![Downtown Grand Rapids as seen from the intersection of Cesar E. Chavez Avenue and Oakes Street Downtown Grand Rapids as seen from the intersection of Cesar E. Chavez Avenue and Oakes Street](https://www.therapidian.org/sites/default/files/imagecache/article_medium/article_images/481285310615e7ca8b719k_0.jpg)
Downtown Grand Rapids as seen from the intersection of Cesar E. Chavez Avenue and Oakes Street /John Rothwell
Downtown Grand Rapids as seen from the intersection of Cesar E. Chavez Avenue and Oakes Street /John Rothwell
SAFE Task Force to Host "Pitch and Highlight Night" in November
The SAFE Task Force has announced that it will be holding a "Pitch and Highlight Night" at the Grand Rapids Center for Community Transformation on Wednesday, November 30. The purpose of this event is to allow local nonprofit organizations and other concerned citizens to present their ideas on how to reduce the rate of violence in Grand Rapids. Milinda Ysasi, Grand Rapids City Commissioner (Second Ward) and co-chair of the SAFE Task Force, made the following statement in a press release sent out on Wednesday:
"Many solutions and ideas to reduce crime and violence in Grand Rapids come from our own community. The SAFE Task Force wants to promote and assist in the achievement of those ideas. We look forward to listening to these pitches and learning about new proposals that support prosperous and safe neighborhoods in Grand Rapids."
The release also lays out the guidelines that each proposal must follow -- including gearing interventions towards at-risk youths between the ages of 12 and 24. The top five proposals, which will be selected on November 30, will win a partnership with the City of Grand Rapids/SAFE Task Force. They will also be granted $10,000 towards making these programs a reality. For more information about the proposal requirements or the "Pitch and Highlight Night" event, click here. To submit a proposal to the SAFE Task Force, click here.
City Commission to Host Final "Commission Night Out" Meeting of 2022 in the Second Ward
Through a press release that was sent out on Wednesday, October 26, the City of Grand Rapids is reminding residents that the next "Commission Night Out" (CNO) meeting will occur at GRPS University (in the Second Ward) on Tuesday, November 1. Like the last two meetings, Grand Rapidians will have the opportunity to discuss the results of the 2022 National Community Survey with city staff. They will also be able to offer up their own ideas about how things like infrastructure, public safety, education, the environment, and the economy can be improved upon in Grand Rapids.
This will be the last "Commission Night Out" meeting of 2022.
The meeting is scheduled to begin at 5:30pm, though the City Commission will not be handling official city business until around 7:00pm. Refreshments will be available to those that attend, as will limited childcare services for residents of Grand Rapids. Parents can pre-register their children here (for children between 0 to 3 years old) or here (for children between 4 to 12 years old).
This CNO event will also be livestreamed on both Facebook and YouTube.
For more information, visit the City of Grand Rapids' website.
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