Kalamazoo panel: How to decrease gun violence
“It’s not a meeting telling people, ‘You need to do this, or you need to do that.’ It’s each one of us looking at ourselves and asking what can we do and then will we do that?”
Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo’s name is so distinctive strangers around the world have been known to break into song at hearing the name. With such a recognizable moniker you’d think Kalamazoo wouldn’t need nicknames, but through the years changing names have reflected the city’s refusal to stand still. The Zoo, Celery City and the Mall City are a few. The innovative thinking that brought downtown K’zoo the nation’s first pedestrian mall in 1959 continues to work today. Innovators have developed thriving life sciences, biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms. They build on the expertise of Kalamazoo’s universities. Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo Valley Community College and Davenport College all are centers of research, development and technology. They surround a downtown vibrating with condos, apartments and homegrown, top-notch restaurants. The universities are woven into the city’s social fabric and contribute to a cultural scene that Kalamazooans love to boast about. The Kalamazoo Symphony, Kalamazoo Institute of Art and a vibrant local theater community are a few of the offerings. Locals also love their festivals that fill the air with music and the scents of ethnic foods wafting over the Arcadia Festival grounds and the Kalamazoo River. Outdoor activities from biking on the Kal-Haven trail to disc golf and standard golf on a nationally-acclaimed course in Milham Park are the start of the city’s leisure side. Sports fans have competitive college teams, minor league baseball and hockey to follow. And it all comes with a Promise. All high school graduates who live in Kalamazoo qualify for a scholarship that pays 100 percent of their tuition at any public university or community college.
Local synagogues and churches rewilding to welcome migratory flocks and other creatures
“One of the reasons I enjoy doing native planting is because it sequesters carbon and helps the ground absorb more water. If we’re taking care of the planet, we need to take care of the soil and the creatures on the planet, and native plantings are one of the most immediate visible ways to do that."
Review: Opening night at The Gilmore an edge-of-the-seat, genre-hopping, triple ovation-al affair
Formerly an arts and culture reviewer for a daily newspaper, SW Second Wave's Mark Wedel revisits his roots to take in The Gilmore International Piano Festival's opening night — a magical 'amusement park ride' that was 'full of surprises.'
Faith communities and others help refugees feel at home in Kalamazoo
"We are praying to open an African restaurant, plant a garden, open a barber shop," says Pastor Johsua Kibezi, director of the African Community Kalamazoo. "Our future goal is to offer 55 jobs for refugees. I cannot give up on this work or my people will suffer. In my heart, I know I must help.”
Imagine Art N Lee provides creative space for budding and experienced artists at Crossroads Mall
"It won't paint itself, Love," reads a mural at Imagine Art N Lee, a fully stocked art experience and retail space at Crossroads Mall. Owner Nicole Lee, passionate about art, healing, and social justice, envisioned a nurturing, creative space welcoming to all.
Kalamazoo POD Community proponents look to see if proposed Lake Street site holds water
“One of the many things we’ve learned from other communities like this is the need to provide information, allay concerns, and create strong partnerships. There are many misperceptions about safety, security, and how the site will fit with the surrounding neighborhood. We want to address those issues.”
Beyond belief: How faith communities are lighting the way on climate change
In this first installment of our Sacred Earth series, we speak with Dr. Cybelle Shattuck, whose combined interests in sustainability and religion have helped her identify how faith institutions engage, support, and undertake earth care.
Expert support for breastfeeding mothers expands in Southwest Michigan
Lactation Medicine is becoming a more recognized specialty given how integral breastfeeding is to infant and maternal health. Dr. Karen Garcia, a Newborn Hospitalist with the Bronson Hospital System, supports breastfeeding families in both Calhoun and Kalamazoo counties.
An Edison Dreamery: Trained childcare staff employed at early education centers across Kalamazoo
"Outside of work, they just love me, and I'm still teaching them outside of work, you know, how to behave.... Just looking out for the children and making sure that they feel safe in the community, and that they know there's somebody's always there if it's not at work or at the center.
Calling attention to nail cancer, an overlooked form of melanoma — one woman shares her story
April is Melanoma Awareness Month. While nail cancer is rare, it is most prevalent among People of Color who tend not to get other melanomas. One Battle Creek woman who was diagnosed with nail cancer is raising awareness of the issue and its symptoms.
