Monthly e-Newsletter|August 2018 Edition
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Greetings,
The first Tuesday of August is always fun, why? National Night Out events occur throughout the City some of these events are large such as the event held at Alpine & Hillside, others are smaller neighborhood events. This year, despite the rain, I was able to attend several of these events, I enjoy meeting residents and especially seeing the children meet our public safety officers, both police and fire. These events help to introduce neighbors to each other, build relations and create strong neighborhoods.
The City Commission recently approved an upgrade to our sound system in the Commission Chambers. This will allow for better sound quality but will also provide enhanced recorded audio and for the first time allow anyone to watch our commission meetings via the internet. Your City Commission and staff have worked hard to become more transparent and accountable for our residents, and I’m happy to say this initiative was supported unanimously.
Finally, this is still “construction season”, please be exercise caution in construction zones for your safety and for the safety of the workers. Progress continues to be made on the Leonard Street project, we are all looking forward to this project completion in November.
Mark E. Huizenga
Mayor
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Walker Standale Family Fun Night and Movie in the Park!
Location: Walker Community Park (700 Cummings Ave NW)
Thursday Evenings from 6:00 - 10:00 pm; Movie begins at dusk
FREE Event for ALL ages
Food trucks, face painting, Archery tag, mobile petting zoo, police, fire and city trucks, crafts with KDL Library and more!
The movie SING, rated PG-13 will be playing on the big outdoor screen at dusk!
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August 18:
Remembrance Car Cruise and Thin Blue Line Fundraiser at 10 am
August 23
: Walker Family Fun Night and Movie in the Park at 6 pm; Movie at dusk
August 28
: Pop with a Cop at 5 pm; Location: Double Dip Depot
FOLLOW OUR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR EVENT DETAILS AND UPDATES!
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Are you over 60?
If you are 60 years or older, you can be added to our permanent absentee voter list.
This means you can skip the lines, avoid crowds and vote from home!
We will mail you your absentee voter application automatically two months prior to each election. Contact your City Clerk, Sarah Bydalek, to be added to this list.
DON'T WAIT UNTIL IT'S TO LATE!
Apply for your Absentee Ballot to be mailed to you
now
if you are not available to vote in person on November 6th.
Please call (616) 791-6865 for more information.
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City Hall Drop Box
Did you know you can drop off ANY document for ANY department to the gray City Hall Drop Box?! The Drop Box is located outside City Hall by the USPS mailboxes.
Absentee ballot applications or ballots can be placed in the drop box or dropped in the designated ballot box inside the Clerk's Office.
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Walker Fire Department:
Escape Planning
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Walker Police Department:
Department News
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August is a busy month for our department, as we have two big Community Events to share! To those who joined us for National Night Out, THANK YOU! What a crowd and we truly enjoyed the chance to mingle with residents, both young and old.
On August 18, we have partnered with Sobie Meats for the first ever Remembrance Car Cruise. The event will run from 10 AM- 1 PM. Cars will roll from Everkept Self Storage near Sobie Meats at 10 AM, then parade to the city complex for the community portion of the event. We will have a cruiser out, along with an equipment display. We will have several officers on hand to answer any police related questions you may have. We are also hoping to have an antique Walker Police car for viewing. We encourage anyone and everyone to stop by, as the event is also a fundraiser for Thin Blue Line of Michigan. TBL of Michigan is a nonprofit organization that serves the families of seriously injured or fallen first responders. Sobie Meats will have food and beverages for purchase, as well as a raffle event. All monies raised will be donated to TBL of Michigan. There will also be games and other events for kids. If you have a classic or antique car, and would like to be part of the event, contact Dick Dorato at 616-784-0032.
On August 28, Double Dip Depot is again hosting a “Pop with a Cop” event. We will be providing the cold pop, Double Dip is offering free mini golf, and the event serves as a great opportunity to meet with your officers in an informal setting. We love to chat with residents, so please join us! This event is outdoors, and will run 5-7 PM, weather permitting.
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If you have a phone, you know the robocalls and the scammers have been trying extra hard lately. If you receive a call from a 206 area code, or other out of state number, stating you have unpaid fines and the police are coming to pick you up, this is a scam. We will not contact you for this type of issue, and the courts will notify you by mail of any criminal warrants. If you receive a voicemail, simply delete it. Do not return the call, and never provide personal or financial information over the phone unless you are 100% sure it is going to a trusted source. If you receive these calls on your cell phone, we recommend blocking the number and reporting it to your service provider.
We have had many speed/construction related directed patrols this summer. We are excited to deploy our new speed board as an additional reminder in these areas. The finishing touches are being done to it in regards of setup, but we hope to use it for a few months before the snow flies. It has many new features, so look for it to be out and about sometime next week.
Our two newest officers have successfully completed field training and are now on patrolling on their own. Corporal Bartels was promoted to the rank of Sergeant, and Officer Powell to the rank of Corporal. Congrats!
As always, keep up on all things related to the Police Department by following us on Facebook at “City of Walker Police Department.”
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The Walker Branch of Kent district Library opened in its current location on Remembrance, in the spring of 1991. Since then, the community has grown and the needs have changed; we would like your input as we plan the next stage of the library.
We want to meet the necessities of the community and need your feedback to help determine the future of the library. Please take a few minutes to fill out the survey at
kdl.org/walkersurvey
or you can pick up a paper copy of the survey from the library front desk.
Check out these pictures from the early 2000s.
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Regular Events at the Walker Branch
Toddler Time
Mondays, September 10 – November 26
9:45 AM to 10:15 AM & 10:45 AM to 11:15 AM
Nurture your toddler's love of books through music, movement and stories while helping to develop their language, motor and social skills.
Baby Play Group
Thursdays, September 13 – November 29
No program November 22
9:30 am to 10:15 AM
Get to know other families and help your baby develop listening skills while you gather and play. We provide the space and variety of sensory and play activities. Each play group also includes 15 minutes of stories, rhymes and songs. For babies from birth to 18 months with a caregiver, older sibling welcome.
Family Storytime
Mondays, September 10 – November 26
10:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Read and sing together. Enjoy stories, music, movement and rhymes that develop early literacy skills and encourage everyone in the family to share their love of reading.
Adult Book Discussion
Tuesday, September 11
10:00 am to 11:00 am
Join us for an informal and lively discussion of The Zoo keepers wife by Diane Ackerman.
Rosie’s Mom and other stories of the WW1 Homefront
Saturday, September 22
10:30 am
During World War II, Rosie the Riveter became the symbol of working women. Was she an orphan? No… During the Great War, twenty year before, her mom worked building armaments for World War I. For teens and adults.
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Walker Ice & Fitness Center:
20th Anniversary Summer Celebration
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WIFC 20th Anniversary Summer Celebration
Thanks to everyone who turned out for our 20
th
Anniversary Celebration. It was a great night with games, skating, dancing and fun with old friends and new. Our entire staff was on hand for the event and we’d all like to thank the Walker Community for being so amazing and making WIFC such a great place to work. Here’s to the next 20 years!
As part of our celebration, commemorative pucks were issued to City Officials past and present as a way to say thanks for all of their support over the years!
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Gordie Howe Lithograph Returns!
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Nov 7, 1998 Mr. Hockey, Gordie Howe, was on hand for our grand opening and he presented the Walker Ice and Fitness Center with a signed #9 framed lithograph. About 10 years ago, it went missing, but now IT’S BACK! Thanks to former Walker City Manager, Jim Hatch, and former Walker Mayor, Don Knottnernus, it was tracked down and returned. It’s now hanging back in our lobby and looks fantastic!
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Cross Ice Hockey begins October 6th, please register now! New brochures are available at
www.walkericeandfitness.com
or at the Walker Ice and Fitness Center front desk. Our Cross Ice Program is ran by former NHL player, Grand Rapids Griffin and current HAWK Hockey Director Mike Fountain. Please call 616 735 6286 with any questions.
Learn to Skate and Learn to Play Hockey resume our 7 week sessions on Saturdays at 10am, beginning September 23
rd
. Registration brochures are available at
www.hawkhockey.net
or at the Walker Ice and Fitness Center front desk.
The HAWK Hockey Youth Hockey Association season begins the week of Labor Day. There are still a few spots remaining. Please reach out to Hockey Director Mike Fountain at 616 735 6286 or email at
mfountain@walkericeandfitness.com
with questions.
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Youth/College Membership Special
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We’ve been running a 20
th
Anniversary Special for youth/college students. This offer ends on Aug 31, so be sure to stop in to take advantage of this deal!
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It’s been a busy summer at the Walker Ice and Fitness Center’s Ice Arena. We’ve had tournaments, adult leagues, hockey camps, specialty training clinics, state games as well as our usual offerings of drop-in hockey; open skating; stick & puck and HAWK summer events and we’re excited to gear up for this Fall’s season.
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Ron Baum Hockey Specialty Camp
Ron Baum Hockey Specialty Camp held another clinic at the WIFC in late July. This camp focused on Puck Handling and Scoring for U12 players. There were close to 40 kids in attendance from many different local hockey associations.
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Meijer State Games of Michigan
In mid-July, WIFC served as a registration site and game location for the hockey portion of the Meijer State Games of Michigan. We had many exciting games in the U18 division. The Meijer State Games work to promote the values of participation, sportsmanship and healthy living for Michigan residents.
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Learn to Skate / Play Hockey
The 2018-19 Learn to Skate and Learn to Play Hockey season is almost here. Session 1 begins on September 22.
Learn to Skate
is available to boys and girls of all ages. It provides a fun way to learn the fundamentals of ice skating. Skaters are divided among our instructors based on experience, so the program is great for beginners and more advanced skaters.
Learn to Play Hockey
is a great way for boys and girls to start and develop their hockey playing skills – you do need basic skating skills for Learn to Play Hockey as well as full equipment.
For all of your child’s equipment needs, check out our new, fully restocked inventory in our WIFC Pro Shop. We have a great selection of high-end equipment as well as skates, sticks and equipment particularly geared towards a younger, beginner skater.
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HAWK News
HAWK Hockey House Evaluations take place
August 15 and 16. We still have spots available at all levels. Please contact Hockey Director Mike Fountain at (616) 735-6286 or register your child at
www.hawkhockey.net
.
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Cross Ice at Walker Ice and Fitness Center
Cross Ice Hockey will begin in early October and run until early March. For information on the program please contact Hockey Director Mike Fountain at (616) 735-6286 or email him at
mfountain@walkericeandfitness.com
. Once completed in late August, registration brochures will be available at the WIFC front desk or online at
www.walkericeandfitness.com
.
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Pro Shop at Walker Ice and Fitness
Our 2018-19 Pro-Shop inventory is now stocked. Stop by to check out our new and returning products, including:
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The Benefits of Stretching
Stretching is a great way to warm up the body before you start your day and is especially important before you work out. Warming up your muscles will help you reduce the risk of injuries caused by doing too much, too soon. No one enjoys a pulled muscle!
Stretching isn’t just for warming up, it’s also beneficial to stretch after working out too – it helps the muscles recover and repair. Ideally, you should do 2-3 stretches for every muscle group.
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Personal Training Special
Are you new to gyms? Or, are you looking to change up your workout routine, set yourself new challenges and goals? Either way, our personal training package special is a great option. By paying for five sessions ($125) you get a sixth session included – a $25 saving. Stop by at the front desk for more details. This offer expires Aug 31, so be sure to sign up soon.
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Walker Chamber of Commerce Upcoming Events
Quarterly Meetings
are held at:
Walker City Hall
4243 Remembrance Rd.
Walker, MI 49534
Held quarterly the second Tuesday of the month
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
Noon 1:30 pm
The Travel & Tourism Industry
Th
e travel and tourism industry is one of the world’s largest industries with a global economic contribution of about $8 TRILLION!
Among our Speakers you will hear;
Jim Gill, CEO, Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority
Gentle Fur in Action
Margie Lenau, Owner, Wonderland Family Vacations, LLC
If your business would like to host an Walker After Work Event, please let us know!
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Follow our Facebook Page for announcements on our upcoming Walker Standale Family Fun Night and Movie in the Park!
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Created by the Walker Youth Commission and adopted by the City Commissioners, this exciting video highlights the main attractions of the City of Walker, from Millennium Park to beautiful neighborhoods. This video was presented to the Walker community and soon-to-be citizens on how Walker is such a great place to live, work, and grow.
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