Construction is to begin Monday at the former Southwest Little League site, 580 Kirtland St. SW, where a BMX bike course exists. The park now will be known as Grand Rapids Bike Park.
There will be a landscaped track area and trail.
A total of 65 Michigan National Guard soldiers and their family and friends gathered at the Grand Valley Armory on Thursday for a departure ceremony.
The soldiers will be at Camp Atterbury, Ind., for two months and then will serve in Afghanistan for a year.
My wife and kids attended the ceremony. One of the troops is one of my wife’s cousins.
THIS WEEK: GRNow Weekly Preview July 7-13
RAMPAGE WIN AGAIN:Rampage upset Chicago in AFL playoffs
The Grand Rapids Rampage are one win away from playing in their second ArenaBowl.
The Rampage, the sixth seed in the AFL’s American Conference, upset the top seeded Chicago Rush 58-41 Sunday at Allstate Arena.
I was at the ArenaBowl when the Rampage won its first championship. They’ve been a pretty mediocre team this season, but they’ve peaked at the right time.
Next up is San Jose.
WARNING: No body contact advisory issued for areas along Grand River
Health Departments officials are asking people to avoid body contact with the Grand River from the Wealthy Street Bridge, through Ottawa County, all the way to Lake Michigan after sewage overflow spilled into the river.
Approximately 70 million gallons of sewage made it into the river in several locations, including the Market Avenue retention basin.
They will be testing the water on Monday, July 7th.
LOOKS LIKE LOUNGE DADDY has a new site going, focused on Libertarian politics.
Can’t say that I’m a Libertarian party guy, but I certainly have libertarian views on a lot of things.
Go check it out.
IN A JAM? Try the 2008 Valentine’s Day Guide for Grand Rapids area Valentines eating and fun.
COLD: I shoveled the end of my driveway this afternoon and then ran down to Meijer to pick up a few things. I guess that I was a bit surprised when the thermometer in my car said it was only 4 degrees out. I knew it was cold, but it didn’t really seem that bad.
Meanwhile, Authorities are telling drivers to stay home
Police across three counties in West Michigan are urging motorists to stay off the roads as white-out conditions and icy roads continue Sunday night.
Weather conditions forced the closings of several highways, and police in Kent, Ottawa and Barry counties were asking drivers to stay home if possible.
In Kent County, dispatchers had received reports of about 100 crashes since midnight, dispatcher Melissa Fellows said.
A line of cars make their way along the 4600 block of 28th Street SE during whiteout conditions.
Image from the GR Press.
NICE: Free smoke detector giveaway continues
Red Cross volunteers will go door-to-door on four dates over the next two months to check and, if necessary, install free smoke detectors in Grand Rapids neighborhoods.
Saving Lives At The Sound is a program aimed at putting a smoke detector in every home.
FEBRUARY 16: Senator Carl Levin Speaking on Iraq in Grand Rapids
Michigan Democratic Party Senator Carl Levin is scheduled to speak in Grand Rapids on February 16 on Iraq. His speech, which is titled “One Year After The Surge: Where Do We Stand? Where Do We Go From Here?,” will provide attendees with Levin’s “latest assessment of the situation in Iraq, the outlook, and the alternatives.”
Levin is speaking to the Progressive Women’s Alliance at Loosemore Auditorium on the Pew Grand Rapids Campus of Grand Valley State University. 1:00-2:00.
I may have to see if I can’t make it to that.