Say Yes To Michigan! / Michigan Local Forums / Your Local Area Forums / Grand Michigan Region

Loooking to start a garden ministry

Pastor Steve — Mon, 19 May 2008 08:19:44 GMT

I am in the process of putting together a garden ministry to help feed those who could use a little help.

If you have extra seeds, plants, or anything that may help in this venture please email me back.

Blessings form Pastor Steve

Central Michigan Homeless and Emergency Aid

Michigan-Gramma ~ — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 14:00:21 GMT

Central Michigan Homeless - Activity within 7 days:

25 New Members - 8 New Links - 7 New Messages - 10 New Databases - 2 New Photos - 1 New File - New Questions

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The intention for this group is to draw those people together who are interested and have a sincere desire to help those who have fallen on hard times or are having a hard time of finding their way in life. This is not to say, we will be building a "Hand-out" group, but, rather a "Hands-Up" group! We will need those who are willing to donate whatever resources they have an abundance of, whether it be time, energy, tools, ideas, tech. services, or just plain old greenbacks.

We are not going to twist anyone's arm to be here or to serve here, so we will know, if you are offering your services or your self,or your cash, it is because you have a concern and care
for this cause.

This is basically a formulation group in cyberspace, to create a brick and motar reality for those in need. If you can see yourself as an integral "part" of this group, please join!
"Part" means ... you nor I are important ... there are NO " I's " here ... ONLY " WE's " The only important people are THOSE IN NEED!

Once they are helped, they will become members of the group and volunteer in whatever capacity they can to aid others in the postion they just came from. It's called "pay it forward". So, let's get going! The sooner we start, the sooner we can bring joy and happiness and peace to a hurting soul or family!

The BUTTERFLY here is to represent FREEDOM! FREDDOM from POVERTY! FREEDOM from OPPRESSION! FREEDOM from HOMELESSNESS! Wear a Purple Butterfly and make a statement! :)

Times are getting harder and one never knows, when they might need "A HAND UP" ~ What would you do if yours or your Spouses company went under, or moved to another state, or country? Times have changed and "job security" is now a thing of the past. The only way we guarantee our future is by helping others. WE reap what we sow. Think about it ~

This group covers Mecosta, Newaygo, Osceola, Lake, Wexford, Montcalm, Claire, Gratiot,and Isabella.

Central Mich Homeless and Emergency Aid

Click Here to reach the Forum

Michigan-Gramma~

Looking to Buy or Sell AVON...... Look no further

AVON with Amanda — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:43:05 GMT

Hi if you are looking for AVON or maybe want a career with AVON, look no further! AVON offers everything from skincare, perfum/cologne, giftables, clothes, and so much more. Please feel free to check out my site by going to www.youravon.com/abaum Also for the next 10 people that join my team receive a FREE fullsize cologne valued at $32. Or place an order and receive a FREE gift!

WMPMI Press Releases

Therese Cooper — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 07:21:34 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: WMPMI Announces world-class professional development day

GRAND RAPIDS, February 12, 2008-Sharpen your edge at Western Michigan Chapter of Project Management International’s (WMPMI) Professional Development Day to be held at The Pinnacle Center on March 26. There will be ten presenters to come from different parts of the country to this year’s event, which is open to the public for registration at http://www.wmpmi.org. :

Risk (Keith Hornbacher) Keith D. Hornbacher is founder and principal consultant of Hornbacher Associates. His presentation explains how experienced project managers understand the importance of managing project risks. This session will lay out a framework to recognize personal project risk attitudes and the organizational risk cultures in which they operate. As both enablers and inhibitors of success, approaches to managing project risk will be discussed to surface root causes of successes and short-falls. Action steps for change will be developed by inviting active participation and discussion to define “real world” situations.

Stakeholder Management (Harry Rever) Harry Rever (MBA, CSSBB, CQM, CQC, PMP) is Director of Six Sigma for International Institute for Learning. His presentation focuses on what every project has-stakeholders. Stakeholder relationship management is about more than just managing stakeholders. The project manager’s ability to develop positive and workable relationships with those key stakeholders can make or break a project. Rever’s presentation will focus on how best to assess stakeholder relationships and what skill sets and approaches a PM can use to successfully develop, nurture and manage those vital stakeholder relationships.

Developing a Project Control System, Cost and Schedule (Tom Flynn) Tom Flynn is Executive Vice President of Advanced Management Services, Inc. and has spent the last 15 years focusing on planning projects. Project Control is directly affected by the level of up-front project planning (front-end loading). As with project quality, it does no good to have a stringent monitoring and control plan or system that one cannot actually execute. This "execute-ability" lies in a lack of understanding regarding the set-up of the project's WBS, work packages cost accounts and baselines, etc. In this session we will discuss the underlying FEL elements to ensure project control as well as the systematic, process and cultural considerations involved with developing and implementing a "practical" project control system and culture.

Communications (Andy Crowe) Andy Crowe is the founder and CEO of Velociteach, a project management education company. His presentation will focus on the communication of a project manager and how it is a determining factor in the success or failure of a project. This presentation addresses the underlying factors that make one group stand out in the area of project communications. Statistical analysis lays the foundation for the exploration of techniques that the top performers use.

Burn Your Canoe (Steve Hegele) Steve Hegele is the founder and CEO of Hegele Academy (Hegele.com), a company about transformation and change. This presentation is about commitment and being decisive and invites listeners to identify what must be in place for them to be fully successful and to discern for themselves whether they are “committed” or “complying”. His engaging and dynamic style invites listeners to make decisions that lead to increased energy, learning, collaboration and results. Hegele lives his business motto: Knowledge is important, execution is essential!

Managing Partner Project Teams for Success (David Sides) David Sides, PMP, OPM3, ITIL, is

Vice President of Project Consulting Services and specializes in developing, implementing and improving Project Performance Offices. His presentation will help you understand all your outsourcing options, from on-site to off-site, and from on-shore to off-shore. Learn the key differentiators for vendors and why we should work with them as partners.

And Your Point Is…? Presentation Skills (Gene Anderson) Gene Anderson is a natural teacher. He's an internationally renowned scientist and magician too, but he's a teacher first and foremost. His in-class practice will focus on using the “Quick Quadrants” for message development; take-home knowledge of visual aid and body language techniques to immediately improve your presentations.

Utilizing Shared Services an Approach to Process Improvement (Penny Weller) Penny Weller, PhD, CMA, is Senior Director of The Hackett Group. According to research from The Hackett Group, world-class finance organizations have reduced finance costs by more than 50% by the use of shared services . Yet finance executives continue to struggle with the complexities of setting up the optimal shared services model, designing the right mix of sourcing options, and demonstrating value to the organization. This session provides strategies on how to overcome these challenges and build successful shared services organization.

The 5 Elements (Harry Rever) Harry Rever is Director of Six Sigma for International Institute for Learning. This presentation will show that a project manager’s efforts on any project he or she is managing should result in some kind of improvement for the business: reduced costs, increased sales, better productivity, less errors, reduced cycle time. To increase the odds of success, a project manager should properly incorporate these five key elements into every process improvement project.

Lean Risk Management (Rick Bollinger) Rick Bollinger is a Senior Consultant with Natural SPI, Inc., an innovative process improvement and management consulting firm, and an SEI Partner. His presentation will reveal how risk management is more of a science and less of an art. Learn how to make it lean and leverage project and historical information to protect goals, deliverables, budgets and deadlines. Avoid a statistical trap and see how to fit risk management into project schedules and everyday activities.

Difficult Clients (Frank Saladis) Frank P. Saladis, PMP, is President of Project Imaginers (Division of Blue Marble Enterprises.) His presentation is designed for project managers, project leaders, and managers who have direct contact with demanding clients and must establish effective working relationships, obtain requirements, negotiate changes, and manage client interfaces effectively.

Part 1 focuses on managing difficult people on project teams – identify common tactics and behaviors of difficult people, reviewing strategies for dealing with them and setting expectations.

Part 2 focuses on the importance of maintaining strong and positive client relationships, stakeholder analysis, identifying what makes a client difficult, maintaining control with rude or hostile clients and effective client communications.

Be sure to set March 26, 2008 aside to attend this information-packed series of presentations.

Meeting Location:
Wednesday, March 26, 2008, at the Pinnacle Center, 3330 Highland Drive, Hudsonville, MI 49426

Meeting Time: 8:30-4:30. Registration begins at 8:00 with first keynote beginning at 8:30. Continental breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack are included.

Reservations: Register now at www.wmpmi.org . You can register up until two days prior to the event.

Fees: $235 WMPMI Members, $285 Non-members ($50 cancellation fee) No walk-ins. Reservation will be confirmed once payment is received.

Special Promotions: Register by March 1, 2008 and Members save $50, Non-Members save $35!

PDU’s: Event is worth 7 PDU’s.

News media interested in covering this event contact: Therese Cooper, PMP (616) 787-4957.

“Promoting a local network of expertise in project management professionalism"

The Score

mamalisa2006 — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 09:14:16 GMT

By west river Drive and the beltline

Anyone try this place yet? Sounds Yummy and a place the sprts fans Would love

they serve a full menu until 2am somthing like 50 Big Tv's and the owner has every sprt chanel available

I drive past there every night going home from work and theres always cars in the lot

Farm Day Camp ~ Cherry Picking Coopersville

busybeetiff — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 18:22:02 GMT

Hi - I run a Farm Day Camp program for kids in the summer. And already I'm starting to make plans for this years camp - if you'd like to know more click my farm day camp link below...

We also live right next Raschs Cherry Orchard, they do you pick cherrys in the summer, cherry season usually starts the end of June and runs thru July ~ If you decide to go cherry picking feel free to check out our hobby farm on your way out - it's right next to the U-pick cherry driveway you can't miss it :)

Rockford Corner bar and Grill

mamalisa2006 — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 13:57:18 GMT

Has been a fav of mine since i was a child... new owners nowadays and well chikli dogs are no where as great as i recall them as a kid but still great food and munchies , plus they normally have a game or two on and if its nice outside you can doggie bag it and walk on down to the damm and relax...smiles country girl here doesn't fit real well into the amway grand... not really my tastes

Sweet Connections

sweetconnections — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 13:13:45 GMT

We are a new shoppe located in the center of the universe, 909 Cherry St., Grand Rapids, 49506. We have Kemps Ice Cream, Mary Ann's Chocolates, Candy, Frozen Yoghurt Shakes and Tart-n-Tangy Frozen Yoghurt. In January, All Occasion Gift Baskets will be joining us! There's no better place to get a gift basket for a special occasion or just because, some chocolates, and ice cream! We have fast and friendly team members to make your visit enjoyable. Check us out!:D

Grand rapids N.E.

ladyred49525 — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 15:27:21 GMT

Weekdaymornigs at CHeers,, Great Breakfast and Big Tv's. Bud And Satanelys saturday nights for Karaoke and nice people.

Amway Grand Plaza Hotel - 1913 Grill

Patrick — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 17:50:11 GMT

The Amway Grand Plaza Hotel has a great selection of restaurants. Click here to see them all.

My wife and I ate at the The Grill at 1913. This was our second time at the restaurant. We both had fillet mignon. The meat was very tender but found the quality to be a little less than what we had on our first visit. The dining area is very comfortable, with a direct view of the city street where you can watch horse drawn carriages pass by. The wait staff was very attentive but on this particular day they appeared to be understaffed. It was the weekend before Christmas so they may have expected a smaller clientèle that day.

Overall a good place to eat if you stay at the Amway.

Info on the 1913 Grill from the Web Site
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The Grill at the 1913 has been called the best steakhouse in the city. Take advantage of the luncheon buffet with its array of salads, breads, soups, and roast beef and poultry carved to order. The restaurant also features pasta and stir-fry stations with fresh vegetables, meats or seafood, and unique sauces.

For dinner, The Grill at 1913 specializes in USDA Prime Steaks, serving only the finest cuts of beef, lamb, veal, and pork. Excellent seafood and chicken selections are also available, along with a complete wine list and full bar service. All served in a comfortable and inviting setting.

Amway Grand Plaza Hotel

Patrick — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 17:45:02 GMT

I stayed at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel on a couple occasions. My wife and I stated at the hotel late December in 2007. This second trip we decided that we wanted to stay in the "new" section of the hotel.

Since we stayed the weekend before the Christmas holiday we were greeted with a very quiet hotel. I have to say it was really nice. We purchased a bed & breakfast package for around $180 a night. I asked for a non-smoking room on a high floor. Well we checked into the room and even though it was non-smoking someone must have smoked a few packs. I called the front desk and they moved us to the Concierge level. The rooms on that level where $209 a night, but the hotel did not charge us for the upgrade.

If you look at staying at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel plan check into the newer side and pay extra for the Concierge level, it is worth it. The rooms have better furniture, a larger bathroom, and you get access to the 25th floor Concierge level. There are free drinks, a nice lounge area, and if you want get free pop and water.

Fitness Center - Amway Grand Plaza Hotel
The fitness center was comparable to fitness centers in some Vegas hotels. The work out area is behind a glass wall overlooking the pool. There are around 10 high end tread mills, 4 elliptical machines, a ton of free weights on dumbbells, and barbells, Olympic bench set, and some very smooth Nautilus workout machines.

Pool Area
Large pool that you would expect to see at an outdoor park. At the end of the pool is a hot tub that is all stainless steel. It probably seats around 30 people. I thought a stainless steel hot tub was very unique, but you could not lean back and relax since the surface is slippery.

Locker Room
The locker rooms have all hardwood cabinets to store your items. There are large private showers and a hot sauna. The hotel provides combs, shaving cream, q-tips, and other necessities.

Other Features: The fitness area offers racket ball and outdoor tennis and basketball.