Sparta Chamber of Commerce » Announcements

Harvest those Recipes 2010 Cookbook

DDA — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 14:05:16 +0000

Harvest on the Ridge Apple Festival: September 24 & 25, 2010

With Town and Country Days just around the corner and Harvest on the Ridge approaching, we are asking community members to help out and submit their famous recipes.

We want your most tasty dessert, appetizer, main dish or any combination you can think of to be included in our recipe book that will be coming out next fall.

People always talk about Grandma’s famous batch of cookies or mom’s famous meatloaf. Well it’s your turn to become famous and show Sparta how good of a cook you are!

Submit Your Recipe:

1) Simply go to www.typensave.com and click on “login,” which is located on the right side of the page.

2) Type the following information to submit your recipe:

Contributor: Your Name (as it will appear in the cook book)

Group Login: harvestrecipes (all one word)

Password: b32ue

3) When you are logged in, simply type your recipe’s name, ingredients and instructions of how to make your masterpiece.

Feel free to submit as many recipes as you want. It will be greatly appreciated. Submission deadline is April 1, 2010.

Cookbooks will be available for purchase in June through the Sparta Chamber offices.

If you have any questions, please contact the Sparta Chamber office at (616) 887-2454.

We look forward to publishing your recipes!

Old Fashioned Chirstmas Activities (Pet Night with Santa Rescheduled to 12/18/09)

DDA — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:10:23 +0000

Thurs. Dec. 10^th 6-8 pm *** RESCHEDULED FOR FRIDAY, DEC. 18th 6-8 PM DUE TO WEATHER! *** Pet Night with Santa in Santa House! Bring your furry friend to visit Santa in the Santa House! (80 N. Union, Sparta) Prepare to wait outdoors while waiting your turn! Pet food, blanket, or cash donations will receive a free photo of your pet and Santa!

Sat. Dec. 12^th 10:15 am – 1 pm Santa Train, Santa Parade & Visit with Santa! (Bring your camera for photos with Santa!) Watch as Santa, Mrs. Claus, and their elves arrive on Marquette Rail into town! Follow Santa in a Kids Parade to the Santa House. Train arrives at 10:15 am; parade begins at 10:30 am. (Train 240 E. Division; Santa House 80 N. Union Street, Sparta)

Arrive between 9:45 am to 10:10 am to enter to win a FREE chance to ride with Santa in the Parade! Each child must be present to enter. Drawing will be held at 10:10 am.

Two of Santa’s live reindeer will be visiting near the Santa House after the parade until Noon! From 11am-1 pm enjoy free Horse Drawn Wagon Rides!

Tues. Dec. 15^th 6-8 pm Santa House is Open! Bring your camera! (80 N. Union, Sparta)

Tues. Dec. 15^th 6:30-7:30 pm Christmas Craft and Story time at the Sparta Township Library from with snacks and Christmas book raffle!

Thurs. Dec. 17^th 6-8 pm Santa House is Open! Bring your camera! (80 N. Union, Sparta)

Sat. Dec. 19^th 11 – 1 pm Santa House is Open! Bring your camera! (80 N. Union, Sparta)

Tues. Dec. 22^nd 6-8 pm Santa House is Open! Bring your camera! (80 N. Union, Sparta)

Thurs. Dec. 24^th 6-9 pm Free Horse Drawn Trolley Rides through a luminary wonderland on Harper Drive! Load and unload at the Sparta Fire Department (70 N. State, Sparta). Free cider & treats provided by Hessel-Cheslek Funeral Home.

Thank you to our sponsors of Old Fashioned Christmas for brining Santa to town for the community to enjoy. Please be sure to thank our sponsors!!!

Northern Physical Therapy

Sparta Church of the Nazarene

Sparta Tire

What Old Fashioned Christmas events did we celebrate this year?

Tues. Dec. 1^st 6-8 pm Santa Party! Visit Santa at the Santa Party and decorate cookies, take pictures with Santa, create crafts, airbrush tattoos, enjoy a hot dog dinner and music! Only $1 per person at the Sparta Civic Center (75 N. Union, Sparta).

Moonlight Madness Sales in Sparta!

DDA — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:37:50 +0000

On Friday, October 30, visit downtown Sparta to participate in the Moonlight Madness Sales from 5 – 7 pm. Check out the discounts at participating stores: Moonlight Madness 2009!

Costume Contests, sales from 15% to 25% off, prizes, cookies, coffee, and more! At these sale prices, you can pick up some early Christmas gifts, pick out something fun for you, and have a night of entertainment for your kids!

Electrical Safety Tips from Sparta Fire Department

DDA — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:05:18 +0000

School is about to start! Many children will be left alone to get themselves off in the morning. Here are a few tips to help with electrical safety in the home.

Kids:

Never put anything into an electrical outlet.
Never take apart or try to fix electrical things.
Don’t have anything that has a power cord near water (bathtub, sink, puddle).
Always let an adult plug and unplug electrical things, (Computer, TV, games).
Always tell a adult about a appliance that is smoking, smells funny or sparking.

When you are outside:

Never climb a power pole.
Never fly a kite near power lines.
After a thunder storm, stay out of puddles. There might be a fallen power line in it.

Parents:

Do not overload electrical outlets.
Make sure electrical cords are in good working condition.
Never “fix” a frayed power cord. Throw it away.
Never splice together power cords to make a longer one.
Never run a power cord under a rug to “hide” it.
Have safety caps inserted in outlets when small children are around.
Always have a working fire extinguisher in the house. Know how to use it.

Electrical fires kill 500 people a year. By taking precautions and educating our children in fire safety, we can all make our homes safer.

Lt. Mary-Ann Meyer

Sparta Fire Department

mary-annmeyer@charter.net

chiefbolen@aol.com

Engraving Bricks in Downtown Sparta

DDA — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:38:17 +0000

The Sparta Downtown Development Authority is offering the downtown brick engravings for 2010. The original bricks, engraved in 1996 are placed throughout downtown Sparta as part of the Streetscape Revitalization project in 2009. If you would like to purchase a brick to put an engraved message in the new streetscape, click here to fill out the order form. Engraved Bricks are $50 each with up to 13 characters per line and 3 lines per brick. Special requests for placement of the bricks may be taken into consideration during the placement of the bricks, but no guarantees. Please contact DDA Director Elizabeth Gorski-Morse with any questions at (616)887-8251.

2010 Brick Engraving Order Form here

Sparta Depot to Host Railroad Presentation

DDA — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:16:02 +0000

Kevin Ruble, President and CEO of Marquette Rail will present the May 21st program at 7:30 at the Sparta Historic Depot (located the at the North end of Union Street, Sparta, MI 49345).

He will describe the current status of Marquette Rail, its future plans, and answer any questions you may have. Marquette Rail operates the tracks that travel through Sparta crossing Division next to Elm Street where one can see and hear trains passing through multiple times per day. The tracks connect from South of Grand Rapids, up to Ludington and Manistee area.

Photos of the Sparta Railroad Site: click HERE.

Coming from a railroading family, Kevin started his career with the Katy Railroad. After serving a stint as a leader and venture capitalist to middle-market companies, he returned to the railroad industry as a consultant on over 85 short-line transactions over a 20-year span, while also advising in the development of high-performance employee-owned companies.

He has a BBA in Economics from Sam Houston State University and an MBA from the Univeristy of Dallas.

Kevin is involved in leadership roles in both the employee ownership and short line rail road communities. He started the tradition of the Santa Train through communities which brings Santa Claus into Sparta each year.

This program is hosted by the West Michigan Railway Historical Society, a chapter of the NRHS.

Harvest on the Ridge BBQ Contest

DDA — Wed, 06 May 2009 15:19:13 +0000

The Harvest on the Ridge BBQ Contest held in downtown Sparta is an attraction for locals and visitors alike to experience the sights and delicious smells of a semi-professional BBQ Contest! The Sparta Sizzlin’ BBQ Contest is a State Sanctioned Championship Barbecue Location for the State of Michigan on Friday & Saturday, September 25 & 26 in Balyeat Field in downtown Sparta. In addition to this mouth watering event, downtown Sparta will be the host of the Art in the Park Show, live music and entertainment, kids games, and more! The Sparta Sizzlin’ Barbecue Cook-Off is coordinated by the Harvest on the Ridge volunteers, Sparta Chamber of Commerce, and by staff members from Unity Security.

Click below for complete event information. Can’t find something you need? Contact Roger Gren at Unity Security at (616) 887-7767.

BBQ Entry Form

Judge Request Form

Kids Cook-off Registration (Postponed for 2010)

Kansas City Barbecue Rules & Regulations

Food Vendor Application Form

Please check out the Event Sponsors! The Sparta Sizzlin’ BBQ Contest couldn’t happen without their support!

Event Sponsor’s Info (coming soon!)

Would you like to be part of an event that will draw from around the Midwest? Click here for the Sponsor Registration Form.

Kansas City BBQ Society WEbsite: www.kcbs.us

Nature Center Kicks Off Spring Cleaning Season with E-Waste Day

DDA — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 21:14:26 +0000

The days are getting brighter causing both birds and humans to prepare their nests forspring! The Howard Christensen Nature Center and Comprenew will join forces on March 7 to offer a free, convenient, environmentally safe way to dispose of office and household electronic waste. As you begin your spring-cleaning, remember that most electronic products contain toxic components that cause health concerns when incinerated or placed in a landfill.

E-waste Day will be held at the Sparta ChoiceOne Bank parking lot at the corner of Division and Union St. on Saturday, March 7 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. There is no limit on the number of items for disposal, and the only charge is $10 per TV.

Almost anything that has a cord or battery will be accepted such as laptops, monitors (any size at no fee), computer accessories and cables, memory sticks, printers, VCRs, radios, microwaves, dehumidifiers, and electric power tools! A basic data wipe of computer hard drives is included. Large appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners are not accepted.

Call Comprenew at (616) 451-4400, option 1, or e-mail recycle@comprenew.org with questions about accepted electronic items. Please contact the Howard Christensen Nature Center at (616) 675-3158, or hcnc@kentconservation.org to make arrangements for large quantities, or to inquire about other dates for disposal.

Sparta Streetscape Project Awarded Federal Grant

DDA — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 20:44:58 +0000

Thanks to a matching federal Transportation Enhancement Grant administered by the Michigan Department of Transportation, Downtown Sparta will begin a Streetscape Project in April. This project is an initiative of the Downtown Development Authority in partnership with the Village of Sparta. Sparta is one of only seven municipalities in Michigan to receive the grant in 2009. With $376,500 in Transportation Enhancement Grant funds, the improvements include pedestrian safety measures including brick crosswalks and lighting, benches, trees, shrubs, and landscaping in an effort to slow traffic down. Project limits are on Division Avenue from State Street to the Nash Creek Bridge and along N. Union. Additional funding is through Kent County, Sparta DDA, and the Village of Sparta.

For a few years, the DDA and Village have been budgeting funds in anticipation of this project, which means taxes will not be increased and special assessments will not happen for this project. The DDA captures a percentage of tax dollars from the taxing jurisdictions on specific DDA parcels as passed by State Legislation to work on development projects. The project is anticipated for competition in early July.

Terrific News for a Local Business

DDA — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:55:24 +0000

All About Learning Project in a Classroom.

All About Learning Inc, partners with schools in over 30 states to provide academic enrichment programs focusing on science technology engineering and math. The focus on these specific areas is in part because US students have traditionally fallen behind students in other countries in these areas of study.

The award process started with 235 nominated companies, and several rounds of applying and company verifications, All About Learning Inc. was chosen as one of the “50 Companies to Watch” awardees in Michigan. The awards are abased on several different categories in businesses including management philosophies, unique business qualities, and innovations. The award is to recognize the vital role companies of this size play in the economy. The foundation behind the award, the Edward Lowe Foundation, champions the entrepreneurial spirit by working with entrepreneurs. For more information, visit www.EdwardLowe.org.

How did Stackpole grow his business to achieve this award? Stackpole says the secret is that “We keep the business simple, and it helps the business grow. The success has come from learning how to spread our business across the country” though they remain headquartered in Sparta, Michigan, and website at www.michiganlearning.com. “We are honored to receive this award and will be attending a black tie affair and having dinner with the governor in April.” Looking forward to the future, Stackpole says, “we have continued interest in expanding our seemingly recession proof business. We are open to speaking with interested investors in the community.”