Around the Township

A beautiful breeze travelled across the Township today, keeping the humidity down and making it a perfect day.

Festivities this weekend included an ice cream social at Wahlfield County Park, sponsored by Calvary Chapel, Riverside, 1950 Waldorf N.W. in Walker.

Members of the Alpine Township Fire Department where on hand when it was reported that a powerline went down near Wahlfield Park Sunday afternoon.

Kids were enjoying the playground and the athletic facility on the corner of Alpine Church Road and Baumhof.

Soccer was the featured activity for the day at the Sports Complex, with plenty of spectators on hand. If you enjoy soccer, you are invited to stop by on Saturday, the 4th of July. as some select teams from the Grand Rapids area will be playing at the facility, beginning at 3:00 PM. If you can't make it, there are more games on tap all day Sunday.

Geno Rangel (l) and security guard invite you to stop by Saturday afternoon.

Some of the spectators today

Young and old, all had a great time at the park.

More supporters and spectators on hand


One more picture

Game over

More Spectators


Great action




Great ball control

Alpine Township - We Are Still Growing

Fruit Ridge or "the Ridge" is a topographical land feature located NW of Grand Rapids, Michigan and considered to be an agricultural mecca. The glaciers of long ago left behind gently rolling slopes. The deposits were fertile clay loam soils with excellent moisture holding qualities that provided great soil and terrain for the growing of premium fruits, vegetables and the raising of livestock, including buffalo.Approximately 8 miles wide by 20 miles long, the Fruit Ridge is regarded as one of the prime fruit-growing regions in the world. Elevations greater than 800 feet and its location (about 25 miles from Lake Michigan), creates a unique climate (ideal growing and moderate winters) for fruit production. The Ridge supplies 40 % of the states (Michigan) apples. An estimated 66% of the Ridge lies in Kent County, all within 20 miles of downtown Grand Rapids."The Ridge" is an area of 158 square miles (8 miles wide and 20 miles long) covering 7 townships and 4 counties: Kent (Alpine, Sparta, Tyrone), Newago (Ashland), Muskegon (Casnovia) and Ottawa (Chester and Wright). To learn more, please look at Ridge Economic Agricultural Partners (REAP) website, from which this information was obtained. To get a list of markets in the area, and days and hours of operation, please check here.
Saturdays, Fruitbasket Flowerland hosts a Farmers Market on it's parking lot, and attracts farmers from as far away as Fremont. This week, strawberries are plentiful as evidenced by the attached pictures taken at Dunneback & Daughters, and Morse Farms.

Pictured Above are operations at the Morse Strawberry Farm. Click on pictures to enlarge

Pictured above are operations at the Dunneback & Daughters Farm

This was this year's first week of the Farmer's Market at Fruitbasket Flowerland

Special Visitor at Comstock Park Rotary Chicken BBQ

A surprise visitor showed up at the Comstock Park Chicken Barbeque today, after performing with Maranda of WOTV at Fifth Third Ball Park. Her identity remains a mystery, but we do know it is an Alpine Township resident.

John Ball Zoo comes to Alpine Township Library

Part of John Ball Zoo came to the Alpine Township today as part of the Library summer reading program that is taking place at 6:00 PM on Wednesday evenings. A number of animals paid a visit, and brought along zoo keeper Colleen. Colleen also brought along several different animal skins such as that of a hedgehog, a rattle snake, and a turtle. Also present was "Zoo Keeper for the Day" (and Alpine Library Branch Manager) Laura Weld. Parents and grandparents enjoyed the presentation almost as much as the kids did.

Colleen with real ostrich egg and with special guest

Everybody enjoying the program

Zoo Keeper for the Day, Laura Weld, Alpine Twp Library Branch Manager

Alpine Township Fire Department Waterball Competition

One of the fun events in Alpine township is the annual waterball competition between different members of the Alpine Township Fire Department. The intent of the competition is to provide team participants with the opportunity to practice using nozzles and hose lines in order to increase their fire fighting proficiency. Needless to say, spectators, (mostly family of the members in the Fire Department) enjoyed the competition very much, especially when there were also hotdogs and hamburgers and lots of other good food on hand.

Young boys and girls also received the chance to use the nozzle and hose lines and although none of them signed up for fire duty, they all had a great time.

CommunityService Clubs

It is said that a community is only as good as the strength of it's community service organizations. This is true in Alpine Township as well. From providing playground equipment at Wahlfield and Dwight Lydell Parks, offering scholarships for students, to reviving Grotto Park at the Veteran's Facility, the Comstock Park Rotary has been a tremendous support to the Comstock Park and Alpine Township community.

To find out more information about the Comstock Park Rotary, please see www.cprotary.com.

The Rockford Lions Club is in the process of chartering a new Lions chapter in Comstock Park. They are only a few members short of reaching the required 20 members. If you are interested in becoming a charter member of the Comstock Park Lions, please contact Warren Sibilla at 616-241-1066, e-mail wwsibilla@aol.net, or learn more about Lions International at http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/index.php

York Creek Safety Presentation

A number of tenants of York Creek Apartments attended a program at one of the Alpine Township community rooms to learn more about personal safety and established safety procedures. A number of York Creek managers were on hand, as was Kent County Sheriff Department Community Policing Officer Deputy Nate Ertle. Future meetings are planned.

Maranatha Day Camp 2009

If you are a second generation Comstock Park resident, chances are that you or your kids attended the Maranatha Day Camp at one time or another. Once again, hundreds of kids from all denominations are attending camp. This year's theme is "Who is this King?"

The program is for boys and girls entering grades 2nd - 8th in the fall of 2009. The purpose of Day Camp is to give the campers a Christ centered camping experience that will enrich their lives spiritually, physically, and mentally. The program runs this week and next week. It is a great part of our community.

Where's Waldo?

Flag Day

People across the United States celebrate Flag Day on June 14 each year to honor the United States flag and to commemorate the flag’s adoption. President OBama has made the customary proclamation designating Flag Day, but is also extending the observance by declaring the upcoming days as National Flag Week.
The president has ordered flags displayed on all federal buildings during the week and is urging Americans to fly the Star and Stripes at their homes and other suitable places.
Obama is also calling on Americans to observe the period from Flag Day through Independence Day as a celebration of the nation's heritage, by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at public gatherings.
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Parks and Recreation Meeting

Members of the Park and Recreation Committee and township staff conducted their monthly meeting this month on Thursday, June 11, at the Alpine Township Sports Complex.

Reading Rocks!

The summer reading program at the Alpine Branch of Kent Distric Library is a lot of fun.

Tonight, children were entertained by professional entertainer Joel Tacey who had a message that reading too, can be a lot of fun. The kids (and parents and grandparents) enjoyed the presentation very much.