inspirationally overwhelming’

Music, food, games and entertainment for a great cause are all elements of the Rockford Relay for Life 24-hour event, which kicks off at the North Rockford Middle School’s track field this Friday, May 17 at 3:00 p.m. The Rockford Fire Department and Rockford Public Safety officers take the first lap, leading the way for an amazing 24 hours. Visitors to Relay are invited to take a lap around the track, cheer on 24 hour walkers, play games and buy tasty treats of hot food or snack items or just stroll the grounds to see the creative booths prepared by this year’s teams.

This is the eleventh year for Relay in Rockford and it is the largest, most successful Relay for a community the size of Rockford. Raising money for cancer, showing support for cancer survivors and remembering those lost motivate teams—this year 75 teams and 528 individuals—to camp out for the night and take part in the many activities that take place from the opening ceremony at 3 p.m. Friday until the clean-up after closing ceremonies at 3 p.m. Saturday.

“After eleven years the support and excitement the community has for Relay continues to be inspirationally overwhelming,” said long-time coordinator Carol Delp. She has long credited the success of Relay nationwide as an American Cancer Society fundraiser to the deep toll the disease has had on our country. It would be a surprise to find any individual who does not know a loved one affected by cancer and the Relay is a chance to make a difference in finding a cure.

This year’s Relay theme is Dance Party, so those who take the time to attend will find plenty of bling and disco in the decorations. Fun fundraisers include a cakewalk at 4 p.m., opening ceremonies at 6 p.m., the ever popular Miss Relay contest as one male per team appears dressed up as a disco diva. Pick your favorite, and every dollar raised results in the winner with the highest tally. At 9 p.m. one of the most emotional events takes place during the luminaria lap where those lost to cancer are remembered during a silent lap around the track. The evening’s activities continue with a 10:30 outdoor movie.

This year there will be improvements to the sound system and placement of speakers to minimize disruption to neighbors of Relay. “We are aware that most of Rockford loves and supports Relay, people don’t always want to be reminded of it at 3 in the morning,” said Delp. She said the changes in the speakers—aiming them inward and with care for neighbors—are designed keep the night’s activities within the grounds of Relay.

However, Delp said the changes have to be a happy medium as the people who choose to walk the entire 24 hours of Relay need the motivation to keep going and to stay awake. At midnight participants and visitors will enjoy a pizza party, while watching a giant screen movie brought to Relay by Reel Air Cinemas. At 1 a.m. play Dance Bingo with a card from the DJ booth. The 3 a.m. halftime noise-makers will celebrate the middle hour of the event. At 4 a.m. there will be a Look Good, Feel Better egg relay race and at 5 a.m. those either still awake or up early can play ticket trivia.

The morning hours of Relay will continue with a hula hoop contest, zumba, a clean up contest with the winner winning breakfast and a polyp pop for colon cancer contest. At 10 a.m. is the Survivor Reception and at noon is the Survivor Lap. According to Hannah Smoker, American Cancer Society Relay organizer, lining the track with people recognizing our survivors is a crucial element of the event.

“Highlighting and recognizing our survivors is the most important part of Relay,” she stated. This year the various teams, who have been fundraising since last year’s Relay, have already raised over $100,000 for the American Cancer Society’s efforts to eliminate cancer. Rockford’s Relay last year, the tenth annual event, put the grand total towards ending cancer at just under $3.2 million. “After this year’s Relay we hope to be at $3.5 million,” said Smoker.

Each year Relay brings a reminder of the importance of working to eliminate cancer, a celebration of those who have beaten cancer and a time to remember those who did not. Whether stopping in for a half hour to shop for items for sale at survivor booths, to watch the first lap or to visit both days or even stay all 24 hours, this event is one that benefits many.

“The journey to end cancer starts with a single step,” said Smoker. “The American Cancer Society invites you to take that step with us by joining the global Relay For Life movement. When you walk to end cancer at a Relay event, it’s your opportunity to not only honor cancer survivors and remember loved ones lost, but also to raise awareness about what we can do to stay well from cancer and raise money to help fuel the world’s largest walk to end cancer.”

In appreciation— The Rockford Area Community Endowment selects those who have made important and lasting contributions to our community. Plaques with their names are permanently installed at Recognition Plaza.

By BETH ALTENA

Pillars of the greater Rockford community were recognized Tuesday, May 7 at a very special ceremony that had the meeting room of Rockford City Hall packed and an impressive crowd at Peppler Park’s Recognition Plaza. The Rockford Area Community Endowment (RACE) has a difficult job of selecting the very elite of our communities, the City of Rockford and the surrounding townships. Those chosen for lifetime achievement in making a lasting and permanent positive influence are recognized with a permanent plaque on the pillars in the bricked area of Peppler Park at the Rockford dam.

Dick Davies, RACE board member representing Cannon Township spoke at the event at City Hall, emphasizing that inductees are those people who “went the extra step” in their efforts to contribute to their community. He praised Margaret Janose, a life-long resident of Cannon Township and a 1950 graduate of Rockford High School. Janose is the founding member of the Cannon Area Historical Society, which she started in 1986 and has been president of ever since. Davies said the membership of the group is 180 people and the artifacts at the museum in downtown Cannonsburg date back to 1909 when the township was founded. The museum building, located just north of Honey Creek Inn, is the former township hall.

“Margaret has received many awards from the State of Michigan for her efforts,” Davies stated. “The first was a plaque for her work in having the museum building recognized as an historic site.” Janose also publishes a bi-monthly newsletter, mails dues notices to members and coordinates picnics and dinners throughout the summer. She spends countless hours at the museum, which is such a valuable resource to the community. Margaret has three children, two who still live in this area.

MaryAnn Andersen of Courtland Township next spoke to the large crowd. She talked about the late Jim and Kletis McIntyre who she described as “pillars of the community.” Jim came on board with the township when he was elected in 1998. He was a farmer who lived in the township his entire life. He was the valedictorian of his Cedar Springs High School class of 1950 and president of the Shank School Board in 1961.

Andersen said Jim was also president of Rockford Junior Baseball, the predecessor of Little League from the mid 1960s into the 1970s. He built and maintained a ball field at his farm on Courtland Drive, which has been used by area youth and adults for over 40 years.

“Jim ran for Courtland Township Trustee in 1988 and continued to serve Courtland Township in a number of offices over the years,” said Andersen. “From 1996 until his death in 2010, Jim was the Supervisor of Courtland Township. In 1990, Jim was an essential part of the organization and formation of the Courtland Township Fire Department. Jim served a number of years on the Fire Board. He was also instrumental in the design and construction of both fire stations.”

“During Jim’s tenure Courtland Township conducted our first mid-decade census, in 1996, which in part, enabled us to construct our present township hall located at 7450 14 Mile Road.” Jim was also part of the planning team for the construction of the PARCCside waste water treatment plant.

Kletis McIntyre’s mother taught at Courtland Center School, located on 13 Mile Road. Kletis graduated in 1950 from Rockford High School where she was editor of the RHS newspaper. Her graduation represented five generations of her family graduating from Rockford High School.

During the 1970s and 80s Kletis was an active member and for many years served as secretary of the Women for the Survival of Agriculture in Michigan.

She was a founding member of the Courtland Township Fire Auxiliary, serving in a number of positions. She organized and chaired the very successful Courtland Township Sesquicentennial in 1989 and later several community-wide picnics. She was also instrumental in establishing Courtland Clippings, the township newsletter.

“All in all, Jim and Kletis ‘lived and breathed’ Courtland Township. Our community is a better place because of the McIntyres and the Courtland Township Board is honored to present their names to be placed on the pillars of honor.”

Plainfield Township Trustee Vic Matthews spoke about the next inductee, Bob Boyer. “Bob came to Rockford as a teacher in the fall of 1949 and has remained in the Rockford community since that time,” said Matthews. “As a teacher, coach and middle school principal, he guided and influenced thousands of people. He served as a class advisor and ran the school bookstore. He was the first principal at the new freshman center building in 1972. He was also a follower of Rockford High School athletics and a mentor to many younger teachers.”

After retirement in 1979, Boyer continued to influence this community in many ways. He is a Rotary Club member who has been very active in the group. For forty years he conducted tours of the Little Red School House. He has been a long-time member of Rockford Area Historical Society and serves on its board of directors today. For several years the society picnic was held at his home. He regularly attends Rotary and Historical Society functions. He is a member of the Rockford United Methodist Church and keeps active there too. He visits church members who need companionship and rarely misses Sunday service. He volunteers for many church activities.

Boyer has traveled to many interesting places and has presented travelogues to various groups including the Historical Society and at Bishop Hills. He has kept a personal diary since the age of twelve. For many years he could be found at Rockford High School swim meets and water polo matches selling tickets. He has followed his grandchildren in their activities. One of his grandchildren, Al Reikard, is a Rockford school administrator.

Boyer has a tremendous amount of knowledge about our area and is always willing to share it. He was a very good sense of humor and his clever quips make our community and world a better place. He believes in helping others and his actions exemplify his beliefs. He is still going strong at the age of 94.

“Bob often says ‘Be fair, be firm, be friendly.’ “ said Matthews. “and he is all of those things. He is a positive example of a person who has made our community a better place.” Boyer was nominated to the Recognition Plaza by Jan and Terry Konkle of the Rockford Area Historical Society.

Former Rockford Mayor Neil Blakeslee spoke about the next inductee, someone who has touched so many lives in the Rockford community and has long been a credit to the town in many ways. Neil said if she had achieved nothing else, many in town would be grateful that Joyce Torrey is the mother of three of the prettiest girls Rockford has ever seen. He said during school, he and many others were among admirers of Joyce’s girls and he gratefully thanked her for that. Blakeslee said he has known Joyce for a lot of years and she is exactly the quality of person that RACE hopes to find to include in the Recognition Plaza.

Blakeslee said Rockford now is known for a dedication and enthusiasm for the arts, and that reputation has grown and flourished under the efforts of Torrey over many years.

Joyce Torrey has been president of the Rockford Area Arts Commission for 30 years, helping grow the arts in this town on many levels. “She became part of the commission in 1975 and is still an active member,” Matthews said. “She started the Rockford Community Choir, Orchestra and Band. She was also heavily involved in the Celtic Festival held for many years in Rockford.”

Joyce was instrumental in brining the Lollipop Concerts to the Rockford Schools. She spoke to many groups including classes in schools, about her travels to China and elsewhere. Joyce began the summer theater camps for the K-12 students. Her greatest achievement is in raising four wonderful children. “The character of Rockford has been shaped and improved tremendously by this lady,” Neil stated. “She is very deserving of this honor.”

Trout Unlimited, along with the Dwight Lydell Chapter of the Izaak Walton League, worked with the students to talk about invasive species and the value of native plants. The students helped to pull garlic mustard, a European exotic, around Rum Creek. Garlic mustard is rapidly becoming one of Michigan’s worst woodland weeds. Invaded sites undergo a decline on native plant cover within 10 years. Garlic mustard alters habitat suitability for native insects and thereby birds and mammals.

Students picked up trash in Rum Creek and pulled garlic mustard, an invasive species, along the stream bank.

The group spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning up trash in and around Rum Creek. Students picked up a variety of items that could be harmful to fish and other animals including glass bottles, plastic bags, and tires. This is the tenth year East Grand Rapids Middle School has taken part in the Day of Caring.

This event was part of the Rogue River Home Rivers Initiative project, a multi-year watershed-based restoration project funded through the Wege, Frey, and Wolverine Worldwide foundations, the local Schrems West Michigan Trout Unlimited, and Robert DeVilbiss.

Kids must be accompanied by an adult, but helpers and equipment are on hand!

AND on May 18th a Make-Your-Own Rainbarrel workshop at the same time, for $35. They also available for purchase. 5641 Myers Lake Ave.

The Rockford Chamber Singers, directed by Mandy Mikita Scott, earned this honor by receiving top scores at both district and state solo and ensemble festivals. At state festival, they were selected as one of the top six ensembles in our region, thus being considered for this recital. A listening panel reviewed thirty such performances before settling on the thirteen which represent the highest achievement in vocal music across the state.

The Chamber Singers, an auditioned mixed ensemble, won praise from their judges throughout the process, noting their poise, maturity, and artistry. Says Scott, “Michigan Youth Arts Festival is such a remarkable testament to the amazing students and arts educators we have across our state. I feel proud and humbled to once again see a Rockford choir honored.” According to the nonprofit Michigan Youth Arts, “More than 250,000 students statewide participate in the selection process that results in 1,000 being invited to participate in the annual three-day arts spectacular.”

The recital performance isn’t all, though. In a one-time only event, choirs were invited to submit recordings to be a part of a vocal jazz choir led by MYAF 2013 Artist-in-Residence Dr. Stephen Zegree. This choir will perform for the Gala Opening Concert of the 2013 MYAF weekend. A blind listening panel selected four outstanding choirs from across the state to participate, and once again the Rockford Chamber Singers were chosen.

This is the fourth consecutive year that a choir from Rockford has been selected for performance at MYAF. They will perform with the Honors Vocal Jazz Choir on Thursday, May 9 at 7pm in Miller Auditorium (WMU) and at 9am Friday morning as part of the MSVMA Invitational Recital.

The new museum project has been a demanding yet rewarding one for our Rockford Area Historical Society. We were told many things when we started, and I thought readers might be interested in what some of those things were and whether they were pertinent or not.

Regarding fundraising, we were advised not to let personal feelings get in the way. We were told “If someone turns you down or does not donate what you hope they will, try not to be aggravated or hold a grudge. “ This was good advice, and we tried to be positive in asking for and accepting donations. Remember that your cause is not everyone’s cause and that people have a legitimate right to do what they want with their finances and time.

“Be ready for skepticism” someone said. There will be those who will wonder if the new museum project can raise enough funds to make it work. Others will be concerned that once the new museum is ready that funds will not be available to run it. We did meet with people who had worries about whether our project could be completed and then perpetuated. Knowing that we had to deal with those concerns helped us to make solid decisions to alleviate those worries.

Our museum consultant said “When people see that the new museum will be a reality, they will come forth with many artifacts to donate.” This statement has been very true. Many have contacted us to offer their pieces of history for our museum. This is great!

We knew that we would be asked many questions like: Why do you need a new building? Why not renovate your present location? Why have a new museum when you can’t keep your present one open on a regular basis? What will happen to my donation if you do not raise enough money? Why should the Rockford Area Historical Society get an opportunity to move to the vacated courthouse building?

These were all good questions, but we had good answers, and we worked hard to get our responses out to those with inquiries. Perhaps the most important question was “Will the people, businesses and organizations of the Rockford area and beyond support the project through donations and pledges?”

Many of us who were pushing for a new museum had been Rockford residents for a long time. We are “older folks” who still feel young, and we have seen what our community can do if they believe in something. Fortunately, we also knew many people whom we could talk with to get advice and ask for help. The support was there! People cared about preserving our history and displaying it in a building that accentuates community pride and caring.

We have now reached the point where the main question is “When will the new museum be open?” Some displays are built and ready to be moved in to their location, but not everything is ready. We have completed some unexpected bathroom tile and fixture repairs, so the restrooms are ready for use. Some moving in has started and more will happen this week. I will keep readers informed as to dates. Also, please feel free to contact me (616-866-0530) with, comments, concerns and questions.

Finally, as our project continues toward completion, the local and world wide Rockford community should be proud of their positive actions in making the world a better place!

With activities for babies, kids, teens and adults, Summer Reading @ KDL offers something for everyone: There’s Dig Into Reading for kids birth through grade 5, Beneath the Surface for teens grades 6-12, and Groundbreaking Reads for adults. Our “Experience Summer Online @ KDL” virtual program, Dig Into KDL, will encourage participants to learn not only through reading, but also through seeing, doing and exploring. Read and experience for the chance to win great prizes such as gift cards to nearly 20 different stores, a John Ball Zoo membership, iPods, a NOOK eReader and more!

KDL is also offering an exciting line-up of free summer programs, including Dinosaur Dig, Butterfly Bonanza, Get the Dirt on Great Desserts, Underground Music and so much more!

Studies show that students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of summer vacation. Kent District Library’s summer reading program is an important step in helping to prevent what’s known as summer reading loss by providing programs and activities that encourage learning while children and teens are away from school, and it’s a great way for families to Get Grounded in Happiness this summer.

Sign up for Summer Reading at KDL starting June 1 at any of KDL’s 18 branch locations. For more information, call 784-2007 or visit www.kdl.org.