From the Editor
When a new leader takes over a major community organization, there is often a flurry of media stories about that person and how they envision the organization's future. I once had a boss who told me that no one really knows a job until they've had it a year, which is why at Encore we tend to let those leaders adjust to their new roles awhile before we interview them.
This month we feature Grace Lubwama, who took over as the executive director of the Kalamazoo Community Foundation in July 2023. To be sure, this dynamic woman hasn't just been sitting around observing; in her first 12 months she's been plenty busy redefining the scope of the foundation and its role in the community and developing a strategic plan while restructuring the foundation's staff resources. She shares with us her vision for the foundation to become the "community's leader in philanthropy."
In this issue we also introduce another inspiring woman who has set a course for her future — captaining a replica of an early 19th-century topsail merchant sloop. Amanda Northrup, or Captain Amanda, is one of two captains that take the helm of the Friends Good Will, which sails in the summer from the Michigan Maritime Museum, in South Haven. She's the subject of our Back Story this month.
Back on land, we talk with the farming family behind Mitchell's Patch of Blue, an organic blueberry grower in Bangor. Writer Jarret Whitenack gives us this family's fascinating history and how they've adapted and innovated in a world where small farms like theirs are disappearing fast.
Finally, if you've attended any arts or cultural festivals or events this summer, you were helping those events positively impact their communities while you were having fun. In a story for the Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative's coverage of quality-of-life issues and equitable community development, we look at not only the economic benefits of these types of events, but how they can spur community development and community cohesion.
We hope you enjoy this issue, and we are truly grateful to you for being loyal Encore readers.
Left to right: Morgan Rogalke-Scime, Charles S. Ofstein, Tyler J. Stewart, Olivia A. Kurajian, William B. Millard
Evaluation & Care of Trees and Shrubs
Publisher encore publications, inc
Editor marie lee
Art Director alexis stubelt
Photographer brian k powers
Contributing Writers
kalloli bhatt, lynn houghton, marie lee, susan blackwell ramsey, jarret whitenack
Copy Editor/Poetry Editor margaret deritter
Advertising Sales janis clark, sha'nna stafford, krieg lee
Distribution ron kilian robert zedeck
Office Coordinator kelly burcroff
Proofreader hope smith
Encore Magazine is published 12 times yearly. Copyright 2024, Encore Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Editorial, circulation and advertising correspondence should be sent to:
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The staff at Encore welcomes written comments from readers, and articles and poems for submission with no obligation to print or return them. To learn more about us or to comment, visit encorekalamazoo.com. Encore subscription rates: one year $36, two years $70. Current single issue and newsstand $4, $10 by mail. Back issues $6, $12 by mail. Advertising rates on request. Closing date for space is 28 days prior to publication date. Final date for print–ready copy is 21 days prior to publication date. The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by those interviewed and published here do not reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Encore Magazine or the official policies, owners or employees of Encore Publications
Captain Amanda — How this 24-year-old found herself at the helm of a 19th-century sailing vessel
Kalloli Bhatt
Kalloli wrote this month's story about the impact of arts and cultural events on economies and communities as part of the Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative's coverage of quality-of-life issues and equitable community development. "Those I interviewed have seen the arts as a place where their communities find common ground in divisive times," she says. Kalloli is a digital media and journalism and creative writing double major at Western Michigan University, a former Encore intern and a current Stateside production assistant at Michigan Public.
Marie Lee
For the stories she wrote for this month's issue, Marie enjoyed talking with two dynamic women with very different careers. Her cover feature looks at the first year of Grace Lubwama's leadership as CEO of the Kalamazoo Community Foundation and shows how this Ugandan native has become truly enamored and dedicated to her adopted home. Marie also profiles Captain Amanda — Amanda Northrup — a schoolteacher who can be found spending her summers captaining Friends Good Will, a replica of a 19th-century merchant sloop on Lake Michigan. "The best way to describe both of these very different women is that they are very passionate about what they do, and it's led them to achieve great things," says Marie, who is the editor of Encore
Jarret Whitenack
Jarret wrote this issue's story on Mitchell’s Patch of Blue, a small, family-run organic blueberry farm in Bangor. “I really enjoy the history of farms like this. Being run by a single family for closing in on 100 years is an impressive thing," says Jarret. "The Mitchells are very proud of their family's history and hearing them tell the stories of their farm makes you understand why. Their tireless dedication to continuing the family legacy through the hardships that have claimed many of the family-run farms in the area is inspiring, to say the least.” Jarret, a graduate of Portland (Oregon) State University, is an editorial intern at Encore
Lori Hannemann, Michael Brundage, CFP® & Michelle Eldridge, CFA,CPWA® Wealth Management Partners
First Things
Something Cultural
Festival celebrates Latino culture
A festival celebrating the richness and diversity of Kalamazoo's Latino community will be held on Aug. 17 at Arcadia Creek Festival Place, in downtown Kalamazoo.
The Kzoo Latinx Festival, hosted by the local organization El Concilio, will feature live music, dancing, food trucks, and booths with artisan products and representatives of community organizations.
The event is free and runs from noon–10 p.m. For more information, visit elconciliokzoo.org.
Something in the Air Balloon Fest to land in Richland
With a lot of hot air, the Kalamazoo Balloon Fest returns Aug. 16–18 to Gull Meadow Farms, in Richland.
The festival celebrates hot-air ballooning and will feature food trucks and family activities during the day and "balloon glows" at night.
Balloon viewing will be free, but there is a $10 parking fee and $7 fee per person for the activities at the farm. For more information, visit gullmeadowfarms.com.
Something Tasty
BBQ Bash to benefit local nonprofit
If you're a fan of barbecue, you will love the first weekend of August. Award-winning local and national barbecue vendors will be on hand Aug. 1–3 for the Maple Hill BBQ Bash at Arcadia Creek Festival Place, in downtown Kalamazoo.
The event is a fundraiser for The Arc Community Advocates, an advocacy group for those with developmental disabilities. It will feature live music by 12 acts, including Starship with Mickey Thomas, Hairmania, OCD/C and Domestic Problems.
The event starts each day at 11 a.m., and tickets range from $8–$52. For the music lineup or to purchase tickets, visit bbqbashkzoo.com.
Something Wordy Scrabble
Fest returns
More fun than getting a triple word score, the annual Kalamazoo Scrabble Fest returns Aug. 10 to the Radisson Plaza Hotel in downtown Kalamazoo.
Hosted by the Kalamazoo Literacy Council, this annual competition involving the popular board game helps to raise awareness and funds to help serve local adult learners.
The event takes place from noon–3:30 p.m. Registration to play is $25 and includes a commemorative T-shirt, hors d’oeuvres, parking and gaming materials. To sign up or for more information, visit kalamazooliteracy.org.
Something Bluesy Tedeschi Trucks Band coming to Wings
The Grammy Award-winning blues-rock Tedeschi Trucks Band will perform Aug. 10 at the Wings Event Center.
This 12-piece group, fronted by the couple Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, won a Grammy for Best Blues Album in 2011 for Revelator. The group's most recent release is 2022's I Am the Moon, a quadruple album released in four parts.
The show starts at 7 p.m., and tickets are $30.50–$195.50. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit wingseventcenter.com.
Five Faves Favorite buildings that aren't where they started
BY LYNN HOUGHTON
For many years, demolition was not the only choice when it came to a building no longer in use. Moving the structure was an alternative that was easier in the 19th century than today, since the majority of roads were dirt and didn't have obstructions like overhead utility lines or heavy vehicular traffic. While it was mostly houses that were given new locations, the largest local building to be moved was the first Kalamazoo County courthouse (shown in the photograph at top right), which was moved in 1883. It traveled three blocks to become a livery stable and later a laundry. Here are five of my favorite area buildings that are in different locations from their original sites:
Thomas House
613 E. Cass St., Schoolcraft
This home and office for Dr. Nathan Thomas, Kalamazoo County’s first physician, was built in 1835 at the corner of West Cass and North Centre streets. After Thomas' marriage to Pamela Brown, in 1840, he enlarged the structure to provide space for a growing family. Three years later, the house became a station on the Underground Railroad, helping an estimated 1,500 people find freedom. After the Civil War, Thomas decided to build a new house for several reasons, including the condition of the original house. He moved the older structure to its current location, at the edge of the village, in 1868, and it is now owned by the Schoolcraft Historical Society.
Hoben House
304 Monroe St.
Allen Hoben, as president of Kalamazoo College, initiated one of the largest building campaigns in the college's history in 1922, creating a small, intimate campus centered on a quad, or quadrangle. Hoben himself built, at his own expense, the president’s house at the southeast corner of Academy and Monroe streets. Completed in 1924, the classic Georgian-Colonial house cost $16,500 and remained a home for the college's top administrator and their family for the next 50 years. It later became the Stryker Center, which provided programs for management development. Plans for the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership to be built on the site called for either the demolition or preservation of the house. Fortunately, new owners moved the house in June 2011 to Monroe and South streets, where it fits into the neighborhood perfectly.
Austin-Sill House
226 W. Lovell St.
B enjamin Austin, who came to Kalamazoo with his family in 1833 at age 14, was quite an industrious young man, becoming a tinsmith and watchmaker, in addition to running a store and eventually becoming a successful wagon maker. He also had great taste in architecture, building this modest brick Greek Revival home facing South Rose Street at the corner of West Lovell Street in 1846. By 1856, he built a new house, a classic Gothic Revival structure on Oakland Drive and Austin Street. Joseph Sill, Kalamazoo’s first dentist and homeopathic physician, moved Austin's Greek Revival around to face West Lovell Street in the late 1860s for the Sill Terrace Apartments, which are still there and now surrounded by the Prange Building.
House
his temple-style Greek Revival house with Doric pillars and a unique Greek design at the cornice was built by early Kalamazoo resident Luther Trask in 1839 on the northwest corner of Woodward Avenue and West Main Street. Within a year it became the home of Frederick Woodward and his wife, Louisa, Trask's sister, and it remained the home of the Woodward family until 1870, when they wanted a larger home. This structure was moved down Woodward Avenue to the northeast corner of Elmwood Street. The Kalamazoo reported that when the house was moved, it was a home “with sweet comforts and rich in those amiable virtues which never fail to invite cordiality.” Bartholomew
Burdick House
This Greek Revival home, completed in 1839 for Justus Burdick, originally sat on Exchange Place just south of Michigan Avenue. In 1855, after Burdick’s death, it was moved to face South Rose Street and served as a boardinghouse. In 1881, it once again needed to find a new location to make way for the newly designed Academy of Music. It took 20 days, from July 8 until July 28, to get it to its new site on the southeast corner of West Vine Street and South West Street, now Westnedge Avenue. The delay was due to a homeowner who did not want their tree branches cut to make room for the house to move, leaving the house sitting in the middle of South Rose Street for 10 days.
About the Author
Lynn Houghton is the regional history curator at the Western Michigan University Archives and Regional History Collections, located in the Zhang Legacy Collection Center, where she works with researchers and students of all ages. She is the co-author of Kalamazoo Lost and Found, a book on Kalamazoo history and architecture, and has written a number of Five Faves features for Encore. She also participated in the PBS series 10 That Shaped America, about the history of architecture and urban planning, and has led a series of walking tours in Kalamazoo and other parts of Kalamazoo County. She has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in history from WMU and a master’s in library and information science from Wayne State University.
Their Own Patch of Blue Small blueberry farm survives by going organic
BY JARRET WHITENACK
For the past 80 years the Mitchell family has been growing blueberries on land that has been passed down through the generations. At one time in their part of Van Buren County, that wasn’t unusual. Today it is.
“So, the two (former) family farms," Kyle Mitchell says, motioning to neighboring farms, "they're both owned by big processors. And then the farm across the street, that was my best friend's family's farm that's now owned by some people from Chicago, but it's run by
True Blue (True Blue Farms, one of the largest blueberry growers in America). And then the farm next door is still owned by our neighbor who was down there when we grew up, but that's also managed by True Blue, so the big farms have just taken over a lot of the little ones.”
The Mitchells began their blueberry growing in the 1940s, when Kyle’s great-grandfather, Arthur B. Brown, bought a plot of land on County Road 380 in Bangor.
Brian K. Powers
“We acquired this piece of property here in 1943 when my grandfather moved from Chicago for jobs, like a lot of people did,” says Larry Mitchell, Kyle’s father. Larry was born in 1945, right after the end of World War II, and his father decided to move to Michigan from Virginia to be closer to his family.
“We lived here, my parents lived at this house until ’54,” says Larry. “In ’54, we bought a place a mile down the road, and in ’67 it caught on fire and burned down, so we ended up moving back to this piece of property here. And we've been here ever since.”
Like most farmers in the area at the time, the Mitchells chose to grow blueberries because of the plant’s hardiness. The Mitchells’ farm, which was named Mitchell’s Patch of Blue in 1956 by Larry’s and Craig’s parents, Grace and James Mitchell, is now 76 acres, 40 of which is undeveloped forest. Multiple generations and relations have worked on this farm, including wives, nephews and cousins. Now it is mostly Larry and his wife, Ginny; Larry’s brother Craig and his wife, Tina; and Kyle and his wife, Natalie. (Another Van Buren County organic blueberry farm is also owned by a Mitchell family, but they are not related to these Mitchells.)
The Mitchells talk about how neighbors and friends that lived in the area in the past helped one another, working together to do things that they couldn't do alone. For example, the barn where they do the sorting and store the blueberries was originally in another location but was moved with the help of friends.
Above: The Mitchell family, from left, Larry and Ginny Mitchell, Kyle and Natalie Mitchell, and Craig Mitchell, in front of the sign for their farm. Top left: Grace and James Mitchell harvesting blueberries and loading them in their truck in 1978. Bottom left: James Mitchell holding his very young grandson Kyle. Opposite page: Organic blueberries growing at Mitchell’s Patch of Blue.
“Half of that building was the garage at the other house (that burned). And before we actually sold the place, we needed a building," Larry says, "so Dad got him and his friends and they jacked it up and put it on a truck. It's a mile and a tenth from that house to here, and Dad sat up on the roof of the building and raised the electrical wires as he went under them, with a broom. And they drove down the road.”
There are not many of those original families still around. As being a small farmer became harder and harder, large processors began purchasing farms when the owners could no longer make a profit.
“There were a lot of small farms," Larry says, "but what happened was a lot of the small farms got bought out by other families because the price (of blueberries) was good. And then right after they bought
'em, the market dropped out and they couldn't afford to pay for 'em (the farms) because (the price of blueberries) was now 30 cents a pound when it (had been) a dollar a pound. You got a big difference in price. And so a lot of these big suppliers, they sat around and they bought 'em up.”
The costs of doing business and the low profits make it difficult for small family farms to support themselves. Craig and Kyle talk of a fellow farmer who, rather than sell at a loss to suppliers, opted to dump his entire crop on his fields for fertilizer.
“They (suppliers) would come and actually harvest for you," Craig says. "You're getting 30 cents a pound, but they would charge you 10 to 12 cents (a pound) to pick them. So now you're (making) 18 cents a pound. But then you take 'em over there and they go, ‘Well, I'm only gonna pay you 15 cents.’ So now you did all this for 3 cents. That's why (Kyle's) friend said, ‘I took 'em back and dumped 'em on the ground.’”
“Because they would not give him anything,” interjects Kyle, “so he said, ‘Well, I'm not gonna leave them here for you to profit off 'em. I'm gonna dump 'em back on my field as fertilizer.’”
Clockwise from top left: Mitchell’s blueberries being processed; Kyle Mitchell sorting and cleaning berries; and, from left, worker Carl Jackson, Grace Mitchell (on tractor), Craig Mitchell, and workers Charlie Brooks and Stevie Bryant during harvest in 1968.
At one time Michigan and New Jersey were the prime blueberry producers in the world. But with the market becoming flooded with new competitors, including Washington Oregon, Canada, Mexico and Venezuela, and the rising costs of supplies, the Mitchells needed a new plan. And that plan was to go organic.
“The cost of chemicals was just starting to get crazy," Craig says. "I kind of saw which way it was going, and we had two acres that were unfilled, so I bought some berries, and since they were new, I didn't have to worry about putting any chemicals on 'em. So that was my first initial reason. Then he (Kyle) started taking over, and he understood it better than I did.”
The farm grows six organic heirloom varieties — Earliblue, Bluecrop, Pemberton, Blueray, Rubel and Jersey — in addition to the more readily found variety Duke.
Organic berries can fetch up to $5 a pound. But even with switching to growing organic blueberries, the family still needed a sustainable business plan. Through his connections as an agrifoods and culinary instructor at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Kyle was able to find people to purchase their berries.
“My main class actually works out of Valley Hub," Kyle says. "Valley Hub is a partner that works with local farmers within a 40-mile radius of the college to buy produce from the farmers and then offer it to a greater market. Some of my biggest buyers are Bronson Hospital, the YWCA, Kalamazoo Public Schools, South Haven Public Schools and Paw Paw Public Schools.”
Kyle is also a mentor working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Transition to Organics Partnership Program (TOPPS) to help farmers transition to organic farming.
“I've got a farmer who has four acres over in Covert who's one of my mentees. And then
he actually works with another guy who has about 40 acres who runs that property for them. So I'm working with them 'cause they're conventional. You know, they don't know what products to use and how to do the paperwork and what records to keep,” says Kyle. “We work together on a multiyear partnership, and they come out to the farm every couple weeks and see what I'm doing, see what it looks like, especially since they have conventional and we have organic, so they can kind of see what the differences look like.”
The Mitchells are certified through the USDA’s Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) program, meaning that they follow good food safety standards in raising and processing their crops. Kyle says they are working on getting certified by the Real Organic Project, a farmer-led initiative to verify that crops are cultivated in the ground rather than grown hydroponically.
But wouldn’t it be easier just to sell out to the big suppliers? “The last offer I got was $67,000 for the whole farm,” says Kyle.
Despite the challenges, the Mitchells say growing blueberries is more than a livelihood.
“To me it means freedom,” says Craig. “You have a bad day, you just take a walk out in the woods and know that you shouldn't be running across anybody you don't know. You just walk out and know that you're looking at your stuff.”
Larry agrees. “It's our legacy," he says.
But he hopes to see the business leave another legacy by becoming a Michigan Centennial Farm, a designation recognizing farms that have remained in the same family for 100 years or more.
"I have an obligation that I put on Kyle that I would like and expect for him to hang onto this place through 2043, so that will make this a centennial farm.”
Kyle laughs and replies, "I don't have plans to get rid of it."
Who We Are'
Grace Lubwama seeks to simplify and amplify the Kalamazoo Community Foundation
BY MARIE LEE
Brian K. Powers
Authentic.
For Grace Lubwama, who has been executive director of the Kalamazoo Community Foundation for a year now, that word is her polestar.
"We want to be authentic and not trying to be what we are not," the 52-year-old says about the 100-year-old philanthropic organization (which goes by KZCF, for short). "As long as we stay authentic and build the trust of this community as the leader in philanthropy, that's what it's all going to be about."
There's no doubt that Lubwama means every word. She took the helm at the Kalamazoo Community Foundation in July 2023 after a nine-year run as the executive director of the YWCA Kalamazoo. During her tenure there, the YWCA implemented the first human trafficking program in Michigan that includes advocacy, counseling, legal services and shelter; established a 24-hour early childhood center; and founded Cradle Kalamazoo, a $4.2 million initiative to reduce Black infant mortality in Kalamazoo County. Under her leadership the YWCA grew, and it now has more than 200 employees and net assets of $30 million.
Even with her successful stint as the head of the YWCA, Lubwama admits to being in new territory as she heads up a philanthropic organization that in 2022 had nearly $560 million in assets and gave out just shy of $20 million in grant funding. (Figures for 2023 were not available at press time.) She says she spent her first 90 days with the foundation taking a deep dive into its history, going back to read its original organizing documents when it was created by W.E. Upjohn in 1925 with a donation of $1,000.
"It was very important for me to go back to the core of why the community foundation was created. W.E. Upjohn's vision was purely about resurrecting the giving spirit and having the greatest impact. It was very instrumental for me to go back to the core principles — get resources, grow them, give them out, gather people," she says. "The Community Foundation is about getting resources and growing them, granting them out, and then positioning ourselves as a community leader by gathering people."
The KZCF had "drifted from that core" in recent years, she says. Realigning the organization with these values has involved two major shifts. The first was that Lubwama restructured the foundation's staff to put more resources into donor relations, technology and evaluating and measuring the organization's impact.
"For the last year we've been preparing ourselves for that, building our internal capacity, especially around our donor relations team, bringing in marketing and rebranding, and using technology not as a utility, but as an innovation," she says. "We've been looking at how to create data and reports that really talk about impact and will be adding somebody around evaluation on our team. By the end of this year we'll have all the capacity internally and the staff that we need to prepare us to do that work more."
On the technological front, "we are in an Amazon world," says Lubwama, referring to the retail giant that has redefined instant gratification for consumers. "We will take the lessons Amazon has taught us and run with it to make giving easy. We have a new donor portal that we will be rolling out that is really donor-focused and will help us diversify the pool. The portal will help let people know about different ways to give, such as the Love Where You Live funds and donor-advised funds, and to see how their funds are being used."
In a second shift at the foundation in the past year, the organization shed the Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation initiative to address
the historic and contemporary effects of racism. It had hosted the initiative since it was created in 2017 with funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Kalamazoo was one of 14 communities in which the Kellogg Foundation launched the initiative. It has been renamed the Kalamazoo Healing Community, and the effort is no longer housed at the KZCF, but it still focuses on facilitating community discussions about racism, diversity, trauma and healing.
"When we eliminated the TRHT work, ... I came in very clear and I said, 'The community foundation will not be doing any initiatives.' It doesn't mean I didn't support the work," Lubwama says, "but we have enough nonprofit organizations that can carry that work. There is somebody in this community that can do the direct-service work better than us. We will go back to our role of supporting nonprofit organizations to do the work. We are not wired in running programs. That is not who we are."
Remaking a century-old institution takes a lot of mettle, and Lubwama says she has the lived experiences and love for this community to dedicate to the effort. Lubwama grew up in Uganda
during the civil war and the reign of Idi Amin. She was one of six siblings whose parents pushed education as a way out of poverty. Her parents sold whatever they had, slept on the floor and went without shoes to make sure their children attended good schools. In her 20s, Lubwama came to the U.S. to attend graduate school at Boston University and then moved to Los Angeles. When she came to the YWCA, she had two young sons. They are now in high school at Loy Norrix. "I felt I had done everything that I needed to do at the Y, and I was in that space where I was, 'OK, what else can I do now?' When this opportunity came around, I didn't think I was
"We want to provide clarity for who we are and reposition ourselves as the community leader in philanthropy.Thegoalofthecommunityfoundation isforustobehereforalongtime."
— Grace Lubwama, executive director, Kalamazoo Community Foundation
the right person, but I love this community. I want to be here for a long time, so that was a key driver. I was not ready to move my children to another community, and I was not ready to leave. I still wanted to live here and still have impact.
"I have lived in the U.S. longer than I lived in Uganda," she notes, yet her childhood experiences are a guiding force in her work now. She wants the foundation to expand the idea of philanthropy to "people like me."
"You know, my boys and my life have given me an opportunity to do more for this community. I think about the legacy I want to leave for my children, and I want to invite other families in this community to leave a great legacy. I told my staff, 'Think of me as a donor. What would you tell me?' I'm Grace, an immigrant, single mom of two boys, and I love being part of this community. How do we transform our messaging to draw in people that would never have come?"
Part of that discovery process has Lubwama meeting with community members and attending town hall meetings to find out what people in the community care about and how the KZCF can engage those interests. She calls it "pulling out people's passions."
"I am learning so much. I was meeting with a donor yesterday who loves land conservation. I shared with him that that's not my passion, but I want to learn more about it," she says. "This role is requiring me to bring everybody in, because we all have different passions and because the community foundation should be a place for everyone. When we do bring out people's passion, we create a community that is
thriving because it brings all our energies together."
These discovery efforts are fueling a new strategic plan for the foundation that it will reveal in the coming months. However, Lubwama says, the foundation is "not changing our mission about creating a thriving community by mobilizing people resources and expertise to advance racial, social, and economic justice.
"But we are providing more clarity of who we are and what we are committed about in this community," she says. "We want to provide clarity for who we are and reposition ourselves as the community leader in philanthropy. The goal of the community foundation is for us to be here for a long time."
It's a lot of serious talk, but throughout the conversation Lubwama is animated and quick to laugh her boisterous laugh. Yet it is clear: Grace Lubwama is here because of her love for a community that she feels has embraced her.
"I am grateful that this community has allowed me to be my authentic self, that I don't have to fake to be who I am," she says. "And I think, as I'm aging, that has been very, very important for me — just to be who I am. Have I made mistakes? Lord, I've made probably a lot of mistakes. Sometimes I don't say the right things. You know, I've made people so mad, but I think there's been grace, and that has also allowed me to give more grace because people have just allowed me to be myself."
Grace Lubwama took the helm of the KZCF after nine years leading the YWCA Kalamazoo.
Brian K.
Powers
TheArts
Eventful Impacts Communities and economies get boost from cultural events
BY KALLOLI BHATT AND MARIE LEE
From summertime outdoor concerts to annual festivals focused on specific cultures, Kalamazoo and its surrounding area has no shortage of arts and cultural events for the public to attend. These events not only reflect and celebrate community identity but also can give cities and neighborhoods an economic boost.
Events can range from large ones like the five-day Kindleberger Festival of the Performing Arts in Parchment to smallerscale ones like the one-day Black Arts Festival in Kalamazoo.
According to Arts and Economic Prosperity Six, an economic and social impact study of the national nonprofit arts and culture industry, these events can provide a shared experience to people of all backgrounds and propel stronger social networks and community cohesion — while also bringing revenue and attention to local businesses.
One example is the Washington Avenue Arts+Culture Crawl, a mile-long quarterly arts crawl in Kalamazoo’s Edison Neighborhood that features artists, live performers and activities, including some for children. The crawl, between Lake and Fulford streets, encompasses two business areas: Washington Avenue/Portage Street and the Jerico complex on Fulford Street.
It was designed to get people who normally just drive through the neighborhood to come back and patronize businesses, peruse housing stock and admire local architecture, according to Stephen Dupuie, executive director of the Edison Neighborhood Association. The 20-plus venues on the route include the Dormouse Theatre, the businesses and art galleries at Jerico, and the Christian Science Church.
Dupuie says attendance at the crawl has increased every quarter.
“There were positive side effects from the increased traffic,” he says. “I would say, for a lot of the businesses, people who have come in wouldn't necessarily stop by or didn't know that Jerico existed in the back of the neighborhood.”
Dupuie noticed the Arts+Culture Crawl sparked other activities in the neighborhood, from residents making tamales to sell to crawlgoers to people getting involved in community clean-ups. He also has seen familiar faces at the crawls, indicating returning members of the community and visitors.
Another example of the arts bringing people together is Burg Days of Summer, which encompasses nine Wednesdays between June and August in Vicksburg, a village 15 miles south of Kalamazoo. The summer series includes performances by local musicians, food trucks and familyfriendly activities and has downtown streets open only to foot traffic.
Burg Days was conceived to make the small town a “destination” for visitors, according to Vicksburg Village Manager Jim Mallery.
Communities benefit in myriad ways from arts and cultural events such as, clockwise from top left, Washington Avenue Arts+Culture Crawl, Black Arts Festival, Burg Days of Summer and the Kindleberger Fesitival of the Performing Arts.
“We don’t have a major highway like 131 or 94 that comes through Vicksburg,” he says. “We’re off the beaten path, so we have to give people a reason to come to our village.”
Burg Days of Summer debuted in 2023, and the village has secured funding for it for this year and next year, according to Mallery.
“We're averaging about 3,000 to 3,500 people in town each Wednesday night for these activities,” says Mallery. "It was just a resounding success, from family participation to the economic impact that it had on our
family-owned local businesses to the marketing and image of the village as a whole.”
Data collected by Discover Kalamazoo shows that the Burg Days of Summer drove weekday traffic and purchases in Vicksburg. Mallery says that there was also a reported increase in weekend traffic in the village following the Wednesday Burg Days.
In addition to its summer activities, the village also hosts Christmas in the Burg, an annual event since 2016, that drew “an excess of 14,000 people” in 2023, according to Mallery. “It’s a considerable economic impact for sure.”
On top of supporting local businesses, arts and cultural events can transform spaces by impacting new development in the community.
According to Mallery, the village currently has $4 million in new economic investment. Downtown business owners are renovating the exteriors of older buildings, a new Biggby Coffee is being built on a lot that has been vacant for 30 years, and a new car wash is under construction.
Pat Pearson, the person behind the new car wash and a 30-year veteran of the car wash business, discovered the village of Vicksburg when attending one of the Burg Days of Summer events.
According to the South County News, Pearson sensed a good vibe and found Vicksburg to be a business-friendly community.
The success of Vicksburg’s Burg Days of Summer echoes similar successes in other places. A 2011 study by the Alberta (Canada) Agricultural and Rural Development found that these kinds of events generate income, support existing businesses, encourage business start-ups and generate revenue for local governments, all of which Vicksburg has experienced, according to Mallery.
A 2023 study by Americans for the Arts found that, on average, nonlocal attendees of cultural events spend more than twice as much ($60.57) as their local counterparts ($29.77) and $38.46 beyond the cost of admission. Post-Covid, event attendees spent more but traveled less, choosing to attend events closer to home and contributing money back to their local environments.
The study also found that these kinds of cultural activities, especially in non-metropolitan areas, help diversify local economies and shape employment policies because they employ local residents rather than people from outside the community. Alongside the economic benefits,
these events also promote cultural development and education, new ideas, conservation of community identity and community cohesiveness.
Community identity and cohesion are the focus of the Black Arts Festival in Kalamazoo. The one-day festival, which is preceded by a mini-festival aimed at youth, was created 38 years ago by four Black artists who wanted a place to display the work of the Black arts community and celebrate that community.
"There weren't a lot of opportunities given to artists of color, so they decided, 'If doors aren't opening up for us, we're just going to make our own access,'" says Dani Lewis, program and operations director of the Black Arts & Cultural Center.
"They rented out Bronson Park and invited all their friends, and it had a family reunion kind of feel. Crafters, artisans and performers, all of Black heritage, put on a big show in the middle of downtown Kalamazoo and created a space for Black artists here. After the festival, the artists who were invited and participated in it were like, 'We need more of this.'"
The result was not only the festival becoming an annual event, but also the creation of the Black Arts & Cultural Center, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting Black artists year-round.
According to Lewis, the festival attracts not only the Black community but other area residents and people from outside the Kalamazoo community. Because of Bronson Park's openness, it has been hard to track the number of people attending the festival, she says, but in 2021, when the festival was held at Arcadia Creek Festival Place, the organizers were able to keep better count of those attending.
"That year it was 5,000-plus," she says.
According to data compiled by Discover Kalamazoo, the Black Arts Festival was one of the top visitation days for Bronson Park during the summer of 2023, rivaling the daily totals of the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Fair, a two-day event held on the first weekend of June. The data also shows that 3 percent of those attendees stayed in hotels and nearly 15 percent went from the festival to other downtown locations.
But economic impact is not how organizers gauge the event's success. "We're definitely going for the cultural impact and trying to create this meeting place, if you will, of like-minded, like-interest individuals who share the same experiences and give them a safe space to be themselves and express themselves," says Lewis. "The feedback we get from the people who attend lets us know if it was successful or not. Their leaving the festival feeling overwhelmed with joy and that they've been immersed in the culture and feeling so consumed with community, that's what we look for."
This story is part of Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative’s dedicated coverage of quality-of-life issues and equitable community development. SWMJC is a group of 12 regional organizations dedicated to strengthening local journalism. Visit swmichjournalism.com to learn more.
TheArts
Summertime Live
Throughout the month
Various venues
Free outdoor concerts offering a variety of music genres can be heard this month. The scheduled performances are:
• Matt Gabriel, 11:30 a.m. Aug. 2, Bronson Park.
• The Concert Truck, 5–7 p.m. Aug. 2, Bronson Park.
• The Nathan Moore Affair, 4–5 p.m. Aug. 4, Bronson Park.
• Schlitz Creek, 6:30 p.m. Aug. 4, Kindleberger Park,122 N. Riverview Drive, Parchment.
• Hired Hands, 6 p.m. Aug. 4, Flesher Field, 3664 S. Ninth St., Oshtemo Township.
• Retrovibe, 5 p.m. Aug. 7, Gilmore Car Museum, 6865 Hickory Road, Hickory Corners.
• Greg Cordes and The Caribbean Soul Experience, 5:15 p.m. Aug. 7, by Vicksburg Municipal Building, 126 N. Kalamazoo Ave., Vicksburg.
• The Skeletones & DJ Conscious, 5:30 p.m. Aug. 7, Bates Alley, between Edwards Street and Portage Street, downtown Kalamazoo.
• The Motortown All-Stars, 7 p.m. Aug. 8, Overlander Bandshell, 7810 Shaver Road, Portage.
• i.am.james, 11:30 a.m. Aug. 9, Bronson Park.
• Celeste Allison, 6 p.m. Aug. 9, outside the State Theatre, 404 S. Burdick St.
• Grace Theisen, 6:30 p.m. Aug. 11, Kindleberger Park.
• LaSoulful Rock, 3 p.m. Aug. 14, Richland Area Community Center, 9400 East CD Ave., Richland.
• The Grace Theisen Trio, 5 p.m. Aug. 14, Gilmore Car Museum.
• John Louis Good & Rose City Troubadours and Allie Garland & Sean Gibson, 5:15 p.m. Aug. 14, Vicksburg.
• Minor Element, 5:30 p.m. Aug. 14, Bates Alley.
• Youth & Teen Talent Show, 11:30 a.m. Aug. 16, Bronson Park.
• Prior Noon, 4 p.m. Aug.18, Bronson Park.
• The Bronk Bros., 6 p.m. Aug. 18, Texas Drive Park, 6603 Texas Drive, Texas Township.
• Kari Lynch, 6:30 p.m. Aug. 18, Kindleberger Park.
• The Hoot Owls, 3 p.m. Aug. 21, Richland Area Community Center.
• The Skeletones, 5 p.m. Aug. 21, Gilmore Car Museum.
• Acana, 5:30 p.m. Aug. 21, Bates Alley.
• Dylan Tolbert, 11:30 a.m. Aug. 23, Bronson Park.
• Dogpatch Lullaby, 4:30 p.m., and Megan Dooley, 6:45 p.m., Aug. 23, Celery Flats Pavilion, 7335 Garden Lane, Portage.
• Zion Lion, 8 p.m. Aug. 23, Arcadia Creek Festival Place, 145 E. Water St.
• Skylight, 6:30 p.m. Aug. 25, Kindleberger Park.
• The Hoot Owls, 5 p.m. Aug. 28, Gilmore Car Museum.
• Work in Progress, 5:30 p.m. Aug. 28, Bates Alley.
• Kanin Wren's Taylor Swift Experience, 7 p.m. Aug. 29, Overlander Bandshell, Portage.
• Grace Theisen Trio, 11:30 a.m. Aug. 30, Bronson Park. For more information, visit kalamazooarts.org/summertime-live.
Selkie at the Dark Sky Park
Aug. 9
Connecting Chords Music Festival
There will be Celtic music and stargazing in Vandalia when the band Selkie plays at Dr. T.K. Lawless Park, 15122 Monkey Run St., between Jones and Vandalia at 8:30 p.m.
Selkie presents traditional and original Celtic music featuring flute, fiddle, bouzouki, banjo, guitar, accordion, harp and vocal harmonies. The band is composed of Jim Spalink, Michele Venegas and Cara Lieurance.
Lawless Park, located about 50 minutes southwest of Kalamazoo, is one of only three sites in Michigan to be officially designated an International Dark Sky Park.
Park admission is $5 per car, and donations to the Michigan Festival of Sacred Music will be accepted. For more information, visit connectingchordsfestival.com
COMEDY
Improv & magic Throughout the month Crawlspace Comedy Theatre
There will be a lot of funny business happening in August at the comedy theater located at Kalamazoo Nonprofit Advocacy Coalition, 315 W. Michigan Ave.
The scheduled performers and ticket costs are:
• Canned Champagne and Baby Steps, Aug. 2, $2–$10
• The Dispatch, Aug. 3, $2–$10
• Crawlspace Eviction, Aug. 9, $2–$15
• Chicago Improv Duo Invasion: She’s Boygan and Special Guest, Aug. 10, $2–$15
• Riddled with English, Aug. 17, $2–$10
• Joyce II Men, Aug. 23, $2–$10
• Blunder Bus, Aug. 24, $2–$10
• The Trial: Improvised Courtroom Comedy, Aug. 30, $2–$15
• Stuart MacDonald Comedy Magic, Aug. 31, $25 All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit crawlspacecomedy.com.
BoeingBoeing Oklahoma!
HeartbreakHotel
Throughout the month Barn Theatre
What do airplanes, Elvis and Oklahoma have in common? You'll find them all onstage this month at the Barn Theatre in Augusta.
The Barn continues its run of Boeing Boeing , a show about a journalist with three fiancées, at 8 p.m. Aug. 1–3 and 5 p.m. Aug. 4.
Rodger and Hammerstein’s beloved musical Oklahoma! will take the stage from Aug. 6–19. Showtimes are 8 p.m. Aug. 6–10 and 13–17 and 5 p.m. Aug. 11 and 18.
A musical journey through the life of Elvis Presley will be presented in Heartbreak Hotel running at 8 p.m. Aug. 20–24 and 27–31 and 5 p.m. Aug. 25 and Sept. 1.
Tickets for each show are $43–$51 and available at barntheatreschool.org or by calling 731-4121.
Aug. 10
Center Stage Theatre
This Comstock community theater company will celebrate its 50th season with a cabaretstyle performance featuring songs from a variety of musicals and movies including Mary Poppins, The Wizard of Oz, Annie and Little Shop of Horrors
The show begins at 3 p.m. in Comstock Community Auditorium, 2107 N. 26th St. and tickets are $20. A celebration reception begins at 7 p.m. and tickets for the reception are $20.
To buy tickets or for more information, visit kzoocst.com.
Bambiland
Aug. 15–24
Face Off Theatre Company
This original production penned by Face Off co-founder Kendra Ann Flournoy will be presented at the Epic Center's Jolliffe Theatre, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall.
Bambiland follows Nic, a 28-year-old New York Citybased journalist who returns to Detroit after being away for 10 years to do a story about overtaxed homeowners, only to have to face why she left her hometown in the first place.
Flournoy is a Detroit-bred writer, artist, administrator, and educator, who received her a bachelor's degree in English and an MFA in playwriting from Western Michigan University. Her plays have been staged in Kalamazoo, Detroit, Chicago and New York.
Show times are 7:30 p.m. Aug. 16, 17 and 24 and 2 p.m. Aug. 18. Tickets are on a "pay-what-you-wish" basis and available online at faceofftheatre.com.
OurFavoriteThings
Aug. 23–Sept. 14
New Vic Theatre
This production will bring stories and music from a range of genres including folk, country and contemporary tunes to the intimate setting of the New Vic Theatre, 134 E. Vine St. Show time is 8 p.m. Aug. 23, 24, Sept. 6, 7, 13 and 14 and tickets are $32. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit thenewvictheatre.org.
Ongoing Exhibitions
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts:
VISUAL ARTS
• WestMichiganAreaShow , through Aug. 18.
• Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass , through Aug. 25.
• TheAnniversaryGift:PromisedGiftsfromtheCollection ofJoy&TimothyLight , through Sept. 1.
Pen Dragons Calligraphy Guild: Synchronicity , through Aug. 16, Kalamazoo Book Arts Center.
PERFORMING ARTS
THEATER
Plays
Boeing Boeing — Join bachelor Bernard & his three flight-attendant fiancées for a comedy adventure, 8 p.m. July 30–Aug. 3, 5 p.m. Aug. 4, Barn Theatre, 13351 West M-96, Augusta, 731-4121, barntheatreschool.org.
Bambiland— A New York City journalist returns to Detroit after being away for 10 years, Aug. 15–24, Face Off Theatre Company, Jolliffe Theatre, Epic Center, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, faceofftheatre.com.
Musicals
Oklahoma! — Rodgers and Hammerstein’s original musical about love, friendship and the challenges of life on the frontier, 8 p.m. Aug. 6–10, 13–17, 5 p.m. Aug. 11 & 18, Barn Theatre, 731-4121, barntheatreschool.org.
Heartbreak Hotel — The highs and lows of the life of Elvis Presley, 8 p.m. Aug. 20–24, 27–31; 5 p.m. Aug. 25 & Sept. 1, Barn Theatre, 731-4121, barntheatreschool.org.
Other
We Are Here! 50th Anniversary Cabaret Celebration — A performance celebrating Center Stage Theatre's 50th season, 3 p.m. Aug. 10, with ticketed reception at 7 p.m., Comstock Community Auditorium, 2107 N. 26th St., kzoocst.com.
Our Favorite Things — A show spotlighting folk, country and contemporary music, 8 p.m. Aug. 23 & 24, Sept. 6, 7, 13 & 14, New Vic Theatre, 134 E. Vine St., thenewvictheatre.org.
MUSIC
Bands & Solo Artists
Liquid Note Concert Series — Live bands perform at Liquid Note, 119 E. Allegan St., Otsego: Open Mic w/Dan Agne, 7 p.m. Aug. 1; Old Days Chicago, 8 p.m. Aug. 2; Rockabilly & Surf Rock Fest, 8 p.m. Aug. 3; Blues Jam w/Alex Mays, 7 p.m. Aug. 7; Christian Dawson, 7 p.m. Aug. 8; Chris Canas, 8 p.m. Aug. 9; Kev Nichols & Blue Tuesday, 8 p.m. Aug. 10; Blues Jam w/Joe Johnson 7 p.m. Aug. 14; Mike Minz, 7 p.m. Aug. 15; OCD/C, 8 p.m. Aug. 16; The Beatles Thing, 8 p.m. Aug. 17; Blues Jam w/Michael Howe Jr., 7 p.m. Aug. 21; Robbie & Shelagh, 7 p.m. Aug. 22; Hair Mania, 8 p.m. Aug. 23; Country Fest, 8 p.m. Aug. 24; Blues Jam w/JR Clark, 7 p.m. Aug. 28; Nathan Douglas/Mike Hatfield Duo, 7 p.m. Aug. 29; Lighting Matches w/Grace Theisen, 8 p.m. Aug. 30; The Fat Animals, 8 p.m. Aug. 31; liquidnote.com.
Lunchtime Live! — A free weekly event in Bronson Park with live music, games and food, 11:30
a.m.–1:30 p.m. Fridays: Matt Gabriel, Aug. 2; i.am. james, Aug. 9; Youth & Teen Talent Show, Aug. 16; Dylan Tolbert, Aug. 23; Grace Theisen Trio, Aug. 30; kzooparks.org.
Concerts in the Park — Free concerts in Bronson Park: The Concert Truck, 5–7 p.m. Aug. 2; The Nathan Moore Affair, 4–5 p.m. Aug. 3; Prior Noon, 4–5 p.m. Aug. 18; kalamazooarts.org/summertimelive.
Alice Cooper — Too Close for Comfort tour, 8 p.m. Aug. 2, Wings Event Center, 3600 Vanrick Drive, wingseventcenter.com/Events.
The Hired Hands — Acoustic band playing many genres, 6–7:30 p.m. Aug. 4, Flesher Field, 3664 S. Ninth St., oshtemo.org/events.
Kindleberger Summer Concert Series — Schlitz Creek, Aug. 4; Grace Theisen, Aug. 11; Kari Lynch, Aug. 18; Skylight, Aug. 25; all shows begin at 6:30 p.m., Kindleberger Park, Parchment, kalamazooarts. org/summertime-live.
Bell’s Eccentric Cafe Concerts — Rumours: A Fleetwood Mac Tribute, Aug. 4; Red Wanting Blue w/ JD Eicher, Aug. 8; Tommy Prine, Aug. 9; Elephant Sessions, Aug. 10; Kalamazoo Academy of Rock, 6 p.m. Aug. 14 & 15; Basic Comfort, Aug. 17; Guided By Voices w/Deadbeat Beat, Aug. 23; Waxahatchee w/Tré Burt, Aug. 25; Mac Sabbath’s 10-Year Anniversary Tour, Aug. 27; Levels House Party: A 2000s EDM Party, Aug. 30; all shows at 8 p.m. unless noted otherwise, 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., 382-2332, bellsbeer.com.
Richland Summertime Live — Free concert series, 3–6 p.m., Richland Area Community Center, 9400 East CD Ave.: LaSoulful Rock, Aug. 7; The Hoot Owls, Aug. 21; kalamazooarts.org/summertime-live.
Burg Days of Summer — Live music, 5:30–8:30 p.m. Wednesdays, downtown Vicksburg: Greg Cordes, The Caribbean Soul Experience, Aug. 7; John Louis Good & Rose City Troubadours, Allie Garland & Sean Gibson, Aug. 14; kalamazooarts. org/summertime-live.
Beats on Bates — Weekly live outdoor music at downtown Kalamazoo’s Bates Alley, 5:30–8:30 p.m. Wednesdays: Skeletones & DJ Conscience, Aug. 7; Minor Element, Aug. 14; Acana, Aug. 21; Work in Progress, Aug. 28. Rain location: The Xperience, Kalamazoo City Centre, 145 Farmers Alley, kalamazooarts.org/summertime-live.
Gun Lake Live Summer Series — Lakefront concerts at 6 p.m. Wednesdays, Lakefront Pavilion, Bay Pointe Inn, 11456 Marsh Road, Shelbyville: The Bronk Bros., Aug. 7; Jedi Mind Trip, Aug. 14; Rusty & The Razorblades, Aug. 21; Brena, Aug. 28; 888–486–5253.
Portage Summer Concert Series — Free concerts at 7 p.m. at Overlander Bandshell, 7810 Shaver Road: The Motortown All-Stars, Aug. 8; Kanin Wren’s Taylor Swift Experience, Aug. 29; portagemi. gov/calendar; bring a blanket or chair.
Celeste Allison —Kalamazoo artist, 6 p.m. Aug. 9, outside the State Theatre, 404 S. Burdick St.; seating starts at 5:30 p.m.; kazoostate.com.
Selkie — Celtic musicians presented by Connecting Chords Music Festival, 8:30 p.m. Aug. 9, Lawless Park, Vandalia, connectingchordsfestival.com.
Tedeschi Trucks Band — Rock and blues, 7 p.m. Aug. 10, Wings Event Center, wingseventcenter. com/Events.
Buddy Guy — Blues musician, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 10, State Theatre, kazoostate.com.
The Bronk Bros. — Honky-tonk music, 6 p.m., Aug. 18, Texas Drive Park, 6603 Texas Drive, kalamazooarts.org/summertime-live.
Graham Nash — Performing songs spanning his 60-year career, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 20, State Theatre, kazoostate.com.
Friday at the Flats — Food trucks, live music & vendors, 4:30–8:30 p.m. Aug. 23, Celery Flats Pavilion, 7335 Garden Lane, with Dogpatch Lullaby at 4:30 p.m. & Megan Dooley at 6:45 p.m., portagemi.gov/calendar.
Zion Lion — Reggae music, vendors & food trucks, 5–10 p.m. Aug. 23, Arcadia Creek Festival Place, 145 E. Water St., Kalamazoo, foodtruckrallykz.com.
COMEDY
Crawlspace Comedy Theatre — Improv performances by Canned Champagne & Baby Steps, Aug 2; The Dispatch, Aug. 3; Crawlspace Eviction, Aug. 9; Chicago Improv Duo Invasion: She’s Boygan, Aug. 10; Riddled with English, Aug. 17; Joyce II Men, Aug. 23; Blunder Bus, Aug. 24; The Trial: Improvised Courtroom Comedy, Aug. 30; Stuart MacDonald Comedy Magic, Aug. 31; all shows begin at 7:30 p.m., Kalamazoo Nonprofit Advocacy Coalition, 315 W. Michigan Ave., crawlspacecomedy.com.
Steve-O — Adult-themed comedian of TV's Jackass fame, 7 p.m. Aug. 16, State Theatre, 404 S. Burdick St., kazoostate.com; for ages 18 and up.
FILM
Sing — Family-friendly events at 8 p.m., movie at 9 p.m. Aug. 2, Vicksburg Pavilion, 300 N. Richardson St.; bring a blanket or chair & snacks; vicksburglibrary.org.
Finding Nemo — Begins after sunset Aug. 10, Ramona Park & Beach; bring a blanket or chair & snacks; portagemi.gov/calendar.
ParisisBurning— 7:30–9 p.m. Aug. 21, Dormouse Theatre, 1030 Portage Road, dormousetheatre.com.
The Lego Movie — Begins after sunset Aug. 23, Celery Flats Historical Area, 7335 Garden Lane; bring a blanket or chair & snacks or visit the food trucks; portagemi.gov/calendar.
VISUAL ARTS
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts 314 S. Park St., 349-7775, kiarts.org
Exhibitions
WestMichiganAreaShow— Juried exhibition of 61 works by area visual artists, plus purchase prizewinning works from previous Area Shows, through Aug. 18.
Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined inGlass — 120 glass works created by contemporary Native American & Indigenous Pacific-Rim artists, through Aug. 25.
The Anniversary Gift: Promised Gifts from the Collection of Joy & Timothy Light — Chinese & Japanese artworks on paper, through Sept. 1.
Events
ARTbreak — Program about art, artists & exhibitions: West Michigan Area Show Artist Highlight, Aug. 6; Gun Lake Tribal Historic Preservation and Curation, talk by Rebecca Rupe, the archives/collections coordinator for the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, Aug. 20; sessions begin at noon in the KIA Auditorium & online; register online.
Clearly Indigenous Artists’ Exchange and Hands-On Exploration — Activities celebrating the exhibition, with KIA curator Letitia Chambers and glass artists Dan Friday (Lummi) and Carol Lujan (Diné), whose works are included in the exhibition, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Aug. 10.
Book Discussion — Olivia Laing's The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone, 2 p.m. Aug. 21. Other Venues
Pen Dragons Calligraphy Guild: Synchronicity — Various media, surface content & letterforms by guild artists, through Aug. 16, Kalamazoo Book Arts Center, 326 W. Kalamazoo Ave., Suite 103A, kalbookarts.org.
LIBRARY & LITERARY EVENTS
Comstock Township Library 6130 King Highway, 345-0136, comstocklibrary.org
CTL Writers — Group discussion of writing, 10 a.m. Fridays.
Buck-a-Bag Book Sale — Fill a bag with books for $1, Aug. 5–17.
Sky Pictures: Finding the Constellations — Richard Bell, from the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society, teaches about locating favorite constellations and the stories behind them, 6–7:30 p.m. Aug. 7; registration required.
Classic Movie Night: Casablanca — Showing of the original 1942 film, with refreshments served, 5:30–7:30 p.m. Aug. 21; registration required.
Adult Book Club — Discussion of Eddie Ahn’s Advocate: A Graphic Novel Memoir of Family, Community, and the Fight for Environmental Justice, 6 p.m. Aug. 29; registration required.
Kalamazoo Public Library 553-7800, kpl.gov
KPL Mobile Library — 1–2 p.m. Aug. 1, Interfaith Homes, 1037 Interfaith Blvd.; 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Aug. 6, Farmers Market Kids Market, 1204 Bank St.; 1–2 p.m. Aug. 7, Interfaith Homes; 5:30–6:30 p.m. Aug. 7, Eastside Neighborhood Association, 1301 E. Main St.; 5-7 p.m. Aug. 21, Kalamazoo Literacy Council, 420 E. Alcott St., with family activities for Kalamazoo Literacy Day.
KPL Tech Days — Personal session to learn technology & the internet, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Aug. 3, 5, 10, 12, 17, 19, 24, 26 & 31, Central Library, 315 S. Rose St.; sessions are first-come, first-served. Kalamazoo Lyceum: Hope for our Planet — Presentation and discussion, 2–4 p.m. Aug. 3, Central Library.
Monday Movie Matinee — A sci-fi film for adults, with snacks, crafts & games, 11 a.m.–12:45 p.m. Aug. 5, Central Library.
Movie Mondays — G- & PG-rated films, with snacks, crafts & games, 1:30–3:30 p.m. Mondays, through Aug. 19, Eastwood Branch, 1112 Gayle Ave. Kalamazoo Writers — In-person adult program for local writers, 4–6 p.m. Aug. 6, Central Library.
No Shelf Control: A Graphic Novel Book Club —
An adult group discussion of A.J. Dungo's In Waves, 6–7:30 p.m. Aug. 6, Central Library.
Music & Memories with Fiddlehead Music Therapy — How music moves us & brings up memories & stories, 11 a.m.–noon Aug. 12, Oshtemo Branch, 7265 W. Main St.
Page Turners Book Club — Discussion of Bonnie Jo Campbell’s The Waters, 6:30–7:30 p.m. Aug. 12, Oshtemo Branch & online; registration required for online access.
GLAMA Acoustic Slow Jam — Great Lakes Acoustic Music Association members lead a jam for acoustic stringed instruments, 5:30–7:30 p.m. Aug. 13, Central Library.
From Concept to Commerce: A Panel Discussion on Starting a Business in Kalamazoo — Can-Do Kalamazoo presentation with local entrepreneurs, 6:30–8 p.m. Aug. 13, Oshtemo Branch.
Coffee and Connections — A community gathering of all ages with library staff, 1–2 p.m. Aug. 14, Central Library; light refreshments served.
Dungeons & Dragons Game Night — Play a live game with other adults, beginner to experienced levels, 5:30–7:30 p.m. Aug. 15, Central Library; registration required.
Yoga in the Park — For all skill levels, 2–3 p.m. Aug. 17, outside Oshtemo Branch; bring a mat; water provided.
The Smartphone Photographer — Hands-on workshop on taking better photos with your phone, 4–5:30 p.m. Aug. 19, Washington Square Branch, 1244 Portage St.; registration required.
Make Your Own Accordion Book — Kalamazoo Book Arts will teach how to incorporate collage materials, writings, drawings and decorative papers, 6–7:30 p.m. Aug. 19, Eastwood Branch; registration required.
My Ill-Prepared Ride to North Dakota — Hear Isaac Turner’s story of his poorly planned 1,300mile solo bike ride from Kalamazoo to North Dakota, 6:30–7:30 p.m. Aug. 19, Oshtemo Branch.
Senior Citizens’ Breakfast — A hot breakfast & music with Fiddlehead Music Therapy, 10:30–noon Aug. 23, Eastwood Branch.
Bujo & Chill for Teens & Adults — A morning of bullet journaling & chill music, 10:30 a.m.–noon Aug. 24, Oshtemo Branch.
Parchment Community Library 401 S. Riverview Drive, 343-7747, parchmentlibrary.org
Lafayette’s Revolutionary Adventures: Lunch & Learn — Richard Stroup discusses the life and legacy of the Marquis de Lafayette, noon–1 p.m. Aug. 5; bring a bag lunch.
Lafayette’s Revolutionary Adventures Exhibit Open House — Traveling exhibit about the French hero of the American Revolution, 4:30–6:30 p.m. Aug. 5.
Parchment Book Group — Discussion of Erin Bartels' We Hope for Better Things, 6 p.m. Aug. 12.
Mystery Book Club — Discussion of stories 5-8 from Arthur Conan Doyle's The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, 6:30 p.m. Aug. 20.
Silent Book Club Afternoon & Evening Sessions — Bring your own book and read in companionable silence, 5:15–6:30 p.m. Aug. 26 & 1:15–2:30 p.m. Aug. 28.
Portage District Library
300 Library Lane, 329-4544, portagelibrary.info
Friends of the Library Book Sale — 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Aug. 3; Friends of the Library members shop early, 4–5:30 p.m. Aug. 2.
Introduction to Dungeons&Dragons for Adults — Both beginner & advanced tables, 6–8 p.m. Aug. 6; registration required.
Monarch Waystation Tour — A presentation on the library’s registered monarch butterfly waystation, 6:30–7:30 p.m. Aug. 12; registration required.
Light Lunch & Literature — Discussion of Joyce Carol Oates’s Cardiff, By the Sea, noon Aug. 15, with light lunch served; registration required.
Kalamazoo Macintosh Users Group — Get help with Macintosh programs & accessories, 9 a.m.–noon Aug. 17.
Kalamazoo Plant It Forward August Swap — Join indoor and outdoor plant lovers for a plant swap social event, 10 a.m.–noon Aug. 17.
Speed Friending for Adults — Meet new people, 6–7:30 p.m. Aug. 20; aimed at 30- to 40-year-olds, but all are welcome; registration required.
Contemporary Romance — Librarian discusses current greats and upcoming hits for the remainder of 2024, 6:30–8 p.m. Aug. 22.
Antique Lit: A Historical Fiction Book Group — Discussion of Sue Monk Kidd's The Book of Longings, 1 p.m. Aug. 24.
Richland Community Library 8951 Park St., 629-9085, richlandlibrary.org
Bridge Club — Noon Tuesdays.
End of Summer Park Party — Celebrating the end of the Summer Reading Program, with a large inflatable obstacle course, bounce house, and booths to dunk and pie the librarian, 10 a.m.–noon Aug. 3, richlandlibrary.org.
Adult Dungeons & Dragons Bravo Team — Play a new crusade each month, 3–6 p.m. Aug. 8; registration required.
Richland Area Writer’s Group — 10 a.m.–noon Aug. 10.
Richland Genealogy Group —Roundtable discussion group open to new members, 10 a.m.–noon Aug. 15, in person & via Zoom.
Antwerp Sunshine Branch, Van Buren District Library 24283 Front St., Mattawan, 668-2534, vbdl.org
Big Furry Friends — Read to therapy dogs, 10:30 a.m.–noon Aug. 3; call to reserve a time.
End of Summer Reading Program Celebration — With inflatable obstacle course, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Aug. 3.
Vicksburg District Library 215 S. Michigan Ave., 649-1648, vicksburglibrary.org
Book Club for Adults — 9:30–10:30 a.m. Aug. 1; check out this month’s book at the circulation desk.
Tai Chi Class — 7–8 p.m. Tuesdays & 10:30–11:30 a.m. Thursdays.
Bridge Club — 9:30 a.m.–noon Tuesdays.
Australia — Travel program presented by Robert Weir, 6–7 p.m. Aug. 12.
Movie Club: Featuring the Classics — Citizen Kane, 1–3:30 p.m. Aug. 19, with refreshments served.
Writers’ Motivational Group Report progress, set goals, brainstorm projects & share resources & advice, 4:30–5:30 p.m. Aug. 22.
MUSEUMS
Air Zoo
6151 Portage Road, Portage, 382-6555, airzoo.org
Spy-Posium — Tours and panel discussions on the world’s only remaining SR-71B Blackbird with stories from the pilots and crew, Aug. 9–12; tickets available on the Air Zoo’s website.
Summer STEAM Days — Free outdoor handson science stations staffed by local businesses & educators, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Aug. 17.
Fly-In of Military Aircraft — C-47 “Hairless Joe” will be available for ticketed rides, Aug. 24; tickets available on the Air Zoo’s website.
Gilmore Car Museum
6865 Hickory Road, Hickory Corners, 671-5089, gilmorecarmuseum.org
KAARC Red Barns Spectacular — Antique, classic and special-interest cars 25 years or older, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Aug. 3.
Wednesday Night Cruise-Ins — 5–8 p.m. Wednesdays on good-weather nights, through September, with collector cars, food & live music: Retrovibe Classic Rock Hits, Aug. 7; Grace Theisen Trio, Aug. 14; Skeletones, Aug. 21; Hoot Owls, Aug. 28.
Lincoln Homecoming Weekend — Celebrating the 101st anniversary of the Lincoln Motor Co., 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Aug. 9–10.
Relix Riot — Traditional hot rods, custom cars and motorcycles, live music and pin-up contest, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Aug. 17.
Pierce-Arrow Gathering — Showcasing the luxury cars built in Buffalo, N.Y., from 1901–1938, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Aug. 24.
Kalamazoo Valley Museum 230 N. Rose St., 373-7990, kalamazoomuseum.org
Exhibitions
The Questioneers: Read. Question. Think. Play! — An exhibit celebrating STEM & inspiring problemsolving skills, based on the children’s book series, through Sept. 1.
Kalamazoo State Hospital: 165 Years of Psychiatric Care — The history of the patients, employees & buildings of Michigan’s longestoperating mental hospital, through January.
Events
Rain Garden Tours — Showcasing how rain gardens help keep our water systems clean & the importance of native plants, 10:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m. Wednesdays & Saturdays.
Dark Side of the Moon — Planetarium show based on the Pink Floyd album, with computer graphics and visual display, 2:30 p.m. Saturdays.
NATURE
Kalamazoo Nature Center 7000 N. Westnedge Ave., 381-1574, naturecenter.org
Social Hikes — Meet new friends and explore the trails, 10 a.m. Wednesdays.
One-Day Archery Workshop — Learn all aspects of archery, including safety, targets and practice, with archery equipment provided, 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Aug. 10; registration required.
Know Your Nature: Exploring the Edible Wilderness — The basics of foraging along the trails, 4:30–6 p.m. Aug. 14; registration required.
Blue Moon Benefit Gala —A three-course dinner under a blue moon, with live auction, 5:30–8 p.m. Aug. 22; registration required.
Wild Wanderings — Chef Laurie Laing presents a foraging hike & food prep lesson, 10 a.m.–noon Aug. 24, DeLano Homestead, 555 West E Ave.; registration required.
Rolling Through Nature Golf Cart Tours — Explore the trails with others who have mobility needs, 10 a.m. Aug. 28; registration required since space is limited.
Other Venues
Geo Mystery Tour: Nature Invaders — A geocaching adventure in the Portage Parks System, Aug. 1–31; register at mypark.portagemi.gov and click Recreation Activities & Facility Rentals.
Beginning Birding Walk — 9–11 a.m. Aug. 3; meet at Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery's second parking lot, 34270 County Road 652, Mattawan, kalamazooaudubon.org.
Kalamazoo Astronomical Society Public Observing Session Crescent Moon, Saturn & Perseid Meteors, Aug. 10; Saturn & The Summer Clusters, Aug. 24; both sessions 9 p.m.–midnight, Kalamazoo Nature Center, 7000 N. Westnedge Ave., kasonline.org.
Online Birds and Coffee Chat — Educators Lisa Duke & Misty Klotz talk about herons, 10 a.m. Aug. 14, Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, 12685 East C Ave., Augusta; registration required, 671-2510, birdsanctuary@kbs.msu.edu.
MISCELLANEOUS
Kalamazoo Farmers Market —7 a.m.–1 p.m. Saturdays; Mini Markets, 8 a.m.–1 p.m. Tuesdays & Thursdays; Night Market, 5–10 p.m. Aug. 15; 1204 Bank St., pfcmarkets.com.
Maple Hill BBQ Bash — Food, entertainment and music, 11 a.m.–10:30 p.m. Aug.1–3, Arcadia Creek Festival Place, 145 E. Water St., communityadvocates.org.
2024 Parade of Homes — Tour 13 new or remodeled homes in Southwest Michigan, 6–9 p.m. Aug. 1, 2, 8 & 9, 1–7 p.m. Aug. 3 & 10, kalamazoohomepage.com/paradeofhomes.
Zoo After Hours — Themed dance lessons, music, gigantic games and cozy chairs, 5–9 p.m. Thursdays through August, Kalamazoo Mall, downtownkalamazoo.org.
Vicksburg Farmers Market — 2–6 p.m. Fridays, Vicksburg Historic Village, 300 N. Richardson St., vicksburgfarmersmarket.com.
Tour de Zoo — Costumes and bike decor welcomed at this biking tour through the zoo, with live entertainment, prizes and after-party, 6 p.m. Aug. 2, 7400 Division Drive, Battle Creek, binderparkzoo.com.
Feats of Raw Strength III — Strongman competition, doors open at 8 a.m. Aug. 3, lifting begins at 10:15 a.m., Wings Event Center, 3600 Vanrick Drive, wingseventcenter.com/events.
Portage Farmers Market — 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Sundays, outside Portage City Hall, 7900 S. Westnedge Ave., portagemi.gov/643/markets.
Kalamazoo Food Truck Rallies — 5–7:30 p.m. Aug. 6, Save A Lot, 806 Shoppers Lane, Parchment; 5–7:30 p.m. Aug. 13, Linden Grove Middle School, 4241 Arboretum Pkwy.; 5–7:30 p.m. Aug. 20, Fannie Pell Park, 211 N. Main St., Plainwell; 5–7:30 p.m. Aug. 27, Midtown Fresh Market, 1693 S. Westnedge Ave.; foodtruckrallykz.com.
Kalamazoo County Youth Fair & Family Festival — Farm animals, educational displays, 4-H exhibits, horse shows, dog show, livestock auction, magic shows, food & more, Aug. 6–10, Kalamazoo County Expo Center & Fairground, 2900 Lake St., 383-8778, kalamazoocountyfair.com.
Dog Days of Summer at Bell’s — Dog-friendly day supporting the Animal Rescue Project & featuring a puppy-kissing booth, noon Aug. 7, Bell’s Beer Garden, 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., 382-2332; for all ages; dogs must use special entrance; bellsbeer.com.
Richland Farmers Market — Local produce, artisans, artists & food trucks, 3–6 p.m. Wednesdays, Richland Community Center, 9400 East CD Ave., richlandareacc.org/richland-farmers-market.
Workout Wednesdays — Free workouts offered by local fitness organizations, 5:30–6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Bronson Park, downtownkalamazoo.org.
Kalamazoo Scrabble Fest — Noon–3:30 p.m. Aug. 10, Radisson Plaza Hotel, 100 W. Michigan Ave., kalamazooliteracy.org.
Kalamazoo Balloon Fest — Hot-air balloon displays and flights, with family activities and food trucks, Aug. 16–18, Gull Meadow Farms, 8544 Gull Road, Richland, gullmeadowfarms.com.
Historic Vicksburg — Slide show by the Vicksburg Historical Society, 7 p.m. Aug. 16, Vicksburg Historic Village; bring a blanket or chairs; vicksburghistory.org.
Kzoo Latinx Festival — Live entertainment & information booths, presented by El Concilio, Aug. 17, Arcadia Creek Festival Place, 145 E. Water St., elconciliokzoo.org/latino-summer-fest.
Kalamazoo Reptile & Exotic Pet Expo — Buy, sell or trade a variety of reptiles, amphibians, small mammals and other exotic pets, plus supplies & food, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Aug. 17, Kalamazoo County Expo Center South, kalamazooreptileexpo.com.
Stulberg Ice Cream Social — A summer fundraising event for the Stulberg International String Competition, with silent picnic basket auction and ice cream on the lake with live music, 2 p.m. Aug. 18, Adventure Center at Pretty Lake Camp, 9123 West Q Ave., Mattawan, stulberg.org.
Michigan Depots: All Shapes, All Sizes — Talk by Michigan railroad historian Mark Worrall, 2 p.m. Aug. 18, Vicksburg Depot Museum, 300 N. Richardson St., vicksburghistory.org.
Depot Birthday Celebration — Celebrating the Vicksburg Union Depot's 120th year, Aug. 18, Vicksburg Historic Village, vicksburghistory.org.
Hearts for the House — A luau-themed fundraiser for the Hospital Hospitality House of Southwest Michigan, 6–9 p.m. Aug. 23, Fetzer Center, WMU, 2251 Business Court, hhhkz.org/hearts-for-thehouse-2024.
Crossing Inkster Bridge
Mornings, I cross this cracked and sagging bridge. Closed for years, it’s safely dangerous for pedestrians who now have the luxury of choosing between the variously decrepit boards of the former walkway or the roadbed’s overlapping asphalt scabs, every shade of black, grouted with grass and gravel, patches of such antiquity there is no guessing which masks the greatest weakness. It offers me the chance to fantasize calamity, like kids playing Raging Torrents on railroad ties or The Floor is Lava from couch to chair — if this bridge gave way, if I felt a tilt whisper collapse would I be safest closer to the railing,
where I might cling and dangle over traffic?
What if instead some exhausted walkway board
splintered? That patchwork macadam might be best …
The real fantasy, of course, is choice. Still,
strategizing my survival’s been the game for some time now, and habits,
well, habits can be as hard to break as breathing, and once I’ve crossed that bridge I’m nearly home.
— Susan Blackwell Ramsey
Ramsey, who lives in the Westnedge Hill neighborhood, wrote this poem before the old Inkster Avenue bridge was demolished to make room for the new one that's being built. Ramsey is a retired bookseller whose poetry book, A Mind Like This, was published by the University of Nebraska Press. She has taught at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo College and Notre Dame, and her work has appeared in The Southern Review, Poetry East and Best American Poetry
Amanda Northrup (continued from page 30)
"I've been with the museum in various roles since I was 12," Amanda Northrup says. "I started off as a middle school student, just needing something to do in the summer. My dad's company works pretty closely with the museum, so he talked with the director and the volunteer coordinator at the time and arranged for me to come volunteer here in the summers.
"The original plan was that I'd work in the gift shop, but no 12-yearold sees a really cool-looking ship and says, 'Yeah, I'm gonna work in the gift shop.' So, most of my summers were spent out on Friends Good Will, bugging the crew, trying to learn all of the stuff that I could."
Now Northrup, who is also a physics and chemistry teacher at Battle Creek Central High School, is one of two captains for the vessel, which takes passengers sailing on Lake Michigan during the summer. "It's where I grew up," she says of the boat. "It's like my second home."
How did you become a captain?
When I turned 14, I started volunteering on the boat as a deckhand. When I turned 16, the captain at that time needed crew and offered me a position as a paid deckhand. When I was hired as paid crew, I didn't know where it was going. But when I got to college, I knew I couldn't live without it and set my career path towards something that I could do while also incorporating boats.
I decided to become a teacher — I mean I love teaching, don't get me wrong (she laughs) — so I could continue working on the boat in the summers. Once I graduated from college, I turned my attention to studying for my captain's exam and took a class for three months to really get prepared for the test. I took the test and passed and now have my Merchant Mariner's license.
Toward the end of the summer last year, they needed a captain to help cover some weekends. I was asked, and now I'm the relief captain this year.
What is involved in being a captain?
There's all the stuff everybody can see: driving the boat, making sure we get off the dock and get on the dock on time, keeping the time schedule. But there's also the responsibility for 34 other people's lives in your hands at any given time. There's managing passenger and crew interactions, making sure that everyone is comfortable. There's tracking weather phenomena, making sure we're not going to go out in conditions that could cause issues for the boat or put people in an unsafe situation. There's watching all of the other boats and making sure nobody runs out in front of you and gets hurt. You're constantly monitoring everything around you. You have a 360 view on the situation.
As a deckhand, there's more physical labor, like hauling lines, climbing the rigging and doing all of the work to make the boat go. Switching from the deckhand to captain role is a shift from the physical to the mental.
What do you like so much about sailing?
It's the sense of freedom from the everyday grind. And it's never the same twice. Even if the wind is the same, you have a different group of people or you have different crew. You have so many variables
About Friends Good Will
Considered a "tall ship," Friends Good Will is a replica of a topsail merchant sloop that plied the waters of the Great Lakes in the early 19th century. It was constructed in 2004 of modern wood laminate with rigging that functions in an entirely traditional manner, with no modern power assists. It is the Michigan Maritime Museum’s flagship and sails from its home port of South Haven daily during the height of summer. Staff and volunteer crew, dressed in period clothes, offer passengers a glimpse into the life of 19th-century Great Lakes sailors and the operations of a sailing ship.
Friends Good Will offers historical sails, pirate chaser sails and sunset sails and functions as a classroom for school groups to learn about early Michigan history and the Great Lakes.
For more information, visit michiganmaritimemuseum.org.
and factors that you can never have the same sail twice. I like that variability a lot.
It's also challenging. As captain, there's a lot that you have to think about. Some of the challenge comes from just being as young as I am — 24 is pretty young to be running an entire boat. And there's always new things getting thrown at you, whether it's a jet ski running in front of you or a drone hitting the rigging, which has happened a couple of times.
To me, a lot of the charm of sailing a boat comes from the handson aspect. You become part of the boat. You can feel when the boat is happy. When you get the sails right, there are times where she will literally sing. You can listen to the lines, and they are humming. That's when you know you found where she's happy and it's going to be a wonderful, amazing sail.
– Interview by Encore Editor Marie Lee, edited for length and clarity
Amanda Northrup Captain,
FriendsGoodWill
There aren't many 24-year-olds who will tell you their second home is at the helm of a replica of an 1810 merchant vessel on the Great Lakes. But Amanda Northrup will.
As a teenager, the Kalamazoo native spent her summers volunteering at the Michigan Maritime Museum, in South Haven, after her father, Ron Northrup, who works for the display manufacturer Do-It Corp. in South Haven, insisted she do something with her time during the summer.
(continued on page 29)
Brian K. Powers
