🌱 Dino & Dragon Stroll​ + Uptown GR Shop Hop + Turkey Drop

Hey, neighbors! Miranda Fraraccio here with the latest Grand Rapids Daily.

First, today's weather:

Breezy, cooler; p.m. flurries. High: 41 Low: 28.

Here are the top stories in Grand Rapids today:

1. Dino & Dragon Stroll is coming to the DeltaPlex Arena in Grand Rapids from Jan. 1-2, 2022, with a good cause. The interactive event allows guests to get up-close and personal with massive, moving prehistorical and fantastical creatures who stand up to 28 feet tall and 60 feet long and feature moving heads, necks, tails, and mouths. While the exhibit is focused on education and fun, Dino & Dragon Stroll teams up with a local food bank/pantry at every stop of the tour as part of their “Stomp Out Hunger” initiative to help those struggling within each local community. (WZZM13.com)
2. Gonzalo Ramon Rodriguez, 59, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to aiding and assisting in the preparation of false and fraudulent tax returns. Rodriguez admitted to a number of lies in filing tax returns, including using other people’s credentials, listing the wrong filing status or claiming improper tax credits for clients, and making up expenses and losses. In all, federal investigators say he filed 41 bad returns between 2014 and 2018, getting away with $111,504 he was not owed, which he will now have to pay back. (WOODTV.com)
3. The Uptown Grand Rapids Shop Hop is returning from Nov. 16 through Dec. 24 for a ‘full season of surprise.’ (WOODTV.com)
4. Bobcat Bonnie's, a Detroit-based restaurant known for its “craft beers, great food, amazing service, and a killer playlist," is now open in Grand Rapids. (grbj.com)
5. Mel Trotter Ministries' is collecting turkeys for families in need at their 18th annual Turkey Drop. (Fox17)

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Today in Grand Rapids:

• Habitat Stewardship Day - Millenium Park (12:30 PM)
• Home for the Holidays - Grand Rapids Symphony (7:30 PM)

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That's it for today! See you all tomorrow for your next update. If you're loving these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to read along. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a born and raised Rhode Islander. She works as a freelance copywriter for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and as an assistant producer for a live-lit storytelling show in Chicago. She holds a degree in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies from The University of Rhode Island. In her free time, you can find her traveling, hiking, or photographing her neighborhood as a street photographer.