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From the Editor

To find individuals working hard to make a difference in the lives of others, you don't need to look very hard in the greater Kalamazoo area. Every month Encore shines a light on such inspirational people, and, thanks to our writers and many of our readers sending us suggestions, we never run low on people to feature.

Take our cover story this month on the very inspirational Mary Gustas and Comstock Community Center. As executive director for more than two decades, Gustas has made the center one that truly provides for its community. From operating memory-care and day-care centers to offering a food pantry, serving lunch, and providing activities for the young and not-so-young, the center meets the needs of the residents in Comstock and beyond.

Another inspirational woman in this issue is Leona Carter, who has authored many books on parenting, relationships, time management, and getting rid of mental clutter. Leona's books and her work as a corporate coach, mother of six and CEO of her own communication strategy company are all about empowering others to achieve their goals in many aspects of their lives. She's a great example of using one's own experience and gifts to bring out the best in others.

We also meet Sean Hollins, who uses his talents and his business, RJ's Printing, in Kalamazoo, to try to improve the quality of life for those in his community. Hollins says he seeks to "touch a lot of people by the things we produce," a credo that helped RJ's Printing to be named Minority-Owned Business of the Year in 2024 by Southwest Michigan First.

Finally, we profile Michelle Hargrave, the executive director of the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. As the leader of this 100-year-old institution, Hargrave is committed to ushering the art museum and school into the next century. And at a time when art programs are under financial threat, she is determined to make art accessible to more people rather than fewer.

I like to think of Encore as the host of a large party where we introduce people to one another through our stories. And while you may not meet one-on-one the folks we feature, we hope that, through our profiles of them, you realize what an amazing group of humans make up this place we call home.

Left to right: Morgan Rogalke-Scime, Charles S. Ofstein, Tyler J. Stewart, Olivia A. Kurajian, William B. Millard

Zinta Aistars Katie Houston

Zinta says that what stood out to her when interviewing Leona Carter for the Enterprise story in this issue was Leona's "intentionality alongside faith." "These are the driving forces that make it possible for Leona Carter to move mountains. Whatever confronts Leona, she takes it on with determination and positivity," says Zinta. "Leona takes her life wisdom to others, whether in the books she writes or in counseling sessions, teaching others to acknowledge the problem before them, whether in personal relationships or in business, and then to address it. We could all learn from the lessons she shares."

Katie wrote this month’s cover story on Mary Gustas and the Comstock Community Center and the Back Story on KIA Executive Director Michelle Hargrave of the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. "I really enjoyed speaking with these women leaders, one representing a place that provides for our creative spirit, and one meeting a range of day-to-day needs for her community,” Katie says. Katie is a writer and communications consultant specializing in nonprofit marketing.

As a longtime writer for Encore, Robert has met and written about hundreds of people in the greater Kalamazoo community. "Community isn’t defined by signs that read, 'Welcome to Our City.' Community is defined by our network of people, the web of our life within our community," he says. "This became apparent to me — once again — when interviewing Sean Hollins, owner of RJ’s Printing, in Kalamazoo. His community of colleagues and customers includes people I admire and have written about for Encore: Doreen Gardner of Papa’s Brittle, Charles Parker of Charlie’s P.L.A.C.E., and Stacey Randolph-Ledbetter of the Douglass Community Association (a story coming later this year). More and more, as I write for Encore, I feel privileged to be a part of and a participant in the greater Kalamazoo community."

Mary Gustas has done big things at Comstock Community Center

Publisher encore publications, inc

Editor marie lee

Art Director alexis stubelt

Photographer brian k powers

Contributing Writers

zinta aistars, lynn houghton, katie houston, marie lee, robert m weir

Copy Editor/Poetry Editor margaret deritter

Advertising Sales janis clark kimberly juwong

Distribution ron kilian robert zedeck

Office Coordinator kelly burcroff

Proofreader hope smith

Encore Magazine is published 12 times yearly. Copyright 2025, Encore Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Editorial, circulation and advertising correspondence should be sent to:

www.encorekalamazoo.com

117 W. Cedar St. Suite A, Kalamazoo, MI 49007

Telephone: (269) 383–4433

Email: Publisher@encorekalamazoo.com

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. Back issues $6, $12 by mail. Advertising rates on request.

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

Robert M. Weir

First Things

Something Crafty

Urban Craft Fair is Aug. 31

The Urban Craft Fair will take over the Kalamazoo Farmers Market from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. with works by artists and wares from crafters and small businesses. The Labor Day weekend event will also include food trucks and live music.

For more information, visit the event's Facebook page at tinyurl.com/UrUBCkzoo.

Something Outdoorsy

Nature Center offers women's retreat

Communing with nature in the company of like-minded women while learning new skills is the focus of the Women's Wilderness Retreat set for Aug. 30 at the Kalamazoo Nature Center's Stryker Nature Preserve, off Oakland Drive, near Nature's Way Preschool. The event runs from 8:30 a.m.–7 p.m. and will include yoga, a foraging walk, art projects, safety tips for the trails, sound bathing and a dinner with wine. The fee is $175 for KNC members and $200 for others, and all meals and activities are included. To register, visit naturecenter.org/events.

Something Cultural

Festival celebrates Latin community

The fourth annual Kzoo Latinx Festival will celebrate the rich Latin culture of Southwest Michigan on Aug. 16 with dancing, live music, delicious food and artisanal products.

The event will be presented by El Concilio from noon to 11 p.m. at Arcadia Creek Festival Place, in downtown Kalamazoo. Admission is free.

For more information, visit elconciliokzoo.org/latinosummer-fest.

Something Folksy

The Dead South to play at Bell’s

The Canadian folk-bluegrass band The Dead South will bring its signature banjo-fueled music to Bell's Eccentric Cafe Aug. 18.

The quartet, best known for the 2014 hit "In Hell, I'll Be in Good Company," is touring to promote its 2024 album, Chains & Stakes

The Canadian alternative rock band The Sadies will open the show. It begins at 8 p.m., and tickets are $57.29 and available online at bellsbeer.com.

Something Good '80s party to benefit Hospitality House

If the '80s are your jam, then the Hearts for the House fundraiser on Aug. 15 is calling you.

With live music by the Bronk Bros. and a 1980s theme, this party will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Hospital Hospitality House of Southwest Michigan. The Hospital Hospitality House provides no-cost lodging for families and patients receiving medical care in Kalamazoo.

The event will run from 6–9 p.m. at the Fetzer Center, 2251 Business Court, on the Western Michigan University campus, and will include a dinner, silent auction and cash bar. Attendees are encouraged to wear '80s attire in all its neon glory. Tickets are $100 and available online at hhhkz.org/hearts-for-the-house-2025.

Five Faves A historian's wish list of lost local materials

BY LYNN HOUGHTON

People in every profession use different tools to help complete their work. Each tool is important, but if some are missing, there would still be a good chance to complete the project. It’s just that the material would help fill in gaps. This happens with historical research. Many times those of us in the public history field wish we could find a certain newspaper or image. While our local institutions such as the Kalamazoo Valley Museum, the Kalamazoo Public Library and the Zhang Legacy Collections Center contain a wealth of resources, there are still some items I wish could be found.

Missing Issues of the KalamazooGazette

Local researchers, authors, archivists, curators and librarians who work with materials relating to Kalamazoo would all agree that the biggest mystery for years has been the missing issues of the Kalamazoo Gazette. The gap runs from Nov. 14, 1862, to Sept.16, 1870, much of it during the Civil War, when the Gazette was published weekly. Over the years, various theories have developed about why these issues are missing. One factor that may have played a part is that between these years there were seven publishers of the newspaper. Some of these publishers may not have seen the value in preserving the issues. Maybe someday they will be found in an attic or institution. Wonders never cease.

Golf Course Records M-43, Van Buren County, Mattawan

While there are many businesses, churches, organizations and institutions whose records are being preserved locally and used by researchers, there are some that I wish would be found someday. Among these are materials from the Arcadia Brook Golf Course, an 18-hole course that opened in 1927 and had rock gardens, putting greens, a tearoom and grill, and horses. Located on what is now the campus of Western Michigan University, the golf course was closed by 1945 for campus expansion. Other records relating to golf that would be interesting to see would be those from the Wanikin Golf Club, a nine-hole course in what is now the West Main Hill neighborhood and a predecessor to the Kalamazoo Country Club. These and other records would help give us a wider picture of what life was like in this community.

Kalamazoo Board of Education Minutes, Volume 1

The Kalamazoo Public Schools district was established in 1833 and was operated initially by the village trustees. That changed in 1859 when the state of Michigan allowed voters in a school district to elect a school board to operate the schools. The first report of the Kalamazoo Board of Education appeared in the Kalamazoo Gazette in September 1859, sharing a variety of information about student numbers, curriculum and expenses. The Kalamazoo Public Library’s Local History Room has Volumes 2 and 3 of those early years, but Volume 1, which covers the years from 1859 to 1864 is nowhere to be found. Fortunately, the Kalamazoo Gazette published some of the information from the board, but the minutes probably would have provided more detailed information.

It would be a challenge to estimate how many images exist of Kalamazoo people, places and events just in the various public collections in the area. Despite this abundance of images, there continue to be elusive photographs that may exist but have not been found yet. This illustration shows the Kalamazoo Sanitarium (later known as the Fletcher Sanitarium), a building that was completed in 1901 and located on the corner of Oakland Drive and Austin Street. So far, the only two known photographs of it are one showing the rear of the building and one that appeared in the Kalamazoo Gazette when the sanitarium burned down in 1914. Western State Normal School, now Western Michigan University, purchased the land in 1916, and it is now the site of Walwood Hall, originally built as a women’s dormitory but now houses administrative offices.

1890 Census

Every 10 years since 1790, the United States has conducted a census of its population, asking a variety of questions that give a good snapshot of the makeup of the country at that time. The results of the majority of these censuses can be found on websites like Ancestry or Family Search. The 11th U.S. census, conducted from June 1 to July 1, 1890, asked questions about home ownership, immigration, naturalization and service during the Civil War. Unfortunately, except for some fragments, almost all of these 1890 census records were lost in a fire on Jan. 10, 1921, in Washington, D.C., leaving a gaping hole for those who want to find information about the United States during that time.

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. There, she works with researchers and students of all ages. She is the co-author of Kalamazoo Lost & 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 Changed 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.

Helping you manage trees and shrubs of all sizes

RJ’s Printing Owner emphasizes his commitment to the community

BY ROBERT M. WEIR

For Sean Hollins, owner of RJ’s Printing in Kalamazoo, being for the community is much more important than simply being in the community.

“Growing up here, living and worshipping here, I see things that are needed in our community,” Hollins says. “By having that concept of being the best for the community, not just in it, I can actually help improve the quality of life for others around me.”

To that end, Hollins says he approaches his business in a noncompetitive manner.

“When you look at being the best business in the community, you’re putting yourself in a competitive state. You’re saying, ‘OK, well, I can do something better than you.’ And I don’t really have that mindset.

“I believe whatever God has for me is for me, and whatever God has for you is for you, and I can’t take what he has for you, so competition has never been what I bought into. But to be the best for the community means that we offer service to the customer that makes them feel like they’re part of the community too.”

RJ’s Printing, located just southeast of downtown Kalamazoo, at 1001 Second St., has been in existence for 30 years — Hollins is the second owner. It's the only Black-owned print shop between Detroit and Chicago.

In 2024, RJ’s Printing received the Chamber’s Choice Award from Southwest Michigan First as Minority-Owned Business of the Year. Hollins says he’s honored “to know we’re having some type of impact and that we touch a lot of people by the things we produce. Whether it’s political mailers or brochures for the YWCA, we do a lot for our community.”

In his blood

Born in Kalamazoo in 1967, Hollins grew up on North Rose Street and got

his entrepreneurial bent from his father, Harvey Hollins II, who owned Tie Brake, a haberdashery located inside the Hanselman Building (now the site of the Radisson Plaza Hotel), and from his maternal grandparents, Harvey and Gladys Hollins, who owned and operated Lesman’s Market at the corner of East Paterson and Krom Street.

As a boy, Hollins worked at Lesman's, restocking produce and carrying customers’ groceries to their cars. “It wasn’t work,” he says. “It was fun.”

Hollins attended Otsego Public Schools from kindergarten through his junior year, when he moved to South Bend, Indiana, to live with his father. He developed a love of graphic design in the mid-1980s while

Clockwise from top left: Owner Sean Hollins in front of a digital press at RJ's Printing; the facility is also a full-service FedEx Shipping Center; and the outside of RJ's Printing, which is located southeast of downtown Kalamazoo.

a student at Western Michigan University, which at that time did not offer a program in computer graphics, so Hollins honed that skill by taking classes for one year at The American Academy of Art in Chicago.

When he returned to Kalamazoo in 1989, he saw a help-wanted ad seeking “a janitor with Macintosh experience” for North American Color, on Sprinkle Road.

He laughs at the incongruity of those required skills. “I had never been a janitor, but I knew how to run a Mac, so I answered the ad and got the job. It was like, ‘Wow! This is pretty much everything I’m interested in doing.’ We printed Kellogg’s cereal cartons, magazines of collectibles for the Franklin Mint, and jobs for a number of high-end clients in New York. I learned the gamut of scanning, color correction and making mass prints. It was a good transition into the field.”

After working there five years, Hollins struck out on his own as a freelance graphic designer. “I wasn’t fearful of entrepreneurship because my family of entrepreneurs inspired me. I had no excuse but to be an entrepreneur too,” he says.

In 1995, a project for the Northside Ministerial Alliance led him to Ralph Jones, the founder of RJ’s Printing, who was contracted to print the project.

“Ralph was just getting started, and we decided to bring our skills together,” Hollins

recalls. “He had a two-color offset press that he operated in a little storage space south of downtown. I came in with my computers and did the design and prepress work.”

Jones and Hollins worked together until 2000, when Hollins left to start Fortitude Graphic Design and Printing. Hollins describes his clientele at that time as faith-based. “We attended national Baptist conventions and did work for churches from Las Vegas to Atlanta, designing logos, stationery and tithing envelopes.”

Hollins also designed newsletters and internal communication materials for local businesses, libraries and organizations that had not yet acquired the technology or personnel to do that work in-house.

Desiring to have stable health insurance for his family, Hollins in 2019 began working second shift on an assembly line at Zoetis that made and packaged tick-and-flea repellent for dogs. He operated Fortitude on a part-time basis in the daytime.

Meanwhile, Jones moved RJ’s Printing to the Second Street location where, Hollins says, Jones "kept building the business and improving the quality.”

One day in 2019, Jones told Hollins he was thinking about retiring within the next three years. A year later, he asked Hollins if he was interested in buying RJ’s Printing. Although Hollins “was excited for the possibility of

having a larger footprint and impact in the community,” he was also unsure. This was 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic. “Who’s going to fund this purchase during Covid?” Hollins wondered.

Hollins found his answer in Local Initiative Support Corp. (LISC) Kalamazoo, Northern Initiatives financial institution in Battle Creek, United Way of South Central Michigan, and a General Assistance Program (GAP) grant from the city of Kalamazoo. Jones and Hollins sealed the deal on Jan. 9, 2023.

Since then, Hollins has rebranded RJ’s Printing with a new logo, purchased two new digital presses and remodeled a storage room into a full-service FedEx Shipping Center, which opened in June and is the only such facility near Kalamazoo's east side and a perfect location to serve businesses and residents of downtown Kalamazoo, Parchment and Comstock.

“Ralph Jones built a five-star business and provided me with the solid foundation upon which to expand and better serve our community,” Hollins says. The company’s current clientele includes many local customers and some from as far away as Washington, D.C.

Staff is 'family'

Hollins speaks reverently of his staff, including Tammy Patterson-Hazel, who has been RJ’s Printing’s full-time designer for more than 15 years, and Jared Price, its press operator and specialist in post-press aspects of delivering a job. In addition, Hollins' wife, Sonya Bernard-Hollins (also born and raised in Kalamazoo); their 23-year-old son, Shamiel; 19-year-old daughter, Sasha; and Hollins' mother, Cynthia Marcilous, all work for and make various contributions to the company.

“My mother does all our books,” Hollins explains. “Sasha helps with filing. Shamiel is an outstanding salesperson and helps with deliveries.”

Sonya, a book editor and consultant for self-publishing authors and owner of Season Press, collaborates with her husband on creative projects, including Here I Stand, a book about famous Black musicians born in or connected with Battle Creek; Jammin’ in

Kalamazoo, a full-color, illustrated booklet honoring Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra co-founder Leta Snow and former music directors Yoshimi Takeda and Raymond Harvey; and Girls Can! magazine, whose articles are written by members of the Merze Tate Explorers, a travel writers group for girls that was founded by Sonya in 2008.

Hollins says Sonya is “an out-of-the-box thinker” who suggested that RJ’s Printing

become a FedEx Service Center, which Shamiel manages.

Hollins says he believes in empowering his staff to fulfill the company's service theme of “from imagination to reality.”

“If somebody comes in with an idea, we can create it, whether it’s a book, a magazine, business cards, brochures, banners, display tents or a custom box. Everything is pretty much unlimited.

“I can’t see everything in my shop. I trust the eyes of everybody here to make sure that we meet and exceed the expectations of the customers, whether it’s quality or bringing something to the attention of the customer that the customer didn’t catch. We’re not about just flipping the job and printing it. I want it right for you.”

Wanting the job to be “right for you” is foundational to Hollins’ way of doing business. He recalls that in the 1980s, when full-color printing was rare, he would see obituaries of Black people printed with a lack of “care about skin tones, so that you couldn’t tell who that person was.”

To "do something about that,” he would devote time and meticulous attention to “make sure the quality of the photo would tell the person’s story.” Even with the advantages of full-color printing technology today, Hollins says he still "spends the time to make sure the obituaries are high-quality and right.”

Hollins looks back at each step of his career with gratitude, he says, thankful for his experience in “old-school” offset lithography, which now serves as his intellectual foundation in the age of digital printing and computerized page-layout software.

And while this newer technology is critically important in his business (“I embrace the changes that have taken place and how the technology continues to improve”), these tools are only vehicles to do what he believes his business is really there to do.

"Building relationships for our community is important. I’m adamant about that,” he says, citing RJ’s Printing’s core values of integrity, people, service, excellence, profitability and continuous improvement.

“These are intentional,” Hollins says. “I value the people who come in. We offer fivestar customer service, and we respect the customers’ input to assist in building a great partnership for the future.”

This story is part of the Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative’s coverage of equitable community development. SWMJC is a group of 12 regional organizations dedicated to strengthening local journalism. To learn more, visit swmichjournalism.com.

Empowering Others Faith and intentionality guide author and business coach

BY ZINTA AISTARS

Leona Carter is the author or co-author of 14 books "so far," she says. Her books cover the gamut, from time management to helping mothers communicate with their children, and ideas for book No. 15 are already in development. But being a prolific author is just one of Carter's endeavors. She is also a career and life coach, a corporate trainer, a filmmaker, CEO of Carter Strategies, a communication strategy company, and mother of six children.

Carter, who lived with her family in Seattle before moving to Kalamazoo in 2006 to take advantage of the Kalamazoo Promise, says her background "is rooted in a large family environment with limited financial resources for achieving success."

“In Seattle we embarked on raising our family while I pursued and completed nursing school, subsequently practicing nursing for a decade before transitioning to roles in banking and social work. Through various career shifts, I eventually established my own business, driven by recognition of my talents and work ethic to empower others.”

As a mother of six, Carter is often asked for parenting advice, which started her thinking about writing books that could help others by presenting the lessons she learned within her own family. Resigning from a corporate position in 2016, she devoted herself to growing her new career, eventually adding business communications to her repertoire.

Another major change in her life began 11 years earlier.

"In September of 2005, my family and I were living in a house we had bought in Seattle,” Carter says. “We felt like there was a shift or an opportunity we were supposed to be pursuing. We felt like something was beginning to transition in life, but we didn’t know what, when, where or how. We didn’t know anything."

Carter recalls how the family tapped into their Christian faith for guidance. “We embarked on a nine-month prayer,” she says. “That nine-month prayer meant we were getting up every Sunday morning for 40 Sundays in a row and going to our church to pray as a family. We didn’t have any more direction for our prayer other than feeling that there was this transition, and we asked God to show us what it is.”

Two months into the family prayer, Carter heard about the Kalamazoo Promise from a friend. Carter felt this was the transition calling her family to move across the country.

“The more I researched, it became clearer and clearer that that was what we were supposed to do,” she says.

Carter hadn’t researched the Kalamazoo job market before moving, but found fulltime employment within two weeks of the move. All six of the Carter children have subsequently taken advantage of the

Kalamazoo Promise, earning free tuition to Michigan higher education.

Faith and intentionality are guiding forces in all Carter does. Most of her books are built on the theme of being intentional in what one does in life, beginning with the words they use in their own thoughts as well as in speaking to others. She encourages giving additional power to intentionality by journaling one’s thoughts and feelings.

“I published my first book in December 2016,” Carter says. “I write books to clarify complexities for people in the areas of motherhood, messaging and marketplace, often through a form of media. I don't selfpublish — I use a traditional publisher such as Publish Your Gift for my solo projects."

In her book Because I Said So!: Equipping and Inspiring Mothers to Be Intentional About the Words They Speak (2017), Carter advised moms about equipping and inspiring

Author Leona Carter has penned and published 14 books so far.

Books by Leona Carter

Carter has written the following books (in addition to being a co-author on several others):

• The Faithful Entrepreneur: Empowering Christian Leaders to Integrate Their Faith Values into Their Business Strategy (2024)

• Maximize T.I.M.E.: 44 Strategies to Effectively Manage Your Time from Motherhood to CEO (2020)

• Declutter Your Mind: Equipping You with Tools and Techniques to Unpack Your Mind, One Thought at a Time, to Eliminate Mental Clutter (2017)

• Journaling Because I Said So!: Equipping and Inspiring Leaders to Understand the Power of Their Words by Journaling Their Journey (2017)

• Because I Said So!: Equipping and Inspiring Mothers to Be Intentional About the Words They Speak (2016)

children to be intentional about the words they use. Carter notes that what we say impacts others, and she encourages mothers to use only words that are supportive and encouraging and lead children to more positive actions.

“Because everything you say will be held against you,” she says. “There is power in your words. It makes a difference. When you are raising your children, it can be hard. I really wanted to bring that intentionality to everything moms do every day, and that’s to speak to your children, talk to them, lead them with your words.”

In her own life, Carter believes the words she speaks to herself manifest her future. “We’re not in denial that things happen,” she says. “We acknowledge it, and we move on to the goal that we want. That’s why you are fueling your words to what you want to see grow and not dwelling on what is negative that you don’t want to see.”

With that in mind, Carter wrote Maximize T.I.M.E.: 44 Strategies to Effectively Manage Your Time From Motherhood to CEO (2021) to empower company leaders who are also mothers to fill both roles effectively. “When I am talking about motherhood, I again have a faith foundation in raising children,” Carter says. “I believe we can be empowered

to pursue our purpose parallel to parenting. I approached this topic because many times, as mothers, we are balancing so much. We want to be the primary voice in their life.”

When Carter is not writing another book or offering a workshop on communication, she provides coaching for companies and organizations, spreading her message of intentionality and faith-based principles with her infectious laughter and bubbly spirit. She has been asked to talk about her books on television shows on CBS, FOX, ABC and NBC.

Despite having the autoimmune diseases lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, Carter has not slowed her personal and professional development. “I am nearing completion of a degree in communications to complement my existing expertise in corporate communication strategies with Carter Strategies,” she says.

“When you are operating in your purpose, you know what to say yes to and you know what to say no to,” Carter says. “It lightens the load in life. Someone right now is thinking they have to do it all. You don’t. I’m here to release you from the chains of thinking you have to do it all. Find the thing that you are called to do. When you find it and operate within your purpose, you never have to work again.”

Punching Above Its Weight

Child and memory care. Senior housing and free food distribution. Bridge and Texas Hold ‘Em. Chair yoga and massage. International travel. Weekday breakfast and lunch. The Comstock Community Center — serving well beyond the township population of 15,000-plus — is the little engine that can, will, and won’t stop trying to do more.

That energy derives in part from the driving force of Executive Director Mary Gustas, who was in her office two weeks after having shoulder surgery in order to complete payroll, start writing a grant and be interviewed. She is in her 23rd year at the helm and recalls thinking when she was interviewing for the position back in 2002, “This place could really be a dynamic organization.”

Many believe Gustas has helped the center realize that potential, including CCC board member Jackie Wahl, who remembers those interviews.

“The center had been struggling financially, and we hired Mary for her nonprofit and fund development experience,” says Wahl. "Not only has she been a skilled grant writer, but she also expanded a senior millage that really helps us meet the needs of seniors in our community."

When Gustas started her job there, the organization’s budget was about $400,000. Today it’s $1.9 million.©©¥

“I was actually out of work when I interviewed,” says Gustas. “And I made a vow that I was not going to go work anywhere I didn’t feel comfortable. The week my unemployment was going to run out they offered me the job.”

The center was founded in the 1960s as a youth center called The Fish through the efforts of Comstock United Methodist Church. It was housed in a dry-cleaning building on River Street and operated by

volunteers. In 1969, The Fish became a nonprofit corporation and changed its name to Comstock Community Center. It has grown to be a formidable force in the Comstock community, with more than 100,000 visits annually, support from nearly 500 volunteers in 2024, and funding from a millage, grants and donations.

“I received several calls when the federal government started cutting funds to nonprofits,” says Gustas, “but we have no federal dollars that come into our operation.”

The CCC also owns and runs River Manor senior apartments, 30 one-bedroom apartments with subsidized rent. Like most such complexes, it has a waiting list for new residents.

Comstock Community Center's Operations Specialist Jake Sanderson (left) and Outreach Coordinator Diane Reynolds (right) stand with the center's Executive Director Mary Gustas among supplies for the center's food pantry.

Comstock is a small town, but its community center does big things

BY KATIE HOUSTON

Early in her tenure, Gustas saw her own 90-year-old father-in-law enjoy the activities of the center.

“Before he moved in, he said, ‘I’m never going to play bingo with old people.’ Well, he ended up playing bingo every Thursday and came home with prize tchotchkes that you would not believe. But he connected with people and felt useful again,” says Gustas. “The center helped make those good years in his life.”

The center’s busy calendar includes weekly offerings of volleyball, yoga and line dancing; bridge, bingo and poker; classes in ceramics, ukulele and crafts; and wellness services, including massage, foot care and TOPS (Taking Pounds Off Sensibly) meetings.

For those with a little wanderlust, the CCC’s robust travel program is this month taking participants to Iceland, Norway,

Alaska and Japan and in the fall to Greece, Peru and Niagara Falls. Offered for 2026 are tours to Spain, Argentina, Alaska and the Caribbean, not to mention day and weekend trips by motor coach.

Free food pantry

While the center’s offerings are weighted towards health, wellness and fun for seniors, other programs serve the needs of families and children, such as those battling food insecurity. In 2024, the organization distributed more than 100,000 pounds of free food through its award-winning food pantry and senior commodities programs. Launched more than 50 years ago, it was the county’s first “client choice” pantry, a model that promotes dignity and personal choice in food assistance by allowing clients to select their own food based on their preferences and dietary needs.

These food programs will be getting a boost soon, with ground set aside and a $200,000 capital campaign underway to build an auxiliary pole barn behind the center to allow it to expand and centralize food storage and distribution.

“We have food tucked away in corners all over the place,” says Operations Specialist Jake Sanderson. “We hope to do more when we are able to store more food.”

The walk-in food pantry is available to Kalamazoo County residents who live east of Sprinkle Road. It's open from 1–3 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, with no appointment required.

“People can visit monthly and choose what they want from protein, fruits and vegetables and grains. Each food order contains four days' worth of food for each member of their family,” says Sanderson. He also noted that the monthly Senior Commodities Program provides supplemental food supplies for lowincome seniors. Upcoming dates are Aug. 8 and Sept. 5.

Since starting as the center’s marketing coordinator three years ago, Sanderson has overseen the pickup of food from Battle Creek’s South Michigan Food Bank and has stepped in to cook breakfast or lunch when needed. “I used to be a restaurant manager, so that’s fun for me to get back in the kitchen,” he says. Currently, the “Conversation Cafe” offers an $8 omelet bar walk-in breakfast from 8–10 a.m. Monday and $8 lunches Tuesday through Thursday, with day-before reservations.

Free preschool for 4-year olds

Next door to the Comstock Community Center’s Memory Care Center on River Street is the Community Learning Center, funded by the CCC and offering care for children six weeks old through age 12. Director Chazlyn Flint is eager to let the community know about the Great Start Readiness Program, through which the majority of Michigan 4-year-olds qualify for free preschool. Statewide funding for it was authorized by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2024, and Comstock residency is not required for preschoolers who attend the program at the Comstock Learning Center.

“Not everyone is aware of this opportunity, but we’re working hard to spread the word,” Flint says, noting the center sees about 50 students weekly during the summer, with openings available at all levels for fall. According to the State of Michigan, the CLC has received the highest ranking for quality among the five rankings available.

Flint says being next door to the CCC's Memory Care Center presents some opportunities to bring young and old together. “They’ve met up a little when

everyone’s enjoying good weather outside, visiting through the fence,” she says. “We’re in the beginning stages of figuring out some small group activities with the adults and children. We don’t want anyone to get overwhelmed, so we may just start out with sharing meals or story time.”

New Memory Care Center

The newest of the Comstock Community Center's services is Courter Memory Care Center, an adult day center that opened in January with a capacity of up to 15 guests at a time. Gustas was approached early in her tenure to take over a similar facility but was hesitant.

“I was a brand-new executive director, so what did I know about memory care? I went to the board, and we all agreed it wasn’t the time,” says Gustas. “But I’ve worked for 20 years to make this happen.”

The Courter Center was built over the course of two years, with a large kitchen, activities areas inside and out, and office space. Heather Mauney Pershing is the facility’s director and the CCC’s first assistant executive director.

Clockwise from top left: Amanda West greets patrons in the center's front office; Chef Tanya Chrispens prepares breakfast and lunch at the center; center patrons enjoy lunch; and Madelyn Carter (left) and Heather Mauney Pershing (right) oversee the Courter Memory Care Center.

“We embrace Teepa Snow’s positive approach to care,” Pershing says, referencing a leader in dementia-care best practices. “Often people focus on what is missing, what is lost. We focus on what remains. Yes, Alzheimer’s is an aggressive disease without a cure, but at every stage there’s a lot to be enjoyed. We engage with our guests around what still remains.”

The Courter Memory Care Center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, and services are available for two hours or more to seniors who are continent and without the need for bathroom assistance.

The center was named for CCC founders the Rev. Wilbur Courter and his wife, Charlotte Courter, who developed dementia in her later years. “It was important that their service and legacy be recognized,” Pershing says.

Along with the aging of the U.S. population has come a growth in dementia cases. Today, an estimated 6.7 million Americans 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, and the number is expected to double by 2060.

Mark Kragt’s mother, Diane, 84, has been coping with memory problems for 10 years and began coming twice weekly to the Courter Center in June.

“We realized she needed others to talk to — somebody besides us — some peers, some non-family to spend time with,” says Kragt.

The Courter Center was his family’s first stop in seeking an adult day center, and,

Against Her Nature, Mary Gustas is Winding Down

With 23 years of leadership of the Comstock Community Center and a 40-year tenure as a trustee for Kalamazoo Valley Community College, it’s clear that public service is in Mary Gustas' DNA.

Gustas moved to Kalamazoo from Coco Beach, Florida, when she was 4. "I grew up in downtown Kalamazoo. My parents owned the Columbia Hotel and Eddie's restaurants," she says. After a four-year stint in Albuquerque, New Mexico, after college, Gustas came back to her hometown.

Trained in behavioral science, sociology and educational leadership, her career has included a variety of work experience. “I’ve had a lot of different jobs, and I feel that I bring something from each of them to do what I do here,” the 72-year-old notes.

Her current job as executive director of the Comstock Community Center, the longest position she's held, will come to a close next year, as she plans to retire in the fall of 2026. Her last year will involve transferring a great deal of institutional knowledge to the organization’s new assistant executive director, Heather Mauney Pershing.

“Somebody needs to know what I do on a day-to-day basis,” Gustas says with a laugh.

It’s no surprise that Pershing is a big fan of Gustas. “Mary’s commitment to

the Comstock community is apparent in everything she does,” says Pershing.

Others have acknowledged Gustas' good work as well. In 2023, she was honored by the Kalamazoo YWCA with a Woman of Achievement award.

Having established a new memory care center and a child care center during her tenure with the Comstock Community Center, Gustas is trying to refrain from launching any new ventures in her last year there, but board member Jackie Wahl says Gustas is “gifted in seeing community needs and finding a way to meet them.”

Many guests have asked Gustas if she will come back for activities or travel opportunities. “I tell them no," she says. "It’s important for new leadership to have a chance to operate without that distraction.”

As for her next chapter, Gustas, and her wife of 28 years, AnneMarie Welton, are "looking forward to being able to sit on our deck and read an entire book."

TELETHERAPISTS

Call or schedule online today.

after visiting, they ended their search. Kragt says his mother, a retired Western Michigan University staffer, lives alone at the home she owns in Portage.

“We’re trying to let her age at home for as long as possible. She can dress herself and get herself to bed and up in the morning, but she cannot feed herself,” says Kragt, who appreciates the individualized care plan offered by the Courter Center.

“She’s really into her clothes and loves fabric, and they cater to her interests and talk about what she wants. She was a real fashion plate and still has a lot of clothes,” says Kragt. He says the respite care has meant “a little bit of peace for a few hours a day, knowing she’s well cared for and safe. She loves it there. She’s very happy.”

Madelyn Carter, the Courter Center’s assistant director and wellness coordinator, says its client-care focus is on socialization.

“Our guests really want to talk, and we’ll listen to their stories over and over. It’s important that we take the time just to talk with them,” Carter says. “We drink a lot of coffee and eat lunch together and just share

stories and laugh. Many of our guests live alone, and their family members are busy. They’re just happy to have conversations, and it’s an important part of who we are.”

Occasionally a guest will surprise them — and their family — with their level of participation.

“We found out a client liked to play chess, so our staff started playing against this guest — full games of chess — and when we told the family, they said, ‘We haven’t seen him play chess in years.’ They were completely surprised,” says Carter. “Sometimes people we think are lost in their minds show us that’s not true.”

Carter says her career path has surprised her family. “No one thought I would be in this field,” she says. “I was never a patient child — I take after my dad in that regard. But when I started, something just clicked. I was never good with kids, but for some reason I get the older people. I like when I find someone with a little attitude, a little sass. It’s fun to banter back and forth with them, which surprises them. Most of them love it."

From the center's memory care services and senior apartments to its preschool and child care, its food pantry and travel programs, Gustas is proud of all the work the center does.

“People have told me they’ve never seen a community center as diverse as we are," she says. "We really do serve from birth to death, and I think that’s what a community center should do — meet the needs of your community in whatever way is necessary.”

Chazlyn Flint oversees the Comstock Community Center's Community Learning Center which provides childcare.

2025Season Guide TheArts

September is the start of many new things, but few are more anticipated in greater Kalamazoo than the beginning of a robust calendar of arts performances and events. This guide highlights many of those, as well as provides information on how arts impact our community. With schedules encompassing the entire season, this guide is a must-keep resource.

2025·2026 SEASON

AKROPOLIS REED QUINTET

SUN · SEP 21 · 2025

… “a sonically daring ensemble who specializes in performing new works with charisma and integrity.” — BBC Music Magazine

VOCES8

WED · OCT 22 · 2025

A COLLABORATION WITH THE BULLOCK PERFORMANCE INSTITUTE proud to inspire people through music and share the joy of singing

MEG OKURA TRIO

SUN · FEB 22 · 2026

acclaimed jazz violinist whose artistic vision bridges classical training, jazz improvisation, and multicultural influences

ANTHONY ROSS, CELLO TIMOTHY LOVELACE, PIANO

SUN · APR 19 · 2026

A COLLABORATION WITH THE STULBERG INTERNATIONAL STRING COMPETITION presenting American and Russian masterworks for cello and piano

All concerts begin at 7:30 pm and take place in the Dalton Center Recital Hall on the campus of Western Michigan University.

The Arts Are Vibrant in Kalamazoo, But Their Funding Is Threatened

BY ENCORE STAFF

There's a reason why Kalamazoo was ranked No. 5 as an arts-vibrant community for medium-sized communities in 2023 by the SMU (South Methodist University) DataArts Vibrancy Index.

With nearly 130 arts and culture organizations in the Kalamazoo metro area, if you're craving art — in most any medium — it can be found here. The greater Kalamazoo area boasts 10 theater organizations, nearly half a dozen dance organizations, a dozen major performing arts festivals and robust arts and music programs at its colleges and university. According to Discover Kalamazoo, the convention and visitors' bureau serving Kalamazoo County, there are more than 1,500 live performances annually in Kalamazoo County.

Some organizations, such as The Gilmore and the Stulberg International String Competition, are world-renowned.

But what does having all that art and culture get you as a community? Plenty, actually.

Kalamazoo was named one of the 150 Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2024–25 by U.S. News & World Report, which looks at the affordability and livability of a community. According to one study, that livability aspect is greatly impacted by a community's arts and cultural scene.

A 2023 study by Americans for the Arts (AFTA) found that cultural activities help diversify local economies and promote cultural development and education, new ideas, conservation of community identity and community cohesiveness. "Arts make people love where they live," according to the Arts & Social Impact Fact Sheet put out by AFTA, noting that 86% of arts participants are civically engaged in their communities.

Arts and culture also provide a financial boost to local economies. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that arts and cultural production makes up 3% of Michigan’s economy, adding more than $20 billion in value and contributing more than 144,000 jobs.

According to the 2022 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, nearly 45 percent of Michigan’s adults attended live music, theater or dance performances, while more than 20 percent attended art exhibitions. Those attendees bring revenue and attention to local businesses, according to a study by Arts and Economic Prosperity Six. That study is backed up by Discover Kalamazoo, which reports that one-third of performance attendees also visit local businesses after the shows, spending money at local restaurants, bars and shops.

"We believe arts and culture events are essential to what makes our area such a vibrant and inspiring place to visit," says Jane Ghosh, President and CEO of Discover Kalamazoo. "These events not only enrich our community’s spirit but also play a vital role in driving economic impact — supporting local businesses, creating jobs and attracting visitors. That’s why we actively promote and support arts and cultural experiences — they are key to our community’s vitality and longterm success."

Funding concerns

Despite all their positive contributions, arts and cultural organizations consistently face funding concerns, though they are particularly acute this year. Most arts organizations rely on local, state and federal grant funding. The United States' largest arts funder, the National Endowment for the Arts, provided more than $20 million in funding to Michigan arts organizations in 2023. However, in May of this year the Trump administration canceled $27 million in NEA grants and proposed eliminating the agency altogether. The eliminated grants, according to a press release from the White House,"fall outside" the new priorities that President Trump has established for the agency, which has an overall budget of $207 million.

Among those priorities, according to the release, are projects that "elevate the nation's

HBCUs and Hispanic-serving institutions, celebrate the (upcoming) 250th anniversary of American independence, foster AI competency, empower houses of worship to serve communities, assist with disaster recovery, foster skilled-trade jobs, make America healthy again, support the military and veterans, support tribal communities, make the District of Columbia safe and beautiful, and support the economic development of Asian American communities."

The Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo, which supports, promotes and funds the arts in Kalamazoo County, receives grant money from various sources and redistributes it to artists and arts organizations in the community. In the 2023–2024 fiscal year, the Arts Council provided $229,497 in funding to artists and art organizations in the greater Kalamazoo community. For 2024–2025, the Arts Council has $195,000 to regrant, a 15% decrease over the previous year, which, according to Arts Council Executive Director Kristen Chesak, would have been greater "if local private foundations had not stepped up to bridge some of the gaps."

"Luckily for the Arts Council, most of our funding for operations comes from private foundations," Chesak says. "Only about 5% of our budget for operations is statefunded, and all of our NEA monies are a pass-through from the State of Michigan. If things keep going the way they have been, and the state arts council loses all of its funding, we will lose the additional 5% of our budget."

She notes that other arts organizations in the region are "much more vulnerable" because the educational programming they provided was NEA- and state-funded. "I am starting to see the trickle effect — artists and arts organizations are having to make hard choices about where they can spend their monies and have started cutting collaborations and services that they could once afford," Chesak says.

"This will ultimately negatively affect our ability to provide services and regranting into the community. It is a slippery slope."

Experience the Kalamazoo Symphony

Where Music and Memories Resonate.

Masterworks Series Special Events

Mozart & Tchaikovsky

SAT | OCT 18

Brahms & the Schumanns

SAT | NOV 15

Mahler’s Third Symphony

SAT | FEB 21

Beethoven’s Violin Concerto

SAT | MARCH 28

KSO By Candlelight

Carols By Candlelight

WED | DEC 17

80s & More

WED | JULY 15

Sibelius & Dugan

With Kalamazoo Junior Symphony SAT | FEB 7

Music Takes Flight TUES | MARCH 10

Craft Music Series

Oktoberfest

WED | OCT 22

Ragtime WED | JAN 14

90s Throwbacks

WED | MAY 20

Beatles IN THE Beer Garden

WED | JUNE 17

Sound Waves Series

Composing

Tomorrow

THURS | OCT 9

Sounds of the Middle East

THURS | JAN 29

Symphonic

Beats: Celebrating Hip Hop Culture

DATE TBD

Improv Meets Symphony (We’re Not Joking)

THURS | JULY 9 & FRI | JULY 10

Highlights to Look for This Season

Season schedules are meticulously planned and curated, so it's probably cruel to ask arts organizations what they would choose as the highlight of their coming seasons. But we did it anyway and here's what they told us:

Farmers Alley Theatre

We feel like our whole season could be a highlight, but we always like to start and finish with a bang! I think we've accomplished that in spades this season with two Tony-winning modern musical masterpieces. We open our season this fall with Come from Away , about 7,000 stranded airline passengers on 9/11 and the small Canadian community that banded together during that life-changing week. It's a musical that will restore your faith in humanity, Then we're so thrilled to close our season next summer with Dear Evan Hansen , the smash worldwide hit about an awkward teenager navigating the ups and downs of modern high school.

— Robert Weiner, Executive Director

Fontana Chamber Arts

The highlight of Fontana Music’s 2025/2026 season will be its presentation of VOCES8 on Oct. 22. This internationally recognized vocal ensemble was part of Fontana’s virtual season in 2020. An ensemble that is always in demand, Fontana has been working for several years to schedule VOCES8 — the world’s top-streaming classical vocal group — for a mainstage performance in Kalamazoo. Their visit will be a collaboration with the Western Michigan University's Irving S. Gilmore School of Music’s Bullock Series and will include a workshop with WMU’s choral program.

— Bradley Wong, Director

Kalamazoo Civic Theater

The Kalamazoo Civic Theatre’s 97th Season is packed with 12 productions, ranging from beloved classics such as Lerner and Loewe’s Camelot and the heartwarming holiday musical Annie to contemporary favorites like Disney’s Frozen JR. and Mel Brooks’ musical The Producers . Among the standout productions of the upcoming season is the thought-provoking and rarely produced Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches , exploring love, identity and politics set against the backdrop of the 1980s AIDS epidemic. The Civic’s Penguin Project production of The SpongeBob Musical: Youth Editionis one of the must-see shows this season. The Penguin Project is a national program designed to provide a supportive environment for individuals with disabilities to explore their creative talents and participate in the performing arts.

— Laura Zervic, Executive Director

Sounds of the Zoo

With over 50 local, regional, national and international acts, highlights of this year's Festival include a performance by acclaimed Japanese guitarist Goh Kurosawa, in collaboration with Connecting Chords Music Festival and a lively second-line parade led by Great Lakes Brass, honoring Kalamazoo’s rich musical heritage and kicking off the weekend festivities in vibrant style. Workshops, including a collaboration with Michigan Music Alliance and Detroit native Chris Simpson on Sept. 27, as well as a special session with Maggie Heeren of La Luna Recording & Sound on Sept. 22, will help artists make the most of their studio experience.

– Jennifer Hudson-Prenkert, Executive Director

Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra

The Symphony’s upcoming concert season is filled with bold and brilliant performances for you to experience. Our fully staged production of Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story will top off an incredible concert season with electrifying choreography by WMU graduate Mikey Winslow, our favorite songs brought to life by an extraordinary cast, and the backtrack to it all played by your Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. This is one event you will not want to miss!

— Jessica Mallow Gulley, Symphony President & CEO

Connecting Chords

It’s impossible to pick a single highlight of 2025’s fall festival: our John Stites Jazz Awards concert with guitarist LuFuki and Divine Providence promises to be fantastic, and our show with Djangophonique and local favorites The Birdseed Salesmen should be a fun party at Bell’s. But the concert with the best backstory is Pueblo flutist Robert Mirabal playing with the string quartet ETHEL

The music in this concert originates from a book of Pueblo tunes found in an antique store. This music was collected, notated and published in the 1920s by Thurwold Lieurance — grandfather to WMUK’s Cara Lieurance. Cara has all Thurwold's old music, but didn’t know it was being reincarnated in this manner and the artists had no idea there was a living descendant of the man who originally collected these songs almost 100 years ago. We’re thrilled to have made the connection!

— Elizabeth Start, Executive Director

The Alaya Project

Thursday, September 18 at 7:00 PM

Kalamazoo College, Dalton Theater

Indian Carnatic music meets modern jazz with Rohan Krishnamurthy on percussion.

Djékady

Sunday, October 12 at 4:00 PM

Bell’s Brewery

Ensemble featuring West African musician Balla Kouyaté and Grammy-winning cellist Mike Block

LuFuki + Divine Providence

Thursday, October 23 at 7:00 PM

Kalamazoo College, Dalton Theater

Afro-spirit jazz collective formed by Detroit composer and cultural curator LuFuki

Robert Mirabal + ETHEL

Thursday, November 13 at 7:00 PM

Kalamazoo College, Dalton Theater

The world-renowned Pueblo flutist joins with the genre-defying string quartet.

Djangophonique

Friday, November 21 at 7:00 PM

Bell’s Brewery

W/THE BIRDSEED SALESMEN – A special evening of Django Reinhardt’s gypsy jazz manouche

Blendings Vocal Ensemble

For over 20 years, Blendings Vocal Ensemble has entertained and inspired Kalamazoo audiences. We perform both a capella and with our jazz trio, singing dynamic vocal arrangements, including jazz, swing, Broadway, rock, and popular music. Join us for a joyous evening of song!

— Hal Hobson-Morse, Artistic Director

The Gilmore

This fall, The Gilmore's Rising Stars Series will feature incredible young talent. We're also busy preparing for the 2026 Gilmore International Piano Festival, set to bring the world’s top piano talent to Kalamazoo from April 30–May 10. The lineup will include the first Larry J. Bell Jazz Artist Award winner, celebrating the fusion of jazz and classical excellence.

– Pierre van der Westhuizen, Executive & Artistic Director

Mural by Patrick Hershberger

City of Kalamazoo 241 W South St Kalamazoo, MI 49007

The City of Kalamazoo is making critical investments in our water and wastewater systems. These investments are funded by all of us through the rates we pay. Rates in Kalamazoo remain low compared to other communities, but we understand that rising costs may create hardships for some households. Financial and other aid options are listed below.

Payment plans and due date extensions are available. Call 311 or (269) 337- 8000 for help. The Community Action Agency of Southwest Michigan can help low-income households pay overdue bills. Call 211 or 1-877-422-2726 for more information.

money by reducing energy and water consumption. Call 1-888-316-8014 for more information.

Si necesita ayuda para pagar su factura de agua o alcantarillado, hay ayuda disponible. Para obtener informaci6n en es aiiol, el llame al 311 o al 269 337-8000.

View

HYDRANT FLUSHING

STARTS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21st

• • We flush hydrants in the spring and fall to force naturally occurring mineral deposits out of the water system. Flushing is also an opportunity to make sure components in the system are working properly.

•Flushing does not a ect the safety of the water system.

• Tap water may temporarily appear cloudy right after flushing as minerals are stirred up, but this isn’t harmful. Run your water in a bathtub or utility sink until it runs clear again.

• If you have scheduled construction during hydrant flushing or have questions related to the program, please call 311 or (269) 337-8000.

• Most flushing will take place at night between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. If necessary, daytime flushing will occur between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

• Avoid doing laundry immediately after flushing as some fabrics could become discolored.

TheArts

VISUAL ARTS

Four Exhibitions

Throughout the month

The Carnegie Center for the Arts

From steamrolled art to paper weaving, four very different exhibitions will be featured this month at the Carnegie Center, 107 North Main St., Three Rivers:

• Above – Below will feature works by more than 20 Southwest Michigan artists exploring the concepts of above and below as they relate to the physical, emotional, spiritual, cultural, environmental and universal spheres.

• Birds, Bugs & Blooms! will highlight prints created using 12"x12" carved wooden blocks and a steamroller during the 2024 South Street Print Fest at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts.

• Boundless: Innovation & Tradition in Paper will explore the artistic possibilities of paper, including paper weaving, sculpting, bookbinding and surface printing.

• What If? — Works by Roxie Vetter explore techniques in design, color and medium.

The exhibitions run through Sept. 9. For more information, visit trcarnegie.com

ShowMeYourPapers/ AVer,YTusPapeles?

Aug. 19–Sept. 20

Richmond Center for Visual Arts, WMU

The Richmond Center description of this exhibition notes that every day around the world hundreds of thousands of people cross borders, and at these crossings governments ask individuals to present papers verifying their migration status. For migrants without documents, trying to avoid the command “Show me your papers/ A ver, y tus papeles? (Let's see, and your papers?)” can force them to risk their lives. Having papers, therefore, becomes a matter of life or death.

The exhibition will feature print works by 12 artists exploring the concepts of borders, migration and dual identity. It will be displayed in the Richmond Center's Albertine Monroe-Brown Gallery.

Gallery hours are noon–6 p.m. Tuesday–Saturday. For more information, visit wmich.edu/art/galleries.

•KenLudwig’sTheGame’s Afoot

•MyFairLady

• HowtoSucceedinBusiness WithoutReallyTrying

Throughout the month

The Barn Theatre

Music and mystery are on the bill this month at the Barn Theatre:

• KenLudwig’sTheGame'sAfoot , a whodunit about an actor who takes on the role of a detective in real life, will be performed Aug. 1–3.

• My Fair Lady , the musical classic about Professor Higgins transforming spirited Eliza Doolittle into a refined lady, will be staged Aug. 5–17.

• And How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying , in which an ambitious window washer schemes his way to the top of the corporate ladder, will be featured Aug. 19–31.

Show times are 8 p.m. Tuesday–Friday and 5 p.m. Sunday at the Augusta theater. Tickets are $43–$51 and available at barntheatreschool.org or by calling 250-6984.

Comedy Performances

Throughout the month Crawlspace Comedy Theatre

With a lot of improv and a little magic thrown in, the Crawlspace venue will offer plenty to laugh at this month. The scheduled performances are:

• Pants and Canned Champagne, Aug. 1

• Oh Hey! and TBD Improv Trio, Aug. 2

• Crawlspace Eviction, Aug. 8 and 9

• Stuart McDonald Comedy Magic, Aug. 15

• Canned Champagne and Blunder Bus, Aug. 16

• TBD Improv Trio and Baby Steps, Aug. 22

• What Sharp Teeth and Daddy’s Boys, Aug. 23

• Superstar Poetry Show with Emily Haines Lloyd, Aug. 29

• The Trial Improvised Courtroom Comedy, Aug. 30

All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. at the theater, located in the Kalamazoo Nonprofit Advocacy Coalition building, 315 W. Michigan Ave. Tickets are $2–$15 and available online at crawlspacecomedy.com.

Greetings From Greetings From

Kalamazoo County Kalamazoo County Parks and Beaches Parks and Beaches

kalamazoocountyparks.com kalamazoocountyparks.com

Visit Markin Glen, Cold Brook and Prairie View Swimming Beaches

Visit Markin Glen, Cold Brook and Prairie View Swimming Beaches

TheArts

Author Talks Throughout the month

Various locations

Three Michigan authors will present talks this month at area libraries.

The Portage District Library will host two authors:

• Michael Delaware, author of Victorian Southwest Michigan True Crime, at 6 p.m. Aug. 6.

• And Tobin Buhk, author of Michigan’s Most Dangerous Women, at 6 p.m. Aug. 19.

Registration is required to attend the talks. To register or for more information, visit portagelibrary.info.

Angeline Boulley, author of Firekeeper’s Daughter, will discuss her book at 6 p.m. Aug. 19 at Richland Community Library. For more information, visit richlandlibrary.org.

Air Poetry Aug. 23

Kalamazoo Poetry Festival

This outdoor event hosted by the Kalamazoo Poetry Festival, in partnership with Kazoo Books, will feature music, poetry and flash fiction.

It will be held from 4–6 p.m. outside the bookstore, located at 2413 Parkview Ave., with parking available behind the building.

The featured performers will be local singer Jessica Ivey, poet Markeva Love, and flash fiction writer Laura Citino. T-shirts featuring poetry written by clients and staff of YWCA Kalamazoo will be available for sale, with all proceeds to be donated to the YWCA.

Michael Delaware

Tobin Buhk

Angeline Boulley

MUSIC

Outdoor Concerts

Throughout the month

Various venues

Squeezing the most out of what's left of summer, the outdoor concert season has another full month of shows across the region this month. The scheduled shows, show times and locations are:

• Y-Not, 11:30 a.m. Aug. 1, Bronson Park

• The Wateverly Brothers, 7 p.m. Aug. 2, Mahan Park, 101 Brady St., Allegan

• Zion Lion, 4 p.m. Aug. 3, Bronson Park

• Otsego Jazz Ensemble, 6:30 p.m. Aug. 3, Kindleberger Park, 122 N. Riverview Drive, Parchment

• Vinyl Tap, 5 p.m. Aug. 6, Gilmore Car Museum, 6865 Hickory Road, Hickory Corners

• SaxFifth Music and DJ Conscious, 5:30 p.m. Aug. 6, Bates Alley, located between Edwards and Portage Streets, in downtown Kalamazoo

• Cut'n Loose and Nautic Sound, 5:30 p.m. Aug. 6, downtown Vicksburg

• The Windbreakers and Mike Talbot, 6 p.m. Aug. 7, Overlander Bandshell, 7810 Shaver Road, Portage

• K-Nein, 11:30 a.m. Aug. 8, Bronson Park

• Dylan Tolbert, 6 p.m., and Tony Fields, 8 p.m., Aug. 8, Arcadia Creek Festival Place, 145 E. Water St., downtown Kalamazoo

• DJ Playhouse, 6:30 p.m., and Chi Beezy, Jon Godlee and Ed Genesis, 7:15 p.m., Aug. 9, Northside Association of Community Development, 612 N. Park St.

• Carrie McFerrin, 7 p.m. Aug. 9, Mahan Park, 101 Brady St., Allegan

• Out of Favor Boys, 6 p.m. Aug. 10, Texas Drive Park, 6603 Texas Drive, Texas Township

• Zero Sun, 6:30 p.m. Aug. 10, Kindleberger Park

• Barefoot Blondes, 5 p.m. Aug. 13, Gilmore Car Museum

• Duke and The Loose Cannons and DJ No Limit, 5:30 p.m. Aug. 13, Bates Alley

• The Mickeys and The Iconix, 5:30 p.m. Aug. 13, downtown Vicksburg

• Youth & Teen Talent Show, 11:30 a.m. Aug. 15, Bronson Park

• AP Dailey News, 7 p.m. Aug. 16, Mahan Park

• Zion Lion, 6:30 p.m. Aug. 17, Kindleberger Park

• Jimmy and the Mortals, 5 p.m. Aug. 20, Gilmore Car Museum

• Work In Progress and DJ Playhouse, 5:30 p.m. Aug. 20, Bates Alley

• Shelagh Brown Band, 11:30 a.m. Aug. 22, Bronson Park

• Dog Patch Lullaby, 5 p.m., and Feel Frieda, 6:30 p.m., Aug. 22, Celery Flats Pavilion, 7335 Garden Lane, Portage

• Lighting Matches, 6 p.m. Aug. 23, Mahan Park

• The Andrew Fisher Quartet Stevie

Wonder Tribute, 4 p.m. Aug. 24, Bronson Park

• Kitten and The Tonics, 6 p.m. Aug. 24, Flesher Field gazebo, 3664 S. Ninth St., Oshtemo Township

• Shout!, 6:30 p.m. Aug. 24, Kindleberger Park

• Trapped on Mars, 5 p.m. Aug. 27, Gilmore Car Museum

• The Skeletones and Sic Musiq, 5:30 p.m. Aug. 27, Bates Alley

• Jacob McLeod, 11:30 a.m. Aug. 29, Bronson Park

• The Williams Family Band, 6 p.m. Aug. 30, Mahan Park

A complete schedule is available at kalamazooarts.org/summertime-live.

PERFORMING ARTS

THEATER

Ken Ludwig’s The Game's Afoot — A whodunit about an actor who takes on the role of a detective in real life, 8 p.m. Aug. 1–2; 5 p.m. Aug. 3; Barn Theatre, 13351M-96 Augusta, 731-4121, barntheatreschool.org.

My Fair Lady — Musical about Professor Higgins transforming spirited Eliza Doolittle into a refined lady, 8 p.m. Aug. 5–9 & 12–16; 5 p.m. Aug. 10 & 17; Barn Theatre, 731-4121, barntheatreschool.org.

How to Succeed in Business Without Really

Trying — Musical about a window washer who schemes his way up the corporate ladder, 8 p.m. Aug. 19–23 & 26–30, 5 p.m. Aug. 24 & 31, Barn Theatre, 731-4121, barntheatreschool.org.

MUSIC

Bands & Solo Artists

Lunchtime Live! — Free weekly event with live music, games & food, 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Fridays, Bronson Park: Y-Not, Aug. 1; K-Nein, Aug. 8; Youth & Teen Talent Show, Aug. 15; Shelagh Brown Band, Aug. 22; Jacob McLeod, Aug. 29; kalamazooarts. org/summertime-live/.

Frederik Meijer Gardens Concert Series — The War & Treaty w/Grand Rapids Symphony, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 1; Mary Chapin Carpenter & Brandy Clark, 6:30 p.m. Aug. 7; Umphrey’s McGee, 6:30 p.m. Aug. 24; Charley Crockett, 7 p.m. Aug. 25; The Crane Wives, 7 p.m. Aug. 28; 1000 E. Beltline NE, Grand Rapids, meijergardens.org/calendar/concerts.

Bell’s Eccentric Cafe Concerts — Deadbeatdad, Crystal Trench & DJ Deathbong, Aug. 1; Fruit Bats, Aug. 6; Here Come the Mummies, Aug. 8; Sinatras w/Broken Hearts Are Blue, Aug. 9; Academy School of Rock, 6 p.m. Aug. 12 & 13; Whitney, Aug. 15; The Dead South w/The Sadies, Aug. 18; all shows at 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted, 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., 382-2332, bellsbeer.com.

Music at the Mahan — Free outdoor concerts: The Wateverly Brothers, Aug. 2; Carrie McFerrin, Aug. 9; AP Dailey News, Aug. 16; Lighting Matches, Aug. 23; The Williams Family Band, Aug. 30; all shows 7 p.m., Mahan Park, 101 Brady St., Allegan, kalamazooarts.org/summertime-live.

Concerts in the Park — Free outdoor concerts, 4–5 p.m., Bronson Park: Zion Lion, Aug. 3; The Andrew Fisher Quartet Stevie Wonder Tribute, Aug. 24, kalamazooarts.org/summertime-live.

Kindleberger Park Summer Concert Series — Live music & food trucks, 6:30–8:30 p.m., Kindleberger Park, Parchment: Otsego Jazz Ensemble, Aug. 3; Zero Sun, Aug. 10; Zion Lion, Aug. 17; Shout!, Aug. 24; kindlebergerarts.org/ concert-series.

Burg Days of Summer — Live music, 5:30–8:30 p.m., downtown Vicksburg: Cut’n Loose & Nautic Sound, Aug. 6; The Mickeys & The Iconix, Aug. 13; kalamazooarts.org/summertime-live.

Beats on Bates — Live outdoor music, 5:30–8:30 p.m., Bates Alley (downtown Kalamazoo): SaxFifth Music & DJ Conscious, Aug. 6; Duke and The Loose Cannons & DJ No Limit, Aug. 13; Work in Progress & DJ Playhouse, Aug. 20; The Skeletones & Sic Musiq, Aug. 27; kalamazooarts.org/summertimelive.

Wagging Through the Summer Concerts — 6–8:30 p.m., Kalamazoo Humane Society, 2272 River St.,: LaSoulful Rock, Aug. 7; Duke & The Loose Cannons, Aug. 21; Don Middlebrook, Aug. 28; kazoohumane.org/waggingthroughthesummer.

The Windbreakers w/Mike Talbot — 7–9 p.m. Aug. 7, Overlander Bandshell, 7810 Shaver Road; portagemi.gov/calendar.

Festival Friday — Live music, vendors & food, Aug. 8, Arcadia Creek Festival Place, 145 E. Water St.: Dylan Tolbert, 6–7:30 p.m.; Tony Fields, 8–9:30 p.m.; kalamazooarts.org/summertime-live/.

Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort Shows — Brooks & Dunn w/Bayker Blankenship, 8 p.m. Aug. 8; Snoop Dogg w/Too $hort, 7 p.m. Aug. 10; Creed w/ Mammoth & Hinder, 7 p.m. Aug. 23; Rascal Flatts w/Lauren Alaina, 8 p.m. Aug. 30; 6800 Soaring Eagle Blvd., Mt. Pleasant, soaringeaglecasino.com/ shows.

Liquid Note Concert Series — 8 p.m., 119 E. Allegan St., Otsego: The 1985: Totally '80s Mixtape Live!, Aug. 8; Patty PerShayla, Aug. 22; JR Clark Band, Aug. 29; liquidnote.com.

Community Jam — Live music by DJ Playhouse, Chi Beezy, John Godlee & Ed Genesis, 6:30–10:30 p.m. Aug. 9, Northside Association of Community Development, 612 N. Park St., kalamazooarts.org/ summertime-live.

Death Pyre — Goth noise music, 8 p.m. Aug. 9, Dormouse Theatre, 1030 Portage St., dormousetheatre.com.

The New Vic Theatre Summer Concert Series — Jerry Brown, 8 p.m. Aug. 16; Garman Brothers, 8 p.m. Aug. 22, New Vic Theatre, 134 E. Vine St., thenewvictheatre.org.

Friday at the Flats — Food trucks, live music & vendors, 5–8 p.m. Aug. 22; Dog Patch Lullaby, 5 p.m.; Feel Frieda, 6:30 p.m.; Celery Flats Pavilion, 7335 Garden Lane, portagemi.gov/calendar.

Music at the Dark Sky Park — Trio Aurora & Antheia perform under the stars, 8:30 p.m. Aug. 22, Dr. T.K. Lawless Park, 15122 Monkey Run St., Vandalia, connectingchordsfestival.com

Night of 1,000 Bowies — Music of David Bowie, 8 p.m. Aug. 23, Dormouse Theatre, 1030 Portage Road, dormousetheatre.com.

Kitten & the Tonics — 6–7:30 p.m. Aug. 24, Flesher Field gazebo, 3664 S. Ninth St., Oshtemo Twp., kalamazooarts.org/summertime-live.

Orchestra, Chamber, Jazz, Vocal & More

New York Voices in Concert — Closing concert of the WMU New York Voices Jazz Camp, 8 p.m. Aug. 2, Dalton Center Recital Hall, WMU, wmich. edu/music/events.

GLAMA Acoustic Slow Jam — Great Lakes Acoustic Music Association members lead a jam for acoustic stringed instruments, 5:30–7:30 p.m. Aug. 12, Van Deusen Room, Kalamazoo Public Library, 315 S. Rose St., kpl.gov/events.

Cereal City Concert Band of Battle Creek — Free tours of the Kellogg Manor House, followed by a lakeside concert; tours, noon–3 p.m.; concert, 3–5 p.m.; Aug. 17, 3700 E. Gull Lake Drive, 269-671-2160, conference.kbs.msu.edu/events.

American Songbook with the Boogie Woogie Kid — 3 p.m. Aug. 21, Franke Center for the Arts, 214 E. Mansion St., Marshall, thefranke.org.

COMEDY

Crawlspace Comedy Theater — Pants & Canned Champagne, Aug. 1; Oh Hey! & TBD Improv Trio, Aug. 2; Crawlspace Eviction, Aug. 8 & 9; Stuart McDonald Comedy Magic, Aug. 15; Canned Champagne & Blunder Bus, Aug. 16; TBD Improv Trio & Baby Steps, Aug. 22; What Sharp Teeth & Daddy’s Boys, Aug. 23; Superstar Poetry Show w/ Emily Haines Lloyd, Aug. 29; The Trial Improvised Courtroom Comedy, Aug. 30; all shows 7:30 p.m., 315 W. Michigan Ave., crawlspacecomedy.com.

FILM

Vicksburg Village Outdoor Movie — Movie chosen by popular vote, 8:30–10:30 p.m. Aug. 1, Vicksburg Pavilion, 300 N. Richardson St., vicksburglibrary.org.

Starship Troopers — Screening of the 1997 film, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 14, Dormouse Theatre, 1030 Portage St., dormousetheatre.com.

Kzoo Parks Summer Cinema — Free U-Pick the Flick outdoor movie, watch drive-in-style or bring a blanket to sit on the lawn, 6–10 p.m. Aug. 22, Spring Valley Park, 2600 Mt. Olivet Road, kzooparks.org/events.

A Minecraft Movie — Begins after sunset (approximately 9 p.m.) Aug. 22, Celery Flats Historical Area, 7335 Garden Lane, portagemi.gov/ calendar.

FindingNemo — Bring a blanket or chair to sit on, 8:30 p.m. Aug. 23, Ramona Park, 8600 S. Sprinkle Road, portagemi.gov/calendar.

VISUAL ARTS

The Carnegie Center for the Arts 107 N. Main St., Three Rivers, 273-8882, trcarnegie.com

Above–Below — Southwest Michigan artists explore perspectives in physical, emotional, spiritual, cultural, environmental & universal realms, through Sept. 9.

Birds,Bugs&Blooms!— Nine-square steamroller prints, through Sept. 9.

Boundless: Innovation & Tradition in Paper — Paper weaving, sculpting, bookbinding & surface printing, through Sept. 9.

What If? — Works by Roxie Vetter exploring design, color & medium, through Sept. 9.

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts

314 S. Park St., 349-7775, kiarts.org

Exhibitions

West Michigan Area Show — Juried exhibition of works by area visual artists, through Sept. 14.

Leo Villareal: Interstellar — Immersive digital worlds, through Sept. 21.

Ink Rhapsody: The Art of Lingnan Masters in Hong Kong — Artwork from the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, through Oct. 26.

Events

Drop-In Conversation — Docents discuss artwork, 1:30–2:30 p.m. Sundays.

Director’s Circle Event — Cocktail hour, live music, seated dinner & guest speaker Rod Bigelow, executive director of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, 5:30 p.m. Aug. 6; ticketed event.

Art Bridges Access for All — Free general admission on Thursdays, 11 a.m.–8 p.m.

West Michigan Area Show — Tour the exhibit with some of the featured local artists, 5:30 p.m. Aug. 7; registration encouraged.

ARTbreak — Program about art, artists & exhibitions: West Michigan Area Show, Aug. 13; The Lingnan School, Aug. 27; sessions begin at noon; registration encouraged.

Leo Villareal — Learn about the artist & his exhibition, 6–7 p.m. Aug. 14, KIA YouTube page.

Bookish Buttons — Create buttons with book pages, all supplies provided, 2 p.m. Aug. 20; registration encouraged.

Book Discussion — Sarah Hart’s Once Upon A Prime, 2–3 p.m. Aug. 20.

Leo Villareal Family Night — Guided tour at 6 p.m., followed by projects mixing science, art & creativity, 6–7:30 p.m. Aug. 21.

Summer Jam — Share your music, poetry or spoken word, 6–8 p.m. Aug. 28.

Richmond Center for Visual Arts, WMU 387-2436, wmich.edu/art

'24-'25 Foundations Exhibition — Works by students, Aug. 12–Sept. 6, DeVries Student Gallery.

Show Me Your Papers / A Ver, Y Tus Papeles?

— Print media works exploring issues of borders, migration & dual identity, Aug. 19–Sept. 20, Albertine Monroe-Brown Gallery.

Other Venues

Twenty — Southwest Michigan Printmakers exhibition, through Aug. 22, Kalamazoo Book Arts Center, 326 W. Kalamazoo Ave., Suite 103A, 3734938, kalbookarts.org.

LIBRARY & LITERARY EVENTS

Comstock Township Library 6130 King Highway, 345-0136, comstocklibrary.org

CTL Writers — Writing discussion, 10 a.m. Fridays.

Joel Tacey’s Picasso’s Magic Show — Magic & stunts, 1 p.m. Aug. 12.

End of Summer Reading Party — Face painting, balloon animals, laser tag & snacks, 1–3 p.m. Aug. 16, Robert Morris Park, 8415 East H Ave.; library will cover park admission for Summer Reading participants.

Pride Book Club — Discuss Kathryn Schulz’s Lost & Found, 6 p.m. Aug. 27, in person & online; registration required.

Adult Book Club — Discuss Aggie Blum Thompson’s You Deserve to Know, 6 p.m. Aug. 28; registration required.

Kalamazoo Public Library 553-7800, kpl.gov

Tech Help — One-on-one help, bring your own device, 1–4:30 p.m. Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, Alma Powell Branch, 1000 W. Paterson St. Songbridge: Connecting Generations — Music program for seniors & toddlers & preschoolers with their grownups, 10 a.m. Aug. 5, Children’s Room, Central Library, 315 S. Rose St. KPL Mobile Library — 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Aug. 5, PFC Kids Farmers Market, 1204 Bank St.; 4 p.m. Aug. 6, Oakwood Neighborhood Association, 3320 Laird Ave.; 3:30 p.m. Aug. 11, New Village Park/Heather Gardens, 2400 Albans Way; 10 a.m. Aug. 12, Lodge House, 1211 S. Westnedge Ave.; 3:30 p.m. Aug. 12, 2–4 p.m. Aug. 13 (Back-to-School event) & 4 p.m. Aug. 28, Interfaith Homes, 1037 Interfaith Blvd.; 4

p.m. Aug. 13, Douglass Community Association, 1000 W. Paterson St.; 3 p.m. Aug. 19, Maple Grove Village, 735 Summit Ave.; 2 p.m. Aug. 21, Leisure Pointe Condominiums, 4814 Weston Ave.; 3–6 p.m. Aug. 26, Bronco Bash, WMU; stops are one hour unless noted otherwise.

No Shelf Control: A Graphic Novel Book Club — Discuss Sas Milledge's Mamo, 6–7:30 p.m. Aug. 5, Central Library, 315 S. Rose St.

Yoga on the Lawn — Stretching, sunshine & self-care, 6:30 p.m. Aug. 6, outside Washington Square Branch, 1244 Portage St.; 6:30 p.m. Aug. 13, Bronson Park; bring a mat, water provided.

GLAMA Acoustic Slow Jam — Aug. 12, See MUSIC.

Credit Workshop — Increase your financial literacy, 6–7:30 p.m. Aug. 12 & 26, Northside Association for Community Development, 612 N. Park St.

Brain Wellness With the Alzheimer’s Association — The latest findings on habits to support cognitive wellness, 10 a.m. Aug. 13, Oshtemo Branch, 7265 W. Main St.

Coffee & Connections — Community gathering with library staff, 2–3 p.m. Aug. 13, Alma Powell Branch, 1000 W. Paterson St.; 9–11 a.m. Aug. 27, Central Library; light refreshments.

Ask a Gardener — Q&A session with Kalamazoo Seed Collaborative, 2–4 p.m. Aug. 14, Central Library.

Music and Memories — Songs & discussion of how music stirs emotions & memories, 11 a.m. Aug. 18, Oshtemo Branch.

Romance Roundtable — Discuss Casey McQuiston's One Last Stop, 6:30 p.m. Aug. 18, Oshtemo Branch.

Movie Night — Movie & popcorn, 5:30–7:30 p.m. Aug. 19, Alma Powell Branch.

Family Literacy Day — Activities to strengthen literacy skills & love of learning, 5–7 p.m. Aug. 20, Kalamazoo Literacy Council, 420 E. Alcott St.

Senior Citizens’ Breakfast — Breakfast & music, 10:30–noon Aug. 22, Eastwood Branch.

Kalamazoo Chapter of the National Stuttering Association — Safe environment for adults to learn coping skills & gain support, 6:30 p.m. Aug. 26, Central Library.

Dungeons&DragonsGame Night — Beginner to experienced levels, 5:30 p.m. Aug. 27, Washington Square Branch; registration required.

Parchment Community Library 401 S. Riverview Drive, 343-7747, parchmentlibrary.org

Yum’s the Word: Colorful Local Foods with Chef Channon Mondoux — 6:30 p.m., Aug. 7; limited seating; $10, reservations required n advance online or in person.

Parchment Book Group – Discuss Brendan Slocumb's The Violin Conspiracy, 6 p.m. Aug. 11.

Mystery Book Club – Discuss Ann Cleeves' The Glass Room, 6:30 p.m. Aug. 12.

Portage District Library

300 Library Lane, 329-4544, portagelibrary.info

Friends of the Library Book Sale — 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Aug. 2; members shop early, 4–5:30 p.m. Aug. 1.

Michael Delaware — Author of Victorian Southwest Michigan True Crime, 6 p.m. Aug. 6; registration required.

Monarch Waystation Tour — Presentation on the library’s Monarch Waystation, 6:30 p.m. Aug. 7; registration required.

Discover the Harmony of Chinese Traditions — Tea ceremony & tai chi workshop, 1:30 p.m. Aug. 9; registration required.

Estate Planning 101 — Estate planning basics, 3:30 p.m. Aug. 13; registration required.

Kalamazoo Macintosh Users Group — Help with Macintosh computers, programs & accessories, 9 a.m.–noon Aug. 16.

Tobin Buhk — Author of Michigan’s Most Dangerous Women, 6 p.m. Aug. 19; registration required.

Mindful Meditation — Learn the benefits & practice, 6 p.m. Aug. 20; registration required.

Kalamazoo County ID Mobile Unit — Get or renew a county ID, 3–5 p.m. Aug. 27.

Richland Community Library 8951 Park St., 629-9085, richlandlibrary.org

End of Summer Park Party — Foam party & pizza celebrating Summer Reading Program's end, 11 a.m.–noon Aug. 2, richlandlibrary.org.

Bridge Club — Noon Tuesdays.

Adult Dungeons&Dragons Bravo Team — New crusade each month, 3–6 p.m. Aug. 6 & 5–8 p.m. Aug. 20; registration required.

Hollywood Memorabilia Showcase — Hastings native Terry Dennison presents stories of his Just Off Broadway museum collection, 7 p.m. Aug. 7. Richland Area Writer’s Group — Noon Aug. 8 & 22.

Information & You: Navigating Modern Media — Adult event with tools & advice for determining credibility of sources, 6 p.m. Aug. 12.

Angeline Boulley — Author of Firekeeper’s Daughter, 6 p.m. Aug. 19.

Richland Genealogy Group — Discussion group, 10 a.m. Aug. 21, in person & online.

Between the Pages: Romance Book Club — Discuss Callie Hart’s Quicksilver, 6 p.m. Aug. 23 at Ned’s, 15450 M-43, Hickory Corners; registration required.

Van Buren District Library - Antwerp Sunshine Branch, 24283 Front St., Mattawan, 668-2534, vbdl.org

Big Furry Friends — Read to therapy dogs, 10:30 a.m.–noon Aug. 2; call to reserve a time.

End of Summer Reading Program Celebration — With inflatable obstacle course, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Aug. 2.

Tim Muxlow Reptiles — Meet reptiles, 3 p.m. Aug. 19.

Vicksburg District Library 215 S. Michigan Ave., 649-1648, vicksburglibrary.org

Bridge Club — 9:30 a.m.–noon Tuesdays.

Mr. Jim’s Magic Show — All ages welcome, 11 a.m. Aug. 4.

Family-Friendly Movie — 4–6 p.m. Aug. 7; popcorn provided; bring a blanket & beverage.

Adult Silent Book Club — Read in companionable silence, 10:30 a.m. Aug. 25.

Adult Jigsaw Puzzle Time — Put together puzzles with other adults, 11 a.m. Aug. 29.

MUSEUMS

Air Zoo

6151 Portage Road, Portage, 382-6555, airzoo.org

Fly-in of Visiting Plane With Rides — Historic C-47 aircraft Hairless Joe, Aug. 16, ticketed rides at 11 a.m., noon & 1 p.m.; purchase tickets on website.

Aviation STEAM Day — Free outdoor event with hands-on stations, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Aug. 19.

Top Gun — Watch the 1986 movie on a large screen next to a F-14 Tomcat fighter jet, 6:30 p.m. Aug. 23.

Gilmore Car Museum

6865 Hickory Road, Hickory Corners, 671-5089, gilmorecarmuseum.org

Red Barns Spectacular — Antique, classic & special-interest cars 25 years & older, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Aug. 2.

Wednesday Night Cruise-Ins — 5–8 p.m. Wednesdays on good-weather nights, with collector cars, food & live music: Vinyl Top, Aug. 6; Barefoot Blondes, Aug. 13; Jimmy & the Mortals, Aug. 20; Trapped on Mars, Aug. 27.

Lincoln Homecoming Weekend — Celebrating Lincoln Motor Co.'s 101st anniversary, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Aug. 8–9.

Relix Riot — Hot rods, custom cars & motorcycles, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Aug. 15–16.

Orphan Marques Car Show & Car Games — Car brands that faded into history before 1975, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Aug. 23–24.

Kalamazoo Valley Museum 230 N. Rose St., 373-7990, kalamazoomuseum.org

Exhibitions

The Art of Advertising — Nostalgic signs & ads from local businesses, through Aug. 31.

ColorfulCollections— Items in a rainbow of hues from the museum's collection, through Aug. 31.

Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep: Shear Genius — Exhibit exploring the characters’ contraptions, antics & play, through Aug. 31.

Events

Rain Garden Tours — Guided tour of the museum’s rain garden, 10:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m. Wednesdays & Saturdays.

Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon — Planetarium show with computer graphics, 2:30 p.m. Saturdays.

NATURE

Kalamazoo Nature Center 7000 N. Westnedge Ave., 381-1574, naturecenter.org

Free Admission Day — Aug. 4, Visitor Center open 9 a.m.–5 p.m. & trails 9 a.m.–7:30 p.m.

Guided Butterfly Walk — Monarch tagging, 1–3 p.m. Aug. 23; registration required.

Women’s Wilderness Retreat — Adult yoga, foraging walk, art projects & trail safety, 8:30 a.m.–7 p.m. Aug. 30, Stryker Nature Preserve, Oakland Drive, near Nature's Way Preschool; registration required.

Other Venues

Beginning Birding Walk — 9–11 a.m. Aug. 2; meet at Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery's 2nd parking lot, 34270 County Road 652, Mattawan, kalamazooaudubon.org.

Birds & Coffee Chat Online — Discuss raptors such as osprey & eagles, 10 a.m. Aug. 13, Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, 12685 East C Ave., Augusta, 6712510, birdsanctuary@kbs.msu.edu; registration required.

Ranger Hike: Bat Bonanza — Evening hike exploring bats, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 15, Schrier Park, 850 W. Osterhout Ave., portagemi.gov/calendar.

Kalamazoo Astronomical Society Public Observing Sessions Super Summer Star Clusters, Aug. 16; The Moon & Saturn, Aug. 30; both sessions 9 p.m.–midnight, Kalamazoo Nature Center, 7000 N. Westnedge Ave., kasonline.org.

MISCELLANEOUS

2025 Parade of Homes — New & remodeled homes, July 31–Aug. 2, kalamazoohomepage.com/ paradeofhomes.

Vicksburg Farmers Market — 2–6 p.m. Fridays & Historic Village Market Aug. 22, with food, artisan products & music, 300 N. Richardson St., vicksburgfarmersmarket.com.

Tour de Zoo — Bike through Binder Park Zoo, entertainment, & prizes 5–9 p.m. Aug. 1, 7400 Division Drive, Battle Creek, binderparkzoo.com.

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. 21; 1204 Bank St., pfcmarkets.com.

Texas Township Farmers Market — 8 a.m.–noon Saturdays & 4–7 p.m. Tuesdays, 7110 West Q Ave., texastownship.org/168/farmers-market.

Portage Farmers Market — 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Sundays, outside Portage City Hall, 7900 S. Westnedge Ave., portagemi.gov/643/markets.

Tea Talk at the Manor House — Tea varieties & brewing techniques, 10:30 a.m. Aug. 5, Kellogg Manor House, 3700 E. Gull Lake Drive, 671-2160.

Kalamazoo Food Truck Rallies — 5–7:30 p.m. Aug. 5, Midtown Fresh, 1693 S. Westnedge Ave.; 5–7:30 p.m. Aug. 12, Woods Lake Elementary, 3215 Oakland Drive; 5–7:30 p.m. Aug. 19, Fannie Pell Park, 211 N. Main St., Plainwell; 5–7:30 p.m. Aug. 26, 118 N. Main St., Lawton; foodtruckrallykz.com.

Richland Farmers’ Market — 3–6 p.m. Wednesdays, Richland Community Center, 9400 East CD Ave., richlandareacc.org/richland-farmersmarket.

Kalamazoo Scrabble Fest — Noon–3:30 p.m. Aug. 9, Radisson Plaza Hotel, 100 W. Michigan Ave., kalamazooliteracy.org.

Hearts for the House — '80s-themed Hospital Hospitality House of Southwest Michigan fundraiser, 6–9 p.m. Aug. 15, Fetzer Center, 2251 Business Court, WMU campus, hhhkz.org/heartsfor-the-house-2025.

Kzoo Latinx Festival — Live entertainment & information booths, presented by El Concilio, Aug. 16, Arcadia Creek Festival Place, 145 E. Water St., elconciliokzoo.org/latino-summer-fest.

Nuway Combat Midwest — Wrestling competition, Aug. 16–17, Wings Event Center, 3600 Vanrick Drive, wingseventcenter.com/events.

Kalamazoo Reptile & Exotic Pet Expo — Reptiles, amphibians & exotic pets, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Aug. 16, South Room, Kalamazoo County Expo Center, 2900 Lake St., kalamazooreptileexpo.com.

SS Edmund Fitzgerald — Presentation by Ric Mixter on the doomed freighter, 2 p.m. Aug. 17, Vicksburg United Methodist Church, 217 S. Main St., vicksburgmi.org.

Cheff Center’s Annual Shindig — Live music, dancing, dinner, silent auction, 6 p.m. Aug. 22, Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center, 8450 N. 43rd St., Augusta, cheffcenter.org/shindig.

Kalamazoo Balloon Fest — Hot-air balloon displays & flights, Aug. 22–24, Gull Meadow Farms, 8544 Gull Road, Richland, gullmeadowfarms.com.

Ramona Beach Bonfire — Live music & s’mores, 8 p.m. Aug. 23, Ramona Park, 8600 S. Sprinkle Road, portagemi.gov/calendar.

The Urban Craft Fair — Small businesses, artists, crafters, food trucks & music, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Aug. 31, Kalamazoo Farmers Market, 1204 Bank St., discoverkalamazoo.com.

Michelle Hargrave (continued from page 38)

It was a wonderful time to join the organization — just in time to celebrate the 100 years of connecting people and art. The KIA is a unique institution. There aren’t a lot of places in the country that combine a respected museum with a really vibrant art school. I feel that we are a kind of oasis in downtown Kalamazoo that brings creativity, community and well-being through the arts.

What has been your focus since you got here?

We’re centering inclusion and belonging in our work, and collaboration is also very key to what we’re doing. We have formed new relationships and partnerships with organizations and schools throughout the community, including the Kalamazoo Nature Center, Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers, and the Gun Lake Tribe. We’re going farther afield, not to duplicate what others are doing but to enhance their work as they enhance ours

We’ve also started doing outreach to meet people where they’re at — like the Boys & Girls Club, El Concilio, the Kalamazoo Public Library. We want to bring art to students and after-school programs, to remove that transportation barrier. And to make sure that everyone feels like they belong here, we’ve launched free Thursdays, when we’re open until 8 p.m.

I’m excited about what’s coming next. We are thinking about what the community needs and wants from the KIA, which may be an evolution from what it has been. So, we’re listening, adapting, taking in feedback and taking some bold risks.

What keeps you up at night?

Like so many others, we’re emerging from the disruptions of the pandemic, and (we're) doing so with a renewed sense of purpose alongside some hard realities, trying to balance our aspirations with financial constraints. Our building has sections that date to 1961 and that require some significant infrastructure improvements.

Fundraising is always a challenge, particularly in a place with so many worthy causes. Our admission covers just a fraction of our

costs, so we appreciate donors who contribute to the scholarship fund so everyone has the opportunity to take classes and (we appreciate) our members, who are helping us ensure that we’re here for future generations.

Another thing we face is that more people have gotten comfortable staying at home. I always say our biggest competitor is not another museum. It’s people’s couches. But what we offer is irreplaceable: an in-person experience with a work of art, making and taking something from one of our studios, fostering a connection, a conversation with somebody as you look at a work of art and learn a new perspective. What’s on view now and coming up for the KIA?

We have three current exhibitions wrapping up this fall and will be opening the Kirk Newman Faculty Review, which highlights our talented instructors. October will bring our gala, when we honor Joy and Timothy Light, who have been so generous in helping introduce audiences in our region to Asian art and culture. Their East Asian Art Fund has underwritten Washi Transformed, which will fill two firstfloor galleries.

Do you have a favorite part of your job?

I’d have to say the people. I’m very lucky to be working with such a talented team, and I enjoy meeting with potential board members, talking with donors or strolling the galleries and seeing how people are reacting to our exhibitions. I try to get into the galleries regularly. That fuels me and fills my well.

I love to see the people who experience what we offer — the child who lights up in the gallery, the students who experiment in the studios, the instructor who brings out the creativity in someone for the first time, the visitor who can breathe and find peace in the gallery, who feels like "I’ve found a place that I belong." That’s the part that makes my challenges recede a little, makes me excited to get up every morning and come to work.

— Interview by Katie Houston, edited for length and clarity

Lori Hannemann, Michael Brundage, CFP® & Michelle Eldridge, CFA,CPWA® Wealth Management Partners

Michelle Hargrave

Leading the KIA into its second hundred years

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Executive

Director Michelle Hargrave, who has been at the helm of the KIA since May 2024, is Michigan born, raised and educated. The week we met she had just started her first art class in the KIA’s Kirk Newman Art School, a major part of the 100-year-old art museum.

“I’m taking weaving right now, and my goal is to move through each of the mediums," she says. "It’s a great way to meet our students and instructors. This week we also met with a donor to present some choices on artwork to purchase, as they had pledged to fund some new acquisitions.”

Hargrave came to the KIA after leading the Figge Museum of Art, in Davenport, Iowa, for nearly five years. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a master’s from Bard Graduate Center, in New York City. She remained on the East Coast for nearly 20 years, working for the American Federation of Arts and the New Britain Museum of American Art, before heading back to the Midwest.

“My work with the AFA involved working with museums and curators around the world on all kinds of exhibitions, which really helped me understand how art can connect us through time, medium and distance.” How did you get where you are today?

I was drawn to the KIA because of its wonderful mission, incredible collection and phenomenal Kirk Newman Art School. It’s clear this is a community that cares about art and culture. When I was offered the job, it felt like coming full circle in returning to Michigan. I was happy to come to a community that reflects my values.

(continued on page 37)

Travel Easier From Kalamazoo Airport: REAL ID, TSA PreCheck and Global Entry

For travelers flying out of Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport (AZO), a smooth airport experience starts well before you reach the terminal. By signing up for REAL ID, TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, you can reduce stress, avoid long lines and enjoy a more efficient journey.

REAL ID: Be

Ready Before the Deadline

Starting May 7, 2025, every air traveler 18 years or older is required to have a REAL IDcompliant driver’s license or identification card (or another federally approved form of ID) to fly within the United States. Without it, you won't be allowed through security at any U.S. airport — including AZO. Michigan residents can upgrade their driver’s license to a REAL ID by visiting a Secretary of State office with required documentation such as proof of identity and residency or their Social Security number. The gold star on your license indicates it's REAL ID-compliant. Avoid last-minute headaches and make sure you’re REAL ID ready for future travel.

TSA PreCheck:

a background check, fingerprinting and identity verification. Most applicants receive approval in under a week, and membership lasts five years. Detailed information can be found at www.flyazo.com.

Global Entry:

For the International Traveler

Skip the Lines with an Easy August Sign-Up

If you value shorter lines and faster security screenings, TSA PreCheck is your ticket to convenience. With TSA PreCheck, you won’t need to remove shoes, laptops, liquids, belts or light jackets at security. While it’s already convenient and speedy through AZO security where you can move from parking lot to gate in minutes, you’ll come to enjoy the value of TSA PreCheck when trying to get through larger airports like Atlanta or Orlando.

And for those wanting it, our Airport will host an on-site TSA PreCheck enrollment event August 19–22, 2025. This makes it easy for local travelers to complete the sign-up process without traveling to another city. The process includes

For those who travel internationally, Global Entry is a gamechanger. This U.S. Customs and Border Protection program allows pre-approved travelers to breeze through immigration and customs using automated kiosks at major U.S. airports. Even better, Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck benefits.

While AZO doesn’t offer Global Entry enrollment on-site, applicants can complete the application online and finish the interview at a designated Global Entry enrollment center. With the growth of international travel and more connecting flights from regional airports, having Global Entry can cut significant time and hassle during re-entry into the United States.

Whether you’re flying for business, heading on vacation, or visiting family, taking the time now to enroll in REAL ID, TSA PreCheck, or Global Entry can make your travel out of Kalamazoo Airport smoother and more enjoyable.