Remember When
Miner’s Pies lives on in the hearts (and stomachs) of many Kalamazoo residents, long after their doors closed over 60 years ago. The company was founded in 1921 by restauranteur, Albert Miner, on the premise that pie is the one thing man craves seven days a week.
They produced a large variety of flavors, including: apple, cherry, peach huckleberry, strawberry, rhubarb, blueberry, pineapple and raisin, pecan, mincemeat, custard, coconut cream and others.
The pie company began baking 9” pies for restaurants and 8” pies for neighborhood grocery stores. But, the most beloved pie, was the small lunchbox sized pies that began at the onset of the Great Depression, selling for just 5¢, which was an affordable treat. These mini pies were a lifesaver for the company throughout the Depression years. After WWII was over, in 1945, a huge change took place. The nickel pie was raised to 6¢.
Each day Miner’s pies sold as many as 4000 pies, many of which were the small individual pies. “In a bakery where thousands of pies were made every day, 6 days a week, a rhythm develops. Unbaked pies were assembled (large and small from different machines) and were put into a covered round oven 8 feet wide that rotates in a circular motion, much like a turntable. The rotation was adjusted so that one complete circle finished the baking process. The hot pies were removed and the next batch were inserted simultaneously,” says, Daniel Miner, the 90-year-old grandson of Albert, whom I had the privilege of speaking with.
The Miner’s Pies factory became an institution on the Northside of Kalamazoo. Located at 812 N. Westnedge Ave., at Frank Street.
Pies were made every day, 6 days a week. “The only time the Miner bakery door was locked was from Saturday at 5pm to Sunday at 5pm, at which time the baking crew started making Monday’s pies. During the day the crust and fruit was prepared. The delivery staff finished their shifts just about the time that the night bakers arrived,” says Daniel.
The bakery was across the street from the old North Westnedge Elementary School, which was a great stop for an after-school treat. It was also very popular with Versluis Celery Company workers next door, for a pie or two on their breaks. They advertised regularly in the
was almost as good as Miner’s pie. Needless to say, that didn›t go over very well.” “Custard was my favorite. I have never found a custard pie since with the same taste, flavor, and consistency.” “I loved those little pies!” “The Miner Pie factory was at the end of our street. We used to go over there at night to the back door and if there was a pie that was damaged or if one of the workers would poke their thumb through one, they would give it to us free -that was a big deal. Haven›t thought of that in years.” “Loved those little pies. I used to have to split them with my brother though.” “Awesome pies - carried a lot of them in old metal lunch box,”
Kalamazoo Gazette with small, clever advertisements with tongueand-cheek messages, such as: “Happy People Eat Miner’s Pies,” “M-m-mm Positively Perfect Miner’s Pies,” and “Bingo - You Win! When You Buy Miner’s Pies.”
Hundreds of former Miner’s Pie lovers have shared their fond memories on the Vanished Kalamazoo Facebook site. Here are a handful that are sure to spark a memory: “I still tell people about those delicious pies. We would walk down every week to buy some pies!” “I remember my older brother telling my mom that her fresh baked pie
“My uncle delivered Miner’s Pies. If I timed my bike ride to the corner of Vine and Westnedge, I could be sure of getting a free small pie. Pecan was my favorite.” “Some of the best pies ever.” “I believe I mourn the passing of the Miner Pie Company, more than any other product of my youth.” “My grandparent’s back porch backed up to the business and it smelled wonderful when they were baking the pies!” “Loved Miners Pies my favored memory of Kazoo.” “Sometimes the pies would still be warm from the oven and the lady at the counter would tell you to «be careful not to burn your tongue».
They were so good!” “My dad worked close to there and we got the little pies on Friday›s...I always loved the little tins they came in...I wish I had some of them now....It was such big thing to go there and pick out your own pie...Those were the day›s!”
“When the Miner Pie truck would pull up in front of my grandparent’s grocery store on West Main, I would run out and Leon would ask me what flavor I wanted that day, it usually was pineapple or pecan. He would take a pie off the rack and punch (damage) it and give it to me for free! I sure did love them!”
Founder, Albert Miner and his wife, Hettie, had three sons, Ulis, Carlyle and Leonard (listed from oldest to youngest), who in time, were made equal partners in the business.
Sadly, none of their sons lived to reach 60 years of age. When the only remaining son, Ulis, died at the age of 57 in 1959, his wife Donna inherited the business and continued operations until March 1, 1965, at which time she sold to the Strauss Pie Shop of Elkhart, Indiana. Strauss Pie continued to serve the Miner customers in the Kalamazoo area, but moved the pie making equipment to Elkhart and the shop was closed. Thirteen employees lost their jobs.
Although Kalamazoo’s favorite pies are no longer baked in town, the aroma of baking pies, remains a fond memory today.
Jackie Merriam
Sources: KG 2/20/26, KG 8/8/26, KG 10/1/56, KG 2/20/65, Vanished Kalamazoo Facebook site
Helen “Tinky” Doyle in 1941 with the Miner’s Pies truck her dad Leon Alman drove. Posted by her daughter, Cheryl Case, on Vanished Kalamazoo.
The Best Bird-Friendly Garden Ideas to Try This Fall
Fall is a perfect time to celebrate birds! The best part is that you can attract beautiful birds as well as support their migration and winter health by doing…nothing.
Leave the Leaves
You might spot birds feasting on critters who make their homes in leaves, as well as in the rich soil leafmulch produces as it decomposes. Decaying leaves and fallen debris serve as a natural mulch, reducing unwanted weed growth, protecting plant roots from extreme temperatures, and retaining moisture in the soil. This natural leaf mulch also serves as a perfect habitat for invertebrates that birds eat, including the pupae of moth caterpillars, a favorite food source for baby birds. If leaving leaves in the lawn makes you twitchy, consider raking leaves into flower beds. Here they can work their magic, decomposing into nutrient-rich soil—while also harboring essential food sources for birds.
Thanksgiving is just around the corner and being that turkey is synonymous with the holiday, I thought you would enjoy some fun “turkey” facts that I stumbled upon.
Although turkey is now the centerpiece of most Thanksgiving feasts, this wasn’t always the case. Thanksgiving was originally a day of fasting and prayer, not
Save the Seeds
Different bird species eat different food. Some, like nectarivorous hummingbirds, feast on flowers’ nectar. Others, like American robins, dine on insects and fruit. Woodpeckers seek sustenance from sap. Granivore goldfinches dine on seeds from flowers and grasses, like echinacea, rudbeckia, and sunflowers. So, to attract many different species to your garden, it’s important to offer birds a buffet with a wide variety of food choices. Instead of deadheading annuals and perennials in the fall, do nothing. Allow seed heads to remain on the plants as natural bird feeders. Smaller species, like goldfinches, cling to plants to pluck seeds, while larger, ground-eating birds hunt for fallen seeds in garden beds. Plus, hollow stems of perennial plants make great homes for insects to overwinter, which will continue to whet the birds’ appetite. A slightly messy, less-thanpristine garden means a fall and win-
feasting for the Pilgrims. Also, historians believe that the first celebration between the Pilgrims and the Indians likely featured venison, seafood and wildfowl like ducks and geese, not turkey.
The heaviest turkey on record weighed in at a whopping 86 pounds, which is six times larger than the average 14-pound Thanksgiving turkey. According to the Guinness World Records, this male turkey, named Tyson, was sold at auction for $6,692 in 1989. The turkey was raised in the United Kingdom.
Although male turkeys are often called gobblers and thought to be the only turkey that gobbles, female turkeys can gobble too! Males will more frequently gobble in an effort to attract the attention of the female turkey.
The Butterball Turkey Hotline receives over 100,000 calls every year. The hotline runs throughout November and December, helping people prepare their
ter filled with color and life—from visiting birds!
Appreciate the Beauty of Dead Trees
Unless your home is in danger, leave dead trees standing. More than 80 species of birds rely on dead trees—called snags—for nesting, storing food, hunting, roosting, and resting. Standing tree trunks provide homes for many cavity-nesting species. Woodpeckers often create or enlarge cavities in dead trees, but many bird species will nest in them, including chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, bluebirds, tree swallows, great crested flycatchers, wood ducks, and American kestrels.
Build a Brush Pile
If you feel like you need to do SOMETHING in the garden this fall, start by building a brush pile. Collect fallen tree branches and cuttings from shrubs to create a shelter for birds and wildlife. A brush pile provides shelter for birds, protecting
holiday turkey. Call 1-800-BUTTERBALL, or text 844-877-3456 to speak with their turkey experts.
Thanksgiving leftovers helped to invent the TV Dinner. After Thanksgiving 1953, the Swanson Company had over 260 tons of leftover turkey. They used it to create the first frozen TV dinners that launched a new food category and became a staple in American homes. By 1954, Swanson already sold ten million TV dinners and the frozen dinner success continues today.
This year, take a moment to pay homage to turkey, the center of many Thanksgiving feasts and feel free to share these fun “turkey” facts with your guests.
Happy Thanksgiving! Gobble Gobble. Jackie Merriam
Source: Rusticpathways.com
them from bad weather and predators.
If you decorate a live Christmas tree over the holidays, give it a renewed purpose after the New Year by adding it to the brush pile. It’s a fun post-holiday tradition to decorate the repurposed tree with birdseed ornaments or cranberry garlands before adding it to a brush pile. The birds will appreciate the shelter—and the snacks.
Give the Birds a Drink
Birds need fresh water all year long. Fountains, ponds, birdbaths, and even a hollowed boulder that catches rainwater all make excellent water sources. Ensure the water source remains clean and well-stocked. As winter approaches, consider adding a heated birdbath to provide ice-free water for the birds.
Plant More Food Sources for Birds
If you really want to spend fall working in the garden, it’s a great time to add perennials, shrubs, and trees. Consider including plants that feed both insects and birds, like echinacea, coreopsis, rudbeckia, switchgrass, goldenrod, and liatris, for instance.
Trees and shrubs that produce fruit, such as cedars, hollies and dogwoods, as well as those that provide protein- and fat-rich nuts, like oaks, hickories, and walnuts, support both migrating birds, as well as serve as food sources throughout winter. Plus, evergreen trees and shrubs add a nice pop of color to winter gardens, along with providing food and shelter to your feathered friends. Aim to plant new trees, shrubs, and perennials in your garden at least four to six weeks prior to the first frost so the plants have time to settle in and establish strong roots before cold weather arrives.
Article from the National Garden Bureau with edits from Wedel’s
Graphic Designer: Lauren Ellis Editor and Publisher: Jackie Merriam
This publication does not specifically endorse advertisers or their products or services. No part of this publication may be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without the written permission from the publisher.
Cover photo of a local porch display, courtesy of “Pumpkins on the Porch.”
Random Acts of Artness
We are entering the gratitude season. Quickly followed by the buying and gifting season. I looked back on my article from November 2024. The topic was about worry and resiliency. I encouraged using nature and trees as calming tools. Perhaps it’s because I just backpacked miles along Pictured Rocks, surrounded by nature and trees, and incredible sights to see. I’m happy to report worry is not an immediate topic that comes to mind; rather, it is thankfulness. It’s funny, I often write about change and uncertainty, and the necessity of those factors that build and develop a person; I once again head onto new trails. A new environment with different faces, temperaments, communication and learning styles, structure, rules, and guidelines.
Circle of Safety
And so, I pause and realize, in my hike forward, I once again leave those who have now become friends. A group that embraced my oddities, laughed at my antics, rolled their eyes on occasion, challenged my opinions, and ultimately accepted me for being me. Here’s the best part: they helped shape me. Who I am today is different than who I was a few years ago. They built me up, humbled me, gave me opportunities for reflection, surprised me, taught me, and inspired me. Who you are is not sheer happenstance. A large part of who you are is formed by the relationships you have, interactions with others, and who you are surrounded by. In the day-to-day, we forget this. We take for granted those we spend the most time with. We should be thankful for
every person who positively impacts us. What’s more incredible is how quickly we forget their importance when they are no longer part of our everyday lives. I recently read a leadership book that included the idea of the Circle of Safety. If you feel safe with ideas, with receiving and giving feedback, safe to fail, and safe to try, you will grow, improve, and advance the quality of work you produce. Amazing, isn’t it? This reciprocal concentrated effort to give kindness, treat people as people, and receive kindness back. Books can teach us these ideas, remind us why this way is important, but, really, the only teacher we need is each other. I’ve had many great teachers everywhere I go, whether along the trail or in the office.
I am heart-bursting grateful for the many people who have shaped me, and I hope even in my absence and lack of reconnection and daily affirmations, they will always know how I feel about them. Who I am today is because of how kind they have been to me. Thank you to my friends, coworkers, mentors, and family near and far. I have much to be grateful for, many miles still to travel, and little worry ahead. And let me tell you, the views have been amazing so far! 20 original art prints are in this month’s issue of the Good News Paper.
Peace, Love, and Art. -Amy Instagram: @amylgieschen
The Unexpected Rewards of Volunteering
Over the past four years (and continuing), I’ve had the privilege of writing profiles of people who volunteer for a local senior services organization called Milestone. Every month, I write about a stranger— someone I’ve never met before we sat down for an interview. And in the space of thirty minutes or so, something extraordinary always happens. The conversation shifts from a simple exchange of facts into a window into the remarkable beauty of a unique human life.
What strikes me every time is that the richness of their stories isn’t about professional accomplishments, titles, or status. Instead, what emerges are qualities that don’t show up on a resume: patience, empathy, kindness, humor, and a willingness to show up for others.
I’ve interviewed people from all sorts of backgrounds—retired teachers, factory workers, nurses, business owners, doctors. Each is so different, yet what unites them is the way they’ve chosen to give a piece of themselves to others. Whether it’s delivering meals, providing rides to doctor appointments, sitting with someone who’s lonely, or helping with paperwork, their service is both simple and meaningful.
And here’s the part that never fails to amaze me: to a person, every single volunteer says they get more out of the experience than they give. It’s a theme that repeats again and again. They begin by showing up to “help,” but soon realize they are the ones who feel enriched, uplifted, even healed by the relationships they form.
What these volunteers tell me isn’t just feel-good talk. Science backs it up. Researchers have found that people who volunteer often report better mental health, a stronger sense
of well-being, and even longer lives. One review of many studies suggested that volunteering might work almost like a prescription—especially for older adults. And another study from Carnegie Mellon found that people over fifty who volunteered about 200 hours a year were less likely to develop high blood pressure. It seems giving your time doesn’t just lift the spirit—it strengthens the body too.
Recently, I interviewed a woman with a remarkable story. Growing up in a deeply segregated community, she told me how helping others became her way of staying centered and hopeful. Her father, a farmer with no formal education, became an early activist in the Civil Rights Movement. As a result, he lost friends (both Black and white) and eventually their family farm. Volunteering, she said, is a two-way blessing: “It doesn’t just help those being served—it helps those providing the service.”
Mark Twain had it right when he said, “The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.” I see that in every volunteer I meet. They begin with the thought that they’re giving up their time to do a service, but somewhere along the way the exchange shifts. They receive a deeper sense of purpose, connection, and belonging.
Sometimes when I finish an interview, I think: what an amazing person. And then it hits me—these aren’t celebrities or household names. They’re people you might pass in the grocery store or wave to in the neighborhood. Their lives look like ours, but they’ve chosen to step outside themselves and invest in others.
It makes me wonder: how many extraordinary lives are all around us, unnoticed? What would happen if we
all took the time to really sit down and listen to someone’s story? My hunch is we’d discover the same thing I do every month—that beneath the surface, people are endlessly remarkable.
I discovered this years ago while writing a newsletter for a local technology client. One of my favorite articles to write was to introduce new employees. Once we moved quickly past the degrees, certifications, and career highlights, we got to the heart of things—who they really were. Their hobbies, their interests, the fascinating events that had shaped their lives. That’s what people connected with. And that’s what helped spark relationships that weren’t just professional, but personal connections that often lasted well beyond the workplace.
I found a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson who wrote, “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” The people I interview embody that sentiment in unassuming, yet significant ways.
So often, society measures worth by achievement, wealth, or influence. But the deeper truth I’ve come to see is that communities thrive not because of grand gestures, but because of countless small ones—the steady, humble acts of service carried out day after day by ordinary people.
Each interview leaves me with the same sense of amazement and appreciation—and like the people I
interview, am rewarded many times over for my time . What I thought was going to be just another conversation becomes a reminder that every life, no matter how ordinary it may appear, contains extraordinary beauty.
Many years ago, Dan Ryan, once publisher and longtime editor of the Kalamazoo Gazette (a person I have long admired), recommended I read a book he just finished called “Working” by Studs Terkel. The book was an oral history of everyday workers in America and captured how work shapes their identity and sense of worth.
Not only was it a good read, but Ryan was also wise enough it might be instructive for a budding manager like me.
Maybe that’s the lesson: in giving, we don’t just help others—we discover a better, more generous version of ourselves.
James D. Coppinger
Milestone Senior Services is an AmeriCorps Seniors grantee. AmeriCorps Seniors empowers people age 55 and older to serve their communities. RSVP helps people find a volunteer opportunity that fits their passion. There are currently opportunities in Kalamazoo County and a few in Calhoun County. Volunteers are needed with Meals on Wheels, Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes, Companionship for Seniors, Milestone Home Repair, and more. Regular, flexible schedules available. Contact RSVP at 269-382-0515 or apply to volunteer at www.milestoneseniorservices.org.
Cr Crafting f afting for Sinners: A No or Novveel l Jenny Kiefer (Quirk Books)
Ruth makes a big mistake by shoplifting from the religious craft store in her small town. Things get messy, and she's trapped and fighting for her life. The rest is a scary bloodbath with clever uses for craft supplies. The zealots are after Ruth and others they deem sinners (gays, atheists or just non-conformists). This quick read is very scary and super gory
T The W he Women of Wil omen Wild Hil d Hill l Kirsten Miller (William Morrow)
Generations of women in the Duncan family have an important and magical legacy. Three members of the latest generation are going to turn the tide against patriarchal men, reclaiming the planet for the Old One and restoring Earth s balance Readers will find it hard to put down this magical and fascinating story
G. Sebastian, Eastham Public Library, MA
read-alike: Strange Folk by Alli Dyer
When a new depository is needed for minor magical objects, two seemingly very different women are chosen to lead the mission. Sent to a small depressed village, they develop an unexpected relationship, and magic starts to happen. This was an easyread romance that will keep readers captivated.
Rocky is a mom who feels everything to the maximum degree. Her grown children and her dad still occupy most of her waking life When tragedy strikes, she has to find a balance that will allow her to just breathe and be thankful for the life they have. Written with real emotions and much humor, many moms will relate to this followup to Sandwich.
Remain: A Supernatur Supernatural al L Loovve Story e Story
Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan (Random House)
Part romance, part ghost story, part murder mystery, this novel's chilling yet heartfelt exploration of the bonds of family is written in the emotionally resonant style of Sparks and infused with Shyamalan’s signature suspense This is a seemingly familiar tale with a haunting twist
follows two
a
are
up to wield both power and magic on opposing sides of a gang war Both deeply emotional and electrifying, this will remind readers of Fonda Lee and Erin Morgenstern.
Bog Queen Anna North (Bloomsbury)
The body of a woman is unearthed in Northern Britain in this intricate and engaging atmospheric thriller. It offers three female perspectives that reveal to readers the inner thoughts of a contemporary newly trained forensic anthropologist, a young druid healer from centuries past, and a voice from the wild peat moss bog.
Conf Conform: A No orm: Novveel l Ariel Sullivan (Ballantine Books)
This debut is a fascinating look at a dystopian future based on a strict caste system that relies on fear and heavy indoctrination to maintain peace. Emmaline, a relatable protagonist, is used as a pawn by both sides of a simmering rebellion, but will she settle for this fate? Readers will eagerly await a sequel.
—Anna Louise Kallas, Durham County East Regional Library, NC NoveList read-alike: Open Minded by Chloe Seager
NoveList read-alike: Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix
—Judy
NoveList
—Beth Mills, New Rochelle Public Library, NY NoveList read-alike: The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R.A. Dick
T The K he Keeper of Magical T eeper Magical Things hings Julie Leong (Ace)
Red City Red City Marie Lu ( Tor Books)
Lu’s tale
young outsiders with
powerful connection who
brought
—Ron Haislip-Hansberry, Springfield City Library, MA NoveList read-alike: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
—Gregg Winsor, Johnson County Library, MO NoveList read-alike: Silvercloak by L.K. Steven
—Shirley Braunlich, Lawrence Public Library, KS NoveList read-alike: Daughter of Black Lake by Cathy Marie Buchanan
—Linda Quinn, LibraryReads Ambassador, MA NoveList read-alike: Small World by Laura Zigman
Wr Wreck eck Catherine Newman (Harper)
NoveList
The Shape of Night by Tess Gerritsen
—Sara Pietrzak, Frederick County Public Library, MD NoveList read-alike: Silver Elite by Dani Francis
—Kimberly McGee, Lake Travis Community Library, Austin TX
heart of the home
As we turn our calendars to November, many of us think about the approach of the Thanksgiving holiday. Family and friends gather, and, together, seated around our feast, we count our blessings.
Do we remember the blessing that makes such a gathering possible? The gathering of our loved ones around a bountiful table couldn’t happen without the walls that surround us, the roof over our heads. One of our greatest blessings in life is to have a home.
It is all too easy to forget some of our greatest and most meaningful blessings when they surround us every day, but if we are ever to lose them, much of our lives would fall apart. It is nearly impossible to hold a job when we do not have an address. Health deteriorates when we are not protected from the elements. And gatherings of loved ones don’t usually happen on the sidewalk.
This Thanksgiving, give thanks for the blessing of Home. Home: this place where so many of our memories are formed. From home we go out into the world to make our lives, then we return again to rest and rejuvenate our spirits to do it again the next day.
According to the 2025 Point-inTime (PIT) annual survey, conducted by the Kalamazoo County Continuum of Care, the number of homeless
The Blessing of Home
people in the county rose by 19% over 2024. The survey counted 791 individuals, including 176 children, with 709 in shelters or transitional housing at the time, and 82 who were
unsheltered. Nearly 23% of these individuals were 55 or older, and a little more than 22% were under the age of 18. Three of the homeless were unaccompanied children. These numbers
compare to a total of 664 individuals in 2024.
Factors for the future are grim. Inflation is up. Job openings are down. Affordable housing is shrinking if not nonexistent. The cost of health care is about to soar unless our government comes to its senses. The number of homeless individuals can only be expected to rise dramatically.
When you sit down at your table of plenty this Thanksgiving, count your blessings: the beloved faces, the pets beneath the table, the delicious food on top of it that is about to fill your belly to bursting. Say thank you for your health. Thank you for the bills that have been paid and the work that will keep them so. Then look up and around you. Say thank you for the home in which you have gathered on this and every day. All things begin and end here. Without your home, as simple or as luxurious as it might be, there is only despair.
Then, once you have counted your many blessings, be a blessing. Share the bounty you have, even if slim. The holidays are brimming with opportunities to give. And when the holidays are over, the free meals vanished, the shelters overfull, give again. That is the time that those less fortunate than you will need it most.
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Meeting a Starr
One of my favorite genres to read is historical fiction, especially when it contains accurate details about our ancestors’ daily lives – what they ate, how they thought, how they worked, etc. It’s even better when the books are intriguing crime mysteries with interesting characters and a clear writing style. That’s why I enjoyed “The Unquiet Bones” by awardwinning author Mel Starr, book one in his series ‘The chronicles of Hugh de Singleton, medieval surgeon.’ I was happy to find that Mr. Starr lives right here in Schoolcraft. The Women’s Book Club at the Unitarian Universalist Community Church in Portage announced Mr. Starr would speak at their next meeting. I asked him if I could write an article about him for the Good Newspaper and he graciously agreed.
Since publication of “The Unquiet Bones” Mel Starr has written 17 books in the chronicles with another book planned for 2026. I read “Unquiet Bones” around 2010 and picked up two more books in the series. One of my books was out of sequence but all books in the chronicles are written to be stand-alone books, read by themselves, or you can read them in sequence. I hope to read the whole series!
Mel Starr taught school in Portage for 35 years and retired as Chairman
of the Social Studies Department at Portage Northern. He began writing the de Singleton chronicles after he retired in 2003. Since the books are about the medieval era, Mr. Starr’s wife suggested a handy glossary be included in each to help with any unique terms.
Mr. Starr was asked why he picked the 14th Century to write about. He said it was because the 14th Century was called the Calamitous Fourteenth due to chaos that occurred during the 1300’s. In 1348 the bubonic plague hit; in 1381 the Peasants Revolt took place; there was widespread famine; and much unrest. He said not a single cathedral was built during the 1300s. I speculate the people who lived during the
14th Century were more concerned with survival than with building projects.
Mr. Starr likes to weave as many real historical figures into his books as he can. He was asked about his writing process. He said he writes his stories in long hand, then switches to his laptop to make changes. A question I’d wondered about historical fiction books was whether they have teams of researchers helping with the many details. He said his “research team” is the bookshelf behind his desk loaded with reference and other books, meaning he does his own research. When he was asked if he’d thought about movie rights for his series, he said no, because he’d have to give control of Hugh de Single-
ton to a director and didn’t want Master Hugh to become someone he wouldn’t recognize as his own creation.
Here’s a factoid about the medieval era according to Mel Starr: Today we consider surgeons to be in the top tier of the medical profession. During the 1300’s, physicians were in the top tier with surgeon’s underneath. Ironically, medieval physicians seldom cured any diseases while medieval surgeons could at least fix broken bones.
Mr. Starr had advice for aspiring writers - you can’t be a writer unless you’re a reader. He explained he acquires knowledge from reading and stores it in the back of his mind to possibly use later.
Mr. Starr left us with this witticism: There’s a saying that “Writing fiction is just lying for fun and profit.” I think I’ll take that wisdom to heart the next time I’m writing a story.
Ann Murray is an award-winning commercial illustrator and author. She has illustrated 8 children’s books, and her stories have been in three published anthologies.
“I’m afraid I’m going to take a hell of a beatin’ out there.”
Capt. Jesse B. “Bernie” Cooper of the Great Lakes ore freighter SS Arthur M. Anderson was responding via radio to the Coast Guard station at Sault Ste. Marie, but he also needed to say it aloud so he could absorb the magnitude of his decision. For a full day, Anderson had trailed the ore freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald across Lake Superior, as closely as 10 miles, through a storm of increasing force. Not deemed a threat at first, the storm greatly intensified and viciously hammered both vessels with gusts near 90 miles per hour and waves 35 feet tall. Fitzgerald’s captain, Ernest M. McSorley, asked Anderson to “stay by me” after Fitzgerald lost two vents and began to list after taking on water.
Two hours before Capt. Cooper’s response to the Coast Guard, Anderson lost radio and radar contact with Fitzgerald, and Cooper knew that Fitzgerald and its crew of 29 had probably perished. And now, with Anderson only two miles from safe harbor, the Coast Guard had just asked Cooper to turn back and look
for . Cooper and his crew heroically obliged. So did Capt. Don Erickson and his crew of SS William Clay Ford -now already safely anchored in Whitefish Bay—despite the terrible risk. After midnight, several aircraft also joined the search.
This November 10th marks the 50th anniversary of the sinking of Fitzgerald. The 729-foot ship—the largest on the Great Lakes when it was built in June 1958—went to the bottom with all 29 souls when that brutal November storm blasted northern Michigan and Canada.
Fitzgerald was carrying a full load of taconite iron ore pellets from Superior, Wisconsin to the steel mill on Detroit’s Zug Island, situated on the Detroit River, less than four miles from where Fitzgerald was built. Fitzerald disappeared from radar about 7:20 p.m. and within minutes, anyone listening to the radio frequency feared that the worst had befallen Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald remains the largest vessel ever lost on the Great Lakes. However, its crew of 29 was not the largest single loss of life. In 1915, the passenger ship SS Eastland rolled
over at port in Chicago, killing 844 aboard. The Great Storm of November 1913 killed 258 on multiple vessels. In fact, since 1700, more than 30,000 people and 6,000 vessels have perished on the Great Lakes. But Fitzgerald is remembered for two primary reasons. First, Gordon Lightfoot’s haunting ballad The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald was released nationally the following August. Second, because of the loss of Fitzgerald and its crew, changes were made to Great Lakes shipping rules, including requirements for depth charts, better weather prediction methods, and mandated use of positioning systems.
The story of the captains and crews who left relative safety to venture back out into the still- raging storm on mighty Superior to search for Fitzgerald deserves re-telling. In a
1993 interview, Capt. Bernie Cooper said in an interview that there were three reasons he turned Anderson around to look for the crew. First, he had read the official report of the sinking of RMS Titanic in The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald was released nationally the following Fitzgerald 1912, which concluded that more passengers could have been saved, except the nearby SS California ignored Titanic’s distress flares. Second, he “knew some of the guys on Fitzgerald.” And third, he thought it could just as easily have been himself and his own crew that had been cast into the icy waters of Superior by that gale of November.
Tony Ettwein
HistoryZoo1837@gmail.com
Move, Motivate, Manifest: Crushing
Staying Motivated Through the Winter: Strategies for Energy, Action, and Consistency
As the days grow shorter, darkness slowly starts to arrive sooner and temperatures drop, many people struggle with motivation. The winter season, while cozy in some respects, can bring fatigue, decreased energy, and dips in mood that may or may not be related to seasonal depression making it harder to stay focused on goals. Whether it’s related to fitness, work productivity, or emotional well-being, maintaining motivation during the winter requires a blend of intentional strategies and psychological mindfulness
The Psychology of Motivation
Motivation is commonly defined as the process that initiates, guides, and sustains goal-directed behaviors (Ryan & Deci, 2000). It is influenced by both intrinsic factors (such as personal values and enjoyment) and extrinsic factors (such as rewards and social pressures). During the winter months, the lack of sunlight and colder weather can reduce serotonin levels, affect sleep cycles, and contribute to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which in turn can impact both mood and motivation (Melrose, 2015).
Understanding how motivation works—particularly during difficult times—can help you take a proactive approach even when you don’t “feel like it.”
The Five Second Rule: A Tool for Taking Action
One popular theory to assist in building momentum is Mel Robbins’ Five Second Rule. Robbins (2017) suggests that when you have an instinct to act on a goal, you must physically move within five seconds
or your brain will kill the idea. By counting “5-4-3-2-1” and then acting immediately, you can short-circuit self-doubt, overthinking, and procrastination.
This technique works because it shifts focus from emotion to action. Waiting to “feel motivated” can lead to inaction, and increased anxiety as you talk yourself out of doing the thing you want to or have to do, especially in winter when energy levels are lower. The Five Second Rule encourages proactive behavior and builds
trust in your ability to follow through.
Example:
Instead of debating whether to get out of bed early for a workout, you count down from five and start moving. This breaks the loop of hesitation and initiates momentum.
Tips for Staying Motivated in Winter
Here are some evidence-informed strategies to help maintain motivation during the colder months:
Set Clear, Manageable Goals
Large goals can feel overwhelming, particularly when energy is low. Break them into smaller, attainable steps and celebrate small wins. According to Locke and Latham (2002), specific and challenging goals lead to higher performance than vague or easy goals.
Create
a Morning Routine
Starting the day with structure sets a positive tone. Include a happy lamp for light exposure, movement, and intention-setting. Start a check list so you can check things off when you accomplish them. Morning routines have been shown to improve self-regulation and mood (Flett et al., 2020).
Use Environmental Cues
Modify your environment to support your goals. Lay out workout clothes the night before, set reminders, or use visual trackers for habits.
Your Goals All Winter Long
These cues reduce decision fatigue and increase follow-through. Set up a zen area with things that will bring you peace. Ensure you have activities to keep you occupied so you aren’t endlessly scrolling.
Connect Socially
Motivation is contagious. Enlist a workout buddy, join a group class, or check in with someone regularly. Social accountability increases adherence to goals (Carron et al., 1996). Leverage Natural Light and
Movement
Get outside during daylight hours, even for short walks. Natural light and nature helps regulate circadian rhythms and boosts mood (Melrose, 2015). Regular movement enhances energy and reduces winter fatigue.
Proactive Strategies to Stay Active in Winter
Staying physically active is essential for both physical and mental health, but winter presents barriers. Here are proactive ways to stay consistent:
• Plan Indoor Alternatives: Identify home workouts or indoor classes you enjoy (e.g., yoga, dance, create an indoor gym.
• Schedule Activity Like an Appointment: Treat it with the same importance as work or school meetings.
• Bundle Up and Embrace the Outdoors: Invest in warm gear to make outdoor activities (like walking, hiking, or winter sports) enjoyable.
• Track Progress: Use apps or journals to keep track of your activity, which boosts motivation and commitment.
Conclusion
Motivation isn’t something we wait for—it’s something we generate through consistent, intentional action. With tools like Mel Robbins’ Five Second Rule, structured
routines, and proactive planning, it’s entirely possible to stay energized and focused, even through the darkest and coldest months of the year. Remember: action leads to momentum, and momentum fuels motivation. What do you have to lose? Get up and BLAST OFF
References
Carron, A. V., Hausenblas, H. A., & Mack, D. (1996). Social influence and exercise: A meta-analysis. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 18(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1123/
jsep.18.1.1
Flett, J. A. M., Haghish, E. F., & Conner, T. S. (2020). Morning routines and mental health: A multi-study analysis of routine behavior and well-being. Journal of Health Psychology, 25(1011), 1532–1543. https://doi. org/10.1177/1359105318779676
Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2002). Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: A 35-year odyssey. American Psychologist, 57(9), 705–717. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003066X.57.9.705
Melrose, S. (2015). Seasonal affective disorder: An overview of assessment and treatment approaches. Depression Research and Treatment, 2015. https://doi. org/10.1155/2015/178564
Robbins, M. (2017). The 5 second rule: Transform your life, work, and confidence with everyday courage. Savio Republic.
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25(1), 54–67. https://doi. org/10.1006/ceps.1999.1020
Dr. Julie Sorenson, DMFT, MA,LPC,LMHC
Recipes Savoring Squash!
Sweet and savory all swirled into one warm, inviting, nutritious treat!
Northerners are blessed to have all four seasons, which each bring their own delights, such as the warm umber tones of autumn that are flavored with the rich, sweet, creamy deliciousness sealed up in equally colorful squash!
Now is the best time for one of Nature’s most powerful fall-into-winter treats.
Loaded with powerful health ben-
efits, the majority of winter squash posses many mighty health benefits. In fact, some are so potent, that they are touted as being nutrient-dense.
Offering impressively high levels of vitamin C and beta-carotene, two very effective antioxidant compounds, squash can help us prevent various types of cancer, cognitive disorders, premature aging, and a range of other serious health conditions that are often associated with oxidative stress from free radicals, such as cataracts and macular degeneration.
With one serving offering a whopping 9 grams of fiber, squash can not
only add bulk to our diet and help regulate blood sugar levels, but also help eliminate excess cholesterol in the process, too!
Since fiber is the key source of sustenance for our micro biome, the seat of our immune system’s soul, eating squash can help provide fuel for our immune system, which is what keeps our inner engines running!
Offering many opportunities to indulge in its sweetly-savory flavor and its smooth, creamy pulp, squash is quite suitable for many different dishes, even dessert!
Whether baking, sautéing, steam-
Yield: 8 servings
1 medium acorn squash dash of ground cinnamon dash natural sea salt 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3/4 cup apple cider
6 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup milk or cream
8 ounces sharp cheddar
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon thyme
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut acorn squash in half and scoop out seeds. Add dash of cinnamon, dash of sea salt and the unsalted butter slice inside the squash. Bake squash for approximately 30 minutes. Remove and let cool for about 5 minutes.
ing, stuffing, or blending it into something savory or sweet, you’re guaranteed to end up with something mighty amazing.
Here now are some easy ways to savor squash- Enjoy!
Laura Kurella is an award-winning home cook who loves to share recipes from her Michigan kitchen. She welcomes questions and comments at laurakurella@yahoo.com.
Food Stylist and Photographer: Laura Kurella
Carefully scoop out the meat of the squash. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the squash and apple cider and cook, stirring, until broken up well. Remove from heat and add the milk or cream and cream cheese then blend, either a blender or using an immersion wand. Once creamy, return to pan and return to medium heat and add sharp cheddar, nutmeg and thyme. Using whisk, continue blending over medium heat until creamy. Pour into a serving bowl and sprinkle with a dash of nutmeg. Serve with French baguette pieces, dried fruit and anything else you love to dip!
Sweet Butternut Squash Biscuits Recipes
Yield: 6 servings
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon cane sugar
1 Pinch natural sea salt
2 tablespoons butter, cold 1/2 cup butternut squash puree (roasted and pureed) 1/2 cup milk
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Using a wire cheese slicer or similar, cut butter into slivers and sprinkle over flour mixture then,
using a fork or pastry blender, blend butter into mixture until it is well distributed and creates a coarse meal. Add squash puree and blend in just as you blended in butter. Mixture will be a bit lumpy. Sprinkle with milk and then, using a rubber spatula, fold wet into dry gently to create a wet, loose dough.
Divide dough into greased muffin tins, filling each well 3/4 full. Bake in preheated oven for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
Yield: 4 servings
2 acorn squash
2 apples peeled and chopped
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup walnuts chopped
2 tablespoons cinnamon (or to taste)
1/4 cup pure Maple syrup or honey, to taste
3 tablespoons butter softened
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut squash in half long ways. Remove seeds and pulp.
Pour 1/4 cup water into a baking
dish and add squash cut side down. Place baking dish in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine apples, cranberries, walnuts, cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter. Remove squash from oven and let cool.
Turn over the halves and stuff the center of each squash with the apple/ cranberry mixture. Return to oven and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until tender.
Coming Home to Colorado
Have you ever planned a trip where you were bringing your children “home to a place [they’ve] never been before?” John Denver’s lyrics about The Centennial State perfectly describe this adventure. While I’m a lifelong Michigander, Colorado has always held a special place in my heart. In particular, the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs, located in Nathrop, CO, were owned and operated by the family for over 40 years. I wanted my children to experience this wonderful place where so many generations lived before.
My father wrote an account of the area in the late 1950s, documenting the Ute Indians early use of the healing waters, the arrival of a resourceful pioneer named Nachtrieb in 1859 (the town originally carried his name but was shortened to Nathrop for ease of spelling), through the silver and gold boom, and later economic devastation of the Great Depression. My grandparents, George and Margaret Stewart Roche, and great-grandparents, George and Dessa Hagee Roche, purchased the Hot Springs in 1944. I’m fortunate to still retain copies of the out-of-print historical pamphlet, plus photos and personal accounts from this time. My father fondly recalled those first few years rebuilding:
“When I was nine years old, we purchased a completely run-down lodge and hot springs in Chalk Creek Gulch, near Buena Vista. We moved to the Hot Springs when my little sister, Peggy, was six weeks old, virtually without money and facing a mountain of work. The roof leaked in every room of the lodge, functioning plumbing was non-existent, electricity had not yet come to the valley, wood had to be cut for the fireplace which heated the lodge (though the heat radiating from the hot springs beneath the lodge made a huge difference in Colorado winters). The series of cars we drove were prewar and VERY high mileage, requiring countless hours of maintenance. We needed the transportation badly, being a small mountain valley 10 miles from the nearest town and five miles from the 8 grades, one room
schoolhouse I attended (my dad picked up several other kids who lived in the gulch and acted as the school bus in our family car). Actually, this was a big break for the family, because WWII gas rationing was in effect and the school bus designation gave us a B sticker (more gas) rather than the usual A sticker for a single family. With very little money, we gradually and completely rebuilt
the hot springs, running the pool and baths for the money to support the family and continue rebuilding. My Roche grandparents lived and worked there as well. The effort was always for a family business.” -Dr. George Roche III (1935-2006)
In 1960, my grandparents sold the property to Dennis Osborn, who later married their daughter, Peggy. While my grandparents focused on
maintaining the bath house, pool, and pit baths for day use, Uncle Dennis and Aunt Peggy expanded the property, adding an additional pool and lodging for overnight guests.
In the early 1970s, my parents moved to Michigan, but the family kept coming home to the Hot Springs. On one visit in the early 80s, the families gathered where my sister, Muriel, and I enjoyed many adventures with our cousins. I remember breakfasts of fresh rainbow trout and scrambled eggs in the living quarters above the historic bath house, scenic mountain adventures on horseback, viewing the clearest, star-filled skies, and later being gently nudged to sleep by the sounds of Chalk Creek. I learned to swim in those hot springs.
The Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort is now a world class vacation destination, entertaining visitors from around the world. We enjoyed several days in a log cabin located on the 440-acre property, exploring the six pools, daily fitness classes, spa, and many other amenities. The natural rock hot tubs built into the creek were the ideal spot to soak in the perfect blend of frigid waters from Chalk Creek mixed with the natural hot springs. Some also enjoyed hiking the old, abandoned narrow gauge railroad bed and fishing adventures along Chalk Creek Gulch where my husband and son quickly limited each day on rainbow trout.
The conclusion to my father’s historical pamphlet still seems relevant today: “Much has changed since we began our story…But to those people who remember…the people and events which accomplished what is now passed will always live on.” I’m proud to have a connection to this lovely place that has gifted so many memories and adventures for generations.
Maggie Roche Murphy is a lifelong Michigander, educator, musician, and hobby farmer. She earned her B.A. from Hillsdale College, attended graduate school at GVSU, and currently works at Kellogg Community College. More information about upcoming lectures and events can be found on her website: www.cairnhillfarms.net
Health S T R E T C H I N G (PART 2)
I hope you found last month’s article helpful; perhaps it motivated you to begin a stretching program. We only covered three very basic stretches (ankles, neck, and hamstrings). So let’s see if we can round out the routine by adding a few more stretches for more parts of the body. These, too, will all be done seated in a chair. Before we begin, though, I have some tips for safe stretching.
1. Warm up first. Our muscles are much like taffy, meaning that muscles that are warm are less prone to injury. So, while seated, slowly pump your arms for about one minute. Then march in place while seated, again for one minute. If you have music playing, try doing both at the same time.
2. Feel no pain. Stretch only to the point of mild tension, never to the point of pain.
3. Pay attention to posture and form. Even while seated, good form translates into better flexibility.
4. Focus on the muscle being stretched. You’ll notice that one side of your body often is tighter than the other. Stretching will help address the imbalance.
5. Breathe. Do not hold your breath while you stretch. Breathe comfortably during the stretch.
Here are five more stretches you can add to those we discussed last month.
1. Seated shoulder stretch. Sit up straight, extend your right arm and cup your right elbow with your left hand. Keep your right arm straight and slowly pull your right elbow across your chest with your left hand. Hold for 15 seconds. Repeat on the opposite side. Alternate sides 3-4 times.
2. Seated overhead stretch. Sit up straight with your hands in your lap and your fingers interlaced. Rotate your palms so they face away from you and
extend your arms in front of you. Extend your arms toward the ceiling and hold. Slowly return to the starting position. Hold the upward extension of your arms for 30 seconds and repeat.
3. Seated wrist stretch. Sit up straight and extend your arm with your palm out and your fingers pointing up. With your opposite hand, gently pull the tips of your fingers back toward you. Repeat on your opposite hand. Next keep your arm extended with your palm out, but with your fingers pointing down, gently pulling
your fingers back toward you. Repeat on the opposite hand.
4. Seated inner thigh stretch. Sit straight near the front of the chair. Open your legs as far apart as possible, knees and toes pointing outward. Place your hands on your thighs near your knees. Hinge forward till you feel a mild stretch along your inner thighs. Hold for 30 seconds and then return to the starting position. Repeat two or three more times.
5. Seated chest stretch. Sit up straight facing sideways in a chair without arms. Clasp your hands behind you, intertwining your fingers. Slowly raise your arms toward the ceiling to the point of mild tension. Hold and slowly return to the starting position. Repeat 2-3 times, each holding to a count of 30. These five stretches, combined with three from the previous month should get you on your way to being more flexible. Good luck! MAKE your day great and be kind. Till next time,
Ken Dettloff ACE
Certified Personal and Brain Health Trainer
EXPRESSIONS IN JAPANESE PAPER
The Kalamazoo Institute of Arts presents Washi Transformed: New Expressions in Japanese Paper on view through January 11, 2026. Presenting traditional washi in innovative, contemporary forms, this exhibition invites the community to take part in a diverse dialogue and reflection on how mediums from around the world continue to evolve, adapt, and inspire.
Passed down from one generation to the next, the painstaking production techniques of washi stand at the intersection of tradition and innovation. Its everlasting and continuously evolving importance as a medium is a result of the ingenuity of Japanese contemporary artists, who have pushed the practice beyond its conventional applications. Washi, which translates to “Japanese paper,” has been fundamental to Japanese culture for more than a thousand years. Prized for its strong natural fibers, translucency, and malleability, the unique properties of this paper have made it extremely versatile and ubiquitous. Historically, washi has been used in Japanese calligraphy, painting, and printmaking. However, when oiled, lacquered, or modified in other manners, it has other fascinating uses that extend into architecture, religious ritual, fashion, and art.
“At a time when so much of life is digital, this exhibition invites us to slow down and marvel at what human hands can do with the simplest material. These artists honor centuries of craft while inventing new possibilities—you don’t just look at the work, you feel it. It will change the way you see paper. It’s a rare, luminous experience that speaks to Kalamazoo’s love of making and innovation, and I can’t wait for our community to experience it together,” says Michelle Hargrave, Executive Director.
Washi Transformed: New Expressions in Japanese Paper presents over 30 highly textured two-dimensional works, expressive sculptures, and dramatic installations that explore the astonishing potential of this traditional medium. In this exhibition, nine Japanese artists embrace
the seemingly infinite possibilities of washi, underscoring the unique stature this ancient art form has earned in the realm of international contemporary art. The breathtaking creativity of these artistic visionaries deepens our understanding of how the past informs the present, and how it can build lasting cultural bridges out of something as seemingly simple and ephemeral as paper.
The mission of the KIA is to cultivate the creation and appreciation of visual arts in West Michigan. We believe the arts are for everyone; they inspire, fulfill, and transform.
Washi Transformed: New Expressions in Japanese Paper invites the Kalamazoo community and beyond to experience this exhibition and to observe and reflect upon artworks of a timeless cultural tradition.
Washi Transformed: New Ex-
pressions in Japanese Paper was organized by Meher McArthur and is toured by International Arts & Artists, Washington, DC. Meher McArthur is an independent curator and historian of Japanese art. She previously served as the Art & Cultural Director of Japan House, Los Angeles, and Curator of East Asian Art at Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena, CA and curated the IA&A traveling exhibitions Folding Paper: The Infinite Possibilities of Origami (2012–2016) and Above the Fold: New Expressions in Contemporary Origami (2015–2020) and co-curated Nature, Tradition and Innovation: Japanese Ceramics from the Gordon Brodfuehrer Collection (2016–2019). McArthur received an MA in Japanese Studies from Cambridge University; a postgraduate diploma in Asian Art from Sotheby’s School of Oriental Studies (SOAS), London University; and an MA in Art and Archaeology from SOAS, London University. She has published widely on Asian art and culture.
Enjoy free general admission and extended hours until 8pm on Thursdays thanks to generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program and the Efroymson Family Fund.
Explore historic and contemporary masks with Spanish and English commentary
The Kalamazoo Valley Museum this weekend opens “Dancing With Life: Mexican Masks,” a new traveling exhibit whose exploration of the vibrant cultural tradition of Mexican mask-making is sure to delight guests as National Hispanic Heritage Month kicks off.
The “Dancing With Life” exhibit invites audiences to take in the rich festival culture of Mexico through historic and contemporary masks from the collection of the Northwest
Museum of Arts and Culture. It will be on display from Sept. 27 through Jan. 4. Admission to the exhibit and the museum is free.
The exhibition centers around the work of the mask makers and dancers themselves through written and recorded interviews, including bilingual Spanish and English texts. This approach invites visitors to appreciate “danzas” — the Spanish word for dance — as expressions of contemporary living culture, in which symbols and scripts from pop culture and religious narratives coalesce into explorations of spiritual matters, po-
litical issues and community life.
International Arts & Artists, the tourer of this exhibition, is honored to be working with the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture and curator Dr. Pavel Shlossberg. Commonly referred to as the “MAC,” the museum preserves and cultivates the heritage of the Inland Northwest people through collections, exhibitions and programs that bring their stories to life.
Dr. Shlossberg is the associate dean in the School of Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. As a young scholar,
Shlossberg had the privilege to live with and learn from mask artists in Tocuaro, Michoacán, Mexico. His continuing collaboration with artists in Michoacán has shaped his work critiquing academic and museum approaches to framing and representing Mexican Indigenous masking practices in Mexico and internationally.
The Kalamazoo Valley Museum is located at 230 N. Rose St. in downtown Kalamazoo. The museum is operated by Kalamazoo Valley Community College and is governed by its Board of Trustees.
Winner Announced in National
“Get Wild with Wild Rice” Recipe Contest
Michigan resident and former NW Indiana/Chicago area native, Laura Kurella, has won the Grand Prize in the Minnesota Cultivated Wild Rice Council’s national “Get Wild with Wild Rice” recipe contest. Kurella’s Wildy Robust Beans and Rice Birria Bites is a fast, fun, protein-forward finger food enabling you to infuse new flavor into leftover meat in less than 30 minutes!
A self-taught home cook with no professional training in the culinary arts, Kurella revealed she was beside herself when she heard she had won this national award. “I couldn’t believe it,” she sighed. “It literally took a few beats for me to realize what was being said. I was simply stunned by the news, especially after learning that I beat out over one hundred entries!”
Thrilled to take home the grand prize in the MCWRC competition, Kurella revealed that she’s been entering this contest annually since 2021.
“I can thank a dear and recently departed friend from the world of food sport, Nancy Judd, for telling me about this contest. She was a Minnesota native and she encouraged me to enter this contest, so I did!”
Winning her first “People’s Choice” award in 2022 for “Minnesota ‘Popped’ Espresso Mocha Pillow
Crisps,” Kurella went on to win the People’s Choice award and a Golden Ticket to compete at the World Food Championships in 2023 with “Minnesota Wild Rice Beer Bread & Sweet Maple Spread.”
In 2024, Kurella earned a recordbreaking third consecutive People’s Choice award. In 2025, she encouraged her culinary followers and friends to vote for another recipe in the online portion of the contest. “I didn’t want to hinder anyone else’s chance to experience the joy of winning the People’s Choice award,” she conveyed. “I am thrilled that a youth won – it will help motivate them to continue cooking from scratch, which
will help them to build a stronger, healthier body!”
When commenting on her Grand Prize recipe, Kurella said that what she loved most about it was that it can help you clean up leftover meats we all have in the freezer or fridge. “My entry dish, which I also styled and photographed, featured leftover pork baby back rib meat, beef rib meat, and some turkey, too! This combination made it so overloaded with meaty flavor that it danced across your tongue!”
Thanking God for her win, because she feels all good things come from Him, Kurella added, “The idea for this recipe actually came to me in
a dream, so I must say, ‘Thank you, Lord!’”
Pointing to Kurella’s flair for thinking way outside the rice box, Russell credits Kurella’s inventiveness for her winning streak. “It is truly a remarkable achievement that clearly underscores Kurella’s culinary creativity and her passion for making many new things possible with wild rice!”
The Minnesota Cultivated Wild Rice Council (MCWRC) was established in 1974 to support Minnesota’s cultivated wild rice farmers. Minnesota is the world’s largest producer of wild rice, the only cereal grain native to North America. The first annual
“Get Wild with Wild Rice” recipe contest was held in 2010, and has helped make the website home to the world’s largest online wild rice recipe library (visit mnwildrice.org) where you can find all four of Kurella’s winning recipes.
To receive a printed copy of the 2025-2026 Minnesota Cultivated Wild Rice Finalists Recipes, which contains the recipes from all the finalists, send a business-size, self-addressed, stamped-envelope to: Minnesota Cultivated Wild Rice Council, Newest Recipes, 4630 Churchill St #1, St. Paul, MN 55126.
Minnesota Cultivated Wild Rice Council
environment
Entering November, Michigan’s abundant season of fresh produce has faded. The squirrels and chipmunks are hard at work – gathering food that they can store away or bury conveniently to provide the nutrition needed for the upcoming cold months ahead. To borrow a line from Game of Thrones, “Winter is coming!” And that, my friends, isn’t good, especially if you’re trying to get by when living outdoors during our coldest and most unforgiving season.
It turns my attention to nuts and berries. The terms are everywhere –oatmeal, trail mix, granola bars. Is this a marketing nod to our past, when our forebears (both pioneers and indigenous tribes alike) were likewise hard at work to “put by” these foodstuffs as provisions for the coming months? Many nuts and berries share traits that make them desirable. Nuts are typically calorie-dense, contain important stores of both proteins and healthy fats, and have a long shelf life. Berries are excellent sources of essential vitamins, and when stored properly, deliver a great source of desired sweetness, especially out on the homestead where there was no Meijer in sight!
As is typical for me, my thinking turned to science (of course!) What makes a nut a nut, and not just a seed? Is there something special about a berry? Isn’t it just a fruit? Why don’t we just call them seeds and fruits? Is it a marketing decision, or is there some botanical distinction that allows for these special classifications? As you might imagine, there’s a lot of biology to consider.
Much of the confusion in the language used to name and describe nuts and seeds, as well as fruits and berries, stems from the difference between culinary science and botanical science. Foods received their various names many generations before botanists were around to correctly classify them, leaving us with a tasty mess that is not easily unraveled. However, we can try. Let’s dig in!
Let me start by saying that I’m not a fan of nuts. I have very few foods that I’m not crazy about, but nuts are one of them. It’s a texture thing for me. When I ask if the carrot cake has nuts (and it always does), my din-
Nuts and Berries
ing companions always ask, “Are you allergic?” “No, I just don’t like them.” “Even peanuts?” No, I don’t especially like peanuts either, but they’re not nuts; they’re beans, legumes to be exact. A seed, to be sure, but developed in the pod of an underground fruit attached to a modified stalk in the soil. So, peanuts don’t fit anywhere into the category of nuts, even though the last syllable of their name is “-nut.” (I do, however, like creamy peanut butter – see, it’s a texture thing!)
Now that legumes are out of the way, what is a nut versus a seed versus a fruit? To a botanist, a seed is an immature plant, encased in a seed coat for protection. Surrounding the plant embryo is a nourishing food that serves as a source of energy and raw materials for growth, hence the calorie and nutrition density. This material, botanically known as endosperm, is used by the embryonic plant for sustenance until such time that the seed germinates in the soil and structures such as stems, roots, and leaves grow, allowing the plant to begin to photosynthesize. Many plants that we think of as fruits and vegetables are actually the mature “container” that holds the seeds. Consider the apple. It is a tasty package that is very effective in helping disperse apple seeds. The seeds, contained in the fruit (the mature ovary of a fertilized flower), are frequently passed through the digestive system of a bird or mammal that spreads them far and wide into the environment, reducing competition with other fruits that fall from the same tree.
Most of the foods we consider to be nuts are actually fruits, although quite different from an apple. Botanically, a nut is almost always a fruit that grows on a tree. These fruits
contain only one edible seed and a hard, inedible outer shell, or husk. The hard shell doesn’t crack open upon ripening. Acorns and hazelnuts are typically cited as “true nuts.”
Most of the examples that we consider to be nuts are edible seeds. Walnuts, pecans, cashews, and pistachios are classified, not as nuts, but as seeds from plants called drupes. Drupes are fruit species that reproduce by single flowers, although there may be many of them on a single tree, each producing a fruit with one seed inside. Many of the fruits we consider to be our favorites are from drupe species. Cherries, plums, peaches (yum!), sometimes called “stone fruits,” are in the same category, although these have inedible seeds that can even be toxic due to the presence of cyanide and other poisons. No cherry or peach nuts, please!
Berries are equally complicated, but are easier to understand since all berries are fruits. Unlike stone fruits and “true” nuts that contain only one seed, berries are classified as such by the presence of multiple seeds - on the inside, grown from the fertilization and ripening of a single ovary in a single flower. The inside requirement is important because it eliminates many of the fruits that we typically call “berries” as actual berries. Take strawberries, for example. Those yellow dots on the outside of the fruit that get caught in our teeth? We think of them as the seeds, but they are actually the fruits, embedded on a red, fleshy, sweet extension of the strawberry plant stem.
The next time you want to serve up a berry salad for brunch, consider using bananas, watermelons, kiwis, and blueberries. Using the botanical definition of a berry, all of these choices qualify. Likewise, cranberries,
a holiday favorite, are true berries. Along with blueberries, these are examples of berries that dry well and can be stored for long periods of time as sources of Vitamin C. They are true blessings during a cold winter! Raspberries and blackberries are most definitely not botanical berries, but are instead aggregate fruits. The blossoms of these bushes contain many flowers, but those blooms are different – these contains multiple ovaries, each requiring separate pollination to produce a “fruitlet” that will join with others to produce the familiar “berry” structure. If some of the ovaries are not fertilized, the fruit will not develop into the round, symmetrical fruit that we so enjoy. It would still be tasty, no doubt, but perhaps better cosmetically suited to jam.
It’s clear that nuts and berries, fruits and seeds, are as varied as the parent plants they represent. All these goodies exist in service to the overriding goal for every living thing – to survive and pass on a next generation of offspring. Just as we marvel at the diversity of animal and insect species, we must also stand in awe of the marvelous adaptations of plants to achieve the same goals.
I hope that if you pack up some trail mix and go wandering before winter settles in, you will pay some attention to the leftovers of the summer harvest that are evident in nature. Surely you will find nuts and berries – and more!
Cheryl Hach Retired Science Teacher
Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center
References: Raman, R. (2019, November 20). Are nuts fruits? Healthline Nutrition. Retrieved July 8, 2023, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/are-nuts-fruits Baum, I. (2024, October 25). I just found out strawberries aren’t berries - but cucumbers are - and my mind is blown. Retrieved September 20, 2025, from https://www. eatingwell.com/article/2058928/ijust-found-out-strawberries-arentberries-but-cucumbers-are-and-mymind-is-blown/
FREE november Events
Through January 4
Exhibit: Dancing with Life: Mexican Masks, Kalamazoo Valley Museum
Through December 4
Food Drive, drop off your nonPerishable food items for Loaves & Fishes, Vicksburg Library
Saturdays, Nov. 1,8,15,22
Kalamazoo Farmers Market 8am-1pm, 1204 Bank St.
Saturday, November 1
Beginning Birding Walk, 9-11am, Wolf Lake Fish Hatchery, Mattawan
Saturday, November 1
Kalamazoo Indoor Flea Mkt. 9am-1pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center
Saturday, November 1
Pumpkin Drop, 2pm, Gull Meadow Farm, Richland
Saturday, November 1
Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), 5-9pm, Kalamazoo County Expo Center
Saturdays, Nov. 1,8,15,22
Live Music, The Dock @ Bayview, 8pm
Saturday, Nov. 1,8,15,22,29
Karaoke & Dance Night
Back Alley Saloon, 9pm12am, Continental Lanes
Sunday, November 2
Fall Migration Celebration W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, Augusta, 9am-5pm
Sundays, Oct.2,9,16,23,30 Sunday Night Blues Jam, 6-9pm, Shakespeare’s Pub
Mondays, Nov. 3,10,17,24
Family Storytime 10-11am, Books, songs, more! Vicksburg Library
Mondays, Nov. 3,10,17,24
Support Group: depression, Bipolar disorder & other mental Health challenges, 7-8:30pm Portage Chapel Hill United Methodist Church
Tuesdays, Nov. 4,11,18,25
Preschool Workshop (ages 3-5) 10:15am, Richland Library
Tuesday, November 4
Craft Stitching Group - Bring Your own project, 1-4pm Parchment Library
Tuesdays, Nov. 4,11,18.,25 Weekly Gaming, grades 6-12, 3-5pm, Richland Library
Tuesday, November 4
Teens/tweens Dungeons & Dragons, 4-6pm, Vicksburg Library
Tues., Nov. 4 & Wed., Nov. 5
Art 101: Basic Line Drawing (2-Part class), 6pm, Register: 629-9085, Richland Library
Tuesdays, Nov. 4,11,18,25
Trivia @ 468 Wine, 6:30-8:30, 8842 Portage Rd., Portage
Tuesdays, Nov. 4,11,18,25
Trivia Night, 7-9pm Louie’s Trophy House
Wednesdays, Nov. 5, 12
Mugs & Hugs, stories, activites, play, 10-11am, Vicksburg Library
Wednesday, Nov. 5,12,19,26
Wednesday Wigglers, infant/Toddler, 10:15am, Richland Library
Wednesdays, Nov. 5,12,19,26
Teen Dungeons & Dragons, 3-5pm, grades 6-12, Register: 629-9085, Richland Library
Wednesdays, Nov. 5,12,19,26
Free ½ hour of Bowling, Crafted Copper, Kalamazoo, 4-10 pm
Wednesdays, Nov. 5,12,19,26
Trivia at the Taproom, 7-9pm, Apoptosis Brewing Co., Kal.
Thursday, November 6
Adult Book Club: The Glass Castle By Jeannette Walls, 9:30 –10:30am, Vicksburg Library
Thursdays, Nov. 6,13,20,27
Free Thursdays, 11am-8pm, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
Thursday, November 6
Elementary “Drive-in” Movie Night, bring a drink/blanket & a box large enough to sit on, 3:306pm, Vicksburg Library
Thursdays, Nov. 6,13,20,27
Teen Dungeons & Dragons, 4:30-6:30pm, Register: 629-9085, Richland Library
Thursday, November 6
Gallery Gathering: Kirk Newman Art School, 5:30-6:30pm Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
Thursday, November 6 Wine & Euchre, 6-8pm, Sign up ahead, 468 Wine, Portage
Thursdays, Nov. 6,13,20,27
Triple Threat Trivia, 6:30pm Presidential Brewing Co.
Thursday, November 6
Tea Tasting with The Village Tea, 7pm, Register: 629-9085, Richland Library
Thursdays, Nov. 6,13,20,27
King Trivia, 7-9pm, Gull Lake Distilling Co., Galesburg
Thursdays, Nov. 6,13,20,27
Music Extreme Bingo, 7pm Shakespeare’s Pub
Thursdays, Nov. 6,13,20,27
Music Bingo, 7-9pm, Louie’s Trophy House, Kalamazoo
Thursday, November 6
Slap Your Tail Comedy: Open Mic, 7:30pm, Doors open 7pm Dormouse Theatre, Kalamazoo
Friday, November 7
KRESA Play & Learn-Preschoolers and parents/caregivers, 10am , Parchment Library
Fridays, Nov. 7,14,21,28
Sit N’ Stitch, 10am-12pm Richland Library
Fridays, Nov. 7,14,21,28
Family Story Time, 10:15am, All ages, Richland Library
Friday, November 7
Memory Café – for people with Mild dementia and their care
Partners, 10:30am – Noon Paw Paw District Library
Friday, November 7
Ladies, Leaves & Laughter Downtown Plainwell, 3-7pm
Friday, November 7
Washi Collage with Collage Crew Kzoo, 5-8pm, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
Friday, November 7
KalamazooTopia Outdoor Holiday Market, 5-8pm, 100 Block of N. Kalamazoo Mall
Fridays, Nov. 7,14,21,28
Live Music @ The Dock at Bayview, 8pm-12am
Saturday, November 8
Internet Users group, bring Smart Phones, 10am-Noon & questions, Paw Paw Library
Saturday, November 8
Art Detectives: A Life Made by Hand by Ruth Asawa, 10:30-noon, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
Saturday, November 8
Beginning Ukulele for Kids, Ages 8-13, Ukelele’s provided, 11am, Register: Richland Library
Saturday, November 8
Beginning Ukulele for Teens & Adults, ages 14+, Ukuleles Provided, 1pm, Register: Richland Library
Sunday, November 9
Dede Alder-2nd Sundays Live! 2pm, Parchment Library
Monday, November 10
Parchment Book Group: Isaac’s Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History, By Erik Larson, 6pm, Parchment Library
Monday, November 10
WMU Student Composers I. 7:30pm, Dalton Recital Hall
Tuesday, November 11
Scrabble Club for Adults, 1-2:30pm, Vicksburg Library
Tuesday, November 11
Engineering Extravaganza! Join Air Zoo Explorers to innovate with recyclables to create cardboard, 3:30-5:30, Vicksburg Library
Tuesday, November 11
Cookbook Club: Baking Across America by Dylan Hollis, Try a recipe at home/bring to share, 6pm, Richland Library
Wednesday, November 12
Birds & Coffee Chat on Zoom: Swans & Geesr, 10-11am, register: birdsanctuary@kbs.msu. edu
Wednesday, November 12
ArtBreak: A Gift to the City She Loved: Genevieve Gilmore’s Bequest, Noon – 1pm Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
Wednesday, November 12
Adult Dungeons & Dragons Bravo Team, 3-6pm, Register: 629-9085, Richland Library
Wednesday, November 12
History Night: Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, 6-7pm, Paw Paw District Library
Wednesday, November 12
Tea Mocktails, 6pm, Register: 629-9085, Richland Library
Wednesday, November 12
Guest Artist Recital, Dasol Um, Piano 7:30pm Dalton Center Lecture Hall
Thursday, November 13
Bobby Watson, Jazz Saxophone, 1:30pm, Dalton Recital Hall
Thursday, November 13
Youth Book Group, grades 15th, The Eyes & the Impossible, 1pm, Register: Richland Library
Thursday, November 13
Teen Break & Bulldog Break, Teens/tweens (under 18) games, social, treats, more! 2:45-4:45pm, Vicksburg Library
Thursday, November 13
Writers’ Motivational Group, 4-5pm, Vicksburg Library
Thursday, November 13
Artful Evening: The Ways that Paper Leads to Freedom, 6-7pm, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
Thursday, November 13
Friends Read Book Club, 6:30-7:30, Paw Paw Library
Friday, November 14
Family Game Night, 5-7pm, pizza & soda, Richland Library
Saturday, November 15
Friends of the Library Book Sale, 9am-1pm, Parchment Library
Saturday, November 15
Once Upon a Saturday, all ages, stories, songs, activities, 10:15am, Richland library
Monday, November 17
STEAM event & activity 11am-12pm, Vicksburg Library
Monday, November 17
WMU Chamber Music Series, 6:30pm, StoryPoint Kalamazoo
Tuesday, November 18
Mystery Book Club: A Murder Most French by Colleen Cambridge, 6:30pm, Parchment Library
Wednesday, November 19
Book Discussion: Felon: Poems by Reginald Dwayne Betts, 2-3pm, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
Thursday, November 20
Kids & Canvas, grades 1-5, 4pm, Register: Richland Library
Thursday, November 20
Book Club: How to Read a Book by Monica Wood, 6pm, Richland Library
Thursdays, November 20 Heartbreak Book Club: Story Of My Life by Lucy Score, 6:30-7:30, Paw Paw Library
Friday, November 21
Fiber Friends- Bring your own Project & lunch, 10am-2pm Parchment Library
Friday, November 21
Listen Up Book Club, An Audiobook club for people With low vision,10:30am11:30am, Paw Paw Library
Friday, November 21
Poetry Circle for Adults, 12-1pm, Vicksburg Library
Friday, November 21
Needle Felting, ages 11-17, 3-5pm, Register: Richland Library
Saturday, November 22
Holiday Parade, 11am Downtown Kalamazoo
Saturday, November 22
WMU Percussion Ensemble, 7:30pm, Dalton Recital Hall
Monday, November 24
Read Aquiet Book Club for Adults, 10:30am-12pm, Vicksburg Library
Monday, November 24
WMU Jazz Combo Showcase, 7:30pm, Dalton Recital Hall
Tuesday, November 25
Lego & Duplo Club, 1-2pm & 5:30 – 6:30pm, Vicksburg Library
Friday, November 28
Tree Lighting Ceremony, 5-7pm, tree lighting at 6pm Downtown Kalamazoo
Saturday, November 29
Holiday Bizarre Bazaar Bell’s Brewery, 12-5pm
Sat., Nov, 29-Sun. Nov. 30 Santa’s Workshop @ Downtown City Centre, Kalamazoo Sat. 12-6pn, Sun. 12-4pm