Tuesday June 19th, 2012 is the date set for the 9th annual West Central Association of Realtors golf outing. I am by no menas a good golfer but do enjoy the event. Almost every hole has something fun and with it being a scramble I only need a few good shots to be a contributor. I only golf three or four times a year and that is insane because I do ejnoy it. I have a little bit of a time managment issue. If I am awake, I like to be making money. This year we will be playing at Falcon Head Golf Course, which is one of my favorite places for this area. Last year my team won the mens division. For full disclosure purposes, we were the only all male team. We didn't know until they told us we had won. Definately NOT what we expected but it all looks the same in the record books. It is open to... 06/15/2012

This year on July 8th, 2012 to help kick off the Mecosta County Agricultural Free Fair, the Big Rapids Lions club is hosting the Blues, Brews and Barbecues Festival. The event chairperson, Jim Nostrant has bee busy putting together an all star roster of Blues performers including two local blues bands — Keywest Permafrost Blues Band and Third Power — will play alongside Ludington’s Lou Thunder, Cleveland-based Blues Brothers tribute band The Soul Men, and Sharrie Williams, a Saginaw-based gospel blues singer who was nominated for 2012 Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year by the Blues Music Awards. Tickets for the event can be purchased in advance through Star Tickets at 1-800-585-3737 or at www.startickets.com, as well as at any Meijer store in Michigan and locally at Patterson’s Flower... 06/11/2012

The Mecosta County Medical Center Auxiliary will be hosting an upcoming block party that includes the annual ice cream social. The community is invited to join in on a summer evening of food and ice cream, along with activities and entertainment including a bounce house for kids and the Ferris State University Community Summer Band. Proceeds generated will go to support health career scholarships for students in the Mecosta Osceola Intermediate School District. Last year I scored a loaf of banana bread that was a hit at my house. This is a great event for networking and just getting out on a Thursday and enjoying our community. The event is located in Centennial Park by the hospital and will be held on Thursday June 14th, 2012 from 5pm-8pm so if you are in the area stop on by and visit ... 06/01/2012

Wednesday June 6th, 2012 marks the start of our communities listening enjoyment of the Ferris State University Community Summer Band. The FSU Community Summer Band provides the opportunity for Ferris students, adult community members, and local student band musicians to gather for a series of weekly musical escapades. Each event has a rehearsal and one or two concerts and each concert features a different program. It is a great way to collaborate area musicians and a definite win for anyone wanting to enjoy listening to a great group. This weeks concert will be at the Old Jail lawn here in Big Rapids and is set to start at 7pm. Other areas they play are the Band Shell and even the Castle in Canadian lakes. It's free and open to the public so bring a lawn chair and we will see you there. 06/01/2012

Big Rapids, Mich - Memorial Day Parade May 28th, 2012 10 am - downtown MEMORIAL DAY PARADE - Big Rapids, Michigan - Mecosta County Date: May 28, 2012 Time: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Don't Miss It! Fun for the whole family! Downtown Big Rapids will be hosting their Annual Memorial Day Parade.  For more information call Darcy at 231-287-4670. There are many sales in town throughout the weekend ad well. 05/24/2012

The date is May 11, 2012 and it marks the kick off for the Pocket Park in Big Rapids, MI. The park is between Chemical Bank and Peppers Cafe Downtown and every Friday throughout the Summer the public is treated to a different musical delight all free of charge. This year we start off with a performance by country and gospel singer Terry Williams. Every week features a different entertainer and they run through the summer. If you happen to be in or around Big Rapids on Fridays this summer the downtown area is a must visit destination. The Farmer's Market and Pocket Park music are just a couple of weekly events for your enjoyment. See you there!!! 05/20/2012

Saturday May 19, 2012 is the date for the 6th Annual Susan P Wheatlake's Cancer and Wellness Walk and 5K Run. This year we will be meeting at the Big Rapids Middle School, located at 500 N. Warren here in beautiful Big Rapids. Registration for the run starts at 8am and the run beginning at 9am. Registration for the walk starts at 9am and the walk beginning at 10am. Either way you get a taste of our Riverwalk which lies alongside the Muskegon River. It is an amazing walk with some of the most scenic river shots you will find. After the walk there is a silent auction and a drawing for a 42" TV to add to the excitement. This gets bigger every year and the support from the community always amazes me and makes me proud to be part of such a loving City. Thanks for reading and I hope to see yo... 05/17/2012

Big Rapids Michigan Events - Elvis Tribute Artist Jake Slater - March 31, 2012 - Big Rapids Eagles !!!NEW FUNDRAISER!!! This is an amazing and unique fundraiser event for Big Rapids Eagles to host - and you can also buy yourself a great dinner right at the Eagles Club before the show!   What a great cause the Mecosta County Cares organization champions - providing low cost spay and neuter services to residents who love their pets so much, and yet cannot afford all of the services that help keep the population of unwanted dogs and cats down to a minimum. Please plan to come on out and help support this wonderful service.  If you cannot make the show, you can still donate to the cause by visiting the Mecosta County Cares Website for more information.  They will also be sponsoring a flower... 03/20/2012

Concert at the gate, march 21, 2012 Big Rapids, Michigan   Kari Lynch Band Kris Hitchcock and Small Town Son Union Guns   WednesdayMarch 21stDoors Open at 9:30 PM   Where is It? Address:   THE GATE   706 Perry Ave Big Rapids, MI 49307   Phone:   231-796-3808   Directions:    131 Expressway to Big Rapids Exit #139, then East about 1 1/2 Miles.(About an hour north of Grand Rapids, Michigan) VENUE SUMMARY Genres:Alternative,Blues,Classical,Comedy,Country,DJ,Folk,Hip Hop,Jazz,Metal,Other,Pop,R&B/Soul,Rock   VENUE BIO The Gate is an up and coming concert venue in West Michigan. We are dedicated to providing our community with the best quality of music every single day of the week. Our facility can host 4 concert formats: 1) 200-500 person Bar/Club Show 2) 100-300 person Private Show ("Mini-... 03/13/2012

Big Rapids, Michigan - ArtWorks Classes for Spring 2012 Whether artistic endeavors are your passion, or you would like to find something new this Spring: ArtWorks Big Rapids offers many exciting classes for beginner through expert in areas of dance, watercolor painting, glass bead-making, pottery; woodcarving; basket-making; 3D animation; comic book design; video game design; mask-making; storytelling and writing... and many other areas!   Below is a link to the classes offered by ArtWorks in Big Rapids.  While many of the classes started in Winter, there are many classes with sessions that begin in March, April or May: http://artworksinbigrapids.com/classes/winters-spring2012brochure-np.pdf   to visit the ArtWorks main site: http://artworksinbigrapids.com/press/ 03/08/2012

Big Rapids, Michigan - Chocolate Covered Oreos at Kilwins in the Emporium 100th Anniversary of the Oreo cookie! If you are trying to come up with a great idea for the Oreo fanatic at your house, stop in to the Kilwin's Chocolate Shop at the Old Pioneer Store and Emporium in Big Rapids!   They are making fresh chocolate-dipped Oreo cookies that are covered with their famous and fabulous Kilwin's Chocolate.  Not sure what is in that chocolate that makes it so fantastic, but it is the best!!!  Take home a box of chocolate-dipped sweets for your sweetie!     Great fudge and hand-dipped ice cream cones too!   Kilwin's is located at the north end of downtown Big Rapids. Kilwin's of Big Rapids/The Old Pioneer Store and Emporium 118 North Michigan AvenueBig Rapids, MI 49307 Visit their facebook... 03/08/2012

Ferris State University has sold the Holiday Inn in Big Rapids, Michigan, and it will undergo a 4 million dollar renovation in 2013 by new owner Suburban Inns.  Bennigans Restaurant is expected to be replaced by a Big E's Bar and Grill, a standard in the newer chain. The hotel workforce is expected to increase at least 35%, and approximately 40 construction jobs will be filled for the renovation project.  118 rooms will be updated, and the complete remodeling will include the fitness center and swimming pool, along with new banquet and meeting rooms.  Suburban Inns currently operates 4 other hotels in Michigan.  If you would like to read more about their plans, click on the link: http://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/archive/2012/february/holidayinn.htm 03/05/2012

2012 HOME AND GARDEN SHOW - Last day today! Great local exbibitors and free event for the whole family! Date: March 3, 2012 Time: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM Event Location Big Rapids Eagles, 18361 16 Mile Rd, Big Rapids, Mi 49307 Take Maple Street to Third St South, go left on Colburn which becomes 16 Mile. The Home and Garden Show will be taking place at the Big Rapids Eagles this is free and open to the public. For information: http://www.buildersandremodelersnetwork.com/ Click on 'Home Shows' Date/Time Information Saturday Show Hours 9am - 6pm Free Admission and Free Parking 03/02/2012

Big Rapids Michigan Number of Homes for Sale vs Homes Sold 2012 should continue to be a good market for buyers looking in the Big Rapids, Michigan area, as the number of homes available for sale is far above the number of homes sold in any given month over the past year. Click here to read Real Estate Values Post relating to the graphic below: http://activerain.com/real-estate-values Check in to my blog for more Big Rapids, Michigan updates in 2012 Market Trends! 02/28/2012

One of the best things about school being back in session is the opportunity to attend and watch the school sports. There is no feeling like seeing your team do an amazing comeback to win a clutch game against their biggest rival. The only way to keep track is to have an accurate sports schedule and here in Big Rapids the school offers a web based version. The Big Rapids Public School Sports Schedule covers it all. On the left menu just pick the sport you want to check out and it will open to a schedule of events including times and locations so you won't have to miss another game. I urge everyone to get out to a school sports event this year and support where you can as they have been hit hardest by budget cuts. Enjoy the game and I will see you there! 09/04/2011

This should be title Big Rapids Schools Lack of Supply List. Seems like the first place that tightens up whenever there are budget cuts are schools. This totally confuses me as to why we would want the people who will be running our Country when we are too old to not get a quality education? Maybe it is because our Government is banking on people joining in to help the schools. This is a place everyone can help. Maybe not in a huge donation but even a few packs of paper or pencils can make a big difference. I know of one teacher that paid almost $1K out of pocket to keep their class rolling. This time of year there are all sorts of fund raisers to help the schools so try extra hard this year as the needs are greater than ever. Keep in mind these little people are tomorrow's future and w... 09/04/2011

Less than a week till school starts so it is time to post the best place to check out the school calendars. Big Rapids Schools have a few to choose from. The Main Calendar is the general complete calendar for the BRPS system. The Holidays and Breaks covers the Holidays abd Breaks for the school year. The Big Rapids Schools Events Calendar covers all school events. Finally the BRPS Sports Calendar covers all the sports dates and times to keep in mind. When in doubt you can always check out the Big Rapids Public Schools website. It has a complete list of contact numbers and news related to the schools. Enjoy the school year and thanks for reading. 09/04/2011

August 2011 Rise and Shine will be held at the Comstock House in Big Rapids. The Band of Locals will be celebrating their 3rd year of successfully educating and promoting the public to shop local at locally owned businesses throughout Mecosta County. The Mecosta County Area Chamber of Commerce sponsers both the Rise and Shine and Business After Hours events to help promote networking of business in our area and to help spotlight a different business every month. The Band of Locals is a great program that offers Blue wrist bands or key chains for $10 and can be used for huge discounts all around the mecosta area. I used mine at Preferred Office Machines for half off my copying and saved a lot of $$$. After this months Rise and Shine the Band of Locals will be touring the county in searc... 08/20/2011

August 17th, 2011 the Mecosta County Area Chamber of Commerce will be hosting our monthly networking event, "Business After Hours" at the downtown branch of Fifth Third Bank. Starts around 5:30 pm and last a couple hours. Great opportunity for business to business networking. Beings they are my neighbors adjoining our building I think I can make it, how about you? Plenty of parking in the City lot behind Fifth Third and I am sure this will be a good one. Calling all Chamber members....see you there. 08/17/2011

  Wednesday night, August 3rd, 2011 Free Wheelin' will perform at the Big Rapids Band Shell located behind the Middle School. Starts about 7pm and last about an hour and a half. These guys are amazing and one of a series of free concerts every Wednesday night. If you are anywhere near Big Rapids on Wednesday this is a must attend event. Free Wheelin' has been together for over25 years and at times breaks the speed limit with their Nascar Bluegrass style of music. They have opened for bands like the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Doc Watson, The Reno Brothers and more. Hard to beat free entertainment so grab a lawn chair or blanket and come enjoy the summer. If you need directions give me a call and I will guide you in. You'll b e glad you did. See you there!!!   07/31/2011