Economic Development

Coverage of projects, big and small, and the people who create them, which promote the economic health of a community, including manufacturing, retail, office, and hospitality developments.

Benton Harbor Safe Summer 2010 offers jobs and more for young people

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June 10, 2010

Programs in Benton Harbor could provide as many as 5,000 summer opportunities for young people in the community.An initiative called Safe Summer 2010 is designed to improve economic and job development opportunities for youth and young adults throughout the summer.More than $250,000 in reallocated or new program funding has been identified for these programs. Funding is made possible through various state and federal programs in addition to local donors.Partners in the initiative are Harbor Shores Community Redevelopment Inc., Michigan Works!, the Consortium for Community Development, Whirlpool Foundation and Whirlpool Community Relations, the Boys and Girls Club of Benton Harbor, Cornerstone Alliance and many others. "As we are working our way through rough times," says Benton Harbor Mayor Wilce Cooke, "activities to engage young people in both recreational and job training will set the stage for future opportunities for them as individuals, as well as for the economic development efforts underway for the community as a whole."Safe Summer 2010 will include programming for recreational activities, such as summer youth sports and transportation to Jean Klock Park, job training and workplace experience.Michigan Works! will provide opportunities for local youth to gain summer work experience and prepare them for their future careers. "Today's employers are requesting skills and talents that come from specific experience, training and education. For six years, our Youthworks! Summer Jobs program has provided these opportunities. This year, despite funding challenges, we've enrolled nearly 200 Benton Harbor youth into the program." said Todd Gustafson, Executive Director of the Michigan Works of Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties. The Benton Harbor Area Schools announced its summer lunch program and the locations and times for serving meals to area students. "This program helps to provide students a healthy diet, which is an essential part of their development and well being," said Dan McGinnis, President of the BHAS School Board. Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Jamie Balkin, Cornerstone Alliance

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Shuttle service will connect neighborhoods and beach

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Economic Development

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June 10, 2010

A free shuttle service to link the neighborhoods of Benton Harbor and Jean Klock Park will be offered in partnership with Dial-A-Ride, making a trip to the beach a whole lot easier this summer.The Jean Klock Express will run in continuous loops of 16 stops across Benton Harbor from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. The route begins at Calvin Britain Elementary and some of the stops are Benton Harbor High School, McCord School, Morton Hill, The Boys & Girls Club, The Golf Club at Harbor Shores and Jean Klock Park. The full schedule is here. In accordance with normal Dial-A-Ride rules, all riders under the age of 16 years old must be accompanied by an adult.The service, which began May 18, will continue through Labor Day. The Consortium for Community Development, Cornerstone Alliance and the Whirlpool Foundation are working with Harbor Shores and the City of Benton Harbor to provide recreational and educational opportunities for the youth of the community. "For me, it's all about the kids. To make a difference in the lives of our young people is the foundation of re-building any community," says Marcus Robinson, President of the Consortium of Community Development and Harbor Shores Trustee. Harbor Shores is Lake Michigan's first beach and golf resort community, just 100 miles east of Chicago in Benton Harbor and St. Joseph. The community's central amenity is an 18-hole, public Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course that offers stunning views of Lake Michigan. Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Ron Eng, Harbor Shores

Improved math, reading will better chances of employment

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Economic Development

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June 10, 2010

Sometimes getting a job requires training in the basics.The Workforce Development Center, a new project offered at the Northside Association for Community Development in cooperation with Kalamazoo Valley Community College, will offer such training.Mattie Jordan-Woods, the NACD's executive director, says she knows skilled technicians in automotive mechanics and other trades who lack the basic math and reading skills to gain certification in those professions. In the one-year pilot program, participants will learn about a variety of jobs and what it requires to apply for them. They will determine their existing skills and what skills they need to better qualify for employment. They also will be able to create a customized learning program for each student.Participants will be able to learn at their own pace and one-on-one tutoring will be available. "It will get people on the path to a job," Jordan-Woods says. "For people to work themselves out of a low-income or poverty situation, they need to have solid math, writing and reading skills."William Willging from the M-TEC of KVCC will oversee the project.Two tutors will be based at the NACD, located at 612 N. Park St., to provide one-on-one, computer-based instructions that will raise the basic mathematics and reading skills of neighborhood residents.The training is free to all participants. It is funded by a $7,000 grant from the Kalamazoo Community Foundation. KVCC President Marilyn Schlack says she sees the Workforce Development Center as a stepping stone to what is being envisioned in the evolving Arcadia Commons West concept for the redevelopment of downtown Kalamazoo, and a positive influence on adjacent Kalamazoo-core neighborhoods.Among the missions of the NACD are job creation, neighborhood revitalization, and financial independence for residents. Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Tom Thinnes, Kalamazoo Valley Community College

College leaders band together to evaluate programs

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Economic Development

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June 10, 2010

By working together the presidents of six Southwest Michigan community colleges and Western Michigan University expect to create stronger higher education opportunities for students across the region.To foster that cooperation, they have formed a consortium.An example of the type of programs that may grow out of the consortium are two pilot dual-enrollment programs serving aviation and engineering students at Kellogg Community College who plan to earn bachelor's degrees from WMU. This program has launched in the past 18 months.Similar programs and opportunities are already in stages of formation and implementation with the other community college partners.The consortium partners are: • Dr. G. Edward Haring, president, Kellogg Community College;• Dr. Robert P. Harrison, president, Lake Michigan College;• Dr. David M. Mathews, president, Southwestern Community College;• Dr. Dale K. Nesbary, president, Muskegon Community College;• Dr. Marilyn J. Schlack, president, Kalamazoo Valley Community College; and• Dr. Gary Wheeler, president, Glen Oaks Community College.Next comes a series of meetings between officials at the individual community colleges and WMU, in which specific academic programs and ventures will be examined and tailored to the needs of students."We all agree that there is potential for enormous benefit to our students if, as a group, we are thoughtful and creative about how we leverage existing resources to meet the needs of the populations we serve," Dunn says. "This is our commitment to work closely together to ensure students have the opportunities they need to realize their goals." Writer: Kathy Jennings Source: Cheryl Roland, WMU

Art therapy use expands to help with grief and loss

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Economic Development

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June 3, 2010

Sometimes when there are no words, art can help.This month, Borgess Hospice will hold Camp Hug, an Expressive Arts Bereavement Camp to help family members learn to cope with the death of a loved one through creative outlets.A registered art therapist, a music therapist and grief counselors, with support from Borgess Hospice RNs, other staff and volunteers will be camp facilitators."When a person is undergoing a traumatic event such as the loss of a loved one, she or he may have difficulty expressing the experience directly or effectively in words," says Kathleen Buday, a registered board-certified art therapist who serves as Expressive Arts Coordinator. "A creative process can be a non-threatening means to express oneself."Borgess VNA Home Health & Hospice has been expanding its grief support services for Kalamazoo and the surrounding communities by offering art therapy programs.Since 2009, Borgess Hospice has offered Creative Crossings: An Art Therapy Bereavement Group for Children and Teens. Through art and other artistic means, such as movement and music, youth creatively express the feelings that occur when dealing with grief and loss.Buday also provides art therapy to hospice patients and family members or both if they desire to use artistic media to explore feelings, reconcile emotional conflict and assist in communication.No special artistic ability or experience is required. Suitable techniques and art experiences can be designed for virtually every level of physical capability.Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Kathleen Buday, Expressive Arts Coordinator for Borgess VNA Home Health & Hospice

WMU med school plans move forward with appointment of interim dean

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Economic Development

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June 3, 2010

Dr. Jack R. Luderer has been deeply involved in the development of Western Michigan University's medical school initiative. Now he's heading it up.Luderer became interim dean effective June 1. He has served the past five years as executive director of WMU's Biosciences Research and Commercialization Center, a life-sciences research center that assists startup companies. A national search for a founding dean was launched in February. It will likely be several months before one will be in place to lead the school.Luderer, a board-certified medical specialist in internal medicine with sub-specialty certification in clinical pharmacology, has a background that includes positions as a clinical vice president for Pharmacia Inc. and Upjohn and vice president for research at WMU. In addition to serving in his BRCC role, he has spent the past two years working with WMU President John M. Dunn and the Kalamazoo medical community to develop a new school of medicine. The Kalamazoo initiative has filed a letter of intent and has been awarded applicant status with the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the group that accredits medical schools in the United States and Canada. A school of medicine in Kalamazoo has been under discussion and in the planning stage since late 2007. During a November 2009 meeting, Dunn announced a $1.8 million anonymous gift made to provide seed money for the next steps in the development process, including the search for a dean.Dunn says with this appointment Luderer's full attention will be on two goals: maintain existing momentum toward obtaining the money necessary to found the school and bringing the search for dean to a successful conclusion. The initiative is collaboration with Kalamazoo's two major hospitals -- Borgess Health and Bronson Healthcare -- as well as other interested medical organizations in West Michigan. Writer: Kathy Jennings Source: Cheryl Roland, WMU

Work begins on 38-unit, $3.4 million senior housing community in Kalamazoo

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Economic Development

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June 3, 2010

An estimated 120 new construction jobs are expected now that Presbyterian Villages of Michigan has broken ground on a $3.4 million senior housing community in Kalamazoo. Presbyterian Villages of Michigan (PVM) received a multi-million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to build the 38-unit senior apartment community at Sage Street south of Stone Brook Road. The funds are intended to help low-income seniors live safe, independent lives and promote construction jobs.The development will offer one-bedroom apartments of approximately 600 square feet as well as a community room, laundry facilities, lounge areas and library/internet cafe.Potential residents are 62 years of age and older and have a gross annual income of $22,000 or less for one person and $25,150 or less for a two-person household. Rent is based on 30 percent of residents' adjusted gross annual income and the remaining rent is covered by HUD. Roger Myers, president and CEO of Presbyterian Villages of Michigan, says he is pleased to offer this opportunity to the Kalamazoo community. "It reflects our mission to extend a hand to all seniors of all faiths throughout Michigan." The Village is PVM's 25th senior living community in the state. Results of a market study from Community Research Services LLC, show the development is needed because the primary market area for the project will experience a 17.9 percent increase in population of seniors age 62 and older by 2013 and a county-wide increase of 25.5 percent for the same demographic.PVM, headquartered in Southfield, is a faith-based, multi-site nonprofit that offers continuing care retirement communities, including apartments, assisted living, and skilled nursing, subsidized senior housing and market-rate senior housing. Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Dawn Dyer Magretta, Presbyterian Villages of Michigan

The idea behind 4th of July barbecue is serious entertainment

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Economic Development

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June 3, 2010

The Boiling Pot Music Festival is about fun. It also has a mission.In its first year, Kalamazoo's newest outdoor celebration will bring together at least 40 musical acts, 30 artists and a full complement of forums designed to get people talking about areas of importance to the community -- agriculture and food security, energy, education, housing, human security, green space and transportation. Spiritual, mental and physical wellness also will be addressed. The July 3-4 festival is at the Arcadia Creek Festival Place in downtown Kalamazoo. Matthew Lechel, event coordinator for the I.D.E.A. Association, says the festival can capitalize on what's already happening in the local music and arts scene. "We want to harness the social capital that's already being created as the community comes together and then take it to the next level," Lechel says. Boiling Pot also is a play on words for organizers trying to stir the pot of ideas regarding where creative energy needs to be focused in Kalamazoo.On white boards displayed throughout the festival community members will have a chance to "map" organizations and projects already happening in the community within eight identified sectors. Natural partnerships will be identified and information on a long-term project involving the community is expected to emerge. Art projects from seven previous events sponsored by the I.D.E.A. Association will be on display at Boiling Pot and eight new pieces will be made in the pavilion by those attending the festival.And because sustainability is important to the organizers a greening team has been assembled to make sure no paper, plastic or food from the public or vendors at the event ends up in a landfill.The Boiling Pot Festival is presented by The Strutt and The I.D.E.A. Association. Ticket prices, a schedule of events and a list of artists are available here.Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Matthew Lechel

Super Saturday: It’s not just a one day event anymore

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Arts & Culture

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June 3, 2010

From 30,000 to 40,000 people are expected to turn out in Kalamazoo this weekend to take in the largest downtown event of the year.The event that began years ago as Super Saturday has morphed into the kick off of the summer season for retailers, restaurateurs and entertainment venues across downtown.The fun begins Thursday with the Greek Fest at Arcadia Creek Festival Place. Musical headliners are the Spin Doctors Friday and Night Ranger Saturday.Next up is the expanded Art Hop featuring art work in nearly 60 different locations across the downtown. Art on the Mall, traditionally a Saturday event, will open Friday night to cater to the Art Hop crowd. From 5 to 10 p.m. there will be a sneak preview of the KIA Art Fair in Bronson Park.Silliness steps off Saturday morning with the Do-Dah parade, a Kalamazoo tradition in which participants spoof just about anything as they march through downtown. Throughout the day people will be flocking to the 59th annual Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Fair where they'll find 200 artist booths, a kids art yard, live music, a beer garden and food court on South Street.Friends of the Library Book Sale, at the Kalamazoo Public Library, will run from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There is a Ladies Library Ice Cream Social and a Historical Walk that starts in front of Gazelle Sports, 241 S. Kalamazoo Mall.The weekend concludes with the Concerts in the Park series at Bronson Park beginning at 4 p.m. with Kalamazoo Singers, one of the area's premier choral organizations.Downtown Kalamazoo Incorporated is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing Downtown Kalamazoo as an accessible, diverse, green, progressive and vibrant urban center. Writer: Kathy Jennings Source: Vicky Kettner, DKI

St. Joseph sponsors a summer of dog gone fun

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Economic Development

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June 3, 2010

Dogs from the past and the future were part of the fun when St. Joseph unleashed its summer public art display, Hot Diggity Dogs. Think Dyno-Mutt in a dinosaur costume and a mechanized Robo Dog solar panel and you'll get the picture. The dogs will remain downtown until Oct. 1.Some, like artist James O'Haver of St. Joseph, dressed for the occasion the day the dogs went on display. O'Haver in overcoat and deerstalker cap matched his creation, the basset hound Sherlock Hound. Numbers on the statue's base read 221, a tip of the deerstalker cap to 221 Baker St., the home of fictional detective Sherlock Holmes.Excerpt: "I'm a Sherlock Holmes fan, along with Hercule Poirot and other British mystery genre that's on television," O'Haver said. "I really love that stuff. I loved the whole idea of doing one of the animals as Sherlock Hound."O'Haver said initially he wasn't going to do Sherlock Hound, but when he came downtown and learned there was no address between neighboring Marie's Hallmark at 219 State and Signal Travel and Tours at 223 State, he couldn't resist. There had to be a 221, he said."I thought that would add a little mystery to it, and I thought of doing Sherlock Hound on a base that has 221 - the missing address," said O'Haver, an artist with a studio at the Box Factory for the Arts. "I seem to be creating a quite little stir. The costume helps a little bit, but the kids like the idea of Sherlock Holmes."For more information on St. Joseph's sixth year as sponsor of a downtown public art project, read the entire story.Source: Herald-Palladium