Marn E. Walker restaurant

 Kloe Katsma, left, serves Shirley Lurtsema, back right, Mary Koryto,front right, Sally Huey, back far right, and Sharon Salazar, front far right, at the Marn E. Walker restaurant.

Hand tossed pizza made from a special house dough cooks in the Wood Stove brand oven.

Forest Hills high school hockey

 The Forest Hills Northern/Eastern boys Hockey player Alec Miller celebrates a goal against the Forest Hills Central team during the Northern/Eastern's 7-2 victory at Patterson Arena Saturday February 5, 2011.

 Forest Hills Northern/Eastern boys Hockey player Devon Holt, left, and Forest Hills Central player Stephen Logusz, right, collide during Northern/Eastern's 7-2 victory.

 Forest Hills Northern/Eastern boys Hockey player Brad Reiter, left, and Forest Hills Central player Peter Gibson, right, chase the puck during Northern/Eastern's 7-2 victory.

Individual Wrestling in Grand Haven

 Holland-West Ottawa high school wrestler Miguel Correa, front, defeats Grand Havens Tyler Rose, back, to win the 285 pound 2011 Division 1-1 Individual District wrestling tournament at Grand Haven High School Saturday February 12, 2011.

Rockford High School wrestler Austin Scogg, back, defeats East Kentwood's Niko Parks, front, to win the 152 pound championship at the 2011 Division 1-1 Individual District wrestling tournament

The Ground Hogs Day Blizzard

 

Hal Brocker a maintenance person for the Grand Rapids Public Museum uses a snow blower to clear snow from in front of the museum during the snow storm Wednesday February 2, 2011.

Grand Valley State University Students Leighton Kyle, 20 right, and Nadine Morcos, 19 left, walk home after class was cancelled along Fulton Street in the storm  Tuesday February 1, 2011.

These are two of my favorite photographs from the Blizzard of 2011.

Preparing for the Blizzard

 Jesse Meerman, 33 right, uses sawdust to push a bull out of way as he prepares for the Ground Hogs Day storm by bedding the cow barn with sawdust at Grassfields Organic Cheese on 60th Ave in Coopersville Tuesday February 1, 2011.

  Grassfields Organic Cheese dairy farmer Luke Meerman, 35,  prepares for the Ground Hogs Day storm, Meerman said of the impending storm, "I get excited about storms because it's a challenge, mostly to see if you can handle it."

Boxers in Golden Glove gym

 Golden glove boxer Ricardo Rios, 19, traisn for the MGGA pre SuperBowl fight night at the Golden Glove Gym Thursday February 3, 2011.

 Golden glove boxer Ricardo Rios, 19 right, spars with Jose Covarrubias, left.

 Golden glove boxers Jordan Shimmell, 22, trains for the MGGA pre SuperBowl fight night at the Golden Glove Gym.

Boxers Craig Schwallier, left, and Gerhart Braho, right, exercise Golden Glove Gym.

Governor Snyder's Inauguration

 Michigan Army National Guard from the 1-119th Field Artillery fire the 19 gun salute at the inauguration of Governor Rick Snyder at the Michigan State Capitol Building.

 Governor Rick Snyder, center, is sworn in as the 48th Governor of Michigan at the State Capitol Building by the Chief Justice of the State of Michigan Marilyn Kelly, left, Saturday January 1, 2011.

 Four A-10 Thunderbolt II Ground Attack aircraft from the 127th Fighter Wing at Selfridge Air National Guard Base fly over the Michigan State Capitol Building at the inauguration of Governor Rick Snyder.

 Kimberly Batson, center left from Middleville, Nancy Fuller, center from Ottawa County, Bill DeBoer from Conklin, center right, and Charlie Foote, right from Jenison, cheer during the speech by Secretary of State Ruth Johnson at the inauguration of Governor Rick Snyder as the 48th Governor of Michigan at the Michigan State Capitol Building.

 The Michigan State Capitol Building decorated for the inauguration of Governor Rick Snyder.

 Security officers watch from a balcony of the Michigan State Capitol Building at the inauguration of Governor Rick Snyder.

A security officer watches from a balcony of the Michigan State Capitol Building at the inauguration of Governor Rick Snyder.

This was my first inauguration, I ended up becoming obsessed by the security guards on the balcony.  They were spooky because they were dressed like SWAT team members instead of in normal police uniforms. It was cold and windy, and probably colder and more windy on the balcony, so they may have needed the special clothing to stay warm.  However, I still think they were more intimidating than necessary.

Portraits

 Ottawa Hills senior basketball player Dyann Wiley photographed at Ottawa Hills High School.

 Ruth Stegeman is leaving her job after 19 years as the Executive Director of the Disability Network/Lakeshore to a new job as a partner in a consultant.

 Rockford hockey player Mike VanderVelde.

 Chris Cameron the Executive Director of Silent Observer poses by a home that is being repaired after fire damage, Silent Observer helped catch the man who started the fire.

 Entrepreneur Mayra Martinez, 29, is preparing to open her families third location of Garibaldi restaurant, Taqueria, and catering in the 34th street Mall.

 Army Staff Sgt. Amy Gould will sing the national anthem at Gov. Rick Snyder's Inauguration in Lansing.

Jim Heeringa the co-owner of E & R Sales poses with some of his returned cigarette vending machines.
 

Christmas decorations in Grand Rapids

 Chet Maxlow, 16 lower right, reaches out The American Horse sculpture by Nina Akamu at the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park decorated for the Christmas and Holiday Traditions Around the World Exhibit which will be on display until January 9.

Spectators drive beneath arches of Christmas lights at the NiteLites Drive-Thru Christmas lights show at the home of the Whitecaps 5/3 Ballpark Thursday December 23, 2010. The show is made of about one million lights and has a one mile long circuit.

Christmas is over, but I am trying to change the definition of holiday season, so that holiday lights can last all the way through the season of winter.  I mean if it is the holiday season then it really should last for an entire season.  Yes, I know what you are thinking, and no I have not finished taking down my holiday season lights yet.

Bull Riding

 Professional Bull Riders of the PBR prepare before riding at Van Andel Arena Saturday January 8, 2011.

  Bull Rider competitor Levi Schmucker falls off of Glory Day.

 Red Bull chases Professional Bull Rider competitor Nic Lica after Lica fell off.

Bull Rider John Braska rides Slim Prospect out of the gate.

This was one my all-time favorite assignments because they had a "shark cage" inside the ring with the bulls, and they let me photograph from inside of it.  None of the bulls charged the cage--but they could have.