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No one wants to get ill and end up in the hospital. But life happens.

We get sick, we get in accidents, we fall off ladders and break bones,

we have babies.  When this happens it is very comforting to know

you have an excellent  hospital in your local area that will be able to

care for you until you recover.

 

WestSide skyline GR2005

Here in Grand Rapids, Michigan we are very fortunate to have one of the

nation’s best hospitals to care for our citizens in need of health care.

 Spectrum Health has 7 Hospitals and more than 140 service sites.

Spectrum Health’s 14,000 employees, 1,500 medical staff members

and 2,000 volunteers are  a major part of our community and our economy,

providing $98.6 million in community benefit during its 2007 fiscal year.

 

Spectrum Health has earned more than 50 national awards during the

past 10 years. A recent study recognized Spectrum Health as one of

the best hospitals in the country for the sixth time in 10 years.

Spectrum Health was included on the list of Thomson Healthcare’s

100 Top Hospitals for 2007.

The winners were announced in the March 17, 2008 issue of

Modern Healthcare magazine.

The 100 Top Hospitals have higher survival rates, keep more patients complication-free, and have lower expenses-all while maintaining financial stability. Thomson Healthcare estimates that if all Medicare inpatients received the same level of care as those in the 100 Top Hospitals winners:

  • more than 120,000 additional patients would survive each year
  • nore than 138,000 patient complications would be avoided annually
  • expenses would decline by an aggregate $6.2 billion a year
  • the average patient stay would decrease by more than half a day

If you are planning on relocating to Grand Rapids Michigan, you can rest assured your medical needs will be in good hands.

Spectrum Health facts taken from Spectrum Health website – press releases

Autumn is a picturesque time of year here in West Michigan. We

have lots of rivers, lakes, fall color, and lots of wildlife.  This series

of photos lets you see a few residents of the Thornapple River at

their daily routine.  The Thornapple River flows into the Grand River,

the longest in the state at Ada Michigan.  Needless to say, a haven for wildlife year round.  This gaggle of geese was just off the

Thornapple Pointe Golf Club  in southeastern Kent County a few

weekends ago.

Thornapple River Ada MI

Thornapple River Grand Rapids MI

Thornapple River Grand Rapids MI

Thoranpple River Grand Rapids MI

Thornapple River Grand Rapids MI

 

If you are looking for a home in the Grand Rapids Area, we service the following areas: Metro Grand Rapids, Ada-Cascade, East Grand Rapids, Caledonia, Kentwood, Lowell, and Rockford. We have assisted Grand Rapids buy & sell homes for the last 35+ years. Call 1-616-292-7263 to talk with Terry or email him at: terry@terrywestbrook.com.

For MLS access to the homes for sale in the West Michigan Area,visit: Westbrook Realty ~ Grand Rapids Real Estate for a free search.  Your search can be saved and modified as you view homes, with no obligation.

Thinking of selling your home?  We offer one of the most extensive marketing campaigns in Grand Rapids with a major online presence for your home.  With over 85% of buyers looking for homes online, this is where we concentrate our efforts.  Click here to view Terry’s Realtor profile.

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West Michigan has 4 seasons and fall or autumn is one of our favorites. 

The foliage on the trees is yellow, red, orange, shades of green, and

brown.  It all combines to paint  lovely colors all over our landscape.

We captured a few photos of the fall season here in Ada Michigan

on the Thornapple River this last weekend.  All were take from

Thornapple Pointe Golf Club near the Gerald R Ford International

Airport, just southeast of Grand Rapids.

In fact, we joke that it is the TCPB course here…….trains, cars,

planes, and boats can all be seen and heard from the course.

We had an airboat travel down the river while we were playing

but I didn’t get my camera out in time to catch it in a photo.

Fairway on the river Ada MI

Sand Trap Scenery Ada MI golf club

Thoranpple Pte river view

Fall Maple refl water

 

Westbrook Realty ~ Grand Rapids Real Estate

Copyright 2009 all rights reserved

Call 1-616-292-7263 or email me: terry@terrywestbrook.com

Fall Maple refl water

This was captured yesterday playing golf at Thornapple Pointe Golf Course

on the Thornapple River in Grand Rapids Michigan. 

My friend, Paul, and I got in a quick 18 holes in the afternoon. 

The golf course was pretty open which left me time to snap a few shots

of our local scenery.   This little maple is putting on quite a show!

 

Westbrook Realty ~ Grand Rapids Real Estate

Copyright 2009 all rights reserved

Call 1-616-292-7263 or email me: terry@terrywestbrook.com

This charming two story Tudor home in Ottawa Hills will be coming on the

market soon.  With 3 bedrooms up, 1 1/2 baths, hardwood floors, and

2 stall garage attached, this home has a very livable floor plan. 

Built in 1931 with quality materials, it has lots of built in character

with a fireplace and bay window in the living room. A sun room, formal

dining room, kitchen with new laminate flooring, new roof in 2008,

and 2009 painted wood exterior.

 

 

1407 Alexander

Ready for new owners to move in and enjoy the neighborhood.

The new Grand Rapids Christian Elementary School being built on

the site of the old Ottawa Hills High School, recently Iroquois Middle

School, is expected to be completed in fall 2010.

This sharp little bungalow on Grand Rapids Michigan NE side has a surprising

amount of room.  The finished recreation room down and the large bedroom

up with a full bath make it a plus. Many improvements, new carpeting,

tile floors, fenced yard and a quiet neighborhood.

Come on over and take a look. We will be there Sunday from 12-2 pm.

SM kendalwood best fr

Front of Home

Sm back yard

Large Fenced Back Yard

 

new living room best SM

Living Room with new carpeting

sm Kitchen

Kitchen has been updated with new cabinets, tile

floor, all appliances are included.

 

Listed at $99,900        MLS # 767050

Call me at 616-292-7263 for a private showing or email me at

terry@terrywestbrook.com

 

Westbrook Realty ~ Grand Rapids Real Estate

Copyright 2009 all rights reserved

Call 1-616-292-7263 or email me: terry@terrywestbrook.com

The Grand Rapids Art Prize 2009 Finalists have Been Announced…. drumroll…

The winners are as follows:

Open Water #24 Art Prize 2009 winner

Numero Uno: $250,000 Art Prize goes to: Ran Ortner for OPEN WATER #24

This painting will be on display at The Grand Rapids Art Museum through

Jan 2010 if you missed it during Art Prize. Saw a mention online that it

has been sold!  Sure hope it stays in our community.

This painting is over 18 feet long…as Michigan is surrounded by water

and going through rough water economically right now, a fitting winner.

 

Imagine That Mural on GR Children's Museum

Number Two: $100,000 Art Prize goes to: Tracy Van Duinen for Imagine That!

This large outdoor mosaic mural by Tracy Van Duinen covers a portion of the

Grand Rapids Children’s Museum on the front.  It is a permanent installation

and a wonderful, whimsical touch to one of our area’s attractions.  Interactive

in many ways, this mural will teach, enchant, and educate all of us about

art for years to come.

 

Eric Daigh Portraits

Number Three: $50,000 Art Prize goes to: Eric Daigh for Portraits

These portraits are 4 x 6 feet and made of plastic push pins on boards.

Eric uses about 50,000 push pins for each portrait.  You have to admire

the creativity and unusual medium of this artist!

 

Grand Dance sculpture in Grand River by David Lubbers

Number Four: $ 7000  Art Prize goes to: David Lubbers for The Grand Dance

Sculpture.  A stunning sight in the middle of the Grand River with lights

and motion.

 

The Moose sculpture by Bill Segunda

Number Five: $ 7000   Art Prize goes to: Bill Segunda for The Moose

We haven’t seen this yet but  would like to.  Bill constructs his life size animals

using up to 60,000 nails welded on metal frame as fur.  Hard to see in this picture

but it makes you appreciate the work, vision and creativity that went into this

entry.

 

Nessie project on the Grand River

Number Six:  $ 7000   Art Prize goes to:Thomas Birks for The Nessie Project

This is just such a fun entry, who doesn’t love Nessie on the Grand River?

 

Field of Reeds Sculpture

Number Seven:  $7000 Art Prize goes to: John Douglas Powers for Field of Reeds

This is a kinetic sculpture that measures 14 x 10 x 4.5 feet high.  The 1001 reeds

sway back and forth to create a rhythmic motion & sound.

 

The Furniture by Sarah Grant

Number Eight:  $7000 Art Prize goes to: Sarah Grant for The Furniture

This oversize table and chairs placed on the pedestrian Blue Bridge in

 Grand Rapids was a favorite of many. With Grand Rapids’ Furniture City

past, it hit many people as not only fun, but indicative of GR’s past, as

evidenced by its full title: Furniture City Sets the Table for the

World of Art.

The Scarlet Empress Balloon Sculpture by Jason Hackenworth

Number Nine:  $7000 Art Prize goes to: Jason Hackenworth for

 Ecstasy of The Scarlet Empress

This fantasy sea creature made up entirely of balloons was stunning

and unexpectedly realistic.  There were also people interacting with

the crowds wearing balloon costumes created by Jason.

 

Wind Dancer 2 sculpture

Number Ten:  $7000 Art Prize goes to:Michael Westra for Winddancer 2

This welded kinetic sculpture moves with the slightest breeze.

It certainly charmed the voters who saw it.

 

That is the Art Prize Finalist line up for this year, 2009.  We were all

excited and pleased with the community reaction and participation in

viewing and voting for their favorite pieces of art work. 

Grand Rapids is looking forward to next year!

All pictures except Nessie, Furniture, and Scarlet Empress are courtesy of the Art Prize web site

With the Grand Rapids Art Prize voting finally totaled last night, we know that most of 1262 entries didn’t win, any money, that is.  The Top Ten will now compete for:

  • 1st Place – $250K
  • 2nd Place – $100K
  • 3rd Place  – $ 50K
  • 4th-10th -   $  7K

 

Not exactly small change when it comes to art.  I imagine most of us don’t have anything close to a $7000 piece of artwork in our homes.

The Top Ten Entries are all worthy and I will have to check them all out before I cast my final vote for the winner.  I really enjoyed the thumbs up, thumbs down voting for all the artists.  It was really great to be included in something this big and this important to our community.

 

But I digress, I want to talk about one of the Art Prize entries that didn’t win:

The Red Ball Project:Grand Rapids.  We have friends in Heritage Hill who have served as hosts for 2 artists in this event. They provide housing and a home base while the artist puts up, installs, paints, or whatever they have to do to enter their art work.  We were fortunate enough to meet the young artist of the Red Ball Project, Kurt Perschke and his wife Kate, while we were touring Art Prize.

This Art Prize entry is a large (15 ft diameter) red inflatable ball that is placed in strategic and well known places to tickle the senses and make you look again. Did I just see a large red ball there?  Kids  love to punch it and jump into it…..have fun with it.  The Red Ball has been all over the world since 2001, Sydney Australia, Portland OR, Chicago IL, Korea, Rome Italy and Barcelona Spain, just to name a few of the spots it has visited.

GR  Kids meet Red Ball

 

Red Ball installed

 

 Will Red Ball move?

MM Kurt Perschke Red Ball Project

 

Kurt and Kate are newlyweds and they are experiencing the Grand Rapids  Art Prize together.  They have been in Grand Rapids for at least 12 days and yet I doubt they have had time to see much beyond the venues of their Red Ball placement in major downtown venues.

They noted that the citizens of Grand Rapids seemed to take their voting responsibilities quite seriously, carrying notebooks and colored markers to note their reactions to different Art Prize entries.

So even though Red Ball didn’t win the art prize Grand Rapids was a winner. We got exposure to art work that never would have found our city without sponsors or a paid venue.  So, thanks Kurt and Kate. It was a fun experience for all of us in Grand Rapids!

 

Westbrook Realty Grand Rapids Real Estate

Copyright 2009 All rights reserved

We took a few hours to browse the Art Prize venues yesterday, Thursday, Sept 24th, 2009 in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan.  We saw some fabulous pieces of artwork and we also some we just didn’t get.  I am sure it is the same for everyone, as we all see the world through our own private filter.

We took a few photos to share with those who won’t get a chance to see this art extravaganza in person.  Some of the artworks have to be seen in person to appreciate the scale and subtleties. some are in-your-face, some are really, really out there, and others are really just for fun.

We registered to vote, toured the Urban Institute of Contemporary Arts, the Blue Bridge, Cathedral Square, Rosa Parks Circle and the Waters Building. We had a  wonderful lunch at the Grand Rapids Art Museum’s Terrace Restaurant overlooking Rosa Parks Circle.  What a great spot to people watch and even had a few art prize entries stroll past.

 

 

We hope to get back to see a lot more artwork. With 159 venues and over 1200 artists, it is quite a task to see them all.  Hope you enjoy our tour!

Westbrook Realty Grand Rapids Real Estate

Copyright 2009 All rights reserved

Unless you have hiding under a rock, or chained to your computer, The

Art Prize is the BIG NEWS in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  The Art Prize was

announced earlier this year as a top prize of $250,000 for the top

art work selected by a public vote.  Highly controversial, as those in

the art community doubt that the average person is qualified to

judge art work.  It is sure to create a buzz around art and that is

the point.

The Art Prize exhibits opened yesterday and we went for our first

tour today.  With 1262 artists entered in over 159 venues, it is no

small task to try to see them all.  We took some time to tour the

large sculptures and the Waters Building today.  The others will

have to wait until another day.

The voting will take place over a 2 week period, with just a thumbs up

vote to keep an entry in the running. The top 25, top 50, and top 100

are posted on the web site so we can all keep track of who is ahead.

Here are a few photos of the large installations at the Blue Bridge,

so you can get an idea of what Grand Rapids is up to:

 

Blue Bridge Artwork

 

The Nessie Project

 

 

 

Nessie  Table Chairs Blue Bridge

Nessie Close up

Sarah Grant Table and Chairs

P1000690

 

 

Sarah grant table chairs zoom

Our sources tell us the Nessie Project was supposed to go farther out

in the Grand River, so there would be more movement but the cranes

could not get it installed any farther  from the shore.

The giant Table and Chairs is a very apt piece for Grand Rapids as we

were known as “Furniture City” in the first half of the 20th century.

Come on out and see the art work for yourself and don’t forget to

register to vote for your favorite pieces.

 

Westbrook Realty Grand Rapids Michigan

Copyright 2009 All rights reserved

Photos by Bonnie Westbrook

Grand Rapids Photos

out of the bunker

Kent CC parking

Kent CC Clubhouse thru trees

Kent Clubhouse from course

Kent CC Pro Shop

More Photos

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