The Thomas

First Snow

2011-11-10T21:00:00.003-05:00

So how was your drive home last night?

Today's Frazz

2011-05-31T22:30:00.001-04:00

Note the reference to two department stores that no longer exist: J.L.Hudsons and Jacobsons.

Hudson's was originally out of Detroit, got bought by Daytons, who got bought by Marshall Fields, who got bought by Macy's.

Jacobson's had a big stores in East Lansing, East Grand Rapids, and other parts of the Mid West. After bankruptcy, someone bought the name and recreated a store in Winter Park FL.

Ganto's was another Michigan based woman's clothing store that has since gone out of business.

Last night's hail

2011-04-20T20:38:00.001-04:00

We had the following hail last night during the thunderstorm.

Monday we got 2 inches of snow, which melted by when I got out from work. The NWS announcement is here.

This doesn't look like April.

Tartan Day

2011-04-06T07:42:00.002-04:00

Local Snow Report

2011-01-23T16:54:00.001-05:00

Here's the snow from this last week:

	01/22	01/20

Local Snow Report

2011-01-18T22:00:00.000-05:00

Here's the snow from this last week:

01/17	01/15	01/13

Local Snow Report

2011-01-15T00:05:00.000-05:00

Here's the snow from this last week:

01/11	01/05	01/03

Current Archaeology 2011

2011-01-14T23:14:00.001-05:00

Neolithic Temples of the Orkney Islands

You can get to the table of contents on the bottom bar to read the other articles.

Interactive National Weather Map

2011-01-11T23:11:00.000-05:00

This is neat. Click through the picture to get to the National Weather Service active page. Then mouse over the pluses and dots to see the current weather.

Local Snow Report

2010-12-19T21:30:00.000-05:00

Here's the snow from just over a week ago:

12/12	12/05	12/01

First Snow

2010-11-05T17:34:00.002-04:00

So what do I see when I leave work this evening?

Ernie Harwell, RIP

2010-05-04T23:51:00.001-04:00

It may not mean a lot to the rest of you, but this man was a major part of my youth.
Ernie Harwell, Detroit Tigers broadcaster, dies at 92

Farewell Old Friend

2010-01-16T13:30:00.002-05:00

CARRINGTON - Wilbur "Bill" A. Carrington, age 84, of Grand Rapids, died peacefully at home on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2009.

Born March 2, 1925 in Detroit, MI, Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Vera C. Hunter and Foster Carrington; stepfather, Archie Hunter; and wife of 52 years, Joan (Burnham) Carrington.

Bill's lifelong fascination for radios, electronics, and all things scientific was sparked early by his interest in his father's short-lived Carrington Radio Company and other electronic repair ventures. Graduating from Detroit's Eastern High School in 1942, Bill attended the then Wayne University for a year before being drafted into WWII. He served in the Army Signal Corps on the Japanese island of Okinawa as a High Speed Radio Operator until the war's end.

Back on U.S. soil, he immediately put his advanced radio and Morse code skills to work and became licensed in 1946 as an amateur radio operator. He proudly displayed his call sign, W8YCI, each year on his automobile license plate and remained an active "ham" throughout his life. He operated his mostly self-built gear while attending the University of Michigan, graduating in 1950 with both a BSE degree in Electrical Engineering and a fianceé, soon-to-be wife, Joan.

Married in 1950, Bill moved to Grand Rapids with his new wife and began his long electrical engineering career in aerospace product design and development at Lear Inc., later Lear-Siegler and, at the time of his retirement in 1987, Smiths Industries. He served in various positions and his contributions included work on aeronautics and missile navigational instruments including accelerometers, gyroscopes, and fiber optic applications. He is named on two U.S. patents.

Bill was a 60-year member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), proudly becoming a Life Senior Member in 2001. He was also a member of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), and a 20-year member of the Navy-Marine Corps Military Affiliate Radio Station (MARS) program, facilitating communications between members of the Armed Forces and authorized U.S. government civilian personnel stationed in Antarctica and their families and loved ones back in the States. In later years, he spent most of his time on the Internet and tinkering with his Macintosh desktop computer. Photography was a secondary hobby, along with a steady diet of reading everything possible in all fields of science and history. A stickler for accuracy and proper punctuation, grammar, and syntax, he was a frequent contributor to the Grand Rapids Press editorial page. As a selective sports fan, he restricted his following to the Detroit Tigers, U-M football, and surprisingly in his later years, Tiger Woods's golf tournaments. He enjoyed classical music, jazz, and old cowboy songs-songs that were sung in the car on many a family vacation.

Bill was a devoted brother, husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.

Surviving are daughters, Beverly (Daniel) Wesche of Big Rapids, MI, Janis (Gary Michel) Carrington of Olympia, WA, and Linda (Gregory Krupp) Carrington of Grand Rapids, MI; granddaughters, Amber (Christopher) Jenson and Erin Wesche; great-grandson, Derek Jenson; sister, Shirley (Robert) Miller; brother, Ian (Carol) Hunter; and nieces and nephews. He fostered in his family and others around him a keen sense of curiosity about the world, pride in knowledge, achievement and higher education, resourcefulness and creative problem solving, and a spirited sense of humor that carried him through to the very end. He felt satisfied and content with his life, grateful for the gifts and passions he was able to use in his work, and proud of his daughters and their families.

A Memorial Service will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, January 16, 2010 at the Raybrook Manor Chapel, 2121 Raybrook SE in Grand Rapids, with reception following in Raybrook's Friendship Room. Private inurnment at Graceland Memorial Park & Mausoleum, 4341 Cascade Rd. SE, Grand Rapids Township. A special thank you to the patient and caring staff at Holland Home's Raybrook Manor whose quality care enabled us to have an unexpected bonus year with Bill. Memorial contributions may be made to Special Olympics Michigan, WGVU Public Broadcasting, or to the charitable organization of one's choice.

"This is Bill Carrington, W8YCI, signing clear for the last time after a very enjoyable 84-year eyeball QSO with all my friends and loved ones. 73 es 88 de W8YCI SK".

The Pederson Funeral Home Rockford www.pedersonfuneralhome.com

Published in Grand Rapids Press on January 3 and January 10, 2010

To my recollection, Bill not only handled communications with the Station at Antarctica via MARS, but also wintered over there once (either shortly before or right after he retired).

Ha-Low ... Is This The Soady Deer Camp?

2009-11-16T20:55:00.000-05:00

Its that time of year again. Yesterday, to mark the opening of deer season, we watched the classic big buck story, Escanaba in da Moonlight. This is the tale of how The Buckless Yooper got his buck. Yooper as in a person from Michigan's Upper Peninsula (U.P.).

The principals in this story are the Soady family along with their friend Jimmer Negamanee from Menominee, and a lost Department of Natural Resources (DNR) officer recently exiled from Detroit to Escanaba. The actors include Jeff Daniels, Harve Presnell, Joey Albright, Wayne David Parker, Randall Godwin, and Kimberly Guerrero.

We have both the regular DVD which is available from Amazon as well as the "making of" DVD, A Picture from Home: The Journey Through 'Escanaba in da Moonlight' which is available from Jeff Daniel's Purple Rose Films web site.

While watching this, my wife asked how old is Harve Presnell? So I looked him up on iMDB and found that he died this last summer at the age of 75 from pancreatic cancer.

This movie came out in the Spring of 2001 and played mostly in the Mid-West. It was released on VHS and DVD on 15 October 2002, at which time I ordered copies shipped to family all over the United States.

Looking back though my email archives, I note that Jimmer Negamanee looks quite a bit like one of the members of my Grandfather's survey crew from back when they laid out so many of the highways across the U.P. back in the late teens, early twenties.

Project Valour-IT Current Standings

2009-11-12T14:46:00.002-05:00

Update: 13 Nov 2009 - Veteran's Day Finish Line

Project Valour-IT

2009-11-11T21:01:00.006-05:00

This is part of the annual fund raising for Project Valour-IT.

My gift to them is to Team Navy, in honor of my father who served in the Navy SeaBees at the tail end of WWII and during Korea. As you can see above I helped to break the $100K barrier. The challenge to the Teams was to break the $140K barrier with each team raising $35K. A couple years ago, Team Navy raised the most. This year it looks like the Marines will take honors.

The name Valour-IT originally stood for Voice Activated Laptops for OUR Injured Troops. Seeing as many of our young service people use the technology of cell phones and the internet to communicate with family at home. This project was a way for injured troops to continue to communicate even though they were at Walter Reed and their hands were bandaged.

The back story can be found here, CPT (now MAJ) Chuck Z's blog can be found here, and Fuzzy Bear Lioness' (FbL) blog can be found here.

FbL's Selected Valour-IT Posts:
Just Read This
This is What It's Like
More than Just a Laptop
Three Kings and Valour-IT
Bryan Anderson and Valour-IT
CPT Ziegenfuss and Valour-IT
Buzz Robertson and Valour-IT
Travelogue II: The VA Hospital

Twenty Five Years Ago

2009-10-25T21:26:00.005-04:00

Sagacitas and The Thomas
25 years ago

This picture was found while browsing through our old pictures.

Two Brothers

2009-09-26T16:00:00.002-04:00

The Thomas (L) and CCPhysist (R)

They Did It

2009-09-26T14:00:00.006-04:00

Today is the Day

2009-09-26T00:30:00.000-04:00

Sagacitas-Rodney
Sagacitas and Rodney will be united in matrimony September 26. The bride-to-be is a graduate of Grandville High School and Michigan State University. She and her parents are of Grandville. The future groom is a graduate of Coopersville High School, Grand Valley State University and Western Michigan University. He and his parents are of Coopersville.

ArtPrize Grand Rapids

2009-09-23T22:00:00.006-04:00

The full description of ArtPrize can be found at their Official Site.

This is an international competition backed with $450,000 in prize money. The top prize is $250,000, 2nd prize is $100,000, 3rd prize is $50,000, 4th through 10th prizes split the remaining money.

The public votes on the competition using an up-down mechanism similar to Digg.

The first week's voting determines the top 10 pieces of art.

The second week's voting determines the finish placement within the top 10.

Local coverage of ArtPrize can be found in the Grand Rapids Press on MLive.

Pictures of the art can be found in the Flickr: The ArtPrize Grand Rapids Pool.

I find the logo to be too cute. If you turn the logo on its side, you see "The Calder", La Grande Vitesse, which has become part of the official logo of the City of Grand Rapids:

Update:

The winner was Open Water no. 24

But personally, I liked the Moose welded out of many, many nails.

So where were we now?

2009-08-24T19:47:00.002-04:00

Ah yes, several months ago I mentioned this.

Anyway, we are now about a month before the wedding and last weekend the groomsmen, Dads and such were measured for their tuxes.

We will be wearing something along the lines of the following:

My hair is not that dark.

Officially Summer

2009-06-23T21:22:00.001-04:00

Last night I was greeted by my little friends as I worked on opening the pool.

I have fireflys, so everything is right with the world.

No Great Surprise Here

2009-05-15T00:20:00.006-04:00

Your results: You are Mr. Scott

Mr. Scott	75%
Worf	75%
Mr. Sulu	70%
Geordi LaForge	65%
Will Riker	65%
Chekov	60%
Uhura	60%
Deanna Troi	60%
James T. Kirk (Captain)	55%
Jean-Luc Picard	55%
Leonard McCoy (Bones)	50%
Beverly Crusher	50%
An Expendable Character (Redshirt)	45%
Spock	30%
Data	30%

You are a fun-loving foreigner with an amazing ability to get any job done on time. Often described as a "Miracle Worker".

Click here to take the Star Trek Personality Quiz
Must just be my purty face and rude engineering skilz.

Guess What?

2008-12-21T17:58:00.003-05:00

A week ago Saturday, I received the following picture on my cell phone from my eldest (Sagacitas) with the note "Guess What?".

Looks like we are going to have an interesting Fall.

I think this is true in real life also

2008-12-19T20:32:00.002-05:00

Found at xkcd

Winter Comes in Two Days

2008-12-19T18:52:00.004-05:00

Don't Worry, It's Here!

The last few days, they've been predicting that today's snow storm would drop from 6 to 12 inches of snow between when it started at midnight and when it finished by mid-afternoon. By last night they had reduced the range to 7 to 9 inches of snow.

This morning I removed no more than 3 inches of snow off the drive and sidewalks before work. When I left for work, it was still blowing and snowing at a rate of around an inch an hour. The streets had not been plowed and it was interesting making turns at the intersections. (When the roads aren't plowed, the intersections build up hedgerows that have to be broken through. People have been known to bottom-out on these hedgerows so their car gets stuck and they lose traction.)

The snow in the parking lot at work was 6 inches deep when I went in and 8 inches deep when I left at lunch time. By lunch, only the very major roads appeared to be plowed, trucks were getting stuck on the side road leading up to my place of work, and I had difficulty getting out of the gas station after filling up my car.

The snow quit around 1:30, by 5 pm the major roads were plowed clean and side street were more-or-less passable. Overnight my driveway has gone from having a couple of piles of snow to being enclosed by 2 foot high walls of snow.

According to the NWS we have received 10.2 inches of snow at the airport. This sets a new record, besting the 4.5 inch snow fall from 1975. It would not surprise me if we got more snow on our side of the city than at the airport.

And more snow is coming over Saturday night, Sunday night, and Monday. We are certainly going to have a White Christmas.

(This entry will be updated tomorrow morning when the NWS publishes the snowfall map for today.)

Yes, that was some snow.

So, We've Had Some More Snow

2008-12-07T17:44:00.002-05:00

Here's the snow from the end of this week:

12/06	12/04	12/03

The main roads are clear. The side street and country roads are packed snow and snow covered.

West Michigan Snow Maps (again)

2008-12-03T19:57:00.003-05:00

Here's the snow so far:

11/30	11/24	11/20	11/17

Oh, the joys of "Lake Effect" Snow.

We are currently under a Hazardous Weather Outlook, its raining, and they expect 2 inches of snow over night.

First Snow (Sleet)

2008-11-11T23:48:00.002-05:00

Sunday we had the first "Snow" of the season. Right now we are getting freezing rain, so tomorrow will be amateur hour as most drivers relearn how to drive under slippery conditions.

So what have I been up to?

2008-11-11T23:20:00.003-05:00

Note that the white stuff at the top is not attached to the pink ball at the bottom. This is known as a torn rotator cuff. The surgery reconnected the two.

To make it all easier, I received a nerve block on my right arm which gave that old "its 1968 all over again" feeling just like when I broke my right elbow. When I came out of surgery I had no feeling in my right arm and could not control the muscles, just like after my bicycle accident. It was a disconcerting 24 hours until the nerve block wore off. I got good drugs for the pain including a Stryker Pain Pump which was implanted into the incision. The Pain Pump fed some form of 'caine into the surgery site to block much of the pain for two days after the surgery.

By the Sunday following the surgery the maximum dose of Vicodin wasn't knocking back the pain, so I had to supplement it with the maximum dose of Ibuprofin. That did the job until my stomach got upset. One thing that made it possible to sleep at night was the piece of durable medical equipment that my surgeon insisted on to handle icing the shoulder. He ordered a Blue Arctic Cryotherapy System for me to "ice" the shoulder. All I had to do was to load the little cooler up with ice, fill the ice with water, turn it on, and it would keep my shoulder at 40 degrees all night. I still use it the evenings/nights after the torture of my physical therapy.

I've been back to work for three weeks now, have been through three sessions of physical therapy, and can raise my right arm up to about 8 o'clock when making snow angels. I have cut back on the medicine so that I am only taking it to sleep.

This leaves my right shoulder in constant pain during the day, but as I said before the surgery, I was already in constant pain during the day, so what's the difference?

My current level of pain is not that much worse than where I was before the surgery, so I might as well do without the pain meds. I know that pain meds are supposed to help you heal, but by working myself to the limit of the pain I can endure and knocking back the inflammation at night, I have been progressing faster in my healing that the physical therapist expects.

I have been living with this problem for twelve years as an irritation to both my shoulders and for the past three years as an annoying pain in my right shoulder. We kept taking X-rays to check for bone spurs, but it wasn't until I had to sit up in bed to roll over (due to the shoulder pain) that I asked to see an ortho surgeon. The MRI then showed that I had a 3/4 inch tear in the rotator cuff ... the rest is history. Now I just need to heal.

Won't Be Around Much

2008-10-07T10:10:00.001-04:00

As of this time tomorrow, I will be at the surgeon's being preped to repair the rotator cuff on my right shoulder. We have no idea when it happened, but I have been in pain for at least the last year and a half. (There are suspicions that the problem may go back six years.)

I finally got around to talking to the doctor when I started waking up every morning feeling like someone had driven a nail into my shoulder. Not that I hadn't been seeing a doctor about it, but the x-rays and such over the last year never found anything that would cause the pain.

This time I got a referal to an orthopedic surgeon which resulted in an MRI. (Yes, I did fall asleep during the MRI, even if it is kind of loud.) The MRI showed major damage in the shoulder, so we have reconstructive surgery scheduled.

Seeing as I'm right handed this is going to cut even further into my posting and commenting while the shoulder heals.

TTFN

Summertime 1968

2008-08-28T20:16:00.002-04:00

The following are two pictures amongst the variety of items my parents discovered when cleaning up to move to their condo. This is from the "musical" put on at my Junior High when I was in ninth grade. It was called "Summertime" and was a no-specific-race version of Porgy and Bess. Apparently we had two sets of leads in the musical. This was undoubtedly done to keep as many parents happy as possible.

(back) ??, dan, ??, jim, scott, cindy, rick, ??, kay, rick, tom, tom, mike
(front) ??, john, ??, ??

(back) ??, ??, sherry, jim, jim, nancy, rick, mary, kay, rick, tom, tom, mike
(front) ??, john, ??, rick

Yup, I'm in both pictures and I can name three quarters of the people without resorting to looking at yearbooks. It would be nice to find the program for that musical to help me identify every last person.

Updated Added the names of the people I recognize.

Double Nickel

2008-08-28T07:55:00.001-04:00

Yup, that's me. I've reached it.

This year's interesting gifts from the parents include old campaign buttons from things I ran for back in school and pictures/programs from old school plays. I must scan the pictures.

H A W T W Y W H

2008-08-12T13:11:00.008-04:00

(Have a wonderful time, wish you were here)

http://www.aubrietavhopephotography.com/

Last Thursday we visited the Ludington North Breakwater Lighthouse. Until it was turned over to the Lighthouse Keepers Association, this lighthouse was closed to the public. Now you can climb the three ladders to visit the top. This lighthouse has also been converted from high voltage to low voltage/solar powered and the LOUD fog horn replaced with an equally "green" low power version.

Here are a couple views from the top:

Yesterday we visited the Sleeping Bear Dunes. Although we did not climb the dunes, we did take the trail that puts us at the top so that we had a good view of the lakes.

Wow, That was quick

2008-07-31T17:10:00.001-04:00

So, I dropped off my Passport Book/Card application at noon on Monday, July 21st, at the City Clerk's office and received my new Passport Book via Priority Mail today.

No special rush processing or anything.

The State Department web site claims to caught up on their back log and promises Expedited processing in under two weeks and Routine processing in under four weeks.

I got mine (with just Routine processing) in 10 days. Something like 4-5 business days between receipt and shipping.

Wow.

The Passport Cards are only promised in the next two months. They just got that production line going and they still have a back log.

Photo for New Passport

2008-07-17T21:45:00.006-04:00

Well, my last one expired back in 1983. That picture looks like a mugshot. At least this one will be a little bit better.

The mugshot from 1978

What I had intended to use to renew my passport in 1994

Yes, there are some signs of aging.

I'm Having A Root Canal

2008-07-10T23:41:00.005-04:00

No actually not me. This is a song by Glenn Bulthuis which goes like this:

Ah-ah-ah I'm having a root canal, oh, oh, oh, I'm having a root canal
Oh you can drill in my face, any time, any place, to replace any space in my mouth
Oh, I'm having a root canal, I'm tellin' ya I'm having a root canal
I can not tell a lie, I am felling rather high, as the plaque, starts to fly in the sky
I'm having a root canal ....

My head begins to swoon, in the waiting room
The chill, the thrill as he begins to drill, drill, drill, drill

Oh I'm having a root canal, I'm telling ya I'm having a root canal
I don't mind telling you all, I'm buying my mother-in-law
A root caaaaanaaaaal .... a root .... caaaanaaaal

I't thrilling, and chilling and drilling and drilling, I'm having a root canal. Hey!

The dentist drill provided an odd accompaniment.

Here is a sample of this song from his Greatest Hits CD.

Glenn is now producing CD versions of his vinyl releases, so I can now buy a copy of his Misled album from 1980 as a CD and don't have to record the vinyl to MP3 myself.

A couple of the songs from Misled that are included on the Greatest Hits are LA Girls/Michigan Girls and Cruzin Down The Beltline.

Yet another update: Be sure to check out his videos and you can see many places around where I live.

Happy Anniversary, my Love

2008-05-15T10:00:00.003-04:00

Today we celebrate the 28th anniversary of our first date and the 26th anniversary of our marriage. Here's wishing for many, many more.
Update: Well, we celebrated our anniversary with dinner (sans children) at Louis Benton's and a good time was had by all. Note that the menu listed on their web site omits prices. If you have to ask, you can not afford.
And, yes, this picture is from the copy of our engagement announcement that I carry in my wallet.

Doctor Pion is 56 today

2008-05-13T06:30:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday, Doctor Pion

We have another Graduate

2008-05-03T16:30:00.002-04:00

Today our middle child, "Merry", graduated from college. She is part of the 4th generation to attend Land Grant University on her father's side and the fourth person to graduate from college on her mother's side (all from this generation). None of her maternal male cousins have gone to college.

At the end of the graduation ceremony we sang the Alma Mater.

Wally Bronner has died (1927-2008)

2008-04-05T22:00:00.005-04:00

Wally Bronner was known as Mister Christmas and was the founder of Bronners CHRISTmas Wonderland, a three football field sized store in Frankenmuth Michigan.

More can be found at the Detroit Free Press, the Saginaw News, and Flint's WJRT ABC12.

The Bronner's web site can be found here as well as the history of Bronners.

Second Snowiest Snow Season On Record For Grand Rapids

2008-03-28T20:00:00.007-04:00

From the desk of the National Weather Service:
Second Snowiest Snow Season On Record For Grand Rapids

With the addition of 1.7 inches of snow on March 27th, Grand Rapids has had 107.0 inches of snow for the snow season. That moves this snow season into second place for the snowiest ever for Grand Rapids. The snowiest season on record was 1951-52 with 132.0 inches of snowfall. The previous second place season was 2001-02 with 105.2 inches of snow. This also means Grand Rapids now has six seasons with over 100 inches of snow. Two of those six have happened in within the last seven years.

Below is a list the current top ten snow seasons for Grand Rapids: (note the snow season is from July 1st through June 30th on the following year)

Rank	Value	Season
1	132.0	1951-52
2	107.0	2007-08
3	105.2	2001-02
4	104.7	1958-59
5	101.4	1964-65
6	101.0	1970-71
7	98.4	1996-97
8	98.1	2000-01
9	96.0	1978-79
10	95.5	1929-30

Wow. I've been around for almost all of them.

Isn't It Lovely

2008-03-28T10:00:00.003-04:00

Last night we attempted to fetch our middle child home from college for her elder sister's birthday.

We got to the college, but were not able to get home until this morning. We tried last night, but it was hard to see the road and slippery. Even this morning there was black ice on all the bridges and throughout much of Ionia county. Note that all of this snow came down between 7 PM and midnight. To top it off, most of the county road commissions are out of salt for the roads.

West Michigan Snow Maps

2008-03-22T12:37:00.004-04:00

Here is what the National Weather Service indicates for last night's snow:

And More Snow

2008-03-22T12:25:00.003-04:00

Well we got another 6 and a half inches of snow overnight. Yet another daily record, previous one was 6.3 in 1963.

We now have had 105.1 inches of snow this year, extending the record. A 38.4 inch departure from normal.

Over by the lake at Muskegon, they have had 109.2 inches, but it is not a record. Their record was 140.7 inches in 1977, another year when we had a major blizzard.

A Couple Inches of Global Warming in Spring

2008-03-21T16:17:00.006-04:00

Its Spring ... I've shaved my beard off and now its snowing outside as evidenced by the mourning dove sitting next to our pool deck.

The robins have been burrowing into the leaves under the bushes to keep warm.

We are currently under a Winter Storm Warning. We have already set a new record for total snow in winter this year (and its not done snowing) with 98 inches. A departure of 32 inches from normal and 21 inches over last year.

I can't wait to see April.

Project Valour-IT Interservice Challange

2007-11-03T20:24:00.000-04:00

This has been described as the equivalent of 21st-Century Candy Stripers or as More Than Just A Laptop.

Project Valour-IT (Voice-Activated Laptops for OUR Injured Troops) provides an external connection between "our injured troops" and the outside world. These laptop computers with a voice activated interface allow the troops to communicate with friends and family.

More information can be found at About Project Valour-IT at the Soldier's Angels web site. The History of Project Valour-IT can also be found there.

Its time once again for a little "inter-service" rivalry to raise money for Valour-IT. The challenge is split into four teams:

Army lead by Black Five,
Navy/Coast Guard lead by Chaotic Synaptic Activity,
Air Force lead by Mudville Gazette, and
Marine Corps lead by Holly Aho of Soldiers Angels

In honor of my father who served in the US Navy in both WWII and Korea, I am joining Team Navy/Coast Guard.

Not that I would want you to contribute to them, but the other teams are:

Army	Air Force	Marines

Here They Come Again

2007-04-21T19:36:00.000-04:00

This year will mark the 30th year that Grand Rapids has hosted the "River Bank Run". This is the premier 25K run in the US.

Why 25K? It makes a nice out-and-back route along the Grand River.

And, yes, they are using the clock-wise route this year that puts the awful hills near the end.

This morning they hosted a Training Run that covered much of the course. Most of the runners were bundled up for the cold.

April 12th Climate

2007-04-12T23:59:00.000-04:00

	Today	Record	Year
Temp MAX	37	82	1977
Temp MIN	33	19	1950
Precip	0.24	1.10	1994
Snow	T	1.2	1989

April 11th Climate

2007-04-11T23:59:00.000-04:00

	Today	Record	Year
Temp MAX	37	82	1977
Temp MIN	31	14	1971
Precip	0.74	1.27	1948
Snow	4.6 R	0.7	1944

April 10th Climate

2007-04-10T23:59:00.000-04:00

	Today	Record	Year
Temp MAX	46	84	1930
Temp MIN	23	15	1989
Precip	0.00	1.38	1947
Snow	0.0	1.0	1961

It was 33 years ago today

2007-04-10T09:00:00.000-04:00

Thirty three years ago today was my first day of employment at my current place of business.

I had dropped out of school because I needed an attitude adjustment. I got one and returned to college at the beginning of the next school year.

I worked summers "here" thereafter until I graduated and became a full-time employee.

April 9th Climate

2007-04-09T23:59:00.000-04:00

	Today	Record	Year
Temp MAX	38	79	1931
Temp MIN	28	18	1997
Precip	T	1.38	1991
Snow	T	4.4	1973

April 8th Climate

2007-04-08T23:59:00.000-04:00

	Today	Record	Year
Temp MAX	34	74	1931
Temp MIN	25	7	1982
Precip	T	1.47	2002
Snow	T	3.8	2000

April 7th Climate

2007-04-07T23:59:00.000-04:00

	Today	Record	Year
Temp MAX	30	81	1991
Temp MIN	20	3	1982
Precip	0.04	1.06	2006
Snow	0.9	5.0	1956

April 6th Climate

2007-04-06T23:59:00.000-04:00

	Today	Record	Year
Temp MAX	29	81	1991
Temp MIN	22	18	2003
Precip	0.04	1.02	1978
Snow	0.5	2.0	1957

The Robins are not Amused

2007-04-06T16:26:00.000-04:00

A Robin in Winter

The robins came back a week ago when we had warm weather. Now they are hanging around the field next door looking sheepish. If they had any sense, they would hide underneath the pool deck with the sparrows and eat at the feeders. Welcome to Spring in Michigan.

April 5th Climate

2007-04-05T23:59:00.000-04:00

	Today	Record	Year
Temp MAX	30	81	1988
Temp MIN	23	12	1995
Precip	T	1.88	1947
Snow	T	8.8	1952

April 4th Climate

2007-04-04T23:59:00.000-04:00

	Today	Record	Year
Temp MAX	49	77	1921
Temp MIN	24	13	1971
Precip	0.13	1.27	2003
Snow	0.7	1.7	1952

ManBearPig defies Spring

2007-04-04T23:10:00.000-04:00

Blowing Snow at 5pm

Covering the ground by 11pm

It's April 4th, we have blowing and drifting snow. The temperature is in the 20's and there is at least an inch of snow on the ground. The city snow plows went by a few minutes ago. Welcome to Spring in Michigan.

Update: (04/05 8am) Most of the roads are clear this morning due to the trucks salting them last night. The driveway was covered with lumps of ice from where the snow melted on the warm ground and then froze.

April 3rd Climate

2007-04-03T23:59:00.000-04:00

	Today	Record	Year
Temp MAX	70	80	1999
Temp MIN	42	10	1965
Precip	1.16 R	0.90	1999
Snow	0.0	5.6	1982

April 2nd Climate

2007-04-02T23:59:00.000-04:00

	Today	Record	Year
Temp MAX	53	79	1963
Temp MIN	43	11	1965
Precip	T	1.15	1945
Snow	0.0	7.8	1975

How well I remember the Thunder Snowstorm that started the night of April 1st 1975 and lasted into the next day. My being out in it with my staff and all is part of what gave my nickname of "Strider".

April 1st Climate

2007-04-01T23:59:00.000-04:00

	Today	Record	Year
Temp MAX	67	77	1946
Temp MIN	46	13	1954
Precip	0.49	1.34	1929
Snow	0.0	4.8	1972

We're In For A Bumpy Ride

2007-02-24T22:40:00.000-05:00

The current NWS alert lists the following:

WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST MONDAY

Urgent - Winter Weather Message National Weather Service Grand Rapids MI 1035 PM EST Sat Feb 24 2007

1145 - /O.Con.Kgrr.Ws.W.0005.070225t0600z - 070226t1200z/ Mason - Lake - Osceola - Clare - Oceana - Newaygo - Mecosta - Isabella - Muskegon - Montcalm - Gratiot - Ottawa - Kent - Ionia - Clinton - Including The Cities Of... Ludington... Baldwin... Reed City... Clare... Hart... Fremont... Big Rapids... Mount Pleasant... Muskegon... Greenville... Alma... Jenison... Grand Rapids... Ionia... St. Johns

... Winter Storm Warning Remains In Effect Until 7 AM EST Monday...

Update Sunday
They were quoting 8 inches of snow overnight, but we only have seen two to three inches of heavy wet snow. The day has alternated between snow and sleet (ice chunks) with the current snowflakes a couple inches across. Now it looks like it will be an interesting night.

Afternoon	Evening

Pictures of Gerald R Ford's Crypt

2007-02-09T00:46:00.000-05:00

Click here for pictures of President Gerald R Ford's crypt at Find A Grave.

Update 24 Feb 2007

So much warmer

2007-02-06T07:20:00.000-05:00

We only had a low of -1 overnight and it is already 7 degrees out.

Its going to be a warm day.

Might even get up into the teens (Fahrenheit).

So its been a bit cold lately

2007-02-05T22:06:00.000-05:00

Friday saw 8 inches of snow. Followed by another 12 inches on Saturday and 5 or 6 on Sunday.

The snow wasn't too bad as it came at a steady rate and the winds were moderate, so the biggest drifts are under three feet.

Shovelling for a half hour every six hours to remove 4 inches of snow was sufficient to keep ahead of the accumulation.

This morning we awoke to a low of -4 (with no wind chill as there was no wind).

The snow crunches under foot due to the cold. It has that same crunchy sound that sand gets in late summer when it dries out.

Picture from Bishop Abney's Funeral

2007-02-03T12:03:00.000-05:00

The Grand Rapids Press has this picture from the funeral.

This photo is courtesy of Michael Shead / Resurrection Life Church.

Abney's love of God was infectious

2007-02-03T10:30:00.000-05:00

From The Grand Rapids Press, Saturday, February 3, 2007

Abney's love of God was infectious
By Charles Honey (Press Religion Editor)

If Bishop William Abney could have jumped up and started shouting, he would have.

All around him, glorious mayhem let loose at Bethel Pentecostal Church. The spirit had caught fire at Abney's memorial service Wednesday night and would not be put out.

A gospel band played furiously, people clapped their hands joyously and a woman danced ecstatically around the casket of Bethel's beloved pastor, who lay in peaceful repose through it all.

It was entirely fitting. This was the spirit Abney ignited in his 45 years at Bethel. Now his faith family was sending him home as he would have wanted, with singing, dancing, tears and laughter.

"This is not a funeral. This is a home-going celebration," the packed house proclaimed, and so it was: a celebration of a spiritual father to his congregation and an exemplary faith leader to all of West Michigan.

This past week of events honoring Abney brought into clearer focus what many of us already knew. Here was a good man of God, generous, kind, passionate for justice, a sweet singer for the Lord. We were blessed to have him for so long.

Now, at age 80, he has moved on. And if you are one of his faithful, you will not question he has gone home to glory.

"This is not the end," said Bishop Ronald Young of Philadelphia, who led Wednesday night's service for Bethel members, friends and family. "He just graduated from this earthly life, and he graduated cum laude."

Tissues circulated as with weeping and exultation Abney's church held commencement. The holy presence was palpable as they sang softly, "Lay down the burdens you have carried, for in this sanctuary God is here, God is here ..."

It was an especially moving moment in a night filled with them. And though an outsider, I felt a welcoming warmth I have always felt at Bethel. Whether in worship or in his office, Bishop Abney made me feel that way.

His was a gentle, smiling presence. He made you feel special, like it had been too long since he'd last seen you. His slight frame and soft voice carried surprising spiritual power. When you heard that voice burst forth in song, it knocked you back on your heels.

"I Won't Complain" was his signature song, and he never did through a host of ailments. He felt too blessed to bother. Abney conveyed that grateful spirit to all of us, while firmly pushing for the right and the just.

Every once in awhile someone comes along who speaks the spirit of God with special clarity. Quibble with theological details if you must, but the sense of grace transcends race, class and creed. Bishop Abney was such a man.

Wednesday night, speaker after speaker attested to that. They called him their spiritual father, a pastor who pulled them out of addictions and despair into lives of meaning and hope, often putting them in positions of leadership.

Shellie Cole-Mickens, head of Bethel's media ministry, said she was a "thug from the street" when Abney took her to breakfast and left a $100 tip. She almost stole it, she said to uproarious laughter.

"I would not be the woman I am today were it not for Bishop Abney," she said.

Deacon David Wilson said God sent Abney to him when his life was a wreck.

"He was like an angel in a world of darkness," he said.

Abney's family made touching remarks, his sister Mamie saying, "I wanted to be just like him." His brother Norman: "He was my inspiration to be saved." Son Andre: "Daddy taught me to get on my knees and worship God."

Six of his brothers and sisters rendered "Down by the Riverside" with delightful part singing.

His wife, Lorraine, thanked God for the care her children and grandchildren gave Abney in his final days. At his death, she said, "It was glorious when he went home with the Lord."

And so it was this week. Fare well, Bishop Abney. If you won't complain, we certainly won't either.

Send e-mail to the author: choney@grpress.com

This is not my work. It is just too good to hide from Google.

Note that as long as MLive keeps the article up, you can access the original by clicking on the link at the top of this entry.

Want to see the rest?

Bishop laid to rest

2007-02-03T09:10:00.000-05:00

From The Grand Rapids Press, Saturday, February 3, 2007

More Than 2,000 Attend Funeral For William Abney
By Charles Honey (Press Religion Editor)

WYOMING -- With jubilant songs and anguished tears, Bishop William Abney was sent home Friday to the Lord he loved so well.

Nationally known Bishop T.D. Jakes praised him, gospel artist Marvin Sapp sang his favorite song and his daughter, Janathan, danced for him one last time in a celebratory funeral for one of West Michigan's most beloved pastors.

About 2,200 people gathered to honor Abney as an exemplary preacher, generous friend and devoted family man in a five-hour service at Resurrection Life Church. Abney, pastor for 45 years at Bethel Pentecostal Church Abundant Life Center, died Jan. 23 at age 80.

There was as much praising as weeping at the service, held at the 4,200-seat Resurrection Life to accommodate the large crowd.

"Daddy, this dance is for you!" shouted the Rev. Janathan Abney Austin, one of his three daughters, as she joyfully jumped across the podium to pounding gospel music. "I love you, daddy!"

Sapp, a renowned singer who grew up at Bethel, said Abney taught him to always put family first.

"He is the epitome of what a man should be," Sapp said before launching into a powerful rendition of "I Won't Complain," Abney's signature song. Abney's wife, Lorraine, and his children huddled around his casket and wept.

"This is what he lived his entire life for -- to be absent from the body and present in the Lord," Sapp said later. "So it's actually a victory."

Jakes, a television talk show host and pastor of the 30,000-member Potter's House church in Dallas, said Abney played a key role in his ministry. While Jakes was leading a revival at Bethel, Abney told him he should leave early to accept a sudden invitation to appear on television -- an invite that led to his own show.

"I just loved Bishop Abney," Jakes said. "He was an incredible person."

Jakes was one of about three dozen bishops from across the country who attended the service. Close to 200 ministers also were there, along with Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell.

"He was a great citizen of our state and of our community, and certainly was an embodiment of what Jesus would want us to be on Earth," Granholm said.

"Our city has lost a spiritual guide, and yet the spirit of the man, the presence he will have in us even in his dying, will give us strength and courage and warmth in God's spirit," Heartwell said.

Former U.S. ambassador Peter Secchia, Grand Rapids Police Chief Harry Dolan and Grand Rapids District Judge Benjamin Logan were among the dignitaries. Before the service, Logan said Abney took him under his wing when Logan first came to town.

"He was just a wonderful family man, a religious man, a community man," Logan said.

Abney also drew praise from fellow bishops in the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World as a devout man of God who would always help a friend.

"He was the kind of friend who gave of himself, and gave sacrificially," said Bishop Clarence Moore of Virginia.

In his eulogy, Bishop Noel Jones of Los Angeles spoke of "Uncle Bill" as a man of wisdom whose influence endured to the end.

"He never faded into oblivion," Jones said. "He was just as viable and significant until he fell asleep."

Great-grandson William Aziz Ellis choked back tears and said he wore Abney's name proudly.

"He always taught us to be different," Ellis said.

"I'm going to try my hardest to do what he told me to do."

Send e-mail to the author: choney@grpress.com

Gerald R. Ford Funeral Flyover

2007-02-02T09:41:00.000-05:00

The video can be seen at Youtube.

This video was produced by Storytelling Pictures of 801 Broadway Ave NW; Grand Rapids, MI.

It can be purchased from them on DVD for $3.49 (2.99+S&H)

Some of the story about this video can be found at WOOD-TV, MSNBC, and the Grand Rapids Press.

His Spirit Will Always Be There

2007-01-31T21:50:00.000-05:00

From The Grand Rapids Press, Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Hundreds pay respects to Abney
By Charles Honey (Press Religion Editor)

GRAND RAPIDS -- Eunice Hill-Guillory came to the church about 10:15 a.m. Tuesday to say goodbye to Bishop William C. Abney. More than two hours later, she was still there.

The Wyoming woman was among hundreds who filed through Bethel Pentecostal Church Abundant Life Center, paying their last respects to the man who had been their beloved pastor for 45 years.

"I don't want to leave him," Hill-Guillory said after viewing Abney's body in Bethel's colorful sanctuary. "He showed me how to love, no matter what. He's the only reason I got through."

It was the first day of public visitation for Abney, who died Feb. 23 at age 80. He was to lie in repose at Bethel until 5 p.m. today, to be followed by a private memorial service.

Abney's body was also on view Monday at Greater Grace Temple in Detroit.

People left flowers and teddy bears around Bethel's outdoor sign, which read: "Bishop, you didn't complain" -- a reference to Abney's favorite hymn, "I Won't Complain."

Recordings of his renowned singing played in the sanctuary, and CDs, DVDs and tapes were on sale in the lobby.

A steady stream of visitors flowed past his flower-framed casket near the altar. Abney's hands were folded peacefully on a brilliant purple, green and gold robe.

Gennie Washington burst into tears after seeing him.

"Everything comes to an end, but it's just hard to say goodbye," said Washington, 53. "It's hard to let go of someone you love."

Ethel Thomas serenely reflected on the loss of "a man of God."

"I feel lost, but I know he's OK," said Thomas, 74. "His spirit will always be here, always be with Bethel."

Charles Booker said the pain Abney endured in his final years from diabetes and other ailments tempers sadness at his passing.

"I'm happy because he's not suffering, but I'm hurt because I'll miss him," said Booker, 44, head of Bethel's men's ministry. "You want to see him in a better place, and he is. He's whole again."

Ricky Wilson leaned on a cane as he recalled Abney's acts of generosity and his undiscriminating love.

"Everybody was somebody. No matter how bad you were, he was there to extend what Jesus did -- showing love, being a good neighbor," said Wilson, 54.

"I always thought he would be here till God comes back."

Send e-mail to the author: choney@grpress.com

Bishop William C Abney Visitation Schedule

2007-01-31T21:10:00.000-05:00

You can probably find this in Wednesday's Grand Rapids Press, but for those out of town, here it is:

Today: Public viewing until 5pm, Bethel Pentecostal Church, 834 Lake Drive SE
Thursday: Noon to 6pm, public viewing; 7pm musical tribute, all at Resurrection Life Church, 5100 Ivanrest Ave Sw
Wyoming, MI 49418-9324, US
Friday: 10 to 11:30 am, public viewing; noon "Victory Celebration" funeral, at Resurrection Life Church, 5100 Ivanrest Ave Sw
Wyoming, MI 49418-9324, US

Note the links to the map for Resurrection Life Church for those of you from out of town.

I'm just not paying attention

2007-01-30T19:26:00.000-05:00

So today I click over to the web site of Wm. K. Walthers, Inc., probably the world's premier manufacturer and distributer of model train products, only to see this:

Bruce J. Walthers
1919-2007
(more)

Bruce's father (William K) formed the company during the Depression to have a job and to give others access to products that just weren't available (most places) locally. Bruce took over from his father in the late 50's and passed the reins to his son (Phillip) in the mid-80's. The William K Walthers company has acted as a nation-wide and international distributer for many operations that are little more than a garage shop. ... And they have been doing this since long before the Internet.

You know how excited children get when the Christmas Toy catalogs come out? Something similar occurs each Fall when Walthers publishes their HO and N&Z Reference Books.

It is something to see the expansion of products that has occurred in the last 18 years. When I returned to modeling after the birth of my son, I found little had changed since my youth. Atlas and Life-Like still produced the same structures and Campbell had their craftsman wood structures that one had to build in miniature using the same methods as used on full size buildings. Now there is an amazing wealth of materials to work with, from detailed plastic models of all devise to elements of your favorite (now fallen flag) railroad.

We will miss you Bruce and all that you have done for the NMRA and modellers everywhere.

The Gerald R Ford Museum during the Day

2007-01-29T12:07:00.000-05:00

Crypt located in the light blue circle.

The Gerald R Ford Museum at Night

2007-01-25T00:24:00.000-05:00

Image slightly foreshortened. Crypt located right below the timestamp on the picture.

Grand Rapids Loses Another Son

2007-01-24T22:30:00.000-05:00

From The Grand Rapids Press, Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Bishop Abney leaves spiritual legacy
By Charles Honey (Press Religion Editor)

GRAND RAPIDS -- On the day Bishop William Abney died, memories of his kindness flooded back to those who loved him.

Famed gospel singer the Rev. Marvin Sapp remembered posing for his high school senior picture in a suit Bishop Abney had given him.

The Rev. Dennis McMurray spoke warmly of the Bible commentary his "spiritual father" gave him as he encouraged him to enter ministry.

And Shellie Cole-Mickens recalled a pastor who believed in her when no one else did, putting her in charge of his church's audio ministry after she left prison as an ex-crack addict.

"I would not be the woman I am today were it not for Bishop Abney," Cole-Mickens said Tuesday, following the beloved clergyman's death at age 80. "He breathed life back into me."

Such stories could be repeated thousands of times about the man who led Bethel Pentecostal Church Abundant Life Center for 45 years and was known around West Michigan and the country as an inspirational man of God.

"This city will miss him; this world will miss him," said McMurray, pastor of Renaissance Church of God in Christ. "This man was a world ambassador for Christianity."

"Our community has lost a great spiritual leader," said Mayor George Heartwell.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm called him "a pastor among pastors" who had "an extraordinary ability to cross denominational and racial lines."

In his last public appearance, Bishop Abney praised the governor at her inaugural prayer service at McMurray's church Jan. 7. He spoke weakly from a wheelchair, but his spirit appeared strong.

The bishop's health declined rapidly in the week leading to his death, which occurred shortly before 9 a.m. Tuesday. He died surrounded by family members at Faith Hospice in Byron Center.

"We're saddened because we're human, but we know that as Christians this is not the end of the story. He's in heaven," said the Rev. Janathan Abney Austin, one of his two daughters.

"He's in a place he lived all his life to go."

Bishop Abney shed a tear but was at peace shortly before he died, said the Rev. Jathan Austin, the bishop's grandson and successor as Bethel's pastor.

"It's an awesome loss, but we're grateful he's no longer suffering," Jathan Austin said.

Bishop Abney had battled health problems in recent years, including diabetes-related kidney dialysis and failing eyesight, high blood pressure and degenerative bone disease in his hips.

He underwent surgery July 9 to remove a blood mass from the surface of his brain, the result of a fall in May. The surgery came two days after he announced his retirement and was followed by weeks of rehabilitation.

He made a dramatic return to the church Aug. 31 during a weeklong celebration of his 45 years of ministry and 80th birthday.

Clergy from across the country joined more than 1,000 worshippers for the occasion. A large turnout also is expected for his funeral, to be held Feb. 2 at Resurrection Life Church in Wyoming. A celebration concert will be held Feb. 1 at the same church. Bishop Abney will be lying in state for public viewing at Bethel on Tuesday.

The events will honor a man known as an inspired preacher and spirited singer. Under his leadership, Bethel produced a famous gospel choir as well as the hit-making DeBarge family and the renowned gospel singer Sapp.

"One of the greatest voices ever to live," Sapp said of the pastor who nurtured his musical skills as a teen.

"He was a voice for the oppressed and the poor and the downtrodden," said the Rev. Ed Dobson, retired pastor of Calvary Church who worked with the bishop on the EEC. "He modeled the Jesus way through a life devoted to others, black or white.

"God is saying, 'Well done, you good and faithful servant,' because he certainly was that."

Send e-mail to the author: choney@grpress.com

Bishop Abney has spent the last 45 years making a difference in our community. This includes founding a now well-known church and a (charter school) academy that is of the expect more (as in we expect more of you, child) style. His children (and grandchildren) continue in his cause, so Grand Rapids will not lack for stirring leaders.
This is not my work. It is just too good to hide from Google.

Note that as long as MLive keeps the article up, you can access the original by clicking on the link at the top of this entry.

Want to see the rest?

Night Time in GR

2007-01-24T18:35:00.000-05:00

President Gerald R Ford's resting place is in the lower right corner of the first picture. The glowing tent on the right of the second picture is the Central Station of The Rapid.

A Dignified Resting Place

2007-01-09T22:40:00.000-05:00

President laid in crypt designed by Jenison resident 25 years ago
by Jeffrey Cunningham

Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Grand Valley East Advance
This is not otherwise on the web. This really should be on the AP or UPI wire.

Ray Sheler was just 33-years-old in 1979 when his design firm was hired by Grand Rapids architect Marvin J. DeWinter to design the landscaping for a project that would forever change how the world viewed the City of Grand Rapids.

"At the time I knew I would never work on another project like this," Sheler, of Jenison, recalled last week.

The project in this case was the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum for which DeWinter was the architect.

Sheler had worked for DeWinter on several other projects in West Michigan, but their work on the Gerald R. Ford Presidnetial Museum was their best work, Sheler said. "It had to be."

Twenty-five years have passed since the museum was dedicated, but the shining moment for the museum may have been under the national spotlight as the host for last week's public repose and final resting place for the 38th president.

DeWinter, 74, is retired as an architect but still works in land development. Sheler, 60, is also retired. He suffered a stroke four years ago and while he has fully recovered physically from the stroke, he is still working daily to regain the ability to talk.

Sheler and DeWinter would work on several other projects around Grand Rapids in the 1980s, but have not worked on any projects since.

Still, they remain linked via the Ford Museum, although to most it is DeWinter's
name that is associated with the project. DeWinter designed the triangular building that sits on the creast of the knoll that created a vista of Grand Rapids.

Many may not recall, Sheler said, that he designed the landscaping, the reflecting pool, and the crypt where the former president is now buried.

At the time the museum was designed, the building that DeWinter designed was called "Celebration of Space" and the grounds and exterior facilities, which were designed independently by Sheler, were called "Celebration of Water."

The 44,000-square-foot building cost $11 million and dedicated in 1981.

Since it was dedicated 25 years ago, the two "Celebrations" have grown together as the two designers had intended.

Over the last week, the museum and grounds have been on display as the country and world said their final farewells to the late president Ford.

DeWinter said after the funeral that he was pleased that the building and grounds continue to reflect the modest man for which it was built. "We used basic materials - concrete and glass for the building that reflected Ford the man," he told the Advance last week. "If I was designing this building for another president, I would have used different materials."

He said he also appreciated that the area around the crypt has grown up to become a "dignified cove for Ford's final resting place."

Originally Ford hadn't thought about where he was going to be buried, DeWinter said. "There wasn't much input originally as to Grand Rapids being Ford's final resting place," he said.

As part of the design process for the museum itself, DeWinter visited the libraries of former president Harry Truman and Herbert Hoovers and realized that both of the late presidents were buried at their libraries.

The Ford library is at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. DeWinter wondered after the visits to the other presidential libraries what Ford thought about being buried in Grand Rapids. "So I asked Mr. Ford what he thought and he said that he would talk to Betty about it and get back to me," DeWinter said. "They decided it would be good (to be buried in Grand Rapids) and they left the design up to us."

DeWinter originally hired Sheler's firm to design the landscaping for the museum in 1979 because the two had worked together on other projects.

In the end, Sheler would design not only the landscaping for the 20 achres but the reflecting pool and fountain, and eventually the placement and design of the crypt where the Fords were to be buried.

Sheler said the design of that space was rather simple. "I just looked at the area and kind of pulled the design out of the air," Sheler said last week as he sat at his home on Lamplight Drive in Jenison, going through the design plans for the crypt and reflecting pool.

The engineers would figure out how to make everything work, like how to move the slabs of concrete that cover the crypts, he said. "But the actual design of the crypt and the landscaping plan arouns was mine and it was nice to see that 25 years later, it looks good."

Sheler also pointed out that it was his idea to plant a large white pine tree on the grounds. "It is the only tree that grows naturally in all 50 states," he said.

Over the last 25 years, DeWinter's name has remained associated with the museum as the designer of the building. While Sheler's name is not associated with the project as frequently, Sheler said he takes that in stride. "It takes many to build something like this and many to design something like this," he said. "Yes, I would like for people to know that I designed the outdoor parts of the Ford Museum - but I was glad to have just the chance to work on the museum and I know what we did together," he said.

In the end, everyone who worked on the project did thier best and last week when President Ford was laid to rest, that was all that mattered, Sheler said. "I was proud."

There are pictures attached to the article of both Mr Sheler and the crypt. The caption on the crypt picture implies that the receiving vaults for President and Mrs. Ford lie behind the vertical concrete slabs that form the semi-circular wall of the crypt and on which are mounted their names.

Note that as long as MLive keeps the article up, you can access the original by clicking on the link at the top of this entry.

Want to see the rest?

Use of U-M blanket warms his heart

2007-01-09T20:10:00.000-05:00

From The Grand Rapids Press, Tuesday, January 9, 2007

Grad sees memento used in Ford funeral
By Tom Rademacher (Press Columnist)

Mark Harmsen cherished for nearly 30 years the stadium blanket given to him by his parents upon his graduation in 1978 from the University of Michigan.

Yet it took only a phone call last Tuesday for him to part with it -- and with the bittersweet knowledge he would never hold it again.

The next day, Harmsen was surprised and overcome with emotion while watching live coverage of President Gerald R. Ford's funeral, to see his blanket folded on a pew and serving as a somber substitute for Bo Schembechler, the late U-M football coach who was invited to serve as one of Ford's honorary pallbearers.

In ensuing TV coverage, Harmsen was moved as well to see that Ford's widow, Betty, carried the maize and blue blanket on her lap as she visited her husband's interment site by wheelchair at the presidential museum.

"I was just stunned," said Harmsen, a real estate developer who lives in Plainfield Township. "I got incredible goosebumps."

Harmsen was tapped for the blanket by friend and former U-M running teammate Greg Meyer, who represents the university.

"Greg said 'I can't tell you what it's going to be used for,'" said Harmsen, "and that I wouldn't get it back, although he did offer to replace it."

Harmsen provided the blanket with no questions asked, and wasn't sure what role it would play until he tuned in to coverage of the funeral last Wednesday at Grace Episcopal Church in East Grand Rapids.

What made Harmsen's contribution even sweeter is this: Harmsen, like Ford, attained the rank of Eagle Scout as a youth, and while a member of the very same troop to which Ford belonged, No. 215.

Harmsen said he never got the chance to meet Ford or shake his hand, and hopes that, when Betty Ford glances at the blanket, "it serves as a reminder to her of the countless number of people who didn't have the opportunity to tell her husband our stories."

Looking skyward

While Harmsen and others were watching Ford's funeral on TV, John H. Cooper of Grand Rapids was outside the church during the service, casually scanning the skies with a powerful set of binoculars.

"I guess it goes back to my days with the Air National Guard," said Cooper, 65, referring to the years he served, from 1962 to 1968. "I'm always scanning the horizon and field of view."

What he beheld overhead as the funeral was in its closing moments is something he will never forget: What he insists was a lone American bald eagle circling far above the intersection of Hall Street and Plymouth Avenue SE.

"I had a pair of 10-by-50 binoculars so I could get a good view of the funeral party," he said. "Then I looked up in the sky and saw this solo bald eagle."

He spotted East Grand Rapids Mayor Cindy Bartman standing nearby, and invited her to look. She doesn't dispute his assessment: "With the binoculars, you could clearly see the white head," she said. "And we have had reports of bald eagles on Reeds Lake."

If Cooper's sighting isn't riveting enough on its own, know this: Cooper was holding an itinerary of the funeral proceedings that had been printed and distributed that morning by The Press.

According to Cooper's best guess, Sgt. First Class Sgt. Alvy R. Powell of the U.S. Army Chorus broke into his solo piece just moments after Cooper spotted the eagle.

The song Powell boomed out that afternoon in his trademark bass-baritone?
"On Eagle's Wings."

Kids sent cards

On a less-somber note, but entirely entertaining, Caledonia resident Laura Bartleson still is recounting the joy she experienced 34 years ago when, as a teacher at Oakdale Christian School, she invited her first-graders to write birthday cards to then-President Richard M. Nixon.

Then-Congressman Gerald Ford delivered the messages, and had them entered verbatim into the Congressional Record of Jan. 9, 1973.

A kid of 6 then, Tom Knol included a $1 bill with this note (original spelling): "From Tom Knol. I put a doller in. I voted for you. I am gladd that you wan." He then added, "Happy Birthday presdent Nixon, when you are haveing a picnic I hop the rain dusint spoyul it."

Knol lives in Caledonia now and works in sales. He said Monday that he only vaguely recalls the letter he wrote.

If Knol's name sounds familiar, it's because he grew up to be something of a political hopeful himself -- running unsuccessfully for both the Grand Rapids city and Kent County commissions.

Bartleson shared this week that Ford's decision to enter the kids' letters shows Jerry Ford was "the guy next door who loved to laugh."

Tom Rademacher's column runs Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. E-mail: trademacher@grpress.com

Grand Rapids Press Gerald Ford Special Editions

2007-01-04T21:44:00.000-05:00

The GR Press has published three special editions about President Gerald R Ford since his death.

December 27th: Gerald R Ford - A Man of Character
A history of his life from the University of Michigan, through the Navy in World War II, the US House of Representative, and the White House.

January 3rd: Farewell to our president
The Washington Funeral, his body arriving in GR, the houses where he lived, and covering people waiting to visit him in repose.

January 4th: He Was One of Us
His Funeral in EGR and burial in GR, reminiscences from local people, more stories about the family, and a chronicle of the repose vigil.

If you wish a hard copy of the commemorative edition, you may contact The Grand Rapids Press.

For those of you who could not be present

2007-01-03T14:55:00.000-05:00

C-SPAN is offering a DVD package covering the Gerald R Ford Funeral.

The Gerald Ford Funeral Video Compilation features official ceremonies in Washington, DC, services in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and final interment at the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum. Official events in Washington include the arrival at Andrews Air Force Base, the funeral motorcade to the Capitol, official funeral services in the Capitol Rotunda and the National Cathedral.

Package price is listed as $24.95

They also have offerings of Reagan's Classic Speeches and Funeral, plus a two pack which contains both.

Update: Life Portrait of Gerald R. Ford is also available from C-SPAN.

Gerald "Our" Ford is back in town

2007-01-02T16:35:00.000-05:00

On the way downtown
President Gerald "Our" Ford arrived in GR shortly before 3pm this afternoon. I was among the many people who lined the roads on his way downtown. (Picture is a bit blurry because I was using the multi-picture mode on the camera.)

The Ford Schedule for Next Week

2006-12-28T23:25:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, January 2nd

Morning: Funeral at Washington National Cathedral
02:15pm: Casket arrives at (GRR) Gerald R Ford International Airport (Grand Rapids, MI)
03:30pm: Casket arrives at the Gerald R Ford Museum. President Ford will lie in public repose thoughout the night.

Wednesday, January 3rd

02:00pm: Funeral at Grace Episcopal Church in East Grand Rapids (East Great Falls from American Pie). Private internment will follow in the crypt north of the museum.

The Secret Service and TSA have designated this an extreme high security event with physical security to the areas of the museum, the church, and routes between. I have business that will take me to all sides of the city that day, so will have to route via the outer beltways rather than going through the city center.

The south parking lot at the museum is already full of TV satellite trucks and they have started shutting down some of the roads in preparation for this event.

Its a good thing that school doesn't resume until Thursday as we have 3 Universities, a Community College, and an Art School all within a one mile radius of the Ford Museum. The Secret Service doesn't need to deal with students that "have to get to class" in addition to accommodating Shepherd Smith and the other newsreaders.

The Crypt at the Museum

2006-12-28T17:00:00.000-05:00

The Gerald R Ford Crypt
The fence appears to be only a year or so old. Other work (besides adding the "2006") includes caulking around the primary slabs at the back of the circular area. This may have been in preparation for moving the slabs to access the burial site. These changes can be seen more clearly in the following picture.

Crypt Close-Up
There are few memorial gifts at the North sign to the museum.

The majority of the chaos is at the South end where the TV satellite trucks are parked.

Ah-Nab-Awen Park

2006-12-27T17:00:00.000-05:00

The following link to Google Maps shows the Gerald R Ford Museum. The Museum is the triangle shape to the left of the words Ah-Nab-Awen Park. You can see the location of the "crypt" just north of the museum. There is a semi-circular walkway leading from the front sidewalk to the "crypt" area.

Across the Grand River you can see the DeVos Place convention center and the City/County buildings with the Alexander Calder painting on top. There is a Calder stabile in the plaza in front of the buildings, but it isn't very visible in the satellite photo.

This whole area will be blocked off for the funeral (much like they did for the dedication when we hosted another gaggle of Presidents/former-Presidents). The Secret Service will make it more fun than dealing with the TSA.

The Wikipedia entry provides a fairly accurate description of Grand Rapids.

Update: PDF of current plans for President Gerald Ford's lying in repose and funeral in Grand Rapids from today's Grand Rapids Press. Note the use of the Grand Hall of DeVos Place for screening people prior to viewing the casket. This allows plenty of room for the metal detectors in a warm, weather protected location even though the lines will end up outdoors and across the river.

Update:

The Plan for Visiting the Repose

The Actual Lines

Its no wonder that it took people 4 to 5 hours waiting in line. At least they used the three football field sized (160,000 square foot) DeVos Place Exhibit Hall to hold a good deal of the lines so that people weren't standing outside the whole 5 hours.

The passing of President Gerald R Ford

2006-12-27T00:35:00.000-05:00

I was looking for something else and came across this. My first thoughts were that it was a dummy entry like the test posts that the NYT occasionally releases, but after checking Google News I found that that Betty Ford had just announced it.

Needless to say this will make for an interesting two weeks here in GR. The planned resting place is on the grounds of the Gerald R Ford Museum on the west bank of the Grand River. The "crypt" location sits north of the museum proper (which is to the right of the picture of museum on the web site). This overlooks Ah-Nab-Awen Park, a broad grassy area (6+ acres) that is used for the musical performances that accompany the Fourth of July celebrations as well as the September Celebration on the Grand.

(Now if I can just get my act together and get my posts from the past year out of "draft")

Update: Major local coverage can be found at MLive and the Grand Rapids Press

Another Update: The Grand Rapids Press published a Special Section about President Gerald R Ford. Note how they attributed the "played too much football with his helmet off" quote on page 7 to one Linden Badness Johnson. (I think that was a transcription error and they meant Lyndon Baines Johnson.)

Another Clone Gone

2006-01-06T19:35:00.000-05:00

I hate it when this happens. An ordinary afternoon is broken by a phone call from my wife complaining that someone has sent us another "offer" to buy a headstone for a deceased spouse. The last time this happened was in 2000 when "one of my clones" lost his wife to cancer. This letter was addressed to the surviving wife, so I looked in the local newspaper's on-line obituary listings and found the following:

Mr. Thomas ********, age 45, passed away suddenly Tuesday, December 20, 2005. He was preceded in death by his father, brother, wife, and daughter. He is survived by his wife, daughters, son, mother, sister, brothers, his late wife's parents, and several nephews and nieces. Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Tuesday, December 27, 2005.

What a hell of a gift for Christmas.

So the young man who lost his wife five years ago has also died.

By "one of my clones" I am referring to the six others with my first and last name who reside in the metropolitan area, but have unlisted phone numbers. As a result I get lots of interesting calls from their creditors and I have to ask "which one" are you looking for? The young man who died was one who had creditors as a result of his wife's cancer, but he worked with them and had his accounts clean a couple years before this "sudden" surprise.

In addition to strange calls from creditors (and people trying to arrange high school reunions), we have also fielded calls from LEOs trying to chase down someone conning old ladies in mid-Southern states. I don't get around that much and my residence and phone number has been the same for more than 20 years, so the LEOs then have to dig harder than the phone book to find the person.

One of the more interesting clones was a resident at one of our local hospitals and would give out my number to young ladies in bars. True, it is a good way to brush someone off, but then I had to deal with my wife's anger and the questions about just who is "Mary" and why would I be "calling her back"? Fortunately I was home the night "Mary" met "Thomas" at the bar. Sure makes life interesting.

Playing with the Template

2005-12-23T12:00:00.000-05:00

A few minor changes to the template.

Note the addition of the Centeral Great Lakes Weather grapic to the left. This makes use of an experimental National Weather Service display. They have coverage of other parts of the United States, but it looks like the finest detail is around the Great Lakes.

They're Back

2005-12-14T23:20:00.000-05:00

We had an interesting situation on the way home this evening from picking up one of the daughters from college.

Just as we were leaving the college town, we saw what looked like a pair of tan labs crossing the road with their heads down. As soon as they got into the right hand lane, they raised their heads and they were no longer labs, but antlerless deer. The car ahead of us slammed on their brakes and slid towards them. The lead deer got out of the way, but the second deer bounced off the front bumper of the little car in front of us. The deer was knocked ass over tea kettle and landed cast. It then scrambled to its feet, fell over once and then bounded off the road on the other side. We checked the people in the little car, but other than being shook were OK. It was such an elastic collision that the air bags didn't deploy.

What fun. Sorry, no pictures.

Keeping up with the neighbors

2005-12-06T21:26:00.000-05:00

From The Grand Rapids Press, Friday, November 25, 2005

75-year old takes on the Appalachian Trail
By Howard Meyerson (Press Outdoors Editor)

At 74 years old, Paul Foguth is like a lot of guys who hope to shoot their age playing 18 holes of golf. But that is where the comparisons end.

Foguth, who achieved his goal this last year, plans to celebrate his 75th birthday in Perrysburg, Va., next April, attempting another goal -- walking the entire 2,172 miles of the Appalachian Trail.

"I always wanted to do it one year," said Foguth, who has walked its length once already -- in segments spread out over 12 years. He finished the trail in 2001 after many trips to the 14 states along its length.

Foguth plans to depart Feb. 14, 2006, for the southern trailhead at Springer Mountain, Ga. It will be his eighth visit to its scenic vistas.

Seven times he returned there with the idea of walking the whole trail. Seven times he abandoned the idea after a week, or two, or maybe a month -- pulled home to his wife Barbara because of loneliness, a family emergency, personal tragedy or medical problems.

After seven tries, Foguth opted to start the next year where he left off. It is a common practice for many who enjoy the trail and it would take five more years for the Grandville hiker to complete it.

"I was exhilarated when I finished it in 2001," said Foguth, a retired supervisor with the City of Grand Rapids water department whose trail name is: The Bull.

"I said: 'Thank God I got it done. No more of that. That's hard work."

But the mystique of the trail has way of lingering. Foguth found himself often thinking back about his trail experience -- and often of trying once again to do a thru-hike.

Thru-hiking, the term for walking the trail's entire length in one season, is attempted by 2,000 hikers on any given year. It is a five to six month endeavor. Typically only 200 hikers finish on the peak of Mt. Katahdin in Maine, the northern end of the trail.

Going south to north is the most popular approach. Starting in Georgia in February or March means a hiker can take advantage of milder weather and cover ground while much of the northern trail is still ice and snowbound.

Even so, Foguth knows he has to be prepared for snow and ice in the Smokey Mountains. He has to be ready for the cold, rainy days, the mud on the trail and the slippery rocks, along with fog.

"I'm going to have to pace myself," said Foguth, who wrestled with prostate cancer four years ago and had serious reconstructive foot surgery two years ago.

"I may have to change my style of hiking, but the foot problem is something I think I can work around, " he said.

Foguth trains by walking 9 miles a day with a 38-pound pack. He trains on a Bow-flex as well as stair-stepper. He knows its not very mountainous here, but plans to step up his routine by adding hills over the next few months along with more weight.

"When I put a pack on 14 years ago, my legs felt like rubber," he said. "That's not the case now. I'm in better shape than then. What feels really good is that I am out training."

Twelve years on the trail taught Foguth a lot: about practical matters like food and gear, how to plan for an extended trip and how to deal with those quiet, isolated moments.

"Just when you think you've hit a hard spot, someone will show up along the trail," Foguth said. "I only missed going to mass one time in 12 years of hiking that trail.

"I'd run into someone who said, meet me here next week, or someone who would take me.

"I never carried a cell-phone before. But I will this time. I'll be 75 years old. I feel better than I ever have before, but I worry that this old body won't hold up."

Foguth's strategy is to lighten up. He's got ultra-light titanium cook ware and a lightweight multi-fuel stove. He will carry a one-person tent and a sleeping bag warm down to 0 degrees. He will camp wherever it's convenient. There are also trail shelters along the route as well as towns where a hot shower and soft bed can be had.

But the biggest change will be internal, said Foguth - a man who can be unblinkingly honest about his foibles; a man who lists himself as the primary obstacle he dealt with the first time around.

"I am a very impulsive person," said Foguth. I think that was the problem. I'd get up in the morning and feel good and then about 11 am I'd say: 'What the hell am I doing this for?' It just gets tiring and its not much fun.

"But I realize all of what goes into it now. I'm mature enough and I think I can do it.'

We frequently see him hiking around the neighborhood. Now he has his full kit on (back pack, hiking poles...) when he goes out. This is not my work. It is just too good to hide from Google.

Note that as long as MLive keeps the article up, you can access the original by clicking on the link at the top of this entry.

Want to see the rest?

Differences in Presentation

2005-12-03T23:39:00.000-05:00

The South
vs
The Great White North
Note that we don't have the wreaths up yet, nor the fake tree on the porch.

Update 12/09
More snow, wreaths up, but no fake tree. (We need to replace its lights.)

Yours, Mine, and Ours - Friday Night: Dinner and a Movie

2005-12-02T23:08:00.000-05:00

Dinner at the usual place: Lasgne and Rigatoni.

Dennis Quaid is not Henry Fonda, and Rene Russo is not Lucille Ball, but this retelling appears to work. There was nothing seriously stupid in the movie to make me want to run out the theater. As usual, the children in the two families don't fit together and make a common pact to split the marriage. After the children get conditions to cause a breakup into action, they discover that they like each other and no longer want the split. This is all followed by a Hollywood Ending.

Rip Torn plays a rather worn out Coast Guard Commandant in this movie. Although Rip is still regularly making new films, this picture makes him look like forty miles of bad road and one tends to wonder about his health. Linda Hunt plays a deliciously unique housekeeper with a relaxed counterpoint to Quaid's shipshape view of how a household should be run.

New previews: The Shaggy Dog with Tim Allen (instead of Tommy Kirk) turning into a dog, due out Mar 10th. Last Holiday with Queen Latifa playing a lady given a short time to live, due out Jan 13th. And (of course) Nanny McPhee due out Jan 27th.

Pride & Prejudice - Saturday: Movie and a Birthday Dinner

2005-11-26T21:26:00.000-05:00

First the statistics. All told there were 5 men at this movie (counting my son and myself). The men were out numbered 10 to 1. The average age for the women was estimated to be around 45 years. For some strange reason, the owner of the theater group attended this showing. (I didn't ask him why. I think he took his Mom.)

In some ways this film felt truer to the period. The people weren't as pristine as in the A&E version. We liked the "country dancing". (No we did not get up and dance along with the film.)

It was nice to see a film with good actors, but not famous names. Looking on IMDb, we saw that some had played in Charles II: The Power & the Passion.

High points of the movie:

"Oddball" Donald Sutherland not totally sucking as Mr Bennet
Mr Collins' sermon (Even my few were not that bad.) Did he really say that?
Mr Collins not being as weasly, just totaly fish out of water in all his settings
The "dance" of the characters as they wandered though the ball, always just missing each other
The wounded puppy dog looks of Darcy
The painful shyness of both Mr Bingley and Jane Bennet ("My sister won't even tell me" remarks Elizabeth)
Darcy talking Binkley through what he needed to say to propose. (You say ... then Miss Bennet responds ...) Priceless.

Oh, and I want a long coat like Darcy.

Both Lydia and Wickham seemed underplayed in this version, though Lydia does bounce a lot.

Dinner after the movie was at the usual place. Greek Chicken, three Rigatonis, Capellini, and Vegitarian Lasagne. Afterwards we went home for cake and ice cream.

Previews: Glory Road (due out Jan 13th) is not a remake of the Heinlein tale of a Knight Errant, but about college basketball. Oh Well.

We got to see the Nanny McPhee preview on the big screen. (Due out Jan 27th) We can't wait. Emma Thompson both wrote the screen play and is the main character.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Black Friday: Movie and Leftovers at Home

2005-11-25T20:39:00.000-05:00

We do not go shopping on the "Day After Thanksgiving" (period).

We go to movies. This year we waited until the daughters were home from college to see the latest Harry Potter.

We missed all the fun stuff from the book, like Fleur meeting the older Weasley boy, the screwy clothes at the World Quiddich Tournament, and Hermione's teeth suddenly getting nice for the dance.

Daniel Radcliffe still looks like a younger version of my son. Hence all the squealing last week about "Naked Harry" the day after the movie came out. Not that the scenes showed any more than one would see if he were in swimming trunks, but its the thought that counts.

The scenes about the boys awkwardness asking the girls to the dance were a hoot as was the dancing. It wouldn't be so painful if I couldn't remember 9th grade, but I was more of a Harry at that time than a Ron.

Followed by a repeat of Thanksgiving Dinner.

No new interesting previews.

Furry Friends

2005-11-25T17:33:00.000-05:00

And More Snow

2005-11-24T11:53:00.000-05:00

More Snow (and er Freezing Rain)

2005-11-23T10:21:00.000-05:00

We're looking at 2-3 inches by tonight, but then again it may turn to freezing rain and leave us with ice for the morrow. We curently have a bit over an inch of snow. The streets are slippery and the squirrles are cavorting on the bird feeders.

House has a new companion

2005-11-22T23:03:00.000-05:00

This evening's House MD was hard to watch. What he did to his ex-wife in the last episode and this one makes my skin crawl. And yet, he does have redeeming qualities like those which drew him to his new companion.

I missed most of last year so this was the first I saw his apartment front door. Does House really live at 221B Baker Street? Who does he think he is? Sherlock Holmes? Too cute.