Still time to take a sip of Craft Beer Month
July is Michigan Craft Beer Month and there’s still time to enjoy the tapping of a firkin. Michigan Microbrews, a website for Michigan Craft Beer enthusiasts written by John Palmer, […]
Battle Creek
With an economic development organization that is the envy of many communities, Battle Creek is a city building on its food industry roots and the land that makes it the state’s third largest city. For fun, each year the Cereal City, world headquarters to the Kellogg Co., celebrates the significance of the most important meal of the day with the World’s Longest Breakfast table. Bikers, cyclers and joggers take in the parks, forests and streams linked by a 24-mile linear park. Campers and outdoor lovers visit Fort Custer Recreation area for fishing, hiking, cross country skiing and boating. For animal lovers, African creatures, like giraffes, and Asian animals, like snow leopards, make the Binder Park Zoo a must. The Battle Creek Art Center and Battle Creek Symphony stoke the city’s cultural offerings and the new Firekeepers Casino adds to the city’s fun side. B.C’s Math and Science Center is acclaimed and secondary education needs are accommodated by Kellogg Community College, Robert B. Miller College and a branch of Western Michigan University. And Sojourner Truth, who lived here, watches over downtown from the memorial in her honor.
Daycare filling up a sign of improved economy
Jobs are returning to Battle Creek's industrial park and so is growth in the businesses that support them, reports the Battle Creek Enquirer.Manpower Inc. at 4661 W. Dickman Road now employs five times more workers than it did during the worst of the economic recession, Branch Manager Betsy Sanford said in the story. The temporary staffing service center has about 380 workers on its roster, up from 75."It is turning around. The jobs are coming back," Sanford said.Excerpt:The hope of a brighter industrial future led Nicole Lewis to expand her home-based day care into the former Altrusa Day Nursery in the 4661 W. Dickman Road office complex alongside Manpower.Lewis' former business, called Urbandale Day Care, could accommodate only 12 children, but her new Fort Custer Child Care Learning Center is licensed for 100.At full capacity, she would need to hire an additional seven to 12 child care workers and she expects to need them eventually, she said. Already parents in the industrial park are clamoring to secure places for their little ones.For other signs of recovery, read the entire story.Source: Battle Creek Enquirer
Fast company blazes out of Climax
CTS Telecom has come a long way from its beginnings as the Climax Farmers Telephone Co-op. Writer Jane Parikh finds out what has kept the company going since 1911 and where it's going next.
Battle Creek saves money with innovative software
Printed pay stubs are a thing of the past for City of Battle Creek employees.They were eliminated as part of a money-saving effort."Like so many cities out there, we are looking at a deficit and budget cuts in 2010, so we are taking a close look at our processes and services to find better ways of doing business," says Linda Morrison, finance services manager for Battle Creek. The city is saving time and money by using New World Systems' eSuite to eliminate printed paystubs. "By empowering our employees, we are also freeing up time that would normally be spent processing paper or fielding calls for personnel information," says Morrison.Michigan-based New World Systems has more than 750 customers comprised of more than 1,500 public sector agencies across the United States.New World Systems, a public sector software company in Troy, has provided software solutions for public safety and public administration organizations since 1981. The Company designs, develops, markets, supports and implements the fully integrated Logos Public Administration Suite for local governments and the Aegis Public Safety Suite for Law Enforcement, Fire and EMS. Writer: Kathy Jennings Source: Linda Morrison, City of Battle Creek
The undead entertain downtown Battle Creek in search for brain food
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
