Transformation: When lives change, a neighborhood can change
Esteven "Esto" Juarez finds his life transformed and now works with those committed to finding a way to deal with group violence.
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.
It’s not your grandma’s market: Kalamazoo Farmers Market offers fresh, fermented and foraged foods
No longer is the farmer’s market a simple gathering of vendors of fruit, vegetables, and cut flowers. With the addition of home processed vegetables, cottage foods, and foraged fare comes more attention to food safety.
Despierta awakens Hispanic American Festival and now moves to larger venue
Despierta Kalamazoo moves the Hispanic American Festival to Growlers Stadium and closer to the Edison Neighborhood.
Partnership’s work will improve visitor experience at the Rose Park Veterans Memorial
Three groups come together to help families better navigate the Rose Park Veterans Memorial.
Edison is disability friendly, but unfriendly sidewalks are among issues to be addressed
Affordable housing makes Edison a place where many with disabilities live. The neighborhood is both accommodating and in some places hazardous for those navigating broken sidewalks.
Multiple mixed-use developments on the horizon in downtown Kalamazoo
Catch up on what's happening with three different developments happening now in Kalamazoo, including two downtown, mixed-use buildings under construction or about to break ground, as well as the expansion of the retail hub on Stadium.
As the Boys and Girls Club Youth of the Year, Damarion Johnson learns how to take center stage
For Damarion Johnson, being named Kalamazoo Boys and Girls Club Youth of the Year taught him he had skills he didn't even know about.
May means it’s time for Farmers Market season
Old friends and new vendors will mark the opening of the Farmers Markets in Kalamazoo and Portage.
A collective vision: Kalamazoo creatives keep busy with area musicians, large corporations, and more
Kalamazoo creative collective that offers corporate video production, music studio space and much more, has evolved into north of 200 clients in four short years.
Empowering Women in Edison: Two women who help others find their own strengths
Veteran services, legal assistance, working for birthing justice, a belief that rhythm is life, and having babies is part of the rhythm are all part of the work of two Edison nonprofits helping women.
