The Watering Hole

[Veloise]

Tulip time pic:

and one of my favorite quotes:

"It's OK, I'm a mother and used to cleaning up other's people's messes."

[zenstyle]

Ladies and gentlemen, please raise of glass of your preferred inebriant to the 100th birthday anniversary of the great Katharine Hepburn.

[GR Jackson]

Are street lights solar powered? Someone told me this when I was a kid and it seems like a good idea maybe.

[grbrit]

Are street lights solar powered?

No, but they do have light-sensitive resistors on the top. If the light sensor detects light i.e. daylight, then the resistor prevents the electricity flowing to the bulb. When there is no light, i.e. at night then the electricity flows and the bulb lights.

There's been some recent development to control the amount of electricity used with ultra-sensitive photocells to control the brightness even at night [read more]

Hi by the way. Short time reader, first time poster

Andy

[GRDadof3]

No, but they do have light-sensitive resistors on the top. If the light sensor detects light i.e. daylight, then the resistor prevents the electricity flowing to the bulb. When there is no light, i.e. at night then the electricity flows and the bulb lights.

There's been some recent development to control the amount of electricity used with ultra-sensitive photocells to control the brightness even at night [read more]

Hi by the way. Short time reader, first time poster

Andy

Welcome Andy! Out in Ada on Ada Drive, there are warning signal lights near a bike-crossing area, that appear to have solar cells on top of them.

They're kind of like this.

[GR Jackson]

Welcome Andy! Out in Ada on Ada Drive, there are warning signal lights near a bike-crossing area, that appear to have solar cells on top of them.

They're kind of like this.

Those are pretty cool, any hope for this type of technology coming to GR?

[grbrit]

Thanks for the welcome. The solar traffic signals are neat, but as for any of this reaching GR? Let's hope so, but I'm not holding my breath.

By the way, I can't stop scrolling through the archives looking at the amazing pictures some of you folks have posted. They really make you appreciate the city in a whole new light. Struggling to keep up with the threads via RSS though!

[Kib]

Hep Me... Hep Me..

Couple of questions:

Is there a good fish market in town? I'm looking for some of those tasty tiny pink shrimp to whip up a batch of my semi-famous Seattle Scramble for a buddy who is flying out in a few weeks so I can take him to his first ballgame at Wrigley. Would perfer fresh, and they need to be the tiny ones.

Also, does Grand Rapids have a nickname, for example Chicago=Windy City, Las Vegas=Sin City, Indianapolis=Naptown?

Thanks gang !!!

[Rizzo]

Hep Me... Hep Me..

Couple of questions:

Is there a good fish market in town? I'm looking for some of those tasty tiny pink shrimp to whip up a batch of my semi-famous Seattle Scramble for a buddy who is flying out in a few weeks so I can take him to his first ballgame at Wrigley. Would perfer fresh, and they need to be the tiny ones.

Also, does Grand Rapids have a nickname, for example Chicago=Windy City, Las Vegas=Sin City, Indianapolis=Naptown?

Thanks gang !!!

Other then the obvious historic "Furniture City," I don't think so. I've heard these used locally: River City, Grapids, G-rap, Gun Rue, GR, etc... One nickname that I can find through historical documentation is Valley City and Furniture City. These have been monikers as far back as the late 19th century. Calder City is a recent nickname probably appeared in the early 70s to 80s.

Edit: There's also "The Paris of Furniture Design" That's just something I remember seeing on a website recently.

Edited May 19, 2007 by Rizzo

[GR Jackson]

Hep Me... Hep Me..

Couple of questions:

Is there a good fish market in town? I'm looking for some of those tasty tiny pink shrimp to whip up a batch of my semi-famous Seattle Scramble for a buddy who is flying out in a few weeks so I can take him to his first ballgame at Wrigley. Would perfer fresh, and they need to be the tiny ones.

Also, does Grand Rapids have a nickname, for example Chicago=Windy City, Las Vegas=Sin City, Indianapolis=Naptown?

Thanks gang !!!

Did you try that place on Leonard and Plainfield, I think it is the flying fish market. I haven't been in there for awhile, but I think they sell some fresh seafood.

[Kib]

Thanks for the info & tips !!!!

[michaelskis]

Does anyone have historical information on McFadden

[GRDadof3]

Does anyone have historical information on McFadden’s? When was the building constructed, what were the past uses (other than Tiki Bobs). Any cool stories would be helpful.

I seem to remember Grand Rapids Magazine running an article about that building a couple of years ago. Jogging my memory, it was built in 1894 (written on the outside), and was the Waldron Hotel for most of its life because it sat right across the street from the old Union Depot train station. It was also the city's first African American hotel at one point (don't remember the years) and had a hopping jazz club on the ground floor. Before Tiki Bob's, it was a hip ultra-lounge called Opus 1894, with a private members only club upstairs. It was forced to drop the 1894 portion due to some copyright infringement or something, and just became Opus. It really lost its cool a couple of years later and ended up closing its doors. Then Tiki Bob's took it over, but I had never even stepped foot in the place.

I think McFaddens is the first place I've seen there that seems to have good longevity. They may need to reconfigure it or change up some things in a year or two to keep it fresh.

[Kib]

I seem to remember Grand Rapids Magazine running an article about that building a couple of years ago. Jogging my memory, it was built in 1894 (written on the outside), and was the Waldron Hotel for most of its life because it sat right across the street from the old Union Depot train station. It was also the city's first African American hotel at one point (don't remember the years) and had a hopping jazz club on the ground floor. Before Tiki Bob's, it was a hip ultra-lounge called Opus 1894, with a private members only club upstairs. It was forced to drop the 1894 portion due to some copyright infringement or something, and just became Opus. It really lost its cool a couple of years later and ended up closing its doors. Then Tiki Bob's took it over, but I had never even stepped foot in the place.

I think McFaddens is the first place I've seen there that seems to have good longevity. They may need to reconfigure it or change up some things in a year or two to keep it fresh.

Oooopps... wrong Opus

[GRDadof3]

Oooopps... wrong Opus

I haven't seen that Opus in a long time.

Crazy thing was that it was a wine named Opus 1894 (not even made locally), and the company that produced it forced Opus 1894 to change their name. Like people would mistake one for the other.

[Sunlover38]

Here's an article everybody on this board ought to read. Some more than others. . .

Good article. And so true. I volunteer with a special needs group of wonderful people! In the past, I would carelessyly say on more than one occasion, "I am such a retard" or "he is such a retard" and one day I realized how insulting and rude that is. So, I make a conscious effort to not use that word anymore.

Edited May 23, 2007 by Sunlover38

[grandrapidsguy]

Speking of McFaddens.....well not really speaking of it.....but Studio 64 next door to them opened up this week. Had a friend walk thru it said it was really nice..... very spacious....they have the entire floor for the salon.....and I guess the pedicure station is one of kind...over looks the city.

check it out.

[GRDadof3]

I wonder if these students realize that if convicted (and it sounds like they are not denying it), that they could become registered sex offenders? For the rest of their lives? Just sick.

Coopersville baseball team players accused of hazing, sexual assault

[grrwymg]

I wonder if these students realize that if convicted (and it sounds like they are not denying it), that they could become registered sex offenders? For the rest of their lives? Just sick.

Coopersville baseball team players accused of hazing, sexual assault

Sickening.

In all my years belonging to a variety of sports teams, I never once encountered hazing. I guess I just don't 'get' how that is a part of sports, activities, etc. Those kids should be ashamed of themselves. Not only that, as GRDad said, they face being on the sex-offenders list. Nothing like trying to get a job or into college w/ a huge red X on your transcripts.

[gvsusean]

Sickening.

In all my years belonging to a variety of sports teams, I never once encountered hazing. I guess I just don't 'get' how that is a part of sports, activities, etc. Those kids should be ashamed of themselves. Not only that, as GRDad said, they face being on the sex-offenders list. Nothing like trying to get a job or into college w/ a huge red X on your transcripts.

We had hazing but it was more of the roll around in the mud in your nice clothes type of thing.. not closet homosexuality run rampant

[Timize]

Goodness, what a storm today! I just got back from the Rivertown Meijer and it started pouring. The wind was very fierce and a lot of hail was hitting my car.

What made it even worse was the heavy traffic near the construction area on 44th St./Ivanrest. Barrels were rolling all over the place, signs were knocked down, tree branches were scattered everywhere, and there were a bunch of flooded spots in the streets. I couldn't help but to go 10-15 mph on the ride home. This was the first time I drove in a huge storm, so I was actually quite frightened that I was going to crash the car.

I hope the folks at the Festival found shelter. When I went down there earlier today around noon, it was pretty crowded.

Edited June 2, 2007 by Timize

[Allison Slater]

I lost power for 6.5 hours. So I left for the Festival since the rain had passed and there was nothing to do at home.

[GRDadof3]

Anyone else looking forward to the next "Ocean" movie coming out this weekend? I actually bought the David Holmes soundtrack to Ocean's 12, which is pretty sweet.

http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B00067WJ60/re...;pf_rd_i=507846

I normally don't go for movies with big-name stars in it, but the Ocean ones are pretty cool (the original was a remake of an old Rat Pack film).

[Sunlover38]

Hey GR Dad . . . .Is Urban Planet down a lot? I can only get on to this site very sporadically. Many times when I type the web address and hit "enter" my screen will go completely blank. Maybe its an issue on my end? thx

[Neo]

Hey GR Dad . . . .Is Urban Planet down a lot? I can only get on to this site very sporadically. Many times when I type the web address and hit "enter" my screen will go completely blank. Maybe its an issue on my end? thx

I did some system upgrades on the backend yesterday around this time, but everything is running fine today. I haven't run into any issues with accessing the site so it is possibly something on your end or between you and our server in Texas.