grandrapids

Remembering First Lady Betty Ford

Posted on July 13, 2011July 13, 2011 by farlane

President Gerald Ford and First Lady Betty Ford, photo by Marion S. Trikosko

First Lady Betty Ford (Elizabeth Ann Bloomer Warren Ford) passed away on July 8, 2011. She was born in Chicago on April 8, 1918. After a brief stint in Colorado, she moved with her family to Grand Rapids and graduated from Central High School. In 1948, she married Gerald Ford, who was campaigning for what would be his first of thirteen terms as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. They were married fifty-eight years until his death in 2006. Despite the fact that she had one of the shortest terms as First Lady, she was definitely one of the most influental women to have held the position:

In the opinion of The New York Times and several presidential historians, “Mrs. Ford’s impact on American culture may be far wider and more lasting than that of her husband, who served a mere 896 days, much of it spent trying to restore the dignity of the office of the president.”

The paper went on to describe her as “a product and symbol of the cultural and political times—doing the Bump along the corridors of the White House, donning a mood ring, chatting on her CB radio with the handle First Mama—a housewife who argued passionately for equal rights for women, a mother of four who mused about drugs, abortion and premarital sex aloud and without regret.” In 1975, in an interview with McCall’s magazine, Ford said that she was asked just about everything, except for how often she and the president had sex. “And if they’d asked me that I would have told them,” she said, adding that her response would be, “As often as possible.”

Ford was also instrumental in raising awareness of breast cancer and founded the Betty Ford Center after a battle with alcoholism. You definitely have to watch this PBS feature on Betty Ford – it’s one of the best and there are also some interviews with her children as well. Also see President Gerald R. Ford – 1913 – 2006 on Absolute Michigan.

The Detroit News reports that public viewing of her casket will be held in the atrium of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum today from 7-11 PM and Thursday from 7-10 AM. Following a 2 PM service tomorrow, Ford will be buried beside President Ford on the Museum grounds.

You can see more photos by Marion S. Trikosko at the Library of Congress. This has always been one of my favorite pictures of a couple who obviously loved each other very deeply and were among the most real politicians we’ve had in modern times.

Library of Congress Call Number: LC-U9- 30765B-6A

Spin Cycle: Catch SuperDre@ Electric Forest

Posted on June 11, 2011June 11, 2011 by Michigan in Pictures

Spin Cycle, photo by TerryJohnston.

Grand Rapids DJ SuperDre is one of the Michigan musicians who will join a fantastic lineup at the Electric Forest Festival in Rothbury June 30th – July 3rd. Absolute Michigan is partnering with Electric Forest and will be at the festival with interviews, blogs and more.

We are interviewing all the Michigan-based acts, and here’s our interview of SuperDre aka Andrea Wallace. It includes a cool video so definitely check it out and consider Electric Forest or one of the other great Michigan festivals & events we are giving tickets away to through Festival Summer giveaway!

You can see this bigger and check out more photos in Terry’s DJ SuperDre slideshow.

Strawberry Fields Forever

Posted on June 9, 2011June 9, 2011 by Michigan in Pictures

I’ve died and gone to berry heaven, photo by yodraws.

Over on Absolute Michigan we got word Ann Arbor blogger Ed Vielmetti that strawberries season is kicking off in southern Michigan. Click through for all kinds of strawberry goodness!

Yolanda took this at the Fulton Street Farmer’s Market in Grand Rapids a couple of years ago. View it background bigalicious and in her Fulton Street Farmer’s Market slideshow.

PS: Speaking of farm markets, farms and food, if you’re not hooked in to Real Time Farms, you’re missing out!

Memorial Day in Michigan

Posted on May 30, 2011 by farlane

Tribute 9804-09, photo by StacyN – MichiganMoments

Stacy took this photo at the Grand Rapids Veteran’s Cemetery. View it bigger in her slideshow and I hope you have a chance to remember those who’ve sacrificed for our nation.

Bullets & Torpedos, Seger & Sheen

Posted on April 4, 2011April 4, 2011 by farlane

Bob Seger 281, photo by John Rothwell and Fox Charlie Sheen, photo by Wade Bryant

Michigan had two superstar performances on Saturday.

By all accounts Bob Seger’s show in Grand Rapids was by far the more successful. You can click over to mLive for a review of show and highlights of Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band rocking Van Andel Arena that included a special guest performance by Kid Rock. Michigan-born Seger is on a nationwide tour that will come back home to finish May 17-21 with 3 shows at the Palace of Auburn Hills – details on his web site.

The second was Charlie Sheen’s My Violent Torpedo of Truth, which was violently panned by reviewers and the audience. Wade writes:

The show’s failure has been overblown by a lot of people and the media. My wife and I went out of curiosity. The tickets sold so quickly that within 2 minutes of them going on sale there were no adjacent seats available so we sat 13 rows apart. The crowd was mostly a young party audience. My wife figured they were expecting a big wild Charlie Sheen bash and that’s not what it was. Charlie came with good, if not slightly delusional intentions of gaining grassroots support for his strange ways. The people around me were quite respectful and seemed to enjoy the show. The people near my wife were booing, fighting and getting kicked out of the theater. It was an entertaining evening.

Wade has a shot from Sheen’s show that you can see bigger and you can check out several more shots of Bob Seger in Grand Rapids from John!

Which Way to Ireland?

Posted on March 17, 2011March 17, 2017 by farlane

Which Way to Ireland?, photo by Rudy Malmquist

Happy St. Patrick’s Day Michigan! You can see some of the celebrations today and this weekend on Absolute Michigan and I hope everyone has a happy (and safe) St. Patrick’s Day!

Check this our bigger and see more in Rudy’s Irish slideshow!

Heading into the storm: Michigan braces for blizzard

Posted on February 1, 2011March 9, 2013 by Michigan in Pictures

Providence Road by heinrick05

providence road, photo by heinrick05.

Much of the Mitten is bracing for a major winter storm that is predicted to drop well over a foot of snow from Grand Rapids to Detroit tonight and tomorrow. Meteorologist Bill Steffen has some great stuff on the storm and on Michigan weather in general. He’s named the storm the Groundhog Day Dump and writes that Punxsutawney Phil:

…has looked at the models and he’s definitely forecasting six more weeks of winter, maybe seven…and that this coming summer will be a couple degrees cooler than last summer.

The heaviest snow Tuesday night into early Weds. with snowfall rates of over an inch an hour. The heaviest snow looks to be across the southern half of Lower Michigan, with lighter amount as you go north toward Traverse City. The model data is in pretty good agreement. The models are in the 10-16″ range, a couple up to 18″, but I didn’t go quite that high. Winds will blow he snow into 3-4 foot drifts. All the models think this is going to be a very significant snowstorm and if they are right, some places will be approaching or exceeding all-time February record 12 or 24-hour snowfalls. And…if the models are right, there won’t be many schools open Weds. from Kent Co. to the south at least and maybe all the way to Cadillac. The GFS gives us a steady 25 mph wind with gusts to 35 (850 mb wind to 78 mph!). That’s at least “near blizzard” conditions for Tuesday night and Weds. AM.

Keep in mind that’s snowFALL not snow cover. The numbers have been pretty consistent. CAUTION: Numbers from these models are often too high and sometimes WAY too high. The heaviest snow ever in G.R. in a single day was 16.1″ during the blizzard of ’78. The 24-hour snowfall record for G.R. in any February is 11.4″ ON 2/3/2007. With records going back to the late 1800s, Grand Rapids has NEVER had a foot of snow in 24-hours during the month of February. This storm will be moving, not backing up and stopping like the blizzard of ’78. So, feel free to get excited, but don’t go overboard.

So panic … but keep it in perspective. More blizzards on Michigan in Pictures and also see Great Blizzard of 1978 on Absolute Michigan.

Check this photo out bigger and in Heinrick’s Michigan slideshow.

Morning Light at Reeds Lake

Posted on October 18, 2010 by farlane

Morning Light, photo by rdmegr

This photo was taken this weekend at Reeds Lake in East Grand Rapids.

Check it out bigger in rdmegr’s Reeds Lake slideshow.

More Michigan lakes from Michigan in Pictures.

Down By The River Side in Grand Rapids

Posted on October 14, 2010October 14, 2010 by Michigan in Pictures

Down By The River Side, photo by photoshoparama – Dan.

Gonna lay down my heavy load, down by the river side.
~Sister Rosetta Tharpe

While ArtPrize is over, there’s still plenty to entertain the eye and ease the mind in Grand Rapids. Check out these fall color touring ideas from the Grand Rapids CVB.

Check this photo out bigger in Dan’s colors slideshow.

Much more fall color on Michigan in Pictures.

2010 ArtPrize Winners!

Posted on October 8, 2010 by farlane

The winners of ArtPrize 2010 were announced last night in Grand Rapids. Grand Rapids resident Chris LaPorte took top honors and $250,000 for his work Cavalry, American Officers, 1921, a phenomenally detailed work in pencil. Svelata by Mia Tavonatti and Lure/Wave, Grand Rapids (Lure/Forest) by Beili Liu rounded out the top 3.