Gilles Renusson

Cooking up awards

Gilles Renusson, French Agricultural Merit award winner, discovers profession in boarding school.
Janay Brower Public Thread

Upcycling for the Greater Good

Social justice and passion have always been a part of Janay Brower’s work. Before starting Public Thread, she worked for the city of Grand Rapids and the Grand Rapids Area Coalition to End Homelessness, doing systems change and public policy work. But despite the work she was doing, Brower wanted to find a way to foster deeper systemic change.
Rustic City Living owners Amy Calvert and Kristy Dipiazza.

Furniture Makers Open Rustic City Living Storefront

Best friends since the third grade, Amy Calvert and Kristy Dipiazza started a business together simply out of need.
Four Birds Airstream Gathering Spaces

Family Debuts Mobile Event Venue

A pair of Calvin College grads and their kids have moved back to West Michigan with an Airstream trailer and a vision in tow.
The Ruse Escape Rooms opens Black Friday.

Looking For An Escape?

At the corner of Division and Weston in downtown Grand Rapids sits a building that begs the question, “Will you make it out alive?”

Angling on the Grand

Tom Werkman shares his love of fishing with other anglers.
Wax Poetic Candle Bar

DIY at Wax Poetic Candle Bar

The life of a candle shop owner means your trash never smells bad.“I mean literally, it never stinks,” says Jill Bromley-Sung, owner of Wax Poetic Candle Bar, who also comes away smelling pretty nice herself.
Photo by Kevin Kamis

Make Room for the Mountain Minnies

Say hello to the winter adventure program designed to get little girls outside to brighten the colder months.
Pottery Lane potters wheel

Walking Down Memory Lane

Kelly Kermode still has the small pinch pot she made in kindergarten. It’s a reminder of where she started and where she’s going when it comes to life and her pottery skills.

‘The Quarry’ Collaboration

The road to publication of The Quarry wasn’t free of rocks and ruts, but now local author Mike Salisbury and local illustrator Marvin Luna are entering the world of graphic novels

Representing the Black community

Dr. Charles Gibson is one of only a few Black trauma surgeons in the country.
Dégagé Ministries dining hall is open during the morning and evening hours.

Dégagé Ministries Commemorates Impact with Event Featuring Patrons’ Stories

Transforming lives and restoring hope in the Heartside community, Dégagé Ministries is a Christ-centered, non-profit organization that offers valuable programming and services to homeless and disadvantaged individuals in Grand Rapids. To commemorate its impact on the community, the ministry is hosting this year’s “Celebrate Dégagé.”
Thomas Dilley Grand Rapids Postcard Collection

Collector Donates 5,000 Historical Postcards to Library

A visual history of Grand Rapids is now available at the Grand Rapids Public Library in postcard form.

Rockford native to present on bike tour of North America

Author Robert Downes will speak on his experiences in long-distance biking. 
"Tyler was given those wool mittens while he was homeless; we washed them and he was able to provide them to someone else who volunteered at the event and also happens to be without a home."

Purple Backpack Project Delivers Lifesaving Items to Homeless

As temperatures drop and snowstorms await, local nonprofit Dirt City Sanctuary said even though items such as a proper pair of boots should be an essential necessity to surviving winter, many individuals in West Michigan walk the streets without such provisions.
Epilogue Books in Rockford.

Couple Continues Their Story with Epilogue Books

Once Valerie Burkholder retired early this spring, after working for 28 years, she decided to follow her lifelong dream of opening a bookstore.
Camp Manna

Locally Made Film Spoofs Evangelical Summer Camp

The old adage, “write what you know” served Eric Scott Johnson and Eric Machiela well. The pair recently completed Camp Manna, a coming of age film that takes place at an Evangelical Christian summer camp.
Ginny Mikita holds a photo of her 13-year-old dog Kadie.

Passing Peacefully

When they say “dog is a man’s best friend,” that’s no exaggeration. A family or companion pet can make a profound difference in many people’s lives, and their memories are often cherished forever.
New Grand Rapids City Manager Mark Washington, Photo courtesy of City of Austin, 2017.

New City Manager Makes History with Appointment

Mark Washington, Grand Rapids’ next city manager, is a busy man.
Gemini Handmade's new store provides greater retail space.

Gemini Handmade Expands to Collaborate with Community

This past June, Parliament the Boutique rebranded as Gemini Handmade after five years on the South Division Avenue for the Arts corridor. Now, the local artisan-based shop has made another big move—to 963 Cherry St. SE.

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MARCH/APRIL 2024 ISSUE