HOLLAND — One of Holland’s most cherished parks will receive much-needed improvements following approval from Holland City Council on Wednesday Van Raalte Farm is a significant historical site situated on property purchased by Holland's founding father The site's barns were built after the Civil War and councilmembers approved the installation of a new $160,000 pedestrian bridge to fill the gap created when an old bridge was washed away by high water something that’s actually happened twice over the years will span the entire bank of the North Branch Macatawa River similar to the bridge in the same trail system to the south,” said Holland Assistant Director of Parks and Recreation Garrett Thelen More: Holland in Photos: Families go sledding at Van Raalte Farm Park Thelen said the city received quotes from Sinclair Recreation totaling $153,315 and an additional $6,685 is budgeted for contingency The work is covered by the Municipal Capital Improvement Fund Construction on the project is expected to take place late this summer or early this fall While the bridge serves as a major project for Van Raalte Farm The city applied for a trust fund grant on Tuesday The planned work includes new wayfinding signage expected this summer drainage improvements and boardwalk improvements While the grant isn't required for all of the work it would significantly speed up multiple projects — Contact reporter Austin Metz at ametz@hollandsentinel.com This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page After I graduated from the Royal Academy of Arts in The Hague I went on a solo trip to Mexico, Peru, and Bolivia. When I arrived in Mexico City I felt an unexpected feeling of “home”. Until this day I don’t have a rational explanation for it. It was something about the people, the colors, the culture as if I had been there before. Years later I decided to go back. I’d always wanted to do an artist residency, so in 2018 I traveled back to Mexico and stayed in Oaxaca City. The initial plan was to write a short film, but in those 3 weeks, I didn’t write anything. However I did a lot of workshops; from working with clay, dance, cooking, and natural dyeing while meeting incredible women. When I got back to the Netherlands I felt like something inside of me had changed. A month later I was listening to a song on the train that I had heard in Mexico during a dance practice. Suddenly it hit me; I needed to create a film about these women, as if the visuals for this story were downloaded into my brain. Little did I know this was the beginning of an immense journey. What was the process of selecting the three protagonists, Evelyn, Alicia, and Frida? Why did you choose to focus on young Mexican women? The first two thoughts that entered my mind soon after I had this epiphany were “Why?” and “What’s the story? You don’t have any script.” What were some of the biggest challenges you faced during the production of this film? Can you describe the experimental personal process you underwent to find your own voice as a filmmaker? In what ways do you hope the film will empower women and give them back their voices? The original plan was to produce Guerreras at the beginning of 2020 but when Covid happened we had to cancel our plans. This resulted in a very different life with many quiet hours at home and spending more time in solitude and nature. As I slowly found new wisdom in silence I felt like I wanted to include this into the film. I remember so clearly when I asked Alicia over the phone about her relationship with silence. She gave me a very unexpected answer which became one of the most important parts of the film. “Silence to me is deleting the power that women have.” What impact do you hope the film will have on future generations, both in terms of awareness and action? The film can be experienced at rational, emotional, and spiritual levels. My purpose is to take the viewer on an immersive journey, touching on several intertwined issues. To acknowledge our troubled past and empower women, give back their voice. To ultimately transition into a world balanced with nature, each other, and ourselves. It’s not only about my journey or my protagonists – it’s a film from generations of women for all women and future generations. Are there any future projects you are considering that build on the themes explored in this film? "Holland In Photos," a series shot by Sentinel photographer Adam Vander Kooy highlights the extra-ordinary happenings of your neighbors HOLLAND — For this week's feature I visited one of the best sledding hills in Holland the hill at Van Raalte Farm Park is no joke prepare for a somewhat difficult return trip If you have ideas for “Holland In Photos” — everything from weddings to concerts to home renovations to a picnic in the park — please send them to newsroom@hollandsentinel.com for consideration.  — Contact photographer Adam Vander Kooy at avanderkooy@hollandsentinel.com. ABOUT US OUR TEAMOUR FACILITIES PRE-PLAN SERVICESPRE-ARRANGEMENTS FORMAT NEED SERVICES BURIALCREMATIONSEND FLOWERS passed away peacefully after a hard fought battle with cancer on February 20 Bruce was a young hearted and vibrant 70-year-old who was known for his booming laugh and his contagious smile He was happily married to the love of his life Gwen for 44 wonderful years Bruce is survived by his four beautiful children his daughter Carla (Robert) Jensen and their sons Cooper and Gibson son David Van Raalte and his children Tatum and Flynn and son Dennis (Nicole) Van Raalte and their daughters Ireland and Addyson He is also survived by his brother Joseph Van Raalte and his sister Beverley (Michael) Borody Bruce was predeceased by his parents Alfred and Jean parents-in-law Leonard and Germaine Illerbrun A Memorial Service will be held at 1:30pm on Sunday donations may be made to St Michael’s Palliative Care Centre You will be able to enter your name when you save your post your comment will be added once approved by the admin sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat For Immediate Support: 403-328-2361 Email: office@mbfunerals.com Privacy Policy Copyright Martin Brothers Funeral Services - Privacy I understand and agree that my personal information will be collected, stored and used, in accordance with the PGA of Australia's privacy policy A sharpened short game came up trumps as David Van Raalte matched Marcus Cain to share top honours at the Roseville Golf Club Mashie & Pro-Am The par 67 layout and blustery conditions presented quite a test for the PGA Legends Tour regulars Van Raalte and Cain both posting a two-round total of 2-under-par to edge Adam Henwood Chris Taylor and Tim Elliott by a single stroke Van Raalte credited an improved short-game showing for his return to the top of the leaderboard “My short game has been pretty ordinary for a little while,” said Van Raalte “Yesterday I actually got it up and down a few times “Been a few guys give me a bit of a hand over time with that side of things so it was nice to actually have a bit of success with it “You’ve just got to miss it in the right spot leave yourself a decent chip shot or a putt Tied for the lead at 1-under at the start of Round 1 Van Raalte had dropped back to even par after going out in 1-over with two bogeys and a lone birdie He stayed level with the card when he traded a birdie on 11 with a bogey on 12 birdies at two of the three par-5s on the back nine elevating him to 2-under at day’s end Cain could ill afford any backward steps as he also sought his first win of the year Two birdies in the opening three holes was an ideal start moving to 2-under with birdies at 11 and 14 along with a bogey on 13 Cain’s round finished with nine consecutive pars enough to join Van Raalte on the winner’s dais “This afternoon was pretty blustery,” said Van Raalte “The greens were a little bit quicker this afternoon than they were yesterday morning “I hit a lot of good shots around the back nine to give myself some nice opportunities and got a couple to drop in here and there “Long time since I’ve been in the winner’s circle so happy to be there.” LEADERBOARD RUNDOWNT1        Marcus Cain                 68-64—132T1        David Van Raalte          66-66—132T3        Chris Taylor                  66-67—133T3        Adam Henwood          66-67—133T3        Tim Elliott                     69-64—1336          Mark Gilson                 66-69—1357          Nigel Lane                    70-66—136 The Sydney swing of the PGA Legends Tour continues on Monday with the Lovedale Farm Legends Pro-Am at Castle Hill Country Club to be followed by the Bondi Legends Pro-Am on Tuesday For the latest news and scores on Australian golf Subscribe © 2025 PGA of Australia | Powered by Advertise with us at his residence.  A funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m at Vandemore Funeral Homes & Crematory – Geneseo Chapel.  Burial will follow at Rosedale Cemetery IL.  Visitation will be held from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m at the funeral home.  Memorials may be directed to the Christopher M Van Raalte Memorial Fund (make donations payable to Rita Van Raalte) the son of Gerald “Jerry” and Rita (Ballard) Van Raalte class of 2003.  He was employed at McDonalds for over 22 years.  Chris enjoyed hunting and scrapping metal.  He especially enjoyed spending time with his family and adored his niece and nephews Those left to cherish his memory include his loving mother Geneseo; brother Roger (Vania O’Sullivan) Van Raalte Cambridge; and his loving niece and nephews Christa van Raalte has recently received funding from the British Academy own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment Bournemouth University provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK View all partners The kind of inappropriate behaviour that MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace has been accused of will be very familiar to many working in the British TV industry As researchers of working practices in the sector we’ve encountered what can seem like an endless stream of stories of improper or abusive practices the underlying structures and cultures of the TV industry make such behaviour almost inevitable Several reports have drawn attention to working conditions within the UK television industry in recent months. In October the Guardian raised a litany of health and safety concerns across the sector Meanwhile actor Richard E. Grant used an interview on Sky News to draw attention to the treatment of television runners He described a negative experience of his own daughter Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here In November, an anonymous Guardian article by a seasoned television professional stressed the degree to which “inhumane” working conditions and are normalised across the industry The responses to these stories have included an account by a would-be TV production whistle-blower, whose attempts to report abuses were ignored, and a set of interviews with runners Our research has identified a number of features that characterise the television industry, making it particularly vulnerable to abusive working practices The aspirational nature of television work means that people will tolerate abusive treatment and the precarious nature of the workforce means people are afraid to “rock the boat” The typically informal work culture can also mask inappropriate behaviour while a culture of exceptionalism tolerates abusive practices by its star creative talent Reluctant managers in the industry lack the training skills or motivation to address issues as they arise These conditions put television workers at constant risk of bullying, harassment and poor mental health This article is part of our State of the Arts series These articles tackle the challenges of the arts and heritage industry – and celebrate the wins In July, we interviewed series producers and production executives – people who in any other industry might be described as “middle managers” impeded their ability to exercise any meaningful duty of care toward staff or participants They described operating in a structural and cultural environment that produces seemingly insurmountable obstacles to good management practice The practical challenges these managers face are exemplified by the “unachievable goal” – the requirement to meet increasingly high expectations with increasingly diminished resources It means goals can only be achieved through exploitative working practices are exemplified by the creative exceptionalism which is used to excuse behaviour and practices which would be deemed entirely unacceptable in any other industry which is [that] eccentric behaviour is tolerated to greater degree There’s this assumption that if you’re a creative person you’re going to be versatile you’re not going to abide by normal societal rules … I think it’s nonsense It is this culture of exceptionalism that BBC director general Tim Davie was targeting last month when he announced a ban on the term “talent” to describe presenters He recognised it as a term that has been used to elevate individuals to an untouchable status The word is implicated in the extraordinary impunity with which Jimmy Savile was allowed to operate for years notwithstanding widespread awareness of his activities On December 2, former Celebrity MasterChef contestant Helen Lederer spoke about the Wallace allegations on the Today show on Radio 4 She argued that when producers choose to cast extrovert edgy and unpredictable people in reality television shows Unfortunately the way that production companies have typically handled such risks is by delegating them to the most vulnerable within their organisations: freelance staff who dare not rock the boat These lesser mortals have been expected to accommodate the vagaries of the “talent”, acting as human shock absorbers for the good of the production. Such practices are simply no longer acceptable. Additionally, companies now risk falling foul of new sexual harassment legislation if they fail to protect all their employees, whatever their status. The creative and cultural industries have been identified as a key sector within the new government’s industrial strategy. Yet the apparent permacrisis in terms of poor working conditions, mental health and management practices across the UK’s creative industries does not bode well for their sustainability and growth. The television industry needs to put its house in order if it is be fit for the challenges ahead. Volume 12 - 2021 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2021.645563 A correction has been applied to this article in: The glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) semaglutide is the most recently approved agent of this drug class and the only GLP-1RA currently available as both subcutaneous and oral formulation While GLP-1RAs effectively improve glycemic control and cause weight loss potential safety concerns have arisen over the years such concerns have been addressed in the extensive phase 3 registration trials including cardiovascular outcome trials for both subcutaneous (SUSTAIN: Semaglutide Unabated Sustainability in Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes) and oral (PIONEER: Peptide InnOvatioN for the Early diabEtes tReatment) semaglutide and are being studied in further trials and registries In the current review we discuss the occurrence of adverse events associated with semaglutide focusing on hypoglycemia pancreatic safety (pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer) diabetic retinopathy (DRP) complications and injection-site and allergic reactions and where available we highlight potential underlying mechanisms we discuss whether effects are specific for semaglutide or a class effect We conclude that semaglutide induces mostly mild-to-moderate and transient gastrointestinal disturbances and increases the risk of biliary disease (cholelithiasis) No unexpected safety issues have arisen to date and the established safety profile for semaglutide is similar to that of other GLP-1RAs where definitive conclusions for pancreatic and thyroid cancer cannot be drawn at this point due to low incidence of these conditions patients at risk for deterioration of existing DRP should be carefully monitored if treated with semaglutide Given the beneficial metabolic and cardiovascular actions of semaglutide and the low risk for severe adverse events semaglutide has an overall favorable risk/benefit profile for patient with type 2 diabetes The most recently approved GLP-1RAs is semaglutide This agent is somewhat special among GLP-1RAs given that it is the only drug available as both subcutaneous injection (similar to all other GLP-1RAs) and as an oral formulation with years of development after marketing approval of the first GLP-1RA the registration trials with semaglutide could focus on the already known potential safety risks of this drug class we will detail the safety aspects of this drug Table 1 Overview of Phase 3 studies of oral semaglutide (PIONEER) and subcutaneous semaglutide (SUSTAIN) (10–32) The PIONEER program (Peptide InnOvatioN for the Early diabEtes tReatment) comprised 10 individual trials comparing once-daily oral semaglutide with placebo (six studies) or active comparator in different populations (14–21, 23, 24). Similar to the SUSTAIN program, PIONEER 6, was the CVOT (19). PIONEER 9 and 10 are specific to the Japanese population (12, 13) The SOUL (A Heart Disease Study of Semaglutide in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes) study is a larger CVOT with oral semaglutide that is currently ongoing (NCT03914326) the SUSTAIN program contained almost 12,000 participants with over 9,500 subjects in the PIONEER program With treatment duration of at least 26 weeks this accounts of many patient years of follow-up allowing an adequate review of the safety of semaglutide Figure 1 Potential adverse effects associated with GLP1-RAs Table 2 Adverse effects and safety risks in phase 3 trials (10–32) Real world data with respect to hypoglycemia are limited to a single observational cohort from Canada (36). In 815 individuals who started semaglutide therapy and were followed for 6 months, there was no change in overall reported hypoglycemia. Although the group of concomitant insulin users also reported no change in hypoglycemia occurrence, this could have been mitigated by the on average 10–20% reduction in total daily insulin dosage (36) Sulfonylurea users did not experience an increase in hypoglycemia events Thus, the risk of hypoglycemia appears to be low with subcutaneous and oral semaglutide by themselves, yet the risk is increased when combined with sulfonylurea and/or insulin therapy. Several experts advise to lower the dose of sulfonylurea and short-acting and low-acting insulin analogues prior to or during titration of GLP-1RA therapy, to reduce the risk of (severe) hypoglycemia (37) In one phase 2 trial, subcutaneous and oral semaglutide were compared with each other (38) patients were randomized to oral semaglutide (at a dose of 5 subcutaneous semaglutide (1 mg once weekly) or placebo this study also assessed the effect of dose escalation in two additional groups the currently advocated oral treatment doses of 7 and 14 mg were not included When comparing oral 20 mg to subcutaneous 1 mg the total amount of gastrointestinal disturbances was similar (56% versus 54% This was also true for nausea (34% versus 32%) vomiting (16% versus 9%) and diarrhea (20% versus 14%) The proportion of patients with premature discontinuation because of adverse events appeared higher for oral semaglutide 20 mg (27%) than for subcutaneous semaglutide 1 mg (14%) All numbers were similar between the 10 and 20 mg oral dose the adverse effects are mild to moderate in severity and often self-limiting data from clinical trials and clinical practice suggest that approximately 10% of patients will discontinue semaglutide because of GI complaints which may be a bit higher compared to other GLP-1 analogues whether this is also true for the combination with semaglutide or whether lowering the dose of metformin has effect semaglutide could induce diarrhea by altering nutrient absorption or intestinal motility Whether this route plays a role in the beneficial effects of GLP-1RA on body weight needs further studying These data thus argue against an effect of GLP-1RA on pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer incidence one can wonder whether the follow-up duration in the CVOTs (ranging from a median of 1.3 to 5.4 years) is long enough for patients to develop pancreatic cancer Such studies have not yet been conducted for semaglutide It should be noted that MTC is rare (estimated incidence of 0.2 cases per 100,000 patient-years) it is very difficult to definitively rule out an association between GLP-1RA and thyroid malignancies regulatory authorities required additional pharmacovigilance activities by systematically monitoring the annual incidence of MTC in the US for at least 15 years (MTC-22341 semaglutide is contraindicated in patients with a personal or family history of MTC as well as in patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type 2 in the US as the manuscripts did not describe these data) none of the gallbladder events have been linked to mortality Cholelithiasis has been included in the SmPC of both subcutaneous and oral semaglutide) Although these data are considered beneficial it also indicates that GLP-1RA could have direct adverse effects on the biliary tree What the exact mechanism is behind the gallbladder events requires further study but probably encompasses a combination of factors All GLP-1RAs increase heart rate, and this is not different for semaglutide. In SUSTAIN 6, a placebo-corrected heart rate increase of 2.75 beats per minute (bpm) was observed for semaglutide 0.5 mg, and 3.2 bpm for the 1.0 mg dosage (97) This increase was not associated with adverse cardiac events lowering heart rate by approximately 10 bpm using the cardiac funny-channel inhibitor ivabradine did not affect mortality in patients with stable coronary artery disease it is clear that the beneficial effects of GLP-1RA on cardiovascular risk factors and physiology outweigh a potential risk of the associated heart rate increase Liraglutide has been on the market for 10 years but cardiovascular safety beyond this has not been studied yet Most novel drugs also undergo testing for their effect on the QT interval, as QT prolongation is a marker for potential ventricular fibrillation. Compared with placebo, subcutaneous semaglutide had no effect on this ECG measure in healthy volunteers, with doses above what is used in daily practice (113) Initial case reports suggested that GLP-1RA treatment could cause acute kidney injury (AKI) in some patients (114). Mechanistically, this was explained by dehydration caused by nausea, vomiting and diarrhea (see above). Also, very recently it was shown that the GLP-1RA, dulaglutide decreased fluid intake (115). Furthermore, GLP-1RA potentially further compromise fluid homeostasis by increasing renal sodium excretion (116) especially in frail patients or those with medication such as renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system inhibitors non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or diuretic drugs Whether this is statistically or clinically significant has not been evaluated yet while it is conceivable yet not statistically confirmed that semaglutide could cause AKI in selected patients there is plenty of evidence that it reduces nephropathy in the long term A dedicated kidney trial (the FLOW study; NCT03819153) is currently ongoing studying the effects of subcutaneous semaglutide on renal outcomes in people with T2D and chronic kidney disease Villsbol and colleagues further investigated the DRP signal in the SUSTAIN program (122) nearly 30% of patients had previous documented DRP This percentage was not surprising given the inclusion of patients with previous cardiovascular disease usually associated with long-standing diabetes 3% (versus 1.8% in the placebo group) of patients reached an adjudicated endpoint of DRP Across all DRP categories as indicated above Participants that were prone to develop DRP had pre-existing DRP participants with pre-existing DRP who were using insulin therapy had the highest risk for a new DRP event a large trial is ongoing assessing the long-term effects of semaglutide on DRP in patients with T2D as primary outcome (FOCUS trial This study will provide important data with respect to semaglutide safety on the retina caution should be exercised when using semaglutide in patients with DRP It may be sensible to perform a fundoscopy prior to semaglutide therapy and existing DRP should be treated where necessary given the strong effects of semaglutide on glucose levels down titrating insulin will prevent rapid decreases in glucose concentrations thereby reducing the risk of acute DRP worsening Although every subcutaneous injection can induce injection-site reactions, there are no signals that this is higher with semaglutide compared with placebo (130). In phase 3 studies, any site reaction was present in 0.6% of patients on the 0.5 mg dose, 0.3% on the 1 mg dose, and 0.8% in the comparator groups. The local site reaction includes bruising, discoloration, induration, and pain (130) none of these injection site-reactions was considered severe and it was never a reason to withhold therapy No cases of anaphylactic reactions have yet been attributed to semaglutide; one patient using semaglutide had an anaphylactic shock attributed to cefazolin in SUSTAIN-6 For oral semaglutide, the data are similar. In PIONEER-9, oral semaglutide induced nausea in up to 10% of patients, whereas none of the liraglutide patients had nausea (liraglutide was low-dose however) (23). Compared with dulaglutide in PIONEER-10, nausea rates were similar, yet oral semaglutide was more frequently associated with vomiting (14 mg dose semaglutide: 7%, dulaglutide 0.75 mg 2%) (24) Finally, in a network meta-analysis, several short- and long-acting GLP-1RA were compared regarding efficacy and side effect profile. Compared with lixisenatide, exenatide twice daily, liraglutide, albiglutide and dulaglutide, semaglutide is associated with highest nausea and vomiting rates, yet also with highest rates of improvement in glycemic control and weight loss (132) Whether the more rare adverse events differ between the different agents can only be answered by using observational cohort data from a very large group of patients and a longer follow-up time It should be stressed that guidelines do not favor the prescription of one GLP-1 RA over another although clinicians are advised to select a compound with proven cardiovascular benefit Since the finding that the thiazolidinedione rosiglitazone increased cardiovascular events much weight has been placed on the safety of novel glucose-lowering drugs a thorough safety profile needs to be established with particular emphasis on cardiovascular safety While safety within the phase 3 program is sufficient for marketing authorization (although the risk of cardiovascular events should not exceed a hazard ratio of 1.8 according to a guidance document that was released by the FDA at that time) it is the post-marketing phase in which rare adverse events and any other potential safety risks are identified or resolved The same FDA document mandates post-marketing trials to demonstrate that the novel agent does not increase cardiovascular risk by more than 30% compared to placebo (henceforth these trials were named ‘cardiovascular outcome trial’) if premarketing studies did not already demonstrate this results from several health care database studies (insurance claims many of the feared safety risks were nuanced or refuted As semaglutide is one of the youngest GLP-1RA it was possible to prospectively monitor for the rarer adverse events in the phase 3 program and CVOT semaglutide appears not to increase the risk of pancreatitis (yet nevertheless it has been added to the SmPC to align with health authorities expectations on class labeling) but it is associated with more events of cholelithiasis Although current data argue against an increased risk of pancreatic cancer and thyroid cancer with semaglutide it can be debated whether the background incidence of these disorders is too low to fully conclude the absence of an association Even though the route of administration, their drug formulation and the dosage differ, the AE profile appears not to be very different between subcutaneous and oral semaglutide. One important co-product in oral semaglutide, SNAC, can be toxic at high doses (133). However, at the SNAC dosage of 300 mg per tablet of oral semaglutide, it is well below the toxic dose of 1.8 g/kg/day observed in monkeys, where it caused nausea and diarrhea (133) Post-marketing surveillance will help to elucidate whether the subcutaneous and oral variant differ in their real-world safety profile the use of GLP-1RAs has first been associated with several adverse events which were later mostly nuanced or refuted As one of the newer agents within the class the safety of semaglutide—both the subcutaneous and oral formulation—has been scrutinized in the phase 3 programs and CVOTs Compared with placebo and active comparator semaglutide induces mostly mild and transient gastrointestinal disturbances no major safety concerns have arisen to date although definitive conclusions for pancreatic cancer thyroid cancer and DRP complications cannot be drawn at this point When compared with the beneficial effects of these drugs on glucose metabolism body weight and cardiovascular (and potentially even renal) endpoints these agents have an overall beneficial risk/benefit-profile for treatment of patients with T2D The authors drafted all versions of the article and provided final approval for submission All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version This article was supported by Novo Nordisk who was provided with the opportunity to perform a medical accuracy review DVR has acted as a consultant and received honoraria from Boehringer Ingelheim Novo Nordisk and Sanofi and has received research operating funds from the Boehringer Ingelheim–Eli Lilly Diabetes Alliance The remaining author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest The authors declare that this article received funding from Novo Nordisk The funder had the following involvement in the article: medical writing support 1. 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This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Daniël H. Van Raalte, ZC52YW5yYWFsdGVAYW1zdGVyZGFtdW1jLm5s Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish Friday, November 9, 2018 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM EST Dykstra Funeral Homes Mulder Chapel 188 West 32nd Street Holland, MI 49423 (616) 392-2348 Driving Directions Saturday, November 10, 2018 11:00 AM EST Calvary Baptist Church 517 West 32nd Street Holland, MI 49423 (616) 396-2724 At the family's request memorial contributions are to be made to those listed below Please forward payment directly to the memorial of your choice Calvary Schools 518 Plasman Avenue Holland Holland Rescue Mission 356 Fairbanks Avenue Holland He fought a brief battle with bone cancer and was surrounded by family when he died He is now absent from the body and present with the Lord A celebration of life service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friends and family may call on Friday evening he married the former Frankie June Lawson in Holland They had been married nearly 49 years at the time of her death John was also predeceased by his parents and younger brother John worked hard all of his life until his retirement and served as a Holland City Mission volunteer for many years He was a member of Calvary Baptist Church and served there as a bus pastor He is survived by his five children: Robin Ochampaugh and husband GA; John Van Raalte of Holland; Tami Brinks and husband He was the proud grandfather of 10 grandchildren Memorial contributions may be made to Calvary Schools or the Holland Rescue Mission JavaScript is disabled. In order to use all of the features on dykstrafuneralhome.com, enable JavaScript.Close HOLLAND — A bid for construction on Van Raalte Avenue was approved by Holland City Council on Wednesday setting the stage for a two-phase project near downtown Holland The project will travel along Van Raalte Avenue from Ninth Street to 24th Street and includes work on 10th Street between Washington and Van Raalte Avenue as well as 11th Street between Maple Avenue and Kollen Park Drive Phase one includes work from Ninth Street to 11th Street plus construction on 10th Street up to Washington and along Kollen Park Drive Phase two includes work on 11th Street between Van Raalte Avenue and Maple Avenue and on Van Raalte Avenue between 11th Street and 24th Street The project came before Holland City Council in February when council approved the budget for the work The project is part of the city’s five-year capital improvement plan transportation services director and city engineer said the scope of the project includes some new utilities and a new storm sewer The plan is also to resurface a segment of Kollen Park Drive Subscribe: Get all your breaking news and unlimited access to our local coverage The city received two bids for the project The city negotiated with Milbocker to reduce the cost by reducing scope and unit prices The revised total is just over $6.6 million the first phase is expected to begin in August and is slated for completion by early November Phase two is expected to begin in April and completed by the end of September 2024 — Contact reporter Austin Metz at ametz@hollandsentinel.com Benjamin Van Raalte was a patriot, farmer and merchant. He was born in Ommen in The Netherlands in 1840 and immigrated with his parents, Albertus and Christina Van Raalte, and three siblings to West Michigan in 1847 Soon after arriving, his father — known as Holland's founder — and Henry Post built a sawmill near today's Van Raalte Farm Park on E More History: Holland founder was a 'social entrepreneur' More History: Henry and Anna Post ensured Holland's economic viability More History: Holland entrepreneurs Pfanstiehl and Plugger His father supported his enlistment; his mother not as much Christina would send extra rations and clothes and is remembered for his role in a battle near Salisbury where he crawled behind enemy lines to recapture the Union colors After the Civil War, Ben returned to Holland and began to farm the acreage his father had given him near the old sawmill site. In addition to becoming one of the area’s largest wheat growers and supplying Holland’s City Mill, Ben also started a farm implement business opening stores at the farm and in Zeeland and Drenthe Ben built a large Italian villa-style house at the farm and named it The Maples Ben opened a farm implement shop in Holland on the southeast corner of Ninth Street and River Avenue he also dealt horses and sold carriages and sleighs worked with his father — but unfortunately his arm was amputated after it got caught in a corn shredder at the farm farmers and fruit growers who developed the Holland Community Fair After raising funds by selling admission tickets up to 10 years in advance and obtaining a lease from Hope College for 43 acres of land at present-day Kollen Park Ben and Julia’s daughter graduated from Hope College Louis was looking for a storefront to rent In 1906, Ben Jr. — also a Hope College graduate — married Adeline Huntley, daughter of prolific Holland builder James Huntley. Ben and Adeline left on their honeymoon chauffeured in a 1904-05 Ford Touring Car After Julia Gilmore Van Raalte died in 1910 formed The Holland Sentinel Publishing Company with other investors They purchased the newspaper office at 21 E and the printing plant at 179 River Ave.  — which was behind present day Apothecary Gift Shop the company churned through seven editors and liquidated Subscribe: Learn more about our latest subscription offers! Ben Van Raalte died — but not before enjoying one of the first paved county roads in the Holland area which stretched from Pilgrim Home Cemetery to the farm became a salesman for the Henry Kraker Plumbing Company which built the Kraker Hotel that still stands on the northeast corner of Ninth Street and River Avenue also served as president of the Holland Poultry Association which in those days benefitted greatly from Zeeland’s flourishing hatchery business Julia (daughter) and her husband lived in the Philippines where Orlando served as a school principal After Orlando took a job writing educational materials for the World Book Company and later became its president they lived in Chicago and New York and summered at The Maples they made The Maples their primary residence Holland purchased the farm from their children in 1983 Information from this article comes from Robert Swierenga’s "Holland, Michigan" and migenweb.org. — Community Columnist Steve VanderVeen is a resident of Holland. Contact him through start-upacademeinc.com. Blue Zones the five places worldwide where people reach the age of 100 at unusually high rates seem to hold all the answers to living for as long as possible But an expert said there are four things we can do to increase our longevity How long a person lives mostly comes down to their genes identical twins will likely have similar lifespans even if one eats better and exercises more than the other — unless something unexpected happens like one gets sick or is involved in an accident However, van Raalte said, there are certain things you can do to maximize your chances of living to 100 Not smoking is the only lifestyle factor proven to help you live longer The places where people live longest on average — East Asia for women and Western Europe for men — are also the places where they are least likely to take up smoking According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention smokers are three times as likely as non-smokers to die of any cause "You need to do some kind of exercise," van Raalte said There's no evidence that one type of exercise is better for longevity than another as it would be difficult to assign a person to only do one activity for their whole lives and study them an active mind is also important for longevity This difference in lifespan could be due to differences in climate but socializing still appears to be important for longevity The Van Raalte Farm Park’s sledding hill is perfect for a snow day adventure Although there are a number of sledding hills in the Holland area inner tube or anything else slick enough to glide down the slope When standing at the top of Van Raalte’s hill it can take some courage to slide down for the first time But once you sit down on your sled and push off the snowy terrain It won’t take long to pick up speed and hurtle down this hill before you level out and cut through the flat land at the bottom you can pick a path that has a few natural bumps in it Although there are a few rugged paths on this hillside The beauty of Van Raalte’s hill is the variety in sledding options But there are shorter sections of the hill for smaller sledders It can be hard to walk back up this sledding hill You can make this easier by walking up the ramp on the side of the hill Even with winter’s long nights and early sunsets There are a number of lamp posts at the top of the hill Van Raalte provides public bathrooms for the most dedicated sledders especially right after a fresh coating of snow The main entrance to Van Raalte park is at 1076 E you can take a hike through the woods to reach the sledding hill Or you can take a shortcut through the 24th St The sledding hill is open dawn-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and dawn-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday. You can learn more about Van Raalte Farm Park at holland.org My dog and I do what “we” call power walks Not the kind of power walks true fitness buffs do We plug in one of our electric cars downtown or by Hope’s campus and proceed to amble around our fair city We are able to get juice for the car and put some steps on my fitbit We are also able to explore this wonderful city more closely One of our recent walks took us to Centennial Park genuflect before the wonderful statue of Dr We also took time to read the names of the brave men who fought for this nation in our wars to defend the grand republic there was another person reading the names and taking the time to honor their sacrifices Two of their sons fought in our nation’s Civil War Dirk arguably lost even more: one of his arms The good dominie was an ardent supporter of the Union cause He couldn’t wait to read letters sent him by his sons and other young men of this wonderful kolonie who also answered the call So what does this have to do with 2020? A very good question that I am glad many might ask. Recently, our U.S. congressman, Bill Huizenga, signed onto some sort of paper originating with the rather shady Texas Attorney General questioning the integrity of the recent presidential election There are some politicians in what some refer to as “red” states that have openly called for secession ever be so impudent as to put my own words or thoughts into Dr I have to believe an ardent supporter of this wonderful nation and one whose own children sacrificed so much for it would find this action totally antithetical to our nation I find it hard to believe the men/women on the wonderful monument in the park The recent sojourn to Washington, D.C., on the taxpayer dime by our state reps Lilly and Nesbitt would also have been frowned upon by the good dominie and his followers Van Raalte and our forebears would have had serious issues with that as well as risking others by their flaunting of the rules concerning masks really do need to re-evaluate the direction we are heading Take heed of the actions these men have undertaken enjoy the Christmas tree or the fireplace and ask yourself: “What would Van Raalte or Van de Luyster (Zeeland) do?” I have a feeling not what our current “representatives” are doing How does a psychology graduate end up with a podcast Alumnus Sam van Raalte followed his passion into freelance journalism ‘I studied psychology to help others but you also help people by telling stories.’ so studying at Leiden University was the obvious choice His friends found rooms in Leiden and joined associations He initially wanted the same but decided at the last minute to follow a different path This entailed finding his own place in The Hague Each one takes you into a different world.’ Sam graduated in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in journalism His next step was a master’s in economic psychology His fascination for journalism arose in a part-time job where he discovered he loved writing articles That was the main reason why he decided to do a master’s in journalism Each one takes you into a different world.’ He is now a freelance journalist and works for different editors and production companies which really is the exception in journalism I gave up my security and steady income and went freelance But what I get in return is worth so much more: I now have the freedom to do things my own way.’ His podcast De Ondergrond is a one-man production so he won’t accept adverts and refuses to bow to the pressure to achieve certain audience figures Sam shares the unique stories of people who have made the most idiosyncratic of choices It’s different life experiences that interest him most He explores the overarching theme of finding meaning in life and believes that despite their differences people are essentially seeking the same things His background in psychology helps him understand the complexity of human emotions and behaviour and his journalism skills help him approach interviews with an open mind and embrace different perspectives There is always something to learn from other people’s motivations ‘That’s the message I want to get across to my listeners I want to help people understand each other and see it as my bit against the increasing polarisation.’ Sam’s future plans focus on expanding his freelance work and growing De Ondergrond His message to others is strong and simple: ‘Choose your own path Regardless of whether this means what you study or where you live or work Own your decisions and everything will turn out fine.’ HOLLAND — It's maple sugar season again in Holland The Outdoor Discovery Center Network will host its annual "Maple Sugar Time" at Van Raalte Farm this month when sap will be flowing and the sugar house will be steaming sap will be gathered and attendees can watch an evaporator boil sap into real maple syrup Maple snacks will be available for purchase Visitors are advised to dress for the weather and potential mud According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Michigan usually ranks around sixth in the nation for amount of syrup produced and it takes about 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup Find out the answers to these questions and more with Psychology Today Psychology Today Blog: Close Communication How we connect in close personal relationships is an associate professor of interpersonal communication at Sam Houston State University Her research examines how communication in close personal relationships impacts psychological She focuses on the communication of affectionate touch behaviors such as hugging She is the director of the communication studies research lab at Sam Houston State University and received her Ph.D in human communication from Arizona State University Psychology Today © 2025 Sussex Publishers HOLLAND — A sweet annual tradition is set to return to Holland this month the Outdoor Discovery Center’s Maple Sugar Time at Van Raalte Farm is back The annual event will take place two Saturdays this month — March 13 and 20 Activities will take place entirely outdoors at Van Raalte Farm Due to the coronavirus pandemic, pre-registration is required this year to help maintain social distancing. To register for a time slot, visit outdoordiscovery.org/maple-sugar-time.  Time slots are available in 30 minute intervals from 11 a.m Features of the event include tapping trees gathering sap and watching the evaporator boil the liquid down into maple syrup.  “Come out to the historic Van Raalte Farm where the sap will be flowing and the sugar house will be steaming,” the ODC states on its website and watch the evaporator boil the liquid down into real maple syrup There will be lots of activities for the kids and we’ll have maple snacks available for purchase.”  For more information on Maple Sugar Time, visit the Outdoor Discovery Center website At the top of the steep hill sits the historic farmhouse Van Raalte descendants lived there until 1983 when the city of Holland bought the property The farm has long been home to favored sledding hills and trails through its woods but the house itself goes mostly unused except to house the occasional intern or as the backdrop for Civil War speeches delivered by re-enactors It has been about 15 years since the interior was painted renovations are moving forward at the farmhouse at 1076 E Crews from the Holland Parks and Recreation Department should wrap up interior painting before spring the decor of which had been curated by Joel Lafever with The Holland Museum they decided the deep colors and brocade was “a little too orate” for a farmhouse It’s not the mayor’s house; it’s a farmhouse,” said Carolina Marquis who sits on the Holland Parks and Recreation Commission and is heading up renovations at the historic farm They went with colors of the same turn-of-the-century time period The three small bedrooms upstairs are now being painted in a pumpkin medium blue and warm yellow from a historical palette reproduction wallpaper will cover the walls matching as closely as possible with old photographs of the rooms an old piano that once sat inside the house was found with significant damage While cleaning out the barn that has been used infrequently if ever in recent years the sad shape of the structure became apparent The foundation is crumbling and many boards are rotting Shoring up the barn has been added to the list of repairs A Van Raalte descendant paid to have the mahogany case refurbished “We think that piano may have been in that barn for 60 years,” Marquis said “We were just thrilled to get that piano back in the corner where it belongs.” shows her playing the piano in the home’s living room Future repairs to the piano’s workings could be in the future A desk given as a gift from Holland founder A.C Other period furniture would have to be tracked down to make the interior complete for tours The Civil War Muster held each year on the property is an example of the kind of event that could rent out the house although re-enactors have clamored to get into the house There is still another concern to address: Parking and bathrooms The farmhouse sits at the top of a steep hill A gravel parking lot at the bottom serves the property now but isn’t adequate if officials want to invite events such as weddings I love that house; it’s my passion,” Marquis said “I want to see that farmhouse come back to its glory.” The Parks and Recreation Commission is working to set up a fund through the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area donations can be made to the City of Holland and designated for the Van Raalte Farm restoration “I think there’s a lot of love for the history in this town,” Marquis said Organizers hope to paint the outside of the house and repair damaged siding The white house with black shutters could receive a more Victorian treatment though plans are still in the earliest stages The city has put $40,000 toward renovations at the property this year “This pillar so rotted it was sagging and this corner was down you could see it hanging down three or four inches,” Holland Parks Superintendent Steve Zwiep said pointing to a corner support “We put half-inch plywood down one year because it was so bad — and that was about three weeks before the Civil War Muster — otherwise President Lincoln and Lee and Grant would have fallen through the porch.” It is doubtful the house could ever be 100 percent historically accurate but the little touches will give visitors a better idea of life in a 19th century farmhouse The city’s parks and recreation department is hoping more money will be in the upcoming budget to continue repairs and restoration at the city park “We don’t really want to lose the historicity of this building but when you turn the corner and you look up here — Follow this reporter on Facebook and on Twitter, @SentinelAndrea The City of Holland and Hope College worked together to honor the city’s founder the Rev Albertus Van Raalte in the form of a statue at Centennial Park marking the sesquicentennial of the city’s founding “It’s an iconic image for the city and a reminder of the man who led a small group of immigrants here to found a community which has developed into a flourishing city,” said Jacob “Jack” Nyenhuis provost emeritus and director of the Van Raalte Institute at Hope College Nyenhuis also wrote the book “A Dream Fulfilled: The Van Raalte Sculpture in Centennial Park.” and people often take photos of it or with it Planning for the statue began 75 years earlier when the decision to commission a statue was made But the money to build the statue wasn’t available at the time 27-inch maquette based on a photo of the original Van Raalte left the Netherlands with a group of followers He also contributed to the founding of Hope College The placement of the sculpture in 1997 allowed a view of the church The land on which the park sits was donated to the city by Van Raalte — Follow this reporter on Twitter @SentinelJustine Van Raalte Farm’s third annual Civil War Muster concludes today featuring the reenactment of the 1861 First Battle of Bull Run This leads to thoughts of what Holland members of Co I of the Michigan 25th Infantry encountered 14 months later when they entered military service in September 1862 He served with many of his Holland friends Later he acquired the land where the Muster is taking place Van Raalte was mustered into military service Sept according to the 2004 book “Albertus and Christina The Van Raalte Family 1862 from the Michigan 25th Infantry Headquarters in Kalamazoo from Col “congratulated the soldiers upon their fine personal  appearance” as reported in the 1992 book edited by Janice Van Lente “The Civil War Letters of Johannes Van Lente.”  Janice is Johannes’ great-granddaughter Her research indicated the “Holland boys” arrived in Kalamazoo during the week of September 3rd and were quartered in wooden barracks on the National Park camping grounds began writing letters soon after his arrival in Kalamazoo and they were placed in the “Letters” book closest to the time of the Muster and penned by Van Lente 149 years ago indicates they were staying at Camp Vreemont in Kalamazoo Van Lente recognizes “through God’s goodness I’m still very healthy and continue to like it here.” Van Lente reported “I stood guard yesterday (Tuesday) for the first time from 8 a.m Now don’t think that I stood guard that whole time during the 20 hours Van Lente indicates two companies received their uniforms “and it looks a little funny.”  Although he didn’t mention when the “Holland boys” were uniformed Van Lente soon sent an undated note and picture in his uniform “I shall send…also you folks one in my uniform which I received yesterday We are now truly sons of unkel (sic) sam.” Also included in the September 14 letter was news that “our Brass Band or Corps of Musicians arrived here They play very well.” He wrote that he had heard “namely that the Union troops had a great victory the Lord grant that this battle will end soon.” Van Lente and Van Raalte were mustered out of the service June 24 who is a retired president of Western Theological Seminary and a former member of the Hope religion faculty is a specialist in the history of religion in America and has been a senior research fellow with the institute since 2014 He is the third director in the institute’s 21-year history “Dennis Voskuil’s experience in leadership at Western Theological Seminary and his dedication to teaching make him the right choice for the directorship of the Van Raalte Institute,” said Patrice Rankine who is dean for the arts and humanities and a professor of classics at Hope the Van Raalte Institute specializes in scholarly research and writing on immigration and the contributions of the Dutch and their descendants in the United States The institute is also dedicated to the study of the history of all the people who have comprised the community of Holland throughout its history the institute and its affiliated scholars have published 40 books The institute is in the Theil Research Center at 9 E who had previously served on the Hope faculty from 1975 until retiring as provost and professor of classics emeritus in 2001 will continue to serve the institute as editor-in-chief of the Van Raalte Press Voskuil was president of Western Theological Seminary from 1994 until retiring in 2008 and in retirement has continued to teach as the Marvin and Jerene DeWitt Professor Emeritus of Church History The seminary is one of two seminaries of the Reformed Church in America which is also the college’s parent denomination His publications have included essays for several books on religion in America and articles in the “Reformed Review,” “Perspectives: A Journal of Reformed Thought” and the “Church Herald.” During his tenure as president the seminary adopted a new mission-based curriculum launched a distance-learning Master of Divinity degree restructured a continued-education program called Journey and initiated a Certificate in Urban Pastoral Ministries program Voskuil was a member of the Hope religion faculty from 1977 to 1994 serving as department chair for several years and two terms as a faculty representative to the college’s board of trustees He and his wife Betty jointly delivered the baccalaureate sermon in 2008 when Hope also presented each of them with honorary degrees and while at Hope he was interim senior pastor of Third Reformed Church in Holland for two years He earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin at Madison at Western Theological Seminary and his doctorate at Harvard University Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Van Raalte Farm is a 160-acre farm within the city of Holland used by area residents year-round for a variety of recreational activities The land was once owned by the city’s founder the Rev Albertus Van Raalte who bought it from the federal government He gave the land to his son who built the stately farm house on the highest hill on the land The city bought the land from Van Raalte’s descendants in 1983 to preserve the history and surrounding natural areas The Parks and Recreation Committee is working on a long-term plan for the park It borders Country Club Road to the east and 16th and 24th streets to north and south snowing shoeing and crossing skiing throughout the whole year The miles of trails wander through the park from one end to the other and go through woods behind the two barns and past the shack used for making maple syrup in the early spring More can be learned about the farm at cityofholland.com/parksandcemeteries/van-raalte-farm I regularly walk past the bronze sculpture of Holland’s founder the Rev Albertus Van Raalte in Centennial Park and hadn’t given much thought to the sculpture’s original modeler and the only record of the work was 1920s photographs in the Holland Museum’s archival collection created the statue from the museum’s historic photos for Holland’s sesquicentennial in 1997 Researching the French-Belgian origins of my own family recently I came across the following compelling story of Crunelle’s life — that of an immigrant boy from northern France who I learned that in 1882 Crunelle’s family emigrated from the mines of Courrières Not only did my family emigrate from the same area in 1882 The Crunelle and Lefever families were acquainted with each other immigrant miners looking for a better life in America Leonard Crunelle’s personal story has given the Van Raalte sculpture new meaning for me The article excerpted below was written by Isabel MacDougall in 1908 and appeared that year in The Craftsman magazine Once upon a time Leonard Crunelle was a coal miner For the important matter is not what he was but what he has made himself But Leonard Crunelle’s statues win the respect of other artists; who in criticizing do not say “These reflect credit upon a young man of limited opportunities.” No: they admire them they compare them quite seriously with the children modeled by those “little masters” of the Italian Renaissance Leonard Crunelle’s earliest exhibited work — ah The story of the little lad in Northern France whose father was a miner in that very Courrieres district (in Pas-de-Calais) which has since been the scene of such a terrible disaster (1,099 miners died there in a 1906 explosion) Yet life was not all labor in the miners’ thatched cottages The village had a band that played once a week in the square and a transplanted French family earning a hard living in an Indiana coal mine where everyone seemed to take advantage of their ignorance and a bewildered boy of 10 helping his father load coal to the limit of his puny strength When the family moved to Decatur (Illinois By that time Leonard was drawing full pay: also he joined with a few other lads to form an amateur orchestra West of the Alleghenies art practically dates back to the Columbian Exposition in Chicago (1893) Shortly before that it was that a well-known sculptor delivered a lecture on art in Decatur After his address some teachers of the town showed him drawings made by a young miner who was too bashful to come forward himself slow in his English speech and had worked in a mine since he was 10 years old that his gifts deserved a chance of growth in some more aesthetic environment Within six months a slender brown-eyed French youth was mixing plaster clearing away debris for sculptors at work under the unfinished dome at Jackson Park After the fair he worked at any job he could find daytimes and studied in the Art Institute night classes He became a pupil and useful helper to Lorado Taft In those days of Sunday violin practice the amateur orchestra usually met under the roof of a kind and cultivated woman who possessed a piano and whose young daughter played with them A boy and girl romance sprang up to a musical accompaniment — scarcely out of the ranks of day laborers scarcely out of his teens — Leonard Crunelle modeled with caressing hands a bust of his first baby and sent it to Chicago And an artist jury to a man went down before the soft appealing little head; praised it and loved it and gave it a good place in the exhibition at the Art Institute Later that same baby bust went to the Cotton States Exposition in Atlanta and won a medal for the young sculptor whose first work it was those valiant encouragers of art in the West and perhaps as great a compliment as it ever received lay in the way the purchasing lady cuddled the tiny face in her arms illustrates a point he wishes to make with the cast of “Baby Marguerite,” and his audience never fails to break into pleased applause when they look at the little head that seems to look back at them with the fearless calm of innocence .. To find out more about the history of this area The Holland Museum Archives are on the lower level of the museum call (616) 392-9084 or visit www.hollandmuseum.org Christa van Raalte began her career in theatre moved into Further Education and then Higher Education working in a number of management positions before re-calibrating to focus more of her energies on research Christa is currently Associate Professor in Film and Television and Head of the CEMP (Centre for Excellence in Media Practice) research centre at Bournemouth University Her research addresses the experience of working in the television industry She has published on these themes in academic journals as well as in industry-facing reports Dr van Raalte also publishes on representations of gender and on narrative strategies in film and television texts Her article 'More than just a few ‘bad apples’: the need for a risk management approach to the problem of workplace bullying in the UK’s television industry' was published earlier this year in the Creative Industries Journal some fans hope you’ll attend his 200th birthday party leader of a group of immigrants who settled the Holland area in 1847 A Founder’s Festival runs this week through Oct and organizers hope the events will generate a broad interest in Holland’s history “The significance of the Van Raalte legacy extends beyond an academic enclave,” said Jacob Nyenhuis, secretary of the Dutch Heritage Coordinating Council The festival — in sync with an academic conference about the founder — includes more than 15 events for everyone from toddlers to college professors Promoted with 1,000 balloons and 10,000 fliers sent home with children from school organizers hope the festival will appeal to families and individuals from a broad spectrum of backgrounds and a fairly large geographic footprint “Our goal is to draw in people from this entire region: Holland The celebration of Van Raalte’s legacy is not meant to be exclusionary of ethnic groups that aren’t Dutch “We want to celebrate the history of the community and to use this as a vehicle generating greater interest.” a Tulip Time board member who helped plan the event said the goal is to give everyone a chance to participate there was just going to be an academic conference “We really want to do something a little more fun that the whole community could participate in,” she said “The academic conference is a little more serious: Scholarly papers and so forth,” he said “The play is probably the most substantive piece (of the festival) It’s all intended to be free and open and as much fun as possible.” It helps to look at the city’s origins to appreciate what Holland is right now — and where it may be headed “I think it’s important to recognize our roots and how Holland was founded,” said Lorma Freestone executive director of the Holland Area Arts Council “We can reflect the fact that we’ve become more diverse.” the Arts Council is hosting an exhibit in which people can create and bring in miniature dioramas — small enough to fit inside an Altoids tin — that reflect their family history “It’s been really great to see all of those coming in and people from all different backgrounds adding their family histories to the exhibit,” Freestone said The pioneer spirit of a man who stood at 5 feet 3 inches tall and spearheaded an effort to carve a city out of the forest can be appreciated by most is in favor of designating Van Raalte’s birthday as a reminder that a mortal like you and me had the courage to pack up his belongings and family and move out into the wilderness “They left homes that were well-established They left behind family and friends,” Nyenhuis continued © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices More than 150 years have passed since Albertus Van Raalte arrived in West Michigan but his memory remains alive in Holland generations later events honored what would have been Van Raalte’s 200th birthday Those gathered honored the man who established churches schools and a seminary that later became Hope College A play titled “Vision of a New Life” told the story of Van Raalte’s life and travel to America for those who visited the Herrick District Library “It’s a great learning experience and it’s a lot of the historical stuff people didn’t really know,” said Lynette Bush She recalled the past year of her husband’s efforts in researching Van Raalte’s life from books he read to documents he carefully looked over Max Bush learned his own ancestors arrived in Holland only about six months after Van Raalte The historical connection was a neat discovery A children’s puppet show touched on Van Raalte’s life in a simplistic way bringing his story down to a level understandable for young children John Alden Heyboer bounced excitedly in place as he told of his opportunity to tell knock-knock jokes to the puppeteer “I learned I can be anything I want to be,” the 7-year-old said saw the value in an opportunity for the young boy to get a taste of city history and praised the puppet show as an interactive learning tool “That’s one of the best ways for adults to communicate with children,” she said a sense of competition prevailed as children gathered around a race track with miniature Dutch shoes Those who preregistered decorated the shoes and had a chance to race them to see which was the fastest Six-year-old Elijah Cullen proudly held his shoe “I wanted it to be an American flag,” he said Ellen Maddix came with her two children and said she even learned a lesson or two about Van Raalte Maddix attended the play and listened to a reading of letters the man wrote because they apply so much to right now,” she said the complaints the original Dutch had with the way the economy was going.” With the Bicentennial celebration of the birth of Holland’s founder Dr occurring at Hope College October 24 to 25 this column relates a tale that found the respected community leader “all wet.” Translated from Dutch by the late Hero Bratt of Holland the article was called “Travel Recollections” and was published in the yearbook of the Holland Christian Reformed Church in North America it was printed in Holland by the De Grondwet Printery Believed to have happened in 1847 and involved two men who were alleged to have stolen goods the pair was being transported by flat-bottomed boat to Grand Haven Accompanying the culprits were Van Raalte and three men Passing through Black (Macatawa) Lake and Lake Michigan Van Raalte predicted the boat will “fall to pieces” if it comes closer to shore and strikes the breakers The result: The boat went straight to the shore “through and through,” the men ran to the shore Although the ship was gone the men were able to preserve the baggage “And they set out … with the goods hung around their necks leading the two thieves … on their way to Grand Haven.” had a hearty laugh at the expense of the hearty sailors They couldn’t take it very well … but the ship was gone The two oarsmen were now on the other side of the river One whispered to the other: “You just go over to get the minister and when you are in the middle of the river Van Raalte’s instruction had been: “Hold me tight” and “Hold fast to me,” With a “yes” reply the burden bearer stumbled and fell head first into the water just what I thought.” They proceeded to Port Sheldon where they spent the night Van Raalte transformed the craft into a sailboat and sailed with H.M the thieves were banned from the colony and freed on the condition they would never again set foot in Holland In the story the unidentified writer concluded: “What must have impressed you most in my tale is the calm spirit who men rightly call the Father of the Kolonie.” A former Holland Sentinel writer who played a key role in re-vitalizing the city’s Dutch dance tradition passed away Sunday shortly after being diagnosed with cancer “She was a real good friend,” said Muncie Boeve who  was Van Raalte’s Dutch dance partner in the 1940s Connie Boersma and Peggy DeHaan formed part of a small group of girls who learned the Dutch dances in the eighth grade and brought the Dutch dance back to Holland in 1946 as freshman students at Hope College The dance had been canceled for several years while World War II raged because we had lost out on it,” Boeve said The group — which had hardly danced at all during high school — traveled as far as New York City Chicago and Indiana performing Dutch dances while they were in college The group was also the main act at the Chicagoland Music Festival one year dancing on a wooden platform at Soldier Field and very lively — a lot of fun,” De Haan said The group graduated from Hope College in 1949 Van Raalte also worked for the Holland Sentinel for many years “She worked through high school at The Sentinel I would say over 10 years — while she was at Hope Local landmarks are often named for historical figures important to the development of Holland Sometimes there’s something more behind a name Here are some stories behind names you see in the community every day Literally “from the village of Raalte” (pronounced with an “a” sound on the end instead of the long “e”) Van Raalte is a name often heard in Holland When Hope College turned part of 12th Street into a green Van Raalte Hall on the campus burned down in 1980 Van Raalte Farm is the historic home of Benjamin Van Raalte Van Raalte is duly remembered,” said Bruins helped to form the predecessor to Hope College; he pushed for harbor dredging and set the groundwork for Holland’s public school system and Western Theological Seminary historian and former Holland Sentinel editor Matt Urban is regarded as the most decorated World War II     soldier historian and former Holland  Sentinel editor Urban became the city of Holland’s recreation director in the 1970s and ’80s His name is on Matt Urban Drive and Matt Urban Sports Complex Another street name with history is Graafschap Settlers from the German border region came with the Rev Albertus Van Raalte in 1847 and first settled Holland Known to Dutch settlers as Black Lake and Black River the bodies of water that empty into Lake Michigan near Holland were originally named by the Ottawa who summered here “therefore when the names of the Indians got written down by the whites who is co-authoring a book about the history of Holland before Dutch settlement approximates the Algonquin word for “Black Lake” as “mak-a-tew-gamie.” “They spent their winters here and their summers up north,” he said Black Lake was changed to Macatawa in 1935 Black River officially became Macatawa as well “When the Dutch came here it was only 2 feet deep,” Swierenga said The Ottawa Chief Joseph Wakazoo lends his name to several area sites though the name picked up a “U” (Waukazoo) that wasn’t likely there before “The Indians found they couldn’t really carry on their hunting and fishing life because the immigrants were cutting down trees Hope College traces its name back to Scripture “This is my anchor of hope for the future,” the Rev He derived the line in his letter to school administrators on the East Coast from Hebrews 6:19: “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul and which enters into that within the veil.” the Reformed Church in America wanted to establish a college in the Midwest eight men graduated from Hope’s first class “I think I’ve pretty well proven it was Phelps who founded the college with all the work he did,” Bruins said.