Grand Rapids Public Schools announces Summer Meals program sites
Grand Rapids Public Schools (GRPS) has shared its list of sites for this year’s USDA-funded Summer Meals program happening throughout the city.
Through the program, children up to age 18 can receive free meals at eight sites in the Grand Rapids area while out of school over summer break. The program is sponsored by GRPS’ Nutrition Services department.
Several of the sites also have summer activities scheduled for participants, according to GRPS.
The full list is shared on GRPS’ website. Summer Meals sites include Cesar E. Chavez Elementary, Ottawa Hills High School, and Roosevelt Park, among others. In total, there are 38 sites.
Days of operation for the sites vary between Monday through Friday, with hours varying from 7:15am to 1pm.
City of Grand Rapids offers fireworks safety tips, urges knowledge of regulations
The City of Grand Rapids is encouraging city residents and visitors to know about fireworks regulations and safety tips ahead of Independence Day celebrations this weekend.
According to its Monday statement, the city’s fireworks ordinance limits their use within city limits, reflecting state law governing the use of consumer-grade fireworks. It sets a civil fine of $1,000 for each violation of the ordinance.
The ordinance also sets the dates and times when fireworks may be set off throughout the year:
- 11am on Dec. 31 to 1am on Jan. 1
- 11am-11:45pm on the Saturday and Sunday immediately preceding Memorial Day
- 11am-11:45pm from June 29 through July 4
- 11am-11:45pm on the Saturday and Sunday immediately preceding Labor Day
For fireworks safety, Lieutenant Bill Smith with the Grand Rapids Fire Department offers tips such as following all warnings and instructions contained on the package, never trying to relight fireworks that have not fully functioned, and never having any portion of one’s body directly over a firework while lighting.
“Our goal every year is to promote fireworks safety to ensure that not a single family in Grand Rapids suffers the pain and sorrow of a fireworks injury,” Smith said, adding that “the best way to avoid a fireworks accident is to leave fireworks to the professionals.”
Grand Rapids’ annual Fourth of July fireworks celebration will take place this Saturday at Ah-Nab-Awen Park at 10:30pm.
Lieutenant Smith’s full list of fireworks safety tips are available on the City of Grand Rapids’ website.
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