by BETH ALTENA

Cougar or kitty cat? According to DNR Wildlife Specialist John Niewoonder, sightings in Rockford are likely those of housecats. This photo is an image from a Michigan alleged sighting in years past.

“There are lots of things in this world to be worried about, being attacked by a cougar is not one of them. You are much more likely to have a problem with a neighbor’s dog.” The statement was from DNR Wildlife Specialist John Niewoonder of the Plainwell office regarding a string of four recent cougar sightings in Rockford.

The latest sighting was called in by a local real estate agent who was showing a home off the Rogue River last week and saw a cat she estimated at 150 pounds walking along the riverbank near the new Rockford nature trail. The same person also talked recently with another Rockford resident who spotted a big cat near Lake Bella Vista a week ago and heard of another person who reported a sighting near Young Avenue and Bush Street east of Rockford.

All sightings may be related to a Squire article which showed a print of an alleged cougar in Blythefield at the Rogue River, found in the morning after one of this winter’s infrequent snowfalls.

According to Niewoonder, biologists with the natural resources in western states, where the cats are known to frequent, examined the picture of the print posted on the Squire’s website and determined it was a dog. According to his experts, mountain lion prints will never show a claw mark. “Their claws are retracted into the paw while walking, so prints usually turn out to belong to dogs. Cougars have very distinctive prints.”

He said he expected cougar sightings to follow. “I don’t know if it is a social thing or a cultural thing, but once you start talking about a cougar sighting, you get all kinds of sightings. I don’t know if it is just how people’s minds work or a phenomenon.”

Michigan has had confirmed mountain lions, Niewoonder stated, but those were in the Upper Penninsula. He also admitted that lions are known as a traveling animal that can go hundreds of miles, so it is possible a mountain lion passed this area. If it did, he said, no one would be likely to see it.

BEAR SIGHTING A DIFFERENT STORY—A sighting of a bear in Greenville on Sunday, May 13 was clearly confirmed, and much more likely to happen than a cougar sighting. Bears, unlike cougars, aren’t that shy about approaching human habitation and structures. This bear was also not a threat to humans and was likely trying its best to find its way out of Greenville. Who can blame him? If he was in Rockford, he’d probably want to stay. Just kidding, Greenville! It’s a fine town, if you aren’t a bear or cougar. Photo by CRAIG RUNNELL

“We had one captured in the western states—North Dakota or one of those—and was captured again in an eastern state, so it could move through Michigan. However, the vast majority of cougar sightings in this state are likely a large housecat or imagination,” said Niewoonder.

He said the animals’ mobile nature also testify against the chance one cat is hanging around Rockford to be spotted over a period of weeks or months. He also doubts a sudden burst of passing cougar activity across Michigan, which happens to be evident by sightings in Rockford and nowhere else.

“I don’t want to call anyone a liar or question what they thought they saw,” he said.

Niewoonder noted that mountain lions are very large animals; including their tail, they can be eight or nine feet long and up to three feet at the shoulder.

“We have a cardboard cutout and will take it to where people thought they saw a cougar. When we put it out as far as the cougar they saw was, there is nowhere the same size as what they saw.”

Niewoonder also said cougars are very wild animals who don’t like nearing human habitation. He doubted a cougar would cross a human foot bridge or approach a home. In addition, they are animals that prefer dusk and dawn for their activities and aren’t as likely to be seen in broad daylight or dead of night.

Niewoonder acknowledged a misconception that the MDNR has a tendency to deny a cougar presence in Michigan. “There are quite a few bobcats around and we have people who run them with dogs. I guarantee if cougars were out there those guys and their dogs would have come across them.”

He also stated that in states where there are cougars, cougar/car incident are not uncommon. “They are really bad at being around cars. Where you have cougars, you have dead cougars in the roads.”

“I don’t know what to tell them, but I don’t believe it,” Niewoonder said of people who think they have seen a cougar. “We have a lot of evidence that there are not cougars in Michigan. If even ten percent of sightings were legitimate, that would still be an awful lot of cougars in Michigan.”

He also said if cougars were here, we wouldn’t see them and noted that the big cats, like the big bobcats, aren’t very often sighted when they are an established population.

Bears, he noted, are different, and aren’t shy about approaching human homes or getting into trash cans looking for food. They, like cougars, are not normally a threat to humans. “That bear just was disoriented and trying to get away from people,” he stated.

EDITOR’S NOTE: I remember years ago working up at The Cedar Springs Post, my sister’s newspaper, typing stories one evening probably more than 15 years ago and hearing the scanner go off with a cougar sighting. The caller was clearly very distressed, begging the police to come immediately as she was in fear of her life, the life of neighborhood children and pets. It was a pretty exciting call to hear and I waited anxiously to see what the cougar’s fate would be. When officers arrived on the scene and checked back with dispatch, they sounded amused to report a quite fat housecat in the back yard as the source of the excitement.

by BETH ALTENA

This group of firefighters from around the community spent eight hours learning and practicing bus extrication. Rockford resident Kevin Sehlmeyer of Rescue Resources was among the trainers.

Within the last month, Courtland Township firefighters, Cannon Township firefighters and Cedar Springs firefighters all responded to what could be a devastating event: accidents involving school buses. Luckily there were no students on two Rockford school bus accidents this year, but with 870,000 students riding buses daily in the United States, it makes sense for firefighters to be as prepared as possible for the eventual call.

“Everyone’s got school buses in their area,” said instructor Kevin Sehlmeyer, of Rescue Resources LLC of Rockford, who provided the training along with two other instructors.

Twenty firefighters attended the daylong class at Courtland Fire Station, 7480 14 Mile Road, Rockford. They came from departments across West Michigan, including the cities of Reed City, Sturgis, Cedar Springs, Big Rapids, and the townships of Grattan, Oakfield, Courtland and Plainfield.

“You don’t often get a chance to do this kind of training,” said Courtland Fire Chief Micky Davis.

A former church school bus, donated by Louis Padnos Iron & Metal, was the simulated school bus on which firefighters practiced.

TIPPING THE BUS—This part of the training also educated the wrecker driver, as well. As the chains tightened to pull the bus over, the wrecker was pulled backward. After readjusting the stabilizers, the bus was successfully pulled over.

Training was as much what not to do as what to do. Hands-on, Sehlmeyer demonstrated techniques and then allowed each of the firefighters to have their own turn. From breaking and removing the glass in the windows to finding the best lines to cut through the body of the bus, training concentrated on getting first responders into the vehicle as fast and safely as possible.

“If we were doing this on the street the idea is to get us in and the kids out as soon as possible,” said Sehlmeyer. He pointed out some things not to do: leave hanging chunks of metal around the edges of the access holes, what he called “head dingers.”

“Even if we have our helmets on, a lot of rescue and EMS personnel don’t have helmets.”

The same is true for the tools not being used for a moment. Sehlmeyer advised his class to set them down behind the wheels or under the bus where they aren’t a tripping hazard for rescuers or patients. Ripping open a school bus is a different animal than a family vehicle. Sehlmeyer noted there is more layers of steel to be cut.

In bus crashes, the “jaws of life” are less effective in providing an access hole to victims as the hydraulic rescue tool tends to crumple and crush, leaving an opening that is less conducive to moving firefighters in and kids out.

“In a bus extrication, I prefer recipicating saws and air chisels over hydraulic rescue tools. When you use hydraulic rescue tools you can get a very crude, mushed up opening.”

Sehlmeyer showed firefighters the saw blades he prefers to use, and said through training demos like this, he has found a brand that works better and holds up longer than most other saw blades. Although, he said that during the one-day’s demonstration, firefighters would go through five or six during practice.

Buses vary greatly in design and construction, so first responders are not likely to know exactly what they will find under the body of the vehicle. Some seats have steel rods in them, others don’t. He said school buses do have regulations—ideally bus drivers are supposed to be able to push out the windshield with a certain amount of force and width of aisle and placing of the fuel tank are all under strict rules, but other options remain unregulated. He said he doesn’t see school bus seatbelt requirements coming anytime soon—definitely a factor in a crash.

“You want to go in, take out a window and put someone inside,” Sehlmeyer stated.

Having a firefighter in the bus is a great asset to the successful cutting of the access hole and evaluating for injuries. Interior obstacles—staying away from heater hoses and making sure a child isn’t on the other side of the panel—make a difference in deciding where to choose to cut.

“You don’t want to cut through screw heads. Whether you are using a saw, air chisel or hydraulic rescue tools, cutting less mass means faster access.”

For getting the window glass out, Sehlmeyer noted that duct tape on the glass is important, but not pretty. “It doesn’t have to be perfect. You aren’t wrapping a package.” He told the class to get the tape on, burnish it to get a good grip on the glass, and then make the break. “The goal is to get someone on the bus fast to start triage.”

Sehlmeyer explained a difficulty unique to larger vehicles and school buses is the height at which first responders have to operate saws, air chisels and hydraulic rescue tools.

“Nothing is easily done at a bus accident. It’s all over your head.”

He advised making use of available objects to help with raising firefighters to the work—at other bus extrication training students have used a picnic table from a park, other students have used cinder blocks and a panel to make a work platform in a junk yard.

Another unique feature of a bus accident is the narrow aisle through the seats. “You won’t be getting a stretcher or backboard through there,” said Sehlmeyer.

Students may be removed by sliding them across seat tops to an opening created by firefighters on a back board, and lowering them feet first is far preferable than head first, which adds to the distress and panic of the situation.

Chief Davis said another factor rescuers will have to take into account are parents. “How many kids nowadays have a cell phone? The first call they are going to make is to mom and dad to tell them they are in a crash.”

Another factor to take in is the noise the rescue operations make in sawing, breaking glass. Inside the bus the sound is amplified and literally deafening. Assistant Fire Chief Terry Welch said rescuers need to let frightened passengers know the noise is part of getting them help.

Sehlmeyer said his company offers all sorts of training from vehicle and school bus extrication to fire tactics. Through attending  training classes, he became interested in Genesis hydraulic rescue tools, a brand for which he is now the Michigan dealer. He said his company offers the training to help firefighters use the hydraulic tools to their best ability.

“That’s what’s different about my company. I don’t just sell a rescue tool and say ‘There you go.’ We train them how to use them effectively,” said Sehlmeyer.

Constant training, he stated, is important because technology—both in rescue tools and especially vehicle construction—is changing rapidly. Today’s rescue tools often are able to be changed quickly due to new couplers, a newer development that is a great asset when changing from one rescue tool to another is required. Cars, too, are being constructed today of Ultra High Strength Steel (UHSS), thus new vehicles are harder to cut. The cutting force of today’s newer cutters is necessary to respond in accidents involving 2010 and newer cars.

“There are fire departments in Kent County right now that can’t make some cuts into newer cars,” said Sehlmeyer.

Sehlmeyer said he took the plunge to become a representative for Genesis Rescue Tools about six years ago and is proud many fire departments now carry the line. He shared a fire department in the U.P. which covered a stretch of road famous for fatalities had no hydraulic rescue tools until 2008. The department had to rely on the assistance of  a fire department, located a clear hour away. That fire chief said he’d seen dozens of people die in cars because there were no tools to get them out.

Welch said time of day can also be a factor in a bus accident. He noted that for each child on a bus, two rescue professionals are required to extricate and treat them.

“If we are taking forty kids to the hospital, that is a lot of EMTs and rescue,” he stated. “Northern Kent County is really great at mutual aid. We all come to each other’s aid. If this was an accident with thirty or forty kids, a lot of resources would go into it. This has been great training.”

by BETH ALTENA

Sandy and Bill Jobse Jr. sit on the porch of their home at 20 Fremont Street in downtown Rockford. The two took TLC to a new degree to bring back beauty and charm to the home. Their first Halloween in the house they couldn’t hand out candy because they thought children would fall through the rotted porch floorboards.

When Bill Jr. and Sandy Jobse wanted to relocate closer to their work places, they knew they wanted to be in downtown Rockford. “We always came down here during the festivals and festivities. It’s like a perfect little bubble town, always decorated and beautiful,” Sandy said. They were looking for a home, and had previously owned two other houses that had needed a little work. This time it was going to be different.

When asked why they didn’t run screaming when they first walked through the house at 20 Fremont, Sandy said they did. “We did run screaming. But then we came back.”

The home had been that of an elderly man who had apparently become unable to keep the house up. On top of neglect and age, the home had been sitting empty for two years on the market. The other people who had made offers had stated that they planned to tear the building down and build new.

Before

After

There were holes in the walls inside and out, and stains in the ancient carpet. The garage was unusable because beams had been propped in to keep the roof from coming down. The ceiling stucco was peeling down in big strips. There was a cistern for water in the basement, an ancient water-holding structure from before indoor plumbing. The upstairs was completely closed off and apparently hadn’t been used in years. On the porch the rails were rotted out and the floor was caving in. There was no landscaping, just dirt and rocks.

Before

They first saw the home after they’d

After

come to town for dinner. After the initial walk-through, they wanted nothing to do with the house. But for both of them, something about the house connected.

“I like old things and appreciate the history of old houses,” Bill stated.

Before

After

He said they returned to the home and looked it over with a new attitude. The son of the owner of White Creek Lumber, who inherited his dad’s interest in woodworking and craftsmanship, Bill is more able than many to do the repairs the home needed.

Sandy noted both of their previous two homes had needed some repairs. “They were nothing like this, though. Not even close,” she stated.

They decided to take on the house and see what they could do to the home, which they believe dates back to the 1860s, when Rockford was little more than a pioneer lumber town. They even found their plot on the original plot map when the streets of the town were first planned and platted.

In April 2009, when they called the City to come turn on the water of their new abode, water literally began shooting out through the walls in the bathroom. The City promptly turned the water back off until repairs could be made.

A long job, three years later, the home is charming, warm, welcoming and craftily decked out, with storage space behind sliding secondhand glass paned doors, and a bookshelf inset where a deep wall used to hold heating ducts. The original floors are gleaming hand-sanded wood, the kitchen is sunny with plenty of natural light, and the garage is safe for two cars to park inside. The cistern had to be filled in to make the Michigan basement safe.

“On our anniversary when we would have been on vacation, we were sanding the floor,” said Sandy. She said it was miserable, hot work and the windows were still sealed because they had not yet been repaired after years of being painted shut.

Most telling are the ways the Jobses have saved what they could of the historic beauty of the home. History is literally everywhere in the tidy home.

“The trim isn’t original to the house, but I made it like that because that’s how it was originally,” Bill noted of the molding on the doorways and along the tops of the ceiling.

Actual antique grates grace the wall bases and the pair searched estate sales, salvage yards and sales to find the fittings for the home. Sandy said the two were walking their dog, Jasmine, one night and went past the trash of a house being remodeled. Bill saw an old grate in the garbage.

“I felt funny, but Bill didn’t. I kept walking but he didn’t mind taking it. It was pretty dark anyway,” Sandy laughed.

Today a beautiful thorny rose bush covers a trellis to enter the front yard, trained through spindles over the last three years to grow over the arch. The front yard is charming with flowers and beautiful natural features. In the back the yard is roomy and comfortable, with a new deck for outside entertaining or relaxing.

“Sandy did all of this. There was nothing here but rocks and dirt,” Bill praised his wife’s efforts and horticultural success.

She was modest. “Everything takes off in the third year,” she said of the lush landscaping.

The two used and saved what they could. Decorative pillars in the back yard were the former front porch posts.

“Almost everything we purchased for the remodel of the house was made in the United States,” Sandy stated.

“Not all of this is actually antique, but we wanted to retain the character of 100 years ago,” Bill said.

The blend of antique and authentic with clean, cozy comfort and up-to-date comfort is seamless. An heavy wood desk handmade by Bill Sr. for his son looks as though it could have been crafted a century ago, but features a space for the power cord for the couple’s laptop. The beautiful dining room table is likewise ageless, a wedding gift handmade by Bill Sr. for the couple. The front porch features two Adirondack chairs—colorful and comfortable and fit the happy mood of this saved home. Bill Jr. and Bill Sr. made them together.

“The house just called out to us,” Bill described. “We felt like it wanted us to save it, so we saved it.”

The couple have been doing research to find more of the history of their house. If you have any information or pictures, please contact them at sjwj915@gmail.com. They appreciate all the neighbors putting up with their remodels and all the friendly encouragement and comments.

Fourth-graders in Luanne Helsen’s class at Valley View Elementary School are supporting their classmate Claire Kowroski, who has cancer. The students wore t-shirts at the school’s mini-relay event that was raising money for Rockford’s Relay for Life. Many of the students and staff who are supportive of Claire are planning to wear the t-shirts at Rockford’s Relay event as well. Students walked and ran for 24 minutes, which represents one minute per each hour of Rockford’s Relay for Life, to raise money. More than $6,000 was raised with the majority coming from pledges for the mini-relay. Photo by CINDY M. CRANMER

This article is a summary of what each school in Rockford Public Schools has come up with to contribute to the Rockford Relay for Life. Encouraging each school to organize their own fundraiser has been a goal of Relay organizers from year one. This Friday through Saturday, May 18-19, from 3 p.m. to 3 p.m. is the town’s 10th Relay for Life event.

Rockford plans to celebrate a decade of having a Relay for Life event to raise money to fight cancer this weekend, and a key segment involved is the Rockford school district.

According to Shannon Ouellette—who served as committee chair for the first nine years and currently is on the committee as well as the City of Rockford and Rockford Public Schools (RPS) liaison—the school district raises between $60,000 and $80,000 of the total raised yearly.

The goal of the Relay for Life this year is to again raise between $340,000 and $360,000.

Second-grader Kyle Weston and third-grader Callen Doyle are the winners of Nooks at Valley View Elementary School for being the top two students raising money at a mini-relay event for Rockford’s Relay for Life. Kyle raised $500 and Callen raised $510 in pledges. Both students are still hoping to raise more money before this weekend’s Relay for Life event. Photo by CINDY M. CRANMER

“Our financial goal in these economic times is to stay consistent with monies raised the past few years,” Ouellette said. “Most relays will peak at year five or so and then show a decline. We have been able to maintain consistently in the mid threes, so we are happy with that.”

“In the past nine years we have raised nearly 2.9 million so we will top the three million mark this year,” she added.

Ouellette was on the committee for a few years for the Ada Park Relay for Life before helping to start the Relay for Life in Rockford in 2002.

“Participation from schools range from administration, bus garage, sports teams, clubs and every year almost every school is represented with a team from elementary through high school,” Ouellette said. “Our school teams are key to our success for sure.”

Besides being involved while in school, many Rockford graduates then go on to participate at Relay for Life events on their college campuses.

Bringing in new members to the Relay for Life is important to the future, Ouellette said. “The youth have been such a strong and positive aspect of our event. They volunteer at the event, such as help with parking and entertainment, as well as be a part of teams.”

Ouellette said RPS has been involved with the Relay for Life since its inception 10 years ago with the Valley View Elementary team being a part of another Relay before Rockford’s Relay began.

The goals of the Relay for Life are awareness by bringing people to the event and survivors walking the Survivor Lap on the Saturday of the event, which is May 19 this year. The second part is to raise money for the American Cancer Society to find a cure for cancer and to run valuable cancer programs.

“We have spent 10 years in this community that has supported this event from year one. We couldn’t do it without the people,” Ouellette said.

She encouraged area residents to come to the 10th Rockford Relay for Life beginning at 3 p.m. on Friday, May 18 at North Rockford Middle School (NRMS) and going through Saturday afternoon, May 19. The Luminaria is scheduled for 9 p.m. Friday and the Survivors Lap for Saturday.

Dr. Michael Shibler, superintendent of RPS, is impressed with how the schools have supported the Relay for Life but also how the community believes in it.

“More money is raised at Rockford’s Relay for Life than anywhere in the Midwest at times,” Shibler said. “It’s been a successful endeavor. It demonstrates the giving nature of the people who live in this part of the state and those who have been actively involved in organizing this event. Their efforts have paid off. The community has stepped up to support this event for a decade.”

Shibler said throughout RPS not only do the individual schools participate with student and educator teams but the board of education has a team with the City of Rockford as well as the food services staff, the maintenance staff and the transportation departments also organize teams.

Shibler said numerous students also are involved in helping set up for the event at NRMS. “It’s a real collaboration between the schools, the private sector, the public sector and the community at large. This collaboration of everyone working together makes it an extreme success,” he said. “It’s a total community effort.”

Shibler said NRMS was chosen as the location so that the location would be in the city limits to involve the city workers, police and staff in assisting with the event. Parking and the fact that there would not be sport conflicts with the track also were two other reasons that NRMS was chosen.

73rd District State Representative Pete MacGregor presents Dave Heyboer, Chairman of the Friends of the White Pine Trail with a Michigan State Tribute honoring Dave for his unselfish devotion to all things Fred Meijer White Pine Trail. This evening was very special for Dave and he couldn’t help himself while grinning from ear-to-ear.

Last week Thursday evening, the highlight of the monthly Friends of the White Pine Trail meeting at the Rockford Community Cabin was to be a flat bicycle tire repair presentation by Dave Heyboer, Chairman of the 500 member Trail advocacy group.

Unbeknownst to Heyboer, he was about to be upstaged and honored with the presentation of a Tribute from the State of Michigan that had been sponsored by 73^rd District State Representative Peter MacGregor.

Humbled and almost speechless, (a rarity for Heyboer) the honoree listened while MacGregor read, in part, from the tribute as follows:

With the exception of Fred Meijer, no one has been more responsible in making the White Pine Trail, Michigan’s longest linear State Park, what it is today. Mr. Heyboer is a true, “rails to trails” champion, capably handling the demanding and vital responsibilities of establishing a vision, gaining donors and executing plans. We are pleased to join our voice to those of the communities stretching from Grand Rapids, MI to Cadillac, MI, in thanking him for his dedication and honoring his selfless service to our State. This recognition is certainly well deserved.

With a face meant for radio, Dave Heyboer demonstrates how to repair a flat bicycle tire.

Although the “rails” were established long ago, the paving, convenience and safety improvements, and continued maintenance of, are critical to the transformation of the “rails” to “trails”. The hard work, commitment, and innovation of Mr. Heyboer and the “Friends” are major factors in the overall success and continued improvements of the Fred Meijer White Pine Trail. The work that Mr. Heyboer has accomplished has made the reputation of the trail possible and provides a model for others to follow.

Under the official seal of the Great State of Michigan, Michigan’s Rep. Peter MacGregor, Senator Mark Jansen, and Gov. Rick Snyder signed the framed tribute with sincere thanks and wishes for continued success in all of Heyboer’s endeavors.

To his good credit Rep. MacGregor has, since being elected to office some 16 months ago, actively sought to recognize constituents who have made a difference in all of our lives. No one is more deserving of this distinctly high honor than Dave Heyboer.

Congratulations Dave from the Rockford Squire and members of the Friends of the White Pine Trail along with linear trail users from near and far. Happy trails to you!

FRIDAY:

3:00 pm            First Lap: Newly Organized: Rockford Department of Public Safety
(Police, Fire & EMS)

4:00 pm            Cake Walk

5:00 pm            Meet & Greet

6:00 pm            Opening Ceremonies—Team Pictures

6:30 pm            Miss Relay Contest

7:00 pm            Team Pictures (gym)/Party Music

7:30 pm            Simon Says/Coloring Collage/Announce Miss Relay winner

8:00 pm            Team Pictures (gym)/Party Music

8:45 pm             Light luminaria bags

9:00 pm             Luminaria Lap (please be silent during this lap)

10:30 pm           Clean-up Lap/Movie

SATURDAY:

Midnight         Pizza Party/Party Music

1:00 am            Reverse direction for one hour

2:00 am            Kaleidoscope of Kolor Scavenger Hunt

3:00 am            Half Time/Noise Makers/Pay $5 to change song

4:00 am            Eggstravaganza—advocacy egg hunt

5:00 am             The “Present” Game/Reverse direction 1 hour

6:30 am              Sunrise Stretch & Raffle (half hour of yoga)

7:00 am             Breakfast/Relay Rainbow Bingo

7:30 am              Sunrise Stretch & Raffle—Pt. 2 (half hour of yoga)

8:00 am             Clean-up Lap Game—team collecting the most trash wins breakfast

9:00 am              24-hour Walker Celebration

10:00 am            Survivor Reception

10:30 am            Trick or Treat Lap/Children’s Hour

11:30 am             Caregiver Lap

12:00 pm             Survivor Lap: Survivor picture to follow

1:00 pm               Sole mate Lap

2:00 pm               Closing Ceremonies

3:00 pm               Clean-up

*All events are subject to change.

Stephanie Chesley and her staff will be sharing their beautiful facility for this networking event. The evening is a relaxed, open event and free to the public.

Business After Hours allows participants to network with other key people in the business community. Florentines Ristorante & Sports Bar has committed to catering the event and will be providing beverages and appetizers during this exciting opportunity to meet potential new clients.

“Our Business After Hours offers a great opportunity for members to forge new business relationships,” said Jeannie Gregory, executive director of the RCC. “It is also a great way for the host business to showcase what their company offers in the way of merchandise and services. It really is a win-win event for the host and those who participate.”

Networkers will also be able to walk around the store and check out all the telecommunication devices and services that Basic Communications offers for high-speed Internet, cellular services and satellite television. Everyone loves to save money, and visitors can also check into the corporate and employee discounts that Basic Communications offers for Verizon clients.

Participants should be geared up to meet amazing business leaders. The RCC and Basic Communications are looking forward to seeing everyone on May 21. There is no charge to attend Business After Hours. However, in order for Chesley to properly plan for this event, they ask that you RSVP by May 18 at the RCC office. Please call (616) 866-2000 or e-mail to membership@rockfordmichamber.com.

Only days to go to the funnest little fledgling horse event you’ve ever been to. The public is invited to the first ever Blessing of the Wheels at the Village of Cannonsburg Sunday, May 20.

“King of the Village” Don Kurylowicz knew of a local woman, Kim Hart, who was holding an event that would end in an antique carriage ride to Honey Creek Inn for a meal.

“I told her let’s make it a antique carriage parade,” enthused Kurylowicz.

Hart is inviting friends and acquaintances who also have horse-drawn carriages to participate in the parade, scheduled for 1:30 p.m. to run from the intersection of Cannonsburg and Giles roads to the Honey Creek Inn where the wheels—anyone present from the carriages to tricycles and bicycles—will have the wheels blessed by a local priest.

Kurylowicz was excited about the event, which is one of several to take place in the area on that day. In addition to the carriage parade, there is a run at the Cannonsburg State Game Area from noon to 5 p.m. The Michigan Mountain Bike Association is also holding an event close by, beginning at Townsend Park just around the corner.

With so many tourists in the area, Kurylowicz is opening Honey Creek Inn at noon and offering picnic lunch sales at a reasonable price, and also beginning sales of traditional BBQ a week early for Memorial Day celebrations.

“We will have crossing guards and police traffic control,” he stated. “We are expecting local, regional and state dignitaries.”

Kurylowicz invites parade attendees to dress up, dress down or put on a costume. Those with carriages are encouraged to offer a ride to those who have none.

Kurylowicz would love to see all kinds of wheels in the parade in addition to however many antique carriages show up. “Drive your manure spreader if you want to,” he said.

All wheels present will be blessed. Other horse-related events will take place during the day.

“How long has it been since there was a carriage parade in West Michigan?” Don wondered. “Probably a hundred years.”

For more information, check out the event on Facebook.

The contacts occurred at separate locations after the girls went their separate ways and while they were walking near Townsend Park; one girl on 6 Mile Road and the other on Ramsdell Avenue.

The suspect is described as a white male, mid 50s, dark-colored hair with gray roots, unshaven for approximately a week, no glasses. One girl believed he may have a slight southern accent. Unknown clothing. One girl believed he had brown eyes and a crooked tooth on the side.

The vehicle is described as a dirt-white or silver van. One girl believed it was a van style; both thought it was larger than a car. One girl said that it had narrow, longer back-up lights below the brake lights.

Anyone with any additional information is asked to call the Kent County Sheriff’s Department at (616) 336-3113 or Silent Observer at (616) 774-2345.

Free Meal for Northern Kent County Families—6 to 7 p.m. at the Our Lady of Consolation Family Center, 4865 Eleven Mile Rd., Rockford, every Thursday. No charge; no registration required. Provided by a partnership between Our Lady of Consolation Parish and God’s Kitchen, a program of Catholic Charities West Michigan.

Rockford Rotary Club Meetings—7 to 8 a.m. at the Rams Den in Rockford High School, 4100 Kroes St., unless school is delayed or canceled. For more information, call Mark Bivins at (616) 866-1470.

Effective Spiritual Response to Healthcare—7 p.m. at Grand Rapids Township Hall, 1836 East Beltline NE, Grand Rapids. International speaker Suzanne Riedel will share ideas based on the book “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures” by Mary Baker Eddy, including experiencing God’s presence in your life, freeing from fear and bringing healing, and practicing effective prayer that establishes your ability to respond to God’s healing answers. For more information, call (616) 334-9944.

Friday, May 18

Old-Fashioned Family Game Night—6:30 to 8 p.m. at Howard Christensen Nature Center, 16190 Red Pine Dr., Kent City. Tables will be set up with Monopoly, checkers, chess, Scrabble, Candy-Land, Life and other classics. Hot chocolate by the fireplace and some snacks will be provided. You are encouraged to bring in your favorite games. Cost is a donation of $5 per person or $18 per family of four or more. For more information, call (616) 675-3158 or visit www.lilysfrogpad.com.

Spectacular Book Sale—10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Plainfield Township Branch Library, 2650 Five Mile Rd. NE, Grand Rapids. Sale also Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday 1-4 p.m. and Monday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Hardcovers are $1, softcovers 50¢, and paperbacks and children’s books 25¢. Sunday and Monday only, buy a bag of books for $2. Sponsored by the Friends of the Plainfield Library.

17th Annual May Fest—May 18-20 at Kent County Fairgrounds, 225 S. Hudson St., Lowell, promoting and preserving bluegrass music in West Michigan, sponsored by West Michigan Bluegrass Music Association. All concerts are indoors. Enjoy a songwriting contest, band scramble, music workshops, a barn sale, silent auction, 50/50 drawings, a bake sale, pie-eating contest, kids activities, crafts for non-musicians, plus plenty of jamming! For tickets and more information, visit www.wmbma.org.

Saturday, May 19

Spectacular Book Sale—10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Plainfield Township Branch Library, 2650 Five Mile Rd. NE, Grand Rapids. Sale also Sunday 1-4 p.m. and Monday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Hardcovers are $1, softcovers 50¢, and paperbacks and children’s books 25¢. Sunday and Monday only, buy a bag of books for $2. Sponsored by the Friends of the Plainfield Library.

Euchre Party—6:30 p.m. at Bostwick Lake Church, 7979 Belding Rd., Rockford. Cash donation, cash prizes. All are welcome!

Annual Rockford Garden Club Plant Sale—9 a.m. open sale; 11:45 a.m. live auction of remaining plants, at Rotary Pavilion on Squires St., downtown Rockford. Club members sell their homegrown assortment of perennials, ground covers, small bushes/shrubs, annuals, herbs, bulbs, vines and many native plants. Members will be on hand (many master gardeners) to answer questions and assist with your gardening selections. Funds earned from the sale go for community enhancement projects and student scholarships. Rain or shine. For more information, call Karen Chickering at (616) 460-2557.

Sunday, May 20

Roast Beef Dinner—11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Rockford Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3946, 4195 Thirteen Mile Rd., Rockford. Cost is $8 for adults; $3.50 for children. Takeouts and deliveries are available. Come enjoy the “best dinner in town!” prepared by our chef Fred Chambers. For deliveries, call (616) 866-2675 by 11:30 a.m. the day of the dinner. For more information, visit www.RockfordVFWPost3946.org.

Insects Exploration—1 to 3 p.m. at Howard Christensen Nature Center, 16190 Red Pine Dr., Kent City. Grab a net and jar and we’re off to the prairie and woods to see what six-legged creatures live there. Look for eggs and larvae while learning about insects’ life cycles, find predators and prey, and catch and release a bug or two. Program suitable for children in grades kindergarten through fifth. Cost is a donation of $4.50 per person. For more information, call (616) 675-3158 or visit www.lilysfrogpad.com.

Spectacular Book Sale—1 to 4 p.m. at Plainfield Township Branch Library, 2650 Five Mile Rd. NE, Grand Rapids. Sale also Monday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Hardcovers are $1, softcovers 50¢, and paperbacks and children’s books 25¢. Sunday and Monday only, buy a bag of books for $2. Sponsored by the Friends of the Plainfield Library.

“Turkey Shoot” Family Fun Day—10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Sparta Hunting and Fishing Club, 13218 Long Lake Dr., Sparta. Enjoy trap, archery, grilled chicken and barbeque dinners, a raffle, running deer, BB gun range, and kids crafts.

Monday, May 21

Spectacular Book Sale—10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Plainfield Township Branch Library, 2650 Five Mile Rd. NE, Grand Rapids. Hardcovers are $1, softcovers 50¢, and paperbacks and children’s books 25¢. Sunday and Monday only, buy a bag of books for $2. Sponsored by the Friends of the Plainfield Library.

Tuesday, May 22

Rockford Rotary Club Meetings— 7 a.m. at Rockford High School. For more information, call Mark Bivins at (616) 866-1470.

Country & Gospel Music—9:30 to 11:30 a.m. every Tuesday at Rockford Ambulance Community Center, 8540 Shaner Ave., Rockford. Music by the Rogue River Band. Enjoy free coffee, tea and snacks. For more information, call Keith at (616) 866-2459.

Thursday, May 24

Free Meal for Northern Kent County Families—6 to 7 p.m. at the Our Lady of Consolation Family Center, 4865 Eleven Mile Rd., Rockford, every Thursday. No charge; no registration required. Provided by a partnership between Our Lady of Consolation Parish and God’s Kitchen, a program of Catholic Charities West Michigan.

Rockford Lions Club Meeting—6 p.m. social, 6:30 dinner and 7 p.m. meeting at the Community Cabin, 220 N. Monroe St., Rockford. Meetings held every second and fourth Thursday of each month.

Rockford Rotary Club Meetings—7 to 8 a.m. at the Rams Den in Rockford High School, 4100 Kroes St., unless school is delayed or canceled. For more information, call Mark Bivins at (616) 866-1470.