Fifty years ago, as the nation celebrated its 200th anniversary, Grand Rapids faced a pivotal moment. Business and civic leaders looked at what their city had become and refused to accept it. Volunteers and retired police officers stepped up, and what followed in the decades since has been an incredible rejuvenation. …

Grand Rapids and America have always been places where people roll up their sleeves and build something better. That optimism, ingenuity, and stubborn refusal to accept decline remain our greatest strengths.