Grand Rapids Whitewater

Listen to this! 5662_0125101 Chris Muller and Chip Richards were joined by WGVU’s Lindsey Smith as we walked the Grand River with representatives of the Michigan DNR and local engineering firm FTC&H. Afterward, we had lunch 50 paces from the water, at Tommy Fitzgerald’s Cafe Stella www.tommyfitzgeraldgroup.com. Outstanding river, outstanding food. Keeping it local, bringing it Downtown!
http://www.wgvu.org/wgvunews/index.cfm?id=sdetail&sty=5662

Check out these fun and informative videos made by Mr John Rumery’s summer term Sports Marketing 361 class. It’s wonderful to see the youth getting involved with this historic project. Put the rapids back in the Grand!

They are installing rapids right now in Chesaning, MI on the Shiawassee River. “This project is sort of like a template for the entire state, maybe even the entire country. It’s the largest one we’ve got in the state of Michigan,” Kahn said. Read the rest of this entry »

Do you prefer this cascading waterfall?

Conceptual photograph of 'landscaped' 4th St dam.

Or this lowhead dam?  

Existing dam, known by river experts as a 'drowning machine.'

Could Grand Rapids’ benefit from a picturesque new tourist attraction?  A wild, scenic, cascading waterfall right downtown?  It’s known by several names; The 6th Street Dam, 4th St. Dam, Fishing Dam and even The Falls.   Read the rest of this entry »

Now, consider this; If the Calder can do all of this for Grand Rapids, what would it mean for our economic, social and environmental future to revitalize our river and put the Rapids back in the Grand?  

La Grande Vitesse is perhaps our most distinctive landmark.  Known in our community, simply as the Calder, translated, it means ‘The Grand Rapids,’ a reference to the river flowing through the center of our city.  This summer, 2009, Grand Rapids will celebrate the 40th anniversary of its installation. http://www.artmuseumgr.org/home/page/Calder+Symposium+June+21 Read the rest of this entry »