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.

Life EMS completes $2 million expansion project in Kalamazoo

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Health

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June 3, 2010

Leaders of Life EMS Ambulance service have shown renewed commitment to the Kalamazoo area with a $2 million expansion and renovation of its property on the city's North Side.Mark Meijer, president of Grand Rapids-based business said the company was glad to be a part of the community.Excerpt:"We're primarily thankful every day for the trust that Kalamazoo and Portage puts in us and our medics in providing these critical services," Meijer said.Life EMS has a service contract with a consortium of area governments including the city of Kalamazoo, Oshtemo Township, Parchment and Cooper Township.Its workers operated for most of the past year out of the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety's former station at North Rose Street while its offices on North Street were being expanded from about 6,500 square feet to 18,170 square feet.Life EMS, which started with two ambulances and about eight workers serving the Kalamazoo area, now has about 80 workers here who utilize 14 paramedic transport vehicles and 10 wheelchair transport vans.For more on the dedication of the property at 517 E. North St., read the entire story. Source: Kalamazoo Gazette

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

Western Michigan University names new dean of business school

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Economic Development

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May 27, 2010

Following a national search, Dr. Kay M. Palan has been named to the leadership position of Western Michigan University's Haworth Business College effective July 1. Her appointment was made pending approval by the WMU Board of Trustees. She comes from Iowa State University where she was associate dean for undergraduate programs for the College of Business."Dr. Palan's academic and professional background, her engaging manner and her clearly communicated shared values and commitment resonated with members of this campus community," says Dr. Timothy Greene, WMU provost and vice president for academic affairs. "There's a genuine sense of excitement about the direction the college will go under her strong leadership."During her tenure at Iowa State University, Palan managed and coordinated both an undergraduate minor in entrepreneurial studies and a graduate certificate program in the same field. She also undertook a number of marketing-related consulting projects with civic, nonprofit and corporate entities throughout the state. Those projects dealt with marketing strategy, market opportunity analysis, feasibility studies, communication branding strategies, marketing plan development and customer satisfaction and loyalty.The Haworth College of Business, WMU's second largest college, is the academic home to nearly 5,000 students studying in six departments."I'm really very excited about leading the Haworth College of Business," Palan says. "The faculty, staff, students, alumni and community leaders all impressed me with their passion for the college and their desire to move forward. My experience and background are a good match with the college's and University's mission and direction." Writer: Kathy Jennings Source: Cheryl Roland, WMU

Seneca Medical Inc. gets to work at Midlink

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Economic Development

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May 27, 2010

Work is under way on an 83,000-square-foot warehouse for medical supplier Seneca Medical Inc.'s distribution operation across Southwest Michigan and beyond.By the time the project is done, Seneca Medical expects to have invested $3.5 million in land and building costs, including the purchase of 10.6 acres of land in Midlink Business Park.There may be as many 25 employees working at the site by the end of the warehouse's first year of business. There already are 10 employees working at the site. The warehouse and related operations in the Kalamazoo area expands the medical supplier's reach into Southwest Michigan and northern Indiana, says Todd R. Howell, Chief Financial Officer."It represents our long-term commitment to the State of Michigan that Seneca will be providing medical supplies for the foreseeable future," Howell says.The move also benefits the health care continuum -- acute care hospitals, nursing homes, physician offices, surgery centers -- in Michigan by providing Seneca, a large regional option, as a viable alternative to the large national companies in the medical-surgical supply distribution space.If business goes well, the operation at the site could employ up to 50 workers in coming years. "It depends upon how the State of Michigan welcomes us to the area in terms of revenue growth," Howell says.Seneca Medical, founded in 1990 in Tiffin, Ohio, has five distribution facilities and provides a wide spectrum of product distribution and support services to health care providers and other market segments throughout Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia and surrounding states. Seneca Medical also has well-established distribution relationships with more than 1,200 high-quality market-leading manufacturers for a wide range of products and services. Writer: Kathy Jennings Source: Todd R. Howell, Seneca Medical Inc.

Grant for $1 million will improve science education

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Economic Development

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May 27, 2010

Prospective science teachers soon will get a chance to work in the laboratory next to scientists and in turn pass what they learn on to their students.A $1 million grant to Western Michigan University from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute will help teachers learn how to translate science into practical experiences for their future students. The four-year award to WMU will focus on identifying and working with high school science teachers who are trained first as scientists and will then learn how to turn their own research experiences into practical tools that can help them convey scientific principals to their students."We're out to create scientists who choose the profession of teaching," says Dr. Susan Stapleton, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and a professor of chemistry and biological sciences at the University.Beginning this fall, WMU will recruit a group of 15 students who are interested in teaching high school science, chemistry, physics or biology. Those 15 students will spend the summer of 2011 working in a campus research lab, building their own scientific skills and credentials. During the following academic year, they will take a newly-developed course aimed at helping them translate their laboratory experience into practical tools. In summer 2012, they will use those new teaching tools in a summer science camp WMU offers annually for middle school students. A new group of students will be recruited in each of the four years of the project, so as many as 60 prospective science teachers will be part of the initiative."We hope that these programs will shape the way students look at the world," says Howard Hughes Medical Institute President Robert Tjian, "whether those students ultimately choose to pursue a career in science or not." Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Cheryl Roland, WMU

Studio 246 invites fans and new friends to support theater

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Economic Development

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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

Spring brings a fresh approach to eating local

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Economic Development

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May 27, 2010

Borgess Health's Farmer's Market is back for another season of fresh foods. Once again this year Borgess is making it easy for patients, visitors and employees to eat and shop local. Throughout the spring and summer, Borgess sponsors a farmer's market in its courtyard, just outside the Borgess Medical Center cafeteria, 1521 Gull Rd. Registered dietitians are also often on hand to provide counseling and meal suggestions.While customers shop, they can hear music performed by the students of Kalamazoo School of Music & Dance and Crescendo Academy of Music.The third edition of the Borgess Light Hearted Living Cookbook will also be for sale. Pick up a copy for $19.95.Market dates and times are: June 25, July 23, Aug. 27 and Sept. 24, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.Participating Farmer's Market vendors include: Pampered Chef, Riverstreet Flowerland, Fat Blossom Farms, Twice Maple Orchard, Nottawa Fruit Farm, Taste of Heaven, Russell Farm Market & Greenhouse, Apple A Day Farm, The Candy Lady, Water Street Coffee Joint, Country Life Natural Foods, Judy Vemma, Rykse's, Bella Joy Pottery, Sarkozy Bakery, Leduc Blueberries, DASH Minerals/Scentsy and Shelton Farms. Writer: Kathy Jennings Source: Borgess Health

Kalamazoo Promise spurs academic achievement in public schools

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Education

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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

Apartments spur redevelopment in Washington Square

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Economic Development

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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

No cats allowed in Kalamazoo pooch park

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Environment & Sustainability

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May 20, 2010

Dogs in Kalamazoo soon will have a place to romp unleashed, reports the Kalamazoo Gazette. Work is expected to begin soon on the first phase of a city dog park. With a low bid of $208,197.88, the project will be built by 5 Leprechauns, of Jackson. The company came in nearly $40,000 under the next low bidder in the nine-bidder field. For unlimited use of the facility, the city plans to sell annual passes at a cost estimated at $30 to $60. Non-city residents will be assessed a higher charge to use the dog park. Excerpt: Plans for the Fairmount dog park include a fenced area with entrance gates for pooches, waste receptacles, drinking fountains for dogs and their owners, activity areas for the canines, picnic tables, benches, signage, landscaping and parking improvements, vehicular security gates and barrier-free walkways. Once open later this summer, the park will be the first public space in the city of Kalamazoo where dogs can legally roam without a leash. The story goes on to say, a buy-a-brick campaign is now under way to create an endowment for ongoing operating and maintenance costs. For more on the plans for the city's first dog park, read the entire story. Source: Kalamazoo Gazette