Good morning, and welcome to Calder News the newsletter for the busy people of our Grand Rapids.

Before I get started, I would like to thank you for signing up for this newsletter.

Calder News was something I dreamed up a year ago. And finally started with a humble goal to hit 100 subscribers before sending out my first email. I expected that to take until late October. But thanks to you, Calder News hit 100 subscribers faster than your car can drive down US-131…

Because in just 11 days of talking about the newsletter, Calder’s first email is landing in the inbox of over 350 folks in GR (I promise I’m not crying while writing this).

Anyhow this is just the start…

I’ve got a lot of things up my sleeve, plans to execute, and cool stuff to add to this newsletter.

But one thing will stay true— Calder News will always be entertaining, concise, and informative.

Anyhow here’s today’s news:

• 🎖️ Veteran lands at the top of Art Prize

• 🧑‍⚕️ 9,600+ Corewell Nurses file to unionize

• 🏙️ Grand Rapid’s skyline is getting an upgrade?

Let’s dive into this email….

Veteran Lands At The Top Of Art Prize

Art Prize 24’ is officially over. The votes were tallied this past Friday and out of the 950 pieces of art from hundreds of artists, one stood out above them all. An oil and acrylic painting of a Lake Michigan sunset named - Dynamic Sunset.

The best part? The artist behind the painting (John Katerberg) is a Purple Heart veteran - serving in Operation Desert Storm and Afghanistan.

What did he get for winning? John is walking away with a $125,000 check in his name.

As we mark another Art Prize in the books, here are some stats from this year’s event…

• The event lasted 18 days

• Featured 950 art pieces across 160 venues

• Handed out $390,000 in prizes to artists

• Brought an estimated 400,000 people to GR (~1.2M live people here)

Now that Art Prize is over, hopefully, downtown’s parking situation will get slightly better.

What’s Happening

Health Care | Corewell nurses are trying to unionize: Over 9,600 nurses who work for Corewell Health have filed paperwork to unionize under the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Corewell’s Health operates 8 hospitals in the Midwest.

Development | A $739M plan to change the riverfront: Developers and an entity associated with the DeVos and Van Andel families (go figure) have presented plans to build a $739M development — bringing three high-rise towers to the riverfront. The towers would be mixed-use… Featuring storefronts, 130 hotel rooms, 600 apartments, and 76 condos. None of which will be affordable housing.

Law Enforcement | Kent County takes on trafficking: A new three-year, $1.2M grant was awarded to the Kent County Sheriff’s Office and Safe Haven Ministries to assist in the fight against human trafficking.

Events

Today

• Gaymer Monday | House Rules Lounge | 5 PM -11 PM | Free | Step out tonight and participate in an inclusive LGBTQ+ game night w/ food & drinks

• Bike Night with Rogue Racing | Cedar Springs Brewing| Starts @ 6 PM | Free | Got a bike? Join 1 of 2 groups (leisure or training) and enjoy an evening ride

• Community Activation | Fulton to Weston | 5 PM - 8 PM | Free | Take a walk on Fulton and enjoy sidewalk vendors, food trucks, performers, and yard games

• Open Mic Comedy | Broad Leaf Brewery | 7 PM - 9 PM | Free | Sit down, grab a drink, and listen to local comedians kill the room or bomb… Or grab the mic yourself

Tuesday

• Ada Village Farmers Market | 7330 Thornapple River DR SE | 9 AM - 2PM | Free | Shop with local farmers

• Mini Brick Derby | EGR Public Library | Starts @ 3 PM | Free | Build and race Lego race cars with your kids (best for kids ages 5-10yr)

• Tuesday Night Swing Dance | Rosa Park Circle | 7 PM - 9:30 PM | Free | Grab your partner or friend (maybe even a side piece) and enjoy a night of dancing

Wednesday

• Pumpkins Water Color | I’m An Artist Studio | 6 PM - 7:30 PM | $35 | Enjoy a chill watercolor painting activity for family time or a date night

• Studio Sips | WMCAT | 4:30 PM - 7:30 PM | $60 Cover | Wind down after work or enjoy a night out with included drinks, appetizers, and interactive art