Each month, we have the opportunity of honoring a Rapid Bus Operator who has gone above and beyond in their job to keep the community moving. These bus operators are nominated by their peers and awarded by the Transportation Department for their hard work and dedication.

Bus Operator of January 2017: Cindy C.

How long have you worked at The Rapid?

I have worked for the Rapid since 2012.

What do you like best about your job as a bus operator at The Rapid?

Every day is different! I work with some of the most amazing co- workers and supervisors!

What are you passionate about?

My passions are my grandchildren James, Sophia, Addison and Scarlett. They truly make my heart happy❤️. Kev Owens is also my peace and happiness.

Congratulations, Cindy! Thank you for all you do.

Nothing beats a deal that lasts all year round. That’s why we love the Kent District Library. Get set up with Kent District Library Card and everything at the library is free!

Our partnership with FOX 17’s Smart Shopper typically highlights local businesses with unbeatable deals. Most don’t immediately consider their local library as a hotspot for great deals. However, the Kent District Library has a lot more than just books. You can rent comic books, movies, video games, iPads, game consoles and much more. In the summer, cardholders can even rent bikes and helmets. Aside from the diverse array of rental options, there is also events and programming for all ages going on every month. The best part: Events are always free to the public. There’s everything from an adult winter reading program to a root beer making class.

Ride The Rapid to your local Kent District Library location and get your library card today to get access to tons of freebies and access to awesome events. Six library branches are on Rapid routes. See locations and plan your trip.

For many, coffee is considered a morning staple. But at Ferris Coffee and Nut Co., the owners and employees know that coffee is more than just a beverage, it’s an experience.

Ferris Coffee and Nut Company was established in Michigan in 1924. For nearly 100 years, they’ve been brewing specialty coffee and gourmet nuts. Their inventory boasts more than 150 varieties of specialty coffees, gourmet roasted nuts, chocolates, candies and trail mixes. Ferris works to provide the community with the finest plant-grown products, allowing coffee lovers to experience new flavors from all around the world.

Baristas at Ferris say the best way to experience their coffee is with their pour over brews, where hot water is poured over coffee grounds to create one cup of coffee. If you’ve never tried a pour-over, your taste buds are missing out. While this is a lengthier process of making coffee, it brings out more flavor from the coffee grounds so each cup of coffee will taste slightly different from the last.

Thrifty Thursday Deal

We’ve partnered with FOX17 and Ferris Coffee and Nut Co. to bring you a Thrifty Thursday special that’s perfect for autumn.Ferris enjoys encouraging coffee lovers to try new brews. One way to expand your coffee palette is to stop by every Thursday to try a $3 pour-over brew. This gives you a chance to branch out without hurting your coffee budget!

Ferris Coffee and Nuts Company has locations at 227 Winter Avenue Northwest and 40 Pearl Street Northwest in downtown Grand Rapids. Plan your trip on The Rapid by visiting ridetherapid.org.

At the beginning of each year, we gather to acknowledge the outstanding work of three types of Rapid employees who have excelled at their work. We recognize the year’s most exceptional administrative employee, technician and bus operator. This year, we’d like you to get to know The Rapid’s 2016 Employees of the Year a bit better.

Administrative Employee of the Year

Lauren D., Benefits Administrator

How many years have you been at The Rapid?
8 years.

Tell us about your career path at The Rapid?
I started in 2009 as a part-time Human Resources Assistant and was in that position until 2012. I was the Recruiter from 2012 – 2015 and became the Benefits
Administrator in October 2015, which is my current role.

What do you love most about your job?
Working with all employees of The Rapid, especially the HR team I work with and the family friendly environment.

Technician of the Year

Tim S., Technician

How many years have you been at The Rapid?
22 years.

You’ve seen a lot of changes during your time here. What has been the best one?
When air conditioning was installed in the garage.

What do you love most about your job?
The people I get to work with.

Bus Operator of the Year

Sherry B., Bus Operator

How many years have you been at The Rapid?
9 years.

What are some other notable achievements you’ve had at The Rapid?
I’ve had no preventable accidents or founded customer complaints during my time at The Rapid.

What do you love most about your job?
I love the driving. I like to be out and about and not stuck in an office environment. Meeting new people helps to make it a really fun job, as well.

Congratulations to Lauren, Tim and Sherry! We’re so grateful to have you as a part of our team.

It’s time to get out and take advantage of Michigan’s cold climate and have some fun while doing it!

Ice sculptures, Human Hungry Hungry Hippos, and a giant ice bar are just a few exciting things taking place in downtown Grand Rapids in the days to come. Snow Days, a five-day winter festival sponsored by Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. and partners, kicks off on Feb. 10.

Snow Days comprises three distinct free- and low-cost events that each feature a wide variety of activities for both families and adults:

Valent-Ice

Valent-ICE, organized around Valentine’s Day, celebrates love and winter in Downtown. Among other activities the event features:

– 50+ unique sculptures that turn Downtown GR into a gallery of ice art. The sculptures total 17 tons of ice and include a life-sized Muhammad Ali, a space shuttle and a 5,000 lb sculpture determined by community voting which runs January 18-25.

– Walking and running tours

– Live ice-carving events

– Games and special libations served at the Downtown Market’s special Ice Bar.

Rail Jam

Rail Jam is a ski and snowboard competition takes place on Feb. 11 at noon in Ah-Nab-Awen Park. Snowboarders and skiers will compete for $1,000 in the free competition by AGA Nation. Visitors can also enjoy live ice-carving demonstrations, sledding and games. Don’t forget to visit the warming tent and food trucks at this event.

Humane Hungry Hungry Hippos

On Sunday, Feb. 12, the classic board game comes to life with the The Human Hungry Hungry Hippos tournament. This game features real people munching marbles on the ice at Rosa Parks Circle in the spirit of the classic tabletop game. The game is currently sold out, but you will want to get there before noon to get a good spot to watch the fun.

Ice Skating

On Monday, Rosa Parks Circle will host free ice skating from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. While admission is also buy one, get one free on Valentine’s Day.

Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. organizes Snow Days in partnership with community partners, local businesses and sponsors, including Ice Brigade, AGA Nation, AHC+ Hospitality, Craig’s Cruisers, the Grand Rapids Public Museum, WOOD TV 8 and the City of Grand Rapids.

Plan your trip today!

Every romantic’s favorite holiday is just around the corner. Candy, roses and dinner is the standard for many on Feb. 14. But why not set your Valentine’s Day apart from the rest this year? We want to help you plan something a bit out of the ordinary for your special someone.

We put together a list of unique and sweet ideas to surprise your favorite person with. The best part? You don’t need to drive to get to them. This means you get to enjoy a cozy and convenient ride on The Rapid, which will give you more time to talk and less time to worry about driving and parking. Plan your trip in advance and Grab your bus pass and get on board with your sweetheart.

Here are a few noteworthy Valentine’s Day date ideas that are both budget-friendly and public transit accessible.

Catch a Movie

If you’re not loving the normal box office offerings, plan a date to Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts Movie Theater. There you’ll have access to independent, foreign and documentary movies every week, Tuesday through Sunday. If you want to delay your Valentine’s celebrating for a day, you can check out local cinematic talent at the theater’s annual Open Projector Night on the 15th from 8 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Thinking of doing dinner before? If you bring your UICA movie receipt to favorite local restaurants like Osteria Rossa, Stella’s Lounge, Grove and San Chez, you can take advantage of discounts through the UICA’s dinner and a movie program.

Explore a Winter Wonderland

Grand Rapids’ very own winter ice festival takes place from Feb. 9 – 14. Ride the bus to downtown Grand Rapids to enjoy the state’s largest ice bar, a 5,000lb community voted sculpture and 50+ ice sculptures dispersed downtown. You and your special someone can take part in walking and running tours, live ice-carving, games and even special libation served at the Downtown Market’s Ice Bar.

This multi-day event is jam-packed with so much to do and see. It’s the perfect excuse to get out and enjoy the cold. See the full schedule to plan your date.

Make it Brunch Instead

Valentine’s Day dinner is a February 14th staple. This means that if you haven’t put in a reservation somewhere yet, there’s a chance you’re probably not getting in. So, why not switch it up? Scrap the standard Valentine’s dinner plans and go out for breakfast, lunch, or better yet, brunch. Here are three brunch locations for your consideration:

Matchbox Diner — Ride Routes 5 & 6 to get there.

Real Food Cafe on Eastern — Routes 4 & 28 can get you there.

Anna’s House — Visit the East Beltline Avenue location by riding Routes 5, 6, 24, and 28.

Spend a Day at the Museum

Valentine’s Day is the perfect day to explore a museum with your significant other. If you have children, you can also bring them along for the ride.

The Grand Rapids Public Museum has a wide variety of exhibits on display. You can also celebrate Valentine’s Day a bit early by purchasing tickets for the Feb. 9th Concerts Under the Stars event featuring chamber funk by Jamga in the Chaffee Planetarium. Tickets are $12 before the concert and $15 the day of.

If art is more your style, make it an all-day, visit the Grand Rapids Art Museum for a day of exploration and hands-on fun. February’s exhibits include Finders Keepers: West Michigan Collects, Leo Zulueta: Black Waves and Prints and Processes. From 1 p.m. – 4 p.m., stop by the Drop-In Studio to craft your own puzzle.

Volunteer

Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love, so why not consider branching out from romance into charity and friendship? Whether you regularly volunteer at an organization or are interested in getting started, there are many ways to give back on February 14. A quick online search can pull a number of reputable volunteer opportunities in the Grand Rapids area. Just be sure to check use the RapidConnect Trip Planner to ensure that the destination and timing of your volunteer opportunity works for bus travel.

Take a Brewery Tour

Since you won’t be driving, consider checking out local breweries in this beer-loving city. And while you’re there, why not take a behind-the-scenes tour? You’ll be able to try different beers, enjoy a variety of food, and still travel the city safely.

You can even plan your own Valentine’s Day beer tour by looking at the breweries throughout the city and checking out the Rapid system map. Currently, Route 6 has the most breweries located just steps away from bus stops. Plan your trip in advance to ensure that routes are running and you can plan out your arrival and departure times. May we suggest starting at Founders, just across the street from Rapid Central Station?

Go Ice Skating

Bundle up and catch a ride with us to enjoy ice skating at Rosa Parks Circle with your Valentine. Admission is $1 for those ages 17 and under and $2 for 18 and over. Need skates? Your ice skate rental fee is covered with admission. View daily ice skating hours here. You can also end the day with a romantic dinner.

Happy Valentine’s Day from your friends at The Rapid!

How do you find out what’s fun, fresh and relevant in and around Grand Rapids? GRNow is the perfect way to stay up to date on local events and entertainment throughout Grand Rapids and the metro area.

Every month we join Shelley Irwin on the WGVU Morning Show to talk transit. On Jan. 23, Michael Bulthuis, The Rapid’s Public Outreach Coordinator, joined Irwin with CJ DeVries of GRNow to get the scoop on events to come in February. From Valent-ICE to the opening of 20 Monroe Live, there’s so much to see and do this month!

Listen to our segment and learn more about events and entertainment taking place this month, as well as the exciting improvements coming to GRNow.