Muskegon Blog

Thunder Home Opener Big Success

Dee Dee Smith — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 13:41:10 +0000

Last night was the home inaugural game for the Muskegon Thunder, Muskegon's new indoor arena football team. Thinking it might be a little crowded, my husband and I left for the game about 45 minutes early. We only live about 5 minutes from downtown, so we thought we might have our pick of parking spaces. To our surprise, we had difficulty finding a parking space, and people were already gathering in the arena for the game. The crowd was standing room only, with close to 5,000 spectators in attendance.

Last night's game was extremely exciting with the Thunder pounding on Summit County of Ohio, with a final score of 54-12. The stars of the game were Derek Hawthorne, a Flint native who recently played for Grand Rapids Community College. His victory dance is more like a celtic dance to me, nevertheless, it was funny and he showed that he is a wonderful asset to this team. Other stars of the night were former Big Red (Muskegon High School) star Paul Dye and Oakridge Eagle T. J. Williams.

Now to be truthful there are just a couple of issues I think the Thunder need to address. First, the turf was bought used from a team out of Cleveland and it is very worn. Hopefully, after they make some money they can replace it. The second concern is the sound system. The announcer could barely be heard at times. My last concern, well the Static Shock Dance team. No offense to these beautiful young ladies, but they just did not have their act together. They missed steps, seemed unsure about their routine, and stayed on the floor too long at times. Ladies, this is not basketball. Learn the game so that you don't become a hinderance.

Overall, I'm so glad to welcome the Muskegon Thunder. It is coached by homegrown talent (the coaches come from Holton High School) and most of the players are from around here as well.

Michigan's Adventure Now Hiring

Dee Dee Smith — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 17:06:09 +0000

Michigan's Adventure Theme Park, just outside of Muskegon, is hiring for it's upcoming park season. The amusement park will open in mid-May, and the waterpark in late May. Full-time and part-time employment is available. With the season going from May until around Labor Day, this makes for a great summer job for students and/or teachers, homemakers, retirees and pretty much anyone who loves the outdoors. The park is in need of ride/game operators, lifeguards, costume characters, security, food attendants/catering and more. Visit the site to download an application - http://www.miadventure.com/jobs.shtml.

Easter Dinner Buffets

Dee Dee Smith — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 21:58:01 +0000

This upcoming Sunday is known as Easter Sunday for many people. Whether you see this as a time to celebrate family, faith or just the coming of Spring, here are some places to dine for Easter in Muskegon.

Jack's/Spring Lake Holiday Inn on Savidge in Spring Lake (about 10 miles south-east of Muskegon). Easter Brunch buffet from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. Beautiful view of lake, and great food.

Harbor Steakhouse at the Holiday Inn in Muskegon. Easter buffet runs from 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. The menu features shrimp, fresh fruit, cheese/crackers, scrambled eggs, french toast, prime rib, baked salmon, an assorted dessert table and much more. The cost for adults is $15.95, $10.95 for kids, and kids under 4 eat for free. Reservations are desired.

Tim & Tom's Place in Twin Lake (about 15 miles north of Muskegon). From 2 p.m. - 8 p.m. Adults $10.95 & children $5.95, 5 & under eat free. Very casual restaurant. Good food but not great ambience. Call 828-4522 for more information.

Of course the Golden Coral Buffet near Lakes Mall, and the Old Country Buffet on Sherman will also be favorite stops for families. Be sure to get their early as they will probably be very crowded.

Muskegon Thunder, Arena Football Team Home Opener

Dee Dee Smith — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 18:20:19 +0000

The first home game for the new Muskegon arena football team, the Muskegon Thunder, will be next Friday, April 13 at 7:30 p.m. The team will play Summit County at the L.C. Walker Arena in downtown Muskegon. The Thunder are already off to an okay start. They won their 1st game, which was against Summit Cty, but lost their 2nd game which was against Marion. I'm looking forward to seeing the team in action. I'll be sure to let you know about it - or maybe I'll see you there. To learn more about the new team, the Muskegon Thunder, you can visit their website at - www.muskegonthunder.com.

Farmer's Markets Open for Spring

Dee Dee Smith — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 20:02:03 +0000

Oh I just love spring. One of my favorite things to do on Saturday's in the Spring is to visit the local farm markets. At these markets I enjoy shopping for produce grown by local farmers, specialty items such as jams/jellies, homemade soaps and candles, and flowers/plants. Here are a couple of my favorite markets in Muskegon.

Muskegon Farmer's Market located on Yuba street just about a mile north of downtown. The market opens the 1st of May and continues through December. It is open on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The market opens around 7:30 a.m. or so and ends at about 1 p.m. Get there as early as possible because the produce gets picked over. This market has produce raised by local farmers, meats, fresh baked goods, flowers, plants and even some crafts.

Sweetwater Market (http://sweetwaterlocalfoodsmarket.org) at the Great Lakes Down on Harvey Street. The theme of this market is - "healthy, homegrown, humane", because all of the vendors are local farmers committed to animal welfare and the environment. There is one vendor there that has the best homemade cheeses. The market opens in June and continues through October. They are only open on Saturday.

Muskegon Amusement Park Named "Attraction of the Year"

Dee Dee Smith — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 13:24:40 +0000

Michigan's Adventure, a Cedar Fair LP amusement park (they also own Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH) has been named "attraction of the year" by Travel Michigan and the Michigan Hotel, Motel & Resort Association. The amusement park is just about 15 miles or so north of Muskegon in the Whitehall area, and is actually 2 parks in 1 - Michigan's Adventure Amusement Park and WildWater Adventure (an exciting water park). Click here to learn more about the park - http://www.hotelsbycity.net/blog/usa_michigan_muskegon/wp-admin/.

Upcoming Charity Walks/Races/Tournaments

Dee Dee Smith — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 23:47:53 +0000

It's that season again. In the spring/summer, many charities depend upon walkers, runners and even bowlers to help them raise money for their causes. These walks/races can be great fun for families, churches and other groups. Here is a list of upcoming charity walks/races in the Muskegon area.

Walk America (a 5 mile walk) is a fundraiser for the March of Dimes. The walk in Muskegon will be held on April 28, 2007 and will begin at Heritage Landing. Visit the March of Dimes website for more information - http://www.marchofdimes.com/michigan/4259_23558.asp.

Bowl for Kids Sake, a fundraiser benefiting the Big Brothers Big Sister organization of Muskegon. Dates are 4/14, 4/20, 4/21 & 4/28. Visit www.bbbslakeshore.org for more information.

National Kidney Foundation Walk - will be held on May 5, 2007. This is a 5K walk along Pere Marquette Beach. Call Kathie Cosgrove at (616) 458-9520 for more information.

The Human Race - to raise funds for charities/agencies including Volunteer Muskegon, Goodwill, the Muskegon Rescue Mission and others. You can participate in either the 10K run, 5K run or the fun walk. There is a registration fee (it is a fundraiser of course) and you can also get sponsors if you'd like. The event will be held in late July at the Muskegon State Park. Check back at the Volunteer Muskegon website for more information - http://www.volunteermuskegon.org/.

Another Year In the Play-Offs

Dee Dee Smith — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 19:14:09 +0000

The Muskegon Fury have made it to the play-offs and hope to reclaim their title by becoming the 2007 Colonial Cup Champions. Home playoff games are scheduled for Wednesday, April 11th and Saturday, April 14th. Both games will be held at the L.C. Walker Arena (of course) and will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Culver's Restaurant Coming Soon to the Muskegon Area

Dee Dee Smith — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 19:54:09 +0000

One of my favorite restaurants will open soon in Grand Haven, just a few miles south of Muskegon. Culver's restaurant is known for the "butter burger" and for their wonderful, creamy frozen custard. The Grand Haven restaurant is scheduled to open in late April. It will sit on the corner of Jackson Street and Beacon Boulevard, and will be easily accessible via US-31. Yeh! I don't have to drive to Holland anymore for my custard. Click here to learn more about Culver's.

New/Unique Gift Shop Opens in Muskegon

Dee Dee Smith — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 15:04:31 +0000

Last Tuesday marked the grand opening of "Edible Arrangements", a gift shop owned by the Muskovin's of Muskegon. Edible Arrangements offers, well, edible arrangements. Instead of sending the same old floral arrangements, now you can send an arrangement that is beautiful and edible. Some ideas include cantaloupe, honeydew, strawberries, grapes and pineapples. Chocolate lovers can enjoy arrangements dipped in chocolate, or a fudge that is sugar free. The arrangements also make great centerpieces. You have to see them to really appreciate them - go to www.ediblearrangements.com to see samples. Edible Arrangements is located at 5851 Harvey Street, near the Lakes Mall.