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  • 📍 Cellar Bird Book’s massive grant | February 26th, 2025

📍 Cellar Bird Book’s massive grant | February 26th, 2025

State of The State address, preparedness workshops, a bookstore’s big win, and more.

Author

LeQwane Lynch
February 26, 2025

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Good evening, Grand Rapids. I’m LeQwane and this is Calder News — coming in hot with your mid-week update on everything happening around Grand Rapids.

Can you believe that after yesterday’s 50-degree weather, we’re getting another round of snow this weekend?! Gotta love Michigan. 😅 

Anyhow, in today’s newsletter, you’ll read about Gov. Whitmer’s State of The State address, preparedness workshops, a bookstore’s big win, and more.

I hope you’ve been having a great week so far. Now lets get into today’s newsletter.

~LeQwane L.

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Are You Prepared For a Disaster?

City of Grand Rapids Instagram

The City of Grand Rapids is holding a series of workshops to help residents prepare for emergencies and give feedback on disaster response plans.

The Office of Emergency Management will use community input to improve emergency response and communication efforts.

Here is a list of when and where for each workshop:

  • Feb 26 – That Early Bird (6–7:30 p.m.)

  • Feb 27 – Home Repair Services (6–7:30 p.m.)

  • March 5 – LINC Up Gallery 341 (6–7:30 p.m.)

  • March 6 – Virtual via Microsoft Teams (6–7:30 p.m., registration required)

If you want to be part of the conversation, you’ll need to pre-register here.

The Digest

A briefing of local news that matters

State

State of The State: Gov. Whitmer’s Address

Gov. Whitmer is set to deliver her 2025 State of the State Address today at 7 PM. She’s expected to focus on cutting costs, job creation, and improving education. In a statement, Whitmer pointed to progress on tax cuts, free school meals, housing, and road repairs but said there’s still more to do. How can you watch it? The address will be streamed live on pretty much every local news station! | Learn more about the address here

Work

John Ball Zoo Needs A Hand

Want to work with animals? John Ball Zoo is looking for seasonal staff to keep things running smoothly this summer. Positions are available in education, retail, food service, and more. The best part is according to staff, employees get a free zoo membership, bus pass, and event tickets. | Check out the open jobs here

Recreation

Meijer Gardens Wins – Again

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that Frederik Meijer Gardens was in the running for the title of America’s best sculpture park. News surfaced today that they did it — ranking #1 in USA Today's best sculpture park list for the third year in a row. This national recognition also names Meijer Gardens as a must-visit spot for both locals and tourists. | Read more here

Have news to report? Click here.

Where Are We Wednesday

Kingsley Building in Grand Rapids

A couple of Wednesdays out of the month, I’ll be including a little “Where are we Wednesday” in Calder News issues.

This week’s edition should be a walk in the park for any Grand Rapids local.

What neighborhood is this building located in?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

The answer is located at the bottom of today’s email

Talk Of The Town

Interesting happenings around town

📚 Cellar Bird Books landed a massive grant

Remember the independent bookstore that opened a couple of months back? Well, they just received a huge grant. Cellar Bird Books landed a Retail Innovation Grant from the Downtown Dev. Authority — which covers up to 50% of their rent for 18 months.

🚚 The Food Truck Festival is Coming Back

The Roll’N Out Food Truck festival is coming back! This year’s event will take place in a new location, moving from Ottawa Ave to Front Ave SW — while featuring over 122 food trucks and vendors.

📍 Preview of content

Content

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What’s Happening?

Preview: Events —> Live Music

Wednesday, February 26th

Thursday, February 27th

  • Home & Garden Show | DeVos Place | (Thu - Sun) Various times | Tickets are $12 for adults and $5 for kids

  • Against The Grain Art Exhibit | Spark Gallery (Kendall College) | (Through March) Various times | Free

  • Museum Adventure After Dark | GR Public Museum | 6 PM - 9 PM | $55 | Enjoy a fun, interactive night of discovery while supporting the museum’s educational programs (18+)

  • Trivia Night | Vander Mill | 7 PM - 9 PM | Free

  • EnchantĂ©! | Dog Story Theatre | (Feb - Mar) 7:30 PM - 8:30 PM | Tickets start at $29

  • Karaoke Night | K-Rok, General Wood Shop | 5 PM, 8 PM | Free

Friday, February 28th

Live Music

Thursday, February 27th

Friday, February 28th

*Shows are subject to change, but that’s show biz.

Outside The Plaza

2 quick hits of news from cities around Grand Rapids

Detroit:

Muskegon:

That’s All For Today


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