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East Express | Feb. 1, 2024

PARKS & RECREATION

SPORTS NIGHT OUT RESCHEDULED 
The rescheduled Sports Night Out for elementary school-aged children and their adult chaperones is Saturday, Feb. 17. Join us 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the East Grand Rapids High School gym for a fun evening of games, challenges and activities. Plus, there’s a photo booth so you can have a keepsake from the evening. Registration is still available online. The event was rescheduled due to winter weather.

FINANCE & CITY ADMINISTRATION

NEXT CITY COMMISSION MEETING
The next City Commission meeting will be held 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 5 at the Community Center, 750 Lakeside Drive SE.

Community members can also watch the meeting live via the City’s YouTube channel and view minutes and agendas here.  

WINTER PROPERTY TAXES DUE FEB. 14

Winter property taxes are due Feb. 14. Payments can be made online, by mail, via the drop box at the Community Center, 750 Lakeside Drive SE, or in person at the Community Center. Learn more here. 

FEB. 27 ELECTION

The Feb. 27 presidential primary is quickly approaching. The last day to register for this election by mail or in person anywhere but the City Clerk's Office is Monday, Feb. 12.

A reminder we will offer nine days of early voting 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 17-25 in Room 105 at the Community Center, 750 Lakeside Drive SE, except for Feb. 21, when it will be available 11 a.m.-7 p.m.  

Under new state law, we have also consolidated our voting precincts and mailed updated voter information cards. Review your new card or visit mi.gov/vote for your polling location. 

Community members are welcome to view voting machine testing starting at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7 in the Commission Chambers at the Community Center.

More information about elections in East is available at eastgr.org/elections.

PUBLIC SAFETY

REMINDER TO LOCK UP 
Join your neighbors in locking your home and vehicle. Public Safety encourages residents to participate in the #9PMRoutine – a national initiative that helps community members remember to take simple measures at 9 p.m. each night to keep their possessions safe. This includes bringing in items such as snow removal equipment, toys and other personal items, locking your house, garage and vehicles and turning on outside lights to deter theft.

PUBLIC WORKS

CONSTRUCTION UPDATES

Public Works is currently upgrading the traffic signal at Breton Road and Boston Street SE and continuing water service line replacements. DTE is also replacing private gas mains throughout the city. Residents can call the DTE gas system improvement office with questions or concerns at 616.551.2621.

For more information on these projects and more, visit the construction updates webpage.

Additionally, make sure to check out our 2023 construction recap, which outlines the Public Works Department’s infrastructure projects and accomplishments over the past year.

WINTER WEATHER OPERATIONS

Curious about our street and sidewalk salting and plowing operations, how we prioritize road routes and how you can help make snowplowing easier for our Public Works team? Get the answers to these questions here. 

When snow events are forecast, Public Works asks residents to park in their driveway instead of the street. If you must park in the street, please avoid parking directly across from another vehicle so snowplow drivers can provide safe and efficient service. 

ADOPT A DRAIN

As snow and ice melt, Public Works asks residents to help care for storm drains. If possible, carefully clear debris from drains before it starts raining and shovel snow off drains to keep water flowing. 

For information on adopting a drain and joining your neighbors in protecting our watershed, please visit https://www.lgrow.org/adopt-a-drain. 

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

EAST GRAND RAPIDS SCHOOLS FOUNDATION
Save the date: EGRSF’s annual fundraiser, HURRAH!, returns to Wege Plaza overlooking Reeds Lake with food, fun, friends, music, drinks and more Saturday, April 20. This year’s HURRAH! will be a birthday party celebrating the Foundation’s 40 years of supporting our schools. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available online. 

KENT DISTRICT LIBRARY: EAST GRAND RAPIDS BRANCH

The East Grand Rapids branch will host several free programs over the next few weeks:

• Trivia Night @ KDL – 6:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7: Adults are invited to enjoy themed rounds of trivia and brain games covering general knowledge and pop culture topics with fun audio and visual clues. The game will be played in teams of up to four members, so come with friends or join a team on the spot.
• Lakeside Lit Book Club – 1-2 p.m. Monday, Feb. 12: Adults can join a fun, informal discussion of great books. This month, we'll discuss “In the Time of the Butterflies” by Julia Alvarez.
• Heart to Heart Craft Party – 10-11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 13: Roses are red, violets are blue, join our Valentine event, just for you! Celebrate Valentine's Day with crafts for all ages. 

Don't forget to join KDL’s Let It Snow winter reading club, which goes to Feb. 29. Community members 11 years and older who read or listen to six books earn a Let It Snow mug. Want more? Log four more titles and be automatically entered into the Power Reader drawing for a chance to win an Amazon Kindle Scribe or other prizes. Visit kdl.org/snow to get started. 

EAST GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Kindergarten pre-enrollment for the 2024-25 school year is available for EGR residents. Learn more at egrps.org/Enrollment/Kindergarten-Program.

For residents looking to enroll in grades 1-12, please email enrollment@egrps.org.

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