Latest news with #GrandRapidians
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Grand Rapids institution Yesterdog sells to new owners
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Yesterdog, the iconic late-night hot dog spot in Eastown Grand Rapids, has sold after almost five decades. Owner Bill Lewis, who opened Yesterdog in 1976 at 1505 Wealthy St. near Lake Drive, told News 8 over the phone Monday that he officially sold it Sunday. 'I didn't really have it for sale,' Lewis said. 'This man just walked in. He said he'd like to buy it.' Three weeks after grand opening, Pronto Pup GR closing storefront That was late last year. After discussing the sale for a few months, Lewis made the decision to sell to the new owner, Pat Connor. 'I started to think seriously about selling it — and I just turned 80 in May,' Lewis said. 'I figure it's time for me to back off and let some young guy take over.' Since its start in 1976, Yesterdog has become part of the fabric of Grand Rapids. With a vintage 1930s aesthetic, the cash-only restaurant is a go-to spot for many Grand Rapidians for lunch or a late-night hot dog. It has won several awards over the years and has attracted customers like Janet Jackson, according to its website. Downtown Grand Rapids hot dog cart opening brick-and-mortar drive-thru It was also featured in 'American Pie,' Lewis told News 8. The movie, inspired by writer Adam Herz's time at East Grand Rapids High School, features Dog Years, a restaurant based on Yesterdog. Lewis said he hopes it will remain successful under the new ownership. The new owner has agreed to continue offering benefits to his employees, including health care, paid vacations and paid holidays, Lewis said. Inside Building West Michigan He said the decision to sell is bittersweet, adding that he loves the restaurant and his employees. When he started it almost 50 years ago, he said he had no idea it would become the landmark it is today. His customers turned it into an icon by telling their friends about it, he said, adding he never had to advertise. 'I love that place. I loved it forever,' he said. 'I think it's the coolest restaurant in the world.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Grand Rapids commission mulls whether to change voting precincts
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Grand Rapids City Commission is considering a proposal from the city clerk that would change the number of voting precincts in the city. The proposal, passing in its first reading at Tuesday night's commission meeting, would decrease the number of precincts from 74 to 59. That is a total of 15 precincts eliminated: three in the 1st Ward, five in the 2nd Ward, and seven in the 3rd Ward. The commission voted 6-1 to move the proposal to a public hearing, which will be held on April 29. At that time, it can either be modified, passed or rejected. The one 'no' vote was from 3rd Ward Commissioner Kelsey Perdue, who told News 8 she feels the proposal is a threat to voter accessibility. Allendale schools asking for $88 million bond for improvements 'There are still a ton of Grand Rapidians that are really relying on the convenience on being able to show up on Election Day and cast their ballot and be a part of this participatory democracy,' Perdue said. 'Everyone across the city should be concerned about this, reducing voting sites, making it more difficult, making it more inconvenient is a threat to voter access for all.' A stark difference of opinion came from Grand Rapids Mayor David LaGrand, who was one of the six 'yes' voters to the proposal. 'More precincts, more places to vote does not necessarily mean better voter access,' LaGrand told News 8. 'I vote at Westminster Presbyterian Church. If you close that place down and open up five new basement operations in people's houses, you wouldn't have better access to voting, you'd have more locations, but they would be way worse than the current, very visible, very accessible one.' Grand Rapids City Clerk Joel Hondorp told News 8 that this past election, around 42,000 people voted in-person on Election Day, compared to the nearly 35,000 that voted absentee and the near 20,000 that voted early. Those two totaling more than those who voted on Election Day, which he said sparked the proposed precinct changes. 'A lot of voters know this, you go into your voting place and there are two precincts voting in the same building, well it makes a lot of sense to consolidate those precincts then and have one line not two so you don't get in the wrong line and miss your chance to vote,' LaGrand said. 'Making sure we have really accessible locations for people with disabilities that are really visible.' Grand Rapids Mayor LaGrand delivers first State of the City address But limiting precincts by either eliminating or combining them together is something commissioner Perdue said she feels will disproportionately impact disenfranchised communities, especially constituents in her ward. 'When you think about the people who rely a ton on that day of Election Day, voting is young voters, it is first-time voters, it is infrequent voters. We need to make sure we keep as many options open for them as possible, make it as easy to vote right now, not make it harder,' she said. Now that the proposal has passed the first reading, it will be brought up for final votes at the next commission meeting on April 29. From there, if it were to pass, the new plans would go into effect for the upcoming midterm election. 'I am going to go every ward and make sure that every location actually is a net improvement for voters and if we need to add some locations back in, I will make sure that and I and the other commissioners make that happen,' LaGrand said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Grand Rapids' downtown shuttle, e-scooters see growth
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — New data from the Mobile GR Commission shed light on transportation habits and costs for Grand Rapidians this week. Ridership is up for the Downtown Area Shuttle and other transportation options, according to information shared at the most recent meeting. The DASH in passengers in January 2025 compared to January 2024, and an 85% increase in average monthly ridership overall since the start of last year. 'We revamped the service from two buses that run north-south and east-west, to one big circulator,' Mobile GR Transportation Planning Supervisor Erin Evenhouse said. 'We're really excited that more people are discovering it.' For shorter trips, less-traveled corridors, isolated neighborhoods or off-hours travel, micro-transit options are filling a growing need as well. Surge in DASH ridership credited to changes 'For people who don't have their own car, our options aren't great,' Evenhouse said. 'The buses don't run often, they don't run late, so being able to have a layered approach with different modes that people can take for different trip types … It's important for us to support and facilitate those different options.' Grand Rapids is entering its third year as a partner with Lime. The San-Fransico-based company provides and maintains the growing fleet of e-scooters and e-bikes free of charge for the city, in exchange for the revenue they generate. So far, the numbers are good. Evenhouse reported year-over-year growth in ridership in each year of the contract. News 8 took one scooter for a ride Sunday afternoon. We traveled 1.8 miles for a cost of $8.31 at full-fare. Mobile GR conducted a pilot program last summer that provided free rides for qualifying participants and reduced rates for some neighborhoods. It determined that the reduced fare increased participation and did not increase safety incidents. A spokesperson for Mobile GR told News 8 it intends to offer reduced prices going forward to those groups that qualified during the pilot program. Lime offering free daily rides in GR: Here's who qualifies The reduced rates, though, bring down an already competitive price. According to Mobile GR, Grand Rapids boasts the lowest rental rates of any Lime city in North America. Safety and proper use statistics are also positive in Grand Rapids. According to Mobile GR, 99% of trips ended within the contracted service area, while 95% ended with the bike or scooter parked in a designated drop zone. In cases where it wasn't, 92% of the time they were returned to drop zones within 24 hours. There were 216 safety incidents reported by Lime and the Grand Rapids Fire Department in 2024. Fifty-five of those incidents resulted in moderate injury or a trip to the hospital for someone involved. That figure represents .01% of all trips in the market. Staying safe on electric bikes and scooters in Grand Rapids The DASH and Mobile GR's other transportation programs are funded using parking payment and enforcement. There were 82,482 total parking tickets issued in 2024, including 45,805 for downtown meter infractions, which accounted for around 12% of Mobile GR's total revenue. Off-street parking made up the bulk of revenue, with garage and event parking accounting for $21 million. Part of Mobile GR's meeting discussed its findings from research into parking prices in comparable, regional municipalities. The research and outreach determined that Grand Rapids' rates in garages, for events and enforcement hours at meters were less than comparable markets. It then established guiding principles to inform decisions on those rates in the future, including keeping them lower than private parking options but even with competitive markets. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
