Named after a neighborhood school, the Edison Environmental Science Academy, a magnet elementary school, which was in turn, named after Thomas Edison, America’s best-known inventor, the Edison neighborhood is largely comprised of production, service and construction workers, people who have literally helped build and rebuild the city, as well as healthcare, office, and food service workers, people who take care of the city and its residents. And in the spirit of its namesake, Edison continues to invent itself, even when growth and revitalization have failed to deliver on hoped-for promises.With recent economic upturns both for the neighborhood and the city, as well as community and police efforts to lessen violent crime, the future looks bright. Edison is the first neighborhood being covered in the “On the Ground" series which amplifies the voices of Edison Neighborhood residents. Over three months, Second Wave journalists will be embedded in the Edison Neighborhood to explore topics of importance to residents, business owners, and other members of the community. The On the Ground program is made possible by funding from the City of Kalamazoo, LISC, the Fetzer Institute, the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region, Michigan WORKS!, the Kalamazoo Community Foundation and the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo.
Is trying mead on your bucket list? The world's oldest known alcoholic beverage (not a beer, not a wine) made with honey and yeast is available at Kalamzoo meadery Valhalla, a BYOF, open hall with all the Viking feels – longtables, Runes, and Valkyries serving flights of artisan mead. When you visit Valhalla, Hunter Dodge, CEO of Norse Nector Meadery, says "time stands still." Just ask Second Wave's Mark Wedel.
What better way to celebrate spring than planting flowers and trees with your neighbors? The first truly post-pandemic Kalamazoo Earth Day may be the biggest yet. In a move to bring together the environmental and beautification efforts of three Kalamazoo neighborhood (Vine, Edison, and Oakwood), the Kalamazoo Earth Day Festival takes place April 22, 2023.
Patsy Cline, the Muppets, Hamilton, the Spice Girls: You never know what might come up during the Darcy Wilkin Whatzit Hour at Edison's Dormouse Theatre, but you can count on bluegrass, folk, and a host who "Keep(s) on the Sunny Side," even if some tunes move a few to tears.
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Al Jones visits Confections with Convictions to catch up with owner Dale Anderson. The local sweet shop launched in 2010 with a mission to employ youth with criminal convictions. Thirteen years later, Anderson, 70, is preparing to hand over the reins to an employee, Jennifer Fakkety, who wants to expand the shop’s employment to include those of any age who are experiencing substance use disorder and are in recovery or 12-step programs.
As the affordable housing crisis continues, some Kalamazoo organizations are finding new ways to provide downpayment assistance to help first-time home buyers purchase a new home.
A doorbell camera initiative in Kalamazoo's core neighborhoods will benefit 200 households. The program is being funded by the City of Kalamazoo and administered by Building Blocks of Kalamazoo.
The Edison Neighborhood Association has become home to the Community Cupboard, an outdoor, closet-sized shed with a refrigerator to provide food at any time of day to those in need.
The Edison Jazz Fest will bring national and local jazz luminaries to Kalamazoo to perform in the neighborhood Sept. 12-18. The Dormouse Theatre, Jerico, La Luna Recording, and The Creamery's rooftop garden will be the venues.
Pamphlets, fliers, business cards, and lots of information about community projects, city services, educational opportunities, job opportunities, civic affairs, and human services was available Tuesday in Kalamazoo’s core neighborhoods.
Resident associations in the Northside Neighborhood, Eastside Neighborhood, Vine and Edison neighborhoods will bring people together on Aug. 2, by hosting free, casual, family-friendly activities.
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