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Studio 246 invites fans and new friends to support theater

By Newsroom

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Development News

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May 27, 2010

Some theaters invite patrons to fundraisers with champaign and chocolate covered strawberries. Kalamazoo's newest theater plans a tailgate party. The party, June 6 at 4 p.m., is part of four days of shows Studio 246 has planned raise money for needed renovations and improvements to the space. The weekend also is a celebration of the completion of the first season at Studio 246. To mark the event, Crawlspace Theatre Productions, Kinetic Affect and Fancy Pants Theater plan a series of shows titled Fancy Affection in the Crawlspace.On the first weekend in June, the theater troupes will fill the studio space with spoken word poetry, original theater works, improv and sketch comedy. Performances will include some favorite work from this past season, along with pieces getting their debuts. The actors hope to raise at least $5,000 over the four days of events for such projects as a highly visible mural that patrons of events in the Arcadia Festival Site will notice, new signage out front, improvements to the lobby and air conditioning that will allow the space to be used during the summer."Studio 246 is not satisfied with being Kalamazoo's best kept secret," says Dann Sytsma, Artistic Director for Crawlspace Theatre Productions. "We're aiming to enhance the aesthetics of Kalamazoo by improving our facility.  Studio 246 is a storefront theater, and our storefront needs some attention.  The leadership of Studio 246 wants to enhance the North end of the Kalamazoo Walking Mall with proper signage, an enhanced building front that exclaims 'the arts are growing in Kalamazoo.'"The studio at 246 N. Kalamazoo Mall has chosen to be "the theater for those seeking less traditional expressions of art," Sytsma continues. "Spoken word poetry, non-traditional plays, homegrown comedy, are just three examples of what you'll see in this space.  Studio 246 celebrates the performing arts in its rawest form.  It is not so much a theater as it is an incubator of ideas."   For showtimes and ticket information visit the Crawlspace Productions Web site.Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Dann Sytsma, Crawlspace Eviction Productions

Used medical equipment helps creatures far and near, great and small

By Newsroom

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Development News

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May 27, 2010

Equipment that has outlived its usefulness at Battle Creek Health Systems sometimes is sent abroad. Donations have gone to medical missions in the Caribbean and the Philippines. Other times it goes no further than Binder Park Zoo. BCHS gladly obliged when a local request came from the zoo asking if the hospital might have some specialized equipment that it might be able to use in its veterinary clinic. Dr. Chris Tabaka, staff veterinarian at Binder Park Zoo recently performed a "spring teeth cleaning" for one of the zoo's snow leopards. He worked under a special light that was donated to the zoo by Battle Creek Health System.  One piece of equipment donated has been a pulse oximeter, a medical device that indirectly measures the oxygen saturation of a patient's blood and changes in blood volume in the skin. The hospital also has given the zoo a surgical light, x-ray viewbox, and surgical instruments and trays. "Even though our medical staff does not treat animals, it does not mean that the hospital cannot be supportive with medical equipment for the zoo," says Tammy Clinger, BCHS director of materials management. "We had a number of medical devices that had outgrown our use, so what better way of extending their lives than to help our local zoo residents." Battle Creek Health System, sponsored by two parent organizations -- Trinity Health and BCHS Community Partners -- promotes wellness for the whole person with access and compassion for all. For the latest medical information, visit the BCHS web site. Writer: Kathy Jennings Source: Peter Phelps, Battle Creek Health Systems

Magazine for boaters raves about South Haven

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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May 27, 2010

The June edition of Lakeland Boating Magazine has so many nice things to say about South Haven it devoted six pages to the city.Author Heather Steinberger writes: "Best known for its ample dockage, breathtaking sunsets and abundance of blueberries, the tiny community of South Haven, Michigan is a boater's paradise just waiting to be discovered."The magazine, which describes itself as the voice of the Sweetwater Seas for more than 50 years, offers in-depth boat tests to stories on weekend getaways, product roundups to features on colorful ports of call on the Great Lakes.  Excerpt:"All boaters must see a South Haven sunset off the lighthouse pier," Mayor Burr advised enthusiastically.That really is a must do. Local Ottawa, Miami and Potawatomi tribes called this area Ni-Ko-Kong or "beautiful sunsets." I can vouch for the sunsets; they are breathtaking.Visit the white-sand public beaches that are within a short walking distance from the city's transient dockage," the mayor continued. "Shop our well-established Farmer's Market on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. And the fishing is awesome, with salmon, steelhead, lake trout and perch from May through August."Both Mayor Burr and Robin Abshear encouraged boaters to enjoy the festival season as well.For pictures and more observations, read the entire story. Source: Lakeland Boating Magazine

Golf course, $80 million project gets national focus

By Newsroom

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In The News

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May 27, 2010

Benton Harbor is driving toward the future with the help of Jack Nicklaus and golf, reports USA Today.A coalition of public and private entities is intent on cleaning up manufacturing brownfields, stimulating tourism and creating jobs. The key component of the work and the centerpiece of a $450 million redevelopment effort over the next 20 years is Harbor Shores, a 530-acre beach and golf resort community that features a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, as previously reported by Second WavOn August 10, Nicklaus will be joined by former rivals Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Johnny Miller for a charity Skins Game at The Golf Club at Harbor Shores.Excerpt: "The event is a great opportunity to highlight how golf is being used as a vehicle for social and economic revitalization," Nicklaus says. "The area needed to be cleaned up, and as a result, create a stimulus for the area, for the community, for the town, for tourism and for jobs. It did a lot of really good things."Nicklaus, 70, a renowned golf course builder with nearly 350 courses worldwide, faced a tough task when called on in 2005 to transform acres of diverse land along the St. Joseph River and Paw Paw River, dunes that rise up to 100 feet above Lake Michigan's beaches, and acres of long forgotten factories, toxic waste dumps and a Superfund site."We had to have a golf course designer who was sophisticated enough to deal with lots of empty buildings, roads, power lines, a railroad track, two rivers, a lake and a public park," says Mark Hesemann, managing director of the Harbor Shores Resort.Nicklaus, he says, had to change the course routing nearly 20 times.For more on the project, read the entire story.Source: USA Today

Kalamazoo Promise spurs academic achievement in public schools

By Newsroom

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In The News

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May 27, 2010

To prepare students for college and create a college-going culture for its students, the Kalamazoo Public schools have adopted a comprehensive list of social and academic expectations for children of every age, reports the Detroit News.Kindergartners are learning about college. Literacy is a focus of learning in early grades. And college visits in middle years and Advanced Placement courses in high school are all leading to more students seeking higher education.An unprecedented experiment, The Kalamazoo Promise pays college tuition to public colleges and universities in Michigan -- 65 percent is covered for those who attend one of Kalamazoo's two public high schools. If they attend a district school for 13 years, beginning in kindergarten, 100 percent is covered.Excerpt: "The money has acted as a catalyst for the community to put education at the center of its vision," said Michelle Miller-Adams, a visiting scholar at W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, a nonpartisan think tank in Kalamazoo.While funding is a critical part of an equation to help students become successful, the community also plays a crucial role in supporting the larger goals of the program, Miller-Adams said. So far, she said, the school system is delivering."Across the board, there has been an effort to create and deepen a college-going culture throughout grades K through 12," said Miller-Adams, author of "The Power of a Promise," a book about the scholarship program. "This is a district that has a high proportion of low-income kids, and that is not typically a population that has a high level of college awareness or aspirations. But there have been efforts at every level to deepen that college-going culture."The story also says The Promise also helped Kalamazoo Central become the first high school to win a commencement address from President Barack Obama.Source: The Detroit News

The undead entertain downtown Battle Creek in search for brain food

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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May 27, 2010

As thunder rolled and rained drizzled down, zombies swarmed the streets of Battle Creek. The prophesied Zombie Apocalypse had come, reports Laura Adams in her blog, The Village Thinker.There were blood-covered zombies, drooling zombies and pre-school-age zombies with mommy zombies. With the exception of an irate security guard at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation who threatened to call the police, folks in downtown Battle Creek seemed to accept the swarm.Local photographer Dave Melges organized and captured the zombie antics.  Soon, he's organizing a bride-themed photo shoot. And for five days in September, the zombies and the brides will do battle in the streets of Battle Creek as he shoots a feature-length movie called Brides vs Zombies.For video, still pictures and more commentary on the event check out Adams' blog.Source: The Village Thinker

Kalamazoo Foundation receives $200,000 grant to fight racism

By Newsroom

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Development News

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May 20, 2010

A national effort to promote racial healing, led by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, has enlisted the efforts of one of Kalamazoo's leading organizations. The Kalamazoo Community Foundation has been awarded a $200,000 grant, one of 119 organizations to be funded in the Kellogg Foundation's new five-year, $75 million "America Healing" racial equity initiative. The effort is intended take on structural racism and expand opportunities for vulnerable children.The national initiative will address the effects of such issues as residential segregation and concentrated poverty. Its aim is to improve the lives of vulnerable children and their families by eliminating barriers to opportunities. Children of color are over-represented among the 29 million low-income children and families in the United States. About 61 percent of African American, 62 percent of Latino, 58 percent of children with immigrant parents live in low-income families, according to the National Center for Children in Poverty.In Kalamazoo, two nonprofit groups that works with young people, a group of young people and the Community Foundation itself will be looking at local practices and policies "to get to the meat of overcoming structural barriers," says Dr. Sharon Anderson.The work undertaken by the Kalamazoo Community Foundation will go beyond conversation. "We think people want to do something more than just talk about it, but no one has asked them to do more," Anderson says. "Our objective is to find various examples of how structural change plays out. We will be learning as we go."Participants will be asked to commit to a three-year process. They will evaluate programs being used elsewhere and learn how certain systems now in place locally discriminate against people of color. Projects and policies that reduce institutional racism are expected to emerge."When we are done," Anderson says, "we hope people will have a real sense of achievement."Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Dr. Sharon Anderson, Kalamazoo Community Foundation

Gardeners share nature’s bounty

By Newsroom

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In The News

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May 20, 2010

Jane Maddock, of St. Joseph, has too many cranesbill geraniums, ornamental grasses, lilies and black-eyed Susans in her yard. She wants to make sure that garden surplus goes to a good home. Maddock works with Plant It Forward, a local program that brings people who are thinning their gardens together with people who want to start one. "Any time you're a gardener, you have to divide plants anyway. They grow beyond their space and get crowded," Maddock says. "It's great to be able to give plants to people who need them."Excerpt:Plant It Forward was created in 2001 after Janet McClelland, a member of the Indian Hills Garden Club, watched the movie "Pay It Forward" with her grandchildren. She suggested that garden clubs donate plants to people who have an interest in beautifying their property or growing their own vegetables but cannot afford to buy plants. They, in turn, could share their plants with other people in future years. The idea took root and now, thousands of plants are distributed to dozens of families every year.Betsy Langbo, Plant It Forward coordinator, said the event is helping families grow their own vegetables and flowers, and helping children get fresh air and exercise while experiencing the simple joy of growing and tending plants.For the details on the 10th annual event, read the entire story.Source: Herald-Palladium

Local marathon invites people to run for the health of it

By Newsroom

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Development News

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May 20, 2010

Kalamazoo is jumping to the front of the pack in helping Southwest Michigan sustain a healthier lifestyle, one of the motivating factors behind plans for the city's first marathon.The event has been set for the weekend of May 6-8, 2011, to accompany a weekend of running events that will showcase what the city has to offer.The Kalamazoo Marathon will build on the success of the Borgess Run for the Health of It, a local road race that has been drawing runners to the area for more than 30 years. In 2010 there were 5,000 people who turned out for the various race events, including a half-marathon, health walk, 5k and kids run.Director of the Borgess Health and Fitness Center Janeen Dosca, this year's race director, is working with Blaine Lam and Gazelle Sports co-owner, Chris Lampen-Crowell, to develop the event.Organizers expect the marathon to draw runners from across the Midwest. People were asking how to sign up even before formal announcement of the event took place, Lam says.Chris Lampen-Crowell, owner of Gazelle Sports, says there is a pent-up demand for a marathon in Kalamazoo, home to the state's largest running club.Lampen-Crowell says the event will be a "very special marathon that celebrates health."Major sponsors for next year are already in place. Meijer and Priority Health will remain sponsors, and support will also come from AVB Construction, Discover Kalamazoo, Gazelle Sports, K-Valley Orthopedics, Kalamazoo Orthopedic Clinic, Pfizer, Premier Radiology and RiverRun Press.For further details and the latest updates on routes and other information, visit Borgess Run for The Health of It.Writer: Kathy JenningsSource:  Janeen Dosca, Borgess Health and Fitness Center

Apartments spur redevelopment in Washington Square

By Newsroom

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Entrepreneurship

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May 20, 2010

Redevelopment has been slow in coming to the Washington Square district of Kalamazoo's Edison neighborhood. But now it's happening, thanks to Roger Schmidt and his partners at TCS Properties LLC. The group acquired the property at 1336-1348 Portage Street two years ago for about $240,000. After extensive renovations they are now offering apartments for lease there. Schmidt said five of the 16 apartments on the second and third floors of the property are leased.The tenants thus far are professional people who work downtown and want easy access to it.Excerpt:The renovation work has included modernizing the building with new plumbing and electrical work, opening up interior areas, reconfiguring spaces and ameliorating damage from a fire that ravaged part of the interior of the structure after the acquisition, about 18 months ago."Eight of the 16 apartments are done and we will be getting a certificate of occupancy in a week or two," Schmidt said.Apartments in the location range in size from 600 square feet to about 800 square feet and will lease for about $500 per month. TCS will look to renovate commercial space on the ground floor of the building, which already has two tenants.The city of Kalamazoo, business leaders, economic-development officials and neighborhood groups continue to look for resources and ways to revive the area, particularly the now-vacant, one-acre lot that used to be the site of Deja Vu. It is directly across Portage Street from Schmidt's property.To learn Schmidt's vision for the neighborhood, read the entire story.Source: Kalamazoo Gazette