearing reports in other areas of larger amount of jurors not showing up when summoned when things re-started,” Becker said. There is “still fear out there, and people may not want to show up in a public area when ordered to. So it will be interesting to see how jurors respond when called to serve.”
And that possible lack of ‘a jury of peers” is particularly of concern to Defender Dennie.
“Defense attorneys have been very concerned about getting a fair and true cross section of the community for the jury pools,” Dennie said. “I’ve been told that in practice, so far, as they send out jury summons, very few people are asking to be released. So we remain concerned, but hopeful, that our clients are able to have fair juries.
It is no coincidence that guitarist and vocalist David Gerald likes to call his tight, taught guitar-bass-drum group a “Power Trio” — seeing him on video, hearing him on vinyl, tells you he knows that his hometown Detroit blues, R&B and rock sound is all about bringing the power to the stage.
Which, we can assume, he and his trio will do, Thursday, July 29, as they visit the outdoor Kentwood Summer Concert free series for a 7 p.m. gig.
Gerald also knows all about the blues, coming from a family that lived it, and grabbing the power, from a father who grabbed it.
Gerald is the son of rural Mississippi born and raised parents, and while he was born in Detroit, the youngest of 11 children, six of his siblings were born and partly raised in Mississippi.
David Gerald. (Courtesy of David Gerald)
“Because segregation and racial discrimination were so bad in Mississippi at the time, my dad moved the family north to Detroit when he was 33, so we’d have a better chance at the American dream,” Gerald said in supplied material.
And Gerald’s version of the American Dream is playing his beloved Detroit-sound music — what he calls “blues-infused rock and soul hybrid” — with his lead guitar a central figure since he first pickup one up at age 14.
“I was lucky enough to have a neighbor who was a guitarist and gave me scrap guitars. I would piece them together and build ‘Frankenstein’ guitars,” Gerald said. “They were horrible to play and sounded bad, but I had to play music. It was and is my destiny. I finally scraped up enough money to buy an old amp and I was happy.”
After cutting his teeth and honing his guitar skills in the 1980s, he says he began to explore the music of blues guitar heavyweights like Albert King, ZZ Hill, B.B. King, and Stevie Ray Vaughan — and his sound “evolved and expanded to where it is today.”
His 2009 debut CD, “Hell And Back,” reached #1 on Roots Music Report’s Blues Chart for Michigan based artists and remained in the top 20 for many weeks in a row. His newest album, “N2U”, was released in April 2018.
“N2U” had “been a long time coming,” he said. “I put together these songs for myself, my friends and supporters. It’s all about new thoughts, new experiences and deeply felt emotions. I hope everyone who listens can find something that touches them. Something they can relate to.”
For more information on the David Gerald Band, visit davidgerald.com.
The Kentwood Summer Concert Series has two more Thursday night dates: The Accidentals on Aug. 5 and a rescheduled night with The Soul Syndicate on Aug. 19.
Concerts will be livestreamed by WKTV for those who would prefer to enjoy the performances from home.
Before the music starts, get a little treat at Kentwood Farmers Market. (WKTV/K/D. Norris)
All concerts will begin at 7 p.m., and conclude around 8:30 p.m., on the lawn behind Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave. SE. Concertgoers are encouraged to bring a blanket or chair. Each concert will feature food trucks, which will have food and beverages available for purchase. Guests may also bring their own food and beer or wine.
All are also invited to visit the Kentwood Farmers Market, which overlaps with the concert schedule as the market will take place 4:30-7:30 p.m. each Thursday in front of the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE.
Brendan Earl, Kent County Parks’ supervising sanitarian, further discussed the relationship between dead birds and the virus, and what to do if people find dead birds. (Kent County Health Department)
It has long been known that dead birds can be a sign of West Nile virus infected mosquitoes in the area, and there has been reports in Kent County of dead birds with no obvious injury. But today the Kent County Health Department confirmed that West Nile virus has been detected in tested mosquitoes — not in an infected human — in the county.
According to an health department announcement July 22, the confirmation was made “during ongoing surveillance and testing” conducted by the Kent County Health Department (KCHD) The discovery comes after testing pools of mosquitoes that were trapped by the health department in the 49506 ZIP code (East Grand Rapids and area).
Brendan Earl, Kent County Parks’ supervising sanitarian, discussed with WKTV the relationship between dead birds and West Nile virus, and why the county is focused on testing live mosquitoes rather than dead birds.
A file photo of a Kent County technician testing mosquitoes for West Nile virus. (KCHD)
“Generally it (the virus) goes from mosquitoes to birds, and then (mosquitoes) to humans,” Earl said to WKTV. “It used to be you brought in a dead bird and you tested the bird, because finding a dead bird is pretty obvious, right, and concerning for most people.
“Here at the health department, we like to look at the mosquito because it is a step before the bird. It is more preventive, it allows us to realize that West Nile is in the environment, in our county, so we can get the word out and take proper precautions to prevent the transmission into humans.”
Additionally, Earl said, finding positive tests in dead birds is a delayed indicator of the virus’ presence.
“When a mosquito bites and transfers the virus into a bird, they act as a host. Now any mosquito that bites the bird will now, itself, become infected. So that will amplify the number of mosquitoes the are positive. Unlike humans, who are dead-end hosts — so if we have West Nile virus and a mosquito bites us, we are not going to transmit the virus to the mosquito.”
(Earl further discussed the relationship between dead birds and the virus, and what to do if people find dead birds, in the video above. This is a link to to report dead birds to the state.)
West Nile and human infection
Humans may be ‘dead-end’ hosts, as Earl said, and rarely have severe consequences from infection unless the person is already immune compromised, according to the Centers for Disease Control. But that does not mean precautions are not advised.
A mosquito’s bite could lead to infection with West Nile virus. (CDC)
“This discovery is important because it lets us know that this season’s mosquitoes are now carrying the virus and it could spread to humans,” Paul Bellamy, KCHD public health epidemiologist. “It is important for people to take precautions to prevent mosquito bites as much as possible.”
West Nile virus is spread primarily by infected Culex mosquitoes, according to KCHD. Only about 20 percent of the people infected will notice symptoms that may include headache, body aches, joint pains, and fatigue.
Most people with West Nile virus completely recover, but fatigue may linger. About 1 in 150 people infected develop severe illness that can affect the central nervous system. Recovery from West Nile virus may take several months. Some damage to the central nervous system can be permanent. In rare instances the disease can lead to death.
Since there is no vaccine or cure for West Nile virus, the best treatment is prevention. KCHD recommends the following measures:
Wear a mosquito repellant that contains 10 to 35 percent DEET.
Wear light colored clothing and stay indoors during dusk to reduce your risk of being bitten.
Remove or refresh water in bird baths, children’s wading pools, water bowls for your pets, and empty other small containers that can collect water in your yard.
More information about prevention can be found at accesskent.com.
Kent County Veterans Services recently, and quite literally, opened its office doors to all county veterans and families in need of support and services. And the office is making sure the “all” in “all county veterans” includes female veterans.
To that end, the office is hosting the first of what it plans to be annual Female Veterans Banquet, July 31, at the American Legion Boat and Canoe Club in Grand Rapids. RSVPs are requested by Friday, July 23.
The banquet, a semi-formal affair with the fun of dinner and dancing, and the distinguished speaking of the honorable Rosemary Aqualina, JD, and United States Air Force veteran; and Deborah Brown, DMD and MHS, and U.SA. Army Veteran. It will run 6-11 p.m.
It will also be a night to celebrate female veterans, an often under-celebrated group of veterans.
“The idea for the banquet came from former (Veterans Services Advisory Committee) chair Mel Bauman, and the committee … decided to go ahead with it as part of KCVS overall initiative to engage more female vets in activities and services that are available to them,” Martha Burkett, manager of Kent County Veterans Services, said to WKTV.
“This banquet is an opportunity to celebrate female veterans, to thank them for their service and to acknowledge them for the amazing people that they are and the sacrifices they have made.”
And while all veterans should be thanked for their service, and the sacrifices they have made, female veterans are often left out of the celebrations and recognitions. And the reasons are manyfold.
Female (and male) veterans at an art workshop. (KC Veterans Services)
“Women are less likely to publicly identify as veterans than their male counterparts, and the public does not make a great effort to engage them,” Burkett said. “Often in situations when veterans are being recognized, men will be noticed and commended — even in couples where the man and woman are both vets, the public assumes that he is a vet and she is not. If a woman is unaccompanied in such a situation, unless she is wearing clothing or patches /pins that identify her as a veteran, she is likely to be overlooked entirely.”
Another reason, just beginning to be recognized and addressed, is women in the military sometimes experience military sexual trauma, bullying, and marginalization, Burkett said.
“This is not to say that males to not have these experiences, but it happens less frequently and/or they are less likely to report. Women are also reluctant to report, fearing retaliation and invalidation by their superiors and peers. Often male colleagues will cover for each other, or the military will move the woman to another military base rather than sanctioning the man.
“They make the same sacrifices as men and often experience hostile work and or living environments. Some women have a wonderful experience in the military and are impacted very little by the concerns that I mentioned. Others are greatly impacted and often harbor un earned feelings of shame and guilt or failure about their ability or inability to cope in the environment.”
Female veterans attend an online workshop. (KC Veterans Services)
The bottom line is the a veteran is a veteran, regardless of gender, and the Female Veterans Banquet is addressing that fact.
“Women in the military are as essential and effective in their roles as men,” Burkett said. “Women in the military are smart, strong, capable, and courageous and should be recognized for their efforts accordingly.”
Kent County Veterans Services is located at 836 Fuller NE, Grand Rapids. For more information visit kentcountyveteransservices.com or call 616-632-5722.
There are times when Dalmatian Stone, bringing their soulful blues sound to the Kentwood Summer Concert Series this week, wants (or needs) to be small and tight, and times when it wants to be big and brassy.
Either way, the group — whose members make up the core of the The Stone Soul Rhythm Band — will be offering up a mix of sweet Motown soul to today’s hot funk and dance “and a whole lot of recognizable fun in between,” according to Diego Morales, the leader of what he calls his “mad musical laboratory.”
And why the two bands and two band names?
“Dalmatian Stone is its own entity as an original recording band and for special events, etc., which allows us to keep a good mix of covers with our original music,” Morales said to WKTV. “As that entity we were finding it difficult to secure as many gigs as we had hoped for since the market here really calls for cover bands and original bands need to either play for very little money or travel quite a bit.
“So we decided to resurrect my old band, The Soulz of Rhythm, to pick up extra gigs but found it easier to consolidate into something new, The Stone Soul Rhythm Band, covering songs from Motown soul, R&B through 70’s disco funk, and horn bands like Chicago, Ides of March, Lighthouse and such. … In short we can come to any venue as either entity with or without horns.”
So, while it will be the smaller Dalmatian Stone beginning on stage Thursday, July 22, Morales said “As a special treat we were planning on inviting our horn section up for the last few songs. In essence converting into The Stone Soul Rhythm Band.”
The Kentwood Summer Concert Series, which will run most Thursday nights through Aug. 19, with David Gerald on July 29, The Accidentals on Aug. 5 and a rescheduled night with The Soul Syndicate on Aug. 19.
Concerts will be livestreamed by WKTV for those who would prefer to enjoy the performances from home.
All concerts will begin at 7 p.m., and conclude around 8:30 p.m., on the lawn behind Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave. SE. Concertgoers are encouraged to bring a blanket or chair. Each concert will feature food trucks, which will have food and beverages available for purchase. Guests may also bring their own food and beer or wine.
All are also invited to visit the Kentwood Farmers Market, which overlaps with the concert schedule as the market will take place 4:30-7:30 p.m. each Thursday in front of the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE.
The Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids, a local facility previously called the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, will hold an open house of the new new facility on July 22 from 3-7 p.m., and the public is invited.
The Michigan Veteran Homes GR is located at 2950 Monroe Avenue, NE, Grand Rapids. (For a WKTV Journal story, video and photographs on the new facility, visit here.)
The event is hosted by the Michigan Department of Military and Veteran Affairs, Michigan Veteran Homes and the Michigan Veterans Facility Authority Board of Directors.
Paying respects to veterans: a Scout places a flag at a graveyard near the new Michigan Veterans Homes GR. (Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs)
“This is a wonderful opportunity for our community members, veteran service organizations, and other stakeholders to take a 30-minute tour of the new Home,” Tiffany Carr, Michigan Veteran Homes, said in supplied material. “Although our current members and their families have had the opportunity to tour the new home, we felt that it was also important to provide our community partners with the opportunity to see what we’ve been working on.
“We’re looking forward to the chance to meet with those curious about the new Home, as well as provide information about admissions, volunteer opportunities and other ways the community can help support our Heroes.”
Those interested in touring the home should RSVP by July 19 at this link or to email her at CarrT1@michigan.gov.
Construction on the new home began in April 2019. Funding for the project came from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs State Home Construction Grant Program, which contributed $40.9 million, and the state of Michigan, which covered the remaining $22 million for a total project cost of $62.9 million, according to supplied material.
The facility, which will serve 128 veterans and dependents in need of skilled nursing care, occupies 153,000 square feet and consists of four unique neighborhood buildings and a community center.
The new building is designed to provide care in a more “home-like” environment rather than the older more institutional setting that used to exist. The neighborhood buildings contain private-resident rooms with ensuite baths and feature shared living and dining spaces.
The adjacent 33,000 square foot community center is the centerpiece of the home and features therapeutic facilities for behavioral, occupational, physical and group therapy, an exam room, chapel, barbershop and salon, café bistro and gift shop. Residents will also have access to outdoor courtyards which will allow them to observe the natural surroundings the campus has to offer.
West Michigan’s veteran-care facility held a small ceremony early this year to raise a 30- by 50-foot flag just off Monroe Avenue NE across from Grand Rapids’ Riverside Park. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
The Michigan Veteran Homes (MVH), according to supplied material, is the entity that provides day-to-day operational oversight of the state’s veteran homes on behalf of the Michigan Veterans Facility Authority and is a branch of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
The MVH operates the Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids, the Michigan Veteran Homes D.J. Jacobetti in Marquette and the new Michigan Veteran Homes at Chesterfield Township.
It is a City of Grand Rapids alleyway which will eventually bear the name of a local Latina woman and which the Latino Community Coalition hopes “will honor our rich history and the women to whom many families owe their legacies here in Grand Rapids.”
But the Latino Community Coalition knows that a woman who made an impact in Grand Rapids may well have lived and had family anywhere in West Michigan.
“Gentrification and displacement has been a significant factor shaping our migration story in Grand Rapids,” a spokesperson for the Latino Community Coalition Committee said to WKTV. “We encourage nominations from families across West Michigan and invite you to submit stories of your loved Latinas.”
“La gentrificación y el desplazamiento han sido un factor importante que ha dado forma a nuestra historia de migración en Grand Rapids. Alentamos las nominaciones de familias de West Michigan y los invitamos a enviar historias de sus amadas latinas.”
For information in Spanish see this. Para obtener información en español, consulte este.
The Latino Community Coalition is seeking nominations from the Latino community for a Latina women after whom they will be naming an alleyway downtown as part of the Downtown Grand Rapids alleyway activation initiative. They are calling their effort “HERencia.”
“We hope our community can help us by bringing forth a Latina woman who has passed on, but whose memory lives on in the minds and hearts of her family members,” according to an announcement this week from the coalition. “We want to honor the point of origin to which their family can trace their roots here in Grand Rapids.”
Instead of relying on accomplishments, awards and other merits, the group hopes to celebrate women who were the first in their family to set roots in Grand Rapid.
“We hope to elevate the stability they brought to their home, how they anchored the family for generations to come, and all the milestones and accomplishments for those generations we can now celebrate,” according to the coalition. “Her story is our story, and it will be archived at the Cook Library Center for future generations to always remember her. This alley will honor her life and legacy.”
The Downtown Grand Rapids alleyway activation initiative is meant to create permanent physical representation of our community in public places.
The Coalition is partnering with the Downtown Grand Rapids Inc on the project, as well as the Grand Rapids Community Foundation, which is located next to the alley which will bear the name.
“Grand Rapids Community Foundation is proud to partner with the Latino Community Coalition to honor the legacy of local Latina women who have helped shape our community,” Diana Sieger, president of the Grand Rapids Community Foundation, said in supplied material.
As part of that effort, the Latino Community Coalition is holding an online event July 20. Go here for the Facebook event details.
People in local Latino communities who would like to nominate a Latina from their family, neighborhood or community are encouraged to do so online in English or in Spanish at bit.ly/herenciaGR.
Nominations can also be submitted by visiting partnering agencies which can assist with filling out paper applications, including The Other Way Ministries, the Hispanic Center of West Michigan, the Latina Network of West Michigan, La Casa de la Cobija, Garfield Park Neighborhood Association, Isabel Media Studios, and the Grandville Ave Arts and Humanities.
The deadline to submit applications is July 31, after which the Latino Community Coalition will choose finalists and gather further information from each family, before making a final decision.
The Gilmore Car Museum, and a bunch of little princesses and princes, had so much fun early this year that the museum will hold its second Princesses on Parade & Fairytale Brunch outdoor event on Friday, July 23.
“Children will enjoy unforgettable interactions with their favorite storybook princesses and special cars from the museum’s world-class collection,” according to an announcement from the museum, located between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo at Hickory Corners. Activities will run 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and different levels of tickets are on sale now.
With purchase of a Fairytale Brunch ticket, children can enjoy a delicious morning brunch with Rapunzel, Ariel, and Belle, as they mingle with guests under the outdoor tent, lead a special welcome dance, and conduct a wishing ceremony.
Pretty in Pink: Princesses and cars at the Gilmore Car Museum. (Gilmore Car Museum)
Or, with purchase of a standalone Meet & Greet ticket, children can capture memorable outdoor photo ops with up to 12 storybook princesses and vintage vehicles as they tour the Gilmore lawns, according to the announcement. Also, purchase of a special Princesses on Parade ride ticket allows for parent and child to enjoy a ride around campus alongside a Princess, waving to onlookers, in a classic convertible.
“Princess Days at the Gilmore Car Museum engage and delight children, yet also educate and introduce them to automotive history,” Josh Russell, executive director of the Gilmore Car Museum, said in supplied material.
Outdoor photos with the featured princesses will be taken in front of landmark buildings and special vehicles from the museum collections, including a 1921 Roamer Speedster, America’s Sweetheart Model A Ford, and a 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Sedanca DeVille.
Capacity for the Fairytale Brunch is limited to 150 guests, and capacity for Princesses on Parade convertible rides are limited to 80 guests.
Princess Day at the Gilmore Car Museum is produced in collaboration with Michigan-based Olivia Grace & Company, and its cast of unforgettable character performers. For additional information on Olivia Grace & Company, please visit oliviagraceandcompany.com.
Benzing Graves Collective — aka “BGC” — may be led in music and name by Austin Benzing and Hannah Rose Graves, but with Jeremiah Wenger, Luke Lenhart and Max Griffith added to the “collective”, the band’s stop in Kentwood this week is sure to offer the audience “old-school country steeped in swingin’ good times,” so they say their facebook page.
The West Michigan group of musicians and songwriters hail from different parts of Michigan, were raised on different styles of music, but blend all of the best genres to create their own completely unique sound.
The Kentwood Summer Concert Series, which will run most Thursday nights through Aug. 19, will also include West Michigan favorites Dalmatian Stone on July 22, David Gerald on July 29, The Accidentals on Aug. 5 and a rescheduled night with The Soul Syndicate on Aug. 19.
Concerts will be livestreamed by WKTV for those who would prefer to enjoy the performances from home.
All concerts will begin at 7 p.m., and conclude around 8:30 p.m., on the lawn behind Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave. SE. Concertgoers are encouraged to bring a blanket or chair. Each concert will feature food trucks, which will have food and beverages available for purchase. Guests may also bring their own food and beer or wine.
All are also invited to visit the Kentwood Farmers Market, which overlaps with the concert schedule as the market will take place 4:30-7:30 p.m. each Thursday in front of the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE.
New this year, Kentwood will offer essential workers and their guests special VIP seating near the stage. Essential workers who are interested can RSVP online prior to each concert.
“Give me the beat, boys, and free my soul. I want to get lost in your rock and roll, and drift away.”
From the song “Drift Away” by Dobie Gray
The Soul Syndicate. (Supplied by the band)
A summer concert on the lawn in Wyoming
The Soul Syndicate will open this summer’s season of Wyoming Concerts in the Park on Tuesday, July 13. The free performance, hosted by the Wyoming Community Enrichment Commission, will at at 7 p.m. at Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St. SW. Go here for the story.
The Accidentals (Supplied/Courtesy Aryn Madigan)
And another summer concert series, in Kentwood
The free Kentwood Summer Concert Series, which kicked off this week with The Bootstrap Boys, continues July 15 and most Thursday nights through Aug. 19 and includes West Michigan favorites The Accidentals, Benzing Graves Collective, Dalmatian Stone and David Gerald … and The Soul Syndicate night rescheduled for Aug. 19. Concerts will be livestreamed by WKTV and will also be available on WKTV cable channels. (See the WKTV On-air Schedule for details.) Go here for the story.
A classic car show on the shore in St. Joe
As part of St. Joseph’s Love Local Weekend July 16-18, The Mike Yore Memorial Car Show kicks off the weekend on Friday, July 16, from 4- 8 p.m., downtown. View classic cars from days gone by as they line up along Lake Boulevard. Attendees will also “cruise” along the bluff. Go here for the story.
Fun fact:
83 million
The number of entertainment event attendees who lost out on various entertainment events around the world — in the first month of pandemic shutdowns in March-April 2020 — according to Forbes. Source.
The Michigan Veteran Homes (MVH), which has a local facility previously called the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, held a ceremony Monday, July 6, to memorialize Sarah Brooks, who had many connections to Grandville and the local area, in the new memorial garden at the Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids (MVHGR).
The Michigan Veteran Homes at Grand Rapids facility is located at 2950 Monroe Avenue, NE, Grand Rapids.
The dedication of the new memorial garden included a private ceremony to honor Brooks, who was the Department of Michigan American Legion Auxiliary Hospital Representative at the facility.
Detail of the Sarah Brooks Memorial. (Michigan DMVA)
Brooks, according to supplied material, volunteered since 1958, having logged over 60,000 hours of service which is the equivalent of working 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, without a single day off for nearly 29 years.
The wife of Army veteran John R. Brooks Sr. and mother to Navy veteran Sandra Jennings, Brooks passed away this last Veterans Day.
Brooks was been a member of the American Legion Auxiliary Crispus Attucks Unit #59 for 75 years, having held many offices in the local, state, district and national auxiliary, according to her 2020 obituary. She volunteered for Grandville Senior Neighbors, the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, Mary Free Bed Hospital, Kent Community Hospital since 1990 and was Past Chapau of 8 et 40 La Boutique, an organization that supports children with respiratory diseases. She was one of the people who founded the Unknown Black Soldier at Oak Hill Cemetery in Battle Creek.
Remarks at the ceremony were led by Tracey Nelson, administrator of MVHGR; Bruce Kalish, chaplain of MVHGR; Betty Rhodes-Machen, secretary of the American Legion Auxiliary Crispus Attucks Unit #59; and Robert Troost, resident member and past president of the member’s council at MVHGR.
The ceremony included the revealing of a silver-plated memorial plaque, installed at the base of a sugar gum tree donated by Twin Lakes Nursery of Grand Rapids, and bench seating for members to enjoy the outdoor space.
Yes, there are already more than a dozen sell-outs of the Fifth Third Bank Summer Concerts at Meijer Gardens’ 28-show July-September lineup, with Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park members-only sales continuing until open-public sales start July 10.
Preservation Hall Jazz Band. (Supplied/by Danny Clinch)
And yes, some of the usual “classic rock” suspects are among the sell-outs — The Beach Boys, Kansas, America and Pat Benatar. But, for those more inclined to the “classics” — classic jazz and classic Star Wars — yes in deed, there are still some great concerts with tickets still on the board, including an opening night with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
According to a spokesperson for Meijer Gardens, since members-only opening sales opened two weeks ago about 77 percent of all possible tickets have been sold during the “members only” period.
“Many venues offer pre-sale tickets to their VIP lists, club seat holders and other groups, and we’ve chosen to offer a similar benefit to our members by including early access to discounted tickets as a benefit to being a member of Meijer Gardens,” a Meijer Gardens spokesperson said to WKTV this week. “The public is welcome to purchase tickets after our member pre-sale, as well as attend the Tuesday Evening Music Club series which runs every Tuesday night in July and August from 7-9 p.m. Those concerts are included in a general admission ticket to Meijer Gardens.”
A member of the Grand Rapids Symphony. (From An undated outdoor event, supplied by GR Symphony)
Somewhat surprisingly, though, three nights when the Grand Rapids Symphony, with other acts and as the featured act, are among those ticket that remain available.
To kick off the summer concert series, Preservation Hall Jazz Band with the Grand Rapids Symphony will be on stage July 18.
Then the Grand Rapids Symphony conducted by Bob Bernhardt, principal pops conductor, have the stage all by themselves on July 22. The symphony will be performing works by some of the most popular movie composers of all time — including John Williams’ music from the Star Wars saga, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Jurassic Park. (Music from Star Trek the Next Generation, Cinema Paradiso and Titanic, will also be on the program, we are told.)
China Forbes will be performing with Pink Martini, and the symphony (Supplied/by Chris Hornbecker)
Finally, the always popular night of partying with Pink Martini ( this time featuring China Forbes) will be accompanied by the Grand Rapids Symphony on July 29.
“We are very excited to bring the Grand Rapids Symphony back to Meijer Gardens for these special concerts,” Mary Tuuk Kuras, symphony president & CEO, said in supplied material. “Our shared mission of promoting the arts and bringing our community together makes this partnership a wonderful fit.”
Getting all ‘jazzed’ up
While all three of the symphony concerts should be great night of music, opening night with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band will likely be a night not to be missed.
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band — or just PHJB, for the in the groove — are proof that New Orleans has been the point at which sounds and cultures from around the world converge, mingle, and resurface. The group has held the torch of New Orleans music aloft for more than 50 years, “all the while carrying it enthusiastically forward as a reminder that the history they were founded to preserve is a vibrantly living history,” according to supplied material.
Preservation Hall Jazz Band. (Supplied/by Danny Clinch)
PHJB continues that march forward with So It Is, the septet’s second release featuring all-new original music. The album, according two supplied material, “redefines what New Orleans music means today by tapping into a sonic continuum that stretches back to the city’s Afro-Cuban roots, through its common ancestry with the Afrobeat of Fela Kuti and the Fire Music of Pharoah Sanders and John Coltrane, and forward to cutting-edge artists with whom the PHJB have shared festival stages from Coachella to Newport, including legends like Stevie Wonder, Elvis Costello and the Grateful Dead and modern giants like My Morning Jacket, Arcade Fire and the Black Keys.”
Take a breath, and take that in for a moment.
Details of getting the tickets
Tickets for the concerts, via Meijer Gardens’s new new ticketing partner, Etix, will be available online at Etix.com (preferred method) with handling fee of $10 per order, or by phone at 1-800-514-etix (3849), also with a handling fee of $10 per order. There will be no on-site ticket sales at Meijer Gardens.
Gate and show start times vary. Check MeijerGardens.org/concerts for details. All information is subject to change. All shows will take place rain or shine, weather delays are possible. There are no ticket returns or refunds.
Meijer Gardens has created an Insider’s Guide to Buying Tickets to help with ticket purchasing. The Insider’s Guide is available at MeijerGardens.org/concerts.
Members can continue to buy tickets during the members-only presale through midnight, July 9.
Sales to the public begin at 9 a.m., July 10. There is a limit of 8 tickets per show, per transaction. Again, there will be no on-site ticket sales at Meijer Gardens. Ticket can be purchased online at eTix.com with a handling fee of $5 per order (not per ticket) and convenience fee of $5.25 per ticket applies to all sales, or by phone at 1-800-514-etix (3849), also with a handling fee of $5 per order and convenience fee of $5.25 per ticket applies to all sales.
The City of Kentwood this week released its tentative road construction and maintenance schedule for the rest of the summer, a schedule which affected homeowners have already been notified of by mail from the city.
The City Commission has approved the resurfacing and maintenance program, which includes improvements to 30 miles of major and local roads, at a cost of $1 million, according to an announcement from the city. The plan is to have the resurfacing and routine maintenance completed by September. (A detailed map is available for download at bottom of story.)
“We appreciate the partnership of residents and businesses as we work to maintain and improve this important infrastructure,” Kentwood City Engineer Brad Boomstra said in supplied material. “Quality infrastructure is critical for a safe and functioning community. Understanding the inconvenience and frustration road construction can cause, crews will work as quickly as possible to minimize impact on neighborhoods and drivers.”
The projects are funded through the Michigan Transportation Fund, which is supported by taxes on the sale of gasoline and diesel fuel as well as fees collected by the Secretary of State for vehicle registrations.
Details of the planned work
In July and August, several neighborhood roads will receive a cape seal, which is a multiple component treatment designed to create a smooth surface with increased durability. Cape seal projects will take two non-consecutive days on each segment of road. Patching and crack sealing work will take place in advance to prepare the road for this treatment.
Roadwork will be happening in Kentwood in July and August. (WKTV)
Residents are asked to drive slowly while the treatments are underway and follow the crew’s instructions for the best access to their homes. While the cape seal treatment is underway, there will be no parking allowed on the streets when and where any road work is happening.
Street reconstruction, resurfacing and maintenance projects currently underway include:
Full reconstruction of Andover, Lyles, Heyboer, Blaine, Brinks and 51st streets.
32nd Street rehabilitation from Breton Avenue to Shaffer Avenue.
Other preventative street maintenance work throughout Kentwood, including routine street marking, crack sealing and patching.
Pending any unforeseen circumstances, the work on Andover, Lyles, Heyboer, Blaine, Brinks and 51st streets is expected to be completed by October. The full reconstruction project includes new curb and gutter, sections of water main replacement, storm sewer replacement and construction of sidewalks.
The 32nd Street rehabilitation is a Michigan Department of Transportation project that includes new pavement, curb and gutter, sidewalk and storm sewer. Drivers are encouraged to seek an alternate route or follow the posted detour that uses 29th Street. The work is scheduled to be completed by the end of August.
Work builds on major roadwork in 2020
Last year, Kentwood invested in improvements to 40 miles of major and local roads. Major streets included in the 2020 reconstruction, resurfacing and maintenance program were, East Paris Avenue from 52nd Street to 60th Street, 52nd Street from Division Avenue to Kellogg Woods Drive, 29th Street from west city limits near Breton Avenue to 28th Street, 44th Street from Breton Avenue to Shaffer Avenue, and reconstruction of Roger B. Chaffee Memorial Boulevard.
Road maintenance decisions are made under industry principles based on hard data, such as ratings from the annual Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating system, also known as PASER, which provides a basis for comparing the quality of roadway segments, according to the city announcement. The PASER scale is a 1-10 rating system for road pavement conditions that uses visual inspection to evaluate pavement surface conditions.
“Kentwood maintains one of the highest-rated major street networks in Kent County, according to hard data compiled by the Grand Valley Metro Council, which is based on PASER ratings,” according to the announcement.
For more information, including a larger map of street resurfacing and repairs, visit kentwood.us/construction. Drivers can also receive updates via the City’s Facebook and Twitter.
