The Pyramid Scheme is a popular neighborhood bar, alternative music venue, and pinball arcade, located in Grand Rapids’ downtown Heartside district. It was born out of the realization that there was a need for a mid-size concert venue in the downtown area. The idea was to create a unique atmosphere, mixing art and music, capitalizing on the ideal ­location of the venue. The Pyramid Scheme is situated on Commerce Street, near Division Avenue (The Avenue for the Arts) which is known for its art venues, and is also near Ionia and the Van Andel Arena, so it is able to draw both crowds. It has become a place for the artists, musicians, and locals. The key to the Pyramids Scheme’s success, in addition to bringing in top alternative music acts 2-3 nights a week, has been developing a loyal crowd that will visit the bar even when there’s no live band playing.

In order to get a better understanding of The Pyramid Scheme, it’s important to take a moment to mention the co-owners and their positive involvement in local community. The venue is co-owned by successful local entrepreneurs Mark Sellers, Jeff VandenBerg, and Tami VandenBerg. Each brings a unique blend of talents to the popular bar and music venue. Sellers owns two other immensely popular Grand Rapids bars: HopCat and Stella’s Lounge. The VandenBerg siblings are co-owners of the Meanwhile Bar, also in downtown Grand Rapids, which emphasizes local brews and is known for its positive involvement in the local community. Jeff VandenBerg is also an artist and music promoter who founded Friction Records and is a founding member of the Division Avenue Arts Collective (DAAC). The DAAC is a non-profit that hosts music, art exhibitions, creative workshops, lectures, film screenings, and other performances – all entirely programmed and run by volunteers and the help of the community. Tami VandenBerg also runs the Well House, a nonprofit that provides housing for people who are homeless.

Anniversary Celebration

The Pyramid Scheme is celebrating their anniversary with a weekend of special shows in April. The Pyramid Scheme’s 5 Year Anniversary Show Pt. 1 is on Friday April 22nd and features the bands: Heavier Than Air Flying Machines, Lady Ace Boogie, Man At Arms, and Coffin Problem. Tickets are $10 in advance.

The Pyramid Scheme’s 5 Year Anniversary Show Pt. 2 is on Saturday April 23rd and features the bands Shiner, Mutoid Man, and Child Bite. The band Shiner is re-uniting for this show. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 the day of the show- get your tickets early because this performance is certain to sell out! As always, shows are 21 and up. For more information, please visit the Pyramid Scheme Bar’s website.

Please join us in congratulating the Pyramid Scheme on a rockin’ 5 years!

What began as a small community credit union for teachers has become an established 80-year-old cooperative, poised to provide financial services to Michigan residents.

A Financial Community for Educators

First serving only City of Jackson public school teachers, the Michigan Community Credit Union began as the Jackson County Teachers Credit Union in 1936. Over the years, the credit union began expanding its services – first in 1968 to all Jackson County school employees, then in 1979 to both educators and employees of educational facilities in Jackson and Hillsdale Counties.

Opening Doors to the Community

In 2009, after several name changes and further expansion of membership, the Educators and Employees Credit Union invited anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in Barry, Branch, Calhoun, Eaton, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Lenawee, Livingston, Monroe, Oakland, St. Joseph, Washtenaw and Wayne Counties, Michigan, to utilize their services. This led to a final name change in 2013, to the Michigan Community Credit Union. With nearly 16,000 members and assets exceeding $131 million, the MCCU has become a financial institution, owned by its members and serving the community with low interest rates and minimal fees.

Community Outreach

The Michigan Community Credit Union doesn’t only serve its community’s residents by providing low interest rates, high yield savings accounts, and free checking accounts. MCCU is dedicated to helping the community grow, as demonstrated by their many charitable contributions to community schools, organizations, and residents. From quarterly grant programs and scholarships to 5k sponsorships, and even special events like “Free Ice Cream Fridays,” the city of Jackson and surrounding areas can see the positive impact of the MCCU and its members.

80th Anniversary Celebration: Prize Patrol Days

In celebration of 80 years in business, the Michigan Community Credit Union is surprising it’s loyal members. 80 scratch-off tickets will be awarded each month on unscheduled Prize Patrol days. Each month’s Prize Patrol days will occur at one branch, alternating at each of the credit union’s four branches in Jackson, Michigan Center, Hillsdale, and Spring Arbor throughout the year. Scratch-off ticket prizes include:

• Limited edition MMCU 80th Anniversary Mugs
• $50 Visa Gift Cards
• One $500 cash prize

To improve chances of getting a scratch-off ticket, MMCU members are encouraged to follow the credit union on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates on where and when the Prize Patrol will take place.

Congratulations to the Michigan Community Credit Union on 80 years of success and growth!

The Mac Wood’s Dune Rides were started by Mac Woods in 1930, as a way to entertain guests staying at his lodge. Soon, neighbors and visitors alike were encouraging him to make it a business.  Mac Wood’s Dune Rides have been providing safe, fun-filled, educational dune rides to the public ever since. Today, they are one of Michigan’s leading tourist attractions, with thousands of visitors experiencing the dune rides each year.

Growing up in West Michigan, I had always heard about Silver Lake and the dunes. However, until recently, I had never been.  I thought the only way to access the dunes was to have your own 4×4 vehicle.  So, I was pleasantly surprised to hear about the Mac Wood’s Dune Rides. I highly recommend taking this tour.  It really is the best way to see and experience the dunes.  They have access to areas of the sand dunes that aren’t accessible any other way- other than hiking.  This allows visitors to experience the dunes natural beauty.

Visitors climb aboard a 20-passenger “dune scooter” which is modified with aircraft tires, allowing for precise control out on the dunes. Be sure to buckle your seatbelt and hold on to your hat! The tour itself is about 7 miles long and lasts about 40 minutes. Our guide was very knowledgeable and good at mixing history and information with humor, making for a very entertaining ride. During the tour you’ll see the diverse eco-culture of the dunes, with breathtaking views of Silver Lake and Lake Michigan, all while experiencing a thrilling dune ride.

So, the next time you’re up for a day trip or find yourself visiting the Silver Lake area, I highly recommend experiencing the Mac Wood’s Dune Rides. Please visit their website for more information.

Please join us in congratulating Mac Wood’s Dune Rides on a successful 85 years!

“Friendliest club in Western Lake Erie.”
“You won’t believe how much fun it is!”
“Grew up going here… this is a big part of my family.”

These are just a few of the Monroe Boat Club’s glowing reviews on social media. Although its founders could hardly have imagined this type of success in 1945, they would surely find it in keeping with the club’s first bylaw–the “promotion, protection and encouragement of boating for pleasure and sport, with emphasis on good fellowship among its members.”

Boating? Check. A down-to-earth, family-oriented community? Check. And as the Monroe Boat Club marks its 70th anniversary this year, it’s showing no signs of slowing down.

Shipshape

Founded in 1945, 2015 marks the Monroe Boat Club’s 70th Anniversary. The Monroe Boat Club is located in the Bolles Harbor of Refuge on Lake Eerie in Monroe, Michigan, and attracts competitive and hobbyist boaters alike.

The club’s roots date back to the late 1800’s, when the club was known as the Monroe Yacht Club, a social hub in Monroe, Michigan known for it’s Muskrat dinners just after the turn of the century. When the Monroe Yacht Club merged with Bolles Harbor Boat Club, the Monroe Boat Club was born.

All Hands On Deck

In its beginnings, the club hosted monthly meetings in a member’s barn. After several years, the club began to develop into the Monroe Boat Club we see today; a lumber donation and the hard work of club members brought a two-story clubhouse to fruition. By 1979, the club boasted permanent docks, an adequate sea wall, a bar, and a clubhouse addition used for parties and social events.

Further expansion came over the following decades, with additional bar space, a stronger protective sea wall, an outdoor shelter, and more docks.

The Monroe Boat Club has 135 docks accommodating boats of 16’ to 60’ in length, more than 400 members, and an enthusiasm for competitive sailing and power yacht cruises. Club events are numerous, including Regattas, Sail Fleet Races, an annual Commodore’s Ball, holiday parties, poker runs, and much more.

For its 70th Anniversary, a commemorative 70th Anniversary logo was created. The logo includes the words “Promote,” “Protect,” and “Encourage,” citing the club’s first by-law, which states that “The object of this club shall be the promotion, protection and encouragement of boating for pleasure and sport, with emphasis on good fellowship among its members.”

Congratulations to the Monroe Boat Club for 70 exciting years!

Windmill Island Gardens is a 36-acre park filled with gardens, canals, dikes, and picnic areas, located in Holland, Michigan. The focal point of the Gardens is the De Zwaan Windmill; this 250-year-old windmill stands 125 feet tall, and is the only authentic, functioning Dutch windmill in the United States. This year, the Windmill Island Gardens is celebrating it’s 50th anniversary, with a variety of events and special edition merchandise.

Windmill Island Gardens was previously known as Hyma Island, and was a vegetable farm owned by the Nelis family. During the Depression, the family decided to switch from growing vegetables to flowers, and began growing Daffodils by request of a cousin in the Netherlands. Over the years, they added Tulips to their farm, which resulted in a burgeoning of tourists who came to Holland for the Tulip Time Festival in the late 1930’s. In the mid 1960’s, the City of Holland purchased the De Zwaan Windmill from a retired miller in the Netherlands. The windmill was shipped to Muskegon and brought by truck to the island. The Windmill Island Gardens opened on April 10, 1965, and the grand opening was overseen by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, the first official visitor to the park.

Since it’s opening in 1965, the Windmill Island Gardens has become a popular tourist attraction in Holland, with around 55,000 people visiting each year between April and October. The park is home to over 115,000 tulips, replicas of buildings from the Netherlands including The Post House, classic Klompen dance exhibitions, an antique Dutch carousel, and more. The gardens are also often used for weddings, and see a large portion of their visitors attending during the annual Tulip Time Festival in the Spring.

For it’s 50th anniversary, the Windmill Island Gardens have a variety of events scheduled throughout the spring and summer, including:

• A Golden Anniversary Party on Sunday, July 12th – Free activities for kids and their families throughout the day, including wooden shoe races, rolling hoops, rides on the antique Dutch carousel, a children’s garden and playground, Frisian horses, balloons, and refreshments. From 12-4pm, farm animals from the Critter Barn will be visiting for kids to interact with, and there will be a scavenger hunt let by De Graf Nature Center. There will also be Dutch children’s stories read at 1pm and 3pm.
• A Golden Anniversary Concert on Thursday, August 27th – Bring your own blanket or lawn chair and enjoy the sounds of Orquestra Ritmo, a popular Michigan salsa orchestra. Kids activities will be offered from 6pm-7pm, and the concert begins at 7pm. The event is free, and food and beverages will be available for purchase.
• A Golden Anniversary Community Day on Saturday, September 5th – This event is held annually, but this year’s Community Day is expected to be one to remember! Tickets are sold by Hope College and include admission to the gardens, a picnic lunch, and an admission to an athletic event at Hope College. For ticket information, contact the DeVos Ticket Office at 222 Fairbanks Avenue, or the Downtown Ticket Office at 100 E. 8th Street – Main Level. You can also call (616) 395-7890 for more information.

In addition to special events, Windmill Island Gardens is also selling commemorative 50th Anniversary Celebration memorabilia, including:

• A commemorative ornament
• Lapel pins, mugs, and tote bags
• A special 50th anniversary cloth bag filled with flour ground at DeZwaan
• The new book “DeZwaan: The True Story of America’s Authentic Dutch Windmill”

Congratulations to Windmill Island Gardens on 50 years of bringing history, joy, and beauty to the community of Holland, Michigan and all of it’s visitors!

The history of Dairy Queen® began with a unique soft serve recipe whose popularity created an industry. John Fremont McCullough and his son Bradley created the unique soft serve recipe in 1938 and convinced family friend Sheb Noble to try it out in his ice cream shop. The first day, he dished out more than 1,600 servings of the dairy delight, and they knew they had a hit.  Two years later, the first Dairy Queen® opened in Joliet, Illinois on June 22, 1940. Sadly, the original restaurant closed in the 1950’s but by then Dairy Queen’s popularity was exploding, franchising was becoming popular, and there were already well over 1,500 locations nationwide. Today, Dairy Queen® continues to grow, has over 6000 locations worldwide, and is standing strong as one of the most popular fast food restaurants. Their new slogan is: “We make Fan Food. Not fast food”.

Dairy Queen® is perhaps most well known for their signature soft serve vanilla ice cream, which is used in many of their ice cream treats including the iconic Blizzard®. Additional DQ® favorites include the Dilly® Bar, Buster Bar®, DQ® Sandwich, Orange Julius® fruit smoothies, and more recently the MooLatte® Frozen Coffee drinks.

However, Dairy Queen® is so much more than just a restaurant.  They have become a symbol of small town America.  They are often a pillar of social life in small towns- where you will find kids’ birthday parties, families spending time together, teens to hanging out, and couples on a date night.

In honor of their 75th Anniversary, Dairy Queen® announced the Birthday Cake Oreo Blizzard® treat as the Blizzard of the Month flavor for January.

Also in celebration of their 75th anniversary, on March 16, 2015 which is the 75^th day of the calendar year, participating Dairy Queen® and DQ Grill & Chill® locations served customers a free small vanilla soft-serve cone with the signature curl on top. Dairy Queen® will be accepting donations for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals®

For information on upcoming Anniversary events and delicious innovative treats this year, we recommend following Dairy Queen® on Facebook, or by visiting their website at www.dairyqueen.com

Please join us in congratulating Dairy Queen® on a successful 75 years!