Lorraine Rae Alonzo of Chattanooga, Tennessee, passed peacefully to her rest on October 25, 2020 at Southern Oaks Assisted Living where she resided for the past four years. She was a member of the Collegedale Seventh-day Adventist Church. She had an enduring faith in God, believed in the Bible, and lived her life according to its word. Lorraine was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on November 13, 1923 to the late Raymond and Gladys (Wallin) Murphy. Her family moved from Sioux Falls to Grand Rapids, Michigan when she was a young girl. She attended the local Seventh-day Adventist church school and South High School. While working in Grand Rapids, she met her future husband Robert Alonzo. They were married in La Jolla, California in February of 1943 just before Robert left to serve his country in WWII. Lorraine and Robert (Bob) made their home in Comstock Park, a small town north of Grand Rapids, and raised their seven children. She was a hardworking, devoted, and dedicated mother who was very proud of her children. Lorraine loved people and enjoyed helping others. She loved her job as a greeter at the Meijer Alpine location where she worked for eighteen years. Lorraine Murphy was the third of ten children, eight of whom preceded her in death. LeRoy Harold Murphy, Warren Duane Murphy, Raymond Kenneth Murphy, Delbert James Murphy, Arla Annabelle Murphy, Phyllis Elaine Thrift, Paul Roger Murphy, and Lorretta Kay Sears. She is survived by one sister, Charlene Silberman of Georgia. Lorraine is also survived by her seven children, Robert Alonzo of Arizona, Ronald Alonzo of Michigan, Barbara (Jerry) LaFave of South Carolina, Deborah (Mike) Sulen of Texas, Martin Alonzo of Michigan, Katherine Alonzo of Alaska, and Cheri (Doug) Durst of Tennessee, seventeen grandchildren, thirty one great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. The family would like to extend our deepest appreciation to the care-givers at Southern Oaks Assisted Living and the nurses from Hearth Hospice of Chattanooga for the loving and professional care given to our mother. Please join us for a celebration of life on Saturday, October 31 at 2:00 p.m. Visitation will take place following the service until 5:00 p.m. at Bliss-Witters & Pike Funeral Home, 13603 Northland Dr. Cedar Springs.

Arrangements by Bliss-Witters & Pike Funeral Home, Cedar Springs

If you’ve bought any ground beef from Meijer or other supermarkets recently and still have it, you need to check the label. 

JBS Plainwell, Inc., a Plainwell, Mich. establishment, is recalling approximately 43,292 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically, pieces of hard plastic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced this week.

The ground beef loaf products were produced on March 20, 2019. Most have a sell by date of 4/10/2019 and were approximately 1 lb packages. The bear establishment number “EST. 562M” inside the USDA mark of inspection or printed on the bottom of the label. (see labels here) These items were shipped to retail locations in Michigan and Wisconsin.

The problem was discovered when the establishment received two complaints of green hard plastic in the ground beef products. Too read the entire release, go to https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2019/recall-043-2019-release.

This bald eagle is looking for his next meal.

Wendy Russell sent us this photo she took of a bald eagle near Meijer, in Solon Township on Friday, March 23. She said he grabbed a squirrel but then dropped it in the middle of 17 Mile Road.

Thank you, Wendy, for sending us your photo!

Do you have a photo of wildlife you’d like to send us? Email it to news@cedarspringspost.com, along with some info about the photo and your contact information. We will print as space is available.

This vegetable tray is an example of one of the produce items being recalled at Meijer.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Meijer is announcing a recall of various packaged Meijer brand produce items, including raw broccoli and cauliflower florets, due to a potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms like high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, a Listeria monocytogenes infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

The recall affects products sold in Meijer stores in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin purchased September 27, 2017 through October 20, 2017. The items will be in plastic containers or foam trays with printed labels with various sizes and weights.

Visit https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm581546.htm for a listing of all the products and UPC #s.

Meijer received notice of a possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination from Mann Packing, a Meijer supplier based in Salinas, Calif. that sources the Meijer branded produce items. Mann Packing informed Meijer that evidence of potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination had been identified by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. No illnesses have been reported to date. Customers should stop using the product and either dispose of it or return it to the customer service desk at any Meijer store for a full refund. For additional information, please contact Meijer at 800-543-3704, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

By Tom Noreen & Judy Reed

The Cedar Springs Historical Society’s Summer Car Show was a great success last Saturday, July 29.  Over 100 cars were on display. This was the largest show ever for the Society, said Director Sharon Jett, and a main fundraiser for them. The car show helps the museum provide free family programs throughout the year.

Roger and Della Grongos’ 1964 Pontiac GTO was voted best in the show by fellow car owners. The top three winners out of the top 20 were Mike Bannister with his 1968 Camaro; Al Marlin with his 1976 Corvette; and Bob Jenema with his 1948 Chevy Fleetmaster.

Special Guests this year were the State Police with their new cruiser that resembles the department’s iconic 1937 Ford Model 74 patrol car. The Kent County Sheriff’s Department brought their Mobile Command Bus. The bus was open for display.

Meijer served a free hotdog lunch to the public again this year and coffee was generously provided by  the Cedar Springs Biggby Coffee Shop courtesy of owners Bob and Deb Garza.  The Cedar Springs High School FFA students sold donuts and helped folks as needed and Pat Patin provided lots of music. Nolan Patin, their youngest volunteer, did a silent auction as another little fund raiser.

Both Jett and volunteer DM White work about four or five months to get this show ready, and their efforts certainly paid off! Jett said that White contacted the MSP and Sheriff Department about coming and was pleased they said yes. “What makes it even better is the police officers are as excited about coming as we are about having them here!” she said.

“We are so grateful to the businesses and families who sponsor the show and our volunteers,” she added.

Customers to get groceries and essentials from local Meijer delivered in as little as one hour; service to bring thousands of jobs

 No more waiting in long lines. No more trips to the grocery store after work to pick up what you forgot. No more two-hour shopping trips. And no more buying what you don’t actually need. If all that sounds good to you, you’ll love what Meijer now has to offer come March 29.

Meijer recently announced it is bringing home delivery across its six-state footprint, starting with Grand Rapids, Fort Wayne and Indianapolis, and will quickly follow with other major markets in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Wisconsin.

“We are excited to expand our relationship with Shipt because together we can offer customers across the Midwest a whole new level of convenience, product variety, and service not available before,” Meijer President & CEO Rick Keyes said. “Now customers can shop a complete grocery list online, having access to our world class assortment of fresh produce, meat, dairy and a number of other essentials that Shipt will hand select from a local Meijer store and deliver to a customer’s doorstep.”

Beginning on March 29, Meijer customers in Cedar Springs, Rockford and Grand Rapids with a Shipt membership will have the ability to shop 55,000 items using the Shipt smartphone app (iOS, android) or place orders directly through shipt.com. Customers can schedule their orders to be delivered in as little as one hour, seven days a week. Meijer and Shipt will also launch the service in Fort Wayne and the Indianapolis area in April. Other major markets in the Midwest will be announced in the coming months.

“The way our customers shop continues to evolve,” said Meijer Chairman Hank Meijer. “We believe the high-touch service that Shipt offers, coupled with what our customers love about shopping at Meijer, creates a new type of shopping experience.”

Bill Smith, Founder & CEO of Shipt, said the expansion of service at Meijer stores will also help create an estimated 10,000 jobs in six states in 2017. Shipt will build networks of hundreds of personal shoppers and identify opportunities to support community organizations in each Meijer market offering the service. “We are excited to partner with a leader in the retail industry who continues to put the customer first,” Smith said.

The retailer’s decision to expand the availability of digital home delivery comes after its highly successful launch of the service in the Detroit area last fall, which prompted Meijer to roll out the service to other markets. Shipt members in the Detroit area placed more than 65,000 orders since September 2016.

The Shipt delivery service is membership-based, with either annual or monthly options. For $99 a year, Shipt members receive unlimited free grocery deliveries on all orders over $35.

After signing up for Shipt, members can digitally shop a large selection of Meijer groceries, fresh produce, and everyday essentials including baby, health and beauty products. They can also note any preferences, choose a preferred delivery window and pay for their order. A Shipt shopper will hand pick their items and deliver them in as little as one hour after the order is placed.

Because most Meijer stores are open 24 hours a day, Shipt deliveries will be available at most Meijer locations around the clock, seven days a week, with the exception of certain holidays.

For more information on how to become a Shipt member and to see the full coverage areas, please go to www.shipt.com/Meijer. For more information on how to become a Shipt shopper in Grand Rapids, Fort Wayne and Indianapolis, please go to https://www.shipt.com/be-a-shopper.

Carts full of cans were lined up inside and outside the Cedar Springs Meijer store Monday and Tuesday, as volunteers worked to feed over 86,000 of them into the machines. Photo courtesy of Team Rickerstrong.

Teen Brison Ricker, who suffers from an inoperable brain tumor, is getting better with the alternative treatments he is getting from the Burzynski Clinic in Texas. Photo from the Ricker’s gofundme page.

By Judy Reed

The greater Cedar Springs community has shown their support over the last nine months for the family of Brison and Preston Ricker, two teen brothers fighting cancer, but the massive number of cans donated at their annual can drive at Meijer this week took everyone by surprise.

This month’s drive started at 5 p.m. Monday, and by 11 p.m. Monday evening, they had to stop counting. Volunteers returned on Tuesday evening, hoping to finish it off. But the cans kept coming, and at last count, over 86,000 cans were donated, and they still have a trailer that is 2/3 full of cans that they are holding until next month.

“We knew that this month’s can drive would be a larger turnout but honestly we were pleasantly shocked at the amount of cans that kept coming throughout the first night and continued again the second night,” said Melissa Egan, of Team Rickerstrong. “It was such a great thing to witness. So many people continue to support Brison in his fight by faithfully donating each month, but when Preston also was diagnosed…the support doubled and that is why we believe it was so much more successful.”

Egan said that they cannot express appreciation enough for the continued support from not only our community, but surrounding communities. “The love, prayers and support for this family is truly amazing. And who would have thought that a can drive that originally started as a way to possibly raise a quick $500 here or there would turn into a monthly fundraiser that has now brought over $30,000! Each month we have loyal volunteers that help feed machines or empty returnables into carts…ranging from adults to kids, all wanting to support the Ricker family.”

Team Rickerstrong started the once a month can drives in July, when the family took Brison to Texas to be seen and treated at the Burzynski Clinic. Dr. Burzynski offered an alternative treatment for Brison’s inoperable brain tumor (DIPG), which conventional treatment could not eradicate. He had been given only months to live. But this alternative costs $17,000 a month, paid up front. And it is not covered under insurance. The good news is that it is working, and Brison is feeling better than he has in months, according to his mom, Kim Ricker. He is eating again, and getting stronger, but not yet walking on his own. He even went to Swirl last weekend, which she said made him really happy.

Preston, who was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in December, and had it surgically removed in January, is recovering, and will soon start radioactive iodine therapy.

Kim was also thankful for the success of this week’s can drive. “It was incredible to see the out pouring of love and support with all the cans that were donated! Although a majority of them came from this amazing community, we had people from surrounding communities and even as far as Caledonia donating their cans. We feel so blessed and are truly grateful to everyone who donated, and all the people who worked so hard getting over 86,000 cans put in the machines. Of course a huge thanks to Meijer, we could do not do this without their support,” she added.

The Rickers are faced with needing a minimum of $17,000 every month for Brison’s treatment. “This has to be paid up front; it is not like normal hospital bills that can accumulate and be paid back over years,” explained Kim. “If we don’t pay, Brison doesn’t get his treatment. Although the can drive was a huge success and raised more than we could have imagined, that amount covers two weeks of treatment, so the need to keep raising funds is great.”

If you would like to donate, you can visit their gofundme page at https://www.gofundme.com/rickerstrong, or participate in a fundraiser with Team Rickerstrong at https://www.facebook.com/teambrison/. You can also or send a check to them at 5370 Dio Dr., Cedar Springs, MI 49319.

This little boy picked out a bear that’s bigger than he is! Photo courtesy of the Kent County Sheriff Department.

On Sunday, December 11, the Kent County Sheriff’s Office hosted their annual Shop with a Sheriff Program at the Cedar Springs Meijer. According to Sgt. Jason Kelley with the Cedar Springs Unit, 32 kids from the Cedar Springs and Kent City school districts were selected to shop with Deputies and experience law enforcement in a nontraditional role. Approximately 35 Deputies volunteered their time to participate in the event.

Kids got to spend some one on one time with Deputies when they “Shopped with a Sheriff” last Sunday at the Cedar Springs Meijer.

Kelly said that before shopping, the kids were able to ride in police cruiser and play with the lights, sirens and other electronics. After the cruiser ride, each child was placed with a Deputy and they were able to shop throughout Meijer. The children selected items of need, including coats, boots, and clothes. They were able to select some toys as well. Once the shopping was complete, the kids were treated to donuts, juice, and a surprise visit from Santa Claus.

This program started in 2003 and the kids are identified by referrals from the schools. Deputies participate on a volunteer basis and help the kids shop for the items on their list. The program is fully funded through gracious donations made by businesses and members of the community.

Donations for this program can be made to the Kent County Community Action Fund and mailed to:

Kent County Sheriff’s Office

Community Services Unit – Sandi Jones

701 Ball Ave NE

Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Could be tainted with salmonella 

If you bought any premade cold salads (potato, macaroni, etc.) or sandwiches from Meijer between 7/20 and 7/25, you need to know the details of this recall.

Prime Foods, LLC, the supplier of a cooked egg ingredient in several Markets of Meijer products, is recalling the product due to the potential for salmonella. There have been no known illnesses reported to Meijer from the product affected by this recall.

The products being recalled were sold at Meijer stores between 7/20 and 7/25. Consumers who have purchased any of these products should discontinue use and return the product to the nearest Meijer store for a full refund.

They include:

UPC’s Carried by Meijer:

Consumers with questions regarding this recall should contact Meijer at1-800-543-3704 any time of day.

Consumers with questions or concerns about their health should contact their Physician.

Franklin “Frank” John DePue, 75 of Greenville, passed away Sunday, April 17, 2016 at home. Frank was born October 5, 1940 in Eaton Co., Michigan, the son of the late Maurice “Mike” and Helen (Holbrook) DePue. Frank is loved and survived by his wife of 56 years, Judith (Ellick) DePue; his children: Monique (Dave) Doolittle and Vincent (Kayleen) DePue; grandchildren: Trafford (Ashley Hattis) Giles, Stephanie Doolittle, Nick Doolittle, Michael (Ceara) DePue, Kyle DePue, Donald Eikenhout, Andrea (Larry) Wiley and Graham DePue; sisters: Dorothy Fisher, Carol (Ron) Stevens, Shirley (Dick) Rinckey and Dee (Ron) Corwin; great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews. Frank was preceded in death by his siblings: M. Jean Schafer, Edwin Maurice DePue, Kathleen Marie Cooper, Jennifred Joan Schrauben, David Lee DePue and Dean A. DePue. Frank was a graduate of Greenville High School in 1976. He retired from Meijer as Loss Prevention Manager after 30+ years of service. In addition to a long career at Meijer, he and his wife Judith were owners of Animal Crackers Farm Petting Zoo of Greenville. Frank and Judy touched countless lives, spanning several generations by taking their large traveling zoo to schools, festivals, churches, parades and more local events than can be documented. Frank donated time, along with Judy, at Special Olympics, March of Dimes, Optimist Camp and the American Cancer Society, and he walked his beloved camel Shalamar across most of Montcalm County to raise nearly $1000 for that cause. Frank also enjoyed greeting Mejier customers every Christmas Eve dressed as Santa with his reindeer and sleigh. He was very proud of his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Frank always appreciated being embraced by the community and enjoyed sharing his love of his animals. He got great enjoyment making people laugh and smile with his wit and a wink. His contagiously happy spirit will be missed by so many, but never forgotten by anyone. We are sad that you are gone, but find peace in knowing we will someday see you again. We love you. Memorial services were held at 1:00 pm Thursday, April 21, 2016 at Hurst Funeral Home, with Pastor Ken Harger officiating. Visitation was Wednesday from 5:00 to 8:00 pm at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be given to the American Cancer Society, and memories and messages of condolence may be shared at www.hurstfh.com.

Arrangements by Hurst Funeral Home, Greenville

Three of the officers on hand for the Shop with a Sheriff event included (L to R) Sgt. Jason Kelley, Chief Deputy Kevin Kelley, and Sheriff Larry Stelma.

On Sunday, December 13, the Kent County Sheriff’s Office hosted their annual Shop with a Sheriff Program at the Cedar Springs Meijer. Thirty kids from the Cedar Springs and Kent City school districts were selected to shop with Deputies and experience law enforcement in a nontraditional role. Approximately 35 Deputies volunteered their time to participate in the event.

Mr. and Mrs. Santa Clause made an appearance at the Shop with a Sheriff event. Photo by P. Conley.

Before shopping, the kids were able to ride in police cruiser, playing with the lights, sirens and other electronics. After the cruiser ride, each child was placed with a Deputy and they were able to shop throughout Meijer. The children select items of need—coats, boots, and clothes. They are able to select some toys as well. Once the shopping is complete, the kids were treated to donuts, juice, a special t-shirt, and a surprise visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus.

This program started in 2003 and the kids are identified by referrals from the schools. Deputies participate on a volunteer basis and help the kids shop for the items on their list. The program is fully funded through gracious donations made by businesses and members of the community.

Kids shopped throughout the store with a deputy.

Donations for this program can be made to the Kent County Community Action Fund and mailed to:

Kent County Sheriff’s Office

Community Services Unit – Sandi Jones

701 Ball Ave NE

Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Check to see if you have this Meijer brand stuffed chicken kiev in your freezer or any labeled Barber Foods. They are under recall.

Check to see if you have this Meijer brand stuffed chicken cordon bleu in your freezer or any labeled Barber Foods. They are under recall.

Two types of Meijer brand frozen stuffed chicken—Chicken Kiev and Cordon Bleu—are included in a class 1 recall by Barber Foods.

Barber Foods, a Portland, Maine establishment, is recalling approximately 1,707,494 pounds of frozen, raw stuffed chicken products that may be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced this week. The original announcement was on July 2, for 58,320 pounds, and more product was added this week.

The chicken products were produced between February 17, 2015 and May 20, 2015. The products include raw stuffed boneless chicken kiev, chicken cordon bleu, and some chicken tenders. For an entire list of products visit http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2015/recall-096-2015-release.

The products subject to recall bear the establishment number “P-276” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These products were shipped to retail locations nationwide and Canada.

FSIS was notified of a cluster of Salmonella Enteritidis illnesses on June 24, 2015. Working in conjunction with Minnesota State Departments of Health and Agriculture, Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, FSIS determined that there is a link between the frozen, raw, stuffed chicken products from Barber Foods and this illness cluster. Based on epidemiological evidence and trace back investigations, six case-patients have been identified in Minnesota and Wisconsin with illness onset dates ranging from April 5, 2015 to June 23, 2015 that link to the specific Barber Foods products. FSIS continues to work with public health partners on this investigation.

Consumption of food contaminated with Salmonella can cause salmonellosis, one of the most common bacterial foodborne illnesses. The most common symptoms of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after exposure to the organism. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days. Most people recover without treatment. In some persons, however, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. Older adults, infants, and persons with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop a severe illness. Individuals concerned about an illness should contact their health care provider.

FSIS and the company are concerned that some products may be in consumers’ freezers. Although the products subject to recall may appear to be cooked, these products are in fact uncooked (raw) and should be handled carefully to avoid cross-contamination in the kitchen. Particular attention needs to be paid to safely prepare and cook these raw poultry products to a temperature of 165° F checking at the center, the thickest part and the surface of the product.

These frozen, raw, stuffed chicken products were labeled with instructions identifying that the product was raw and included cooking instructions for preparation. Some case-patients reported following the cooking instructions on the label and using a food thermometer to confirm that the recommended temperature was achieved. Therefore, FSIS advises all consumers to treat these products like a raw chicken product. Hands and any surfaces, including surfaces that may have breading dislodged from the products, should be cleaned after contact with these raw products. Also, keep raw poultry away from other food that will not be cooked. Use one cutting board for raw poultry and a separate one for fresh produce and cooked foods.

Consumers with questions can contact the company directly at (844) 564-5555.