now available online! - Eastown Community Association

Eastown Access
VOL. XLII No. 5
The Newsletter of the Eastown Community Association
October - November 2014
Thank you!
Aquinas College
Aquinas College
Student Senate
Striders
Sponsors of the
October Mobile Food
Pantry
Photo by Steve Dekoster
Family Assistance: A Best Kept
Secret in Eastown
Save the Date
ECA Annual
Meeting & Pancake
Breakfast
2/7/2015
Calvin CRC
700 Ethel
Events
Holiday Open House
See page 5.
T
By Lindsey Ruffin, Executive Director, ECA
he Family Assistance program of
Calvin Christian Reformed Church
started in 1969 to address the
community’s needs and to stay helpful
and involved in the neighorhood. After 45
years, the program continues to grow and
provide a valuable service to Kent County
residents from its building on Ethel
Avenue next to the church in Eastown.
Family Assistance provides clothing and
other supplies to children and adults in
Kent County. The program works with
more than 20 area agencies including
Head Start School Programs, Bethany
Family Services and the Kent County
Health Department, which refer families
to the program. When a family needs
help, a referral agency provides Family
places
The Mitten State
See page 10.
Assistance with details on the sizes and
styles of clothing needed, as well as any
necessary outerwear, linens, blankets,
shoes, books and some children’s toys.
Family Assistance volunteers sort through
all donated items. They wash, fold and
mend them as needed. And they fill orders
to the referral agencies that pick up and
deliver these items to the people who need
them.
Bobbie Talsma has been the director of
Family Assistance since 2012. Talsma
oversees the entire operation as well as
the 40 volunteers who make the program
possible. Talsma said her favorite part
about her job is the joy of service: “It is
humbling and catches my heart to hear the
Continued on page 6
people
Meet Peter Jacob
See page 9.
from the board
By Chad Sytsma
President, ECA Board of Directors
Fostering a safe, diverse,
and walkable Eastown
neighborhood by creating
opportunities for neighbors
and friends to engage and
connect.
415 Ethel SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49506
616.451.3025
info@eastown.org
www.eastown.org
ECA Board Members
Chad Sytsma, President
Tony Martin, Vice-President
Christopher Cork, Treasurer
Courtney Myers-Keaton, Secretary
Heather Colletto
Shannon Cunningham
Alice Menninga-Richards
Jaya Rapp
ECA Committees
Green Space Committee
Block Captains & Public Safety
Committee
Access Committee
ECA/EBA Committee
Special Events
We welcome involvement in our
committees. Eastown Community
Association board meetings are held on
the second Tuesday of every month at 6:00
p.m. in the ECA Office, 415 Ethel SE.
Eastown residents and business owners
are encouraged to attend.
ECA Staff
Executive Director
Community Police Officer
Public Relations Intern 2
Lindsey Ruffin
Jeremy Huffman
Eryn Calverley
Eastown Access / October - November 2014
I
f you live, work or spend time
in Eastown, you’ve noticed the
new construction at the corners of
Giddings, Atlas and Wealthy. We’re
excited to have new development in
Eastown, and it certainly shows our
neighborhood is growing.
What you may not realize is that residents
have a chance to weigh in on the changes
that occur in our community. These
opportunities exist through both the
system used by the Grand Rapids Planning
Department and through direct requests
for feedback from the ECA.
When you receive a postcard (usually
blue) in the mail, it’s typically triggered
by your home’s proximity to an address
that involves project approval from
the Planning Department. Residents
may write, email or visit the planning
commission meeting in person to provide
feedback.
The ECA also shares development news
with our residents through our Access
newsletter, and enews—our weekly email
update. If you’re not signed up for enews,
you might be missing opportunities to
share your opinion. The ECA works hard
to maintain open lines of communication
and create opportunities for resident input,
but it works only when you choose to
engage in the process.
Most of you now know that SpartanNash
is looking to build a new gas station at the
corner of Fulton and Carlton. The ECA
has created multiple opportunities to voice
your thoughts and concerns, including
an open house at Calvin CRC held on
October 27. More information on this
project can be found here:
www.eastown.org/proposed-developmenteastown
Wilcox Park progress continues, and the
ECA is excited to share the most recent
developments of the work we’re doing
with the City. You can find the most recent
updates here:
http://goo.gl/2gJhHH
Your voice matters, so please make sure
you’re signed up for the enews to stay
current on what’s happening in and around
Eastown. We’re proud of our community,
and your involvement ensures we continue
to stay well balanced and vibrant! You can
sign up for enews at:
http://goo.gl/swW9bO
Eastown
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The views and opinions expressed in
Access are not necessarily those of the
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NEIGHBOR SPOTLIGHT
Tony Martin: An Outstanding Volunteer
A
By Christa Brenner
lmost everyone in Eastown knows
Tony Martin. He’s a recognizable
guy - Eastown resident since 1996,
vice president of the ECA board, host of
the epic Thomas 1200 block party and
most recently, he’s been recognized by the
Crime Prevention Association of Michigan
(CPAM) and awarded the 2014 Outstanding Volunteer of the year award.
When I asked how he got involved with
crime prevention, his answer was simple:
he’s neighborly. It started with being a
good neighbor - waving at people, moving
stuff and hosting the occasional sidewalk
happy hour. But getting recognized by
CPAM takes a truly great neighbor.
Tony is always volunteering, from passing
out food at the community food truck to
taking care of his pet project, Sigsbee
Park. After funding cuts sent the park into
disarray, Tony decided to step up and
began organizing cleanups and
fundraisers to help maintain the park. This
simple, neighborly act helps keep the park
safe for residents.
These are just a couple of examples of
Tony’s neighborhood stewardship; he’s
always doing something. In the future,
he’d like to get more involved with city
schools and their role in the community.
Tony hopes to lead by example and that
his actions will inspire action in others.
For those wanting to make a difference, he
offers this advice: “Always get involved.
Whatever you do, do something. If we all
do our jobs, and each person does a little
bit, it goes a looooong way.”
EBA UPDATES
By Josh Hogeterp,
Co-Chair, EBA and Online Manager, Redux
Books
W
ith fall upon us and winter
looming on the horizon, it’s easy
to get caught in the seasonal
slumps that seem to rear their ugly heads
when one is stuck in a perpetual rain cloud
or snow blizzard. Eastown always does a
good job in helping people combat these
slumps with fun events, new and exciting
businesses or even some interesting
debate! This year is no exception.
First, I want to thank everyone from the
EBA and ECA whose hard work made
Streetfair 2014 the most successful yet. All
of Eastown’s events keep on getting bigger
and better, offering more attractions for
both vendors and attendees and that’s not
a coincidence. It’s because a large handful
of people put in a lot of hard work. Now,
patting backs and reminiscing about
Eastown’s great events this past summer
is fun, but we can’t do that for too long as
the EBA looks forward to teaming up with
other business districts in Uptown to plan
this year’s Holiday Shop Hop. Mark your
calendars for Thursday, December 4 and
watch for more information on eastowngr.
com.
The EBA is also welcoming a couple
of new businesses and celebrating the
opening of another. Vintage on Lake Drive
is a new shop located at 1503 Lake Drive
that offers wedding and event resale, do-ityourself supplies, and rustic and industrial
furniture. The shop is open now so be
sure to check it out! I’m sure many of you
have seen the renovations going on next to
All City Kicks on Wealthy in the Phoenix
building. The Mitten State is getting ready
to open its first official retail store! The
company designs and creates apparel that
applauds Michigan by commemorating
moments, places and citizens. Also, if you
haven’t done so yet, be sure to stop into E.
A. Brady’s for pastured, local meats. This
butcher shop opened in early September.
I’m sure many of you have heard
information about the SpartanNash
proposal for a gas station at the corner
of Fulton and Carlton. This is a very
important development proposal and
will have a profound effect on the
neighborhood and business district. The
City Planning Commission will be holding
a hearing on November 13, and it is
essential that residents and commercial
proprietors attend to voice their support
or non-support. Remember, this is your
neighborhood and business district!
As always, our motto remains: Never
doubt that groups of thoughtful,
committed citizens can keep making
Eastown a great place to live, work and
play.
EBA BOARD MEMBERS
Josh Hogeterp, Co-Chair
Stacy Wolfgang, Co-Chair
Lyndi Charles, Treasurer
Lynn Happel
Ryan Ogle
Mary Scheidel
Chris McDonald
EBA COMMITTEE
Marketing
EBA/ECA COMMITTEE
Special Events
Eastown Access / October - November 2014
3
Shop Local to Feel
Good, Do Good
A
By Christa Brenner
s your calendars fill up with the
non-stop parties and gift exchanges
associated with the holiday season,
remember to shop local.
1,600 new jobs and over $50 million in
wages. So, if you’re not doing it already,
shop local and support your friends and
neighbors in downtown Eastown.
Finding Flashlight Alley
F
By Cristina O’Brien
shine throughout life’s tribulations and
triumphs.
I encourage you to use a lazy afternoon to
wander through the cool kids’ closet. Here,
dressing up in someone else’s clothes
and donning hats that have traveled on
many heads before can transform you for
an afternoon into the teenager you once
were—to a time when the greatest parts of
life were still unknown.
The convenience factor alone should
sway you—no lengthy commute to a
big-box store, no patient waiting for a
parking space only to have it stolen by an
impatient soccer fan from the burbs.
Instead, you can stroll on foot to any one
of our amazing shops or restaurants and
pick up something for everyone on your
list.
lashlight Alley provides an eclectic
panoply of antiques, celebrity icons
and local artwork at friendly prices.
Mother-daughter owners and artists, Alice
Menninga-Richards and Alicia Menninga,
forged a love of antiques from their early
days selling goods in booths at Eastown
Streetfair and Eastown Antiques. These
many years of treasure hunting led to the
conception of their own store, located at
1507 Wealthy St SE.
Besides finding a great gift (or gift card)
for any budget or any person, shopping
local dramatically affects our local
economy. The statistics are staggeing according to Local First, for every $100
spent at local, independently owned
businesses, $68 stays in the community, as
opposed to the same spent at a non-local
business, where only $43 stays.
When I met with Alicia, she was dressed
in a loose black vest, a black bowler hat
with blonde curls escaping at will, with
rings decorating nearly every finger.
Drawing on a rich inner world of artistic
appreciation, the Menningas outfit Flashlight Alley with items of their own
creation, personal clothing and a street
sign from Alice’s childhood home.
inter is coming. And your energy
bills will surely rise to greet it.
Here are a few tips for saving on
home energy costs. A more comprehensive
list of energy-saving tips can be found at
energysaver.gov.
The economic impact of that $68 is a
big deal, and if we all chose to shop at a
local store or restaurant one time out of
ten, we’d generate $140 million in new
economic activity, in addition to creating
Comunity artists and historical artifacts
blend together in a cacophony that is both
endearing and directionless. The store’s
name, Flashlight Alley, is an eponym for
Alicia’s late father, Flash. It also
represents the family’s detemination to
1.To save on heating your water, turn the
thermostat of your water heater to 120
degrees. It need not be on the highest heat
setting.
Continued on page 10
4
Eastown Access / October - November 2014
The store, like the people who own it,
offers warmth and creativity in abundance.
It’s a beacon of light that shines on that
uneven but beautiful spot on Wealthy
Street.
7 Tips for Reducing Your
Home Energy Bills
W
By Lee Hardy
Warmth of Home
Holiday Open House Features Local Artisan-Made Gifts
T
his year marks the 12th annual
Holiday Open House sponsored by
artist Sierra Cole.
Her open house on 69 Carlton Ave. SE
features locally made gifts crafted by
about a dozen area artists. Cole will invite
people into the warmth of her home to find
a hand-crafted gift for someone special.
Cole, originally from Greenville, where
she first started this yearly holiday open
house event, moved to Eastown eight
years ago. While browsing at her house,
shoppers can enjoy baked goods, coffee
and the “famous” Jamaican tea she brews.
“It’s like a hot cider drink... people really
seem to enjoy it when we’ve served it
before, and have even asked for the recipe.
We’ll also have wine available if you
come Friday night. We want people to
relax and enjoy themselves while they’re
here,” explains Cole.
Cole has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in
Printmaking and Graphic Design from
Michigan State University. While working
at the Daily News in Greenville after
college, Cole’s boss encouraged her to try
By Cathy TerBeek
felting.Those attending the holiday open
house will find selections of her wool
purses and hats.
Holiday open houses will be offered at two
other locations as well. Pamela Benjamin
and Amy Wolterstorff will host an open
house at 328 Auburn Ave. SE. Benjamin,
the hostess for the Auburn house location,
refurbishes old windows with stained
glass. Wolterstorff specializes in making
items out of recycled felted wool from old
sweaters such as hats, mittens, Christmas
ornaments and garlands. Benjamin will
serve cookies and salty snacks along with
the Jamaican tea, a recipe which they
borrowed from Cole, for people to enjoy
at the Auburn location too.
“One thing that makes our location unique
is we always have things made by kids.
My daughter, Phoebe, age 12, makes
potholders and potholder chickens, and
my nephew makes origami animals, and
there are other kids’ items too,” says
Wolterstorff.
Heather Robinson-Sleutel will also open
her home for holiday shoppers at 1359
Emerald NE 49505. Robinson used to
live on Lake Drive, but now she holds
her open house at the new location on
Emerald. Robinson’s husband, Jake,
creates hand-woven rag rugs from upcycled t-shirts and fabric. He also makes
knit hats, sculptural felted vessels and
found wood jewelry. Robinson, herself,
makes ceramic art objects, vessels, buttons
and jewelry.
“We are excited about the idea of this
being a growing movement where people
can buy art and gifts directly from the
artist, and visit the space that inspires their
work,” says Robinson.
At all three locations, holiday shoppers
may find greeting cards, recycled journals,
bath and body items, candles, woodwork,
pencil holders, pottery, felted items,
sterling silver jewelry, ornaments, kitchen
accessories, or letterpress goods and more.
Open House hours are not the same for
every home though, so please see page 6
for a list of dates and times.
Continued on page 6
Eastown Access / October - November 2014
5
We’ve
moved!
But we’re not too far away.
Come see our new location!
1 4 1 5 LY O N S T N E • 8 0 3 - 9 6 5 4
“Nurturing Excellence, Partnering in Service,
Radiating Hope”
Family Asst. Continued from page 1
stories and feel the deep gratification of
helping children, moms and dads too. We
are in a unique position in that we are a
quiet, gentle ministry. We come alongside
and walk along only for a moment.
The caseworker has the hard work of
determining the need and placing the
order. When we are contacted, we do not
judge, ask why or pass along a sermon.
We simply help. We are servants to the
servants,” said Talsma.
In the last two years she has expanded the
program to reach out to more caseworkers
and agencies by making online ordering
possible. Caseworkers can easily
request clothing online and are quickly
notified when the order has been filled.
Implementing the online form increased
the number of families who receive
services by 20%.
Church members are also involved
with the Family Assistance program by
providing financial aid and donations each
year. The money raised from the church
members is used to purchase items that
are in high demand like winter jackets,
boots, underclothing and socks. Fleece and
flannel are also purchased to make cozy
pants and shirts while the scrap material
is used to make baby quilts to give away.
6 Eastown Access / October - November 2014
The church members also donate new and
gently used clothing as well as linens.
This longstanding program continues to
grow and serve about 10% more people
each year. In 2012 it served 2,772 people
and in 2013 the number increased to
2,947. The current building used to house
the program and all of the donated items
is much too small and repairs are too
expensive to make. Talsma saw the need
for a larger building and began working
with the church members and community
to build a larger facility. Her hope is to
expand the program to other agencies
and counties in Michigan to serve even
more families. On October 5, a crowd
of about 200 attendees broke ground on
construction of the new building which
will be constructed near the church.
The new building will be 5,500 square
feet providing 50% more storage space,
in-house laundry and a single-level
layout to provide improved access for
volunteers and donation deliveries.
GDK Construction will begin work on
November 13, 2014.
How you can help
You can donate clothing in good condition
by bringing the items to the Family
Assistance house (656 Ethel SE) on
Tuesday and Thursday mornings from
9:30-11:30 a.m. Items most commonly
needed are clothing for babies up to adults,
sheets, blankets, diapers, soap, toys and
books.
Holiday Continued from page 4
OPEN HOUSE TIMING
House 1 – Sierra Cole: 69 Carlton Ave.
SE
Thursday, December 4 at 5 to 9 p.m.
Friday, December 5 at 4 to 8 p.m.
Saturday, December 6 at 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Friday, December 12 at 4 to 8 p.m.
Saturday, December 13 at 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
House 2 – Pamela Benjamin & Amy
Wolterstorff: 328 Auburn Ave SE
Friday, Decemer 5 at 4 to 8 p.m.
Saturday, December 6 at 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
House 3 – Jake and Heather RobinsonSleutel: 1359 Emerald NE 49505
Saturday, December 6 at noon to 6 p.m.
Sunday, December 7 at noon to 6 p.m.
For more information about the event,
please visit www.sierracole.com or call
616-302-0106 to make an appointment.
The Kids’ Perspective
T
By Amy Wolterstorff
urns out, the Eastown kids I know
are pretty savvy. I took an informal
survey of neighborhood kids ages 3
to 13, asking them what they liked about
living in Eastown, and I was surprised by
how well they knew the neighborhood and
by how much they felt a part of it.
They like the fact that there are lots of
kids. Older kids look out for the younger
ones, and the kids say they would not
hesitate to ask a grownup for help. Elevenyear-old Rory says, “the neighbors are
awesome and they’re always nice to me.”
Photo by Dan Chase
History and Beauty Reclaimed for the Home
“
By Heather Colletto
Working with these old and forgotten
materials shows the beauty hiding just
beneath the surface,” says Dan Chase,
owner of re.dwell. At re.dwell, Chase
crafts custom furniture from reclaimed
wood and salvaged materials.
From Muncie, Indiana to Grand Rapids,
Michigan, Chase works with home and
business owners who are demolishing or
remodeling so that discarded materials
can be reclaimed and made into furniture
rather than added to the dumpster. The
result is an impressive portfolio of household furniture that you can’t find anywhere
else. “These pieces have a history unlike
any other,” Chase says.
While attending graduate school for architecture and sustainable design, Chase met
a man who was collecting the scrap materials from houses he was hired to demolish
and turning everything he could into furniture. He asked Chase to help him create
sketches of the furniture for record-keeping, but soon Chase was tagging along for
the demolitions themselves. In the process
of discovering innovative ways to reuse
the materials, Chase discovered a love
(and knack) for making furniture.
Eventually, re.dwell (short for “reclaimed
dwelling”) became the title of his
master’s thesis on creating new housing
from reclaimed materials. While he enjoys
making different types of tables (coffee
tables give him the most creative
flexibility), Chase wants to eventually take
his repurposing skills beyond household
furniture to larger architectural projects.
Chase’s participation in the Vintage Street
Market and Eastown’s Bizarre Bazaar and
Streetfair has exposed his one-of-a-kind
work to an even larger audience, including local businesses. Today, you can find
some of his work at the new E. A. Brady’s
butcher shop on Lake Drive; a display
cart and some shelving were made using
materials from an iron foundry in an old
Cadillac cafeteria. Chase also finds work
making pieces through custommade.com,
a website that connects craftsmen like
him to individuals who have an idea for a
unique item, such as furniture or jewelry.
To date, he has sent pieces everywhere
from Boston and Chicago to Canada and
Puerto Rico.
Most told me how much they like to walk
to neighborhood amenities. They appreciate the good food and local art. Thirteenyear-old Sadie likes “how you can walk to
a lot of restaurants and ice cream shops.”
Nicolas, also 13, likes “how everything is
squished together” so you can easily get
to lots of places. Where do they walk?
The park, the post office, restaurants,
coffee shops, cupcake shops—12-yearold Audrey says she and her family walk
everywhere. The overwhelming favorite,
from five-year-old Cady to the 13-yearolds? Spoonlickers, hands down.
These kids seem to have a good feel for
the neighborhood and its place in the city
as well. Twelve-year-old Ella says she
likes the fact that downtown is close but
still “not there.” Rory says Eastown is
“like a mini town.” Phoebe, also 12, says
she likes the variety of people and the
community. They like the Eastown Streetfair too, and three-year-old Walker loves
the annual block party.
A Forest Hills native with high school
memories of trips to Yesterdog, Chase
and his wife attended school in Indiana
before returning to West Michigan. “We
love Grand Rapids. It’s a great town,” says
Chase. When planning a move back, “we
had our heart set on Eastown or the East
Hills area.” Today, Chase enjoys a short
walk to work at Architect at Large near
Wealthy and Fuller, where he serves on the
architectural team.
In my day, the kids in my northeast side
neighborhood went to the same local
public or private school, and almost all
of us walked. Now, the kids I talked with
attend schools in almost every part of the
city, some miles away, and most travel by
bus or car to get there. They don’t mind
going to different schools, though—it
makes playing after school more fun,
they say. Even in this day of electronic
devices, I see kids playing outside almost
every day, whole packs of them, boys and
girls together. Sometimes they even play
the games I remember—capture the flag,
foursquare, and hide and seek.
To see more of Chase’s work (and get
a glimpse into his passion for salvaged
materials!), check out his Facebook page
at facebook.com/re.dwellDesign.
What don’t they like about the neighborhood? No ice cream trucks on the street in
the summertime and cars going too fast. I
couldn’t agree more.
Eastown Access / October - November 2014 7
Creative Living in Eastown: Meet Peter Jacob
A
s a teen in Indiana, Peter Jacob
knew that he liked making things
with his hands. With family in West
Michigan and an interest in design, he
toured Kendall College at age 16. Furniture design was the highlight of the tour.
“It was then that I first began to understand how drawings become things,” he
recalls. “And I knew, this is what I should
be doing.”
The department chairperson challenged
him to fill 20 notebooks with drawings
before he applied to Kendall. He did and
started his first semester there confident
and comfortable at the drafting table.
After his early professional days with
Kindel Furniture Company, a heritage
home furnishings business in Grand
Rapids, and then Holly Hunt manufacturer
Joseph Jeup, Jacob began a rewarding
freelance career. “I love that working
for myself gives me the flexibility to do
side projects,” he says. One such project
brought Michigan craftspeople together
to display their wares—clothing, furniture
and more—in a popup shop within a photo
studio on South Division.
He operates his business, Kind Cre-
8 Eastown Access / October - November 2014
By Heather Young Salter
ative, from the offices of Via Design, an
architecture and interiors firm located
downtown on Grandville Avenue. There,
he designs primarily wood furniture and
lighting, much for retailers serving affluent markets in the costal U.S., and also
Gorman’s and Klingman’s furniture stores
in Grand Rapids.
fresh cookies, frosted cupcakes and other
goodies.
“My style is discernibly masculine in
its forms,” says Jacob. He describes his
sweet spot as a 30/70 ratio of classic and
modern—a relationship he flips from
design to design.
And she was right, says Jacob. “All the
people we’ve encountered—customers,
neighbors and fellow shop owners—have
been very warm and accepting.”
Eastowners may know Jacob as the partner of Jason Kakabaker, owner and lead
pastry chef of The Cakabakery, located in
the iconic windmill building on Wealthy
Street. Jacob was able to reduce his workload for the six weeks needed to design
and renovate the building’s retail space
and commercial kitchen, with help from
local Stob Construction.
It is a delightful space, half clad in whitewashed panels and half beneath the arched
glass of a former greenhouse overlooking
a bricked patio. Shelves are piled high
with vintage baking scales and cake pedestals. French bistro tables invite guests
to enjoy the ambiance over hot coffee,
One of the first visitors to stop by when
the shop opened in June 2013 was Olga
Benoit, owner of Chez Olga across the
street. “She welcomed us and told us that
people here support each other.”
Jacob returned the favor, collaborating
with ECA volunteers Josh McBryde and
Julie Lankes to reconfigure the booths at
September’s Eastown Streetfair. With his
help, the event was able to accommodate
more than a dozen additional vendors over
the previous year.
At the end of October, Jacob and Kakabaker packed their bags and set out for
North Carolina and The High Point
Market, the world’s largest furnishings
industry trade show. There amid 75,000
attendees and 2,000 exhibitors, they
launched “Wesley Hall with Peter Jacob,”
a new line of upholstered sofas, chairs and
side tables designed and named for Jacob.
Kakabaker, of course, furnished desserts.
COMMUNITY NOTES
One-Stop Dialing at City Hall
By Lee Hardy
ver browse through the long list of
city departments and phone numbers, wondering which one to call
for your service request? Those days are
now over. On October 1 of this year the
city of Grand Rapids inaugurated its 311
customer service number.
E
Call that number within the GR city limits
anytime between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. and
you will get a response from a real person
to practically all your requests - waste
accounts, water service, voter registration,
property tax information. This person can
also take reports of potholes, broken street
lights, graffiti, clogged storm drains and
the like. 311: it’s “One Call to City Hall.”
H
Free Alarms
ealthy Homes Coalition has free
smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms for families with
children 14 years or younger in the home.
Both tenants and home owners are eligible. Call (616) 241-3300 or e-mail info@
healthyhomescoalition.org to schedule an
appointment.
Porch Light Initiative
T
his winter we want to see all homes
in Eastown with their porch lights
on. Turning your porch light on
is the easiest way to to promote safety
in your neighborhood. Contact the ECA
(451-3025) to get your free CFL lightbulb
from Consumers Energy.
Leaves in Eastown
D
id you know disposing of leaves
from your yard into the street is
a violation of City ordinance?
Leaves put in the street clog up storm
drain systems and cause flooding in the
roadways. It’s a good thing we have
two great leaf disposal services this year
through Organicycle bags (available at
the ECA) and MJR Landscape! Contact
the ECA for more info (451-3025).
City Housing Code Section 9.94
No person shall sweep into or deposit in
any gutter or other public place within the
City, the accumulation of litter from any
building or lot, or from any public or
private sidewalk or driveway. This
includes leaves swept into the street.
Find joy in each day.
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uptown’s Holiday
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Eastown Access / October - November 2014
9
The Mitten State Finds First Retail
Space in Eastown
T
By Shannon Cunningham
he Mitten State has been celebrating everything that makes our home
state an awesome place to live since
2009; however, the mitten-inspired apparel
company is opening its first retail store
this year, and will be calling Eastown its
home.
The space, which was once occupied
by PT 360º at 1502 Wealthy, will now
serve as the storefront for the company’s
apparel, including t-shirts, sweatshirts,
clothing for children, and other goods such
as coffee mugs, stickers and more.
Will Bransdorfer, one of the founders
of The Mitten State and the company’s
creative director, notes that the organization had reached a point in its life where
a retail store would “be able to accommodate customers in a much better way.”
“This is a great opportunity for us to get
our story across in a tangible way,” said
Bransdorfer. “It’s one thing to do that online, but it’s a completely separate thing to
be able to take that experience and curate
it for a brick & mortar store. We’d like
people to walk in and immediately ‘know’
what we’re about.”
10 Eastown Access / October - November 2014
Founders Bransdorfer and Mike O’Rourke
founded The Mitten State with another
friend when each was living in a different
state than the others. While living in Denver, Los Angeles and San Diego, the trio
wanted to create and open an online retail
store with the idea of avoiding competition
with the thousands of other t-shirt companies and creating something truly unique
and specific. The result? A brand inspired
by Michigan’s communities, culture, and
natural beauty.
“We see ourselves as part designers, part
historians,” said Bransdorfer. “We love
uncovering quirky stories, slogans, and
events from the recent past - things that
make people nostalgic about where they’re
from and give them a sense of belonging.”
The Mitten State plans to open its doors a
few weeks before Thanksgiving and will
be open Monday through Friday from 11
a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday
from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. In the meantime,
the public can still stop by to say “hi” at
the company’s warehouse and, as always,
can purchase all apparel and goods online
at www.themittenstate.com.
Home Energy Continued from page 4
2. Consider installing a programmable
thermostat for your home furnace if you
don’t already have one. It will remember
when to turn down the heat.
3. Install a low-flow showerhead in your
shower. It will save a lot of water and
you’ll hardly notice the difference.
4. Run a line of caulk between window
and door trim and your interior walls.
That’s often where the cold air seeps in.
Check your exterior walls too, where the
water faucets and vents come out.
5. Let the sun in through your south-facing
windows during the day; draw the draperies closed at night. Solar heat is free.
6. Replace your incandescent light bulbs
with CFLs (compact fluorescent lights); or
consider replacing your CFLs with LEDs
(light-emitting diodes), which use even
less energy the CFLs and last even longer.
LED porch lights will make a real difference in the number of kilowatts you use
each month.
7. Set your clothes washer on cold water
and use a cold-water detergent. Your
clothes will get just as clean. Wash full
loads.
Clean & Green
Information
HANDY NUMBERS
Emergency 911
Police: Non-emergency
456-3400
Silent Observer
774-2345
Eastown Community
Association451-3025
Community Police
Officer Huffman
520-3478
Captain Hertel
456-3499
For all non-emergency city services such
as reporting a pothole, graffiti, clogged
catch basin, street light out, abandoned
car, & refuse/recycle miss, call 311
Bob Crow, Calvin College
Dean of Student Development 526-6165
Heather Bloom Hall, Aquinas College
Director of Campus Life
632-2457
HANDY WEBSITES/EMAILS
If you’re not recycling your paper, glass
and cans, start now by calling the city for
a free recycling bin: 456-3232
Eastown Community Association:
www.eastown.org
https://www.facebook.com/eastowngr
If you have electronic components you
need to get rid of, you can take them to:
Kent County Recycling Center
977 Wealthy SW/Grand Rapids
Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.
CompRenew
629 Ionia SW/Grand Rapids
Monday-Friday 10:00 a.m.- 6 p.m.
The City of Grand Rapids:
www.grcity.us
Have an item to recycle but not sure where
to take it? Visit www.recyclekent.org/ for
locations to accept most household items.
Used auto oil can be taken to the Auto
Zone, on Fuller just south of Leonard, for
free recycling.
If you wish to reduce the amount of junk
mail you receive, try:
www.41pounds.org or
www.dmachoice.org
Tired of telemarketing calls at dinnertime?
Register your phone number at
www.donotcall.gov
Second Ward Commissioners
(North of Wealthy):
Rosalynn Bliss: rbliss@grcity.us
Ruth E. Kelly: rkelly@grcity.us
Third Ward Commissioners
(South of Wealthy):
Senita Lenear: slenear@grcity.us
Elias Lumpkins: elumpkins@grcity.us
The Rapid Bus System:
www.ridetherapid.org
Kent County:
www.accesskent.com
State of Michigan:
www.michigan.gov
Get the Lead Out!
www.healthyhomescoalition.org
Heart of West Michigan United Way
http://www.211.org or call 211
The Eastown Community Association is a nonprofit 501(c) 3 organization. Donations help us cover operating costs, hold events,
facilitate public dialogues on key issues, and support neighborhood improvement—all in service to the Eastown community.
We encourage you to make your donation online at www.eastown.org/donate or by sending in the form below. Checks and money
orders should be made out to the Eastown Community Association and can be sent to the ECA at 415 Ethel Ave SE.
Contribution $
Your gift at any level will help support the organization.
Name:
Address:
City:State:Zip:
Phone:Email:
I would like to volunteer for the following:
Green SpaceBlock CaptainAccess
Events
Eastown Access / October - November 2014 11
Eastown Community Association
415 Ethel Ave SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49506-9907
NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
GRAND RAPIDS, MI
PERMIT NO. 277
conGrESS ElEmEntary
oUr SUccESS Story:
- Highest MAP student growth test score from fall to spring last school year; ranked in
the 86th national percentile.
- MEAP proficiency increased across the board for all content areas.
- One of best attendance rates in the district.
- Ranked among top schools for school safety; lowest suspension rate in the entire district.
- First ever School/Community garden; full implementation
of School/Community garden third grade curriculum.
Enroll today
Go to www.GrPS.org/Enrolltoday or visit us!
940 Baldwin St SE, Grand Rapids, MI | 616.819.2201 | www.grps.org/congress
taKE a toUr
Come see for yourself about the great things
happening, meet the rock star teachers, and
see the amazing children at Congress.
contact Principal Bridget cheney
at 819-2201 or email cheneyb@grps.org.
“While there is strong emphasis
on academics, it is combined
with genuine care and concern
for the well-being of the children
and their families that infuses
the learning environment with
acceptance and warmth.”
Laura Dillivan, pictured above, with her son
Riley, a Congress Elementary student.