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Chat with Holland’s Media Personalities Past and Present

The Holland Museum program, "Chat with Holland’s Media Personalities Past and Present," a "Newsflash! The Story of Journalism in Holland" exhibition on display November 17-April 8, 2024.

A Panel Discussion 

The news media is an integral part of any community and Holland is no different. Join local media personalities Cassandra Lybrink, Lupita Reyes, Gary Stevens, and Paul Van Kolken as they discuss their careers, important news stories they have covered, and the challenges and joys of covering the news in Holland.

This program took place on Thursday, December 7, 2023
7:00-8:30 PM
Holland Museum
Free Adult Program

Donations appreciated.

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Panelist Biographies

Photo of Cassandra Lybrink who is a panelist for the Holland Museum program, "Chat with Holland’s Media Personalities Past and Present," a "Newsflash! The Story of Journalism in Holland" exhibition on display November 17-April 8, 2024.Cassandra Lybrink

As Michigan Outstate Content Director at Gannett, Cassandra guides collaboration between reporters at 15 papers in Michigan. She’s the local editor for The Holland Sentinel and The Livingston Daily Press & Argus. She holds a bachelor’s in journalism from Michigan State University with a concentration in media marketing.

 

 

 

Photo of Gary Stevens who is a panelist for the Holland Museum program, "Chat with Holland’s Media Personalities Past and Present," a "Newsflash! The Story of Journalism in Holland" exhibition on display November 17-April 8, 2024.Gary Stevens

Gary Stevens has been the News Director of WHTC-AM/FM for over 22 years, arriving on October 15, 2001, and has been in broadcasting since his college days at the University of Detroit in 1978. His past experience includes radio stints at WMAX in Saginaw and WFDF in Flint. Gary has hosted WHTC Talk of the Town since July of 2019, and during his tenure, he has worked with Michigan Broadcasting Hall of Famers Les Root in Flint, as well as Juke Van Oss and Peter Tanz in Holland. He has won several Michigan Association of Broadcasters awards for his work and is a past President of the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association (now Detroit Sports Media).

 

Photo of Paul Van Kolken who is a panelist for the Holland Museum program, "Chat with Holland’s Media Personalities Past and Present," a "Newsflash! The Story of Journalism in Holland" exhibition on display November 17-April 8, 2024.Paul Van Kolken

After graduating from Michigan State University in 1960 with a degree in journalism, Paul returned to WHTC where he began in 1954. He stayed in broadcast journalism until joining The Associated Press in Detroit in 1965. Paul was transferred in 1967 to the Grand Rapids bureau covering West Michigan for the AP and then to the Albany, N.Y. broadcast bureau. Paul returned to Holland in 1970 to join the Holland Sentinel in 1970, retiring as the city editor in 1989. Then with his wife Diana, Paul opened a retail store downtown specializing in Shaker reproductions and Michigan-themed products until her death in 2013 when the store closed. Today Paul spends his time volunteering at the Holland Museum and visiting his daughters Amy in Houston and Emily in Traverse City.

Photo of Lupita Reyes who is a panelist for the Holland Museum program, "Chat with Holland’s Media Personalities Past and Present," a "Newsflash! The Story of Journalism in Holland" exhibition on display November 17-April 8, 2024.Lupita Reyes

A fighter and advocate for Holland’s Latino community, Lupita Reyes has been a licensed social worker for over 38 years with her own private practice, LAR Counseling Services, LLC since 2013. After being told she didn’t have the grades for college, Lupita graduated from Grand Valley State University in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science degree. She went on to Western Michigan University where she earned a master’s in social work and Aquinas College for a Master of Management degree. In 1964, Lupita started a Spanish-language show to serve Holland’s growing Latino community on WHTC. She hosted the “Alegria Latina” Radio Show until 2021 (57 years). The show continues today on 92.7 The Van. She was recently honored by the Daughters of the American Revolution as well as LAUP and the Grand Haven Community Foundation with a scholarship in her name.

Learn More

This program is related to the Holland Museum exhibition,
“Newsflash! The Story of Journalism in Holland” on display November 17-April 8, 2024.

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Holland Museum

Holland Museum
31 W. 10th Street
Holland, MI 49423

The Holland Museum tells the story of Holland, Michigan, from its settlement by Dutch immigrants to today’s innovative, successful, and diverse community. Featuring thousands of fascinating historic objects, as well as artwork from the Netherlands from the 1600s through the 1900s, our permanent History and Dutch Galleries are not to be missed.

MUSEUM HOURS
Open Monday, Friday, and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

SPARK!LAB SMITHSONIAN
Spark!Lab Smithsonian encourages children and families to create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment, problem-solve, and invent. Enjoy hands-on STEAM activities that combine traditional science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) with art, history, and creativity.

FALL SPARK!LAB HOURS 

FREE Second Mondays* from 4:00–7:00 PM only
Friday: 11:00–5:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00–4:00 p.m.
Spark!Lab is included with Museum admission

*FREE SECOND MONDAYS
In addition to regular hours, join us for our “FREE Second Mondays” from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m each month. Check our calendar for specific dates. Sponsored by The Meijer Foundation.

ADMISSION AND DISCOUNTS

Admission 
$7.00 for adults
$6.00 for senior adult
$4.00 for students with a valid college ID and kids 6-18 
FREE: Holland Museum members and children ages 5 and under are free.
$1.00 Museums for All admission (EBT or WIC card holder, $1.00/person, up to 4 people per card).

Discounts
The Holland Museum offers an admission discount to Veteran’s, active military, and educators. If you are active military, the discount applies each person in your party. If you are a veteran or educator, the discount applies to that person only. Admission for veterans, active military, and educators is $5.

CLOSED IN OBSERVANCE OF THESE 2023 HOLIDAYS 

  • Memorial Day, May 27
  • Independence Day, July 4
  • Labor Day, September 2
  • Thanksgiving Day, November 28
  • Christmas Eve, December 24
  • Christmas Day, December 25
  • New Year’s Eve, December 31
  • New Year’s Day, January 1, 2025


ACCESSIBILITY
The Museum has a handicapped-accessible entrance on the east side of the building next to the circle drive. To access the building, please press the button to the right of the door and the front desk will buzz visitors in. Take the elevator from the ground floor (G) to the first level (1L) and you will arrive behind the reception desk. There is also a wheelchair available for patron use. Each level of the museum is handicapped accessible, as are the restrooms. If you have any specific needs, please call the front desk at (616) 796-3329.

PARKING 
The Holland Museum is located at the corner of 10th Street and River Avenue, across from Centennial Park. Please use the parking lot behind the museum on 9th Street or street parking is available along 10th Street. Handicap accessibility is available from the east side of the building.

BLUE STAR MUSEUM 
We are a Blue Star Museum and offer free admission to active military and their families from Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 20, 2023, through  Labor Day weekend, Saturday, September 2, 2023.

MUSEUM BUILDING RENTALS
For information about Museum building rentals, please contact David Hawley-Lowry at dhawley@hollandmuseum.org

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